Smartbuy issue dated January 5, 2011

Gadgets, cars, fashion What’s in store ?

WHAT’S HOT this week

Team Smartbuy Editorial Anushya Mamtora anushya@thehindu.co.in

Ketaki Bhojnagarwala ketaki@thehindu.co.in

Mahananda Bohidar mahananda@thehindu.co.in

S. Muralidhar muraliswami@thehindu.co.in

Design Bryan Gaughan aqua@thehindu.co.in

Balakrishnan designkbala@thehindu.co.in

Advertising Contact R. Diwakar ramdiwakar@thehindu.co.in

Web Advertising Contact N. Amarnath amarnath@thehindu.co.in

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Windows makes a comeback HTC HD7 This new handset from HTC is one of the first to feature the new Windows Phone 7 OS. It has a massive 4.3-inch WVGA screen with a kickstand, 720p HD recorder and 1GHz processor. Access to the HTC Hub lets you download a variety of apps for your smartphone. Windows 7 has its own hub too, which gives you quick access to People, Pictures, Games, Music, Video and Office content. The unique tile interface provides an innovative way of browsing through your phone.

Rs 29,990

Go play Razer Tron Peripherals

Flip to click Cisco Flip Mino HD

If you were a fan of Tron, you’ll love these PC peripherals designed as a tribute to the sci-fi blockbuster. The backlit Tron gaming keyboard from Razer gives you sound effects straight from the movie and light effects triggered by in-game actions. The keyboard has a detachable keypad which you can hook on to either side. The Tron gaming mouse is designed for ambidextrous use and when used on the Tron Gaming Mat, creates the signature glowing blue trail with every swipe you make across it.

To be announced

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The Flip MinoHD mini-camcorder comes with stunning 720p high definition (HD) video resolution, a large two-inch anti-glare screen and can capture up to two hours of recording time on the move with its 8GB of built-in memory. The pocket-sized sleek device features a durable brushed metal finish and responsive touch-sensitive buttons. Flip MinoHD comes with a rechargeable Li-Ion battery that can be charged through the built-in USB arm.

Rs 12,499

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Bring in the new ASUS 1215T Eee PC This new netbook from the Eee PC range features a 12-inch HD screen, chiclet keyboard and large touchpad. The ATI Radeon HD 4250 graphics processor makes gaming a better experience, and the six-cell battery provides up to six hours of battery life. A 320GB hard drive, HDMI port, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0 and a 0.3-meg webcam are some of the other features on offer. Take your pick from Marble Black, Marble Red and Crystal Silver colours.

Rs 22,499

Sound uninterrupted Bose AE2 These new headphones from Bose feature proprietary technology to enhance audio quality –well-rounded high frequency sounds, crisp vocals and clear low notes. The ear cushions are made of memory foam to adapt easily to different forms and distribute weight evenly to reduce pressure points.

They feature a new fold-flat ear cup design and a single, detachable cable for easy storage and portability.

Rs 8,100

Nightlife for your fingers Logitech K800 This new backlit keyboard from Logitech is wireless, and automatically adjusts the backlighting using ambient light sensors. Motion sensors activate the backlighting when you bring your fingers close to the keyboard and turn it off when you stop typing, allowing the battery to last longer. Logitech estimates battery life to be about 10 days, and the battery can be recharged using a micro USB cable, which means you can charge while you type.

Rs 6,995

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UPCOMING gadgets

Tech’s newbies

Tablet transformer Lenovo IdeaPad U1 The Lenovo IdeaPad U1 was announced at CES in January 2010, but is only expected to launch commercially in 2011. Lenovo had launched convertible tablets earlier, but the U1 takes it to a whole new level, allowing you to detach the screen from the laptop and turn it into a tablet. As a laptop, the UI will run Windows 7 Home Premium. When the screen is pulled out of the keyboard dock, it will run Lenovo’s Skylight UI. The screen is 11.6-inches long, with the only gripe being that it is resistive, however, we’re hoping that Lenovo makes the switch to capacitive before the actual launch.

