NapaValley

Premiere Napa Valley Results Up

Earlier this month I mentioned that the returns on the Naples Wine Auction were up by around $3 million. More good news in the wine auction world comes from Napa where the Premiere Napa Valley results were up by one third over last year. The 14th annual Premiere Napa Valley auction brought in a total of $1.918 million which was 30 percent more than the previous year. The 2009 auction brought in $1.485 million which was far down from 2008's record-setting total of $2.2455 million.

The 200-lot event took place last weekend and saw a more positive tone than last year's event with bidders snapping up cases of the 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon. Five cases of Shafer went to Winebid.com for $37,000. Another five case allotment from Ovid went to Capitol Cellars for $33,000 and Lewis Cellars sold five cases to Nakagawa Trading Company of Japan for $30,000. Nakagawa Trading for the second-to-the-top bidder spending $179,000 total on wines. Top honors went to Gary Fisch of Gary's Wine in New Jersey who spent $392,000 on 275 cases.

Tags: napa valley, napa valley wine, NapaValley, NapaValleyWine, ovid, premiere napa valley, PremiereNapaValley, shafer, ShaferVineyards, wine auction, WineAuction

Crushpad Hits The Big Time, Moves To Napa

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

Custom winery Crushpad has been in San Francisco for six years but the entrepreneurial start-up will finally have a Napa winery to call its own. The company is moving into a winery in the Oak Knoll District called Silverado Trail Wine Studio. The Wine Studio site is owned by Crushpad's largest wine grape supplier, Premier Pacific Vineyards and includes both a winery and a 25-acre vineyard.

Crushpad will make the move in early March and will continue bottling at its existing San Francisco site through most of February. The San Francisco Business Times reports that Crushpad founder Michael Brill said that the upstart winemaker is getting a presence in Napa for less than the $10-$20 million it normally costs. The company has seen business boom over the past few years(in 2008 Crushpad was able to raise $9 million from loyal customers) and has expanded their offerings to include both California and Bordeaux winemaking opportunities as well as blended wines available for special events like weddings.

Tags: crushpad, custom winemaking, CustomWinemaking, napa valley, NapaValley

Going to Boot Truffle Camp is New Year's Resolution You Meant to Make

by Jonathon Ramsey (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

There are base camps, boot camps, band camps, and low-rent gatherings in faraway locations for every sport known. But what if you want to ditch the grind and shack up somewhere idyllic and secluded so you can really focus on... truffles? What kind of options would you have? As fate – and Chef Ken Frank – would have it, there is exactly one: Truffle Camp in Napa Valley.

Chef Frank is the owner and culinary mind behind Napa's La Toque, one of but a dozen restaurants in the world to have a truffle menu. To begin your initiation into the arcane world of gourmet fungi – and distinguishing your Italian tuber magnatum pico from your French tuber uncinatum – you'll fly to Napa and settle into your room in the in the Westin Verasa. The first night you'll relax, to be ready for your first 3-hour truffle-laden cooking lesson under Chef Frank's tutelage the next morning.

Afterward, Chef will take you on a tour of Long Meadow Ranch to sample the local farm's delicacies. The next day begins with another 3-hour truffle extravaganza, followed by a tour of a private winery and barrel tastings with Chef Frank and La Toque's wine director, Scott Tracy. The evening concludes with an "All Truffle Dinner," paired with Tracy's wine selections. And you're not finished there: to properly prepare you for return to native lands, you'll be fed a truffle omelet breakfast and then plied with goodies to take home.

The camp runs from January 17-19, 2010. No, it doesn't have the awkward tenderness of a few weeks spent in a dorm with the tuba section, but you'll probably enjoy reminiscing about it a great deal more.

