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Napa Valley Vintners Blitz New York
First-ever multi-day Market Campaign of America's Largest Market Proves Successful
1/31/2007 - St Helena, Calif. - From January 22nd-25th, more than 75 Napa Valley vintners stormed the Big Apple to showcase America's classic wine region in "Taste Napa Valley: New York" - a series of 26 consumer, trade, and private events featuring Napa wines. Sponsored by the Napa Valley Vintners (NVV), the non-profit trade association, the events included tastings at top wine stores and retail shops, wine dinners at the city's best restaurants, and wine-themed charitable fundraisers.
Among the highlights of the New York tour were: a trade tasting in Midtown Manhattan that drew 400 industry professionals from around the tri-state area; a Napa wine-themed fundraiser benefiting the Muscular Dystrophy Association's "Wings Over Wall Street," with more than 350 attendees at the $200 per person soiree at Bayard's landmark building in the Financial District landmark; and a wine and cheese tasting at the Williams-Sonoma flagship store in the Time Warner Center.
Over the course of the four days, wine lovers sampled hundreds of different wines at events around the city, from private clubs like the Soho House to in-store tastings at Sherry-Lehmann, Astor Wines, Tribecca Wine Merchants and Red White and Bubbly, among others, to dinners featuring Napa Valley chefs at the James Beard House to seminars at the International Wine Center to dinners, tastings and media events throughout the City.
Meanwhile, two pedi-cabs traveled all around Manhattan carrying enormous 27 liter bottles of Napa Valley Cabernet as tourists and locals alike stopped for the photo opportunity to sit alongside the bottles with signage reading "Napa Valley 'Hearts' New York." At least a dozen vintners from some of Napa's most renowned wineries braved the coldest morning in more than two years to wave to the crowd and show off one of these giant bottles to Al Roker on the Today Show on January 25th.
Napa Valley produces merely 4% of California's wine and with a city the size of New York, it is tough for a group like the NVV to make its mark, so more than two years ago the association, through the work of its member-run Marketing and Promotions Committee, decided to focus the trade association's first major multi-day market blitz on this essential wine market. "Napa winemakers love the energy of the Big Apple and appreciate New Yorkers' passion for food and wine," said NVV Executive Director Linda Reiff. "Our vintners were proud to pour their wines and showcase the Napa Valley Appellation in New York City, and we're already looking forward to our next visit."
Wine Spectator's James Laube wrote of the NVV in his online blog this week, "This is an association of 280 vintners bound by a mission to make Napa the best winegrowing region it can be, and it's one of the most powerful and successful organizations of its kind.
Aside from having perhaps the most magical name in American wine, and one of the most illustrious in the world, Napa's vintners enjoy a unique camaraderie. They're a diverse group of strong-willed individuals from many walks of life. Yet historically they've put the interests of Napa wine at, or close to, the forefront of their agenda.
Many wine regions, new or established, would do well to see how this group puts aside its differences and rallies behind the Napa name - an effort that works to the advantage of both the little guys and the big boys."
"Taste Napa Valley" is a signature program of the NVV and though the association has a long-standing relationship with New York, this was the first time the program was held as a week-long series of events in one market.
For a complete list of the wineries that took part in the visit, Click here. For more information about "Taste Napa Valley: New York," or to arrange an interview with a winemaker who participated, contact Terry Hall.
Click here to view a gallery of photos from the various events
About the NVV
Now in our seventh decade, the Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) non-profit trade association is the sole organization responsible for promoting and protecting the Napa Valley Appellation as a winegrowing region second to none in the world. Respect for our history reinforces our commitment to the preservation and enhancement of the Valley's land, wine, and community for future generations. We address the shared interests of our more than 275 members and aspire to be the essential organization for all Napa Valley vintners.
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Contact: CONTACT: Terry Hall Communications Director (707) 968-4217 thall@napavintners.com
