08/01/2013 - Reflections and Forecasts

Slow Living Radio welcomes you to the New Year with two of our favorite topics (and beverages), wine and coffee.  We'll speak to some experts about some highlights of the past year and look forward to what's on the horizon for the New Year. So, pour yourself a glass or a cup and sit back and enjoy the show with us!


Jeff Prather 
Certified Master of the Obvious
Oxbow Wine Merchant

With decades of experience in the food and wine business, Jeff Prather shares his wealth of knowledge through engaging, and often amusing, wine content for the website and wine shop. Having been an actor in his earlier years, Jeff is a natural as one of our entertaining tasting class instructors.

After opening the Culinary Institute of America in Napa Valley in 1995 as the Restaurant Director and Cellar Master, Jeff served as Director of Wine Education at Shafer Vineyards, Flora Springs Winery, as well as the historic Beaulieu Vineyard. After serving as Senior Wine Merchant for the original Wine.com with Peter Granoff and Bo Thompson, Jeff was the managing Director of Azalea Springs Winery.

Jeff became known for his decade of work as Wine Director for Ray’s Boathouse in Seattle which merited him several awards, including four James Beard Award nominations, Restaurant Hospitality Magazine’s Best American Wine List, Wine Spectator’s Best of Award of Excellence, and Restaurant Wine Magazine’s Wine Marketer of the Year nominee.

Jeff judges at wine competitions and is a frequent speaker and guest sommelier at national wine events. As a writer, he has been published in several magazines, was a correspondent for the Microsoft Online Network (MSN), a contributor to Oz Clark’s Microsoft Wine Guide CD-ROM and is co-author of the book “Northwest Wines.”

Jeff currently divides his time between Oxbow Wine Merchant and private consulting.

Ritual Coffee Roasters, Oxbow Public Market, Napa

Chris Casassa
Coffee Educator

Born just near Napa, Chris was never taken to coffee, turning down his parent’s offer for their usual drip coffee.

Maggie Johnson and Chris Casassa

In fact, it wasn’t until 4 years ago, when a co-worker began a job at Ritual Coffee Roasters in Napa’s Oxbow Public Market, that Chris even entertained the thought of a cup of the black brew. 

It just took one sip for this moment to be life-changing for Chris and lead to a personal, and now career-long mission.  It was on this moment that he first became aware of coffee’s delectable nuances and the hook caught his passion (and time) with a firm hold.  Within days, Chris became consumed with finding out all he could about coffee, haunting Ritual Coffee for supplier details, contacting growers around the world for samples that he’d taste in the wee hours on his French Press or take to Ritual for them to discover with him.

He’d find baristas around the country who impressed him and urge them for secrets and details of their beans’ origins and roasting style, equipment and anything else that could help develop ‘the perfect’ cup.  It became to Chris like a winemakers mission to develop a wine with the complexity and quality of their dreams.

It didn’t take long for the owners of Ritual to notice this young man’s pursuits, discerning palate and unfathomable curiosity, and they wisely offered Chris a job. Of course he eagerly accepted!

Now the official Coffee Educator for the store, Chris, has the enviable position of being paid to live his passion, to do what he loves and be excited to continue to learn and grow in his coffee expertise!  We celebrate people like Chris Casassa and Ritual for employing and training really well!

Maggie Johnson

Barista

Maggie was born in Nashville, and raised in Louisville, Colorado.  Unlike Chris, Maggie’s coffee palate began to develop at a young age, sipping on cups of drip coffee with her mother, though not quite “getting it”.

Maggie in action

Her palate started to blossom when she was 13 with the opening of her mother’s own café, serving good coffee, smoothies and other fare, and where Maggie worked 2 hours a week.  Maggie thrived on the social atmosphere more than the coffee itself, preferring the more milky options of Lattes.

Over the years, into high school and college, Maggie’s coffee tastes gradually evolved and developed, and she found herself discriminatingly seeking out “fringe” coffee shops that served more specialty drinks and took their art seriously.  She began to realize that “drip” was only good if it was ground and brewed to order, and not just a quick fix or nameless hot black beverage.

Her judicious coffee sense didn’t take long to sniff out Ritual, where Maggie now happily hones her skills alongside Chris in marvelous harmony.

A few questions:

What do you find most underappreciated or unknown aspect of the world of coffee?

Chris:  How unique each individual coffee can be – its body, fruit, aromatics, acidity and tactility.

Maggie:  How much passion and training it takes to be a really good barista, much like a winemaker.

