A Bug's Life

Alan's got 2500 new "pets" roaming the vineyards. Last week on a 95-degree day, we spent an hour walking up and down the vineyard rows on Block B (one of the steepest parts of our vineyard!) dispersing tiny wasps named Anagyrus pseudococci. Each vial holds about 100 adult females that will combat the Vine Mealybug, a parasite that can be harmful to grapevines.

This fascinating little bug will multiply and contribute to a more balanced ecosystem within the vineyard - a key concept of sustainable farming. Introducing these wasps is an alternative of using insecticides, and Alan was happy that his "pets" finally arrived!

On other news, flowering has finished throughout the vineyard, and we had great berry set. The 2010 clusters look very balanced, and we have had healthy shoot growth and a full canopy due to the April and May rains. Pictured here is a cluster of our estate Syrah. What I find most interesting about this stage of development is that the skin of the green berries has chlorophyll and acts much more like leaves, photosynthesizing sunlight and gathering a small amount of energy.

Happy 4th!

Janet Viader

sales & marketing at VIADER

Auction Napa Valley 2010 Montage

We're still riding high from a fabulous Auction Napa Valley weekend and $8.5 million raised for our community. Check out this new video montage from all three days of the event - and thank you again to the bidders, vintners and volunteers who helped make Auction such a success!

Optimism and Revenues High at Napa Valley Vintners' Charity Wine Auction

30th Annual Auction Napa Valley Up 49% Over Previous Year

As the final gavel fell, more than $8.5 million was raised with fun, excitement and optimism as the keywords for the Napa Valley Vintners’ (NVV) 30th Auction Napa Valley—The American Wine Classic. The annual charity wine auction was held this past weekend in Napa Valley. Paddles were raised high and raised often at Saturday’s Live Auction, the centerpiece of the renowned fundraiser that took place at Meadowood Napa Valley in St. Helena on a postcard-perfect afternoon.

The highlight of the day by all measures was Fund a Need, which raised more than $1 million for children’s health and wellness programs in Napa County. Long-time auctioneer Fritz Hatton, along with his freshman partner David Reynolds called on bidders to offer cash commitments, with no prize to be won other than the pride taken for providing for programs like children’s immunizations, literacy and mentoring programs, and protection from abuse. Normally just a paddle raise, this year, an old-fashioned lemonade sale where local children festooned in bright yellow t-shirts helped first-hand with the fundraising.

After the initial round of pledges were recorded, bidders tossed wooden chips with dollar amounts on one side and their bidder number on the other into tin buckets carried by the youngsters resulting in thunderous clanking under the auction tent. After several other lots were sold in the auction, vintner-bidder Rick Jones of Jones Family Vineyards asked to reopen Fund a Need bidding with a $100,000 offering from his family’s foundation. Others joined in which brought the final Fund a Need tally to more than $1 million and included donations large and small from bidders, vintners, volunteers and even attending media.

“I think the auction week might be a metaphor for the economy and the wine industry. It had been unseasonably rainy in the days leading up to the event, with dark clouds looming overhead. But the spirit of the attendees gathering to raise money for charity and celebrate with wine could not be dampened. When it was time to get to the bidding, the sun came out—bidders were happy to be here and were generous,” said Bruce Cakebread, president of the NVV’s board of directors.

Organizers created a daytime gathering for the Saturday event so as to enjoy the natural beauty of the Napa Valley, and guests were thrilled with the new, more casual format. “We had a spectacular weekend—a perfect Napa Valley experience where longtime friends of the auction returned to spend time with the vintners and their fellow bidders, and opened their wallets for the scores of non-profit programs that will benefit from the funds raised this weekend,” said Beth Novak Milliken of Spottswoode Estate Vineyard and Winery. She, along with her mother Mary Novak, presided over the year-long planning as honorary chairs

The auction launched with a unique lot of more than 30 magnums titled “What’s New,” and was an offering from the many new-to-the-association member wineries along with the original artwork from this year’s auction poster. Lot 1 was purchased by returning bidder Jose Nazar of Los Angeles.

Excitement mounted at lot 16’s bidding for Colgin Cellars’ offering of eight magnum bottles of Cariad. Initially there were four bidders battling for the lot, driving the price to $250,000 when auctioneers asked Ann Colgin if she wanted to quadruple her offering to allow for four successful bidders, which she and the bidders all agreed to, and the gavel eventually closed at $1 million for the expanded offering.

MK Koo of Hong Kong returned to Auction Napa Valley said, “I am always happy to come to Napa Valley. I was first introduced to the Auction in 1995 and I keep coming back because of the friendships created with the people who are here. And, it’s an opportunity to taste and toast with the best wines.” As for his successful $200,000 bid on a single 6-liter bottle Screaming Eagle, “It was top of my list, first because it’s a great wine, and second because it’s easy to carry home!”

The top 12 live lots were: Fund a Need, Colgin Cellars, Harlan Estate, Arietta and Hudson Vineyards, Beringer Vineyards, Shafer Vineyards, Dalla Valle Vineyards, Spottswoode Estate Vineyard and Winery, Casa Piena, Araujo Estate Wines, NVV in partnership with Lexus, and Screaming Eagle.

Another winning bidder of the day, seven-time attendee Harry Lange of Boston said “This is always an exciting, classic event,” and he takes away the Yountville Appellation and Far Niente lots as his prizes this year.

The Friday Festivities
Bidders from across the country and around the globe joined the four-day event. Friday featured the ever-popular Taste Napa Valley and Barrel Auction at the historic Rubicon Estate in Rutherford. With more than 100 wineries pouring white wines along side 60 of the region’s top restaurateurs and artisanal food producers around the grand fountain, the attendees were entertained by a trio of vintner rock bands.

One vintner band member, David Duncan of Silver Oak Cellars said, “Everybody wants to be a rock star, but I’m far more nervous about performing in front of these folks than I am about making wine.” Entertainment chair of this year’s auction steering committee was Jeff Smith of Hourglass Winery, whose band Wrist Rocket performed as well. “We had a ball,” said Smith, and the crowd got really into the music and the wine—we had a great time.”

