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		<title>Italian Wine &amp; More</title>
		<link>http://www.lifestyleandmore.it/blog/index.php</link>
		<description><![CDATA[Communications, Marketing, Promotion and Support of Italian fine wines and gourmet food in China and abroad <script type="text/javascript">
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		<copyright>Copyright 2012, wine lover</copyright>
		<managingEditor>wine lover</managingEditor>
		<language>en-US</language>
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		<item>
			<title>ISMEA: Rilevazione prezzi</title>
			<link>http://www.lifestyleandmore.it/blog/index.php?entry=entry120201-044847</link>
			<description><![CDATA[L&#039;ISMEA (Istituto di Servizi per il Mercato Agricolo Alimentare) è un ente pubblico economico [...]<br /><br />Nell&#039;ambito delle sue funzioni istituzionali l&#039;ISMEA, anche attraverso società controllate, realizza servizi informativi, assicurativi e finanziari [...]<br /><br /><a href="http://www.ismea.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeBLOB.php/L/IT/IDPagina/143" target="_blank" >&gt;&gt; link ultime quotazioni vini</a><br /><br /><i>&quot;L&#039;ettogrado corrisponde alla quantità corrispondente di 100 litri di un vino con 1 grado alcolico. Gli Euro litro li calcoli così: euro/litro = ettogrado/litro * gradi alcolici del vino / 100.<br />Quindi per esempio, 10 euro/ettogrado di un vino di 12 gradi corrispondono a: 10 euro * 12 gradi / 100 litri = 1.2 Euro al litro.&quot;</i>]]></description>
			<category>Facts &amp; Figures</category>
			<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.lifestyleandmore.it/blog/index.php?entry=entry120201-044847</guid>
			<author>wine lover</author>
			<pubDate>Wed, 01 Feb 2012 03:48:47 GMT</pubDate>
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			<title>I MIGLIORI 100 VINI ROSSI 2011 ?</title>
			<link>http://www.lifestyleandmore.it/blog/index.php?entry=entry120111-110354</link>
			<description><![CDATA[I MIGLIORI 100 VINI ROSSI 2011? <br />LI METTE IN FILA “GENTLEMAN”, MENSILE DI “MILANO FINANZA” CHE, SOMMANDO I VOTI DELLE 5 GUIDE (GAMBERO ROSSO, L’ESPRESSO, VERONELLI, AIS, MARONI), PREMIA I VINI DEL CENTRO E DEL SUD. <br />IL PRIMO? “ES” GIANFRANCO FINO.<br /><br />Arriva la classifica dei migliori 100 vini rossi italiani del 2011, ricavati dalla somma dei giudizi delle 5 guide del vino più importanti del Belpaese, <b>Gambero Rosso</b>, <b>L’Espresso</b>, <b>Veronelli</b>, <b>Associazione Italiana Sommelier</b> e <b>Luca Maroni</b> e curata da “Gentleman”, il mensile di “Milano Finanza”.<br /><br />Certo, ogni guida dà voti e punteggi a modo suo, per cui è stato necessario uniformare i diversi parametri e tradurre ogni punteggio in centesimi: il risultato è una “Top 100” che, nelle prime dieci posizioni, segnate da diversi ex aequo, vede premiare i vini del Centro e del Sud del Paese: sul gradino più alto sale il Primitivo di Manduria Es di Gianfranco Fino (Puglia, 476 punti), seguito, in seconda posizione, dal Torgiano Rosso Riserva Rubesco Vigna Monticchio 2006 di Lungarotti (Umbria, 473 punti), mentre sul gradino più basso del podio trova posto il Sassicaia 2008 della Tenuta San Guido (Toscana, 469 punti). <br /><br />Fuori dal podio, alla posizione n. 4 il Tignanello 2004 di <b>Antinori </b>(Toscana, 468,5), al n. 5 il Kurni 2009 Oasi degli Angeli (Marche, 468), a pari merito con il Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Villa Gemma 2007 di <b>Masciarelli </b>(Abruzzo), seguiti alla posizione n.6 dal Montiano 2009 di <b>Falesco </b>(Umbria, 465,5). Quindi, al n. 7, troviamo due vini del Nord, il Barolo Falletto di Serralunga d’Alba 2007 di <b>Bruno Giacosa</b> (Piemonte, 465) e l’Amarone Classico 2007 di <b>Allegrini </b>(Veneto). Seguiti alla posizione n. 8 da altri due vini, il Terra di Lavoro 2009 di <b>Galardi </b>(Campania, 464) ed il Montepulciano d’Abruzzo San Calisto 2008 di <b>Valle Reale</b> (Abruzzo). A chiudere la top 10 dei migliori vini rossi d’Italia, al n. 9 il Solaia 2009 di <b>Antinori </b>(Toscana, 463,5) ed alla n. 10 un’altra coppia, formata dal San Leonardo 2006 della <b>Tenuta San Leonardo</b> (Veneto 462,5) e dall’Aglianico del Taburno Terra di Rivolta Riserva 2008 di <b>Fattoria La Rivolta</b> (Campania).<br />]]></description>
			<category>News</category>
			<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.lifestyleandmore.it/blog/index.php?entry=entry120111-110354</guid>
			<author>wine lover</author>
			<pubDate>Wed, 11 Jan 2012 10:03:54 GMT</pubDate>
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			<title>Bella Mia Roman Dinner</title>
			<link>http://www.lifestyleandmore.it/blog/index.php?entry=entry111116-150322</link>
			<description><![CDATA[<i>9 Nov. 2011 -</i> Bella Mia Italian Restaurant on Baoqing Lu (Shanghai) hosted an evening of Roman cuisine at which Italian Wine &amp; Food is honored to be invited and sponsor.<br /><br />Chef/owner Franco Varesano prepared typical dishes like &quot;Spaghetti alla Carbonara&quot;, &quot;Braciolette d’Abbacchio Panate&quot; and &quot;Crema alla Romana&quot;. Silvestri wines (a winery from Castelli Romani area) were served for the first time in Shanghai.<br /><br /><img src="images/LatiniVito_480px.jpg" width="480" height="360" border="0" alt="" /><br /><br /><img src="images/FrancescoVito_480px.jpg" width="480" height="360" border="0" alt="" /><br /><br /><img src="images/entrance_480px.jpg" width="480" height="640" border="0" alt="" /><br /><br /><img src="images/Flyer_480px.jpg" width="480" height="680" border="0" alt="" /><br /><br /><img src="images/menuCover_480px.jpg" width="480" height="623" border="0" alt="" /><br /><br /><img src="images/menu_480px.jpg" width="480" height="689" border="0" alt="" /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />]]></description>
