Nothing to Sniff At . . .
In case you’ve wondered what special qualities wine critics must possess to discern such odors as old leather, chocolate and black pepper in their glasses, a visit to the new St. Supery Vineyards & Winery along Highway 29 in Napa Valley may prove enlightening.
Visitors are invited to pull levers and sniff plastic tubes that lead from lab petri dishes from which waft the fragrance elements that make up the complex bouquet of premium red and white varietal wines. Credit for the idea goes to the French-owned winery’s American boss, Michaela Rodeno, formerly marketing chief at Domaine Chandon up the road (also French).
The 6-month-old winery charges $2.50 to taste its wine--a break with the former freebies gradually disappearing from the valley. But smelling the petri dishes--hey, that’s free!
Reptile Love
Will lizards and iguanas be to retailers in the ‘90s what dinosaurs were in the ‘80s?
Well, Henry “Lizardlover” Schiff sure hopes so. Schiff, a Los Angeles resident who lives in a home with 40 meandering lizards and iguanas, has devised a line of T-shirts, post cards and even coffee mugs that show the likes of smiling iguanas embracing the earth.
A new Los Angeles company, Lovin’ Lizards, has been licensed to make all these items.
But, leapin’ lizards, these accessories have a definite ‘90s theme: A portion of the profits of the sales go to the Earth Communications office of Los Angeles, an organization concerned with improving the environment.
The lizard and iguana accessories are sold locally at Heaven stores. “I wasn’t really a lizard fan,” admitted Marty Berens, the 76-year-old president of Heaven International. “But now that I’ve gotten to know them, I’ve grown very fond of them.”
All Aboard the Corporate Bus
With mobile telephones and portable facsimile machines making it easier to do business on the run, it was probably only a matter of time before someone managed to put everything that a busy executive needs on wheels.
A subsidiary of Greyhound Corp., the Phoenix bus operator, has developed what it calls a “rolling conference center” with swivel lounge chairs, built-in coffee maker and a conference room big enough for 12 people. Purchasers of the specially designed coaches, which range in price from $350,000 to more than $400,000, included Wendy’s Corp., Amway Corp. and Anheuser-Busch.
Custom Coach of Columbus, Ohio, which has been building customized buses for entertainers and other wealthy clients, claims that more companies are opting for custom-designed buses to travel in instead of corporate jets to hold down company costs.
“You’ll never be delayed or grounded by bad weather in a coach,” said Kirwan Elmers, a senior vice president at Custom Coach. “Plus you don’t have to worry about ground transportation when you get there.”
