Can't Top This!

	Screwtops, move over. The next generation of wine packaging is here. The Wine Skewer is pleased to be the first American wine media to report on the debut of FoodToppers™. This brand new portfolio—as gorgeous as it is delicious—puts the right food right on top of the right wine. Just open, eat, drink, repeat. Fittingly, the wines selected for this new venture are all French. Indeed, wines from La France have long been celebrated by connoisseurs for their superior food-friendliness. At the same time, however, Americans have struggled notoriously with the complexities of French nomenclature, as well as the nagging issue of what foods pair best with which wines. FoodToppers™ to the rescue, with five distinctive options. The line features a yummy new way to enjoy Champagne—enhanced by the sweet and salty combination of popcorn and nuts. Sancerre, the classic Sauvignon Blanc wine of the Loire Valley, is topped with an upside-down pyramid of chevre, the region’s renowned goat cheese.

	A lush yet rustic Cotes de Provence red joins forces with sympatico charcuterie. Banyuls, the underappreciated fortified red of southwestern France gets a makeover in brown, sporting a cap of shaved and chunked versions of both light and dark chocolate.

	And for the busy American on the go, the 2006 Chard-O-Shrimp Smoothie combines perfectly steamed and pulverized shellfish with creamy Burgundian Chardonnay. Eater-drinkers enjoying this thick, salmon-tinted mixture can use the Meyer lemon topper to add a spritz of tang as they see fit.

	The complete line of FoodToppers™ will be available in the U.S. exclusively at Target stores, beginning May 1, 2007. The launch will be supported by an advertising campaign in People magazine, featuring full-color, scratch ’n’ sniff photos of each food-wine combo. Styling by Iri Greco. Photography by James Peterson. Smoothie label by Mini-Tish. {home}