Tag Archives: Formula One Grand Prix

Worth The Cost- Ultra Premium Champagne To Ring In The New Year

 Luxury Maurice Vendome Champagne Label1Miami, FL,  – Ultra-luxury wine and spirits purveyor Prodiguer Brands, which privately develops and markets many of the world’s finest, award-winning wines and spirits, offers a very special Champagne.  Maurice Vendôme is now exclusively available in the United States (and in select LCBO’s and liquor stores in Ontario and Canada).

This offering furthers the company’s extraordinary and revered portfolio of premium ultra-grade adult beverage brands specifically tailored for the global luxury market to meet evolving consumer desires and tastes. What better way to celebrate New Year’s Eve?

“This rare Grand Cru Réserve Blanc de Blancs champagne represents over 100 years of combined experience, expertise and leadership by our team and the Maurice Vendôme wine grower,” notes Prodiguer Brands’ Managing Partner, Noel Shu—a self-made millionaire, Sommelier and entrepreneur. ” Housed within the beautiful village of Oger in the Côte des Blancs region, Champagne Maurice Vendôme has ancestral ties dating back to the French Revolution. It’s an exquisite champagne that benefits from Oger’s rich soils that provide the perfect setting for luxury winemaking.”
Using 100% rated rare Grand Cru grapes and a limited annual production, Maurice Vendôme offers an exquisite experience of luxurious quality and exclusivity. The caliber and excellence of this rare Grand Cru Réserve Blanc de Blancs champagne is uncompromised, further entrenching Maurice Vendôme as “A Timeless Luxury.”

Champagne Chapuy in Oger

The art of Champagne is created usually with the combination of three different types of grapes – Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir. Champagne Maurice Vendôme uses exclusively 100% Chardonnay to create a unique Blanc de Blancs luxury cuvée. Each Chardonnay grape is delicately handpicked  from only the finest vineyards in Champagne country and then pressed to release their first juice, premiér taille.
Tasting Notes:

  • Colour: Straw yellow appearance
  • Nose: Intense white fruits, sweet on the nose, slightly floral
  • Palate: Creamy smooth refreshing palate, full delicate flavor
  • Finish: Charming fresh finish
  • Premiér taille of 100% Grand Cru Chardonnay
  • Hand-picked, sorted and pressed within 24 hours Liqueur de dosage: Chardonnay wine with melted cane sugar at 12 g/liter, this champagne then rests for a further four months after disgorgement, resulting in a luxury aroma, taste, body, and finish
  • Formats: 75cl and Magnum 1.5l – larger sizes by special order

A Prestigious Pedigree: Makers of the World’s Most Expensive Champagne Prodiguer Brands gained much notoriety for developing and facilitating the record-breaking sale of the most expensive single bottle of Champagne in the world—a limited edition bottle of Goût de Diamants, Taste of Diamonds, which sold for a staggering $1.8 million usd / $2.4 million cad.
Made from 100% Grand Cru grapes, all Goût de Diamants Champagne—available as a brut, a rosé, a Blanc de Blancs and a vintage—is produced at the 8-hectare, family-owned, Champagne Chapuy in Oger. Each standard bottle of Goût de Diamants is a chic collector’s item that’s adorned with a brilliant cut Swarovski crystal in the center of a diamond-shaped pewter design resembling the Superman logo.

Goût de Diamants bottle

The Swarovski crystals are pink on the rosé bottles and clear on the Blanc de Blancs and the brut, which is aged for a minimum of 40 months before release including four months post disgorgement.  In addition, borrowing design cues from Armand de Brignac, the back of each bottle also boasts a hand-engraved pewter label featuring details of the blend inside. For its part, the bespoke multi-million dollar bottle saw the diamond logo crafted from 18-carat solid white gold while the Swarovski crystal was upgraded to a 19-carat flawless white diamond. The 18-carat white gold front label meanwhile, was engraved with the client’s name.

