Month: November 2018

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Vintage Wine Estates Buys Qupé Wines from Terroir Life (Wine Spectator)

Vintage Wine Estates announced today that the company has acquired Santa Barbara, Calif.–based Qupé from Terroir Life. The deal includes the brand and inventory. Founder and winemaker Bob Lindquist will stay on as consulting winemaker. The price of the purchase was not disclosed.

“Qupé has a great history of producing Rhône-style wines that resonates with consumers,” said Pat Roney, CEO for Vintage Wine Estates. “We are looking forward to honoring that legacy.”

Searching for capital and a long-term financial partner, Lindquist sold the brand in 2013 to Charles Banks and Terroir. Lindquist told Wine Spectator that the partnership with Terroir quickly deteriorated after Banks’ legal woes began. A former financial advisor to professional athletes who made a big splash when he got into the wine business and began acquiring small and medium-size producers in California, South Africa and New Zealand, Banks was convicted in 2017 of defrauding one of his former clients, NBA star Tim Duncan. Currently serving a four-year sentence in federal prison, Banks left his position at Terroir, and the company has been trying to rebuild.

“Banks seemed like the ideal partner, at the time: He had an upstart company with cool wineries and seemingly lots of resources,” said Lindquist. “Once Banks was no longer in the picture, the mojo seemed to be gone, and Terroir began looking for a good fit for us.”

Lindquist founded Qupé in 1982, making his first wines for the project during a short stint at Zaca Mesa Winery, before breaking out on his own the following year. As production grew, he focused on Rhône varieties, but also produced Chardonnay due to its popularity at the time. Today, Qupé produces around 30,000 cases annually.

In 1989, Lindquist and friend Jim Clendenen of Au Bon Climat partnered to build a winery under a lease agreement with the prized Bien Nacido Vineyards in Santa Maria Valley, which became a key source for some of Qupé’s wines. Lindquist was among the first to advocate for Syrah and other Rhône varieties in California, and has been a leader in the movement ever since.

Lindquist says that with each sale, the goal has been to keep the winemaking consistent with what he’s been doing for 36 years, including the vineyard sources. “I’m happy to move on to a company that has clout and resources,” said Lindquist. “I can’t make all the wine and sell it too.”

Santa Rosa–based Vintage continues to expand its winery holdings, now with more than 30 brands in its portfolio representing roughly 2 million cases of annual production. Earlier this year, it purchased Washington’s Tamarack Cellars.

Roney noted that the acquisition of Qupé is part of a larger overall strategy to focus on the Central Coast. “That’s another reason why it made a lot of sense for us, as we begin to put a group of additional winery acquisitions together.” Along with Qupé, recent Central Coast acquisitions include Clay House and Layer Cake.

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These Luxury Air Hockey Tables Will Take Your Game To The Next Level

11 Ravens is a Southern California-based design firm that has taken its expertise in crafting high-end furniture into the rarefied world of luxury table games.

Having already conquered fancy ping pong and pool tables, 11 Ravens are entering the electrified arena of air hockey, with 13 striking new designs.

The new line, which starts at $12,000 (for the entry-level “Malibu” model) and can run to more than $26,000 (for the Stealth Bomber-inspired “Stealth), boast the same sleek, modernist aesthetic as 11 Raven’s pool and ping pong tables. 

Materials for the air hockey tables vary, but the rink itself–where the action will take place–is made of a high-density laminate that 11 Ravens can customize at your whims. Laquer, veneer and other options are available. Each table features a commercial air blower to create a consistent cushion of air to keep the puck moving lightning fast.

Of course, all of 11 Ravens’ tables notably come with an electronic scorekeeper built in, ready to keep an automatic tally of the merciless beatings you’ll surely dish out after one of these becomes your home court air hockey table. (Buy here) 

Below, check out some of the brand’s other remarkably cool-looking table games:

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Converse Reboots 3 Classic Sneakers With Weatherpoof ‘Mountain Club’ Collection

Converse just released a rugged new weatherpoof collection inspired by its military heritage called Converse Mountain Club, which features reboots of three classic Converse silhouettes: the Chuck Taylor All Star, One Star, and Fastbreak.

All three styles have Gore-Tex and a DWR coating to keep your feet dry in wet winter weather, and have other features inspired by Converse’s Extreme Cold Weather Boot–a 1950s-era rubber U.S. military boot–like oversized treads, rubber overlays, visible seams, and ankle straps.

Here’s a closer look at each style:

Chuck Taylor MC18

The classic Chuck gets a utilitarian upgrade with a thicker sole, double-lacing, and printed text like “KEEP DOUBLE LACED TO HOLD FIRMLY” in place of the All Star label, which sort of brings to mind the text emblazoned on the buzzy Virgil Abloh OFF-WHITE Nike collab made by Converse’s parent company.

The Chuck Taylor MC18 comes in an all-white colorway:

And a black and white colorway, with a black upper and white toe and sole.

One Star MC18

These low-top Mountain Club One St won’t protect ankles from snow and slush, but that’s okay. They’re still waterproof and feature a sturdy rubber sole and double-lacing to keep everything firmly in place. Are you feeling the black or the tan? 

Fastbreak MC18

The Mountain Club Fastbreak, meanwhile, come in two colorways: Olive green and all-black. Either way, they really capture that military-inspired aesthetic.

The Mountain Club collection drops November 8, and will be available through the Converse website and at select retailers. 

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See Elsa Hosk Model The $1 Million Victoria’s Secret Fantasy Bra

View the 13 images of this gallery on the original article

Elsa Hosk will succeed Lais Ribeiro as the wearer of the coveted $1 million “Fantasy Bra” at the 2018 Victoria’s Secret fashion show. 

The Swedish former Maxim cover girl and current Victoria’s Secret Angel will model the blinged-out bauble at the show, which is being filmed on November 8 in New York City. ABC will televise the entire sexy spectacle on December 2. 

The “2018 Dream Angels Fantasy Bra” boasts 2,100 Atelier Swarovski diamonds—71 carats—set in a sterling silver casing and took four craftsman 930 hours to finish. A Swarovski by Christopher Kane necklace and crystal bangles will complete the swanky ensemble. 

For the first time ever, a consumer version of the of the bra, featuring Swarovksi crystals will retail for $250 on November 29 at select Victoria’s Secret stores and online, according to a press release. 

In addition to Ribeiro, Hosk will join the likes of Jasmine Tookes, Claudia Schiffer, Gisele Bundchen, Alessandra Ambrosio and other supermodels who’ve had the honor of wearing the super-glam garment.

Celebrate Hosk’s big moment by scrolling through photos from her Maxim cover shoot above, and most stunning recent Instagram pics here: