Charles Communication Associates' Latest News
Diam To Host Panel of Wine Industry Experts
16 November, 2009
Wine Industry Experts are Intent on Finding the Real Level of Bottle Variation in the US November 18, 2009
Panel of industry stakeholders and analysts are being convened to design a trial that will, once and for all, provide unequivocal data showing the true level of bottle variation on retailer’s shelves.
San Francisco CA, November 16, 2009 – Technical wine closure producer Diam will fund a major research study to provide the first quantitative data on the level of bottle variation among the best-selling wines in the United States. Discussion at a blue ribbon industry panel gathering on November 18th will focus on developing relevant and meaningful parameters for this groundbreaking study. Leaders from every facet of the wine industry including retailers, master sommeliers, winemakers, researchers, along with trade journalists, have been invited to frame what will be one of the more revelatory studies about closures in the wine business.
The meeting will be held at the Intercontinental Hotel in downtown San Francisco. Among the expected attendees are Bruce Cass, editor of the Oxford Companion to the Wines of North America; John Cunningham, Senior Manager of Research and Development and Process Improvement at G3 Enterprises; Karen Fletcher, Wine Buyer for Fresh & Easy; Tim Gaiser, MS, Education Chair for the American Chapter of the Court of Master Sommeliers; Jamie Goode, Wine Columnist for the UK’s The Sunday Express; Neal Hagiwara, Senior Manager, Corporate Quality at G3 Enterprises; Helen McGinn, Director of PR/Marketing at Copestick Murray, a UK-based global wine business; David Stevens, Senior Consultant at Davon International; and Wilfred Wong, Director of Ecommerce at Beverages & More.
Commenting on the statistical significance of the study will be Humboldt State University Professor Emeritus Robert T. Hodgson, author of the scientific paper An Analysis of the Concordance Among 13 U.S. Wine Competitions, published in the Spring 2009 Journal of Wine Economics.
The research study proposes to purchase the best selling wines in the USA bottled in 750mL for technical and organoleptic analysis of bottle variation. From this, a report exploring the costs to the American wine trade of bottle variation will be authored by an independent source.
Details of the discussion will be released on December 1, 2009.
This meeting is organized by San Francisco-based marketing communications firm Charles Communications Associates (CCA) in conjunction with UK-based Cube Communications and Diam-USA. The Intercontinental Hotel was selected for its shared commitment with Diam and CCA to green initiatives; the hotel applied for and will receive LEED status in 2010.
About Diam
Globally, DIAM is the leading technical cork closure with value sales of $82M in 2008, and enjoyed an 8.5 percent increase in US market share in 2008. Diam is committed to engaging with winemakers, retailers and distributors to drive awareness of current issues and to ensure all key stakeholders start to ‘think’ about the benefits of the closure options available.
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DeLoach Vineyards & Academy of Art University Create Art
16 November, 2009
DeLoach Vineyards and Academy of Art University in San Francisco Join Forces to Create New Art
Winery hosts art students and professors in unique community partnership
Russian River Valley, CA November 16, 2009-Boisset Family Estates is pleased to announce another unique collaboration with the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. Art inspired by and created at DeLoach Vineyards' bucolic location in California's Russian River Valley by Academy of Art University students and professors is now on display at the winery and available for purchase. Proceeds from the sale of the DeLoach-inspired art are directed to the artist with a portion allocated to the Academy of Art University's scholarship program.
"In the wine world, we talk about terroir – the land – as inspiration for great wine, which I believe is also great art. To share the same terroir that inspired me to want to make Pinot Noir wine in America with the talented artists from the Academy of Art University has been a wonderful experience," shares Jean-Charles Boisset, President of Boisset Family Estates and Proprietor of DeLoach Vineyards. “We feel privileged to have the exceptional work of these local artists enriching the winery; we hope that by offering the winery as a gallery for their work, more people will be exposed to their art and the immense creativity and passion that emanates from the Academy of Art.”
Over 80 pieces of art were created as part of this project. Mediums were diverse – from oil on canvas paintings to mixed media sculptures with steel and recycled wine bottles. To further encourage the artists' creativity, DeLoach offered items such as cow horns, an essential part of the vineyard's biodynamic preparation, and 10 Liter barrels from its new barrel-to-barrel program as materials for sculptures and canvases for painting. The painted barrels have generated so much excitement that discussions are currently underway to bring these into interested on-premise accounts. DeLoach Vineyards and the Academy of Art University announced this program with a gallery opening and week-long exhibit at 79 Gallery in San Francisco's SoMa district in mid-September. Today, the art adorns the walls of the winery and will remain there indefinitely. An online gallery of all the artwork is also available online here. DeLoach’s history of partnering with The Academy of Art University began in 2007 with a scholarship competition for students from all Academy disciplines that repurposed the eco-friendly packaging material from French rabbit, Boisset’s 1 Liter vintage-dated, premium wine in Tetra Prisma containers. In 2008 a graduate Graphics Arts class at The Academy of Arts University completed a semester-long project in which they created a multi-media presentation for DeLoach’s proprietor, Jean-Charles Boisset, to present at CompostModern 2008 highlighting Boisset’s commitment to sustainability that extends from its organic farming methods to pioneering efforts in wine packaging. Earlier this year, DeLoach Vineyards commissioned Peter Schifrin, Director of the School of Fine Art Sculpture at the Academy of Art University, to create a sculpture for the winery's picnic area. Schifrin’s sculpture, Earth and Sky, is an eighteen-foot bronze monument celebrating the human spirit in its relationship to the earth and its celestial skies. Sculptor Schifrin describes, "DeLoach Vineyards is committed to biodynamic agriculture which embraces a spiritual, organic, and scientific relationship with farming. It nourishes and heals the earth. My sculpture is created as a symbol honoring that effort. I offer works as visual mnemonics affirming life -- reminders to seize the day." DeLoach Vineyards has been undergoing a conversion from conventional to biodynamic farming and will release its first biodynamic wine in 2010 from the property.
About DeLoach Vineyards
DeLoach Vineyards has been making terroir-driven wines in the Russian River Valley since 1975 and is a pioneer in Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Zinfandel. In late 2003, Boisset Family Estates, the U.S. importer for family-owned Boisset, La Famille des Grands Vins, purchased DeLoach Vineyards, citing the Russian River Valley as California’s most expressive terroir for cultivating Burgundian varietals. Since joining the Boisset family of wineries, DeLoach has reduced production and improved quality, expanded its allocated single-vineyard program, and converted its estate vineyards to a rigorous organic and biodynamic farming regiment, receiving CCOF Organic Certification in 2008. DeLoach has adopted green practices throughout the winery, using an innovative membrane bio-reactor to purify water from wine-making to be re-used in the vineyards. Located at 1791 Olivet Road in Santa Rosa, the DeLoach Vineyards tasting room and organic garden are open to the public daily from 10:00 am to 5:00 p.m. For more information, visit www.deloachvineyards.com.
About Peter Schifrin
Peter Schifrin has created several large-scale public commissions including twelve-foot bronze, Play Sky in Sonoma County (2009), twenty-foot bronze Full Sky for award-winning Junto Farm in New York (2008), bronze Coyotes in downtown San Jose, bronze Firefighter in San Ramon, nine-foot bronze Wounded Man for the city of San Mateo’s Performing Arts Center and two twenty-two foot bronze monuments Confluence and Skyward at 491 Post Street in San Francisco, commissioned by the Academy of Art University. Schifrin is represented by Sculptursite Gallery in San Francisco and New Leaf Gallery in Sonoma, and is also Director of the School of Fine Art Sculpture at the Academy of Art University. His work is highlighted in a hardcover monograph, Love and Fear: The Sculpture of Peter Schifrin with an accompanying film on DVD. Schifrin received his MFA in sculpture from Boston University and his BA from San Jose State University. Schifrin was a member of the 1984 U. S. Olympic Team in Fencing and was inducted into San Jose State University's Sports Hall of Fame in 2008. Please view his work at www.peterschifrin.com and www.mudpoet.com.