A Voraciously Vetted Vodka  Also in the Prodiguer Brands’ preeminent portfolio is JULIET Immaculate Vodka, which is the world’s first “Immaculate”-graded vodka—ranking it above other premium, super-premium and even ultra-premium brands. Notably, this “Immaculate” rank was actually incepted by Prodiguer Brands, itself, as was required to aptly classify this caliber of vodka, and is a grade now recognized and accepted by industry professionals worldwide.

Upon its official launch in Monte Carlo, Monaco in 2014 during the prestigious, Formula One Grand Prix weekend at the exclusive Ermanno Palace Penthouse, this luxury vodka subsequently appeared at a multitude of A-list events in key regions around the world, including New York City, Barcelona, Paris, Sweden and London. At that time, the brand released a range of Collector’s Edition bottles featuring artwork from renowned New York City based artist, Sue Tsai, based around the F1 and the Brazil World Cup 2014.

Prodiguer Brands expressly separated JULIET from competitors by creating a vodka using a boutique production process to ensure the highest quality vodka that boasts seven distinct unique selling propositions. For one, the vodka weighs in at 43% alcohol volume (is 86 proof), and is only distilled a single time. As the vodka is handcrafted in small batches and great care is taken to prevent impurities from entering at any point in the process, the result is an impeccably pure vodka that does not need to be distilled multiple times. In addition, the vodka is gluten free as, by using high quality sugar beet that the brand ferments in-house, gluten is avoided entirely. The sweetness of the sugar beet also levels out the strong 43% alcohol volume, leaving pleasant smooth vanilla notes. Moreover, the vodka does not require any additional filtration as it is purified in copper pot stills during the distillation process and, packaging-wise, it uses wood top natural corks and tin foil capsules to exemplify the brand’s approach to using natural, non-toxic and renewable materials. JULIET Immaculate Vodka is 100% British, created at its own dedicated distillery based in the South of England, United Kingdom.

French Champagne Grapes
Expertise Aplenty:
About Noel Shu, Prodiguer Brands’ Managing Partner Internationally-regarded sommelier Noel Shu, Managing Partner for the ultra-luxe, award-winning wine and spirts purveyor Prodiguer Brands, is a self-made millionaire since his early 20s, entrepreneur and author of the upcoming title, “China Through a Glass of Wine.”  With impeccable panache and style, Shu, has already accomplished more than many do in an entire lifetime. Shu has personally designed and sold extraordinary multi-million dollar timepieces and necklaces to China’s elite through his ancillary, highly successful luxury jewelry business.  Always striving for growth and self-improvement and with a reverence for continuing education, despite his busy schedule Shu is currently pursuing an Ivy League Master’s degree at Columbia University. As a globally-minded business practitioner, Shu understands commerce on both sides of the Pacific and brings that expertise to bear with his various ventures, including the highly anticipated upcoming release of “Regale”—an exclusive wine brand expressly developed for the Chinese marketplace, which will be exported to the region in early 2016.  Shu may be reached at www.prodiguerbrands.com.
About Prodiguer Brands Prodiguer Brands privately creates and owns some of the world’s finest wines and spirits.  With a growing portfolio, Prodiguer Brands prides themselves in creating luxury brands for the global luxury market that meet new consumer desires and tastes.  In 2016 the company will be releasing one of the world’s finest red wine offerings in the U.S. market: the highly anticipated SIA Cabernet Sauvignon. Led by Shammi Shinh, the company is predicated on strong dedication, wise investment, and offering the best consumption experiences.

Shinh has been commissioned by the likes of Hugo Boss and Christian Louboutin to ideate and help create engagement opportunities in the luxury marketplace.

Learn more about Prodiguer Brands online at www.prodiguerbrands.com.

WILLIAMS F1 RACING TO BECOME CLIMATE POSITIVE BY 2030

Grove, Oxfordshire UK: Williams Racing, one of the most successful teams in Formula One history, commits to a far-reaching climate change target.  Building on the progress the global motorsport industry has made on sustainability in recent years, Williams Racing goes further than any other race team or motor racing series in the world, to commit to becoming climate positive by 2030.  

To achieve this ambitious goal, Williams Racing has developed a series of robust technological and data driven initiatives, as part of a comprehensive purpose driven sustainability strategy, aiming to address some of the most important environmental and societal challenges facing Formula One, global sport and the planet.

