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‘No Reserve’ Auction of Wines from the Cellar of Lewis Chester Totals £1.4 Million / $1.7 Million

By Sotheby’s

Expansive offering represents a fraction of one of Europe’s most extensive and comprehensive cellars, curated over many years by the collector, fine wine and rare spirits writer, and founder of the ‘Oscars of Fine Wine’: The Golden Vines® Awards

LONDON, 2 JUNE 2023 – Sotheby’s sale of wines from the cellar of Lewis Chester concluded yesterday, having achieved an exceptional total of £1,382,309 / $1,727,886. The ‘No Reserve’ auction attracted more than 15,700 bids and global participation from 35 countries, with all 774 lots going to some 200 buyers across Europe, the US and Asia – 30% of them new to Sotheby’s.

The expansive offering represented a mere fraction of one of Europe’s most extensive and comprehensive cellars, curated over many years by Lewis Chester DipWSET – the extraordinarily determined collector and fine wine and rare spirits writer, and founder of the ‘Oscars of Fine Wine’: The Golden Vines® Awards.

Lewis’ motivation to offer the first tranche of his collection at auction was driven in part by his collection having grown far too big to contemplate consuming it all, and by a desire to provide fellow fine wine devotees the opportunity to acquire superb wines with impeccable provenance. All bottles were purchased either direct from the respective Domaines via allocation or from only the most reputable UK merchant, then carefully cellared in professional temperature-controlled storage.

“We knew that Lewis’s cellar was extraordinary in terms of quality and quantity, as he’s such an ardent, focussed collector. It’s a huge joy to have had such a positive result, and it’s a thrill for the team in London to have brought these wines to the market and to see such magnificent results. The prices provide a strong and positive signpost into the second half of the year, underlining Sotheby’s strength in the marketplace and connection to collectors, both new and existing.”

GARY OWEN, HEAD OF AUCTION SALES, UK, SOTHEBY’S WINE

“Firstly, a big thank you to the extraordinary team at Sotheby’s Wine who have been a joy to work with, both for this auction and in building our new long-term partnership for the Golden Vines® and Gerard Basset Foundation. It’s been very exciting to see the positive reaction from fine wine lovers globally to the wines being sold in this inaugural auction which reflect my own journey of discovery and love for fine wine.”

LEWIS CHESTER

The Inaugural Selection was dominated by wines from five key regions: Burgundy, Champagne, Bordeaux, Rhône, and Piedmont. Lewis’ meticulous approach to collecting and study of fine wine was reflected in not only the all-star roster of legendary Domaines and Châteaux, but crucially also in the strict prevalence of lauded vintages from all of the represented appellations.

Burgundy led the charge, and the selection was fittingly typified by apex Domaines: Rousseau, Roumier, de Vogüé, Leflaive, and Ponsot, to name but a few. Venturing north to Champagne, the monumental houses of Krug and Dom Pérignon were represented by a staggering range of cuvées, vintages and large formats. First Growths Lafite, Latour, and Margaux plus Haut-Brion Blanc flew the flag for the Left Bank in Bordeaux, with the Right Bank supplying rare double-magnums of Le Pin and magnums of Lafleur. The consignment also included wines from the Loire and Mosel valleys, Tuscany, Switzerland, and Santa Cruz Mountains.

Full results of The Cellar of Lewis Chester | The Inaugural Selection | No Reserve available here.

Liquid Icons and The Golden Vines® Awards

“Our partnership with Lewis will continue this year with October’s Golden Vines weekend in Paris. Inspirational gala dinners, luxurious lunches and exceptional masterclasses await those who join us as we raise money exclusively for The Gérard Basset Foundation to fund educational programmes on diversity and inclusivity in the wine.”

AMAYÈS AOULI, SOTHEBY’S HEAD OF WINE, EUROPE

Earlier this year, Sotheby’s Wine announced a new multi-year partnership with The Golden Vines® Awards and the Gérard Basset Foundation. Sotheby’s will conduct the Golden Vines® Live Auction which raises money exclusively for the Foundation’s work around diversity and inclusivity in the wine, spirits and hospitality sector, during the Golden Vines® Dress to Party Charity Gala on Friday 13 October 2023 at Pavillons de Bercy in Paris.

Liquid Icons was founded by two friends, Gérard Basset OBE MW MS and Lewis Chester DipWSET. When Gérard discovered that he had terminal cancer, the need to create something lasting and emphatic that would help create a lasting legacy for Gérard’s incredible achievements became a singular goal for the company. In 2018, The Global Fine Wine Report was born which, since Gérard’s death in January 2019, has become known as The Gérard Basset Global Fine Wine Report. Uniquely, the Report – a free publication – is based on a detailed survey that is completed by leading fine wine professionals globally: Masters of Wine (MW), Master Sommeliers (MS), sommeliers, wine brokers and merchants, wine press and other members of the fine wine industry.