Inside the caves at Rubicon Estate, 100 vintners offered barrel-futures, mostly Cabernet Sauvignon and red wine blends, thieved right from the barrel for tasting before bidding. In the end just over $1 million was raised from the 1,000 cases. Due to space constraints, 20% fewer barrels could be offered to bidders, so the income is significant that it remained at historic highs with fewer offerings. The top selling barrel lot for the day was from Shafer Vineyards which sold for just under $59,000.

Rubicon’s General Manager Larry Stone said, “We were honored to open up the estate and be the host location for the Friday festivities. As one of the seven founding members of the NVV in 1944, being part of the 30th anniversary celebration was a great opportunity for us.”

The NVV was cautiously optimistic in March, when tickets went on sale on the 31st and the a la carte Friday event tickets sold out in less than 30 minutes online. Full four-day packages sold at a brisk rate not seen in a few years, and the event was full in record time.

Quintessential Food Lover’s Weekend
In addition to the private parties on Thursday and Friday nights with the vintners, and the offerings at the Marketplace at Friday’s Taste Napa Valley, 16 top chefs gathered to create lunch and dinner for Live Auction guests on the lawn at Meadowood.

The gentlemen’s team created a travel-around luncheon on the fairway as guests arrived and included the talents of: Octavio Becerra of Palate, Los Angeles; Jean Joho of Everest, Chicago; Thomas Keller of The French Laundry, Napa Valley; Christopher Kostow of The Restaurant at Meadowood, Napa Valley; Lars Kronmark of The CIA Greystone, Napa Valley; Paul LeMieux of Auberge du Soleil, Napa Valley; Walter Manzke, formerly of Church and State, Los Angeles; Michael Mina of Michael Mina, San Francisco; Richard Reddington of Redd, Napa Valley; Frank Stitt of Highlands Bar and Grill, Birmingham, AL; Michael Tusk of Quince, San Francisco.

As the bidding concluded, the evening’s festivities kicked-in with a Ladies’ Night theme with top women chefs—including: Suzanne Goin of Lucques, Los Angeles; Carrie Nahabedian of Naha, Chicago; Melissa Perello of Frances, San Francisco; Elizabeth Prueitt of Tartine, San Francisco; Suzanne Tracht of Jar, Los Angeles—with a family-style supper under the stars. Then, to add that last bit of shimmer to a sparkling evening with the ladies, the girl-band The Bangles performed and had everyone on their feet dancing to songs like their hit “Walk Like an Egyptian.”

The online E-Auction allowed bidders from around the globe to have a virtual Napa Valley experience by bidding and winning lots, even if they were not able to attend in person. More than 150 unique collections or large-format bottles of wine were offered. Some up for bid included vintner-hosted meals, guest house stays and blending sessions. Online bidders hailed from Arizona, Illinois, Florida and all points across the US to Canada, Japan and China.

This year Auction Napa Valley was viral and the social media networks were a buzz with activities as everyone was tweeting, Facebooking and blogging about their experiences and insights into all things Auction Napa Valley. There were moment to moment updates from the Friday events at Rubicon, vintner dinner parties valley wide and robust play-by-play posts from the Live Auction on Saturday. On twitter, #AuctionNV is the hash tag.

Auction 2011
Planning has already begun for next year, where once again, Auction Napa Valley will convene the first full weekend in June, 2 through 5, 2011.

Auction Napa Valley by the Numbers
2010 is the 30th annual event, founded in 1981
The first auction raised an unheard of $140,000
151 E-Auction Lots
100 Barrel Auction Lots (each barrel is 10 individual case offerings = 1,000 cases)
41 Live Auction Lots
486 successful bidders overall
Attendance at Taste Napa Valley at Rubicon Estate = 2,000 including bidders and vintners
Attendance at The Live Auction at Meadowood Napa Valley = 850 including bidders and vintners
More than 100 media attended from across the country and around the world
More than 600 community volunteers
Auction Napa Valley remains the world’s most successful charity wine auction.

Click here to see more photos of Auction Napa Valley

About Auction Napa Valley
Auction Napa Valley is the most successful charity wine auction in the world and to date has given $90 million to scores of non-profit programs. The annual fundraiser is hosted by the Napa Valley Vintners, the non-profit trade association representing nearly 400 wineries in the renowned Napa Valley. The auction was founded in 1981 under the vision of Robert and Margrit Mondavi and has grown to be a four-day celebration of wine, food and fundraising held the first weekend in June.

About Napa Valley Vintners
The Napa Valley Vintners is the non-profit trade association responsible for promoting and protecting the Napa Valley appellation as the premier winegrowing region. From seven founding members in 1944, today the association represents nearly 400 Napa Valley wineries and collectively is a leader in the world-wide wine industry. To learn more about our region and its legendary American wines, visit www.napavintners.com

Scenes from Auction Napa Valley - Friday's Taste Napa Valley Event

Auction Napa Valley 2010 is finally here!

As honorary chairs of the 30th Auction, we want to welcome all of our bidders and guests to the Valley, and thank everyone who has been involved in planning what we hope will be a wonderful and exciting week of fun fundraising.

As in the past, our vintner members have come through with overwhelming generosity to create unique, attention-getting lots for the E-Auctions, Barrel Auction, and Live Auction. They’ve opened their homes to host elegant hospitality events, and they’ve donated their best bottles to share as we come together to celebrate the cultural and scenic beauty of Napa Valley and its world-class wines, and raise much-needed funds for the approximately 45 Napa-based healthcare, youth development and affordable housing non-profits the Auction benefits. Their efforts epitomize the sentiment of neighbor helping neighbor, and we’re proud to be part of their community.

Many of our bidders join us from far off places, but at Auction Napa Valley they become part of our local wine community, and we’re eager to welcome back old friends and get to know new faces. On behalf of the Napa Valley Vintners, I want to say that we highly appreciate their energy, friendship and generosity.

And we could not have a successful Auction without the volunteers! More than 600 people have donated their time to work at jobs ranging from guest greeter to green concierge and their contribution – and our gratitude – cannot be overstated.

We also owe thanks to Rubicon Estate for the support and hospitality they offer as hosts of the Friday Taste Napa Valley and Barrel Auction, and of course to the gracious folks at beautiful Meadowood, who do so much to make the Live Auction a grand affair. And lastly, special recognition and appreciation goes out to our sponsors who contribute generously of their time, goods and services.

Cheers, and best wishes to everyone as we kick off Auction Napa Valley 2010.