The Williams Racing Sustainability Strategy, which has been developed over the course of the last year after extensive expert analysis, is based around five key pillars: Climate Action, Biodiversity Stewardship, Sustainable Innovation, Industry Access for All and Purpose Driven Leadership. Each pillar defines actions that Williams will be taking in the short and medium term to accelerate the transition to a better planet. Adding further transparency and accountability, each objective will be measured, audited and annually reported.

Williams is committed to learning and sharing best practices from all sectors and adhering to international initiatives. Accordingly, this strategy brings its emissions reduction target in line with the below 2 degrees Celsius target of the Paris Climate Agreement and UN Climate Change Global Agenda. Williams Racing is now the first Formula One Team to be a signatory of the UNFCCC, UN Sports for Climate Action Framework. In addition, Williams Racing Sustainability objectives are aligned with 12 of the 17 United Nations Development Goals (SDGs).  Williams Racing is also aligned with industry specific standards and has recently gained FIA Three-star environmental accreditation.   

Jost Capito, CEO, Williams Racing: “Williams Racing is a pioneer in Formula One and the racing world and has a strong heritage developing Formula One technology and transferring it to the EV and sustainable transport and energy sectors. We are living in a time when our planet and society is changing faster than ever. Building on the progress the global motorsport industry has made on sustainability in recent years, we have taken time to thoroughly analyse our entire operation and develop a comprehensive purpose driven, Sustainability Strategy to accelerate our sustainable transformation. As a team, we wanted to push the envelope and be the pace setter for sustainability in global motorsport and in the wider automotive industry. So today we are making the commitment to be climate positive by 2030 and we will be using our knowledge to nurture and develop advanced technology to meet this goal.

“We know where we are strong and understand where improvement is required and we are open to learning from others and sharing best practices in pursuit of our ambitious objectives. To help raise the baseline of sustainable performance in our industry, we welcome interaction and partnerships with key motorsport stakeholders, automotive companies, brands and organisations who share our vision.” 

“As a huge global sporting platform, Formula One has the power to inspire millions of people across the world and as the pinnacle of so many advanced technologies, Formula One has the ability to create technical solutions to help tackle the challenges we face as a planet. As we progress towards our goal to be climate positive in the years ahead, my hope is that Williams Racing can inspire all those connected with our sport and beyond, using motorsport as a catalyst for significant and long-lasting change.”

The five key pillars of the Williams Racing Sustainability Strategy

Climate Action, covers the strategy and targets for how the team will reduce carbon emissions for travel and energy consumption at HQ, reduce waste and water usage and over time create its own energy, on its journey to becoming climate positive.  

Biodiversity Stewardship, covers the strategy and targets for how the team protect and preserve the biodiversity on the 60 acres of the HQ campus, including the Letcombe Brook – one of only 240 chalk streams in the world.  

Sustainable Innovation, covers the strategy and targets to foster sustainable and innovative solutions that tackle global challenges in and outside of F1™. This includes Williams Racing undertaking full life cycle management of its racing cars, deploying circular economy strategies within the team and being actively involved in projects such as carbon capture technologies.

Industry Access for All, covers the strategy and targets to make motorsport more accessible by creating an environment in which anyone can thrive, and a workforce that reflects our community through academy programmes, scholarships and Esports.

Purpose Driven Leadership, covers the strategy and targets for Williams Racing to act as pace setters for sustainability within the motorsport industry. Building a strong, transparent and accountable culture in our team, at races, with our partners, suppliers, local community and fans.

Lindita Xhaferi-Slihu, Sector Engagement in Climate Action, Lead, from the UNFCCC commented “We are pleased to welcome Williams Racing as a signatory to the UN Sports for Climate Action Framework. The team is the first Formula One Team joining the Framework, sending a clear signal on the growing importance of setting clear climate targets and of using the sport and technologies as a catalyst for change. We look forward to working together with Williams Racing to deliver on the goals of the Framework.”

The Williams Racing Sustainability Strategy was developed with support from Enovation Consulting, a purpose driven sustainability and strategic management agency.

