french

Chinese painter Xu Lei Creates Chateau Mouton Rothschild Label

Filed under: Wine, Art

Showcasing just how important the Chinese wine market is when it comes to Bordeaux, Chateau Mouton Rothschild has chosen Chinese painter Xu Lei as the artist to create the wine label for the 2008 vintage. Xu is artistic director of Today Art Museum in Beijing. His label is an ink drawing with the Mouton symbol, a ram standing between two halves of the moon covered with vines and grapes. The label represents wine as a bridge between two hemispheres. The choice of a Chinese artist has driven up the price of the 2008 vintage. Decanter reports that prices went up 20% overnight on the back of the announcement, and the wine is currently trading at around £10,000 per case. The bottle also bears the Chinese symbol for the figure eight, a symbol that is considered to be auspicious.

The Mouton Rothschild Artists label has featured a variety of artists such as Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali, Francis Bacon, Andy Warhol, Lucien Freud and Prince Charles. Check out some examples in the gallery below.

Gallery: Chateau Mouton Rothschild Labels

Tags: bordeaux, chateau mouton rothschild, french, mouton rothschild, wine, xu lei

Longines Expéditions Polaires Françaises Missions Paul-Emile Victor Watch

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

Swiss watch brands are almost universally against replica watches... unless that is, if they make the watch themselves! For 2010 Longines will offer a special edition re-release replica of a watch used by French scientists during a mission to the Arctic in Greenland. This was back in 1947, and they needed the right watch for the job. Two of the members of the Expéditions Polaires Françaises wore these special Longines watches that were made for the excursion. Unique features at the time included luminant on the watch dials, a centrally mounted seconds hand, as well a shock absorber system in the movement. The French team was led by scientist Paul-Emile Victor, whose name is part of the watch title.

The reissue model is very similar to the original. With some differences that help the new version feel more modern, including an ETA 2892-2 automatic movement, as well as an AR coated sapphire crystal. The hands and hour indexes are now coated with SuperLumiNova. At 38.5mm wide in a steel case, the watch isn't exactly large - or pretty for that matter. It does have a certain nostalgic appeal to it, and it is highly legible, but it isn't going to win and beauty pageants. Just a decent retro looking watch with some interesting heritage, that people will likely mistake for a vintage. If that fits the description of the next watch that you want, them look out for this piece from Longines soon.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.

Gallery: Longines Expeditions Polaires Francaises Missions Paul-Emile Victor Watch back

Tags: arctic, expedition, france, french, L2.732.4.76.X, longines, re-issue, replica, watch

You've Never Seen Tights Like These

by Annie Scott (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel

After years and years of crazy tights designs, some fabulous, some hideous, and some just plain weird, someone has finally reinvented the art of legwear: Les Queues Des Sardines.

These French tights go beyond "quirky" (crazy colors and strange designs are so last season) and bring a beautiful fresh perspective to legs. The art on these tights is statement making and memorable, and unmistakably chic in a gothic meets Harajuku way. From elegantly-drawn cartoon mouths below the knees to sewn-up wounds, you've never seen tights like these.

The only English-speaking stores stocking these innovative narrative tights are Fortnum and Mason in London and Art Therapi in Balmain, Australia. Get out your credit card with the lowest foreign transaction fee and order yourself a pair (or five) of Les Queues Des Sardines from UpFactory.com, SuicidalShop.fr or Greenky.fr. Everyone will be dying to know where you got them.

Check out some of our favorite designs from Spring/Summer 09 and Autumn/Winter 09/10 below.

Gallery: Les Queues Des Sardines

Tags: cryptic, fashion, France, French, goth, gothic, Harajuku, Les Queues Des Sardines, LesQueuesDesSardines, tights

Chicago French Market Brings La Campagne to Chicago's West Loop

by Jonathon Ramsey (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

There are more than a dozen Euro-inspired food markets in Chicago, but they're seasonal. If you wanted your favorite bottle of Brittany's cidre doux to keep you warm in December, you had to stock up on it in September. Good news, then, for the francophiles: with the opening of the open-year-round Chicago French Market on Thursday, December 3, that kind of unholy abstinence -- and planning ahead -- is no more.

Taking its place in the Metramarket in The Windy City's West Loop, the French Market will be the only 365-day, Euro-chic indoor purveyor. Offerings from local farms and artisanal shops include certified organic produce, meat, fish, bread, pastries, small batch cheeses and wines, and flowers. And don't forget the chocolates and Lavazza coffee. Prepared meals can also be had for when you want an evening in Provence without spending business-class fare.

Six days a week the 15,000-square-foot market will exist to serve you, and there's covered, ground-level parking to entice you further -- validated for an hour free if you spend $20. The adventure begins at 7:30 Thursday morning, just in time for a pain au chocolat and a cafe creme.