The year 2010 saw tech progressing by leaps and bounds, from the rise of the tablets, faster processors, slimmer portables and every major player taking a plunge into the 3D pool.

When so much has already happened in the year gone by, it can only get better in the year ahead. So what can we expect? 3D in phones and gaming devices; slimmer, bigger TVs; faster tablets and smartphones that are bound to sweep you off your feet. Here’s a sample of what’s coming your way in 2011

Lose the glasses!

Nintendo 3DS

Gaming handset

Nintendo takes gaming a whole step further with the announcement of the Nintendo 3DS. This lets you play games in 3D on the DS without the need for special 3D glasses.

The 3DS will feature dual screens – with the top screen for 3D viewing and the bottom one being a touch screen. It will also feature a total of three cameras – one inner camera and two outer ones. The device will also be Wi-Fi enabled, allowing multiple 3DS users to connect at the same time and enjoy competitive gaming.

Sony PlayStation Phone The much anticipated PlayStation Phone from Sony is expected to be every gadget lover’s dream come true – combining the much loved PSP with a high-end smartphone. The phone is expected to run Android 3.0 Gingerbread, and will give you access to the Sony Marketplace, allowing you to download games directly on to your handset.

Leaked images show controls being pretty much the same as what we’ve seen on PSP’s, with the addition of what looks like a long touchpad in the centre.

Recent rumours have indicated that the phone might be branded the Xperia Play, so we’re expecting an Xperia standard of excellence from the company.

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Widescreen wonder LG LZ9700 To be unveiled this month at CES 2011, is LG’s mind-boggling 72-inch LED television with 3D capabilities.

With abilities to playback content in both 2D and 3D, this is primarily meant for a ‘cinematic’ experience, rather than watching regular shows.

The TV gives you access to apps and you can probably watch videos on demand. It also comes with True Motion technology that gives you crisp pictures and a Magic Motion remote control for the telly.

Wow the boardroom RIM BlackBerry Presenter This little device from BlackBerry, measuring 3.4-inches by 2.4-inches, eliminates the need for a laptop for all your office presentations. The nifty little presenter can connect up directly to your BlackBerry smartphone, and project Microsoft PowerPoint or Adobe PDF files. It also eliminates the need for wires by offering Bluetooth connectivity, so you can be up to 10 feet away from it as you make your presentation.

You don’t have to worry about file formats, as the presenter is compatible with NTSC and PAL standards.

Tabbing on ASUS Eee PAD EP121 While ASUS wasn’t one of the early birds to come out with a tablet, the company will be unveiling its Eee Pad, a 12-inch tablet with an Intel Core i5 processor. The tablet will support HD multimedia and multi-touch display. Microsoft Windows 7 will be the OS running on this tablet which is slated for a March release.

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TABLET review

Zen Pad: A tablet to your taste?

Mahananda Bohidar livePad was the first indigenous tablet to hit the markets late last year. While it was a decent attempt, it fell short of matching up to the likes of the Samsung Galaxy Tab or the Apple iPad, which have been ruling the tablet roost in the market. The second of the ‘desi’ kinds that will be available across retail stores now is the Zen Pad that landed on our desk for a review.

The touch sensitivity of the Zen Pad was a huge disappointment. Even after we calibrated the touch sensitivity on the tablet more than a couple of times, an app at least two icons away from what we had pressed would get activated. This malfunction was frequent with the virtual keyboard as well.

The only camera on the tablet is a frontfacing 0.3-meg camera which gave very grainy results even in a well-lit room.

Considering the fact that the tablet has only one camera they probably could have opted for a higher resolution one for taking pictures and video-calling.

It took ages for the tablet to charge (much like the OlivePad) and even when it had some charge (about 40-50 per cent) the juice got drained in very little time without

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any significant activity, without any multimedia playback or Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connectivity.

We loaded on some music and videos on the Zen Pad. While most formats played without a hitch, the glare on the screen marred the experience of watching videos. We tried viewing an episode of the BBC series, Sherlock, on.