Mary Novak and Beth Novak Milliken
Spottswoode Vineyards
Honorary Co-Chairs of Auction Napa Valley 2010

Bidders without Borders: Vote for your favorite photo!

Where are you placing your e-bid for Auction Napa Valley? We want to know!

Whether you're in Napa or live thousands of miles away, you can part of the global Auction Napa Valley community during the E-Auction by posting a photo of where you are when you bid and telling us the lot you're after on Twitter using #AuctionNV.

(If you don’t have a Twitter account, email your photo and a 130 character description to jcrafton@napavintners.com).

During the E-Auction, we will invite the public to vote for their favorite photos. Winners of photo contests will receive Auction Napa Valley gift baskets.

Join us in voting during our first photo contest - choose your favorite photo/description in the poll above. Votes will be collected until Tuesday, June 1st.

Happy tweeting & bidding!

‘Budding’ Florists at St. Helena High School Make Auction Napa Valley Centerpieces

This year there are some new florists in town working on Auction Napa Valley – the students in the Floral Class at St. Helena High School. Mary Ross of Five Star Productions, the Auction Napa Valley design team, enlisted the help of teacher Sarah Herdell and her high school class in making the centerpieces for this year’s Live Auction at Meadowood.

While the Auction is still a week away, the students are hard at work getting a head start on the more than fifty centerpieces. The project began with the painting of wooden utensils that will offer a little extra pizzazz (and you’ll know why when you see the photos!) to the arrangements. When we caught up with them, the students were getting a lesson in potting succulents – the perfect solution for creating arrangements that will look as good in a week as they do today!

As icing on the cake, the Friday before the Live Auction the students will have the opportunity to visit Meadowood and see their final arrangements in place in the Live Auction tent.

Thank you to Sarah Herdell, her students and Mary Ross for their contributions towards Auction Napa Valley – your arrangements will lend a special, personal touch to each and every table!

From $140,000 to $90 Million: Auction Napa Valley's 29 years of giving

Auction Napa Valley
by John Shafer

It was the spring of 1981 at the monthly luncheon meeting of the Napa Valley Vintners membership held at the Lodi Farm Center and catered by Sally Schmitt, the founder/chef of the original French Laundry. As a new vintner it was an exciting time for me – lunching with such vintners as Louis Martini, Bob and Peter Mondavi, Hans Kornell, Al Bronstein, Jack Davies, and many other legendary figures in the Valley.

There was essentially only one item of business – planning for the vintners’ first Napa Valley Wine Auction. With the Hospice du Beaune auction in France as an example, it was decided that the Valley’s two hospitals, Queen of the Valley and St. Helena Hospital, would be the beneficiaries and thus the health needs of the county would be the priority.

With no prior experience, the vintners and many community volunteers agonized over the plans for the debut event – how many people would attend? How much would they bid on the donated bottles? How much money could we raise for the hospitals?

Meadowood Napa Valley’s golf course was (and is) the auction site and with a large local volunteer group, the first Napa Valley Wine Auction (today called Auction Napa Valley) took place. The total proceeds that first year, $140,000, was encouraging, and an annual event was born.

Now, almost 30 years later, everyone knows the answers to the questions that plagued the minds of the organizers that first year. So far, $90-million has been given – all earmarked for Napa County non-profit agencies involved with health, youth development and affordable housing. (With the financial success of the auction it was decided in 1999 to enlarge the scope of the giving to include agencies aimed at youth development and housing needs.)

Today there are approximately 45 non-profit organizations selected each year by a Grants Review Committee made up of vintner members of the Association.

The impact of Auction Napa Valley has made a major difference, not only in Napa County but throughout the United States. We have reason to believe that the idea of a wine auction as a fund-raising device in this country started with our first event in 1981. Today, the concept of an auction involving wines is widespread, with museums, symphonies, private schools, and many charities choosing it as a major way of raising money.

Looking back on these 29 years I have a real sense of pride – shared by all our vintners – in the generous contributions of the wineries. Their wine donations, elaborate dinners, expensive travels, and other hospitality activities, along with the wonderful community volunteers, have made our annual effort very fulfilling.

With proceeds varying in recent years, the Auction Board of Directors made an unprecedented promise to the community in 2007. Called the 5 x 5 Community Promise, the Auction committed to donate $5-million each year for five years to the nonprofits, regardless of whether the money was actually raised that year or not, making up the difference from the Auction Health Care Fund (a fund set up from the beginning as a “rainy day,” or reserve pot), as needed,

There are so many great examples of what this money has been able to do. I’ll leave you with just two that I found very moving.

-- Several years ago a little known problem faced by foster children came to the attention of the Auction – the issue of their emancipation. Napa, like many other cities, had its share of children who at age 18 were released to the community with little preparation for living on their own. A program called VOICES (Voice Our Independent Choices for Emancipation Support) was founded in collaboration with other Napa funders to help these young people set up their own facility and program in which they help each other.

-- Another agency supported by Auction funds is NEWS (Napa Emergency Women’s Services), aimed at helping women and children leaving an abusive relationship. For example, not long ago “Sandra” stayed at the NEWS shelter for three months while she worked at finding her way out of an abusive relationship. A court advocate helped her obtain a protective order and children custody papers. With the County’s Homeless Prevention program, “Sandra” received a rental subsidy so she and her children could move into a home of their own.

It has been thrilling to participate in the success of the Auction for nearly 30 years – both in its success as a leading philanthropic event and in its success implementing so many great programs that have enormously improved the wellbeing of this community. I look forward to another great event this year and raise a toast to everyone who works so diligently to make Napa Valley a better place to live.

Click here to view John’s video blog.

Forever Tango at VIADER...

A little taste of an Argentine classic: "Volver" by Carlos Gardel.

As Auction Napa Valley approaches - NEXT WEEK! - the many Napa wineries and families involved will be opening their doors to host small groups for parties, dinners, and fun. These hospitality parties are scheduled on the days leading up to the main events on Friday and Saturday, and are offered to guests with tickets to the full weekend's festivities. (Get your ticket!)

Our winery decided to go back to my mother Delia's roots in Buenos Aires, to create a look and feel of a colorful cafe in the tango neighborhood called "La Boca." A traditional Argentine dinner will prepared by my sister-in-law, the ever-fabulous Chef Mariela Viader (there's more to it than just grass-fed beef!). For ambiance, a pair of dancers will take cues from Mariela's immensely talented cousin Alfredo Caceres, who will be playing tango classics on the guitar. There may even be informal tango lessons!

