Latest news with #CameronHughesWine
Daily Record
20-05-2025
- General
- Daily Record
Fruit flies will be repelled by placing this item in your bowl
A TikToker has shared a simple hack to keep the insects at bay with one thing in your fruit bowl Fruit flies and insects can be a common nuisance during the warmer months. They are typically attracted to sweet smells, as well as overripe, fermented fruits and vegetables, especially bananas, apples, and squash. But there is a way to stop them swarming your kitchen this summer. Cleaning TikToker Chantel Mila has shared an easy deterrent to avoid any issues with fruit flies loitering around fresh fruit outside of the fridge. You won't have to worry about throwing fruit away, instead Chantel recommended using corks, like you would find in wine bottles. If you don't want a chemical spray to deter fruit flies, this may be a good alternative. Although she doesn't indicate how many corks you should use, more than one wouldn't hurt, reports the Express. Simply place the corks in the fruit bowl with the fruit. The Kitchn advised avoiding synthetic wine corks, as they're made from plastic. Synthetic corks can't, therefore, absorb excess humidity. Adding wine corks to fruit bowls deters fruit flies by absorbing moisture and emitting a scent that the flies dislike. On the other hand, natural corks help to absorb the moisture released by ripening fruit, reducing the attraction of fruit flies to the bowl. The natural cork absorbs humidity from the air around it. Lower humidity in the air means slower ripening, which means fruit stays fresher, longer. Furthermore, the natural aroma of the cork, which is unappealing to fruit flies, serves as an additional deterrent. As the cork absorbs the sweet scent of the fruit and emits its own natural scent, the flies are less likely to land on the fruit that no longer smells appealing. According to Ryan Watts, a sommelier at Cameron Hughes Wine, who spoke to Today: "Two things attract fruit flies: sugars and moisture. This is why you most often find them around ripe fruit and in or around sinks and drains. "Natural cork is a perfect deterrent as the cork material absorbs moisture put off by the ripening fruit and activates a fragrance from the cork that fruit flies are none too pleased about." Another effortless DIY fix for the fruit fly has proven promising. Some individuals have attempted to kill them using apple cider vinegar, but some found the trick to be hit and miss. A Reddit user, however, may have found the ultimate remedy with just a humble pantry staple. They shared: "The best thing I've ever used is soy sauce. They love fermented stuff. I put soy sauce in a shallow dish, cover it with [cling film], and poke pencil-sized holes [in the film]. Works a treat." In addition to the soy sauce tactic, the same individual recommends "pouring bleach down all of your drains" before bedtime and underscores the significance of kitchen hygiene, advising against leaving exposed fruit, wine, beer or juice out on countertops.
San Francisco Chronicle
26-04-2025
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
Two California wine companies are locked in a legal battle over a French word
A legal battle between two Bay Area wine companies hinges in part on a word that may sound esoteric to the general public but is familiar to anyone in the wine industry: négociant. The French term refers to a merchant who buys grapes or wine and then bottles it under their own label. It's proven a winning business model for many California entrepreneurs — perhaps none more so than Cameron Hughes, who has made a career out of finding high-quality wine at bargain prices, then rebottling and selling it directly to consumers. He did it first in the early 2000s under an eponymous company, Cameron Hughes Wine, then with a buzzy startup, De Négoce, and recently revealed his plans to launch a third act, the Négociant. Hughes now faces a lawsuit from Martin Ray Winery, to whom he sold the De Négoce business last year for $12.5 million. In the complaint filed in federal court in San Francisco, Martin Ray alleges that Hughes' new label, the Négociant, infringes on the De Négoce trademark and that Hughes has violated a non-compete contract. 'This is not some stranger randomly coming up with a similar label,' said Spencer Hosie, an attorney for Martin Ray. 'Right now he's trying to have it both ways,' pocketing the $12.5 million from the sale and trying to recreate the company that he sold. Hughes said that the lawsuit 'completely lacks merit,' and that 'Martin Ray seems to think they have some sort of monopoly on this long industry used term.' He purchased the trademark (along with wine inventory) for 'the Négociant' from Napa Valley vintner Bob Pepi last year, Hughes added, and has yet to begin shipping wine. But 'it's not just the use of the word 'négociant,' which does have a well established meaning,' Hosie countered. Pointing to the stylized 'N,' the curve of the accent mark and the positioning of the text, he argues that the look of the two wine labels is so similar that it must be designed to confuse consumers. 