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Tags: california, cooking, journey, journeys, ken frank, KenFrank, la toque, LaToque, napa, napa valley, NapaValley, travel, truffle camp, TruffleCamp

Bid On Napa Wine Fantasy Lots

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine, Auctions, Charity

What's your wine fantasy? A lost weekend at a Napa Valley estate with a bunch of close friends? How about spending the day with one of Napa's most celebrated winemakers? These are just two of the lots being offered in advance of Forever Young, The Young School's eleventh annual benefit fundraiser,being held February 6 at Quintessa in Rutherford, California. The evening will include silent and live auctions but some lots are being offered ahead of time www.biddingforgood.com/auction/item/Browse.action

My favorite includes the chance to spend the day with vintner Ehren Jordan, winemaker both of French–style Pinot Noirs and Syrahs from Failla Wines and Zinfandels and Petit Syrahs from Turley Wine Cellars. His typical whirlwind day includes shuttling between Turley and Failla, a commute done via the cockpit of his Cessna 340. You can sit in the co-pilot's seat and get a winemaker's-eye-view of the vineyards, then land and take a walk through the rows. The experience includes a blending session, which will create five cases and one magnum of your own unique wine. This lot has an opening bid of $5,000.

Another lot is called the Bottle Shock Experience and whisks nine couples away for three nights (1/28/2010- 1/31/2010) at a Napa Valley estate where the grounds include a spa, pool, bocce court, gym and more. They stay is highlighted by a private screening at the estate's high-definition theater of the movie Bottle Shock with the movie's producers Marc & Brenda Lhormer, followed by a "Judgment of Paris"-style tasting of California Chardonnays and Cabernets 'versus' French Burgundies and Bordeaux, similar to the one in the film. Bidding starts at $9,000 for this lot.

Tags: napa valley, NapaValley, the young school, TheYoungSchool, wine, wine auction, WineAuction

HALL Wines for the Holidays from Napa Valley

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

As we noted in our recent report about the just-unveiled 2009 Neiman Marcus Christmas Book, one of the most exclusive gifts on offer this year is a HALL Artisan Wine and Art Experience for $20,000, including a bespoke bottling from the renowned artisanal Napa Valley winemaker. If that's out of your range you can still enjoy the HALL experience this holiday season with wines from their Napa Valley Collection. The collection includes HALL's signature Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from select fruit from their five estate vineyards encompassing more than 500 acres. The flagship is the Kathryn Hall Cabernet Sauvignon, a "sumptuous wine that is the amalgam of the finest wines of the vintage." The 2006 Kathryn Hall vintage was sourced predominately from the estate's Sacrashe Vineyard and captures the "deep, dusty essence" of its hilltop site, helping to earn a 95 point rating from Wine Enthusiast.

The Kathryn Hall Cabernet has a nose of effusive, high-toned exotic fruits, truffle, blackberry jam and crushed stone minerality, with a lasting richness and dense sweet texture on the palate. The 2008 Sauvignon Blanc is notable for balanced acidity, ripe, vivid citrus flavor and a clean lingering finish, with aromas of pink grapefruit, lemon-lime, gooseberry, orange blossom and guava. The 2005 Napa Valley Merlot features Intense aromatics of cedar oak accented by scents of roasted coffee beans and a hint of violets and roses. An open, textured palate of ripe briar fruit, dusty mocha and black pepper finishes with a surge of plum and soft tannin. The 2005 HALL Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon shows rich, concentrated aromatics of currant, blackberry, and ripe cherry complemented by hints of toasty oak. Flavors of leather and nutmeg coalesce with plum and vanilla in the concentrated mid-palate and settle into a seductive, chewy finish.

Tags: California, HALL wine, Hall winery, HallWine, HallWinery, Napa Valley, NapaValley, Vineyard

Copia Goes Up For Sale

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

It looks like Copia, the the American Center for Wine, Food and the Arts in Napa Valley, is finally down for the count for good. Its Napa site is being sold by Alvarez & Marsal Real Estate Advisory Services LLC which has been retained by ACA Financial Guaranty Corp. to market and oversee sale of the property. Copia closed last November and filed for bankruptcy. The prime real estate includees 17 acres on the Napa River over three contiguous parcels. It may be sold or leased as a whole or as individual pieces.