			<category>News, Events</category>
			<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.lifestyleandmore.it/blog/index.php?entry=entry111116-150322</guid>
			<author>wine lover</author>
			<pubDate>Wed, 16 Nov 2011 14:03:22 GMT</pubDate>
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			<title>Sparkling wines: sugar categories ...</title>
			<link>http://www.lifestyleandmore.it/blog/index.php?entry=entry111101-172649</link>
			<description><![CDATA[Based on their sweetness, sparkling wines are usually classified in different categories according to  the residual sugar content in the bottle:<br /><br />EXTRA BRUT	Between 0 and 6 g/l<br />BRUT	        Lower than 12 g/l<br />EXTRA DRY	Between 12 and 17 g/l<br />DRY	        Between 17 and 32 g/l<br />MEDIUM DRY	Between 32 and 50 g/l<br />SWEET           Over a 50 g/l<br />]]></description>
			<category>General, Facts &amp; Figures</category>
			<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.lifestyleandmore.it/blog/index.php?entry=entry111101-172649</guid>
			<author>wine lover</author>
			<pubDate>Tue, 01 Nov 2011 16:26:49 GMT</pubDate>
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			<title>Divisi e senza strategia  Ecco perché l’Italia fa flop</title>
			<link>http://www.lifestyleandmore.it/blog/index.php?entry=entry111012-075054</link>
			<description><![CDATA[<b>«Non sapete fare sistema» dicono di noi in Cina, dove i vini e la cucina del nostro Paese soccombono a Francia e Germania.</b><br /><br /><br />«In Cina avete un grande potenziale ma non sapete fare sistema, non avete logistica e canali distributivi al livello dei concorrenti», che poi sono quasi sempre Francia e Germania.<br /><br />Nelle parole di un diplomatico di Pechino si condensa il solito vizio italico. La Cina è uno specchio immenso che riflette il carattere nazionale sul mercato più grande del mondo. Si prenda l’agrifood: la cultura del cibo e del bere bene italiano da soli non bastano.<br /><br />A Pechino tutti si ricordano ancora il flop di Piazza Italia. Il centro commerciale aperto nel lussuoso quartiere di Chaoyang nel settembre 2008 doveva essere la nostra vetrina agroalimentare, prima tappa di un’espansione a Shanghai, Hangzhou e Tianjin. A fine ottobre era venuto persino Silvio Berlusconi a benedirlo.<br /><br />Peccato che in appena 14 mesi si sia trasformato in uno dei più grandi crac del made in Italy. Nel consorzio c’erano alcuni tra i più importanti marchi italiani: Crai, Cavit vini, il consorzio Grana Padano, San Daniele Service, Conserve Italia e Frantoi Artigiani, riuniti sotto la sigla Tac (Trading Agro Crai). L’idea era corretta: fare massa critica e mettersi in una location patinata per spingere il nostro agroalimentare.<br /><br />Pie illusioni. Piazza Italia è subito un deserto e da luglio 2009 smette di pagare affitti, stipendi e fornitori. Il consuntivo è un bagno di sangue: Tac perde sei milioni e fa debiti per 4,5. Un misto di spese folli, location sbagliata, presunzione e sottovalutazione del mercato cinese. Sugli scaffali c’era infatti la summa disordinata del nostro «food», divisa tra un supermercato Crai, un ristorante, un self-service, una caffetteria e un’enoteca. Una formula che non ha mai attecchito nella classe media pechinese. «La brutta figura italiana: facevate pagare generi da supermercato, pur ottimi, a prezzi di boutique...», ha riassunto il «China Daily» nei giorni caldi del crac.<br /><br />Piazza Italia è certamente il flop più grande ma non è l’unico caso di aziende o catene del ramo agroalimentare che hanno dovuto chiudere bottega. Negli ultimi tempi è successo a Caffè Parma, Gusto Menta, L’Isola, Oro. Identici i motivi: target di clientela e location sbagliati, piani di business faraonici, logistica debole. Si salvano i mini corner Lavazza e Illy ma sono, appunto, piccoli numeri.<br /><br />Sul vino la situazione non è migliore. Siamo i campioni del mondo, ma da queste parti non si nota affatto. Il nostro export in Cina aumenta a tre cifre ogni anno solo perché si parte da quasi zero. Nel 2010 sono state commercializzate bottiglie per 40 milioni di euro, mentre complessivamente le esportazioni italiane di vino ammonta a 4 miliardi. In pratica solo l’uno per cento delle nostre bottiglie finisce sulle tavole cinesi.<br /><br />Girando per Pechino lo si capisce. Al ristorante all’ottantesimo piano del China World Summit Wing, la nuova torre da 300 metri dove ha sede anche Apple China, c’è una mega cantina piena di champagne e vini francesi, californiani, australiani, ma mancano i grandi italiani. Al ristorante in cima al Park Hyatt è più o meno lo stesso. Alla fiera del vino di Pechino il padiglione dei francesi è tre volte più grande di quello italiano e sugli scaffali dei market si trovano Zonin, Prosecco Valdo, Villa Antinori, Gaia, ma il loro spazio è piccolo rispetto ai cileni e agli australiani e le bottiglie costano mediamente di più.<br /><br />«Il 60 per cento del vino importato in Cina è francese», spiega Stefano Latorre, a Pechino dal 2003, dove con la sua Karpek opera come trader nel settore food and beverage. «Ma se parliamo di spumanti e champagne la quota arriva al 75 per cento».