Cheeky reader

Wink XLite

This second generation e-reader is India’s answer to the new generation Kindle. It features a 5-inch e-ink display which is easy on the eyes, and offers up to 10 hours of battery life. It’s compatible with a variety of text formats, and also supports music formats like MP3 and WAV, so you can listen to your favourite tracks too.

You can choose from up to 1,00,000 titles at the Wink store, covering a variety of genres, and 15 languages that the e-reader supports. Other features include micro SD card slot and USB charging.

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Most music formats, too, were supported and apart from that we also streamed a couple of YouTube videos. It didn’t take much time for the videos to buffer over a Wi-Fi connection. The Zen Pad has speakers on both sides of the tablet but the audio was not loud enough for a room with more than a handful of people and was a little tinny most of the time. A pair of headphones will work just fine with the 3.5mm jack on the Zen Pad. The tablet has a mini HDMI port, which means you can stream content to your HD telly. Other connectivity options include a microSD slot, miniUSB port, proprietary charging port and an OTG (On The Go) cable that lets you pair up your phone to the tablet to transfer content or play back from one to the other.

The Zen Pad comes with a jacket which has an inbuilt physical keyboard, definitely a boon considering Photo: R. Ravindran how bad the virtual one is.

H.T. Impex, the company that created the Zen Pad has attempted to offer a pocket-friendly tablet but unfortunately it also reflects in the build quality and performance of the Zen Pad. Rs 13,999

AUTO focus

Honda Brio

The Super Six for 2011 S. Muralidhar 011 promises to be one of the most exciting years for the passenger car market in India, with a big line-up of exciting new cars that will be launched this year. Here are six cars from the three major segments that are most likely to make it to India this year.

The most significant of them will be in the small car segment, when two of the biggest car makers of the world, who have waited in the wings for a decade, will finally launch their mass market cars.

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Toyota Etios Liva Toyota and Honda will launch their hatches – the Etios Liva and the Brio respectively during the second half of the year.

The Toyota Etios Liva is likely to be the first to be launched in April and the company has already started conducting its road-

shows in the build up to the launch. But, we find it a bit difficult to accept the fact that Toyota has pushed the date of the launch to April because of the Union budget and what it might come up with for the car industry. Instead, we wonder if the real reason is the Honda Brio.

The best part of the Liva will be the fact that its wheelbase will be the same as that of the Etios Sedan at 2,550mm. Toyota’s chief engineer Yoshinori Noritake confirmed that effectively the space inside the passenger cabin of the Liva will be identical to the Etios Sedan. Of course, the boot will be smaller and some of the trim options will be different.

The Liva will also qualify for the lower excise duty thanks to its overall length of about 3,800mm and the smaller 1.2-litre petrol engine that will possibly generate about 70 bhp of peak power. It will be

teamed with the same five-speed manual transmission that the sedan is being offered with. Pricing will be aggressive, just like the Etios Sedan’s killer sub-5 lakh tag.

The Liva could be offered from as low as Rs 3.97 lakh for the base variant. We would like to see a diesel engine option being offered for both the sedan and the hatch.

Toyota has a large pool of diesel units it can dip into.

Honda Brio The Honda BRIO Prototype developed by the company in Japan was showcased at the Bangkok Motor Show in November last year. Unlike the concept that was displayed at the Delhi Auto Expo, the Brio is a production prototype that will, in all likelihood, make it as is to showrooms later this year The Brio is said to advance Honda’s

“man maximum, machine minimum” concept, which basically allows more room for people in the car rather than taking up the space for housing the various components.

This explains the Honda BRIO prototype’s easy-to-handle compact body (length 3,610mm x width 1,680mm x height 1,475 mm). With this vehicle, Honda is said to have pursued the creation of an advanced exterior form, which is compact while asserting a strong presence.

Honda has supposedly planned to develop unique versions of the mass production model for India and Thailand to reflect different customer needs in these markets.

For the Brio, Honda is also planning to leverage the resources it has cultivated through its local motorcycle business and utilise domestic sourcing of parts and materials such as sheet metal.