The Copia building is a two-story, 78,632-square-foot building that includes a teaching kitchen and rooms for exhibits and the grounds include expansive gardens. The Napa nonprofit was the dream of wine great Robert Mondavi who envisioned it as a centerpiece for the wine tourism industry in Napa Valley. No sale price has been listed and it's not clear if it will be used again as a tourist destination although the size and design of the facility doesn't lend it to many other purposes.

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Tags: bankruptcy, copia, napa valley, NapaValley, wine, wine tourism, WineTourism

Just Imagine, School Fundraising Napa Style

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine, Events, Charity

They do fundraising a bit different in the small town of St. Helena in the Napa Valley. Just Imagine, the joint fundraiser which benefits all St. Helena public schools, takes place next Saturday September 26 at The Culinary Institute of America in St. Helena and features an evening of dinner, dancing and auctions for $150. The Just Imagine auction catalog includes live auction items like a trip to Bordeaux that features a lunch with Michel Rolland, a girl's poker night atop Spring Mountain at Erna Schein Winery and David Abreu's Macho Magnums (40 magnums of Cabernet Sauvignons from Napa Valley's most famous names, all from the 2005 vintage, donated by David Abreu). Or how about a family food and gardening adventure from chef Michael Chiarello. The daylong family adventure will explore different aspects of foods we eat (farming, animal care, gardening or foraging), and will culminate in cooking with those foods.

You don't need to be at the event to purchase one-of-a-kind 'buy-a-spot lots,' that include a cocktail party for 50 hosted by Erle and Kristin Martin, an afternoon of hiking Mt. St. Helena, dining and wine tasting for 30 hosted by Spottswoode and Amici Vineyards, a holiday caroling event for 10 families hosted by Salvestrin Winery and the music teachers of St. Helena or a special showing of Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory at The Cameo Cinema featuring Woodhouse Chocolate. Tickets vary depending on the adventure.

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Tags: just imagine, JustImagine, napa valley, NapaValley, st helena, StHelena

Kirkland Ranch Winery Has A New Life As A Custom Crush Facility

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

Earlier this year I wrote about Napa Valley's Kirkland Ranch Winery. The winery failed to sell at auction and eventually faced foreclosure. But now the winery has a new life as a custom crush facility, processing grapes for a variety of wineries.

Custom crush winery Bin to Bottle has been contracted to operate the facility now known as Valley Gate Vineyards, It has a capacity of 3,300 tons, with more than 250,000 gallons of tank storage and another 250,000 gallons of barrel storage available. Bin to Bottle will take over the facility immediately and crush for the 2009 harvest. Wines & Vines speculates that the facility may be key to Napa Valley this season because many growers are facing having fewer customers for their crops. What was once a seller's market has changed and grape prices have fallen. If growers can't sell their grapes for a desirable price another option can be to make wine from the grapes and then hold onto it until prices improve.

Valley Gate Vineyards is also looking at adding other services including a distilled spirits plant, wine storage and a bottling line. There is no plan for a Valley Gate Vineyards in-house brand.

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Tags: custom crush, CustomCrush, kirkand ranch winery, KirkandRanchWinery, napa valley, NapaValley, wine

Milliken Creek Inn & Spa

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Spas

A recent article in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat reported that wine tourism in Napa Valley is down but that makes it a great time to visit, because it's less crowded. One place to get the complete Napa experience a bit off the beaten path is at the Milliken Creek Inn & Spa. The five-star luxury inn offers a tranquil retreat amidst redwood trees and Japanese maples, quiet courtyards, ponds, lush gardens, and a waterfall terrace. The property is located on the outskirts of Napa Valley and has romantic rooms with canopy beds and offers indlugent treats such as a riverside massage.