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Domaine Carneros wins Great American Wine Award
29 October, 2009
Domaine Carneros Brut Vintage wins Food & Wine Magazine's Great American Wine Award October 2009
Carneros, CA - In a ceremony at the elegant Meadowood Resort in Napa Valley earlier this month, Domaine Carneros was honored with Food & Wine Magazine's annual American Wine Award for Best American Sparkling Wine. One of only nine wines over $20 selected and the only sparkling wine honored, the 2005 Domaine Carneros Brut ($26) is crafted from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes from the now CCOF-certified estate vineyards of Domaine Carneros, which number over 300 acres.
Selected by an august panel of 33 top sommeliers and retailers from around the country, this was the 12th annual event that spotlights America's best wines as well as most promising new winery, importer of the year and winemaker of the year, among other categories. The panel included Annette Alvarez-Peters, Gillian Ballance, Trey Beffa, Chris Blanchard, Andy Chabot, Bill Floyd, Shannon Fristoe, Darryl Joannides, Michael Jordan, Michael Kaminski, Peter Kasperski, John Lancaster, Kerrin Laz, Laura Maniec, Dan McCarthy, Kevin Mohalley, Jay Murrie, Jeremy Noye, Rajat Parr, Jesse Rodriguez, Jim Rollston, Lisa Rongren, Jesse Salazar, Margaux Singleton, David Stevens, Bernard Sun, Todd Thrasher, Gerald Weisl, Karen Williams, Jeffrey Wolfe, Wilfred Wong, J. Jeffrey Wooddy and Sebastian Zutant.
The collective tasting note for the 2005 Domaine Carneros Brut read, "A ringer for a very good Champagne from a ripe year. This Pinot Noir-dominated blend by head winemaker Eileen Crane, aged for three years in Domaine Carneros's Napa cellars, is dry-even austere-when first poured. But it takes on flesh and weight in the glass, soon brimming with classic notes of pear, brioche and yellow apple and revealing a fine, full, mid-palate creaminess."
Crafted by CEO and founding winemaker, Eileen Crane, the 2005 Brut represents her 18th vintage of her 22 years with the winery. Considered America's doyenne of sparkling wine production, Crane has also spearheaded the conversion of the property's estate vineyards to CCOF certification, which was official in December 2007. In 2003, she also installed what was then the largest photovoltaic solar collection system of any winery in the world. Upon receiving the award this year, Crane stated, "This is a great acknowledgement of the quality and finesse we've been able to achieve for Californian sparkling wine. It's wonderful to see the judges recognize our team's hard work and achievement."
About Domaine Carneros
Domaine Carneros is a boutique, family-owned winery founded by Champagne Taittinger in 1987. The winery handcrafts sparkling and still wines of extraordinary quality: a super-premium vintage Brut, a luxury Blanc de Blancs called Le Rêve, a Brut Rosé called Cuvée de la Pompadour and the Domaine Carneros Estate Pinot Noir. Domaine Carneros is located in the picturesque Carneros AVA, the first American appellation to be defined according to microclimate rather than along political lines. Carneros shares a portion of both Sonoma and Napa Counties at their southern ends. The Carneros region is best known for its cool climate and maritime influences, making it the perfect terroir to grow Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, two of the essential varietals in the award-winning sparkling wines from Domaine Carneros. Domaine Carneros is the first and only American sparkling wine producer with 100% certified organic estate vineyards.
Domaine Carneros is open daily from 10:00 am until 6:00 pm and is located at 1240 Duhig Road (off Highway 121), four miles southwest of Napa and six miles southeast of Sonoma. Visit www.domainecarneros.com for more information. For media inquiries, please contact Charles Communications Associates at press@charlescomm.com or 415-701-9463. For a full summary of the awards given, please visit http://www.foodandwine.com/articles/american-wine-awards-2009.
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ForeFront Wines by Pine Ridge Vineyards Launched
28 October, 2009
ForeFront Wines by Pine Ridge Vineyards launched
Saluting a spirit of exploration
October 28, 2009 - Napa, CA - A series of three new wines christened ForeFront have been released appropriately during harvest 2009 by the Crimson Wine Group, consisting of sister wineries Pine Ridge Vineyards (Napa Valley), Chamisal Vineyards (Edna Valley) and Archery Summit (Willamette Valley). Inspired by the spirit of wine industry pioneer Gary Andrus who, together with his wife Nancy, established Pine Ridge Vineyards in 1978 in the legendary district of Stags Leap in Napa Valley, as well as Archery Summit Vineyards in Willamette Valley in 1993. The wines are infused with the same foresight and innovation that the Andruses brought to the wine industry in its nascent days in the U.S. market. The Andruses were among the first to encourage tight vine spacing in the vineyard, implement gravity flow in the cellar, and hire a female winemaker in the 1970s, among many other innovations that have now become industry standards.
Not bound by convention or geographic boundaries, the sourcing for these wines includes a diverse selection of top American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) up and down the west coast, including the Napa Valley where Pine Ridge has established its reputation, the Willamette Valley, Dry Creek, El Dorado and the Edna Valley, where Chamisal Vineyards was the first vineyard planted in the region. The portfolio of ForeFront wines includes a Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir. Attractively priced in the $16-$24 per 750 ml bottle range, these wines offer the quality and reputation of the winemaking at Pine Ridge, at a price point that makes these wines accessible every day.
The 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon from one of the best vintages in three decades in California is blended with Syrah from El Dorado and Edna Valley as well as small amounts of classic Bordeaux varieties sourced from the 225 estate acres from five different AVAs owned by Pine Ridge in Napa. The diversity of appellations and varieties combine to create a wine that is thoroughly modern in style and complex in structure. The 2008 Sauvignon Blanc is a blend of fruit from the Dry Creek and Napa AVAs which offer contrasting styles that ultimately serve a Sauvignon Blanc well, namely distinct aromatics, racy acidity and a rich mouth feel. The 2008 Pinot Noir, 100% Willamette Valley sourced, primarily the Dundee Hills AVA, is a classic expression of Oregon Pinot Noir with an emphasis on red fruits and supple tannins. For more information on the wines including a video overview please visit http://forefrontwines.com/wines.html.
Crafted by noted winemaker Michael Beaulac, who is at the home vineyard of Pine Ridge, these wines express the art of blending and the deep knowledge that Beaulac has working with these varietals in over 20 years of winemaking at Laurier, Murphy Goode, Markham and most recently St. Supery. These wines are being released this October in select US markets including CA, NY, NJ, TX, MA, FL, IL, MN, AZ, CO, GA, NV, OR, MI, OH, DC, SC and NC with a national rollout expected over the next year.
For samples, images and media information, please contact Kendall Johnson at Charles Communications Associates kendall@charlescomm.com or 415 701 9463 www.charlescomm.com.
California Winegrape Vineyards Are Eco-Friendly
15 October, 2009
New Study Reveals High Use Of Environmentally-Friendly Practices In California Winegrape Vineyards
SAN FRANCISCO, CA -The California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance (CSWA) has released a report funded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) revealing that 101 winegrowers surveyed throughout California have a remarkably high level of adoption of sustainable vineyard management practices. Complete survey results are detailed in the report titled, "Understanding Adoption and Impacts of Sustainable Practices: Sustainable Winegrowing Program Participants' Survey," and is available online.
About 60 percent of the 101 surveyed winegrowers reported using 10 or more of the 16 environmentally friendly farming practices included in the study. The six most-used practices, adopted by 80 percent or more of the growers, include
regular monitoring of pest insects and/or diseases;
use of reduced risk pesticides;
reduced tillage or no-till approaches;
conservation of natural vegetation on vineyard property;
leaf pulling; and
planting cover crops in the vineyard.
