The Society of Wine Educators has announced that Ira Norof, CWE, Director of Education at Southern Wine & Spirits in Southern California, will assume the role of President of the Society on September 1, 2010. This is a three-year term, which he will hold until August 31, 2013.

Norof began his career at Southern Wine and Spirits in 1983, after a career in retail and as a sommelier. He first joined the Society of Wine Educators that same year, and became a Certified Wine Educator (CWE) in 1999. He was elected a Member of the Board in 2002, has served as Conference Chair since 2005, and became Vice President in 2007.

While respecting the traditions and mission of the Society, Norof's goals for the Society are focused on conservative expansion, both globally and domestically. "I think it's a good time for the Society to expand our presence in existing markets, such as Asia and Europe, and develop our presence in new ones, such as South America. I would like to increase the areas of study and educational opportunities. Our Annual Conference is our core event, with over 50 sessions covering an enormous range of subjects, but in order to promote more awareness and increase membership, in addition to this prestigious event, the Society is introducing our first one-day intensive in Houston in October. The Society has an impressive past, and I look forward to contributing to an exciting future."

The Society of Wine Educators also announced the election of its Board of Directors. Voted on by the members of the Society, these people will serve a 2-year term.

• Mark Chandler, CSW: Executive Director of the Lodi Winegrape Commission in Lodi
• Barry Wiss, CWE: A Wine Educator and CSW/CWE exam administrator and proctor who teaches at the CIA and WISE Academy
• Patrick D. Dodd, CWE: Director of Wine & Spirits Education for the Ernest & Julio Gallo Winery, Modesto, CA
• Paul Wagner: Founder and President of Balzac Communications, Napa, California.
• Maria E. Denton, CWE: General Manager, Ruth's Chris Steak House, Washington DC

The mission of the non-profit Society of Wine Educators is to advance wine and spirit education through professional development and certification. Founded in 1974 by a group of wine professionals at the UC Davis campus, the Society is now headquartered in Washington, DC. The Society has over 2,600 members in 13 different countries. The Society offers three types of certification: 1) Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW), geared to the intermediate wine professional; 2) Certified Specialist of Spirits (CSS); and 3) Certified Wine Educator (CWE), recognizing a higher level of achievement, and requiring a written exam, sensory evaluations, and a teaching presentation. In addition to gaining a depth of knowledge, people who achieve certification are viewed as prize candidates for jobs in the wine, spirits and hospitality industries.

For more information about the Society of Wine Educators, please visit www.societyofwineeducators.org

SOURCE Society of Wine Educators

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Old Forester has released the 2010 expression of its vintage-dated Birthday Bourbon in honor of George Garvin Brown, the founder of Louisville-based Brown-Forman and Old Forester, America's First Bottled Bourbon™. Launched eight years ago to commemorate Brown's Birthday on September 2, Old Forester Birthday Bourbon is a limited-edition, historically award-winning bourbon which is released annually.

(Photo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100831/CL57405 )

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100831/CL57405 )

"This year's vintage release of Old Forester is crafted from a 72 barrel batch that was put into barrels on October 24, 1997," said Chris Morris, Brown-Forman Master Distiller. "These barrels were evenly matured together in the very middle of Warehouse K, on the 5th floor in ricks 42, 43 and 45, surrounded by open space. This environment allowed the barrels to easily breathe during maturation and develop a rich fruit and spice character."

Unlike the standard Old Forester, which is a batch of whisky from several different years, Birthday Bourbon is a vintage-dated bourbon, hand-selected by Morris from one specific day of production. The result is a one-of-a-kind character and flavor that will never be replicated again. Its unique decanter style glass bottle is a throwback to the late 1800's when Old Forester was first produced. Old Forester is the only bourbon still in existence today that was produced before, during and after Prohibition by its original distiller.  No other bourbon brand sold in the U.S. today can make that claim.  

Since its introduction in 2002, Old Forester Birthday Bourbon has received unprecedented acclaim and has collected honors from USA Today, Malt Advocate, Whisky Magazine, Spirit Journal, and Sante.  A favorite among critics, Old Forester Birthday Bourbon has taken home gold from numerous tasting competitions including a gold medal in the 2005, 2006 & 2007 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. The 2007 expression was also named American Whiskey of the Year at Malt Advocate WhiskyFest New York.

Old Forester Birthday Bourbon, a Brown-Forman product, has a suggested retail price of $49.99 and is sold at most liquor stores with a wide and varied range of bourbons. The 2010 edition of Birthday Bourbon is bottled at 95 proof.  

