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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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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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*

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.

Sadly another of Robert Mondavi's legacies is in trouble. The Napa Valley food and wine center Copia went into liquidation recently and now Taste3, the annual conference celebrating food and wine, is on hold. Taste3 is sponsored by the Robert Mondavi Winery and brings food writers, chefs, winemakers and other artisans together each year for a weekend of talks and tastings. The conference depends on both sponsorships and having plenty of buyers for the tickets, which in 2008 cost $1950 for the weekend. The current economy has proved to be a challenge for many festivals and events and Taste3 would also have to find a new venue now that Copia is closed. The next Taste3 is planned for 2010.

Last month I wrote about the auction of the Kirkland Ranch Winery in Napa Valley. It looks like the Western-themed winery will be on the market a little bit longer. It failed to attract a successful bidder during a sealed-bid auction which had a a minimum bid of $22 million. International Wine Associates, which is a financial adviser to owner Kirkland Knightsbridge LLC, says that is "less than half of the previous value" of the property. The winery has been on the market for a while but due to the credit crunch has been unable to find a buyer.

There were a few bids but none over the reserve prices of $22 million for the 69-acre winery property or $26 million for the winery plus an additional 186 acres. It will now go back on the traditional market and continue to seek a buyer but they may need to reduce the price again in order to get it sold.

A month ago I wrote about trouble for Napa Valley's Copia: The American Center for Wine, Food and the Arts. Since then it's gotten a lot worse. The Sacramento Bee reports that a federal bankruptcy court judge has blocked attempts by the center to a $2 million emergency loan so that it can stay open while it tries to reorganize $80 million in debts. The decision means that Copia which closed at the start of December will stay closed and programs will probably be canceled. In an email to the Bee, , chief executive Garry McGuire said that "the organization will wind down and be dissolved eventually." The non-profit has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection from creditors.

Copia's tax-exempt bonds were insured in case the non-profit ever went bankrupt and the bond insurer, ACA Financial Guaranty Corp. of New York is interested in beginning foreclosure proceedings. They have accused Copia insiders of trying to enrich themselves at the expense of bondholders with a bankruptcy filing and proposed $28 million building sale but that deal is unlikely to go through now.

Custom wine facility Crushpad has a unique answer to the financial crisis, Bailout Wine. The wine is a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon which will sell for $39 per bottle. But what makes this wine with the bear and bull label so unique is that for every 100-point drop in the Dow Jones from the date of purchase to the projected bottling date of August 14 2009, Crushpad will knock another $2 off the bottle. If the Dow rebounds the $39 price stands. Only 500 cases of Bailout will be produced but the company could still take a hit if the Dow tumbles. For example if you bought when the Dow was at 8,800 and then on August 14, 2009 it closes at 7,300 (let's hope not) you would pay just $9 a bottle and get your $30 back. The wine will be shipped after it is bottled in Summer 2009.

[via Decanter]