Winegrowers offered a variety of reasons for adopting these vineyard practices, with the most common being concern about the environmental impacts of their farming operations, including conservation of natural resources, such as soil. The economic benefits of the practices are important to growers. Monitoring for pests and diseases; monitoring water use; planting cover crops; and reducing tillage are all associated with significant cost savings. Several practices, such as leaf pulling, also improve the quality of winegrapes.
Almost half of the growers expressed an interest in adopting alternative energy sources such as solar or wind powered systems, but high capital costs and potentially long payback periods are mentioned as deterrents. Many are interested in releasing beneficial insects or planting more habitat such as hedgerows, but feel constrained by lack of knowledge and experience. Finding viable alternatives to chemical weed control and improving water conservation are also high on the priority list of those surveyed.
Many of the grower participants praised the Sustainable Winegrowing Program for helping them learn about more sustainable farming practices. Constructive suggestions offered for the future direction of the program include an emphasis on increasing public awareness about issues of sustainability in farming and encouraging the purchase of winegrapes and wine produced with sustainable winegrowing practices.
The NFWF requested the 2008 study to learn the motivations for why California winegrowers use environmentally sustainable farming practices, the extent to which they use these practices and the impacts of these practices on their vineyard operations. NFWF believes the survey information can be useful to growers who have not yet tried these sustainable practices, those who have already adopted the practices, program planners and educators in this field, and policy-makers interested in agriculture. The survey was conducted by University of California Davis researchers in collaboration with CSWA. Survey participants were winegrowers who participated in the CSWA program.
In early 2010, CSWA also plans to publish a comprehensive 2009-10 Progress Report on the California wine community's adoption and target goals of the best practices related to the 500-page Code of Sustainable Winegrowing workbook. More than 1,500 vintners and growers - representing approximately 60% of the state's wine case production and vineyard acreage - have self-assessed their operations at 125 introductory workshops. More than 5,500 vintners and growers have attended 135 targeted education workshops.
About the CSWA's Sustainable Winegrowing Program
The Sustainable Winegrowing Program is a ground-breaking statewide initiative that encourages and enables growers and vintners to adopt the highest standards of sustainable winegrowing practices. The program was established in 2002 as a partnership between Wine Institute and the California Association of Winegrape Growers. For more information, visit www.sustainablewinegrowing.org.
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Boisset, Wine.com & EarthEra Debut Eco Wine Trio
7 October, 2009
WINE.COM DEBUTS ECO WINE TRIO; FINE WINES BUILDING A CLEAN ENERGY FUTURE
Partnership with Boisset Family Estates and EarthEra directs 10 percent of proceeds to build new renewable energy projects in the United States
SAN FRANCISCO, CA, October 7, 2009 – Wine.com, the leading online wine retailer, today debuts its Eco Wine Trio. The exclusive product offers three premium red wines from Boisset Family Estates, the first fine wines available in revolutionary PET1 bottles in the U.S. These custom-designed PET bottles feature a unique oxygen-barrier that ensures wine quality and taste. The bottles also weigh 90 percent less and have a 50 percent lower carbon footprint than traditional wine bottles.
The retail price of the Wine.com Eco Wine Trio is $29.99. As part of Wine.com’s and Boisset Family Estate’s commitment to a clean energy future they have partnered with EarthEra. Through the unique EarthEra program, Wine.com will direct 10 percent of the retail price of the Eco Wine Trio to the EarthEra Renewable Energy Trust. All funds accumulated in the Trust will be used solely to build new, renewable energy projects in the United States. In addition, EarthEra will carbon balance the shipments of the Eco Wine Trio from the winery to the customer.
The Wine.com Eco Wine Trio is presented in a gift box produced of 100 percent recycled packaging. The premium red wines included in the trio are:
Fog Mountain 2006 California Merlot: 100 percent Merlot sourced from prime growing areas throughout California result in black cherry, dusty chocolate and blackberry flavors finishing soft with ripe plum notes. This wine is packaged in the first 1 liter PET bottle for wine in the US. One liter offers 33 percent more wine than a standard 750ml bottle.
Louis Bernard 2007 Bonus Passus Côtes du Rhône AOC: a spicy, Grenache-based red from the Rhône Valley that is well-balanced with red-berry fruit flavors and a long finish.
Yellow Jersey 2007 Pinot Noir: a fruity red from the South of France with blackcurrant aromas, soft tannins and a silky finish.
“Wine.com is excited to be partnering with two forward thinking leaders – Boisset Family Estates and EarthEra – to create an eco-friendly premium product,” said Michael Osborn, Wine.com Founder and Vice President of Merchandising. “We have been hard at work, lowering our environmental impact by placing warehouses close to our customers and by using 100 percent recycled and recyclable packaging, made from 85 percent post-consumer waste. The Eco Wine Trio is yet another way to make enjoying wine better for the planet.”
The Eco Wine Trio features wines from Boisset Family Estates, a leader in sustainable practices from vineyard to bottle. To continue the tradition begun in the organically and biodynamically-farmed estate vineyards, Boisset introduced alternative packaging that further reduces the wine’s carbon footprint through its life cycle. “We believe that it is vital to consider the environmental impact of wine through the entire supply chain, and to find solutions that reduce our carbon footprint while offering high-quality and value to our customers,” says Boisset Family Estates President, Jean-Charles Boisset.
Through its partnership with EarthEra, Wine.com is balancing the carbon impact of all shipments of the Eco Wine Trio and provides consumers a way to contribute to a clean energy future. “EarthEra is excited to be part of this initiative with Wine.com and Boisset Family Estates,” said Nathan Hanson, Vice President, EarthEra. “By participating in the EarthEra Renewable Energy Trust, Wine.com is making a meaningful commitment to the environment by providing its customers the opportunity to purchase a high quality product in an environmentally responsible manner, all at no extra cost. Wine.com’s commitment of 10 percent of the revenues of the Eco Wine Trio to EarthEra will help build new renewable energy projects, benefiting the environment on behalf of the entire Wine.com community.”
About Boisset Family Estates
Boisset Family Estates is a family-owned producer and importer of fine wines based in Sausalito, California with roots in Burgundy, France. Founded by Jean-Claude Boisset in 1961, the company has a presence on six continents and in more than eighty countries, and is one of the world’s leading producers of Pinot Noir. Each house in its family of wineries has a unique history, identity, and style, yet all are united in the pursuit of superior quality. Simultaneously, Boisset is an innovative leader in the wine world, seeking to reduce the environmental impact of wine packaging and production and protect the long-term sustainability of wine growing. For more information on the company and its wineries, please visit http://www.boissetfamilyestates.com.
About EarthEra
EarthEra is a unique program that provides businesses, institutions and consumers the opportunity to build new renewable energy facilities in the United States. EarthEra sells environmental products, such as renewable energy certificates and carbon offsets, to help customers balance their carbon footprint and then directs 100 percent of sales to the building of new renewable energy projects. The EarthEra program utilizes the EarthEra Renewable Energy Trust to accumulate and distribute all funds to new renewable energy projects. The Trust is administered by an independent trustee, US Bank. For more information visit: www.EarthEra.com.
About Wine.com
Wine.com is the nation's #1 online wine retailer, according to Internet Retailer magazine’s annual ranking of websites by revenue, offering thousands of wines, wine gifts, gift baskets and monthly wine clubs. Wine.com’s mission is to be the ultimate resource for wine enthusiasts, whether shopping for themselves or sending a gift, by offering a great selection, low prices, convenient delivery and helpful information. Wine.com is the world’s most visited wine web site, according to research conducted by comScore Media Metrix. For more information, visit www.wine.com.