Professional dancers

Remember, if you cannot seem to make it in person, you can participate online via the E-Auction. Select lots will be featured during four consecutive weeks. We already have two down, and two to go! VIADER's E-Lot #488 will go live with Week 4 on Sunday, May 30th at 6:00pm.

Hasta luego che!

Atentamente,

Janet Viader, sales & marketing at VIADER

Secrets to Building Top-Bid Napa Valley Auction Lots

The key to building a lot that will garner top bids in the live auction is in creating a winning combination of great wines and one-of-a-kind experiences that cannot be duplicated without special “access” to the people, places and things that are not generally available.

Collaborating is essential, and in the spirit of developing a unique event, we reach out to people for the access that makes it possible. Example: for the 2007 Auction Napa Valley, we connected with the CEO of Maseratti through a friend and requested that his company make two of his brand new coupes available for our use to drive all over Italy as one of the core components of the adventure we were building. His response was that it had never been done before. I asked him to think about it. Eventually he agreed, and it became the cornerstone of a lot that brought in $1.1 million!

Once the pieces of an exciting lot have been assembled, promoting it in advance is critical to building excitement that will carry into the tent on Auction day. We usually start this effort in January of the auction year because bidders need time to think about a complex lot, and many form consortiums with friends to share the experience and expense.

This year, our partners are Departures Magazine and CORE: club New York. Our lot is titled: “Connoisseur Collection – One-of-Kind Experiences in Napa Valley, New York City, Los Cabos, Mexico and the World.” (Click here to see a video description.) Departures has promoted the lot to its Platinum Card® and Centurion® members from American Express, and we’ve co-hosted two events at the CORE: club to help us connect with past top-bidders and people who would potentially be interested in it. So far, the feedback has been excellent, and we’re hopeful our lot will be a star on auction day.

Once the gavel comes down and the lot sells, the work begins to make the adventure happen. Schedules are always tight, and bidders are extremely gracious in understanding that it can take up to a year to align all of the people and places. And making the personal commitment to participate with the bidders in their adventure as their guide who takes the sponsor responsibility seriously is important. It brings a comfort level. The bidders know they can relax and enjoy the experience without concern.

So, as I write this, Shari and I are on a plane to Europe with the winning bidders of our 2009 lot, and we have an amazing adventure ahead. I look forward to sharing stories at the 2010 Auction Napa Valley in a few weeks, as we assemble again to offer great wines and experiences to raise money for great causes.

Cheers! Garen Staglin

Round Pond - Bud Break Vintage 2010

Check out this video of Round Pond Estate's Vineyard Manager Chris Pedemonte explaining bud break and vineyard cover crops. Keep tuned to our blog, UNFILTERED, over the summer as wineries chronicle the changes happening in the vineyard in preparation for harvest 2010!

Bidding at Midnight: A Blog Post from Stacey Bressler, Co-Chair of the Auction Napa Valley E-Auction Committee

Nothing warms the heart of a wine-loving Night Owl more than knowing that I can bid on incredible lots of Napa Valley wine “in the comfort of my own home” at any hour of the day – or night. That’s part of the reason why I agreed to co-chair this year’s Auction Napa Valley E-Auction. But I never expected the range and depth of the amazing wine offerings to bid on! More than 140 vintners have come up with a staggering array of wine and experiences that will be sold over a four-week period from May 9 to June 4.

Week One: Cellar Treasures in Bottles and Mags

The first weeklong auction opens on Sunday, May 9, featuring incredible wines in 750ml and 1.5L formats. Highlights include a 20-year vertical spanning from 1988 through to 2007 from Frog’s Leap and a rare collection of 24 bottles of famed Heitz Bella Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon honoring Napa Valley wine pioneers Barney and Belle Rhodes. For the art lover, acclaimed watercolor artist Eric Christensen’s lovely “Napa Valley Memories II” is recreated as a gorgeous giclée on the cover of a cherry box housing Grgich Hills Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Zinfandel. If you haven’t blown the entire budget on week one, hold on – there are more super lots coming in weeks two, three, and four.

Week Two: Jeroboams, Rehoboams, Methuselahs, and Nebuchadnezzars -- OH MY!

Running from Sunday, May 16 until Sunday, May 23, week two is themed around big bottles. I love the idea of trying the same wine in various formats (from 375 ml to 6L) as well as seeking a couple of the “big boys” for special occasions like milestone birthdays and anniversaries. There’s nothing like a 3L to get your guests’ attention at a dinner party. And we have 29 wineries who have contributed wine in bottles that are 3L or larger.

Week Three: Unforgettable Days of Wine & Adventure

From May 23 through May 30, you can bid on lots that include both wine and amazing daytime events. More than 20 Napa Valley winemakers are ready to sit with you to share a meal or lead a blending session—all one-of-a-kind for a perfect Napa Valley getaway.

Week Four: Nights to Remember: Wine, Food and Friends

Or perhaps you’d like to spend a night (or two) in a private winery guesthouse—this week is for you! Globetrotters will appreciate a stay at the luxurious Mandarin Oriental in Barcelona compliments of Blackbird Vineyards. Or maybe you fancy a walk down the red carpet at the 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards, courtesy of Beaulieu Vineyard, Sterling Vineyards, Provenance Vineyards, and Hewitt Vineyard? It’s all here and thanks to our unbelievably generous vintners, you can place a bid at any hour of the day or night from May 30 until June 3 and then until 3pm on June 4 as bidders from around the globe vie for winning bids against bidders on-site at Taste Napa Valley’s Friday Festival Auction Weekend.

I’m sure my usual online purveyors (e.g. Rue LaLa, Ideeli, Gilt) will miss me, but from May 9 through June 4, my nocturnal shopping sprees are going to be centered on Auction Napa Valley. I hope you’ll join me.

Click here to view a photos montage of the e-lots, and here to register to bid.

Cheers, and happy bidding!

Stacey Bressler
Co-chair, E-Auction
Auction Napa Valley 2010

Cheers to our Auction Napa Valley Volunteers!

What would Auction Napa Valley be without its volunteers? Simple answer: it would not exist.

