Twitter is expanding its reaches besides being a social medium for connecting people, getting news and generally a forum for Bieber bashing. Partnering with Crushpad, a winemaker in California, Twitter has launched its own wine titled appropriately enough Fledgling Wine. Two vintages have been issued a 2009 Chardonnay and a 2009 Pinot Noir, which according to the FAQ on the site, appears to be an excellent vintage in California, potentially one of the best of the decade. There is a charitable element to this where US$5 from each bottle sold is donated to Room to Read, an organization that battle illiteracy. So why this foray into the wine industry? From the mouths of the cofounders behind Twitter:

“The Fledgling Initiative embodies two things that are at the core of Twitter's mission: providing access to information and highlighting the power of open communication to bring about positive change. This initiative is just one piece of that approach. Take part in this mission and pre-buy our limited bottles of the wine. You can follow along with our wine-making activities on Twitter and at some points even participate in its creation. For each bottle you buy, $5 will be donated to Room to Read, a transformational non-profit that brings books, libraries and ultimately literacy to people in the poorest areas around the world. The efforts of Room to Read will benefit literacy, and in doing so they'll allow Twitter to grow. Because if you can't read you can't Tweet!”

Maybe I’ve been drinking the Kool-Aid but that seems to actually make some sense to me.

P.S. It wasn’t deliberate on my part to write three bird related posts in a row, Angry Bird stuffed toys, Chicken Battle and now this.

If you were in Hong Kong a few years back, you’d remember that there was a Hello Kitty café near Sogo in Causeway Bay that was pretty popular. I’d always wondered how that works. Hello Kitty doesn’t have a mouth so the food that they offer can’t be stellar. Well, now I’ve got another mystery on my hands. Continuing her quest for world domination where it’s not enough that she has theme parks, themed hospitals, anti-virus software, a Diamond Collection perfume, Hello Kitty is launching her own wine, four different types in fact. The product’s tagline says it all – “Our favorite girl has grown up!”

The wines are produced and bottled in Italy by the family-run Tenimenti Castelrotto or "Torti" vineyards. The four wines are the Angel and Devil Pinot Neros, Brut Rose, and a demi-sec Sweet Pink sparkling wine. The packaging is of course pink with Hello Kitty embarking on some cosplay such as cupid and devil getups as well as high heels and a pink leopard like costume.

Prices range from US$19.99 to US$29.99. Available at the Hello Kitty Wines website come May 1st.

From the creators of Volar and Halo comes Gusto, a little New York inspired cafe in Happy Valley that has quickly gained a following. It offers comfort food such as Mac n Cheese made with three different kinds of cheese, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, meatball subs and smores.

From the 18th until the end of April, Gusto will be featuring wines from the South of France at fabulous prices $50 bucks for a glass of red wine or $80 for two glasses of Domaine Magellan Chardonnay 2006, Domaine Magellan Merlot 2006, Moulin de Gassac Sauvignon Blanc 2007 or Moulin de Gassac Syrah 2007 as well as organising wine tasting sessions.

Gusto Address: No. 41 Yik Yam Street, Happy Valley, Hong Kong