Torula News August 1998

25/08/98	Radio Europe 1 produced a live program on Cognac industry and its small to medium producers and the Internet. Live interviews included Patricia Sabourin-Reif of Les Cognacs Ragnaud-Sabourin. Main theme of the program was how the Internet helps Cognac producers. The www.swfrance.com was also featured in this program.
20/08/98	Harvest in the Cognac region maybe delayed till mid-October. "We need more sun" was the unanimous outcry among the viticulteurs when surveyed by the Torula News team.
17/08/98	Rolling Stones' Voodoo Lounge, a newly opened theme club-restaurant in London, offers a wide range of top of the line brandies; Cognacs and Armagnacs are prominently featured.
13/08/98	Over 15,000 Internet users visited www.swfrance.com in July 1998. Thank you!
12/08/98	Torula News team spent several days in the heart of the Scotch whisky region. In depth analysis, interviews with distillers and Master Blenders and overview of both, Cognac and Scotch whisky industries is coming. Watch our web pages for a full report! At the Craigellachie Hotel, which is located in the center of Speyside, (a Grande Champagne cru of single malts) we found a few Cognacs proudly carrying the flag of Charentes. We salute them: Courvoisier VS & VSOP, Delamain Pale & Dry, Martell Cordon Bleu, Rémy Martin VSOP, Hennessy XO and Pierre Ferrand Ambre.
11/08/98	BNIC comments on Hennessy proposed sales of Irish whisky. Too little, too late and addressing the wrong subject, once again BNIC, instead of taking the lead, has been harking back to the old ways or keeping up the status quo. The markets move forward, the buying public makes choices influenced by advertising and the globalization is here to stay. BNIC spends precious advertising money on full page adds in the local Sud Ouest newspaper rather than in a national or international campaigns. It continues to promote "cognac on ice" forgetting the uniqueness and quality of Cognac. Differentiate, reposition, get a new advertising campaign - customers do not wait! We applaud Hennessy new bold step and remind BNIC that all of the big houses sell whiskies one way or the other; Seagram, (parent of Martell), Allied Domecq (parent of Courvoisier), Pernod Ricard (parent of Renault Bisquit), Rémy Cointereau (parent of Rémy Martin) and others.
8-9/08/98	1998 Portes Ouvertes - Pineau des Charentes. 110 producers of Pineau des Charentes welcomes visitors to taste, to enjoy it and to buy it! In addition to the tastings, many producers offer various attractions; from collection cars to paintings and charentais meals.
03/08/98	The mystery is over. 67 barrels at 600 liters each, have been recovered from the Jonkoping ship that was sunk in 1916 by the German submarine. Cognac producer, that sold this to the Tsar's Army in Finland, was a predecessor of the Renault-Bisquit which now has a task to re-process it as the quality is poor due to the sipage. The salvage company still expects to auction it at $8000 per bottle. The other liquid cargo, 1907 Heidsieck champagne bottles are in a perfect condition and will be auctioned at a minimum price of $3000 per bottle. Let the auction gavel decide the right price!
2/08/98	Blues Festival "Blues Passions" in Cognac, which ended today, saw a continuing success of Cognac J. Painturaud sales at the main festival venue while the big cognac houses continued to rely on local bars for their Festival sales. With a bit of initiative and lots of hard work, Cognac J. Painturaud proves that a small producer can successfully compete with the big boys.
1/08/98	Cognac Hennessy, a world leading producer of cognac will begin selling whisky in October 1998. It will be an Irish whisky, a single malt of the highest quality. Initial target market is Japan and the Suntory whisky products. Good move which raises a question: Is Moet Hennessy (part of the LVMH Group) on the way to become a truly integrated spirits company or is this yet another ill conceived defensive move by a major Cognac house? We believe it is the first option. (Torula News sources & Sud Ouest 30/07/98)