Honda says that for the Indian model

Honda Brio interior

Toyota Etios Liva

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Audi A8

Volkswagen Passat

which is scheduled to be introduced in the second half of 2011, local customer needs for a small car will be reflected by the specifications (basically 1.2-litre petrol engine) and local content will be increased to create a model that achieves a good balance between vehicle performance and price (basically means an aggressive price tag and a high rated mileage of 20 kmpl).

Kizashi will feature top-end spec and interior quality. The engine is likely to be a 2.4-litre, four-cylinder unit that can put out about 180 bhp of peak power. It is likely to also be offered with a six-speed manual transmission. A two-litre diesel engine and a continuously variable automatic transmission could be added later.

Hyundai i40 Suzuki Kizashi The Jap invasion continues and the other extremely interesting car to be launched in a few weeks from now will be the Suzuki Kizashi. Part of the same world series of cars from the famous Japanese small car manufacturer, the Kizashi is a mid-size premium sedan that is already available in markets like the US, Japan and Australia.

The Kizashi will be significant for the Indian market because it will be the first time that Maruti will be competing with the likes of the Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, Skoda Octavia and Chevrolet Cruze. In Japanese, Kizashi refers to an Omen or a Sign. Is it a veiled threat to the competition to watch their backsides?

With a wheelbase of 2,700mm the Kizashi promises to offer loads of interior space. As the potential flagship sedan of Maruti Suzuki for sometime to come, the

The other launch that we would like to see will be the Hyundai i40. Carrying forward the ‘fluidic’ design that the new i10 sports here, the i40 will first be launched in its estate version. This will make its debut at the forthcoming 2011 Geneva Motor Show in March this year. Later, the saloon version will also be launched. Unlike the i30 which is currently available only in luxury hatch and estate versions, making it difficult for Hyundai India to fit it into its portfolio here, the i40 saloon could be, in contrast, a sensible addition.

Volkswagen Passat The seventh generation Volkswagen Passat is also all set to make its debut this year.

The latest Volkswagen Passat is designed to be as efficient as it is elegant and even

closer to VW’s design language, which means that some of the distinctiveness of the previous generation Passat will be gone.

The front of the car, dominated by a new grille element with prominent horizontal chrome fins, features striking heavily contoured headlight units, set into which are LED running lights. At the rear, a set of distinctive tail lights is joined by subtle chrome highlights that extend down the side of the car.

The current Passat is offered with a 1.8 TSI petrol engine in India, but the new engine option to look forward to is a diesel, which is said to be the most efficient engine, the 1.6-litre TDI unit producing 105 PS. Equipped with this engine and the BlueMotion package of changes including aerodynamic modifications, Stop/Start and battery regeneration, the new Passat is said to be capable of achieving a combined 29 kmpl while emitting just 109 g/km of CO2. This equates to a theoretical range of over 1,000 miles on a single tank of diesel.

The new Passat is available with many new safety and comfort technologies previously only seen in the Touareg and Phaeton luxury models, though we doubt if

some them will make it in the India-spec version. For example, the optional new City emergency braking function automatically engages the brakes at speeds below 30 kmph should an unavoidable collision be sensed. The system can also accelerate the vehicle automatically if it detects a rear end collision provided there’s clear space ahead.

Audi A8 In the super luxury segment, the most interesting launch will be the Audi A8, the flagship sedan from this iconic German brand. The new A8 will see a huge jump in the interior luxury and comfort parameters, and will take the fight to MercedesBenz’s S-Class and to the BMW 7-Series cars.

Audi is said to be considering the 4.2litre FSI V8 petrol engine and the 3-litre TDI V6 diesel engine as the options for the India-spec A8 model.

The long wheelbase A8 powered by the 6.3-litre W12 engine putting out a peak power of 493 bhp is also likely to make it here later during the year.

Wait for our first hand drive report and test review of the new A8 which is due to appear in the magazine within the next two weeks.

