In a glass of its won

The Cognac Information Centre (CIC) has launched a campaign to promote the use of the tulip glass for drinking and serving Cognac.

The aim, they say, is to encourage restaurateurs and hoteliers to serve Cognac in tulip glasses that "allow the whole aroma to be contained and only slowly released during tasting", claim Cognac's cellar masters.

Additional promotional material includes display cards and credit-card sized reference cards explaining Cognac's age and quality classification.

The CIC has commissioned glass company John Jenkins & Son to create an inexpensive, high-quality, tulip glass. Specially designed for the on-trade, the glass will be offered at a unit price of £2.50.

For further information, telephone the CIC on 0171-370 0844.

Wine's chilling discovery

The Magnum is a new rapid wine cooler that chills wines in up to four minutes - and the bottles don't drip when you take them out. Said to be the first cooler of its kind in the UK, it is capable of holding three bottles at a time, including magnums and litres, keeping labels dry.

The model's list price is £850. Contact Magnum Corporaton on 01926 403494 for further details.