As reported by Wine and Spirits Daily - Look at the last line!

Wine & Spirits Daily is one of my favorite publications, however you have to look at Robert Parkers comments on the 2007 French vintage, read the last line!

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Weekly Headline Round-Up

April 18, 2008

DIAGEO CAPITALIZES ON HILLARY'S PUBLICITY STUNT

An article in Ad Age calls Diageo "as shameless as politicians," claiming the company "pounced" on the free publicity after Hillary Clint's shot-and-a-beer act earlier this week. As you'll recall, Hillary took a shot of Crown Royal and drank a beer in front of TV cameras in an Indiana bar, and Diageo is apparently using the incident as a marketing opportunity (do you blame them?).

"It used to be that whenever the cameras came around, you'd see the politicians hiding their drinks behind their back," said a Diageo spokesman to reporter Jeremy Mullman. "But she was using it ... as a way of touching the people."

While Diageo isn't planning to use Clinton's image in any Crown Royal ads, the company reportedly plans to send bottles of its obscure Jeremiah Weed Bourbon Liqueur to all three remaining presidential campaigns. Diageo hopes to boost the brand through sampling, word-of-mouth, and a brand website launched yesterday.

When asked why the company wasn't using the "watershed" moment to promote Crown Royal, the spokesman pointed out: "Well, you all are doing that for us."

ROBERT PARKER TOUTS FRENCH WINES AS THE BEST

Infamous American wine critic Robert Parker thinks French wines are the best in the world, outperforming California and every other region. In an interview with Le Figaro newspaper, he said: "French wines remain the benchmark for all countries producing great wines. Their boldness and intrinsic quality are indicators that influence winemakers in other countries," reports the AFP.

"French wines have considerably improved in quality, even during difficult years," said Parker, considered the world's leading Bordeaux expert.

With that said, he wasn't too impressed with the 2007 vintage. He told the newspaper that the majority of the 2007 production was bland, "with a hereby taste... Overall, they are disappointing." Ouch.