In the summer of 2020, Lewis had the idea of taking the ‘Winners in the Report’ and creating the ‘Oscars of Fine Wine’, to be known as The Golden Vines Awards. These awards would help elevate the fine wine industry by creating a world-class event that would celebrate the very best from the world of fine wine. At the same time, in order to enhance Gérard’s lasting legacy, Lewis and Nina Basset (Gérard’s widow) agreed to create a charity in Gerard’s name: the Gérard Basset Foundation (the Foundation). The Golden Vines Awards would be run as a not-for-profit, with all profits from the event and related charity auctions going to the Foundation.

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BALMUDA The Toaster
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BALMUDA The Toaster

The three essential elements of culinary delight. BALMUDA The Toaster uses steam technology and precise temperature control to bring out the best in every kind of bread. Its Oven Mode can also cook other items to perfection.

Revolutionary Technology

The decisive factor is the 5 cc of water poured into the toaster at the at the beginning.  Heating more rapidly than air, a thin layer of steam envelops the bread, lightly toasting its surface, while keeping its  inner moisture and flavor from escaping.

Steam technology that locks in moisture and flavor

Precise, second-by-second temperature regulation

Precise control of three temperature zones creates superb contrasts of flavor and texture: crisp and savory on the surface, moist and fluffy inside

The Five Modes

BALMUDA The Toaster has four modes designed to heat various types of bread to perfection. The additional oven mode can be used to cook various oven dishes.

Sandwich Bread Mode

This mode delivers a delicious contrast between a crisp exterior and a moist interior. Ideal for everyday thin-sliced bread and English muffins from the supermarket. Adjust the timer to obtain the desired level of brownness.

Artisan Bread Mode

High-temperature toasting ensures a crisp and delicious surface while preserving the bread’s interior elasticity. Even bakery bread with its high moisture content takes on a toasty brown hue, just as if it had been dry-fried by a chef in a heavy pan. Select this mode to enjoy the texture and aroma of bread to its fullest.

Pizza Mode

By toasting more strongly from above than below, this mode is ideal for bread with cheese and other toppings as well as sliced bagels. Use it on yesterday’s take-out pizza to make the base as hot and crisp and the toppings as delicious as if it had just come out of the store’s oven. When bagels are on the menu, this mode preserves their chewy texture while toasting the top to a crisp, golden finish.

Pastry Mode

Now you can reproduce the delicious flavor and distinctively crisp and fluffy texture that could once only be experienced in freshly baked bread.
Buttery croissants become warm and crisp without burning. Rolls come out piping hot, even in the center. Heated baguettes remain light and airy on the inside with a wonderfully crisp crust—as delicious as in a restaurant!

Oven Mode

Heat is regulated to reach the desired temperature without the use of steam. This is a delicious way to prepare various dishes such as gratin, cookies or even frozen foods that can be oven-cooked.

Stories

From initial spark to finished product, BALMUDA The Toaster was two decades in the making. Development began based on a certain idea, but took some surprising turns after chance discoveries. Below, I share some memories of the journey.

BALMUDA CEO Gen Terao

1991, Ronda, Spain

www.balmuda.com

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José Gourmet - We preserve memory and tradition
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José Gourmet – We preserve memory and tradition

JOSÉ is a name whose origin is lost in the memory of time. Many JOSÉs, similar companies, have gone through the most remote history of humanity. Many JOSÉs became well-known in the recent past. We pay homage to all the JOSÉs that remain in our collective imaginary, as well as to those that were relevant in the anonymity of our lives.

José Gourmet Conservas

We preserve memory and tradition

José Gourmet - We preserve memory and tradition

José Gourmet – We preserve memory and tradition

It seemed befitting to evoke such a meaningful and typically Portuguese name, and at the same time, one that is so universal. JOSÉ appeared to be the smart choice for the project we started years ago. From the Hebrew root, JOSÉ is “the one who adds on”. This was our goal:

to add material and immaterial value, to expand relations between quality production and consumption quality, to increase understanding of the quality of raw materials, their nutritional potential, and the quality of the great small producers and products.

We preserve values and relationships

We are not producers. We are between those who produce with quality, and those who appreciate products that meet the requirements. Between the first and the latter, we carry out our adventure: to introduce, to add value, to promote new social and commercial relations, and new social and dietary habits among people.

We do not compete with competitors, whoever they are. We maintain an honest relationship with our suppliers and clients. Anyone who produces with commitment and responsibility, selecting good ingredients and implementing processes of excellence, deserves equal yield. We reach out to clients – or they come to us – demanding and sensitive to fair trade; people who won’t settle for anything less than the best and are willing to buy our products at fair price.

We preserve challenges and imagination

The quality of our products is the raison d’être of our company. But this quality does not exist on its own. It is surrounded by people that lead environments, traditions, values, circumstances, possibilities: it is cause and effect of ways of living, looking for the best in life. The strategies of graphic communication join in, helping to promote the vitality of this challenge. That’s the only way!

Collaborating with us is Luís Mendonça, the designer in charge of all the design and art direction of the company from the very beginning. We needed someone who would combine agility, demand, creativity and experience. Thus, the graphic project gathers several facets, articulating needs and opportunities, involving design, art, and illustration, in particular, and bringing to our get-together authors whose prestige matches the excellence of our products. Our image is, in fact, a family of images, diversified and united, where something new is always about to happen.

 

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