'It is manifestly apparent that he simply copied many of the stylized letters on the label,' Hosie said. 'It couldn't be a coincidence.' Hughes maintains it is just that, because the Négociant label is in fact the same one that Bob Pepi used. He simply added 'by Cameron Hughes' below. Hughes also noted that Martin Ray had already changed the De Négoce labels and no longer uses a cursive font. When Hughes launched De Négoce in 2020, it was a runaway hit. His model — finding excess wine that high-end producers wanted to discard, then selling it directly to consumers — allowed him to sell what he claimed were the equivalent of $100 bottles of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon for as little as $10. A devoted core of fans convened on the Wine Berserkers message board, trading reviews of various wines and speculating about the wines' provenance. Hughes himself posted frequently on Wine Berserkers, stoking the hype. Like his first venture, Cameron Hughes Wine, the success wasn't enough to keep Hughes in control of the company forever. Cameron Hughes Wine had become saddled with debt and entered into a court-appointed receivership before Vintage Wine Estates (which itself declared bankruptcy last year) bought it in 2017. Another serial négociant, Courtney Benham, took note of De Négoce. He had created his own runaway hit in the 1990s: Blackstone, which became known for its sub-$12 Merlot. Benham grew Blackstone to $650,000 cases and sold it to Constellation Brands in 2001 for $140 million, according to the lawsuit. Along the way, Benham has created and acquired a mini-empire of California wineries, including purchasing the historic Martin Ray Winery. Included in the sale agreement was a non-compete clause that prohibited Hughes from selling any wine 'direct to consumers' for a period of 21 months, Hosie said. Hughes could produce wine and sell it to a wholesaler or distributor, but could not engage in a model like De Négoce's. Yet, the complaint alleges, Hughes made moves toward a direct-to-consumer wine business beginning in October, when he secured a new license to sell wine, and unveiled the Négociant on March 13, 'well within the non-compete period.' Hughes said on Wine Berserkers that a mention of the Négociant in a March 13 Wall Street Journal article had compelled him to announce the brand earlier than he'd originally planned. ('Let the Ponzi scheme begin!' he joked.) He had shared news about the Négociant with the Chronicle on Feb. 20. The new company would sell $1,000 'founding memberships,' which could be used as credits for future wine purchases from the Négociant. Hughes claims that because he has not shipped any wine yet, he has not violated his non-compete. 'I am in full compliance with those terms as I have sold no wine directly to consumers,' he said. Hosie called that claim 'pure sophistry.' In his view, 'he's been selling agreements to deliver wine.' He said that Hughes has ignored a cease-and-desist notice, which means 'his infringement now is willful.' The lawsuit would not deter Hughes from proceeding with his new venture, he said. 'I absolutely have the right to start a new wine business,' he said. 'The terms of my non-compete expire in a matter of weeks, at which time I fully intend to launch my business and sell wine to my loyal and very much appreciated customers.' Hosie contends that the non-compete does not expire in a matter of weeks: If Hughes is in violation of the agreement, the non-compete is suspended, and its time period won't resume until Hughes is in compliance with his contract again. Martin Ray has asked the court for 'three times the amount of actual profits or damages, whichever is greater,' though Hosie said there is also a statutory measure for damages in a case like this. Under the Lanham Act, a plaintiff is entitled to $2 million per 'willful use of a counterfeit mark.' In its complaint, Martin Ray cited several Wine Berserkers comments as evidence that Hughes was deliberately trying to copy De Négoce's label and steal its customers. One post reads: 'Duuude…. Even the font! That's awesome, great move on those lawyers!!!' Another: 'The noncompete is over let's f…ing go boys.' Since news of the lawsuit surfaced in Wine Business, however, those who paid for the Négociant founding memberships have voiced concerns about getting their $1,000 back. Some have tried to re-sell their memberships. Matt Turk, one of the most prolific Wine Berserkers posters and a longtime De Négoce customer, said he wasn't worried about getting his $1,000 back — he's confident he will get some wine from Hughes eventually. Now that the Négociant has launched, he thought that many fans would start buying from it instead of De Négoce, simply because they trust Hughes' palate. 'The whole product really is just him,' said Turk. As he waited for news of his future Négociant wine shipments, Turk said he was entertained by the saga. 'The whole thing's great,' he said. 'It's great drama.'