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¹PET stands for “polyethylene terephthalate” and it is a thermoplastic polymer resin used in packaging applications. It is widely recognized by its recycling symbol identification - #1 PET. Lightweight and safe (BPA-free – now and always), PET weighs 90% less than traditional bottles, and conserves fuel, energy and greenhouse gases throughout its lifecycle, from production to transit to recycling. It is estimated to have a 50-60% smaller carbon footprint than a traditional bottle and is 100% recyclable into valuable end products from fleece to carpet fiber to polyester insulation.
ENCORE! Wine Country Weekend With Domaine Carneros
27 September, 2009
ENCORE!
WINE COUNTRY B.F.F. WEEKEND MARCH GET-AWAY PACKAGES NOW AVAILABLE
Girls “Bubbly” Get-Away II Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa
Based upon the almost immediate sell-out of the November, 2009 Bubbly Get-Away, an encore offering is now available March 26-28, 2010. Indulge in the ultimate girls’ get-away! Domaine Carneros by Taittinger, Kerstin Florian, Jo Malone and the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa along with other girlfriend favorites present “Bubbly Weekend II” March 26-28. Sparkling wines, spa treatments, a special winery visit, make-up tips and tricks, perfume aromatic explorations, refreshing cocktails and locally inspired cuisine promise to deliver what today’s trend-setting and stylish girls really, really want.
March 26-28, 2010
Check in Friday, March 26th
Check out Sunday, March 28th
Bubbly Weekend Package Includes
• Two night’s classic accommodation at the unparalleled Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa
• Breakfast Daily
• Ground transportation to/from all scheduled events
• Friday evening Welcome Bubbly Reception and Winemaker Dinner hosted by Eileen Crane, CEO and Founding Winemaker of Domaine Carneros
• Saturday Morning Private Yoga Session
• VIP Journey to Domaine Carneros: Bubbly Blending Session and Food & Wine Pairings
• Cooking Demonstration and Lunch with Celebrity Chef Lulu Powers
• (1) 60- minute Spa Experience per person
• “Saturday Night Sonoma Style”
• Sparkling Cocktails and Jo Malone Scent Explorations featured guest and Mixologist Maria Hunt
Bubbly Blending: Learn Winemaker Eileen Crane's secrets to crafting Domaine Carneros' award winning and sought after Sparkling Rosé from organic vineyards at this hands-on component tasting and blending session.
Radically Different, Unexpected & Out of the Box food & wine pairing tour: You’ve heard of high-low ensembles; now it’s time to experience it directly. Eileen will teach you the secrets of bubbly entertaining with a minute or month to spare and whether your budget is generous or not and discover some untraditional food pairings enjoyed with bubbly. She will guide you through the Sparkling Wine and Pinot Noir cellars giving you an insider’s peek at the inner workings of a winery.
Cooking Demonstration & Lunch: Celebrity Chef Lulu Powers will create a simple and sophisticated entrée featuring local organic ingredients followed by Lunch with Eileen Crane in the winery’s Carriage House featuring the latest releases from the Domaine Carneros portfolio.
“Saturday Night Sonoma Style” –
Eileen Crane hosts Sparkling Cocktails & Jo Malone Scent Explorations featuring Sparkling Cocktail expert and Mixologist, Maria Hunt aka The Bubbly Girl, author of The Bubbly Bar: Champagne & Sparkling Wine Cocktails for Every Occasion, each guest will receive an autographed copy of Maria’s book. The evening also includes a Jo Malone scent exploration – fragrance flavor bar set up in the suite where participants can sample and combine fragrances as well as indulge in a bounty of Sonoma County artisanal favorites including succulent Hog Island oysters, Fatted Calf charcuterie, tangy cheeses from Cowgirl Creamery and local chocolates.
Availability
This (limited participation) package is available only the weekend of March 26-28, 2010
Rates start at $800.00 per person USD based on double occupancy; single, triple and quad rates also available.
Suite upgrades available from $50 per night. Package may be booked online.
Reserve your space now
*Itinerary subject to change
*Transportation to/from the resort is not included in package price. Assistance in securing ground transportation from Bay Area Airport’s may be made through the Hotel Concierge, please phone 707 938 9000 for additional information.
Renowned for natural mineral waters, unparalleled charm and gracious service, the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa is located 40 miles north of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge in the famed Sonoma Valley, the heart of Northern California’s wine country. A recipient of both the AAA-Four Diamond and Mobil-Four Star Award, the resort consistently provides the country’s finest European spa experience. For reservations please call 1-800-441-1414 or (707) 938-9000, or visit the Inn’s website at www.fairmont.com/sonoma.
Domaine Carneros is located in the picturesque Carneros AVA region known as its own appellation that shares a portion of both Sonoma and Napa Counties. The winery produces a super premium vintage Brut, a luxury Blanc de Blancs called Le Rêve, a Brut Rosé called Cuvée de la Pompadour and three Estate Pinot Noirs: Avant-Garde, Domaine Carneros Pinot Noir and The Famous Gate. Domaine Carneros was founded in 1987 by Champagne Taittinger Chairman Claude Taittinger, along with importer Kobrand Corporation, with a mission to produce some of the finest sparkling and still wines that reflect the Carneros terroir and the spirit of their French ownership. The winery is committed to environmentally friendly growing practices, and all of its estate vineyards are certified organic. In addition, the winery was one of the first to install a photovoltaic solar collection system for its energy needs. Domaine Carneros is open daily from 10:00 am until 6:00 pm and is located at 1240 Duhig Road (off Highway 121), six miles southwest of Napa. Visit www.domainecarneros.com for more information.
For media inquiries, please contact Kimberly Charles or Kendall Johnson at press@charlescomm.com. For reservations please call (800) 441-1414 or (707) 938-9000, or visit www.fairmont.com/sonoma.
DeLoach Vineyards Receives Double Honors
17 September, 2009
DeLoach Vineyards Receives Double Honors from Wine & Spirits Magazine
Winery recognized for overall performance, Russian River Valley Pinot Noir named a “100 Best Buy of the Year”
Santa Rosa, CA, September 17, 2009 – DeLoach Vineyards will be named by Wine & Spirits Magazine a “Top 100 Winery of the Year” in its upcoming winter issue. In the same issue, DeLoach’s 2007 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir will be recognized as one of the “100 Best Buys of the Year.”
DeLoach Vineyards has been making terroir-driven wines from the Russian River Valley and premium vineyard sites across Northern California since 1975. Its founders were among the first group of vintners to plant Pinot Noir in the Russian River Valley in 1973, and they also helped to draft the initial application that created the Russian River Valley AVA in 1983. Boisset Family Estates purchased DeLoach in 2003 and immediately began a seven-year mission to convert the estate vineyards to organic and biodynamic farming methods, and anchor the winery in its high quality, historic winemaking roots. Today’s announcement is an exciting acknowledgement that Boisset’s patient commitment to sustainable winemaking processes results in superior world-class wines. This is the tenth year that DeLoach has been named a “Winery of the Year,” one of very few wineries to achieve this distinction.
Boisset’s commitment to preserving the environment extends into the packaging of DeLoach wines; in July, DeLoach developed an innovation for the on-premise wine market and launched it in partnership with The Fairmont Hotel San Francisco. DeLoach Vineyards California Pinot Noir is now available to restaurants for by-the-glass service in a 10-Liter eco-bag housed in a wood barrel. After depleting the first barrel, restaurants need only reorder the 68-Gram recyclable eco-bag filled with 10 Liters of wine at the same cost as a typical 12 bottle, 9Liter case.
Wine & Spirits Magazine’s “Top 100 Best Buy” wines are selected from over 9,000 wines that are blind tasted by the editors each year. To have the DeLoach Vineyards Russian River Valley Pinot Noir included in this exclusive list in the same year that the winery is named a “Top 100 Winery of the Year” is a great honor, especially from a publication whose primary audience is the wine trade. DeLoach Vineyards will participate in the sixth annual celebratory tasting event to honor the “Top 100 Wineries of the Year” on October 14, 2009 at the San Francisco Design Center.
