CoolVines in the News: CEO Mark Censits discusses the new wine & spirits tax

Mark Censits, the president and CEO of Coolvines on Elm Street, said the 25 percent tax hike on wines and spirits that is part of the new state budget, will likely impact the cheaper wines. The tax is $5.50 per gallon for liquor and 87.5 cents per gallon of wine, paid by the distributor. He said the cost will not be immediately felt by consumers on any priced bottle of wine, since he and distributors are likely to raise the price on a gradual basis to reflect the new taxes.

Censits said that, given the way the tax is gauged, while all wines and spirits will see an increase, the lower-priced brands will have a larger percentage impact. With wines in his store being priced mainly between $8 and $40, he does not see much of an impact on his merchandise, except for the cheaper bottles he carries.

Distributors are already feeling the impact of the new wine tax, but are gradually raising the prices they use to stores like Coolvines. He said that it will likely be six months before he is paying distributors the new higher prices reflecting the tax. Censits said it will likely be six months before customers will also see an impact on the cost of wine they buy from him.

Read the full article here.

In the News: CoolVines Westfield

from the Shopping in Westfield NJ Blog:

CoolVines - Personalized Selection of Good Wines

Elm Street, between North Avenue and E. Broad Street, in downtown Westfield, is a restaurant row favored by locals and visitors alike. One after another, the interesting and delicious food options tempt, as cafe tables set up outside each boite display menu delights from all over the world.

When you're in the mood to bring your own hand-selected bottle of vino to accompany your meal, stop in first at CoolVines, the well-stocked and well-organized wine shop right there on restaurant row.

The layout of the store clearly marks the products by their qualities, the location of the originating vineyards, and their ingredients. The staff is knowledgeable and also knows when to let the customer simply enjoy the experience of browsing.

CoolVines applies three basic criteria to their offerings;

• "Only the Best" - They hand-select their wines and present only those that represent true value
• "Arranged by Taste" - They guide their customers in the choice of wine to suit one's preference and fit the occasion
• "A Website Driven by Your Preferences" - They provide tools to customers for learning about one's personal palate "signature"

You can find out about local tastings on the CoolVines Website. Or just stop into the store on the way home from the train. And ya gotta love the clever pickup service offered by this trendy shop: You can pay for your wine and continue with your shopping in town. Take one of their wireless valet bells when you leave the store. Pull up to the curb, ring the bell and they'll run your order out to your car!

Is This Why They Call Them SUPER Tuscans?

Re-posted from The Wine Spectator:

Red Wine Improves Sex Lives of Tuscan Women: A study finds those who drink a glass or two a day score higher on a sexual function questionnaire

Light to moderate consumption of red wine may lead to improved sexual function in women, according to a study in the October issue of the Journal of Sexual Medicine. Women who drank one or two glasses of red wine a day scored higher on a questionnaire focused on sexual health and enjoyment. According to the study's authors, members of the departments of Urology and Public Health at the University of Florence, the results help give a clearer picture on the female sexual response cycle.

In the medical industry, most studies on sexual health tend to focus on factors that cause dysfunction. For example, a recent study on erectile dysfunction found that moderate levels of alcohol consumption lead to a 30 percent lower chance of impotence.

"Historically, the aspects of wine and sexuality have been well known since the time of Ancient Greece," said the study's lead author, Dr. Nicola Mondaini, who is publishing a book on the subject next month, titled Vino e Eros. "But the field of female sexual dysfunction is still highly unexplored."

Mondaini and his team write that the sexual response of women is generally considered more complex than that of men. But previous studies, they add, find that adherence to the Mediterranean diet improves cardiovascular health, and this is likely due to the inclusion of a glass or two of red wine per day. Cardiovascular health has long been linked to sexual health.

To see if red wine consumption, as described by the Mediterranean diet, has an impact on women's sexual function, the scientists selected nearly 800 women for the study, ages 18 to 50, who visited the Santa Maria Annunziata Hospital, part of the University of Florence. Women who drank more than two glasses per day, smokers and those with sexual disorders were excluded.

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The CoolVines Experience - Domaine Agape Wine Dinner

"Wine Mania (and some Beer too)" by Faith Bahadurian, Princeton Packet

I am getting more and more emails each week about wine dinners and tasting events in the Princeton area. These events are all the rage, and many of them seem to sell out quickly, even in this economy. I think it’s the “value added” aspect of them. Not only are you enjoying several courses of well-prepared food, but also specially paired wines to go with each course. Often the winemaker is there, too, which adds a lovely personalized aspect to the experience.

Such was the case at a recent wine dinner at Blue Point Grill I was invited to by Mark Censits who owns CoolVines (in Princeton and Westfield). Working with Michael Messenie of Savio Soares Selections (the distributor), they had brought in Isabelle Boxler-Sipp, of Domaine Agape in Alsace, France, where her husband Vincent is “vigneron” (grower).

From the sparkling Cremant d’Alsace through the Grand Cru Riesling, all five wines I sipped that evening were delicious, as was the wonderful dinner Blue Point Grill Chef Steve Murray put out (I especially liked the Icelandic Artic Char and the Chilean Sea Bass).

If you go to Alsace, Isabelle also owns a cooking school in Colmar named Cardamome (her favorite spice), where, she reports, the locals increasingly want to learn to make ethnic dishes, but the tourists, of course, want to learn traditional Alsatian dishes.

Click here to see the entire article.