Author Archives: Chuck Gregory

Review: Coffee Wine

coffee wine cans

I got a sample of Coffee Wine, so now I’m reporting what I thought.

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Friends Beverage Group (aka/The Fun Wine Company) of Miami, FL, has launched the World’s First Coffee Wines ™ — Cabernet Espresso ™ and Chardonnay Cappuccino ™ — in New York under the FRIENDS FUN WINE ® brand. Imported from the EU, FUN WINE ™ is a friendly tasting recreational drink that makes wine fun for the general population with refreshing flavors. The New Lifestyle Drink ™ comes with half the alcohol of wine and has no preservatives, gluten or caffeine. It is very affordable, so everyone can enjoy it. Joe Peleg, CEO, explained, “We believe in ‘Responsible Fun’ and ask consumers to ‘Reduce the alcohol…and Increase the Fun!” Lower alcohol translates to lower calories as well.

COFFEE WINE ™ is an everyday beverage for:

  • Women
  • Millennials, age 21-35
  • New, occasional and casual wine drinkers
  • Consumers who seek alternatives to wine and beer
  • Consumers who prefer lower alcohol

Benefits include:

  • Multiple flavors – Coffee, Strawberry/Peach Moscato, Red/White Sangria
  • Affordability-$1.99 -$2.29/can (~ $1.00/serving)
  • Lower alcohol than wine
  • Lower calories than wine or beer (75-94 calories/serving)
  • Attractive, portable, lightweight, unbreakable, tamper-proof, quick chilling, recyclable cans
  • 33% more wine than 187.5 ml wine bottles

WHAT DIFFERENTIATES FUN WINE ™ FROM TRADITIONAL WINE?

FUN WINE™ is a new beverage category of recreational wine drinks for the general population. It is defined not by vintage, heritage or other highbrow hallmarks of wine, and is not for wine aficionados.

You do not sniff it. You do not swirl it in a glass. You do not tout its origin. You do not pour it into red or white wine glasses. FUN WINE ™ does not compete with wine, but is an everyday fun and affordable recreational drink for the masses – and The Alternative to Beer. ™

Check out this video about Breakfast in Bed!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5W1A5FQVQpU

The new beverage category is distributed in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx, Staten Island, Nassau and Suffolk by Union Beer Distributors. Upstate distributors include Try-It Distributing — Niagara and Erie, and DeCrescente Distributing — Albany, Columbia, Fulton, Greene, Montgomery, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Washington, and Warren.

Retailers include CVS Health ®, 7-Eleven ®, Tops Markets ® and many convenience stores.

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I had a nice selection of flavors so I waited till I finished all of them before writing the review. The one I liked best was the Peach Moscato.

My overall impression of these is that they are interesting. They aren’t as gross as I thought they might be, in fact I drank all of them… If I were looking for a quick alcohol buzz from a store that didn’t have hard liquor I might be tempted to buy these.

I’m still not convinced that coffee and wine really go together. But it was nice to have a can of something that wasn’t beer, since I hate beer.

These are definitely worth checking out if you, too, are looking for an alternative to take to the beer bashes. Have fun!

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Party Pics – Boxer Bowtie

Founding Members Glen Kendall, Kale Butcher, Matt Silver, Luke Dudley, Brett Reis, Emil DeFrancesco, Adam Luchansky, Ryan Squillante and Andy Porter

Founding Members Glen Kendall, Kale Butcher, Matt Silver, Luke Dudley, Brett Reis, Emil DeFrancesco, Adam Luchansky, Ryan Squillante and Andy Porter

BOXER BOWTIE CLUB’S CASINO CRUISE RAISES $75K TO SEND KIDS TO CAMP

On the evening of September 26, hundreds of philanthropists  joined The Boxer Bowtie Club, a nonprofit formed by friends to gather their communities around a select cause annually, on a casino cruise around Manhattan. The voyage aboard Hornblower Hybrid Yacht launching from Pier 40 had one mission: to send 40 kids to Paul Newman’s Hole in The Wall Gang Camp – a camp that offers a different kind of healing to seriously ill children.

“All children deserve to discover the excitement of life no matter their diagnoses,” said Boxer Bowtie Club Founding Member, Andrew Porter. “All parents deserve to see their children lost in a moment of fun. Through the Hole in the Wall Gang, we are fortunate to support our neighbors at the most vulnerable times in their life.”

The Boxer Bowtie Club’s inaugural fundraiser raised $75,000. As overhead costs were covered by the founding members with support from their employers, 100 percent of proceeds go towards sending children to camp.