The complete list of Wineries of the Year and Top 100 Best Buy Wines will be announced and profiled in the November issue of Wine & Spirits, available on newsstands nationwide on October 13, 2009.
About DeLoach Vineyards
As a pioneering force in Pinot Noir winegrowing in Sonoma County, DeLoach Vineyards has been experimenting with and perfecting the various combinations of soil, rootstock and clones for over three decades. In 2004, the Boisset family brought its eco-friendly and biodynamic approach to sustainable winemaking at DeLoach Vineyards: showing its dedication to the environment, Boisset Family Estates tore up award-winning vineyards after the 2004 vintage and replanted them with cover crops designed to revitalize the soil. New vines were planted in 2006, and 2010 will be the first eagerly awaited vintage grown with biodynamic farming techniques. In the meantime, DeLoach Vineyards continues to partner with winegrowers who are equally dedicated to eco-friendly farming practices and the production of world-class wines.
For more information about DeLoach Vineyards, please visit www.deloachvineyards.com.
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Practices at Domaine Carneros are Vegan-Friendly
14 September, 2009
Sustainable Practices at Domaine Carneros are Vegan-Friendly
From winemaking to energy generation, Domaine Carneros is a leader in sustainable practices
Carneros, CA, September 14, 2009 – Domaine Carneros, the first and only sparkling winery in the United States with all estate vineyards certified organic (California Certified Organic Farmers, CCOF), recently researched that its longtime environmentally-friendly winemaking practices are vegan-friendly as well. Domaine Carneros’ commitment to sustainability extends beyond the winemaking process and to the company's overall operations. The winery at Domaine Carneros is home to what was, upon installation in 2003, the largest photovoltaic solar collection system on any winery in the world.
“Our first commitment is to produce the best wines. We've always taken an active role to preserve the health of the land, and today we are excited that people who are as committed to preserving environmental health as we are can share in our bounty," explains Domaine Carneros CEO and Founding Winemaker, Eileen Crane. Crane led the winery to eco-friendly standards almost twenty years ago although formal organic certification did not occur until 2008.
Today’s announcement is yet another example of Domaine Carneros’ sensitivity to environmental and ecological issues. Rémuage is the step in the sparkling winemaking process that prepares the wine to be clarified after it has undergone the second fermentation that gives sparkling wine its characteristic bubbles. Byproducts of the second fermentation include spent yeasts and sediment; typically, a fining agent such as egg white or isinglass (an extract of sturgeon bladders) is added to the wine to precipitate movement of these particles down the neck of the inverted bottles so they can be easily released during the next step, dégorgement. Although the fining agent is later removed, trace quantities may remain. At Domaine Carneros, the fining agent used in the rémuage process is Clarifiant S, sodium bentonite, a clay-based product with no animal additives. Clarifiant S is a gentle, vegan-friendly product that produces clear wines that meet the exacting winemaking standards of Domaine Carneros.
As the winemaking process demands precise climate control, most wineries in sunny California rely on expensive air conditioning that consumes large volumes of electricity. In 2003, Domaine Carneros took a different approach. The winery partially buried its buildings in the earth, insulated them heavily, and designed them with passive night-time cooling systems. This combination allows the winery to maintain lower temperatures – naturally. From natural cooling to generating an average of 48,000 kilowatts of renewable electricity on-site with one of the largest solar installations in the wine business, Domaine Carneros’ commitment to the environment is clear.
As the first major winery to go solar, Domaine Carneros became the de facto representative of the solar power movement and began to run seminars for its winery neighbors about the conversion process.
About Domaine Carneros
Domaine Carneros is a boutique, family-owned winery founded by Champagne Taittinger in 1987. The winery handcrafts sparkling and still wines of extraordinary quality: a super-premium vintage Brut, a luxury Blanc de Blancs called Le Rêve, a Brut Rosé called Cuvée de la Pompadour and the Domaine Carneros Estate Pinot Noir. Domaine Carneros is located in the picturesque Carneros AVA, the first American appellation to be defined according to microclimate rather than along political lines. Carneros shares a portion of both Sonoma and Napa Counties at their southern ends. The Carneros region is best known for its cool climate and maritime influences, making it the perfect terroir to grow Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, two of the essential varietals in the award-winning sparkling wines from Domaine Carneros. Domaine Carneros is the first and only American sparkling wine producer with 100% certified organic estate vineyards.
Domaine Carneros is open daily from 10:00 am until 6:00 pm and is located at 1240 Duhig Road (off Highway 121), four miles southwest of Napa and six miles southeast of Sonoma. Visit www.domainecarneros.com for more information.
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Diam Reduces Carbon Footprint of Technical Cork
31 August, 2009
Diam Reduces Carbon Footprint of Technical Wine Closure
Successful environmental policy implementation produces on-target results
Napa Valley CA, August 31, 2009 - Just two years after commissioning the world's first carbon footprint study into the impact of wine closure production on the environment, leading wine closure producer Diam reduced its carbon footprint by 12 percent, bringing it more in line with the carbon footprint of natural cork production.
DIAM is a technological wine bottle closure that addresses two major threats to the wine industry: closure consistency and cork taint. Cork taint is detected by its characteristic odor, often described as "wet cardboard or wet dog," and renders affected bottles spoiled and unfit for drinking. Most cork taint is caused by 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (TCA), the product of a reaction between naturally-occuring fungi with environmental pollutants (chlorine).TCA is estimated to impact approximately 4-6 percent of wine bottles closed with natural cork. DIAM is a technical cork, produced by the patented and ISO 9001-certified DIAMANT process, which uses super-critical CO2 to eradicate 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (TCA) and 150 other compounds found in natural cork to deliver a consistently neutral, TCA-free cork closure. Over 1800 wineries and distributors use DIAM, including premium producers Louis Jadot, Hugel, Stonestreet, Freemark Abbey, Kunde, Bouchard, Moët & Chandon, Langtry and Kendall Jackson. In addition, UK retail giant Tesco has named DIAM as one of only three- permitted closure types for its vast private-label wines. Globally, DIAM is the leading technical cork closure; in 2008, DIAM experienced an 8.5 percent increase in US market share.
In 2006, Diam commissioned the French agency Cairn Environment to study the impact of three wine closure types on the environment: natural cork, the DIAM closure and Oeneo's S-Cap screwcap. The natural cork and DIAM technical cork were both dressed with a PVC capsule, the foil covering normally found at the top of a wine bottle. Using the patented Carbon Appraisal® method, research revealed that natural cork with PVC emits 5,490 lbs of equivalent CO2 per ton while the DIAM closure with PVC emits 9,376 lbs of equivalent CO2 per ton. Oeneo's S-Cap screwcap, manufactured with 35 percent recycled aluminium, was found to emit 23,442 lbs of equivalent CO2 per ton, a carbon footprint 250 percent greater than DIAM. Results were ratified by the French Environmental Agency.
Immediately after these results were announced, Diam sales director Dean Banister declared, "this represents the initial phase of our efforts to reduce our carbon usage. We will investigate additional means of reducing our carbon footprint, including a detailed evaluation of our energy sources, packaging and transport. We firmly believe that we can improve the impact of DIAM production by reducing emissions from energy consumption, with a potential reduction in impact of around 40 percent."
Today's announcement reflects Diam's commitment to Banister's 2006 pledge to reduce carbon emissions and Diam's overall pledge to preserve the environment. Between 2006 and 2008, DIAM production increased four-fold, with a net carbon footprint increase of just 3 percent. "In real terms, this represents a 60 percent reduction in our total carbon footprint by volume output," Banister explained. To achieve these results, Diam focused its efforts on reducing emissions from its two largest sources: energy consumption and incoming materials. Also, in 2007, the company terminated the sale of screwcaps due to their high carbon footprint and impact on the environment.