The inn serves a complimentary gourmet breakfast with guests' choice of several items prepared on property plus fresh pastries from Bouchon Bakery with coffees from Dean & DeLuca. Picnic lunches are available to eat on the property or take with you on your day's adventures. And best of all there is Magic Hour, a daily wine tasting for guests of the Inn. Wineries from across the valley come each night at sunset to share their latest offerings. Epicurean cheeses, artisan breads, and crudités are also served in the lobby of the Inn. Milliken has a strict "no-kids" policy and staffers can arrange for romantic adventures for couples including a hot air balloon ride.

Guestrooms include a 42" Plasma TV/DVD player, Bose Wave CD player, complimentary sodas and Voss water, king-size bed with down comforters and pillows, double spa therapy tub and gas fireplaces. The Milliken Vintners Vacation Package is named for a private tasting at Vintners Collective, where guests also sample anti pastas and cheeses carefully selected to enhance the flavors of each reserve. Vintners Collective brings together 18 winemakers into one beautiful tasting room in Napa's oldest stone building. The package starts at $320 per night.

Gallery: Milliken Creek Inn & Spa

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Tags: napa, napa valley, NapaValley, wine tourism, wine vacation, WineTourism, WineVacation

Wilson Daniels Starts Second Season Of Wine Films

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

Have you started making videos with the iPhone 3G-S yet? Wine sales and marketing agency Wilson Daniels Ltd. has, taking their iPhones and other cameras out into vineyards around the world for the second volume of online wine films in the Wilson Daniels Films documentary series. Bret Lyman, filmmaker and proprietor of B.Napa Studio, who created the Wilson Daniels Films series last year is back this summer to expand the series of short films to include California and Oregon producers. Wilson Daniels fans, friends and followers can experience the filmmaking process by watching outtakes, reviewing scene shots, and picking their favorite landscape panoramics and people shots through Facebook and Twitter. Wine enthusiasts visiting Napa Valley and Oregon's Willamette Valley during film dates can also attend filming activities like a sunrise balloon ride with the filmmaker and winery owner, grape harvesting with the picking crews and editing parties at tasting rooms. Those interested in participating are encouraged to join the Facebook group for Wilson Daniels Wines or follow them on Twitter.

Filming will occur August 17–18 at Ponzi Vineyards and August 20–21 at WillaKenzie Estate. October filming dates for Clos Pegase and Silverado Vineyards will be announced in early September at Wilson Daniels Wines on Facebook.

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Tags: films, napa valley, NapaValley, wilson daniels, WilsonDaniels, wine

Feasting Italian Style At V. Sattui Winery

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine, Events

An Italian style summer feast is scheduled for this Saturday, July 25, in the Napa Valley town of St. Helena. The 15th Annual Festa Italiana at V. Sattui Winery is a celebration which began as a thank-you event for the winery's customers and has evolved into an evening of fine wine, fine food and general merriment. The event is held in the winery's Oak Grove and will feature music by Italica, a group of Bay Area Italian musicians. The ample menu includes antipasti, roasted wild boar, grilled tri-tip, fresh salmon, pastas, salads, tiramisu and biscotti. Angelo Ibleto from Angelo's Smokehouse in Petaluma is roasting a wild boar which he will parade through the event before serving it. He is also making sausages and grilling the tri-tip for the occasion.

And of course there will be plenty of V. Sattui wine on hand. The event will mark the premier of the 2007 Gilsson Vineyard Zinfandel. This is the first time that winemaker Brooks Painter has made this wine from this vineyard in the Russian River appellation. The wine is a bold, fruit-forward Zin, with abundant berry and spice aromas, perfect for pairing with the grilled meats being served at the Festa. Tickets are $75 per person for the public and $65 per person for members of Sattui's Cellar Club. More info available on the V. Sattui website.

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Tags: events, feasting, napa valley, NapaValley, v. sattui, V.Sattui, winery

Recession Bites The Auction Napa Valley

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine, Auctions, Charity

The Santa Rosa Democrat reports from the Auction Napa Valley wine auction this weekend and reveals that the news isn't good. As expected the recession took a chunk out of the charity giving for this annual event. The big live auction event on Saturday night only brought in $4.3 million, less than half of the $10.4 million raised last year, a result that is similar to the Naples auction earlier this year. During the four-day event, Napa Valley Vintners raised $5.7 million for a variety of local charities.

