Who (or What) is "Making a Splash" at Imperial Beverage?
Suppliers, customers, products or employees
They've Done it Again: Wente Releases Brand to Critical Acclaim
Wente Family Estates, known for its Wente Vinyards Wines, Murretia's Well, Hayes Ranch, the Food Network partnersip known as entwine, and the unforgettable "American Winery of the Year" distinction in 2011, has done it again. Launching Double Decker wines nationwide with their well-crafted messaging and solid brand identity, the Wente Family's latest is entering the market straight into customers' outstretched arms.
 The new launch includes three varietals that are touted as "easy to sip:"
Double Decker Red Blend is a fruit-forward blend of Cabernet Suavignon, Petite Sirah and Barbera that is robust, yet smooth. Its flavors offer black cherry and plum, perfect for barbeques or dinners in.
Double Decker Pinot Grigio has flavors of crisp green apple and citrus. Ideal for a summer picnic, day at the beach or other warm weather outing.
Double Decker Zinfandel has a long, fruity finish and pairs well with past night or dinner with friends.
With a 129 year legacy of delivering top quality wines at a great value, Double Decker harnesses the power of the perfect placement. It's approachable for young, just-starting wine drinkers, as the brand's look speaks to "Fun! Adventurous!" But true to form, once the juice is tasted by knowledgeable wine lovers, the flavor profiles and wine making expertise ring through.
Crafted by fifth generaton winemaker Karl D. Wente, all three Double Decker wines are priced at $9.99, offering high quality at an affordable, approachable price. "'m fortunate to work with a great array of varietals and in the case of Double Decker Red Blend, I really enjoy the challenge of crafting a delicious, focused blended wine," said Wente. "Together with the Zinfandel and Pinot Grigio, I call these my porch wines, a perfect way to start the evening with friends, and hope our consumers will as well."
More on Double Decker Wines can be found at www.doubledeckerwines.com.
La Playa & CabCorp: A Contemporary Approach
 Northern California-based Cabernet Corporation is not your typical wine importer.
Its name is certainly different. While it sounds like a large corporation, the company has been privately owned by the Axelsen family since its inception in 1980.
And while it imports Cabernet Sauvignon, it also ships many other wonderful varietals, including Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Torrontés, Carmenére, Petit Verdot, robust blends, and 100-Year "Old Vine" Malbecs.
This year marks the introduction of dramatic new packaging for many of CabCorp’s core wines, including the La Playa Estate Series, La Playa Block Selection Reserve, and Don Rodolfo wines of Argentina.
Read More >
New Age: An Essential Part of the Summer Lineup
 New Age wines, offered in white and rose
varieties, are terrific warm weather finds at
any bar. But more exciting is the opportunity
for your establishment and its amazing bar &
service staff to gain some New Age notoriety!
Find out how to enter >
Exceptional Beers and Brewers Recognized in the
Largest Global Competition
IMPERIAL BEVERAGE DISTRIBUTED BRAUEREI PLANK AWARDED TOP HONOR AT CRAFT BREWERS CONFERENCE
BOULDER, CO –May 5, 2012—Brewers from around the world received awards from an elite international panel of judges in the 2012 Brewers Association World Beer Cup. The ninth bi-annual competition boasted the strongest field of entrants on record, with 799 breweries from 54 countries and 45 U.S. states entering 3,921 beers in 95 beer style categories. A 17.7 percent increase over 2010, the entries were eligible for gold, silver and bronze awards in their respective categories. Judges presented a total of 284 awards.
“It’s called ‘The Olympics of Beer Competition’ for good reason,” said Charlie Papazian, president of the Brewers Association, the U.S.-based trade association that has put on the competition every two years since 1996. “The event brings together great brewers from all corners of the globe. Plus, the awards are highly regarded. A brewer who wins a World Beer Cup gold award knows that their winning beer represents the best of that beer style in the world. Congratulations to all the winners of the 2012 World Beer Cup. The Brewers Association and the proud sponsors of our event thank all participating brewers for their involvement.”
Says Imperial Beverage’s VP of Sales and Marketing Larry Cekola, “This is a huge deal for Imperial. As the exclusive distributor of Plank’s products in the state of Michigan, we couldn’t be more excited at our partnership.” He continues, “We’ve long-known that this 19th generation brewery was something really special. Their products are benchmarks for style and quality in the beer world. Now, the rest of the world knows, too!”
The 2012 judging panel was the largest and most international in the history of the World Beer Cup. Judges from 27 countries conducted blind tasting evaluations of the beers to determine the winners. Drawn from the ranks of professional brewers and brewing industry experts, these 211 judges came mostly from international breweries, with some 67 percent from outside the U.S. In addition to the judging panel, over 250 volunteers helped sort beer entries and steward the competition.
The judging criteria are exacting. Some categories are not given the full slate of awards if the panel decides that the entries do not merit recognition. Champion Brewery and Champion Brewmaster awards are given in each of five brewery categories based on the awards won by each brewery in the given size category.
Baurerei Michael Plank was awarded the Champion Brewery in the Small Brewing Company Category, and Gold Awards for their beers Dark Wheat Ale and Weizenbock. These are the highest possible awards to be obtained in the Brewing Industry.
The complete list of award winners is available for download at www.worldbeercup.org.
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Wente and Food Network Collaborate for "entwine"
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A Rogue Collaboration: Artisanal Cheese made with Hops
In a "Collaboration of crafts", Rogue Ales & Spirits has released the first in a series of 2009 Bintage Cheddar and TouVelle cheese, made with hop varieties from the micro-hopyard at Rogue.
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Sake Made Simple
We all have favorites. A rich, luscious, buttery Chardonnay on a hot, hot summer day, served outdoors under an ancient shade tree. A stinky, spicy, tongue drying Cabernet served with our favorite carnivorous treat. But Sake?
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A Notable Supplier: The Other Guys
Widely recognized for its zealous approach to creative, cutting-edge marketing and unique...
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May 2013 
