The Supervisory Board of Vinexpo SAS, which met last month, has appointed Christophe Navarre, Chief Executive Officer of Moët Hennessy, as its new President.

Having been appointed as a member of the Supervisory Board at the General Meeting of Shareholders on 5 April, Christophe Navarre takes over from Xavier de Eizaguirre, who has completed his term of office.

Christophe Navarre also becomes President of the Supervisory Board of Vinexpo Overseas, the group subsidiary that manages Vinexpo’s international operations.

Christophe Navarre’s arrival represents a key milestone in the company’s development in France and internationally. With his experience at the helm of Moët Hennessy since 2001 and his in-depth knowledge of the major global wine and spirits markets, Christophe Navarre brings a fresh impetus to Vinexpo as it faces the challenges ahead.

“For more than thirty years the Vinexpo brand has successfully promoted the wine and spirits sector in general – and French exports in particular. I’m delighted to contribute to its development, working alongside the Management Board,” stated Christophe Navarre.

Patrick Seguin, President of the Management Board, and Guillaume Deglise, Chief Executive Officer of Vinexpo, added: “Appointing a professional of Christophe Navarre’s calibre as President of the

Supervisory Board reflects Vinexpo’s ambitions to take its skills and expertise to ever higher levels.”

Two other leading figures from the wine and spirits sector are also joining Vinexpo’s Supervisory Board: Philippe Castéja, President of Borie-Manoux and of the Conseil des Crus Classés 1855, and Philippe Guigal from Rhône producer E. Guigal.

Registrations towards the forthcoming drinktec 2017 in Munich are now open. The forthcoming show will be held from September 11 – 15, 2017 at the Messe Muenchen, Germany.

Every four years the industry meets here to get new impetus for future business. What are tomorrow’s opportunities? What trends are conquering the market? Leading manufacturers and SMEs use drinktec to present their latest developments—live and in operation.

These include: Process technology; · Filling and packaging technology; Process automation, engineering, control and IT solutions; PETpoint (PET technology for beverages and liquid food); Containers, packing materials, equipment and closures; Raw materials, additives and agents; Energy systems, water and wastewater; Restaurant and catering supplies, mobile facilities, sales promotion and marketing

In 2017, SIMEI organized in Italy by the Unione Italiana Vini Società Cooperative (UIV), for the first time will be an integrated part of drinktec in Munich. SIMEI has taken place since 1963 in Milan and is considered to be the world’s leading wine technology show. In future, SIMEI will take place every four years in Munich with drinktec, the world’s leading trade fair for the beverage and liquid food industry. SIMEI will retain its traditional two-year cycle, but from now on, it will alternate venues between Italy and Munich.

With the inclusion of SIMEI, the hall space occupied by the world´s leading trade fair drinktec will extend to more than 150,000 m2. The drinktec exhibition area is located in the A and B halls and the SIMEI@drinktec exhibition area will be located in at least two of the C halls (C1, C2 & C3).

Once again, the annual Bombay Sapphire Artisan Series arts competition embarked on a North American search for the next big name in visual arts; bringing 16 finalists to SCOPE Miami Beach to showcase their work in front of an esteemed panel of judges including Rush Philanthropic co-founder Danny Simmons; SCOPE Miami Beach Vice President Daria Brit Greene; Creative Time’s Executive Director Katie Hollander, and Artisan Series Canadian Ambassador/Painter Kim Dorland. As the Grand Prize Winner, Darius Frank will now move on to collaborate with New York based non-profit arts organisation, Creative Time, on a groundbreaking public arts project scheduled to be unveiled in Spring 2017 and win a solo exhibition at SCOPE Miami Beach.

The Taj Mahal Hotel, New Delhi celebrates a journey of legacies at Varq

In a constant endeavour to provide unique and memorable experiences, The Taj Mahal Hotel, New Delhi presented The Glenlivet Founder’s Reserve Appreciation Series at Varq.

The bespoke experience began with an ode to Varq – the modern Indian dining destination at the iconic Taj Mahal Hotel.