About Williams Racing

Williams Grand Prix Engineering Limited’s core competencies are the design and development of racing cars to compete in the Formula One World Championship. As one of the world’s leading Formula One teams, the company has secured 16 FIA Formula One World Championship titles since its foundation in 1977. Nine of these titles have been won in the Constructors’ Championship in association with Cosworth, Honda and Renault. The remaining seven titles were won in the Drivers’ Championship with Alan Jones, Keke Rosberg, Nelson Piquet, Nigel Mansell, Alain Prost, Damon Hill and Jacques Villeneuve.

About Enovation Consulting

Enovation Consulting is a purpose-driven sustainability and strategic management agency with the mission to drive positive and meaningful changes through sport. We deliver creative and innovative research-based solutions that empower our clients to integrate sustainability into their business strategies – delivering on their short, medium and long-term ESG goals.

About UNFCCC Sports for Climate Action Framework

The UNFCCC Sports for Climate Action Framework is the UN Climate Change initiative, a climate action for sport movement of sports organizations and their stakeholders. This initiative aims at supporting and guiding sports actors in achieving global climate change goals, offering a forum where participants can pursue climate action in a consistent and mutually supportive fashion by learning from each other, disseminating good practices, lessons learned, developing new tools, and collaborating on areas of mutual interest. Signatories commit to a series of principles and goals which are incorporated into their strategies, policies and procedures.

The Latest Odds On F1 Drivers Championship

If you’ve been paying attention to the races so far, it’s no surprise the United Kingdom’s Lewis Hamilton (team Mercedes ) , Finland’s Valterri Bottas (team Mercedes) and Germany’s Sebastian Vettel (team Ferrari) are poised to battle for the crown and the odds continue to get more interesting.

Back and Forth

Hamilton, a 3 time F1 crown winner, currently sits with a 28 point lead after winning the race in Singapore. It’s a slim lead and until the last two races, Vettel was the front runner in points.

It’s this sort of drama and excitement that makes F1 an edge of seat experience. Wagering on one factor alone does not necessarily mean a sure cash in. In Singapore a mistake at the starting line left Vettel, a 4 time F1 crown winner,who had the Pole Position, unable to finish and pointless. This can only mean added pressure as he chases back the lead- one that he held over Hamilton for most of the 2017 season.

Valterri Bottas is not to be taken lightly. Two weeks ago he was rewarded by Mercedes with a contract extension for his consistently impressive driving this year- having won both the Austria and Russia GP. Complicating matters is the fact that he is a team member of Hamilton’s and considered a very fair and sportsmanlike driver. Will he help Hamilton win if he can’t close the gap and compete for the crown? Here’s the latest odds from Sports William Hill.

Not Long to Go

There are only 6 races to go- with the last ever Malaysian Grand Prix coming up next. That is most certainly a favorite track of Vettels and a race he has won 4 times.

Starts below are in Toronto, Canada local time.

Click me for latest odds!

Malaysian Grand Prix, Kuala Lumpur ( 2.7601, 101.7370)   Next 1 October 03:00
First Practice Session, Malaysian Formula 1 Grand Prix Kuala Lumpur (2.7601, 101.7370) 28 September 23:00
Second Practice Session, Malaysian Formula 1 Grand Prix Kuala Lumpur (2.7601, 101.7370) 29 September 03:00
Third Practice Session, Malaysian Formula 1 Grand Prix Kuala Lumpur (2.7601, 101.7370) 30 September 02:00
Qualifying Session, Malaysian Formula 1 Grand Prix Kuala Lumpur (2.7601, 101.7370) 30 September 05:00

Japanese Grand Prix, Suzuka ( 35.3689, 138.9256) 8 October 01:00

United States Grand Prix, Austin ( 30.1328, -97.6411) 22 October 15:00

Mexican Grand Prix, Mexico City ( 19.4028, -99.0986) 29 October 15:00

Brazilian Grand Prix, Sao Paulo ( -23.7014, -46.6969) 12 November 11:00

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Yas Marina ( 24.4821, 54.3482) 26 November 12:00