<br /><br />I francesi sono sbarcati in Cina vent’anni fa con Sopexa, l’azienda di promozione pubblica dell’agrifood, e hanno continuato ad investire grosse risorse su marketing e pubblicità. Il resto lo fanno i loro canali di grande distribuzione, Carrefour e Auchan. «Il risultato è che oggi per i cinesi la parola vino coincide con il trinomio rosso, francese e bordolese», continua Latorre. Sul top di gamma i «grand crus» sono diventati uno status symbol. Una bottiglia di Château Lafite annata 2008 può costare più di duemila euro e i cinesi ricchi amano regalarlo nelle occasioni speciali.<br /><br />Non basta. «La Francia è fortissima anche sui vini economici, il più delle volte marchiati con una bella etichetta di castello bordolese spesso fasullo e distribuiti a due euro nelle grandi aree urbane». Il nostro Chianti o il Sangiovese sono più buoni, ma costano troppo.<br /><br />Insomma, messa a confronto con tedeschi, francesi e americani, in Cina, proprio in un segmento strategico come l’agrifood, esce fuori la debolezza di fondo del made in Italy: l’incapacità di industrializzare e distribuire le nostre eccellenze. Abbiamo inventato la pizza, ma la catena mondiale è Pizza Hut; siamo i migliori gelatai, ma il colosso è Häagen-Dazs; siamo i re del caffè, ma la commercializzazione la fa Starbucks.<br /><br />Tra Pechino e Tianjin il fenomeno si nota facilmente. «In Cina il mordi e fuggi è un illusione», continuaLatorre. «Purtroppo non abbiamo grandi gruppi che fanno economie di scala, arrivano le singole aziendine agricole, spendono 3-4mila euro per gli stand alle fiere sperando di trovare il distributore bravo che ti piazza un po’ di bottiglie. E alla fine se ne tornano in Italia sconfitti, con la coda tra le gambe».<br /><br />Fare business coi cinesi è snervante. Un gioco continuo di dissimulazioni. «Ma le imprese italiane spesso non lo capiscono...»<br /><br /><br />by MARCO ALFIERI – inviato a Pechino - <a href="http://www.lastampa.it" target="_blank" >www.lastampa.it</a>]]></description>
			<category>General, News, Press</category>
			<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.lifestyleandmore.it/blog/index.php?entry=entry111012-075054</guid>
			<author>wine lover</author>
			<pubDate>Wed, 12 Oct 2011 05:50:54 GMT</pubDate>
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			<title>The Big Six statistics: Jan to Sep 2011</title>
			<link>http://www.lifestyleandmore.it/blog/index.php?entry=entry111012-074034</link>
			<description><![CDATA[The Big Six statistics for January to June, 2011<br /><br /><img src="images/StatisticJanSep2011.jpg" width="450" height="149" border="0" alt="" /><br />]]></description>
			<category>General, Facts &amp; Figures, Statistics</category>
			<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.lifestyleandmore.it/blog/index.php?entry=entry111012-074034</guid>
			<author>wine lover</author>
			<pubDate>Wed, 12 Oct 2011 05:40:34 GMT</pubDate>
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			<title>Da Marco: frozen Beef Ravioli in tomatoes and olives sauce</title>
			<link>http://www.lifestyleandmore.it/blog/index.php?entry=entry110727-184648</link>
			<description><![CDATA[After many year of hearing about the Da Marco food factory I have found this pack of frozen pasta on a supermarket shelves and I decided to give it a try ...<br /><br /><img src="images/ravioli1.jpg" width="400" height="341" border="0" alt="" /><br /><br />Congratulation Marco Barbieri! It is quiet an accomplishment for a restaurateur to develop an industrial line and put his face on the box :-)<br /><br /><img src="images/ravioli2.jpg" width="400" height="475" border="0" alt="" /><br /><br />Here is how the frozen ravioli look like once open the package … the instructions say just put them on a plate inside the microwave, high power for 4 minutes ...<br /><br /><img src="images/ravioli3.jpg" width="400" height="284" border="0" alt="" /><br /><br />My tasting comments: tomatoes sauce is a bit watery, olives portion is generous, ravioli stuffing is a bit hard, and maybe the formula (considering the industrial process to freeze it) may be improved.<br />Conclusion: GOOD, it is fast and quick, taste OK, it is not fantastic but is fair value for RMB29<br /><br /><img src="images/ravioli4.jpg" width="400" height="297" border="0" alt="" /><br />]]></description>
			<category>General</category>
			<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.lifestyleandmore.it/blog/index.php?entry=entry110727-184648</guid>
			<author>wine lover</author>
			<pubDate>Wed, 27 Jul 2011 16:46:48 GMT</pubDate>
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			<title>China wine imports 2010: France spanks everyone (again)</title>
			<link>http://www.lifestyleandmore.it/blog/index.php?entry=entry110619-095504</link>
