Awards and citations:


1997: Le Prix du Champagne Lanson Noble Cuvée Award for investigations into Champagne for the Millennium investment scams

2001: Le Prix Champagne Lanson Ivory Award for investdrinks.org

2011: Vindic d'Or MMXI – 'Meilleur blog anti-1855'

2011: Robert M. Parker, Jnr: ‘This blogger...’:

2012: Born Digital Wine Awards: No Pay No Jay – best investigative wine story

2012: International Wine Challenge – Personality of the Year Award




Saturday 17 January 2015

Skin Côntact – super group on 9th March



The wine trade's super group Skin Côntact will play a one-off gig on Monday 9th March @Vinopolis.



Latest news: two new components added to Skin Contact blend: 

Charles on tour in Germany  

Joe: hits include 'I was only 23 minutes from Skeggie' 
and 'Stranger in the Wolds'



The newly hip Charles Metcalfe and Joe Wadsack – reputed to be Skegness's answer to Tom Jones – will be make special guest appearances. 

Details:
'Prepare to have your corks rocked off! Skin Côntact, the UK wine trade’s greatest (and only) charity covers band is delighted to announce its first two very special guest singers: Joe Wadsack and Charles Metcalfe.

Joe’s notoriety as a singer in the wine trade is widespread, and he can often be found serenading the patrons of the Groucho Club in the wee small hours of the morning. He’s also the new face of wine on the BBC’s Food & Drink programme, which came on air this month to a very positive reception. Previously, Joe has been an RAF pilot, winemaker in Bordeaux, supermarket buyer, founder of Cube communications, writer, consultant and judge. Not to mention his phenomenal reputation as a chef.

Charles’ musical heritage is formidable: he is a fully fledged opera singer! For many years, however, the wine trade has been the fortunate beneficiary of his talents: he has written many wine books, co-founded Wine International magazine, and is one of the brains behind the hugely successful International Wine Challenge competition.

Skin Côntact’s ringleader Richard Hemming says: ‘It’s going to be awesome having Joe and Charles fronting the band for a few songs – they’re charismatic, lovely people with superb singing voices. Charles’ mellifluous tones will charm the Vinopolis audience into a smitten trance, then Joe’s enthusiasm will blow the roof off.’



Earlier released details @Skin Côntact:
9th March 2015: Skin Côntact Live!
Sponsored by Côtes du Rhône Wines, Skin Côntact is a wine trade supergroup who are playing a barnstorming one-off charity gig in 2015 in aid of Wine Relief, the wine trade’s fund-raising initiative for Comic Relief.
 

The band will be fronted by a succession of wine trade celebrities performing lead vocals. Several top personalities are already on board, with the full line-up to be unveiled over the coming months.

The supergroup Skin Côntact are Richard Hemming (writer on JancisRobinson.com and other places) on keyboards, Alex Hunt (purchasing director for Berkmann Cellars) on lead guitar, Ben Smith (head of communications at Concha Y Toro and formerly of hitmakers Curiosity Killed the Cat: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curiosity_Killed_the_Cat) on bass guitar, Matt Jones (founder of The Bordeaux Cellar and formerly of ’90s indie sensation Gene) on drums, Anne McHale MW (wine education specialist at Berry Bros & Rudd) and Helen Chesshire (founder of the Chesshire Set PR) on backing vocals.

Richard says: “We’ll be playing cover versions of classic, well-loved floor-fillers, then there’s a very special guest DJ spinning the wheels of stainless steel and an exclusive pre-gig tasting of Côtes du Rhône wines.

We’re going to give the UK wine trade the best party of the year! 100% of the ticket price is going to Wine Relief, the trade’s fundraising initiative for Comic Relief, to tie in with Red Nose Day 2015.”

“We’re so pleased to have the opportunity to take part in this amazing charity event bringing the inimitable Skin Côntact to the UK wine trade for one amazing night!” said Agnes Heller from Inter- Rhône. “And. of course, we will be holding the annual Côtes du Rhône tasting on this occasion: Think Red Nose Day, Think Côtes du Rhône!”

Skin Côntact Live! will take place on Monday 9th March 2015 at Vinopolis. Tickets will go on sale in January.

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