“In its inaugural year, The Boxer Bowtie Club have proven themselves as an outstanding partner and friend to The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp,” said Camp’s Chief Development Officer, Ken Alberti. “The Cards for Camp event didn’t just raise a significant amount for our growing programs, but it also was a ton of fun and introduced many new friends to Camp’s mission. We are so grateful for Boxer Bowtie’s creativity, generosity and support”

Guests  enjoyed an open bar, danced to live band, Do I Do and played blackjack, craps and roulette while enveloped in views of a sparkling New York City skyline. Hole in the Wall Gang Camp alum, Kingdar Prussien, shared his experience at camp with a hushed crowd. As a child, he was a sickle cell patient who spent much of his time in clinical settings, he explained how at camp, every day was the new best day of his life.

Fundraising efforts were bolstered by a silent auction including:

  • All inclusive seven-night-stay at Esperanza resort in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
  • Authentic Tom Brady signed jersey
  • Swarovski Jewelry

About Boxer Bowtie Club

The Boxer Bowtie Club is a registered 501 (c) (3) non -profit organization founded and operated by a group of nine former classmates from Weston, Connecticut and our close friends. Our objective  is to collaborate with each other utilizing our individual skill sets to  build a platform in which we can volunteer and raise money for worthy causes within our communities. We are proud to commit 100% of our net proceeds to the charities we support.

We take a passionate and fully engaged approach to three core principles which serve as the driving force behind our organization. Our core objectives are: Gather: we gather people together; Give: we give to those in need; Grow: together we further expand our reach and strengthen our communities.

About The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp

Founded in 1988 by Paul Newman, The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp is a community dedicated to providing “a different kind of healing” to seriously ill children and their families through a variety of year-round programs. The Camp delivers fun, friendship and a healthy dose of mischief through its signature summer program and weekend sessions at the Camp facility in Ashford, Conn. as well as outreach to hospitals, clinics and communities across the Northeast. All services are free of charge.

All photos by Daniel Federowicz

 

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Choreographers & Cocktails

choreographersandcocktails

Monday, October 5 at 6:30 pm
DANY Studios, 305 West 38th Street, New York

An evening of cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, silent auction, and open rehearsals by a variety of artists, as well a chance to mingle with the artists and dancers to the music of DJ dirty chime.

Featured companies include:
American Dance Machine for the 21st Century
Abraham.In.Motion
Dorrance Dance
KEIGWIN + COMPANY
MADBOOTS DANCE
Monica Bill Barnes & Company Productions
Pam Tanowitz Dance

For more information visit: http://www.joyce.org/event/choreographers-cocktails/

 

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Southampton SeptemberFest

Concerts-Hopefully-Forgiven-and-Black-and-Sparrow

Friday, September 25 from 6:30 pm
Saturday, September 26 from 10 am
Sunday, September 27 from 9 am
Various locations in Southampton Village

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25 • 6:30 PM

Kickoff Party at Agawam Park, Southampton Village

COUNTY LINE BAND 6:30 pm – 9:30 pm

THE MUSIC STYLINGS OF BEAU HULSE 7:30 pm-8:00 pm

$30 per person in advance ($40 at the door)

Complimentary Beer & Wine 6:30 to 8:00 pm

Cash Bar 8:00 pm – 9:30 pm

Food available by your local food trucks

southamptonseptemberfest

 

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Catering at Four Seasons

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The catering team at Four Seasons Hotel George V has launched a brand new website, entirely dedicated to the on-site meetings and events the Hotel can design and host.

The website was created as a platform for customers to access the department’s most useful information, and provide insight into what lies behind planning an unforgettable event.

Easy and fun to use, the website offers customers access to the knowledge and talented expertise of the catering team to help create the perfect event at the George V. From the first click, one can picture one’s ideal event, browse a large gallery of photos and videos, access information on the activities offered by the Hotel or contact the team to request an online quote.

The user-friendly interface combines graphics and intuitive navigation, providing quick access to information on the Hotel’s venues, menus, floral design and much more.

The website is structured around three main topics:

Currently, the George V offers seven distinct and self contained reception and meeting venues, making it the number one luxury venue for events in Paris.

For more information, contact the Catering team on + 33 (0)1 49 52 72 31, or email at events.par@fourseasons.com

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Valentino at James Beard

valentino-jamesbeard

September 25 at 7 pm
James Beard House, 167 W 12th Street, New York

Join Valentino for a spectacular evening in New York City at the James Beard Foundation Dinner at The James Beard House on September 25th! Chef Giovanni Rocchio has been asked to craft a seven course tasting menu with a wine to complement the flavor profile of each course.

Purchase your tickets for $170 per person.

Reservations must be made in advance by going to http://www.jamesbeard.org/events or by calling 212-627-2308.