Suzuki Kizashi

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MELANGE luxury redefined

Lemon meets lavender Boggi Milano brings in two perfumes for men, a Blue and a Red. The fragrances are extracted from hand-chosen herbs and plants from the world’s most exotic locations, and are available at its stores in New Delhi, Kolkata and Bengaluru.

Rs 3,490

Bow to Ricci The deep plum ribbon is a perfect festive gift to that special woman, especially when it is wrapped around Nina Ricci’s Ricci Ricci gift box with shower gels, body lotions and that gorgeous perfume. Available at Parcos.

Rs 4,300

A global scent

Black beauty

Sandalwood oil from India, Patchouli leaves from Indonesia, Labdanum resin from France and Benzoin from Siam – Prada’s Holiday Amber Coffret set of perfume and body lotion has a special something from across the world.

Grab a pink pack at select lifestyle stores.

Price on request

Like a lighthouse that brightens up the stark black ocean, Issey Miyake’s Noir Absolu towers in its black conical container with a translucent droplet that adds the right twinkle. The lily, amber and jasmine perfume is available at Parcos.

Rs 4,715

A sweet rose Delightful and sensuous in its fragrant notes, the rose makes the skin glow in L’Occitane’s Rose des Neiges body cream, hand cream and sugar scrub.

Follow the scent to its stores in New Delhi.

Rs 495 to Rs 2,590

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JEWELLERY trends

Sparklers for 2011 It’s time to take a break from subtlety. The New Year brings with it a whole lot of bang and it ‘trends’ into your ornament box with bigger stones, chunkier pieces, eye-catching motifs and animal patterns. ANUSHYA MAMTORA tells you what jewellery to wear to razzle and dazzle in 2011

Gypsy Rani multi layer tusk and cameo charm necklace: MAWI

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hen was the last time you stacked up metal bangles of varying shapes and different hues of copper and grey, that you had picked up from the street? Or that large butterfly you wound around your neck…College, maybe?

The same time in your life when you could walk around in gay abandon with a pair of tees and denims, hair piled up in a rebellious bun and the metal clang and pink winged beauties reinforcing your personal style statement.

The good news is…the college days are back. The chunky casual banter you had with yourself has officially become a style statement even in the world of high-end jewellery. The who’s who maybe all puckered up in harem pants, corset tops and bouffant hair, but adorning their necks and wrists are 2011’s most looked forward to jewellery trends – chunky metal, large motifs, layered neckpieces and animal themes.

Cool n’chunky Not entirely the grunge and punk look, but a classier

version of the same, metals are going to make a huge comeback this year.

Whether it is gold in all its yellow, white and pink hues, blackened silver, stainless steel or copper, metals are hogging the limelight in the latest jewellery collections.

Metal neckpieces can be just a single thick chain in different patterns or be teamed with large stones for a statement piece look. Knuckle rings have been doing the rounds for sometime and will continue to find takers this year too. Metal cuffs are the most popular and can be teamed with a casual as well as a sophisticated look.

What takes the metal look to another level is its unlikely blend with pearls, diamonds, crystals and other precious stones that lends it its unique style statement. You can pick up blackened metal jewellery to ring in the New Year and you won’t regret it one bit. The jewellery industry has predicted it to be a huge hit.

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Some interesting pieces to look forward to are from the UK brand MAWI’s collections, which came into India this year. They rule the metal look and feature stunning jewellery as part of its SS11 range. Some striking pieces are Tutti Fruitti single claw-set pearl necklace and Deco Rocks stacked tube ring. Sometimes just a pendant can do the loud metal trick like its Dynamite pendant with spikes that can be teamed with a LBD for a wild after-party or a smock top, denim pencil skirt and gladiators. Other collections to look at are de Grisogono’s Allegra and Matassa gold and diamond jewellery.

Large motifs Going with the ‘big is in’ trend, large motifs are going to be in vogue too. They can either be in the form of a large leaf brooch studded with diamonds, a metal medallion strung on to a colourful cord or a ruby paisley carving on a gold cuff. The idea is to pick on your favourite motif and play it up. One collection that catches our eye and can come out again this year is de Grisogono’s Fruits collection. Your

Gypsy Rani pearl strand necklace with diamante fringing: MAWI

Panthere De Cartier bracelet

Murano medallion and Bumble bee brooch: Rose

Cuff with peacock motif: Mirari

favourite apples, grapes, aubergines, oranges and melons are all there for you to choose from, and if you don’t find the motif big enough, the dazzling colours will fill in, to good measure.