Chef Arun Sundararaj, Executive Chef at the Hotel, and Sandeep Arora, Director, Spiritual Luxury Living, unravelled the tale of Varq and traced the journey of how it became the culinary leader it is today.

The evening saw the presence of the celebrated artist, Anjolie Ela Menon who recounted her fond memories at Varq that still houses the priceless mural created by her over three decades ago. Speaking on the occasion, she briefly traced the culinary journey from Haveli to Varq and emphasised on how the present day restaurant, her “second home”, has honed the concept of pre-plated food.

Varq is symbolic of preciousness which is reflected amply in the cuisine and the décor of the restaurant. The restaurant is a harmonious blend of traditional and contemporary sophistication. Visually spectacular in every way, the restaurant is also one of the city’s finest examples of a marriage of fine dining and art. The spatial ambience comfortably engulfs the diner, immersing them into a lusciously rich experience surrounded by artefacts and treasures. One of the defining features of Varq is the mural wall created by celebrated artist Anjolie Ela Menon. Additionally, modern artworks complement the restaurant in the form of oil paintings, carvings, antiques and modern sculptures.

Speaking on the occasion, Satyajeet Krishnan, General Manager, The Taj Mahal Hotel, New Delhi said, “For over three decades, the iconic Taj Mahal, New Delhi has offered its guests unique and meaningful experiences. It is therefore, the most preferred venue to host The Glenlivet Founder’s Reserve Appreciation Series, an evening where we celebrated the culinary heritage and artistry of Varq amidst an exquisite dining experience.”

The engaging tête-à-tête was followed by a sumptuous four course dinner at Varq. Patrons indulged in signature Varq specialties including duet of subz gandheri and khurbani, smoked lamb, tomato and olive khofta, gongura lamb paired with the distinct, smooth and fruity taste of The Glenlivet Founder’s Reserve that was first envisioned in 1824. While Sandeep Arora introduced the coveted character of The Glenlivet Founder’s Reserve, a classic single malt with a contemporary twist, Chef Arun spoke of the innovative yet authentic Indian flavours that Varq stands for.

Speaking on the occasion, Chef Arun Sundararaj, Executive Chef, The Taj Mahal Hotel, New Delhi said, “Continuing our quest to offer enriching dining experiences, we are delighted to curate this exclusive celebration of legacies with a true expression of originality. Since 2008, Varq has offered authenticity of taste and artistic presentation to the people of Delhi. Each of the dishes on our menu is a craft in itself and combines the best of traditional Indian recipes with exotic ingredients to create a memorable experience.”

The All-India Distillers’ Association (AIDA) recently held a 2 day Technical Seminar in Hyderabad with the National Sugar Institute (NSI) , Kanpur, as co-organiser, for brainstorming sessions on the production of Ethanol / Bio fuels from current and new feed stocks, improving fermentation and distillation efficiencies, quality control of alcohol and liquor and Effluent Treatment technologies to achieve Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD), as mandated by the CPCB.

The AIDA seminar in Hyderabad attained utmost importance in view of the priority of production of ethanol and bio fuels being extended by the Govt. of India for enhancing production and availability of bio ethanol for blending with petrol / motor fuel.  

“The present availability includes production of ethanol from sugarcane molasses and various grains (primarily used for potable purposes).  The availability of molasses at present is almost flat and is not expected to substantially increase in any future distance, thus we are barely able to touch 4-5% of ethanol for blending requirements”, said V.N. Raina, Director General, AIDA. 

There was a need to look for new feed stocks with use of potent enzymes, on priority basis to increase production and availability of ethanol.  “The seminar had various presentations and papers presented by different technology providers, technical experts and industry experts, on various alternatives available to us for producing ethanol from different sources and improved technology with effective use of enzymes”, said Raina. 

The potential feed stocks including grains, cassava, sweet potato, sweet sorghum and beet etc  along with cellulosic and ligno cellulosic materials like wheat stalk / straw, rice husk, , bamboo, agricultural waste etc., along with forestry waste which are  few feed stocks which can be used to meet increasing fuel requirements.

