Parallel Wines: Napa’s Latest “Cab” A Natural for Celebrating The Ski Season and Toasting Torino

The partners of Parallel Wines – ski buddies for the past twenty years – are excited to introduce their new wine, just in time for the height of the ski season and the Olympics. Fine wine and skiing have always been a great match for après ski. That dynamic combination has truly come to life with the launch of Parallel Wines (www.parallelwines.com). Named for the parallels between the wine and the ski worlds and the classic dual lines cut by skis on the first run of the day, Parallel Wine is a new Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon with a distinctive ski track design on its label.
Crafted by top winemaker Philippe Melka, recently named the 2005 Winemaker of the Year by Food & Wine magazine, in collaboration with highly acclaimed vineyard manager, Jim Barbour, Parallel Wine was conceived by a eight close friends from Park City.

“We all met skiing twenty years ago and have shared many glasses of wine, so it’s fitting that Parallel Wines celebrate what brought us together,” shares Mac MacQuoid, one of the Parallel Wine partners. “People who love skiing love a great glass of wine. After a special day on the slopes, we want friends to gather around a fire and enjoy a glass of Parallel while they cheer on the USA in Torino.”

The premiere release of the wine, Parallel 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley. is a blend of grapes from Howell Mountain and Calistoga in Napa Valley. It’s priced at $44 per 750 ml bottle, marking it the first time that Melka and Barbour – generally known for their higher priced offerings - have collaborated on a wine that is both affordable and available to the general public. It is a blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon and 18% Merlot and is a wine with deep color that exhibits a beautiful bouquet of black currants, blackberries, dried herbs, smoke, vanilla and Asian spices. The mouthfeel is generous and packed with ripe flavors of rich cherry jam and black fruits. It finishes with dense tannins, and a wonderful licorice character. According to Melka, “This wine is distinctive and reflects a sense of harmony and sophistication.”

The first release of Parallel is currently sold in ski area wine shops and restaurants in the Intermountain West and in California and New Jersey/New York. It is available online for shipment where legal at www.parallelwines.com.

For more information on Parallel, visit www.parallelwines.com. Editors contact Kimberly Charles of Charles Communications Associates at (415) 701 9463 or kcharles@charlescomm.com. Photos are available upon request.

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