What frustrates you about the coffee industry?

Chris:  The public perception that it’s “just a drink”, not realizing its complexity and science.

Maggie:  The perception brought on by large scale chains that put quantity and price above quality.

What excited you the most about coffee in 2012?

Chris and Maggie:  The accessibility of specialty coffee in an increasing amount of unexpected areas, being able to get really good coffee if you’re willing to go looking most places.

Goals and wishes for 2013? 

Chris:  Aside from his own personal mission of immersion, that more and more people will become aware of coffee’s great potential.

Maggie:  That Ritual (and other serious and dedicated coffee houses) can find a way to give good quality speedily to those who want to “grab-and-run”, while still being able to allow those willing to embrace the whole experience, talk, sip, enjoy in ceramic and explore to do so at their own pace.

(On a personal author’s note, I would add to that – a wish that less and less people will want to “grab and run”, slow down and savor the moment.)

By Slow Living’s Simply Sally!

The Perfect Ritual Cappuccino

12/11 - The Rutherford Appellation Story

This week, Slow Living Radio brings to life the lesser known wine region of Rutherford, right in the heart of the Napa Valley.  Hear the story of some of the winemakers and a chef who has made the locale his home to cook among the vineyards.

 

 

 

 

Dedicated to encouraging and promoting the highest quality standards in grape growing and winemaking in the Rutherford Viticultural Area, the Rutherford Dust Society's mission is to help wine lovers and the wine trade discover Rutherford's unique expression.

The Rutherford Dust Society was founded in 1994 by growers and vintners in tribute to the legacy of our grape growing and winemaking forebears.

Since the late 19th century, the growers and vintners of Rutherford have played a significant role in the development of Napa Valley as a world-class winegrowing region.

The late, revered winemaker André Tchelistcheff said: "It takes Rutherford dust to grow great Cabernet." What we now fondly refer to as "Rutherford dust" has come to reflect an enduring commitment to quality, a spirit of achievement and a deep connection to Rutherford's soil – as opposed to any sensory component in the appellation's wines.

Andy Beckstoffer and André Tchelistcheff, 1989

The Society's mission is to encourage and promote the highest quality standards in grape growing and winemaking in the Rutherford Viticultural Area, and to help wine lovers and the wine trade discover Rutherford's unique expression. Please join us in enjoying the fruits of our labor and in preserving the heritage and vineyards of Rutherford, in the Napa Valley.

Rutherford Dust Restoration Team (RDRT or "our dirt")

In 2002, the Rutherford Dust Society Board of Directors voted unanimously to empower a subcommittee, the Rutherford Dust Restoration Team (RDRT or "our dirt"), to initiate a plan to manage and restore the river. The sub-committee is co-chaired by John Williams, of Frog's Leap Winery, and Davie Pina, owner Pina Vineyard Management, LLC, also a Rutherford Dust Society Board member.

About Rutherford Appellation Wines

Rutherford's Uniqueness

Since its earliest days, Rutherford's growers and vintners have been committed to quality. Today, they maintain the spirit of Rutherford's proud history through their commitment to build upon this standard. This attitude toward quality is the driving force behind the vineyards and wines of this distinguished district.

 

Geography

 

The Rutherford Viticultural Area is approximately 6 square miles, beginning just south of Cakebread Cellars and BV Vineyard #2 along Highway 29. It ends at Zinfandel Lane, 3.3 miles to the north, and stretches across the valley 2 miles at its widest point from Mt. St. John on the West to the Vaca Mountain Range on the East.

Soils from three alluvial fans are primarily gravelly, sandy and loamy. The fans are formed from shattered, well-bedded sandstone, and their deposits are high in gravels. Deep and well-drained, the fans have pockets that allow runoff to easily flow to the streams and Napa River. Rutherford soils are dominated by the Franciscan marine sedimentary materials with some volcanic deposits (primarily Bale, Pleasanton and Yolo loams).

Sun Exposure

One of the more unusual aspects about Rutherford is that it has a higher radiant value than other parts of Napa Valley. Because the area is located at Napa Valley's widest point, it spends more time in the sun. University of California, Davis categorizes Rutherford as a Region II, with over 3,000-degree days during the growing season.

Climate

Warm summer days ripen Rutherford grapes, giving way to cool evenings. An average summer day may drop 12 degrees (F) immediately after sunset. This fluctuation allows the fruit to ripen at a steady pace; temperatures north and south of Rutherford can vary as much as 10 degrees. Rutherford has an average rainfall of 26-36 inches per year. Although typically mild, spring can bring freezing temperatures at night during March and April.