			<description><![CDATA[Sometimes it feels like we have a new French paradox: every year China Customs releases its data on bottled wine imports and France not only comes in first but also increases its share of the market. Last year was no exception.<br /><br />Imports of bottled wine in 2010 increased 61 percent over 2009 to reach 146 million liters. The China market is still relatively small but those numbers represent a major increase and it comes on top of many years of steady growth. <b><i>Where that wine is going is another story</i></b> but here are a few notes on how things looked last year for The Big Six — France, Australia, Spain, Chile, Italy, and the United States — which account for ~90 percent of bottled wine imports.<br /><br /><b>France</b>: imports rose 67 percent, slightly higher than the average rate, on a strong base and thus pushed France’s share of the overall market to nearly half at <b>46.3 percent</b>. I do not yet have the import numbers by value but suspect France did even better there. To get a sense of the strength of France, consider it in contrast to the number two source of imported bottled wine, Australia. In 2007, France had about twice as much market share as Australia: ~38 percent versus ~20 percent. Now it has about three times as much market share: 46.3 percent versus 16.2 percent. And it is pulling away at a time when the market is rapidly growing and that means the gap is even more pronounced when it comes to volume.<br /><br /><b>Australia</b>: last year was not the best in terms of volume as imports rose by 27 percent, well below the average, and Australia’s share of the market stood at <b>16.2 percent</b> after several years of being around20 percent. Concern from Australia would be justified given the cheap and decent wines coming in from all corners of the world. That is one reason its promotion arm, Wine Australia, has put an emphasis on premium wines. It would be easy to say Australia is in a tough spot but it is a pretty good tough spot given imports are still growing and it still holds second place.<br /><br /><b>Italy</b>: it saw the second biggest growth among the Big Six, at 78 percent, and rose to third place with <b>7.7 percent</b> of the market. That’s the good news. The bad news is that Italy’s market share is modest in comparison to the size of its wine industry and export potential. It still has a long way to go to take its rightful place in this market.<br /><br /><b>Chile</b>: its imports increased 54 percent as it took <b>7.2 percent</b> of the market. Chile still offers good value but I am seeing more Argentine and other competitors on the shelves.<br /><br /><b>Spain</b>: it saw the biggest growth, up 105 percent over 2009. As with Italy, its overall share, at <b>6.5 percent</b>, is disappointing given the size of the Spanish wine industry.<br /><br /><b>United States</b>: it posted modest growth of 47 percent—again, that is modest by China standards—but this came after a boom year for the country and still represents reasonably healthy import numbers. The United States took <b>6.3 percent</b> of the market.<br />]]></description>
			<category>General, Statistics</category>
			<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.lifestyleandmore.it/blog/index.php?entry=entry110619-095504</guid>
			<author>wine lover</author>
			<pubDate>Sun, 19 Jun 2011 07:55:04 GMT</pubDate>
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			<title>Vino, l&#039;Italia sorpassa la Francia è il primo produttore al mondo</title>
			<link>http://www.lifestyleandmore.it/blog/index.php?entry=entry110612-211356</link>
			<description><![CDATA[<b>Dopo l&#039;ultima vendemmia, secondo i dati dell&#039;Unione europea riportati da Coldiretti, 49,6 milioni di ettolitri prodotti nel nostro paese contro i i 46,2 dei transalpini</b><br /><br />MILANO - Con i risultati finali dell&#039;ultima vendemmia 2010-2011 l&#039;Italia diventa il principale produttore di vino al mondo sfilando il primato finora detenuto dalla Francia. Lo afferma la Coldiretti sulla base dei dati della Commissione Ue che rilevano una produzione di 49,6 milioni di ettolitri per l&#039;Italia, superiore - anche se di misura - ai 46,2 milioni di ettolitri sulla Francia, su un totale comunitario di 157,2 milioni di ettolitri, in calo del 3,7%.<br /><br />Il primato del Made in Italy viene confermato - spiega la Coldiretti - anche se si considerano i valori italiani al netto della feccia stimabile in un 5%. Il risultato è il frutto di una sostanziale stabilità della produzione in Italia e di un calo in Francia.<br /><br />VINI DI QUALITA&#039; - Il 60 per cento della produzione nazionale è rappresentata da vini di qualità con ben 14,9 milioni di ettolitri sono destinati a vini Docg/Doc e 15,4 milioni di ettolitri a vini Igt, segnala la Coldiretti. Un risultato incoraggiante arriva anche dalle esportazioni, aumentate del 15 per cento nel primo bimestre del 2011. <br /><br />«Si tratta - è stato precisato - del risultato di una crescita record del 31% negli Stati Uniti, che diventano il primo mercato di sbocco in valore davanti alla Germania, ma anche dell&#039;aumento del 6% dell&#039;export nell&#039;Unione Europea e di un significativo e benaugurante incremento del 146 per cento in Cina». <br /><br />Un andamento che conferma i risultati positivi ottenuti dal vino Made in Italy all&#039;estero nel 2010 con un valore record dell&#039;esportazioni di 3,93 miliardi, superiori per la prima volta ai consumi nazionali. Inoltre le esportazioni di vino Made in Italy dei piccoli produttori sotto i 25 milioni di euro di fatturato, sono cresciute in valore del 16 per cento, quasi il doppio dell&#039;8,5 per cento messo a segno dalle prime 103 società italiane produttrici di vino, secondo una analisi della stessa Coldiretti sulla base dei dati 2010 di Mediobanca e Istat. Il fatturato complessivo realizzato dal vino italiano nel 2010 è stato pari a 7,82 miliardi. <br /><br />Primato italiano sui cugini francesi anche per quanto riguarda i marchi doc: in Italia - segnala l&#039;organizzazione agricola - può contare su 504 vini tra denominazione di origine controllata (Doc), controllata e garantita (Docg) e a indicazione geografica tipica (330 vini Doc, 56 Docg e 118 Igt).]]></description>
			<category>General, News, Statistics</category>