Since the first Auction in 1981, volunteers from the Napa Valley community have been the glue and grease and grit that have made it happen. Covering jobs that span the gamut from greeter to garbage hauler, from barrel auction bid taker to bottle porter, and from ticket checker to table-top designer, they donate their time and energy in a massive collaborative effort that results in great fun for auction guests and generous support for dozens of local non-profit programs.

Auction 30 will be no exception, as more than 600 dedicated people take to the palazzo at Rubicon Estate the first week of June to produce Friday’s Taste Napa Valley festival, and to the rolling greens at Meadowood Napa Valley to stage Saturday’s Live Auction. Many of the volunteer faces will be familiar, and many new friendships will be forged.

New this year will be a green concierge team, charged with ensuring recyclables are disposed of appropriately in an effort to minimize the events’ impact on the environment. Their work, and that of their collaborating cohorts, will be achieved with smiles, more than a little sweat, and mutual support – all for little personal return except the pride of helping in a grand effort, and the chance to attend the legendary Volunteer Thank You Party hosted by the Napa Valley Vintners and Auction beneficiaries in October. What payback could be sweeter?

Click here to see a quick video about the community impact of volunteering from Mike Thompson, US House of Representatives, and long-time Napa Auction volunteer. And if you’re interested in joining the auction team, click here.

Thank you Auction Volunteers past and future! Your community is better because of your generosity!

Auction Napa Valley 30: Coming Soon!

It’s just around the corner, and excitement is building for the 30th Auction Napa Valley. The Auction Steering Committee, led by honorary chairs Beth Milliken Novak and Mary Novak of Spottswoode, is in the final stages of planning to create an unforgettable experience for bidders and guests.

Here are some interesting numbers that underscore the amazing collaborative and generous efforts that really add up to raise funds for healthcare, youth services and affordable housing non-profit programs in our Napa Valley community:

• Member wineries have developed 275 exciting live, e-auction and barrel lots.

• The live auction on June 5 is less than 6 weeks away, but the bidding fun begins with the first of 4 weekly E-Auctions in only two weeks. These on-line auctions offer bidders anywhere in the world the opportunity to win one-of-a-kind wine collections and vintner experiences. Click here for more information on the lots and how to bid.
  

• And while you’re bidding on the E-auction, join our Bidders w/o Borders contest by posting a photo of your whereabouts on Twitter using #AuctionNV and tell us the lot you’re after. (If you don’t have a Twitter account, email your photo and a 130-character description to jcrafton@napavintners.com). Each week of the E-Auction, the public will be invited to vote for their favorite posting and the 4 weekly winners will receive Auction Napa Valley Gift Baskets.

• 500 tickets to Friday’s Taste Napa Valley sold out in record time (32 minutes!), and the packages for multiple events are moving quickly.

• Over 100 wineries will pour and 50 restaurants will serve at the Friday Taste Napa Valley festival at Rubicon Estate. A full roster of live musical entertainment performed by local bands will keep the place rocking until the last gavel of the Barrel Auction and E-Auction have echoed through the hills of Rutherford.
  

• Nearly 600 volunteers have signed up to help make it all happen, and many more are pouring in. Click here for more information on how you can make a difference.

• Auction fans are posting fun memories and reasons to attend as part of the Auction Anthology contest currently running on the NVV website. Check it out here, post your story, and help us collect more facets of our 29-year history of fun fundraising.

• A stellar collection of 18 celebrity chefs is creating daring and delicious menus to delight big bidders on Thursday night and Live Auction guests on Saturday. Here’s the incredible line-up:

Thursday’s Big Bidders’ Dinner will be a feminine feast of fabulousness prepared by:
Lissa Doumani of Terra in St. Helena & Ame in San Francisco
Nancy Oakes of Boulevard in San Francisco
Nicole Plue of Redd in Yountville
Nancy Silverton of Campanile in Los Angeles

Saturday Lunch will be prepared by a mélange of masculine culinary mastery:
Octavio Becerra of Palate in Los Angeles
Jean Joho of Everest in Chicago
Thomas Keller of French Laundry in Yountville and Per Se in NY
Lars Kronmark of the Culinary Institute of America in St. Helena
Paul Lemieux of Auberge du Soleil in Rutherford
Walter Manzke formerly of Church & State in LA
Michael Mina of Michael Mina, Charles Nob Hill, and Aqua in San Francisco
Richard Reddington of Redd in Yountville
Frank Stitt of Bottega and Highlands Bar & Grill in Birmingham, AL
Michael Tusk of Quince in San Francisco

During the Live Auction, Christopher Kosta of Meadowood will serve spectacularly succulent snicky-snacks to keep bidders’ energy electric.

And Dinner Saturday Night will be another girls’ night of gorgeous gastronomy prepared by:
Gina DePalma of Babbo in New York
Suzanne Goin of Lucques in Los Angeles
Carrie Nahabedian of Naha in Chicago
Melissa Perello of Frances in San Francisco
Liz Prueitt of Tartine in San Francisco
Suzanne Tracht of Jar in Los Angeles and Tracht’s in Long Beach

To get you even more in the mood, click here to see a cool compendium of video clips from auctions past, and stay tuned in the next six weeks as we share behind-the-scenes coverage with lots of surprises!

"Racking" up Wines

Racking is a procedure used to remove sediment from wine. It's as simple as removing the "clear" wine (free of sediment) from each barrel, cleaning the barrels, and refilling them once the barrels dry. Here's a shot of my brother Alan with the "bulldog" racking device pulling out the wine. He uses a flashlight on the hose to ensure he's not taking up any solids or sediment with the wine. Our 2009 wines have finished malo-lactic (secondary) fermentation, and so this is the first time they will be racked.

Everyone's philosophy is different when it comes to racking. We usually "rack to tank," meaning we move the wine from several barrels into a tank, clean a whole slew of barrels before refilling from wine stored safely in the tank. The wine is more homogeneous and it is more efficient since we don't have a huge staff on hand (my brother has two helpers and about 200 barrels per vintage). The wine may undergo some more movement with this method, depending on how close the barrels are to the tank, so we reduce the number of times we rack to about 3 times in the two year winemaking process.