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Tags: chicago, chicago french market, ChicagoFrenchMarket, food, food-awards, french, luxist-awards, market, organic

Alain Silberstein iKrono Blue Ring Watch Exclusively At Colette Paris

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

This fantastic new French watch from Alain Silberstein has been made to be exclusively sold at the Parisian boutique store Colette located on the famous Rue St. Honoré. Alain Silberstein, a designer who makes quintessentially French watches has developed the iKrono Blue Ring watch for the "concept design" store. Little information is known about the new watch, and it won't be available until the fall. I am quite thrilled however with design. Alain Silberstein watches almost always feature the iconic blue, red, and yellow color scheme with corresponding square, triangle, and circle shapes. You can tell how fluidly that has been incorporated here. The watch case is unique for featuring a square base with a round case and "lefty" oriented pushers and crown.

The namesake of the watch, "Blue Ring" comes from quite simply that - the lovely toned blue ring with the tachymetric scale around the dial of the watch. The movement appears to be an ETA Valjoux 7750 automatic chronograph with a curious substitution for the day of the week indicator. Next to the date you'll see a little window with a smiling face. Either each day of the week will have it's own face, or more appropriately, the weekends will have a smiling face, while the week days will have some manner of serious face.

While Alain Silberstein watches almost epitomize French avant garde, his timepieces are always quite legible, and of a solid high quality. Here the soft edged case has a simple rubber strap attachment. A nice watch that I hope will enjoy good production numbers and perhaps make it here to the United States. The watch will available at Colette in Paris starting in September 2009.

Ariel Adams publishes the popular watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: alain silberstein, AlainSilberstein, colette, france, french, ikrono blue ring, IkronoBlueRing, paris, timepiece, watch

Learn French In Germany Package

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Go to Germany to learn French? That's the offer from the Hôtel Concorde Berlin which is offering guests a brief French immersion with their "Luxury French Lesson" package. The five-star hotel is a a member of Paris-based Concorde Hotels & Resorts and is located on the Kurfürstendamm shopping boulevard/. The package starts at $371 and includes two overnight stay in an Executive room with a buffet breakfast in the St. Germain restaurant, a two-hour French language class at Berlitz Language School, a guided city tour focusing on French history in Berlin, and a tree-course dinner at the French brasserie le Faubourg. Plus the hotel staff speaks French and will help you practice. The package is available through August 24, 2008.

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Tags: berlin, french, germany, hotel, hotel concorde

French Foreign Legion Wine

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

The French Foreign Legion has gone into the wine making business. Fine wine isn't the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of the many skills mastered by the famous military force but that isn't holding the group back from taking this innovative approach to raising money for its aging veterans.

The wines are sourced from grapes grown in southern France and tended by retired legionnaires, so they not only provide profits for supporting the Legion and its veterans but also work to keep the men feeling busy and productive well into their retirement years.

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Tags: foreign legion, ForeignLegion, france, french, french foreign legion, FrenchForeignLegion, military, wine

Village Called 'Champagne' Fights For Its Name

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

A small town in Switzerland is fighting to be able to do something most town's take for granted: put its name on its wine bottles. Despite the fact that the village has been in existence for over 1000 years, and has been producing wine since at least as far back as The Middle Ages, there's a ban in place keeping the town name of 'Champagne' from appearing on its wine and food labels. A deal struck back in 2004 between the European Union and Switzerland (in order to protect the French wine-producing region of the same name) is to blame, and as a result the poor town of 713 residents has been experiencing steady drops in sales and may even lose jobs in the future. The residents are fighting it, but so far to no avail. Poor Champagne.

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Tags: ban, champagne, expire-images2009-4-6, france, french, swiss, switzerland, town, village, wine

Businessman Buys Eiffel Tower Staircase

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions

Recently we heard that a section of staircase from the Eiffel tower, the last section actually, was going to be auctioned off and was expected to go for somewhere around $29,000-$44,000. Boy, who ever predicted those amounts was WAY off.

The auction took place on the 19th of this month and the old rusty chunk of the Eiffel Tower ended up closing at over $200,000 ($216,600 to be exact). The winning bidder was a Dutch entrepreneur named Erik Kurvers, who also happens to be the president of a Dutch basketball team aptly named the EiffelTowers.

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Tags: auction, eiffel tower, EiffelTower, france, french, stair case, StairCase, stairs

Imported Moldovan Wine Set to Win Over the French

by Laura Malesich (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

Landlocked in Eastern Europe, the Republic of Moldova is making headlines with their wine trials in France. Typically light and sharply fruity these hidden treasures may help positively influence the impoverished republic if their vintages can win the hearts and palettes of the French. Parisian dealers are importing the wines for the first time and they believe they will do well.