The news comes as DIAM announces the implementation of a restructured environmental policy designed to meet current and future environmental challenges. The policy encourages a proactive internal approach to control over energy consumption and carbon footprint, recycling of cork sub-products and waste, control over industrial risks and the design of more environmentally friendly products through investment in research and development.
Diam will continue to update its carbon footprint assessment in conjunction with Bilan Carbone® every two years to assess the progress achieved from the implementation of their complete environmental approach.
About Diam
Globally, DIAM is the leading technical cork closure with value sales of $82M in 2008, and enjoyed an 8.5 percent increase in US market share in 2008. Diam is committed to engaging with winemakers, retailers and distributors to drive awareness of current issues and to ensure all key stakeholders start to ‘think' about the benefits of the closure options available.
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Domaine Carneros Featured at “Bubbly” Get-Away
20 August, 2009
Domaine Carneros Featured at “Bubbly” Get-away at the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa
Indulge in the ultimate girls get-away! Domaine Carneros by Taittinger, Kerstin Florian, Jo Malone and the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa along with other girlfriend favorites present “Bubbly Weekend” November 20-22, 2009. Sparkling wines, spa, a cool winery visit, make-up tips and tricks, scent explorations, refreshing cocktails and locally inspired cuisine promise to deliver what today’s trend-setting and stylish girls really, really want.
Bubbly Weekend Package Includes
• Two night’s classic accommodation at the unparalleled Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa
• Breakfast Daily
• Ground transportation to/from all scheduled events
• Friday evening Bubbly Reception and Winemaker Dinner hosted by Eileen Crane, CEO and Founding Winemaker of Domaine Carneros
• Saturday Morning Private Yoga Session
• VIP Journey to Domaine Carneros: Bubbly Blending Session and Food & Wine Pairings
• Cooking Demonstration and Lunch with Celebrity Chef Lulu Powers
• (1) 60- minute Spa Experience per person
• “Saturday Night Sonoma Style”
• Sparkling Cocktails and Jo Malone Scent Explorations featured guest and rockstar Master Mixologist Scott Beattie
Bubbly Blending: Learn Winemaker Eileen Crane's secrets to crafting Domaine Carneros' award winning and sought after Sparkling Rose from organic vineyards at this hands-on component tasting and blending session.
Radically Different, Unexpected & Out of the Box food & wine pairing tour: You’ve heard of high-low ensembles; now it’s time to experience it directly. Eileen will teach you the secrets of bubbly entertaining with a minute or month to spare and whether your budget is generous or not and discover some untraditional food pairings enjoyed with bubbly. She will guide you through the Sparkling Wine and Pinot Noir cellars giving you an insider’s peek at the inner workings of a winery.
Cooking Demonstration & Lunch: Celebrity Chef Lulu Powers will create a simple and sophisticated entrée featuring local organic ingredients followed by Lunch with Eileen Crane in the winery’s Carriage House featuring the latest releases from the Domaine Carneros portfolio.
“Saturday Night Sonoma Style” – Eileen Crane hosts Sparkling Cocktails & Jo Malone Scent Explorations featuring Artisanal Cocktail expert and Master Mixologist Scott Beattie, author of Artisanal Cocktails, each guest will receive an autographed copy of Scott’s book. The evening also includes a Jo Malone scent exploration – fragrance flavor bar set up in the suite where participants can sample and combine fragrances as well as indulge in a bounty of Sonoma County Artisanal favorites including succulent Hog Island oysters, Fatted Calf Charcuterie, tangy cheeses from Cowgirl Creamery and local chocolates.
Availability:
This (limited participation) package is available only the weekend of Nov 20-22, 2009
Rates start at $1280.00 USD, based on double occupancy, $780.00 single occupancy
Suite upgrades available from $50 per night
Reserve your space now
*Itinerary subject to change
*Transportation to/from the resort is not included in package price. Assistance in securing ground transportation from Bay Area Airport’s may be made through the Hotel Concierge, please phone (707) 938-9000 for additional information.
Renowned for natural mineral waters, unparalleled charm and gracious service, the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa is located 40 miles north of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge in the famed Sonoma Valley, the heart of Northern California’s wine country. A recipient of both the AAA-Four Diamond and Mobil-Four Star Award, the resort consistently provides the country’s finest European spa experience.
For media inquiries, please contact Kimberly Charles or Kendall Johnson at press@charlescomm.com. For reservations please call (800) 441-1414 or (707) 938-9000, or visit the Inn’s website.
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Boisset Family Estates Purchases Raymond Vineyard & Cellar
10 August, 2009
Boisset Family Estates Purchases Raymond Vineyard & Cellar
Napa winery joins prestigious family-owned collection of wineries from diverse terroirs
August 10, 2009 - ST. HELENA, CA - Boisset Family Estates, a leading family-owned producer and importer of fine wines based in Sausalito, CA, today announced its purchase of Raymond Vineyard & Cellar from Kirin Holdings Company, LTD. of Japan. It is Boisset's first winery acquisition in the Napa Valley, one of the premier wine regions of the world, and includes all the estate vineyards as well as the winery, hospitality and production facilities.
Raymond Vineyard & Cellar expands Boisset's collection of historical and unique wineries, joining a diverse and balanced portfolio that began in Burgundy, France in 1961 and now includes more than twenty wineries in Burgundy, Beaujolais, the Rhône Valley, the South of France, Canada, and California.
"We are thrilled to build upon the rich legacy and deep family roots of the Raymond family in Napa Valley, and we look forward to continuing their tradition of family values" says Jean-Charles Boisset, President of Boisset Family Estates. "They have been pioneers in Napa with a great history and fabulous commitment to the region. The family's passion, continuity through five generations, and continued involvement truly excited us, along with their solid reputation for wines with marvelous balance and excellent value. They were an integral part of crafting the phenomenal reputation of the Napa Valley.
The Raymond family has a great sense of pride and commitment to maintaining the tradition that has been handed down for over 130 years and five generations. They view the partnership with Boisset as an opportunity to cement their heritage while building for the next generation's future. According to Krisi Raymond, newly-promoted Vice President of Raymond Vineyard & Cellar, "The wine business is in my blood and is really a labor of love for me. I am excited about the future of Raymond and look forward to sharing this passion with my children!"
Walter Raymond, President and Winemaker of Raymond Vineyard & Cellar, sees great potential in the partnership with Jean-Charles Boisset and the entire Boisset Family Estates team: "Jean-Charles is a very energetic and innovative force in the wine industry today - we are both pleased to have this opportunity to work together!"
Raymond Vineyard is an ideal complement to Boisset's diverse, terroir-oriented fine wine portfolio: each house in Boisset's family of wineries has a unique history, identity, style, and appellation focus, yet all are united in the pursuit of superior quality. Many of Boisset's wineries, like Raymond, were built on the strength of long family histories, including Bouchard Aîné & Fils, Mommessin, J. Moreau & Fils, Ropiteau Frères, Lyeth Estate, and DeLoach Vineyards.
Important to the Raymond family, in addition to Boisset's family ownership, terroir-oriented philosophy, and pursuit of quality, was Boisset's philosophy of stewardship for its vineyards. Boisset's estate vineyards are all farmed organically or biodynamically: "We don't impose our rhythm on Nature," says Boisset. "The key is to listen, respect and live within Her."
Reflecting on the importance of vineyard practices, Craig Raymond, Vineyard Manager, believes that "without high quality fruit our winemakers cannot produce great wines. I appreciate the commitment that the Boisset family has made to sustainable, organic, and biodynamic farming practices in the family's vineyards and look forward to collaborating with them in the future."