			<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.lifestyleandmore.it/blog/index.php?entry=entry110612-211356</guid>
			<author>wine lover</author>
			<pubDate>Sun, 12 Jun 2011 19:13:56 GMT</pubDate>
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			<title>MAMMA&#039;s Tiramisu ...</title>
			<link>http://www.lifestyleandmore.it/blog/index.php?entry=entry110421-103331</link>
			<description><![CDATA[Ingredients:<br />250gr mascarpone<br />2 eggs<br />ladyfingers<br />coffee<br />sugar<br />cacao bitter<br />if you like chocolate chips<br /><br />to make the mascarpone cream mount 2 egg yolks and 2 tablespoons of sugar, then mount like snow the 2 egg white with a pinch of salt<br /><br />add the mascarpone to the egg yolk cream, then very gently add the white egg cream, and if you like chocolate chips <br /><br />dip the biscuits in the coffee and make the layers of cookies and cream, you end up with the cream and spuzzate cocoa powder<br /><br />let it rst in the fridge for few hours and ENJOY<br />]]></description>
			<category>General</category>
			<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.lifestyleandmore.it/blog/index.php?entry=entry110421-103331</guid>
			<author>wine lover</author>
			<pubDate>Thu, 21 Apr 2011 08:33:31 GMT</pubDate>
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			<title>Starbucks’ quest for healthy growth: an interview with Howard Schultz</title>
			<link>http://www.lifestyleandmore.it/blog/index.php?entry=entry110409-052030</link>
			<description><![CDATA[<img src="images/Howard_Schult.jpg" width="200" height="140" border="0" alt="" /><br /><br />Some extracts from the interview:<br /><br />…<br /><br />The big opportunity, in terms of total stores, is what’s happening in China; we’ve got 800 stores in greater China, 400 in the mainland. When all is said and done, we’ll have thousands. We’re highly profitable there. We’ve been there 12 years, and I would say that the hard work—in terms of building the foundation to get access to real estate, design stores, and operate them—is well in place.<br />We started out, like most Western brands, going to the two major cities, Shanghai and Beijing. In the last couple of years, it is stunning to see what we’ve been able to do in secondary and tertiary markets—these markets have five to ten million people in them. This past month, we opened up in two cities that people never heard of. One is Fuzhou, which has a population north of five million people. In a rainstorm, people were lined up in the morning waiting for the Starbucks door to open.<br /><br />…<br /><br />There’s a whole team, a real-estate team—that is, a local one—that is working with our people here in Seattle. As you might imagine, we have built, over the last 40 years, a very refined model in terms of demography and understanding where our stores should be located. And based on the success we’ve had in China over the last few years, we’re now mapping those statistics and metrics in a way that gives us a very good understanding, with great predictability.<br /><br />…<br /><br />What we want to do as a company is put our feet in the shoes of our customers. What does that mean, especially in China? It means that not everything from Starbucks in China should be invented in Starbucks in Seattle. Now, the Chinese customer, like many customers around the world, does not want a watered-down Starbucks. But we want to be highly respectful of the cultural differences in every market, especially China, and appeal to the Chinese customer. So as an example, the food for the Chinese stores is predominantly designed for the Chinese palate.<br /><br />…<br /><br />Now, this is not a company that did these kinds of things in the past. We were fighting a war here between the people in Seattle who want a blueberry muffin and the people in China who say, “You know what, I think black sesame is probably an ingredient that they would rather have than blueberry.” And I would say that goes back to the hubris of the past, when we thought, we’re going to change behavior. Well, no, we’re not going to change behavior. In fact, we’re going to appeal with great respect to local tastes. So we have a list of core products, in almost every country we’re now doing business in, that is right down the center to appeal to the local consumer.<br />What we’re trying to do is create a balance between this being a Starbucks store with all the trappings and, at the same time, a very deep level of sensitivity to local relevancy. That’s hard to do when you’re all over the world in 55 countries. The reason it’s working is that we’re decentralizing and, for the first time, trusting that the people in the marketplace know better than the people in Seattle.<br /><br />…]]></description>
			<category>General</category>
			<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.lifestyleandmore.it/blog/index.php?entry=entry110409-052030</guid>
			<author>wine lover</author>
			<pubDate>Sat, 09 Apr 2011 03:20:30 GMT</pubDate>
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		<item>
			<title>Tapping China’s luxury-goods market</title>
			<link>http://www.lifestyleandmore.it/blog/index.php?entry=entry110405-093927</link>