For more information on Old Forester and Old Forester Birthday Bourbon, visit the Old Forester website at www.oldforester.com or visit us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/oldforester.

About Old Forester Bourbon

George Garvin Brown was the founder of Old Forester Bourbon Whisky and Brown-Forman Corporation (NYSE: BF-B). Brown-Forman Corporation, Louisville, Kentucky, is a diversified producer and marketer of fine quality alcohol brands, including Jack Daniel's, Southern Comfort, Finlandia Vodka, Tequila Herradura, el Jimador Tequila, Canadian Mist, Woodford Reserve, Fetzer wines, and Korbel California Champagnes.

Love life. Sip responsibly.

Old Forester Straight Bourbon Whisky, 43-50% Alc. by Volume, Brown-Forman Distillers Company, Louisville, KY ©2010

SOURCE Brown-Forman Corporation

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This college football season, ESPN 3D and Sony are changing the way fans view games from home with the introduction of the "3D Game of the Week."  Every week, Sony will sponsor the airing of one top-level college game with potential Bowl Championship Series (BCS) implications on ESPN 3D, beginning with Boise State versus Virginia Tech on Monday, Sept. 6.

Bud Light is helping to extend the experience, partnering with Sony to host co-branded 3D viewing parties in select 3D Game of the Week markets that include Bud Light mobile bars outfitted with six Sony BRAVIA HDTVs with 3D and active 3D glasses, along with PlayStation 3 systems.  The viewing parties will give consumers a chance to experience 3D technology firsthand. Sony's stable 3D signal from the HDTV to the 3D active glasses will allow for wide-viewing angles so everyone in the party can enjoy the telecast from a comfortable seat.  Bud Light and Sony will host 3D viewing parties at locations around select visiting teams' markets throughout the season as well.

"Sony is involved in every step of the 3D process and is a major partner in helping to deliver the 3D college football experience to the home," said Stuart Redsun, Sony Electronics senior vice president of marketing.  "Our professional HD cameras are being used to shoot the action for each ESPN 3D game of the week through the BCS National Championship game in January, and fans can now enjoy the games on our 3D HDTVs."

ESPN 3D launched on June 11 with the first game of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa.  The channel has featured 25 World Cup games as well as the 2010 Home Run Derby.  Future plans include a featured college football game almost every week of the season.  Additional dates will be announced as the season progresses.  Sony is the official sponsor of college football on ESPN 3D, and college football games televised on ESPN 3D will utilize Sony professional cameras.

Bud Light will be the exclusive malt beverage category sponsor for all ESPN 3D college football telecasts, which will include cut-ins to the Bud Light and Sony 3D viewing parties during select games.  To support the telecasts, Bud Light will also debut a 3D commercial – titled "Ultimate Tailgate Car" – the first 3D commercial filmed and aired by a brewer.  The brand's relationship with ESPN extends into the college football post-season, where Bud Light will receive entitlement of the pre-game shows of the four BCS bowl games aired on ESPN, including custom opening and closing animations, on-set branding and full malt beverage category exclusivity.  

"The introduction of a 3D commercial provides us a great way to showcase Bud Light and further sets the brand apart as a leader and innovator in the beer category," said Keith Levy, vice president, marketing, Anheuser-Busch, Inc.  "Connecting with consumers through new means strengthens Bud Light's position in the football season, and the use of 3D technology plays an important role in our overall football campaign this season, 'Bud Light Playbook.'"

To view 3D games in the home, consumers will need a 3D TV such as Sony's BRAVIA 3D capable models and active shutter 3D glasses, as well as access to the ESPN 3D channel.  ESPN 3D is currently carried on AT&T U-verse, Comcast and DirecTV.  

About Anheuser-Busch

Based in St. Louis, Anheuser-Busch is the leading American brewer, holding a 48.9 percent share of U.S. beer sales to retailers.  The company brews the world's largest-selling beers, Budweiser and Bud Light.  Anheuser-Busch also owns a 50 percent share in Grupo Modelo, Mexico's leading brewer.  Anheuser-Busch is a major manufacturer of aluminum cans and has been a leading aluminum recycler for more than 30 years.  The company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev, the leading global brewer, and continues to operate under the Anheuser-Busch name and logo.  For more information, visit www.anheuser-busch.com.