Topography

Although bordered on the West and East by two mountain ranges, the Rutherford Viticultural Area does not extend above 500 feet in elevation. Regardless, the elevation is quite pronounced. Vineyards creep up the nearby hillsides from the Napa River in the center of the appellation, which lies just 172 feet above sea level.

Terroir

Rutherford offers a multitude of microclimates and soil types for vintners and growers. Nevertheless, wines produced from the grapes grown here reflect a distinct Rutherford character.

”André Tchelistcheff, a Russian-born immigrant with a thick accent, and John Daniel, a strong-willed heir to the Inglenook estate, are two of the most important 20th century personalities that helped shape the course of Napa Valley Cabernet winemaking.”

James Laube, Wine Spectator, February 29, 2000

 

 

Jean Hoefliger

Winemaker
Alpha Omega Winery

 Alpha Omega is located in legendary Rutherford in the heart of Napa Valley and is one of Napa’s newest boutique wineries. Surrounded by vineyards and mountains, the beauty of this rustic, farm-style winery is as captivating as its wine.

Alpha Omega’s extraordinary winemakers, along with historic vineyards, combine to create wines that express the essence of this famous wine region. Talented winemaker, Jean Hoefliger, has teamed up with one of the world’s finest palates, Michel Rolland, to create wines that express their passion for excellence as well as the unique terroir that is Napa Valley. By procuring prized grapes from the many appellations of Napa Valley, our winemakers blend the essence of exceptional terroir ranging from valley floor, hillside, mountain and coast. Using natural techniques, they handcraft finesse-driven, complex and balanced wines, which express the aromatic profile of the best Napa Valley has to offer.

Hoefliger and Rolland’s combined award-winning winemaking techniques create elegant, approachable and perfectly balanced wines of the highest quality through blending the best of Old World and New World wine styles. A gifted young winemaker and a master winemaker are discovering together the excitement of creating world-class wine from world-class grapes in world-class terroir for Alpha Omega.

 

 

 

Round Pond Estate

 

 

 

 

For more than a century, Napa Valley’s Rutherford region has been recognized for producing wines of rare depth and complexity, most notably rich and expressive Cabernet Sauvignon. At Round Pond they pay tribute to the personality of the estate vineyards by crafting wines that reflect the charm and sophistication of this extraordinary appellation. Made from select blocks of our best estate fruit, their wines embody the essence of a terroir-inspired, Californian winemaking philosophy.

 

From the commitment to vine balance to gentle winemaking approach, the wines of Round Pond Estate benefit from loving attention that includes small lot fermentation and patient aging. In the vineyard they harvest at peak ripeness, hand sorting and destemming the fruit before applying a gentle press and cold soak. In order to extract rich colors, aromas and flavors, they emphasize extended maceration of the grapes. Alongside these artisan techniques Round Pond also employ cutting-edge technology, like custom-built fermentors, which continuously regulate temperature to within a fraction of a degree ensuring control and quality. Adding additional layers of depth and nuance, the barrel-aging program utilizes the very finest French oak coopers.

 

Olive Oils

 

 

 

Ripened in the rich soils of Rutherford, California, the imported Mediterranean olive trees of Round Pond Estate bestow upon fruit of extraordinary purity, flavor and character. Each of the four estate olive oils is crafted from a meticulous selection of hand-harvested olives using signature pressing methods, which combine traditional stone mill techniques with state-of-the-art technology. Master blending in small lots, and bottling only on demand ensures that each gourmet olive oil is delivered to customers at the height of vibrant freshness. Round Pond also have released three new, complementary herb infused oils, made from the very finest California extra virgin olive oil and hand blended at the Estate.

Nick Ritchie

Chef, Alex Italian Restaurant, Rutherford

A native of the Napa Valley, Chef Nick Ritchie began his culinary career in the Tra Vigne kitchen in 1994 under Chef Michael Chiarello and Chef de Cuisine Carmen Quagliata. Nick completed his Associates Degree in Culinary Arts at the CIA Hyde Park, NY as well as an internship at Sazerac in Seattle, WA with Chef Jan Birnbaum.

 

In 2001 after completing his degree, Nick traveled to Lombardia, Italy working for one year at La Campagnola di Salo on Lago di Garda. Upon his return to the United States, Nick worked under Chef Quagliata once again at The Vault, in Boston, MA. In 2003, Nick began working as a sous chef for Chef Kevin Davis at The Oceanaire Seafood Room, Seattle, WA.