In harmony with its long-term outlook, Boisset Family Estates has a grand vision for the future of its first Napa winery: "We believe that we will help build on Raymond's strong reputation and great history to create one of the signature landmarks of the Napa Valley," says Boisset. "We will seek to always enhance the terroir approach, continually striving to improve the vineyards and winemaking techniques while respecting its unique style and know-how."
Strengthened by the addition of Raymond, Boisset's California portfolio now combines a unique offering of two of the most prestigious fine wine regions in California, with Raymond in the Napa Valley complementing DeLoach Vineyards, a Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Zinfandel specialist in Sonoma County's Russian River Valley, as well as Lyeth Estates in Sonoma County.
ABOUT RAYMOND VINEYARD
Raymond Vineyard & Cellar is a family-operated winery with a rich heritage. The Raymond family's roots in the Napa Valley date back to 1870, when Jacob and Frederick Beringer arrived from Germany to found Beringer Brothers Winery. Five generations later, Craig and Krisi Raymond continue the family's grape-growing and winemaking legacy. Raymond Vineyard began in 1971 when Roy Sr., Roy Jr. and Walter Raymond decided it was time to put their own name on the label. The family purchased 90 acres in the Rutherford appellation of Napa Valley, planted grapes, and celebrated their first harvest in 1974. Today Raymond owns and operates over 200 acres of estate vineyards in the Napa Valley.
www.raymondvineyards.com
ABOUT BOISSET FAMILY ESTATES
Boisset Family Estates is a family-owned producer and importer of fine wines based in Sausalito, California with roots in Burgundy, France. Founded by Jean-Claude Boisset in 1961, the company has a presence on six continents and in more than eighty countries, and is one of the world's leading producers of Pinot Noir. Each house in its family of wineries has a unique history, identity, and style, yet all are united in the pursuit of superior quality. Simultaneously, Boisset is an innovative leader in the wine world, seeking to reduce the environmental impact of wine packaging and production and protect the long-term sustainability of winegrowing. This approach has helped Boisset to build a diverse and balanced portfolio that provides wines for every moment, mode of consumption, and occasion.
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DeLoach Vineyards Rolls out Barrel-To-Barrel Wine Service
16 July, 2009
DeLoach Vineyards Rolls out Barrel-To-Barrel Wine Service
at The Fairmont San Francisco
Pioneering Russian River winery creates elegant 10-liter barrel to provide an authentic and eco-conscious wine tasting experience
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="280" caption="Video Release"][/caption]
Russian River, CA, July 16, 2009 – DeLoach Vineyards, a pioneering Russian River Valley producer of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Zinfandel, is revolutionizing wine-by-the-glass service at premier hotels and restaurants with the introduction of its “Barrel-to-Barrel” wine program. A leader in sustainable winery practices and organic and biodynamic farming, DeLoach now offers a convenient and elegant 10-liter barrel that ensures ease-of service, improved quality of every by-the-glass pour, and reduced waste and carbon footprint - creating a truly new “Cellar to Glass” experience.
“We are honored to be able to create a revolutionary and unique offering for our hotel and restaurant partners that is sophisticated, refined, historical, luxurious and intriguing for their customers while also providing the lowest by-the-glass carbon footprint,” shares Jean-Charles Boisset, President of Boisset Family Estates and DeLoach Vineyards. “The barrel-to-barrel offers a one-of-a-kind experience to all consumers representing the closest to an actual barrel tasting in a cellar. Lightly-fined and filtered, the barrel-to-barrel Pinot Noir is intense, rich, delicate and continues our philosophy of sustainability all the way to the glass.”
DeLoach Vineyards, with its heritage as one of the original producers of Pinot Noir in the Russian River Valley since first planting it in 1973 and now with its innovative Barrel-to-Barrel Pinot Noir offerings, is well-positioned to be a leading partner to the on-premise as Pinot Noir continues its growth. As Wine & Spirits Magazine noted in its 2009 restaurant issue, Pinot Noir surpassed Cabernet Sauvignon for the first time as the most popular variety in America’s restaurants.
DELOACH & FAIRMONT SHARE COMMITMENT
TO ENVIRONMENTALLY RESPECTFUL BUSINESS PRACTICES
DeLoach is proud to have partnered with The Fairmont San Francisco, under the guidance of Director of Food and Beverage Todd Nagle, to develop the Barrel-to-Barrel program in order to provide an authentic winery experience at the hotel while also reducing the carbon footprint associated with traditional wine packaging.
“I first approached the Fairmont San Francisco because I knew the hotel creates exceptional experiences for its guests while being fully committed to the environment. They are a natural partner due to our shared beliefs,” notes Boisset.
Through the decades, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts has cultivated a tradition of environmental stewardship. Several of Fairmont’s Canadian resorts,are actually located in national parks. They were built to enable visitors to experience the natural wonders of the Canadian Rocky Mountains and their success is founded on a harmonious and nurturing partnership with the surrounding environment. Quite naturally, these resorts developed standard operating procedures designed to protect the national parks in which they reside and, today, these practices are recognized as the gold standard in environmental conservation. In 1990, Fairmont’s Canadian hotels pioneered The Fairmont Green Partnership, literally writing the book on sustainable best practices in the lodging industry.
“Our mission at The Fairmont San Francisco is to bring the Wine Country experience to our guests. Together with DeLoach, we feel we’ve found an authentic means of presenting wines in a way that connects our guests directly to the winery,” said Nagle. “The barrel provides a visual icon that sets the expectation of the wine cellar experience for our guests, while for us, the benefits are clear: the convenient 10L eco-bag guarantees that every glass we pour is as fresh as if we’d just opened the bottle with no concern of possible tainted corks, and it offers added convenience in the ease of handling of the 10L eco-bags and the reduced storage space required.”
BARREL TO BARREL DELIVERS EXCEPTIONAL BENEFITS FOR ITS RESTAURANT AND HOTEL PARTNERS
The Barrel-to-Barrel program delivers DeLoach’s award-winning California Pinot Noir in an attractive wooden barrel for a “Cellar to Glass” tasting experience. Each barrel holds 10 Liters of Pinot Noir, lightly fined and lightly filtered, for a direct from-the-winery connection. DeLoach plans to offer a range of Pinot Noirs, from its California appellation to Sonoma Coast and Russian River Valley offerings to a highly-allocated selection of single vineyard wines that encourage exploration and discovery of California’s best terroir. Every glass is easily poured from an elegant spout located at the front of the barrel, ensuring graceful service of remarkably fresh wine.
The wine arrives in 10L eco-bags for the price of a typical 9L case, offering the value of an extra liter of wine – up to seven more glasses – for the same cost. The bags protect the wine from oxidation for a minimum of six-eight weeks from the moment they are opened, take up minimal space in the restaurant, are easy to store, and recyclable. Made from a 100% recyclable material and housed in an equally recyclable outer box, the eco-bag fits inside the barrel and holds the equivalent of 67 glasses at a five-ounce pour, or more than 13 standard bottles of wine.
Every time a restaurant re-orders the wine, they receive just the eco-bag containing wine, dramatically reducing the amount and weight of packaging being shipped to each location. In this way, DeLoach and its partners significantly reduce their carbon footprint by effectively eliminating the vast majority of the packaging, which is shipped from production to consumption and ultimately to the waste stream. While typical 3L bag-in-box wines are estimated to reduce the carbon footprint 55 percent compared to traditional 750ml bottles, the DeLoach eco-bag improves that even further as it transports 10 liters with an equivalent amount of packaging.
Further, DeLoach offers the 10L of wine for the same cost as 9L cases of its comparable Pinot Noirs, enhancing the profitability of by-the-glass wine programs for every account as they receive one extra liter of wine, equivalent to an additional 1 1/3 bottles, for free. For by-the-glass accounts, this equals approximately 7 additional glasses of profit above the profit available on a 9L case. “In addition to its convenience, appearance and ecological benefits,the DeLoach Barrel to Barrel delivers exceptional profitability advantages to our partners,” says Boisset.