About Sony Electronics

Headquartered in San Diego, Sony Electronics is a leading provider of audio/video electronics and information technology products for the consumer and professional markets.  Operations include research and development, design, engineering, sales, marketing, distribution and customer service.  Sony is noted for a wide range of consumer audio-visual products, such as the BRAVIA LCD and 3D high-definition televisions, Cyber-shot and alpha digital cameras, Handycam camcorder and Walkman personal stereo.  Sony is also an innovator in the IT arena with its VAIO personal computers; and in high-definition professional telecast and production equipment, highlighted by the XDCAM HD and CineAlta™ lines of cameras and camcorders, and the SXRD™ 4K digital projector.  The latest news and information is available at the company's website at www.sony.com/news.

SOURCE Sony Electronics; Anheuser-Busch

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The Oktoberfest in Munich is just one month away and you'll want to be prepared for the largest beer festival of the year. There are many ways you can get to the festival but the best way to secure a place is to win a free trip online with MansionCasino.com.

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This year http://www.MansionCasino.com is sending players to the beer festival of a lifetime. If you have the nerves and stomach to join millions of people partying and drinking, check out the fantastic promotion online. All you have to do to win a trip to the land of the Lederhosen is get online and play your way there. Win 200 points playing ANY game and you could find yourself at the world's biggest brewfest.

About MansionCasino.com: MansionCasino.com offers traditional card and table games, as well as slots, scratch cards, video poker and progressive bonus jackpot games. The games are currently available in Adobe Flash or to download, and can be played for real money or for fun. MansionCasino.com software is available in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Danish, Swedish, Dutch, Greek, Korean, Japanese and Simplified Chinese. MansionCasino.com is owned by Mansion Limited which is licensed and operated in Gibraltar.

For more information on Mansion please contact +350-200-41000 or e-mail marketing@mansion.com.

SOURCE MansionCasino.com

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The Society of Wine Educators has announced that Ira Norof, CWE, Director of Education at Southern Wine & Spirits in Southern California, will assume the role of President of the Society on September 1, 2010. This is a three-year term, which he will hold until August 31, 2013.

Norof began his career at Southern Wine and Spirits in 1983, after a career in retail and as a sommelier. He first joined the Society of Wine Educators that same year, and became a Certified Wine Educator (CWE) in 1999. He was elected a Member of the Board in 2002, has served as Conference Chair since 2005, and became Vice President in 2007.

While respecting the traditions and mission of the Society, Norof's goals for the Society are focused on conservative expansion, both globally and domestically. "I think it's a good time for the Society to expand our presence in existing markets, such as Asia and Europe, and develop our presence in new ones, such as South America. I would like to increase the areas of study and educational opportunities. Our Annual Conference is our core event, with over 50 sessions covering an enormous range of subjects, but in order to promote more awareness and increase membership, in addition to this prestigious event, the Society is introducing our first one-day intensive in Houston in October. The Society has an impressive past, and I look forward to contributing to an exciting future."

The Society of Wine Educators also announced the election of its Board of Directors. Voted on by the members of the Society, these people will serve a 2-year term.

• Mark Chandler, CSW: Executive Director of the Lodi Winegrape Commission in Lodi
• Barry Wiss, CWE: A Wine Educator and CSW/CWE exam administrator and proctor who teaches at the CIA and WISE Academy
• Patrick D. Dodd, CWE: Director of Wine & Spirits Education for the Ernest & Julio Gallo Winery, Modesto, CA
• Paul Wagner: Founder and President of Balzac Communications, Napa, California.
• Maria E. Denton, CWE: General Manager, Ruth's Chris Steak House, Washington DC

The mission of the non-profit Society of Wine Educators is to advance wine and spirit education through professional development and certification. Founded in 1974 by a group of wine professionals at the UC Davis campus, the Society is now headquartered in Washington, DC. The Society has over 2,600 members in 13 different countries. The Society offers three types of certification: 1) Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW), geared to the intermediate wine professional; 2) Certified Specialist of Spirits (CSS); and 3) Certified Wine Educator (CWE), recognizing a higher level of achievement, and requiring a written exam, sensory evaluations, and a teaching presentation. In addition to gaining a depth of knowledge, people who achieve certification are viewed as prize candidates for jobs in the wine, spirits and hospitality industries.

For more information about the Society of Wine Educators, please visit www.societyofwineeducators.org

SOURCE Society of Wine Educators

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RELATED LINKS
http://www.societyofwineeducators.org