 

To round out his time in the Seattle area he worked for Chef Daisley Gordon at Campagne and Café Campagne. Nick returned to the Napa Valley in 2006 to take the Chef de Cuisine position for Michael Chiarello's NapaStyle and in 2008 moved on to open Bottega where he received many accolades as Chef de Cuisine, including a Rising Star Chef in 2009.

In May of 2011 Chef Ritchie departed from Bottega and is very excited to be the Executive Chef of Alex Italian Restaurant here in beautiful Rutherford, CA

 

 

 

12/04 - The Chef and His Unsung Heroes - Greg Cole's Story

This week, Slow Living Radio welcomes iconic chef, Greg Cole, whose restaurants have helped shaped the Napa dining scene.  From the beautiful Celadon, snuggled behind the Napa River Inn, to the rustic and popular Cole's Chop House on Main Street, to his local radio show, Greg has become a Napa household name. Greg brings with him two guests who have helped him forge his path and provide him with the materials to make his menu and wine list of amazing quality - Mike Weinberg-Lynn of Osprey Seafoods (also coincidentally Sally's favorite Seafood supplier), and Byron Kosuge of B. Kosuge Wines.

However, we begin our show with "Sally's Roaming Tales" as she brings a taste of her trip to Australia - read her travelogue blog following!  To begin, the wonderful and welcoming Qantas flight and her first night at the Sir Stamford Court Hotel in Circular Quay, Sydney!

Greg Cole,

Executive Chef and Owner,
Celadon and Cole's Chop House
Historic Downtown Napa 

Greg’s love of food and wine has created two of the most highly respected restaurants in the Napa Valley. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America at Hyde Park, he came to the Napa Valley in 1985 to work with Chef Philippe Jeanty in the kitchen of Domaine Chandon. In 1990 Greg’s passion for wine led him to join the winemaking team of Robert Sinskey Vineyards. In addition to cellar work, he promoted wine sales throughout the country, and cooked and hosted dinners pairing food and wine in top restaurants and cooking schools nationwide.

In September of 1996 Greg and his wife and business partner, Beth Fairbairn, opened the award-winning Celadon restaurant in downtown Napa. Celadon pioneered the fine dining scene in the city of Napa with Chef Cole’s style of 'Global Comfort Food'. Local and national acclaim followed and in 1998 Greg was selected as one of the 24 "hottest young chefs" in America by the Wine Spectator. Celadon received a three star rating in the San Francisco Examiner and four stars in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat. USA TODAY selected Celadon as one of the 'ten great places to dine at the bar'. Celadon has received the Zagat Survey "Award of Distinction" and has been a Wine Spectator "Award of Excellence" recipient for its innovative and food-friendly wine list since 1997. In the summer of 2002 Celadon moved to a larger location in the Historic Napa Mill, one of downtown’s restored riverfront jewels.

Cole's Chop House opened in March of 2000. Serving 'Classic American Steak House' cuisine, Cole's Chop House was an immediate favorite of locals and visitors. A Wine Spectator "Award of Excellence" and Wine Enthusiast Magazine “Award of Unique Distinction” wine program features Cabernet Sauvignon from the area’s finest small producers. Cole's Chop House has been selected as San Francisco's top rated Steakhouse in the Zagat Survey for the last three years and named 'one of the top five steak houses' in the Best of Bay Area Dining by San Francisco Chronicle Magazine. Cole’s Chop House has been featured in Gourmet, Food Arts, Bon Appetit and Sunset magazines.
 
Greg is the host of "Today in the Wine Country," a local radio show covering food trends in the wine country and beyond. The show airs Tuesday mornings from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. on Napa’s KVON 1440AM. Chef Cole won KVON’s 2006 Best of Napa and Sonoma Valley award for ‘Best Local Chef’. He is a guest chef on Karen MacNeil's new PBS series Wine, Food and Friends. The nationally syndicated program features Chef Cole preparing dishes paired with wines chosen by MacNeil, Culinary Institute of America at Greystone wine educator and author of The Wine Bible. Greg and Beth were honored with the Napa Chamber of Commerce 2005 Business of the Year Award for Celadon and Cole’s Chop House.

