THE KONSORTIUM

Diddy Does Vodka: Ciroc

Don't call Sean "Diddy" Combs a celebrity endorser. He prefers the term "luxury brand builder" and his latest endeavor involves some high-end vodka. He has just signed a multiyear deal to develop Diageo PLC's superpremium Ciroc vodka. And he isn't just putting his name behind the bottle. Combs plans to be very involved in all aspects of the development, focusing on attracting the "movers and shakers" of the vodka drinking world. "They're looking for something that tastes like their lifestyle," he said. "It's that trendsetter, that hipster, someone who's looking for luxury and looking for something better." If all goes well, Comb's 50-50 share of the profits could ultimately net him more than $100 million.

Wineauthentication.com: New Website Will Help Combat Wine Fraud

There has been a lot of talk about wine fraud lately and a lot of concern over just how many wine counterfeits are out there. Now Decanter reports that Russell Frye a wealthy wine collector, has created a new website to create a online community for those concerned about the issue. Wineauthentication.com will offer a bottle registry, bottle photos, counterfeiting solutions, an authentication service and a discussion forum. The site is still in its infancy with a planned launch for the end of the month.

First Blush Varietal Grape Juice, Wine Varietals Without The Buzz

I recently came across this product in Whole Foods and had to try it out. First Blush makes varietal grape juices: Cabernet, Merlot, Chardonnay, and a rosé juice made from Zinfandel. Each juice is made from 100% wine grape varietal without any added sugar. The 16-ounce bottles sell for around $4 a bottle. What does it taste like? I bought the Merlot and basically, it's just really good grape juice, sweet and fruit-packed.

Firstblushjuice.com

Seghesio Vineyards Wine Dinner

Who would have thought that the oldest Italian restaurant in the U.S. would be in San Francisco? Fior D'Italia first opened in 1886 and has a long history that even includes a year in a tent after the 1906 Great Fire. The restaurant holds a series of wine dinners the next of which is coming up on August 30 with Seghesio Family Vineyards. The evening includes a five-course Italian feast paired with Seghesio wines. Pete and Cathy Seghesio will be on hand to present the wines and the cost is $100 per person.

Gran Patron Burdeos Tequila

If you thought Cabo Uno sounded expensive, get ready for the next phase of ultimate tequila consumption. Patron has launched Gran Patron Burdeos, a tequila aged in French and American oak and then aged in barrels sourced from Chateaux Margaux. The pricey concoction comes in a crystal bottle with a crystal stopper and comes in a black walnut box. The tequila has a suggested retail price of $500. But the only place I have seen it online is at The Cellar for $750.

Clovis Point 2004 Chardonnay

You don't need us to tell you that nothing goes better with sand and seersucker than a steady flow of vino. While rosé may be the tipple of choice for Montauk's rugged weekend surf set, we recommend the locally grown 2004 Chardonnays from Clovis Point. Want the full experience? Take a day trip to the vintner's renovated tasting room, which reopens on July 1 in a converted potato barn.

$13.50, from Clovis Point Wines, 1935 Main Rd., Jamesport, NY, (631) 722-4222, www.clovispointwines.com

Grand Refinement: Join the Better Margarita Tour

You've always enjoyed taking things to the next level.

And the bigger the challenge, the sweeter the reward. Take, for example, your margarita. You've long been looking for a way to upgrade this delightful mainstay of good times from red plastic frat cups and triple sec overdrive to a cocktail worthy of, well, even better times.

Your long, tireless, fruitless search is over.

The Grand Margarita with Grand Marnier is like a college drink all grown up and proper, with 401K, private jet-sharing and all. Insiders of the country's most popular drink (and here you thought it was apple juice) know that a margarita done right is all about two things: precise balance and quality ingredients. The Grand Margarita has both. It's perfect proportions of high-end tequila, freshly squeezed lime juice, a pinch of sugar and—of course—some smooth Grand Marnier. Double-distilled and slow-aged in oak casks for up to 10 years, Grand Marnier smoothes out the strong tequila flavors and works to mellow the acidity of the lime. Translation: It tastes very, very nice.

The smart folks at Grand Marnier know that tasting is believing, though, so they've set out on the Grand Marnier Margarita Tour—a nationwide road trip with the modest quest of "reclaiming the margarita." They hit the New York area June 21-23, so you'll have the chance to take that much-needed office break to taste test margaritas customized by a team of experts—and even enter to win a fully loaded 2007 Mini Cooper.

You always suspected that drinking well would pay off.

Get Your MBA In Wine in Sonoma

For those with dreams of owning a winery or just working in the wine business you can now study for an M.B.A. in wine. Sonoma State University says their new program is the first M.B.A program in the country for the wine business. The program is 100 percent funded by the wine industry. The program, which starts in the Fall, is no cakewalk. The M.B.A. in Wine Business includes required foundation courses, and a culminating project on a wine-related topic. Also all candidates for the MBA program in Wine Business will either have to complete 24 units of wine related coursework or 24 months of wine industry work experience before being admissible to the program.

Wine: Fat Bastard Maker Refines Their Palate

From Luxist

I'm no fan of the Fat Bastard wine but I am curious about Click Wine Group's higher-end line called the Global Wine Collection. The wines are aimed meant to appeal to the "Millennials," people 21 to 30 years old. The portfolio continues the group's tradition of innovative naming. The wines include Flying Fish (from the Pacific Northwest), 2up (from Australia) and Mad Dogs & Englishmen (from Spain). Their Clean Slate, a German Riesling from the Mosel-Saar- Ruwer district won a Double Gold medal at the 2006 San Francisco International Wine Competition. The Clean Slate sells for around $10.

The Great Antique Lafite Collection

The Antique Wine Company, the company that offered a lot of every vintage of every vintage of Chateau d'Yquem since 1860 is at it again. This time they are offering a 48-bottle vertical collection of Chateau Lafite Rothschild. Decanter reports that the collection, which is being offered for sale, is being rigorously tested for authenticity. The collection spans four centuries of Chateau Lafite and includes a bottle of 1787, the same vintage as the infamous Jefferson wines which are currently being challenged for their authenticity.

The wine is being examined using a combination of nuclear isotope analysis and gamma radiation and proton beam tests to confirm the age of each glass bottle, The wine itself is being extracted via a hypodermic needle through the cork and will also undergo molecular and chemical analysis. The bottles were gathered over the course of two years from restaurants, hotels and private cellars including some from the cellar of a member of the Rothschild family. The collection is expected to bring between $1 and $3 million.