Similarly Effluent Treatment Technologies to achieve Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) either through incineration or bio composting after use of bio methanation, R.O and MEE has now been approved by the CPCB and are now available to the industry as the technology to achieve Zero Spentwash Discharge (ZSD).

The seminar’s opening and introductory remarks were delivered by AIDA’s Director General, followed by the arrival of the Chief Guest Dr. Narendra Mohan, Director, NSI, Kanpur.

Along with Dr. Mohan and V.N. Raina, Sanjay Desai, M.D., Excel Engineers, K.P. Singh, Director (Operation) Radico Khaitan and Dr. H.C. Bhandari, MD, Crest Biotech, honoured the guests and lighted the inaugural Lamp.

On day one, there were a number of presentations. Among other speakers, Sandeep Chichbankar from Excel Engineers & Consultants made a presentation on ‘E-max’ Design Technology for Process Efficiency and Optimum Energy Economy in molasses/grain based ethanol plants.

K.P Singh, Radico Khaitan Ltd, presented a case study of Innovation and Improvement in Radico Khaitan Ltd. Dr. Santosh Kumar, NSI Kanpur gave a talk on Indian Alcohol Industry-Future Challenges. There was also a presentation by Christophe Teste, Leaf Technoloy on Distilleries Profitability Maximisation Through Industrial Performances Optimisation.

On day two, among other speakers, Tushar Patil and Sandeep Chichbankar, Excel Engineers & Consultants, spoke on Latest Technology Adoption for Improvement in Overall Distillery Performance. Pramod Pillai, Praj Industries Ltd, spoke on Sustainable Solutions-Praj’s Advanced Technologies, while Rajeev Gupta, Jindal Stainless Limited, made a presentation on Stainless Steel in Distilleries-Moving Towards Sustainable Solutions.

There were also presentations by Anil Kumar Sharma, Food and Biotech Engineers (I) Pvt. Ltd, on Application of Multiple Effects Evaporator to Achieve ZLD and Dr. H.C. Bhandari, Crest Biotech, on 3RR and ZLD.

Alongside the seminar there was also an exhibition is to enable technology and equipment providers, machinery and appliance manufacturers and suppliers and technical experts to showcase themselves.  

AIDA has long been at the forefront of the ethanol, bio-fuels, discharge and related issues. The Hyderabad seminar comes on the back of its strides in studying and developing solutions for the use of enzymes for quality improvement and higher recoveries through fermentation & distillation including production of ethanol and effluent treatment technologies for Zero Spentwash Discharge (ZSD).

AIDA’s constant endeavour has been to bring out, for the benefit of its members, the latest developments in distillery technologies on production, fermentation, distillation and improvements in liquor quality and most importantly the Effluent Treatment technologies to achieve Zero Spentwash Discharge (ZSD).

Matters of technical feasibility, applicability and its availability in different fields of the distillery industry, that of fermenation, distillation, improvement in recoveries, water conservation, energy conservation, ethanol produciton for blending with petrol and effluent treatment to achieve ZSD and all such subects of importance including policy matters have been thoroughly looked into by the association.

Latest technologies with regard to fermentation including use of enzymes to improve recovery and quality of alcohol and water and energy conservation are a vital subject for the distillery industry today.

The government has now prescribed compulsory ZSD for all the distillers, it is therefore not only important but necessary for distillers to get acquainted with the various technologies, schemes and methods to achieve ZSD, as approved by CPCB.

 

The subject matter of Effluent Treatment to achieve Zero Spentwash Discharge as prescribed by the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MOEF) and Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) under CREP programme is a burning issue today, particularly under the Government of India’s programme of Cleaning Ganga (priority) as also all the rivers in the country under the “Swachh Bharat Abhiyan”.