Greg’s commitment to the community is evidenced by his support of many local charity events. Cole’s Chop House was one of ten local restaurants chosen to prepare dinner for Wine Auction Napa Valley 2005. The event was one of the most successful in its history. Other causes supported by Chef Cole’s establishments are: American Red Cross, Jewish Home of San Francisco, American Cancer Society, Queen of the Valley Hospital, Community Health Clinic Olé, Children’s Hospital Oakland, Boys & Girls Club, and numerous local public and private schools.

Greg resides with Beth and their two children in downtown Napa.

Mike Weinberg-Lynn

Owner

Osprey Seafoods

A value added sampling at Osprey

As a physiological psychology graduate from UCSB, Mike looked forward to a professional future in the laboratories of the Bay Area.  Newly married and with high hopes, he moved his family to the Haight Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco only to find a hiring freeze up and down the peninsula.  After several months of selling wedding presents to make rent, his life took one of those turns. 

Upon a chance meeting with a neighbor who owned the fish store across the street, Mike begged for any job at all.  The neighbor, Peter Bird, hired Mike as a driver for $5 per hour.  It was September of 1983 and Mike fell in love with the business from the very start.  As he learned the day-to-day operations, his passion for fish and the people who worked with it grew. 

In December of 1986, Mike excitingly took the plunge and purchased a major share in Osprey Seafood.  By 1989, Mike invested all he had in Osprey Seafood and became the sole owner.  Since then, Mike’s goal to serve the entire Napa Valley area has resulted in the retail store at Wine Country Avenue.  29 years later and he still loves fish.

Byron Kosuge, Winemaker

B. Kosuge Wines

Byron was born and raised in the Central Valley town of Davis, California. His late father grew up on a farm in Colorado before moving to California and becoming a university Biochemist, so there was farming in his blood. Byron first studied English and American Literature for several years before settling on wine as a vocation.

The first fifteen years of his winemaking career were spent making wine at Saintsbury in Carneros, where the Pinot “bug“ first bit him and he started the lifelong process of learning the intricacies of the grape. After leaving Saintsbury in 2001, he have continued to make Pinot Noir and Chardonnay for Miura in California and, most recently, for a new Pinot Noir/Syrah project in Casablanca, Chile named Kingston Family Vineyards.

In 2005 and 2006 Byron started a couple of small new Pinot-centric projects in the Santa Lucia Highlands of Monterey County. He is most comfortable knocking around in the vineyard or the cellar, trying to improve the craft, and turning out modest amounts of interesting, expressive, and, hopefully, memorable wine. The kind of wine he wants to drink himself.

11/27/2012 - The Waterford Crystal Story

Slow Living Radio was delighted to find the charming Jim O'Leary, Director of Design for Waterford Crystal, appearing and signing his marvellous crystal creations in downtown San Francisco.  Hear his inspirational story of starting with the company as a boy of 15, and how he progressed through the ranks over a span of 53 years, living the entire time in the quaint namesake town of Waterford, Ireland.  A truly "slow living story" indeed!

Waterford then....

....and now



 

 

Jim O'Leary, Director of Design

Waterford Crystal

http://na.wwrd.com/ae/us/icat/waterford

 

As Director of Design for Waterford Crystal®, Jim O'Leary is the curator of a design tradition that stretches back to 1783.

 

Under his direction, Waterford has become known to the world as an enduring symbol of quality, tradition and modernity with timeless designs that add significance and beauty to the home. Jim has played a pivotal role throughout the decades with his artistic eye and inspired view of the world. He continually brings fresh perspective to the Waterford Design Studio in Ireland, always providing the brand with new interpretations of what it means to be modern today. Mr. O'Leary describes Waterford's enduring legacy and design leadership well. "It is only by being of its time that Waterford Crystal can aspire to be timeless. What endures is not a single look or style, but a way of putting ancient skills to new uses in order to create designs that move beyond mere fashion to achieve lasting style.

 

The Araglin Design

 

After beginning his career as a Waterford apprentice in 1960, Jim O'Leary quickly achieved Master Craftsman status by age 24. In 1980 he joined the ranks of the legendary design team and thus began his travels to the United States where he has charmed generations of collectors ever since. Among his most important designs are the Araglin, Carina and Castlemaine patterns; The Romance of Ireland collection; and the Star of Peace, which were the first Waterford Crystal panels to be placed on the famous Millenium Ball in Times Square in 1999.