If you are looking for a striking pendant motif, Rose’s Murano glass pendant with a lovely diamond motif might be of interest to you. Mirari takes a large matted gold cuff and tones down its powerful look with a dainty yet prominent peacock motif.

In layers While one massive metal bib necklace is a great piece to own, the layered chain look is a must-have too. It pairs great with different outfits, depending on the material you have chosen. Huge and luscious pearl strands in layers is an evening gown’s winner accessory, coloured beads coming right up to your belly button is the perfect team-up with a summery dress and metal chains layered with little pendants play casual to the T.

Two pieces we love include MAWI’s Gypsy Rani pearl strand necklace with diamante fringing and Gypsy Rani multi-layer tusk and cameo charm necklace.

The wild and the tame The fluttering butterflies, the pretty little bugs and even the ferocious tigers come crawling to 2011’s trend list.

Depending on what you wear and the look you want to portray, you can choose your animal. If you are going in for the fierce look with power boots and a structured dress, pick on snarling tiger motifs, or maybe even an ominous owl. It’s best to sport them as a large pendant, a knuckle ring or a cuff. For floral dresses and breezy gowns, butterfly brooches or beetle rings add the ideal touch.

Cartier’s tiger motifs in the Inde Mysteriuse collection and panthers in the Panthere De Cartier, Rose’s bumble bee brooch in diamond, emerald and pearls, Saffronart’s stylised ruby and diamond beetle brooch are few of the many collections you can come across.

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Fringes, tribal and more The decorative threads that adorned the hem of your dress are now an edgy jewel to sport. Fashion ramps last year witnessed fringe being used as elaborate neck pieces and bracelets and the trend is only going to get hotter this year.

The material can vary from leather, cords, silk, beads or crystals, depending on what you are teaming it up with.

Futuristic designs and new-age materials will get off the ramp and be more commonplace. So save up the wackiest of pieces for this year. An exclusive designer jewellery store with a penchant for the above two styles is an ideal place to shop; the big brands won’t give you too many options.

Techno colours like pink, orange and green will be high up the list for a kitschy look.

Tribal jewellery continues its popularity into 2011 with its traditional tusks, horns and skull patterns.

Here’s hoping 2011 is a trendsetter of sorts!

TASTER’S choice

Elin McCoy eorge the elephant made a great impression crushing Riesling grapes for southern Oregon’s Reustle-Prayer Rock Vineyards during harvest this year. Winery owner Stephen Reustle partnered with nearby Wildlife Safari for the US’s first-ever elephant grape stomp, conceived as a way to raise funds for the zoological park.

Initially he was dubious of the scheme, worried that the elephant’s weighty step would pulverise the grapes, break the seeds inside and release harsh tannins. He gained some confidence after George lifted one huge foot and Reustle felt its soft, fleshy pads.

Still, the 29-year-old pachyderm wasn’t exactly a grapepressing natural. Wildlife Safari’s general curator Dan Brands explains that the staff spent two months training him and back-up elephant Alice. Both learned in 30 minutes to step into an empty crushing bin and do a little leg-lifting dance. Since they’d been trained long before to be cautious about what they step on, it took plenty of positive reinforcement to convince them to tromp on slippery grapes.

Though it was billed as a one-time event, the winery plans to repeat the fundraiser next year (750 bottles of the wine go on sale in February).

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Red with beef Elephants aren’t the only quadrupeds to figure prominently in this year’s wackiest wine stories.

In British Columbia’s vineyard-laden Okanagan Valley, wine-drinking cows are opening up a whole new consum-

er category. Sadly, they only get to guzzle their daily litre of red for the last 60 days of their lives.