			<description><![CDATA[[from McKinsey Quarterly]<br /><br /><b><i>By 2015, Chinese consumers will account for more than 20 percent of the global luxury market. How is their behavior evolving?</i></b><br /><br />China will account for about 20 percent, or 180 billion renminbi ($27 billion1), of global luxury sales in 2015, according to new McKinsey research. Even during the global recession in 2009, sales of luxury goods in the mainland rose by 16 percent, to about 64 billion renminbi—down from the 20 percent growth of previous years but far better than the performance of many other major luxury markets. To get a better idea of the dynamics, McKinsey surveyed more than 1,500 luxury consumers in 17 Chinese cities in spring 2010.2 Three findings stood out.<br /><br /><b>Shifting attitudes</b><br /><br />At a time of rapidly rising incomes, widely available luxury products (and information about them), and shifting attitudes toward the display of wealth, more Chinese consumers than ever feel comfortable buying luxury goods. As a result, China’s love for them is moving down the economic ladder, creating opportunities and challenges for marketers accustomed to serving only the very rich. While wealthy consumers (with incomes above 300,000 renminbi, or about $46,000) will continue to account for a majority of luxury consumption, our research shows that the 13 million households in China’s upper middle class (incomes between 100,000 and 200,000 renminbi) offer the biggest new growth opportunity. They already account for about 12 percent of the market, and their numbers are growing rapidly: we expect to see 76 million households in this income range by 2015, accounting for 22 percent of luxury-goods purchases (Exhibit 1).<br />Interest in them is moving beyond handbags, jewelry, fashion, and the like. A growing number of Chinese luxury consumers are also splurging on spas and other wellness activities. Consumption is growing faster for such luxury services than for luxury goods: 20 percent of these consumers said they were spending more on experiences, only 13 percent on products.<br /><br /><img src="images/mckinsey01.jpg" width="500" height="542" border="0" alt="" /><br /><br /><b>Greater sophistication</b><br /><br />The Chinese are increasingly exposed to luxury goods through the Internet, overseas travel, and first-hand experience. As a result, they have become more discerning.<br />With the surge in the number of luxury stores, fashion magazines, and Web sites and the use of social media, Chinese consumers are now familiar with nearly twice as many brands as they were in 2008. Half of the consumers we surveyed in 2010, for instance, could name more than three ready-to-wear brands, compared with only 23 percent two years before. As Chinese consumers become more familiar with luxury goods, they are becoming savvier about the relationship between quality and price. In 2010, only about half of consumers equated the most expensive products with the best ones, down from 66 percent in 2008.<br />Price transparency contributes to this dynamic. More than half of luxury consumers check product details and prices online, compared with 13 percent of all urban dwellers. Since two out of three luxury consumers have made at least one trip overseas, they have access to external benchmarks for comparing prices back home. In 2008, only two of five people in China realized that in the mainland, prices were at least 20 percent higher than they were in places such as Hong Kong. By 2010, 66 percent did.<br />Luxury-goods companies have long waged a battle against counterfeit goods in China. But there’s good news for marketers: our research shows that consumers increasingly want the real thing. The percentage of those who said they would buy fake jewelry, for example, dropped to 12 percent, from 31 percent, in 2008. Some luxury buyers told us they felt sure that their friends would spot a counterfeit. A woman who used her first salary check to reward herself with a luxury handbag said, “it would be meaningless if it was fake.” What’s more, an internationally well-known brand has become one of the most important factors in making a purchase (Exhibit 2).<br /><br /><img src="images/mckinsey02.jpg" width="500" height="302" border="0" alt="" /><br /><br /><b>New geographic markets</b><br /><br />Rapid urbanization and growing wealth beyond China’s largest cities are creating a number of geographic markets with sizable pools of luxury-goods consumers. More small cities will become large enough to justify the presence of stores catering to them; we expect luxury sales in urban areas such as Qingdao and Wuxi, for instance, to triple over the next five years. By 2015, consumption in such cities will approach today’s levels in Hangzhou and Nanjing—now two of China’s most developed luxury-goods markets—and luxury consumption could pass 500 million renminbi in more than 60 cities, compared with 30 today. But the luxury-goods market will remain concentrated in the top 36, which will account for 74 percent of the market’s growth and 76 percent of total luxury sales by 2015.<br />Most of the world’s luxury-goods companies are already in China or contemplating increased investment there. They must tackle several big issues before making their next moves. First, delivering exceptional service in stores is critical; two out of three consumers are disappointed with the indifferent attitudes of salespeople. While the in-store experience is by far the most important factor driving purchasing decisions, the Internet has rapidly become the second-most-important consumer touch point for luxury categories such as fashion. Marketers will need increasingly sophisticated Web strategies; for example, they can work with social-media agencies to monitor and shape online conversations among consumers or to identify influential bloggers and help educate them about brands.