The Carina Design

Serving as Waterford Crystal's international brand ambassador, Jim spends an average of five months each year visiting consumers and collectors around the world. At the scores of events he attends, he puts his creativity to work on a more practical level by inscribing his signature on Waterford Crystal pieces with an electronic signing pen. Through his travels he gains valuable insights and inspiration from consumers which he then brings back to the designers and craftsmen on the Waterford Design team to develop and refine existing and new product lines. His understanding of the ever-changing market and consumer ensures Waterford Crystal remains the global leader in crystal design.

 

 

 

 

 

 

About Waterford Crystal

 

Waterford Crystal designs, manufactures and markets an extensive range of crystal stemware, barware and giftware for distribution throughout the world. In recent years, Waterford has built upon its reputation as a leading source of prestigious tabletop and gift products by expanding into several new businesses. Significant expansions into tabletop and gifts have occurred with the launch of the Marquis by Waterford, the addition of Waterford Fine China, Waterford Fine Flatware, and Waterford Holiday Heirlooms. Each of those initiatives reflects the company's commitment to creating prestigious products -- for gift giving, entertaining, and home decorating -- whose classic designs transcend time.

 

History

 

The company of Waterford was first established in 1783 on land adjacent to Merchants' Quay in the heart of the Irish harbor town of Waterford. Its founders were two brothers, William and George Penrose, who were important developers and principal exporters in the city. Their vision was to "create the finest quality crystal for drinking vessels and objects of beauty for the home." More than two hundred years later, the reputation they established for creating glass of unsurpassed beauty and quality has transcended the intervening centuries.
 

The beginnings of glass making in Ireland are lost in the mists of time but there is sufficient archaeological evidence to show that, from the early Iron Age, glass was regarded with respect. Indeed, medieval documents can prove glass making existed in Ireland back in the middle 13th century.

 

However, the Waterford Crystal story started to blossom in 1783 when two brothers, George and William Penrose, founded their crystal manufacturing business in the busy port of Waterford. They were important developers and the city's principal exporters. The development, they told the Irish Parliament, cost £10,000 - a great deal of money in the 18th century.
 

They employed 50 to 70 people, led by a fellow Quaker, John Hill, from Stourbridge in England, and succeeded in producing crystal with a purity of colour unmatched in Ireland or England. Merchant ships sailed regularly from the port of Waterford with cargoes of crystal bound for Spain, the West Indies, New York, New England and Newfoundland.
 

Another century passed before the enterprise was revived. In 1947, while Europe was still in ruins after the second World War, a small glass factory was set up in Waterford just 11/2 miles from the site of the original glass factory.

 

Waterford Crystal today has very strong links with its illustrious predecessor. There is today the same dedication to the purity of color, to the same design inspiration and to the same pursuit of highest quality levels possible. The traditional cutting patterns made famous by the artisans of Waterford became the design basis for the growing product range of the new company.
 

Products which have extended the power of the Waterford brand beyond its core crystal products include Waterford China, Waterford Table & Bed Linens, Waterford Stainless Flatware and Silver Gifts, Waterford Writing Instruments, Waterford Holiday Heirlooms and Waterford Crystal Jewellery.


 


The Lismore Design

Waterford Crystal, today, is the leading brand of premium crystal. Its products - superb handcrafted crystal stemware, giftware and lightingware - are designed and manufactured to the highest standards.
 

The brand's reputation among its target market - upscale men and women - in its major markets is such that it has taken the brand to the heights that it now occupies. The target consumers simply regard Waterford Crystal as the best for self and gift purchase.

Recent research has confirmed the standing of Waterford Crystal in both the US and the UK.
 

In November 2000, Waterford Crystal was named as the top world class brand in the United States by a survey conducted among 30,000 people by the Princeton, New Jersey, based independent market research company, Total Research Corporation. Total Research said that Waterford Crystal was judged by American consumers as the brand with the highest quality out of 19 world class brands in the US market. Other brands in the league table below Waterford include Rolls-Royce Bentley, Bose stereo and speaker systems, Philadelphia cream cheese, Harley-Davidson motorcycles, Kodak, Heinz ketchup and National Geographic magazine.
 

In 2002, Waterford celebrated the 50th anniversary of the introduction of the Lismore pattern of crystal. Almost every year since its inception, Lismore has topped the popularity list and has been the biggest selling pattern of crystal in the US and the world. But there are others among the repertoire of Ireland's most famous export that have gained their own following - Alana, Carina, Araglin.
 

Waterford Crystal has become almost a synonym for the finest quality crystal sought after by collectors and connoisseurs around the world. Each piece of Waterford is watermarked with the word "Waterford", a signature indicating the name of the finest crystal in the world.