“This gives the beef a unique, more beefy flavour, a very red colour, and the fat tastes sweeter,” says Janice Ravndahl of Sezmu Meats, a business started a year ago in West Kelowna, B.C. “It really has this umami thing.” (Umami is a Japanese term for the “fifth” taste, a kind of savoury flavour.)

Ravndahl got the idea of plying her family’s grass-fed Angus cattle with local wine while watching Gordon Ramsay feed beer to pigs on his TV cooking show “The F Word.”

For the first cow wine-sipping experiment, she let one drink its daily ration from a pail. It eagerly lapped up the red blend, but that method proved too time-consuming for 8,000 head of cattle. She now mixes wine with feed in a food-and-wine pairing for bovines and says the cows prefer Cabernet and Pinot Noir to Shiraz, even though the reds she uses are price-driven plonk.

Photo: Bloomberg

2010’s wackiest wine tales

rid of unsold production to me.

In South Africa, wine grapes, not the finished product, attract the animals. Hundreds of wild Chacma baboons descended on vineyards in the Cape’s Franschhoek Valley to feast on lusciously ripe Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, apparently their favourites. Growers say this year was especially bad because wild fires destroyed the baboons usual foraging areas. The stakes are high. One winery reported losing 40 per cent of its crop.

According to researchers at the University of Cape Town’s Baboon Unit, it’s the sugar in the grapes they’re after, not the subtler taste elements.

Determined baboons dig underneath electrified fences.

Some winemakers swear the primates are scared off by rubber snakes among the vines; others trumpet the virtues of loud noises. But regardless, the baboons sneak in, even scarfing up fallen grapes fermenting in the sun, and sleep off the effects of alcohol right under the vines.

Cup runneth over Boozer baboons According to Ravndahl, wine-fed cows moo more to one another and are much more relaxed, so their meat is more tender.

The one-litre-per day regimen for a 1,000-pound cow is about the equivalent of a glass a day for a human. “That’s what doctors order for health,” says Ravndahl. She reports that thanks to wine-feeding, her beef is in big demand from local chefs and has ignited interest from researchers at Thompson Rivers University. Inquiries are coming from as far away as France. Sounds like a good way to get

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Still, the wackiest wine item this year has nothing to do with other species. It’s the “Wine Rack” ($29.95) for the Bacchic-minded woman. Essentially a sports bra with a hidden polyurethane bag that holds up to a bottle of wine and a drinking tube you can sip from, it’s being touted as a “bust enhancer.” I can’t quite picture anyone wearing this to movies or ball games as suggested on the baronbob.com website. The enhanced wine experience it offers is doubtless best enjoyed in private.

(The author writes on wine and spirits for Bloomberg News. The opinions expressed are her own.)

BEVERAGES & cocktails

The Hennessy Ginger Ingredients: 1 1/2 parts of Hennessy VS 3 1/2 parts of Ginger ale

Procedure: Pour Hennessy into highball Fill with ice cubes and top with Ginger ale Garnish with a lime wedge

Shiso San Ingredients: 50ml/ 2 oz Belvedere Black Raspberry 2 Shiso leaves 3 chunks of fresh watermelon Dash of simple syrup

Procedure: Muddle watermelon with simple syrup and Shiso Add rest of ingredients and shake with cubed ice Strain into a highball filled with cubed ice Top with ginger beer

Refreshing lime

Vodka gets ‘F’ashionable Vodka connoisseurs can now look forward to sipping on F Vodka Luxury collection. The exclusive crystal clear beverage is gentle, smooth and subtle on the nose with taste notes ranging from mild and silky to a delicate texture and soft long-lasting finish on the palate. The bottle is a classy addition to your bar and is every bit the F word.

Available exclusively at Delhi Duty Free for $44 to $48

Smartbuy

15

January 5, 2011

Smirnoff has added a new zest to its flavoured vodka range with the launch of Smirnoff Lime. Keep it handy at your house party and it can be a good cocktail ingredient to have. It goes well with mixers and soda, lemonade or cola.

Available for Rs 720 (750ml) and Rs 180 (180ml)