<br />Finally, much of luxury’s allure comes from the opportunity to share in the rich cultural heritage associated with a brand. This concept is rapidly catching on with Chinese luxury consumers, and many leading brands are promoting their history and craftsmanship. But the picture isn’t totally straightforward: one-third of luxury consumers in China said they would prefer to buy products that were designed specifically for the country and incorporated Chinese imagery.<br /><br /><br /><i>About the Authors<br />Yuval Atsmon is a principal in McKinsey’s Shanghai office, where Vinay Dixit leads McKinsey’s Insights China and Cathy Wu is a consultant.<br /><br />The authors would like to thank Glenn Leibowitz, Lillian Li, Jia Liu, and Rachel Zheng for their contributions to the study and the development of this article.</i>]]></description>
			<category>General, Facts &amp; Figures</category>
			<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.lifestyleandmore.it/blog/index.php?entry=entry110405-093927</guid>
			<author>wine lover</author>
			<pubDate>Tue, 05 Apr 2011 07:39:27 GMT</pubDate>
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			<title>Top 100 Fine Wine Power List</title>
			<link>http://www.lifestyleandmore.it/blog/index.php?entry=entry110209-044934</link>
			<description><![CDATA[Liv-Ex (London International Vintage Exchange Fine Wine Index, <a href="http://www.live-ex.com" target="_blank" >www.live-ex.com</a>) represents the 100 most prestigious and sought after bottles in the world, placing this type of product among the most solid investments whose returns are not related to traditional asset classes. This special index has gained considerable authority: for example, Jancis Robinson, Master of Wine and one of the most famous wine writers in the world, praises the utility of this tool through which “many wine collectors can then check the value of their cellars. Liv-Ex is a great access to financial information on the wine market and enables non-professionals to access various packets of information”. <br />It is thus a sort of “mini stock exchange” reflecting the average value of the most coveted wines in the world. It started providing its first listings in 1999. The wines that make up the stock exchange may vary each month according to changes on the wine market and also according to the indications of members of the “committee”, the Liv-Ex management committee, composed of 155 of the largest wholesalers in the world (but also depending on the ratings of world wine critic gurus: for example, Robert Parker Jr).<br /><br />Liv-ex 100 “Fine Wine Power list” (<b><i>strictly in order of value</i></b>)<br /><br />1.	Lafite Rothschild Bordeaux <br />2.	Latour Bordeaux <br />3.	Mouton Rothschild Bordeaux <br />4.	Margaux Bordeaux <br />5.	Haut-Brion Bordeaux <br />6.	Domaine Romanée Conti Burgundy <br />7.	Pétrus Bordeaux <br />8.	Mission Haut-Brion Bordeaux <br />9.	Ausone Bordeaux <br />10.	Carruades de Lafite Bordeaux <br />11.	Penfolds Grange Australia <br />12.	Pontet Canet Bordeaux <br />13.	Yquem Bordeaux <br />14.	Palmer Bordeaux <br />15.	Duhart Milon Bordeaux <br />16.	Forts de Latour Bordeaux <br />17.	Léoville Las Cases Bordeaux <br />18.	Cos d’Estournel Bordeaux <br />19.	Angelus Bordeaux <br />20.	Cheval Blanc Bordeaux <br />21.	<b>Sassicaia Italy</b><br />22.	Pin Bordeaux <br />23.	Montrose Bordeaux <br />24.	Krug Vintage Champagne <br />25.	Ducru Beaucaillou Bordeaux <br />26.	Salon Mesnil Champagne <br />27.	Pavillon Rouge Bordeaux <br />28.	Lynch Bages Bordeaux <br />29.	Clos Papes Rhône <br />30.	Pavie Bordeaux <br />31.	<b>Masseto Italy</b><br />32.	<b>Ornellaia Italy</b><br />33.	Haut-Brion Blanc Bordeaux <br />34.	Guigal E Rhône <br />35.	Eglise Clinet Bordeaux <br />36.	Opus One U.S.A. <br />37.	Louis Roederer Cristal Champagne <br />38.	Dominus Australia <br />39.	Rayas Rhône <br />40.	Dom Pérignon Vintage Champagne <br />41.	Beaucastel Rhône <br />42.	Fleur Pétrus Bordeaux <br />43.	Leroy Burgundy <br />44.	Bouchard P&amp;F Burgundy <br />45.	Chave JL Rhône <br />46.	Troplong Mondot Bordeaux <br />47.	Beychevelle Bordeaux <br />48.	Taylor’s Port <br />49.	Léoville Poyferré Bordeaux <br />50.	Pichon Lalande Bordeaux 50 <br />51.	Vieux Château Certan Bordeaux <br />52.	Grivot J Burgundy <br />53.	Conseillante Bordeaux <br />54.	Leflaive Burgundy <br />55.	Petit Mouton Bordeaux <br />56.	Haut Bailly Bordeaux <br />57.	Bahans/Clarence Haut-Brion Bordeaux <br />58.	Sauzet E Burgundy <br />59.	Lafleur Bordeaux <br />60.	Henschke Australia <br />61.	Léoville Barton Bordeaux <br />62.	Evangile Bordeaux <br />63.	Hosanna Bordeaux <br />64.	<b>Gaja A Italy</b><br />65.	<b>Solaia Italy</b><br />66.	Trotanoy Bordeaux <br />67.	Jaboulet Rhône <br />68.	Vega Sicilia Spain <br />69.	Pichon Baron Bordeaux <br />70.	Lascombes Bordeaux <br />71.	Petit Cheval Bordeaux <br />72.	Calon-Ségur Bordeaux <br />73.	Pegau Rhône <br />74.	Fonseca Port <br />75.	Janasse Rhône <br />76.	Figeac Bordeuax <br />77.	Raveneau Burgundy <br />78.	Pavie Macquin Bordeaux <br />79.	Clerc Milon Bordeaux <br />80.	Pape Clément Bordeaux <br />81.	Clos Fourtet Bordeaux <br />82.	Pape Clément Blanc Bordeaux <br />83.	Rousseau A Burgundy <br />84.	Issan Bordeaux <br />85.	Clinet Bordeaux <br />86.	Roumier Burgundy <br />87.	Smith Haut Lafitte Bordeaux <br />88.	Armailhac Bordeaux <br />89.	Talbot Bordeaux <br />90.	Rauzan-Ségla Bordeaux <br />91.	Pavie Decesse Bordeaux <br />92.	Rouget E Burgundy <br />93.	Dauvissat Burgundy <br />94.	Dow Port <br />95.	Climens Bordeaux <br />96.	Bonneau du Martray Burgundy <br />97.	Malescot St Exupery Bordeaux <br />98.	Clos l’Eglise Bordeaux <br />99.	Rieussec Bordeaux <br />100.	Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill Champagne<br />]]></description>