The subjects which are of prime focus are fermentation and distillation technologies to improve alcohol recoveries and quality from molasses, in the wake of heavily increased requirement of alcohol in very near future and water – energy conservation in distilleries production

There is no second opinion that improvement in fermentation and distillation technologies is the constant need for the industry to improve recoveries of alcohol from available quality of molasses vis?a?vis the policy of the government to increase percentage of ethanol blending with petrol from the present 5%. It is all the more important for the industry to increase its production as also to widen the field of its sources of raw?materials and feed stocks.

The industry must always endeavour to conserve water and energy usage and ensure recycling of waste water as much as possible for ensuring reducing consumption of water and energy in the production process.

The lowering of the usage of water in production process which ultimately results in lowering quantum of discharge of waste water (effluent) will in turn reduce the effluent treatment load on the unit thereby lowering down the burden of treating the effluents to that extent.

Efficient fermentation is therefore the key to increase production, improving quality and cost reduction.

Regarding Distillery Effluent Treatment Technologies to achieve Zero Spentwash Discharge AIDA believes that no effluent what so ever should be allowed to flow into the rivers or any water body.

New labelling design based on global consumer research Diageo recently announced Johnnie Walker as its first global brand to provide consumers around the world with on-pack alcohol content and nutritional information per typical serve. From early autumn, the new labels for bottles of Johnnie Walker Red Label, the best-selling Scotch whisky around the world, go into production and will then be shipped to dozens of markets globally. By the end of the year, up to 30 million bottles of Johnnie Walker Red Label with on-pack alcohol content and nutritional information per typical serve will be on the shelves, helping consumers understand what’s in their glass. Every year around 115 million bottles of Johnnie Walker Red Label are typically produced and shipped around the world. The labels conform to the new Diageo Consumer Information Standards (DCIS). Diageo developed the DCIS based on research of more than 1,500 consumers around the world, including people from North America, Great Britain, Mexico and Spain. The new label designs reflect the way consumers want to receive – and can understand – information on alcohol content. Those surveyed said that when too much information (especially small text) is placed on the label it can be confusing and they may ignore it all. Less information, clearly presented was a consistent request across all markets. The research also found that, of all the information that could be included, their preference was for alcohol information (standard drink size, ABV, how many units), calories per serve, sugar content, allergens and brand facts, such as how a product is made and quality assurances. Using this research, Diageo is committing to provide labelling across all its brands which is consistent in layout, so people know where to look for information on every pack, and uses icons which are significantly easier to understand than words, all of which tested well in focus groups. Ivan Menezes, Chief Executive, Diageo said, “We believe people should have the best possible information to make informed choices about what they drink: this includes alcohol content and nutritional information per typical serve. Johnnie Walker is one of our largest global brands, which means these new labels will arm millions of people around the world with clear information about what’s in their glass and in a way they can understand at a glance.” Very son, cans and bottles of Ireland’s number one ale, Smithwick’s, will also hit the shelves with updated labels, and from early next year, Guinness Draught cans sold in the Republic of Ireland will also be updated to carry alcohol content and nutritional information per serve. Between them, Smithwick’s and Guinness account for 39% of Ireland’s beer market. Updates to Johnnie Walker Black Label, Double Black, Gold Label Reserve, Platinum and Green Label are also planned for the first half of 2017. Carolyn Panzer, Director of Alcohol in Society, Diageo, said: “The new scheme is simple, clear and attractive – and most importantly, it’s based on what consumers want. There is no beverage of moderation, only a practice of moderation, and that is why we are committed to providing information on alcohol per serving, which enables people to compare the amount of alcohol in different kinds of drinks – from beer to bourbon – at a glance. Current labeling on most alcoholic beverages does not reflect how people consume alcohol and therefore does not allow consumers to understand how much alcohol is in their favourite drink or what is in their glass.” This announcement forms part of Diageo’s strategy to deliver its commitment to providing alcohol content and nutritional information per typical serve through Diageo’s responsible drinking website DRINKiQ.com (www.DRINKiQ.com) and/or on-pack in a majority of Diageo’s markets subject to local regulatory approval, as soon as practicable. In the first move to fulfil this commitment, the first shipment of Crown Royal labelled with macronutrient and calorie information was released in the US.