Another way to rack is "barrel to barrel" - cleaning one barrel at a time and refilling it with the next barrel's wine. This minimizes the agitation of the wine and exposure to oxygen, keeping more of the trapped C02 which serves as a preservative, but also allows for barrel variation, possible reduction smells, and sometimes you get a slight "spritz" in the finished product which usually blows off with decanting as do any notes of reduction. There's also the copper in the cellar trick, but that's another story...

Great wines are created using either racking method, so it is really up to the winemaker to choose his or her winemaking style and priorities.

Cheers from Alan and Delia, mother-son winemaking team! Here they are putting together a mock 2009 VIADER blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.

Warm regards,

Janet

Janet Viader

sales & marketing at VIADER

Direct Shipping Update - Urgent Challenges Coming Before Congress

A letter to our membership:

In an effort to turn back the clock on the direct shipment of wine to consumers, a bill has been introduced in Congress recently that would, in effect, overturn the 2005 “Granholm v. Heald” U.S. Supreme Court decision that helped pave the way for wineries to ship wine directly to many more consumers around the country.

H.R. 5034, crafted by the National Beer Wholesalers Association would make it practically impossible to bring legal action against states’ wine shipping laws that violate the Constitution’s Commerce Clause by prohibiting wine shipment from out of state, while permitting their own in-state wineries to ship direct. The end result would be a return to discriminatory wine shipping laws within the states, creating economic hardship for wineries that consider direct shipment an important sales channel and greatly restricting choice among wine consumers nationwide.

The NVV believes that consumers in all 50 states should have the ability to directly purchase fine wine. Many medium to small wineries have very limited distribution and garner little attention from the large distributors. These wineries survive by selling wine through mailing lists, wine clubs, and over the internet.

Napa Valley Vintners agree that the existing three-tier system should be augmented, not eliminated, and should provide controls and regulations necessary to respect local laws, avoid underage access and provide provisions to make tax payments. It is not the intent of any winery to sell alcohol to minors or to avoid payment of local, state or federal taxes on their wines.

What the NVV is doing:

The NVV has been deeply engaged in the Direct Shipping issue for more than a dozen years. After several years of championing the cause through its own programs, the NVV formed Free the Grapes! and spun it off as a separate organization in 1998. Free the Grapes! was created so that there would be a complementary consumer advocacy side to direct shipping legislative and legal efforts. Since the creation of Free the Grapes! the NVV has donated nearly $400,000 in direct cash contributions to the organization.

In the years prior to the formation the Free the Grapes! the NVV provided support to the cause through in-kind contributions and continues such efforts to this day. These efforts included urging member wineries to donate funds, providing timely and relevant information to members, grassroots lobbying, and public awareness programs.

Additionally, starting in 2008, NVV has been a main financial sponsor of the Direct to Consumer Symposium, the wine industry's premier summit on direct marketing and sales.

How you can help:

Contact Your Customers
As a Napa Valley vintner, your congressman, Mike Thompson, is already fighting on your behalf. However, it is important that Members of Congress from all across the country hear from consumers as to why H.R. 5034 is bad for them. Use your consumer e-mail database and Facebook page to encourage them to visit www.freethegrapes.org where they may personalize a letter to their congressional representatives. To view Free the Grapes! sample language for a letter to congress click here.

Go Viral
Add your comments to the hundreds on the STOP HR 5034 Facebook site.

Follow the Law
The NVV encourages all members to follow the letter of the law at all times. For a state by state update on direct shipping, visit www.wineinstitute.org. More information may also be obtained at www.freethegrapes.org.

Thank Mike Thompson
Congressman Mike Thompson, as always, is in the corner of the wine industry. Congressman Thompson, along with fellow Wine Caucus Co-Chairman George Radanovich, testified on behalf of the wine industry at last month’s House Judiciary Subcommittee hearing on this issue. Additionally, the two members discouraged their colleagues in Congress from signing onto the legislation, pointing out that it would, “Devastate California’s and other state’s wine industries, stunt economic growth, and harm consumers by allowing discriminatory law.”

A Calistoga AVA Celebration!

Congratulations to Calistoga on their long-awaited AVA status!

On Monday, April 20th, Napa vintners and community leaders gathered at Chateau Montelena to celebrate Calistoga's recognition as one of America's most historic wine places. Speakers included Bo Barrett of Chateau Montelena, Linda Reiff of the Napa Valley Vintners and US Representative Mike Thompson.

Word on the street was that Representative Mike Thompson, who was integral in having the Alcohol Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) of the US Department of Treasury recognize Calistoga as an AVA, had given Washington, DC politicians a run for their money on the topic of Calistoga during a congressional hearing. In his opening remarks (see video, above), he referenced the hearing but couldn't recall giving the men a 'drumming' - well, we've got the original hearing video to prove it and we'd like to thank Mike Thompson, Bo Barrett and all the people who played a part in the Calistoga AVA for their unwavering commitment to putting Calistoga on the AVA map!

Diary of a Mad Winemaker in Southern California

I’m posting this, head spinning and jet-lagged in Athens with my family on spring break, just back from the Napa Valley Vintners Taste Southern California blitz. We poured wine for folks in the wine trade, consumers and journalists. We paired our wines with delicious food at wine dinners. We shared our passion, knowledge and enthusiasm at seminars. It was an opportunity to share a little bit of ourselves.

My trip started Sunday afternoon with a consumer tasting at Wally’s, a long-time Napa Valley supporter. I arrived a bit late and slightly frazzled after wading through snarled traffic dodging the Los Angeles Marathon. We were slammed with knowledgeable, engaged consumers eager to taste the amazing diversity that is Napa Valley wines. Up the street for a an early dinner of marvelous sushi at Sushi Masu, 1911 Westwood Blvd., whipped up by the chef/owner himself.

The trade tasting on Monday was held at the Napa Valley Grille in Westwood and I had the great fortune to be pouring outside on a perfect spring day; the sun came in and out of the clouds and there was a refreshing breeze. I connected with many old friends in the trade and made several new ones. It was also a chance to meet several of the reps for my new broker, Monterey Bay Wine Company. After the tasting I attended a press reception at the W Hotel where a few wineries had a chance to show their wines and chat with several journalists. Among them was a correspondent for Le Monde in Paris who is researching an article on women winemakers. She was surprised to learn that there are so many women involved in the wine business in Napa. Next a mad dash to Julie Brosterman’s house for dinner with an engaging group of women in the wine and food business, including retailers, sommeliers, journalists and bloggers. A testament to social media, I met Julie (Women and Wine, womenwine.com and Wine Valet, a wine shop) on twitter (!).