DeLoach Vineyards is part of the family-owned Boisset Family Estates, recognized internationally for its green innovations in the wine world, including its French rabbit wines in Tetra Pak cartons, the first wines launched in North America in lightweight, recyclable PET plastic bottles (Fog Mountain - the first California wine in a 1L PET bottle, Yellow Jersey, Louis Bernard Bonus Passus, and its Mommessin and Bouchard Aine Beaujolais Nouveau in PET bottles), and finally, its Mommessin Beaujolais Grande Reserve in an aluminum bottle with a thermo-sensitive “chill me” dot. Jean-Charles Boisset was awarded the Innovator of the Year in 2009 by the Wine Enthusiast for his company’s efforts to reduce the carbon footprint of wine packaging, and . The DeLoach Barrel-to-Barrel program is Boisset’s first innovation tailored specifically for the on-premise market.
ABOUT DELOACH VINEYARDS
DeLoach Vineyards has been making terroir-driven wines in the Russian River Valley since 1975 and is a pioneer in Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Zinfandel. In late 2003, Boisset Family Estates, the U.S. importer for family-owned Boisset, La Famille des Grands Vins, purchased DeLoach Vineyards, citing the Russian River Valley as California’s most expressive terroir for cultivating Burgundian varietals. With roots in the heart of Burgundy, Boisset is one of France’s leading producers of Pinot Noir. Since its purchase, DeLoach has focused on dramatically improving quality, expanding its single-vineyards program for Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Zinfandel, and has converted its estate vineyards to a rigorous organic and biodynamic regiment, receiving CCOF Organic Certification in 2008. DeLoach has adopted green practices throughout the winery, using an innovative membrane bio-reactor to purify all water from wine-making to be re-used in vineyards, and purchases 100% of its energy from renewable sources (eliminating 314 metric tons of CO2 -the equivalent of 57 passenger vehicles for 1 year). Located at 1791 Olivet Road in Santa Rosa, the DeLoach Vineyards tasting room and organic garden are open to the public daily from 10:00 am to 5:00 p.m. For more information, visit www.deloachvineyards.com.
MEDIA CONTACT: For interviews and photo requests, please contact Kendall Johnson, Charles Communications Associates, 415-701-9463, kendall@charlescomm.com
DeLoach Barrel-to-Barrel Program Quick Facts
The Wines
* 100% Pinot Noir
* Lightly fined and lightly filtered for a true cellar experience
* Available exclusively on-premise
* Served from a 10L eco-bag inside the barrel that eliminates oxidation
* Presented on-premise in an elegant natural wood barrel
Barrel-to-Barrel Benefits
* Unique “cellar to glass” service for the customer
* Authentic wine country experience on-premise
* Reduced packaging: 1 68 gram bag versus 13 bottles weighing in excess of 550 grams each.
* 10 L versus a typical 9 L case for an extra liter of wine free
* Less on-premise storage space required
* Less packaging means less weight to transport, less energy to produce and transport, and a dramatically smaller carbon footprint
* No waste from breakage or unfinished bottles
* No risk of cork taint
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DIAM Announces US Market Advance
1 July, 2009
DIAM Announces US Market Advance
Napa, CA - July, 2009. The technical cork closure DIAM has invested in a strategic program of activities in the US in order to grow volume sales in the closure market for wines.
The objective of the ambitious program is to increase the profile of DIAM within the US trade and consumer wine media, build relationships with key industry influencers and drive closure debate. Moreover, DIAM is committed to engaging with winemakers, retailers and distributors to drive awareness of current issues and ensure all key stakeholders start to ‘think’ about the benefits of the closure options available. The programme will feature a series of integrated activities including market visits by key DIAM representatives, media and trade interviews, closure seminars and presentations with leading AVA’s, roundtable debates at key wine conferences, fairs and competitions in addition to further US-based research studies with a leading US University.
DIAM is a technical cork, produced by the patented DIAMANT super-critical CO2 process, delivering a consistently neutral, TCA-free cork closure. Validated by several world-wide independent laboratories, the DIAMANT process uses super-critical CO2 to eradicate 2,4,6 – trichloroanisole (TCA) and 150 other compounds. Globally, DIAM is the leading technical cork closure with value sales of €57M in 2008, and enjoyed an 8.5 per cent increase in US market share in 2008.
Commenting on the U.S. market advance, DIAM commercial director Dean Banister said: “DIAM, with its track record of success and acceptance in the influential UK and European markets, has an opportunity to increase its US market share by delivering a driven closure that is TCA-free, doesn’t scalp flavors, is consistent and offers winemakers varying levels of Oxygen Transmission Rates (OTR). The global trend within the closure market is to move away from poor quality and under performing natural and synthetic closures - we are firmly focused on driving the debate and delivering a real solution to the somewhat neglected US market,” states Banister.
Globally, there are over 1800 wineries and distributors using DIAM, including premium producers such as Louis Jadot, Hugel, Stonestreet, Freemark Abbey, Kunde, Bouchard, Moët & Chandon, Langtry and Kendall Jackson. In addition, UK retail giant Tesco has recently nominated DIAM as one of only three- permitted closure types for its vast own-label wine range.
For more information on Diam technical corks, please visit http://www.diam-cork.com/.
For images, background or interviews, please contact Kimberly Charles of Charles Communications Associates at 415 701 9463 or kcharles@charlescomm.com.
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Lander-Jenkins "Spirit Hawk" Wines Meet Market Demand
23 June, 2009
Lander-Jenkins "Spirit Hawk" Wines Meet Market Demand for Sustainably Grown, Family-Owned Wines
RUTHERFORD, CA, June 23, 2009 - Rutherford Wine Company, the multi-generation family owned and operated winery announces the launch of its Lander-Jenkins "Spirit Hawk" sustainably grown wines. Crafted by winemaker Steve Rued and his talented team, the 2008 Chardonnay and 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, both California appellation wines, are sourced from family and long-term grower vineyards in several prime growing regions in the state. The Cabernet Sauvignon is primarily sourced from Paso Robles and the Chardonnay from the cooler growing climate of Monterey as well as the Lodi AVA. Priced right at the sweet spot in wine retailing, these wines sell for $14 and are currently available in California, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Maryland, Delaware, Illinois, Washington, Arizona and Louisiana with plans to roll out nationally over the next year. 3,000 cases of each wine are available.
The Lander-Jenkins' name is an homage to the winery owners' family heritage. The winery is located in the heart of the world class Rutherford district in Napa and both the estate and winery have been certified organic by the CCOF. The third generation, led by General Manager Morgan Zaninovich, is ushering the family wine business into a new and exciting period in its history. As a family that has always embraced an old world, low impact sustainable farming philosophy, there was no learning curve in the establishment of these wines. "It's interesting to see the sustainability movement take hold as if it were a new approach. It's been our approach for many generations," says General Manager Morgan Zaninovich. "We're really excited to deliver the Lander-Jenkins Spirit Hawk wines to the market, allowing a broad base of wine lovers to learn about and appreciate sustainably grown wines."
Winemaker Steve Rued, who grew up in a winemaking family, has been with the winery since 2005. The wines in the Zaninovich family portfolio, Rutherford Ranch, Round Hill and Scott Family Estate, have received critical acclaim in the Wine Advocate, Restaurant Wine, Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast and many top wine competitions. Most recently in the "Best of the Best" issue of the Quarterly Review of Wines, Rutherford Wine Company's wines garnered a significant percentage of the best value wines rated. In addition to broad market distribution, the Rutherford Wine Company wines can also be purchased online at www.rutherfordwine.com.
For more press information and samples of Lander-Jenkins wines, please contact Kendall Johnson at Charles Communications Associates at 415 701 9463 or press@charlescomm.com.
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