Altima Connoisseur Club Luxury Brands launch Gracida Polo

April 26, 2011 - PRLog -- (Palm Beach---) Legendary polo player Carlos Gracida,  G2 Investment Group and Forbes Private Capital,  invited Altima Connoisseur Club to select five luxury brands representative of the ‘sport of kings’ for the launch of ‘Gracida Polo’.  Gracida Polo, a new company focusing on luxury products, real estate development, athlete management, equestrian products and media partnerships aims at revolutionizing the sport of polo.  The event took place at International Polo Club on Friday April 15, 2011.   The success of the event resulted in Catherine Saxton, organizer of The Prince’s Ball II, to invite participating brands as sponsors of the VIP lounge on Friday May 13, 2011 at Cipriani, New York.  

Carlos Gracida, an icon in the world of polo deferred to the Altima Connoisseur Club to select the perfect brands for his inaugural launch.   “Polo is the most elegant sport in the world.  Gracida Polo will grow to become a major lifestyle brand.” said Carlos Gracida.  Altima International’s Connoisseur Club carefully selected the participation of luxury partners from its illustrious roster of vetted member luxury brands.  

“I am impressed with the quality of the brands representing Gracida Polo.  The caviar is among the best I have had; the wine is superb while extraordinary low in sulfites; the Vodka is particularly smooth and the vicuna and cashmere products are exquisite!  Bravo to Altima and Gracida Polo for putting such great brands together,” said H.R.H. Prince Michel de Yougoslavie.  

Guests indulged in generous servings of Black River Ossetra paired with chilled shots of Emperor Vodka which flowed through an ice luge formed in the image of the Gracida Polo logo.  The Emperor Vodka Martini Bar offered guests an alternative way to sample their exquisite product with an enticing selection of specialty cocktails.  

Domodimonti Wines offered guests an unlimited supply of Monte Fiore and Déjà   ‘natural wines’.  “The wine is superb.  I am looking forward to serving it at my Polo Club in Texas,” said Oscar Bermudez, polo patron and owner of Santa Anita Polo Club.

Luis and Veronica Garcia, principals of Alpa Luxe, purveyors of the finest vicuna and cashmere products in the world, introduced their magnificent collection and presented Robert Forbes with an exquisite Vicuna scarf.  

Zina Mashim, President of Emperors Brand, personally congratulated Carlos Gracida offering him a precious bottle of Giorgio Gucci Cognac, one of 4,000 bottles available worldwide as a ‘special’ gift to commemorate the occasion.  These bottles are engraved in 24k Gold using Fabergé technology.

The illustrious roster of guests included internationally renowned polo players, philanthropists and entrepreneurs who came to support Carlos to celebrate the launch.  Among the guests were Kris Kampsen, Brandon Phillips, Nicolas Roldan, Luis Escobar; polo patrons Marc Ganzi and  Oscar Bermudez; TV reality show personality Robert Riva; journalist and TV producer Sonia Velasquez;  Catherine Saxton, Tommy Morrison, Sarah Scheffer, Anthony and Susan de Paola, Skey Johnston, Robert Forbes, Veronica and Luis Garcia, Diane Kisner, Alfonso Landa, Zina Mashim, Barbara Savini, Amanda van Vorhees, Ximena Cordero, Pat Nesbitt, , Jim Pappas, Whitney Baldwin,  and Jonathan Cameron Hayes.

A high definition video of the tape was recorded by international journalist and TV producer Sonia Velasquez.  Excerpts will be available for viewing after May 1, 2011.


About Black River Caviar
Black River Caviar is among the finest caviar in the world.  The ossetra, produced from farm raised Siberian sturgeon, originally imported as fertilized roe from Russia in 1995, is dedicated to sustainable farming techniques, helping to ensure the longevity of some of the most endangered sturgeon species.  www.blackrivercaviar.com

About Domodimonti
Domodimonti is a boutique winery located on the picturesque countryside of Montefiore dell’Aso in Le Marche, Italy.  Domodimonti’s new state of the art winery designed to generate the least amount of visual and ecological impact on the environment was inaugurated, under the auspices of Dr. Francesco Bellini, accomplished scientist and pioneer in the biotech arena, referred to as ‘the renaissance man’ by Forbes magazine.  His scientific approach and the wine he has produced is a testament to the continuous drive of producing Natural Wine.  www.domodimonti.com

About Emperors Brand
Emperor’s Brand products offer a selection of spirits fit for connoisseurs with a regal palate. Emperor's Brand products, which have graced the American spirits market since May 2007, speak to aficionados with refined tastes. Unique taste and sophistication is the focus of the company. “Each product in Emperor’s Brand portfolio took several years to perfect,” notes Emperor’s Brand President Zina Mashin.  www.emperorsbrand.biz



About Alpa Luxe
Alpaluxe is committed to continuing the ancient tradition of only the finest weaving and knits from Peru, South America. After more than ten years in the wholesale & retail business in the United States, exporting from Peru, the owners of Alpaluxe are proud to present this new collection of exceptional shawls, scarves and hats. Only the very top quality has been carefully selected for this collection. Alpaluxe is proud to continue this heritage of excellence handed down from as far back as 1,200-1,400 AD where the early Pre-Colombian Cultures, produced incredible examples of textiles now exhibited in the most important museums, worldwide. The Inca Empire, from early 13th Century to 1533 reserved their finest garments made of Baby Alpaca, Guanaco and Vicuna, retained for the elite royalty.  Alpa Luxe will soon open it’s flagship boutique in Palm Beach on Worth Avenue. www.alpaluxe.com

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Altima provides strategic relations and marketing services for high-end luxury brands, premium service companies, charitable foundations and real estate developers.