The Santa Rosa Democrat article quotes several bidders who said that they were bidding more conservatively because they had either lost money in the past year or had serious concerns about their ongoing financial health. Bids were also lower because competition was less intense and some may have been concerned about appearing too showy. All of the Auction Napa Valley events were sold out, indicating that people still have interest in this event. Even though they did't spend like they did last year and it sounds like a good time was still had by all.

The Napa Valley Vintners pledged back in 2007 that for the next five years the the auction would distribute a minimum of $5 million a year to the charities including Community Health Clinic Ole, Boys & Girls Clubs and Napa Valley Community Housing.

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Tags: auction napa valley, AuctionNapaValley, charity, napa valley, NapaValley, wine, wine auction, WineAuction

Auction Napa Valley Goes On Without Celebrity Host

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine, Auctions

This year's Auction Napa Valley takes place this weekend and some are wondering what effect the recession will have on the lavish affair. After all, this year's Naples Winter Wine Auction in Naples, Florida over the winter brought in just over $5 million compared around $14 million last year. The 29th annual Auction Napa Valley takes place on the lawn at the beautiful Meadowood Napa Valley and features the usual assortment of fine barrel lots, travel adventures and winemaker dinners but one thing missing will be the celebrity auctioneer. Last year Jay Leno did the duty as host and past emcees included Ryan Seacrest and Dana Carvey. Instead, the Santa Rosa Democrat reports that the event will be "loosely emceed" by wine educator Kevin Zraly.

Auction Napa Valley benefits local health, children's and housing organizations, including Community Health Clinic Ole, Boys & Girls Clubs and Napa Valley Community Housing. Last year it brought in $10.4 million but likely won't hit a number quite that high this year as most people have cut back on both their philanthropy and their pleasure spending.

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Tags: auction napa valley, AuctionNapaValley, napa valley, NapaValley, wine auction, WineAuction

Wine Tasting: Fantesca Cabernet Sauvignon

by Laura Malesich (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

Summer may be within reach but no matter the season a great bottle of Cabernet always hits the spot. Fantesca's 2004 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon soothes your stress away and satiates your wine desires with notes of deep earth and rich fruit. The combination of chocolate cherries, cassis and warms the soul while a hint of earth-scented spice perks up the palate. Fantesca Estate on Spring Mountain is known for its superb sun exposure and long growing season offered by the elevation and hilly terrain which makes for high quality wines with a lasting impression. With only 800 cases produced the $65 bottle is certainly worth purchasing. If you prefer to cellar it you can count on fifteen or more wonderful years of drinking pleasure.

*Disclosure: This bottle was provided as a sample*

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Tags: cabernet sauvignon, CabernetSauvignon, fantesca, fantesca cabernet, fantesca wine, FantescaCabernet, FantescaWine, napa, napa valley, NapaValley

Is Now The Time To Buy Screaming Eagle?

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

For years getting onto the mailing lists for Napa Valley's big fruit bomb cult Cabernet Sauvignons has been no easy feat. You practically have to sell your soul to get your paws on Screaming Eagle or some of the other wines with the limited allocation and the highest reputations. But now, as Bloomberg's Elin McCoy puts it: the recession is making room for you. Those on the lists are dumping their allocations to save money and only purchasing from a few select favorites. Even restaurants are paring back their usual bottle grabs because the clientele is staying away from the deep end of the wine list.

If you believe in the long-term value of these wines now might be the time to grab a few and cellar them. Currently those who flip their allocations aren't finding a hot market for the wine but if you can hold onto them for a few years and the name brands regain their value you might have a nice investment on your hands.

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Tags: cabernet sauvignon, CabernetSauvignon, napa valley, NapaValley, screaming eagle, ScreamingEagle, wine