Visit their social media pages:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ValentinoCucinaItaliana
Twitter: www.twitter.com/ValentinoCucina
Instagram: www.instagram.com/ValentinoCucina

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Garlic Festival

Garlicvarieties

Saturday and Sunday, September 19 and 20, from 10 am till 6 pm
Garden of Eve Organic Farm and Market, 4558 Sound Avenue, Riverhead

Long Island’s ONLY Garlic Festival, an all-day celebration of the wonders of “Garliciana,” with festival vendors featuring a wide variety of garlic inspired foods, crafts, music and just plain garlic to eat and plant. Admission just $5 per person, children under 6 free. EXOTIC FOODS Chow Down! You won’t believe the many different ways garlic can be used. Here’s a tasty sampling . . . garlic jellies, garlic soup, pickled garlic, and GARLIC ICE CREAM!! GARLIC AND CRAFT MARKETPLACE Garden of Eve and the other Long Island Organic Farms represented grow more than a ton of freshly harvested, organic garlic. . . stock up, for months of tasty, healthy, garlic-enhanced meals – or plant some in your garden yourself! We’ll have garlic of several different varieties on hand, as well as garlic braids and crafts. This is your best opportunity to buy some of the world’s tastiest and freshest garlic to eat and plant in your own garden. FAMILY ACTIVITIES AND ENTERTAINMENT Enjoy live music both days. Kids will love the children’s games and play equipment, pony rides, hay rides, and animals to see and feed.

For more information visit: http://www.gardenofevefarm.com/garlic-festival.htm

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Back to the Bays

backtobays

September 19 from 5 to 8 pm
South Fork Natural History Museum (SoFo)
377 Bridgehampton-Sag Harbor Turnpike, Bridgehampton, NY

Join us for an evening of celebrating our local marine life while giving back to our bays! Proceeds will support Cornell Cooperative Extensions Marine Program’s Back to the Bays Initiative and SoFo’s Marine Science Camp. The event will feature music by Alfredo Merat, sustainably sourced culinary offerings, a raw bar, craft beer, and local wine, all on the beautiful grounds of SoFo.

Tickets, sponsorships, and more information on Eventbrite or by visiting or calling SoFo at 631-537-9735.

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Masquerade Soiree

masqeradesoiree

Monday, September 21st from 7 to 11 pm
Chef’s Club, 275 Mulberry Street, New York City

Monday, September 21, 7-11 pm, please join us at one of New York’s premier restaurants, CHEFS CLUB, the setting for our annual Masquerade Soirée. The Junior Committee’s fall fundraiser provides the opportunity to graciously support the Center’s children. This year we will also  honor Peyton Hostetler and her service to the organization prior to her relocation to Charlotte, NC. So mark your calendars! This spectacular evening includes delectable hor d’oeuvres and signature cocktails, a magnificent silent auction, and a downtown DJ.  Space is restricted, so please purchase your tickets early. And, don’t forget your mask!

The Junior Committee for the New York Center for Children (JC NYCC) is dedicated to fighting child abuse and actively assists raising awareness and funding for the NYCC through a variety of educational and social events.

For more information: http://jcnycc.org/

 

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Art Tentation – Oktopus

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Art Tentation VIP opening night, September 3rd

Oktopus launched its first art and antique fair at the magical XVI century castle of Villefranche. The crowds were enchanted by the softly lit setting for the after hours opening night celebration. The art was displayed in tents within the castle’s walls, on cobbled roads, next to beautiful trees. From emerging artists, to masters including Picasso, and Antiques galore, there were wonders everywhere to marvel.

Champagne, light fare, and thousands of patrons to mingle with, created a dreamlike setting for this evening to remember. The acclaimed French artists Titouan Lamazou, with his fabulous portraiture, and Patrick Moya, with his surreal paintings, drew many admirers. More then just contemporary art featuring 120 artists, there were carpets, exotic artifacts and even vintage clothing in the show. The stands dotted the roads like little neighborhoods to visit as you strolled along the streets. Wouldn’t it be lovely if all evenings could be this charming?

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Party Pics: Labor of Love

Housing Works' Labor of Love

 

September 5 from 5:30 to 8 pm
Labor of Love Fundraiser

On Saturday, September 5, 2015, Housing Works and presenting sponsor The Points Guy hosted Labor of Love, a fundraiser to support Housing Works’ efforts to end the AIDS epidemic in New York State by 2020.

The season-ending benefit, held on Labor Day weekend, is one of the organization’s signature events. This year, Labor of Love was held in the home, designed by Halcyon Design, LLC, and gardens of a private East Hampton estate. The exclusive party featured cocktails by Double Cross Vodka, tasty hors d’oeuvres by Chef Ian McHugh, and a special performance by Mia Moretti and Margot of The Dolls.

All photos taken at Housing Works’ Labor of Love on September 5, 2015 in East Hampton, N.Y. Photos by Gary Gershoff/Getty Images for Housing Works

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