I had most of Tuesday free of Vintner events so I worked all day with reps from Monterey Bay Wine Company, calling on accounts that had not been able to make it to the trade tasting. Then down to El Segundo that evening to pour with several vintner friends at an event at Flemings for their Magnum Club.

Wednesday started with the long drive down the 405 to Orange County for another trade tasting, this time at the Fairmont in Newport Beach. The tasting was well attended and a great chance to see old friends and meet new potential accounts. Before the tasting I was on a seminar panel with Shari Staglin, Janet Viader and Gary Lipp of Coho. We presented an abridged version of Napa Valley Rocks, a very informative PowerPoint presentation covering climate, the geology of our soils and history, followed by a tasting of each winery's current wine paired with a library selection. It’s always edifying to do a vertical tasting as it gives us so much to talk about including style, terroir and the evolution of wine in the bottle. The trade tasting was followed by another tasting for the Fairmont Presidents Club. Luckily the Fairmont is virtually across the street from the airport as I had an evening flight home. Sad to miss the San Diego leg of the Vintner tour but excited to rendezvous with my family for a long-anticipated spring-break visit to Crete over orthodox Easter.

Phew! Just writing this makes me tired. Looking back, the most remarkable and rewarding thing about the trip was the genuine cooperation and camaraderie among vintners. We get so much more done together.

Cathy Corison

Corison Winery

Auction Napa Valley 2010 - Tickets go on sale March 31st!

Although it's only March, Auction Napa Valley (June 4-5) is right around the corner! Mark your calendar for March 31st, when tickets will go on sale at 8am at www.napavintners.com. In the meantime, check out this great video that captures the weekend's excitement!

A wine list for SoCal Napa wine lovers

We're headed to Southern California next week and on our quest down South, we've come across many Napa Valley wine lovers. Neale Aslett, Director of Wine at Nick and Stef's restaurant in Los Angeles, definitely fits the bill. The wine list at Nick and Stef's features some amazing Napa wines, from a 1998 Heitz Cellars "Martha's Vineyard" Cabernet Sauvignon to a 2006 Araujo "Eisele Vineyard" Sauvignon Blanc. Read on to learn more about Nick's passion for vino - and visit Nick & Stef's for a glass of your favorite Napa Valley wine!

1. How did you first get interested in wine?

I Lived in Australia in '86 & was amazed at the quality of their Chard and Shiraz.

2. What do you love most about your job?

Walking the vineyard with winemakers and experiencing their passion.

3. What is your favorite food and Napa Valley wine combination?

It is usually something quite mundane-sitting on the patio of a winery, and eating a salad or sandwich with a selection of wines. One of my best experiences was a visit with Florencia Palmaz, her mother Amalia made empanadas and we sat for hours watching the sun set.

4. You just won an overnight trip to Napa Valley - all expenses paid. What does your itinerary look like?

My trips are always "all expenses paid!" Ha. Seriously though, it would involve watching the sun rise in Peju's Persephone Vineyard, lunch with Sterling's Alison Crary looking south into the Valley and a Fellini-like afternoon picnic with my Napa friends on the front lawn of St. Supery.

5. What do you think is the most under-rated or under-appreciated wine in Napa Valley?

That is a tricky one, maybe Juslyn Winery's "Perry's Blend" or Kapscandy 2004 Cab-Merlot blend.

SoCal or Bust!

Image credit: Legends of America Postcards

The Napa Valley Vintners are headed to Southern California! We'll be taking "SoCal" by storm starting this Sunday, March 21st (click here for the full "Taste Napa Valley - Southern California" itinerary). Consumer events, trade tastings, wine specials in restaurants - LA, the OC and San Diego are about to be immersed in all things Napa Valley!

In celebration of our friends down South, over the next two weeks our blog will feature SoCal lovers of Napa Valley wine. Today, we start our "5 Questions" series with Maurice DiMarino, the Wine Director/Manager of Island Prime Restaurant in San Diego - visit Maurice at Island Prime and enjoy a glass of Napa Valley wine!

1. How did you first get interested in wine?

When I was about 11 or 12 years old, I remember my mom drinking Stag’s Leap Chardonnay. So much later, when I was working in San Francisco as a waiter; I wanted to try the Chardonnay. I decided to take a girlfriend there and kind of show off what I knew about Stag’s Leap. Boy was I was baffled when I arrived at Stags’ Leap Winery. The bottle looked nothing like my mom’s. I was told by the tasting attendant that I was at the wrong winery; man, did I get mud on my face. I realized at that point, that I obviously needed to learn more about wine. To this day I still keep Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Chardonnay on my wine list in tribute to my mom.

2. What do you love most about your job?

I love the fact that wine is brought to me to be evaluated and in turn I share my new finds with our staff and guests. Wine is about sharing and coming together. When people come to celebrate special occasions and have an experience in dining, I get to take part in creating new memories and being part of their experience.

3. What is your favorite food and Napa Valley wine combination?

My favorite dish is simple. A center cut rib-eye with morel mushrooms cooked in cream and truffles, finished with a red wine demiglaze; paired with a Howell Mountain Cabernet, something with acidity and structure.

4. You just won an overnight trip to Napa Valley - all expenses paid. What does your itinerary look like?

Relax, take it easy, and take advantage of not having the kids around! It‘d be simple, no itinerary! May be a trip up Diamond Mountain getting lost and seeing what I’d stumble across. Of course, restaurant hopping; which would have to include foie gras trochon at Bouchon, pigs feet at Bistro Jeanty, and the rest it really doesn’t matter.

5. What do you think is the most under-rated or under-appreciated wine in Napa Valley?

I don’t know if there is a particular winery, but I think that the wines from “Wild Horse Valley” are wines to be on the look out for.

Here Comes the Sun...

After a hail storm yesterday and quite a chilly night, I'm looking forward to spending a few days in Southern California in a couple weeks for the NVV's "Taste Napa Valley" tour. With several events planned for both wine trade and consumers, we're really hitting all the marks and painting the town red!

Good-bye Howell Mountain!

Hello LA traffic!