			<category>General, Facts &amp; Figures</category>
			<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.lifestyleandmore.it/blog/index.php?entry=entry110209-044934</guid>
			<author>wine lover</author>
			<pubDate>Wed, 09 Feb 2011 03:49:34 GMT</pubDate>
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			<title>Vino, triplica il consumo in Cina nel 2010</title>
			<link>http://www.lifestyleandmore.it/blog/index.php?entry=entry101016-115404</link>
			<description><![CDATA[Roma, 7 ott - Le bottiglie di vino Made in Italy esportate in Cina sono piu’ che triplicate nel corso del 2010 facendo registrare un aumento record del 242 per cento, ma a crescere sulle tavole del gigante asiatico è l’intero agroalimentare italiano che complessivamente in un anno è quasi raddoppiato in valore (+86 per cento).<br /><br />E’ quanto emerge da una analisi della Coldiretti sulla base dei dati Istat divulgata in occasione della visita del primo ministro cinese Wen Jiabao in Italia. Il Paese asiatico offre - sottolinea la Coldiretti - molteplici opportunità commerciali per l’agroalimentare italiano che potrebbero ulteriormente ampliarsi con superamento di vincoli burocratici che spesso ostacolano le esportazioni alimentari. <br /><br />Un obiettivo che - continua la Coldiretti - consentirebbe anche il necessario riequilibrio nella bilancia commerciale agroalimentare tra Cina ed Italia con le importazioni dal gigante asiatico che sono state in valore pari a tre volte le esportazioni, nel primo semestre del 2010. A preoccupare sono anche - precisa la Coldiretti - le garanzie di sicurezza alimentare del prodotto proveniente dalla Cina, dopo i recenti allarmi sul latte contaminato dalla melamina. Il prodotto agroalimentare maggiormente importato dalla Cina in Italia è il concentrato di pomodoro per il quale si registra un aumento del 18 per cento degli arrivi nel primo semestre 2010.<br /><br />Quest’anno si stima che arriveranno in Italia 100 milioni di chili di concentrato dalla Cina destinato ad essere &quot;spacciato&quot; come Made in Italy perché – conclude la Coldiretti - non è ancora obbligatorio indicare in etichetta la zona di coltivazione della materia prima agricola.]]></description>
			<category>General, Statistics</category>
			<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.lifestyleandmore.it/blog/index.php?entry=entry101016-115404</guid>
			<author>wine lover</author>
			<pubDate>Sat, 16 Oct 2010 09:54:04 GMT</pubDate>
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		<item>
			<title>Chinese Custom Data 2009</title>
			<link>http://www.lifestyleandmore.it/blog/index.php?entry=entry100621-115729</link>
			<description><![CDATA[Imported Wine Bottle less than 2lt <br />China Total <b>91,0254,000 btl</b>   [+58.3%2008]<br />China Total <b>377,11 ml $</b>   [+ 36.7% 2008]]]></description>
			<category>Facts &amp; Figures, Statistics</category>
			<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.lifestyleandmore.it/blog/index.php?entry=entry100621-115729</guid>
			<author>wine lover</author>
			<pubDate>Mon, 21 Jun 2010 09:57:29 GMT</pubDate>
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			<title>Giacomo Tachis, the &quot;father&quot; of Sassiccaia and Tignanello wines, retires to private life</title>
			<link>http://www.lifestyleandmore.it/blog/index.php?entry=entry100421-075723</link>
			<description><![CDATA[Giacomo Tachis is leaving the wine world. The wine maker par excellence, the “father” of Sassicaia and Tignanello and a leader in the Italian wine “renaissance”, has decided to leave the wine world, retire to private life and devote himself exclusively to his family and grandchildren. The newspaper “Libero” published the news yesterday in the insert “Libero Gusto”, the new project created by the journalist Carlo Cambi. Tachis first announced his decision by fax, and then in “Libero Gusto” he explained, “I won’t make wine any more. Many years have gone by; today there are young people who are much better than me. I have two grandchildren. Life and this profession have given me a lot”. <br /><br />Thus one of the leading actors in the Italian wine world lowers the final curtain on an important part of the history of the wine world. No regrets but some nostalgia, especially for Sardinia where in recent years Gacomo Tachis had “left his heart” with the Agripunica winery project. The news also announces the debut of “Libero Gusto” a new weekly insert (probably published on Saturdays), in which Carlo Cambi wants to do what he did with the insert “Travels” in the newspaper “La Repubblica”. The password of the insert will be, according to its curator, “wine, territories and cuisine, not only restaurants, but also the artisans of taste. The goal is to inform and educate about the agricultural world which should no longer be perceived as a secondary sector, but a leader in its own right”.<br />]]></description>
			<category>General</category>
			<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.lifestyleandmore.it/blog/index.php?entry=entry100421-075723</guid>
			<author>wine lover</author>
			<pubDate>Wed, 21 Apr 2010 05:57:23 GMT</pubDate>
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