Home to the biggest wine collection in the world, Milestii Mici in Moldova holds millions of bottles underground accessible through hundreds of miles of tunnels. Forty years worth of sweat and passion made the collection possible which waits in 1,300 oak barrels and over 2,000 stainless steel drums. I think it's great Parisians can try something new and support a struggling nation all in the same sip!

Gallery: Republic of Moldova

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Tags: french, milestii-mici, moldova, moldovan, republic-of-moldova, wine

F.D.R.'s Clock Could Sell For $1 Million

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches, Auctions

A Pierre Cartier clock that belonged to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt is scheduled to go up for auction on December 4th at Sotheby's in Manhattan. Cartier gave the onyx clock with several different time zones (specific to key Allied forces locations in World War II) to the President back in 1943. Letters between Cartier and President Roosevelt regarding the gift are not part of the sale but can be viewed in the FDR Presidential Library in Hyde Park, New York.

The clock comes with a red leather presentation box inscribed with "F.D.R" and is expected to sell for as much as $1 million dollars.

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Tags: auction, cartier, clock, F.D.R., FDR, france, french, pierre cartier, PierreCartier, president, roosevelt, sotheby's, sothebys, World War II, WorldWarIi, WWII

Eva and Tony's Piaget Wedding Jewelry

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry, Timepieces / Watches, Celebrity Shopping

So Eva Longoria and Tony Parker finally made it official this past weekend when they got married in France. What better way to promise their eternal love to each other than with these beautiful and unique Piaget Possession wedding bands -- made of two bands that are "inseparably linked, turning together for eternity." Eva's features double rows of brilliant cut diamonds divided by a row of 27 square cut diamonds down the center (for a total of 107 jewels), and Tony's is elegance in its simplest form. Both rings are 18k white gold and, per the couple's request, have a personalized French engraving on the inside.

In addition to choosing Piaget for their wedding bands, Eva also ordered a one-of-a-kind timepiece made as a wedding gift for her new husband. A customized version of the Piaget Polo watch, the Piaget 'Number 9' features a 43mm white gold case, a slate grey 18K gold and titanium bezel and matching slate grey dial, and 50 diamonds in the shape of his MVP number 9 -- so it's truly just for him.

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Tags: band, bands, diamond, diamonds, eva, eva longoria, EvaLongoria, France, French, gold, jewel, jewels, longoria, parker, tony, tony parker, TonyParker, wedding, wedding band, wedding bands, WeddingBand, WeddingBands

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Napoleon's Sword Sold at Auction for $6.4 Million

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Gadgets, Auctions

Somewhere in the world there is going to be one very spoiled father this upcoming Father's Day. A gold-encrusted sword belonging to Napoleon and carried into battle way back in the early 1800s was auctioned off in France for more than $6.4 million dollars. After the battle Napoleon later gave the sword to his brother as a wedding present, and it was passed down through the generations -- never leaving the family. Despite being declared a French national treasure back in 1978 the sword's actual value is estimated at much less than the selling price -- only about $1.6 million -- and the winning bidder is not being identified. But the Osenat auction house did say that the sword will remain in the family, and that it was a woman who won the sword for her husband as "a very nice Father's Day gift."

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Tags: auction, father's day, Father'sDay, france, french, napoleon, national treasure, NationalTreasure, osenat, sword

Zero Dosage Champagne For The Calorie Conscious

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

Ayala, a French champagne house owned by Bollinger has launched a sugar-free version of French champagne. The Cuvée Rosé Nature is a a pink champagne with no added sugar. While a normal flute of champagne runs 89 calories, the new rosé will be around 65 for a per bottle total of 390 calories rather than 534. The wine is missing the liquefied sugar, called the dosage, which is normally added to champagne before bottling to balance the flavor. The zero dosage rosé is is designed to appeal to wmen looking for a low-calorie, low-sugar option. The bottles will sell for around £45 each. The company also makes a no dosage version of their Brut Majeur champagne.

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Tags: ayala, champagne, french, sparkling wine

El Bulli is Still the World's Best Restaurant

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

What does it take to be the best restaurant in the world? Ask El Bulli, who holds the honor for the second year in a row according to Restaurant magazine's ranking of the top 50. Last year El Bulli squeezed out Fat Duck for the top spot, and this year all top six spots remain the same. The United States made a respectable showing also, with two restaurants in the top 10: The French Laundry and Per Se, and among others Alinea in Chicago made the list for the first time this year at #36.

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Tags: alinea, dine, dining, el bulli, ElBulli, Fat Duck, FatDuck, france, french, per se, PerSe, restaurant, restaurants, spain, the french laundry, TheFrenchLaundry