I spent my morning making travel plans - reserving plane tickets and renting a car to scoot around LA, Orange County and San Diego. (Anyone need to carpool?) I sent out a dozen or so personal invites for the trade tasting to the restaurants and wine shops which best support VIADER & DARE by Viader wines. I've counted every bottle needed and the NVV is collecting it all tomorrow. Have I forgotten anything? Hotel, maybe?

You can come taste wines with me too! I'll be participating in a few consumer tastings, including a wine dinner at Spago's Beverly Hills on Monday March 22nd, and "Nightlife Napa Valley" in Orange County on Wednesday March 24th.

Here's a photo from a tasting event last year:

Janet Viader & Alison Burger

Besides tastings, I will also be "teaching" at a couple wine education seminars. In the LA area, I was invited by Master Sommelier Elizabeth Schweitzer of "Wine, Wisdom and Wit" to speak to her class of wine enthusiasts on "Napa Night" on Tuesday, March 23rd. I'll be pairing up with another vintner, Barry Wiss of Trinchero Family Estates, to discuss Napa Valley's geography and various appellations, and also the important people and historic developments in our local wine industry. I have to credit the NVV for putting the great presentation together. They even gave it a nice whimsical name: "Napa Valley Rocks." I'm also bringing wines to taste from our single-vineyard DARE by Viader wines: Tempranillo from Chiles Valley and Cabernet Sauvignon from St. Helena.

Cin cin!
Janet Viader, sales & marketing at VIADER

Wine Sales Soar at Premiere Napa Valley

Premiere Napa Valley barrel tasting and auction, the American wine industry's most prestigious gathering for the wine trade, concluded the day Saturday, February 20, raising nearly $2 million. Bidders from across the country and around the globe purchased the 200 unique, crafted-only-for-this-auction offerings. The 2010 tally was nearly 30% stronger than 2009 and bested only twice in its 14-year history.

"The story, however, is not about the funds raised as being the benchmark of the Napa Valley wine industry's price stabilization in the current economy. It's about the confidence buyers for resale have in Napa Valley wines today, and the optimism and viability they feel about Napa Valley wines in the months and years ahead when these wines will be released for sale to consumers," said noted wine industry analyst Barbara Insel, of Stonebridge Research, who was at Saturday's event.

Read more about this year's Premiere Napa Valley.

See the new packaging coming to market

See photos from the wine trade gathering

Preparing for Premiere - Switchback Ridge and Robert Foley Vineyards

Kelly Peterson of Switchback Ridge and Bob Foley of Robert Foley Vineyards offer some insight on how they came up with this year's joint blend for Premiere Napa Valley.

See full description of the Premiere Napa Valley video series below ("Preparing for Premiere - Judd's Hill, Salvestrin & Schweiger).

Preparing for Premiere - Peju & Sullivan Vineyards

Sara Fowler of Peju and Phillipe Langner and Sean Sullivan of Sullivan Vineyards discovered their wines' compatibility on 'winematch.com.' Watch and learn how Peju wines' feminine qualities and Sullivan Vineyards wines' masculinity make for the perfect Premiere Napa Valley 'marriage in a bottle.' Stay tuned to the end, where the groups' creative juices take center stage - literally!

See full description of the Premiere Napa Valley video series below ("Preparing for Premiere - Judd's Hill, Salvestrin & Schweiger).

Precise & Professional Pruning Prior to Premiere

Precise pruning is a job for professionals. On my recent travels, I learned a lot about the various pruning methods. In Rioja, 100 year-old Tempranillo vines are shaped into "Gobelet" training systems, in Burgundy they favor "Single Guyot" for their Pinot Noir, and Bordeaux is a mix of Guyot, and "Bilateral-Cordon" which you traditionally see in Napa Valley and on our estate.

Yesterday at VIADER, we finally took to the vineyards and started pruning with an army of about 15 men. Pruning is an essential part in the management of vines, and has very specific timing needs. I'm not a viticulturalist, but I'll do my best to explain it the way I understand it. (Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong!)

Typically, once the cold weather settles in after harvest, the vines lose their leaves, cease photosynthesis and go dormant for about 2-3 months. Unused energy in the form of carbohydrates from within the canes is slowly pulled down for storage in the trunk. These carbohydrates are later needed for bud-break and early canopy development. Pruning the dried canes as the weather warms up gives the young buds the extra push to break through and pull that energy into life.

Each bud, like our estate Syrah vine pictured here, will produce a shoot that may have 1-2 grape clusters, so pruning is important for gauging and controlling future yields for that harvest year.

My brother Alan commented, "This is when you create and set the balance for the rest of the year." We'll have a better idea of yield as we get closer to bloom, usually in late March. There's still more fun to come beforehand, so stay tuned!

All the best,

Janet Viader

sales & marketing @ VIADER

Preparing for Premiere - Ghost Block & Markham Vineyards

Andy Hoxsey of Ghost Block and Bryan Del Bondio of Markham Vineyards discuss their wine blend for this year's Premiere Napa Valley and their shared family history.

See full description of this week's Premiere Napa Valley video series below ("Preparing for Premiere - Judd's Hill, Salvestrin & Schweiger).

Preparing for Premiere - Judd's Hill, Salvestrin & Schweiger

With Premiere Napa Valley right around the corner, vintners have been hard at work perfecting their blends for the wine industry's hottest ticket for wine retailers, wholesalers, restaurateurs and media.

Over the last month, we have followed the stories of the nine wineries that are developing this year's collaborative blends - these partnerships are crafting one-of-a-kind wines that will be available nowhere other than through those savvy wine retailers & restaurateurs who purchase Premiere Napa Valley wines for their discriminating customers.

This year's collaborations are:

Judd's Hill, Salvestrin Winery & Schweiger Vineyards
Ghost Block & Markham Vineyards
Peju Winery & Sullivan Vineyards
Robert Foley Vineyards & Switchback Ridge

(Click here to see all of the videos).

Follow their stories over the next week as we post videos that offer an 'insiders view' into the people, techniques and winemaking philosophies that help make Premiere Napa Valley wines some of the most sought-after in the world. Today's video features Lot 15 - the blend created by Andy Schweiger, Judd Finkelstein, Kenn Vigoda (winemaker at Judd's Hill) & Rich Salvestrin.