Winemaker Favorites and Winemakers of the Future: The Napa Valley Wine Library Association’s Wine Tasting Event

Napa Valley Wine Library Wine Association Wine Tasting

Last Year’s Napa Valley Wine Library Association Wine Tasting

Quick!  Name five classic Napa wineries!  Chances are your list included Beringer Vineyards, Cakebread Cellars, Caymus Vineyards, Charles Krug Winery, Domaine Chandon, Grgich Hills Estate, Heitz Wine Cellars, Joseph Phelps Vineyards, Louis M. Martini Winery, Schramsberg Vineyards, Whitehall Lane Winery, and/or ZD Wines.  You know what?  Those dozen wineries are all pouring at the Napa Valley Wine Library Association Wine Tasting on Sunday, August 11, between 5:00 and 7:00 pm at the Silverado Resort & Spa (1600 Atlas  Peak Road, Napa).    

Joseph Phelps Vineyards

Joseph Phelps Vineyards

Now in its 51st year, this pleasant and relaxing event will showcase 100 wineries sharing some of the best wine in the Valley, poured outside on a lovely summer evening under the sheltering oaks of The Grove at Silverado.  The wineries at the event cover the Napa Valley from Calistoga to Los Carneros.   The sides of the valley are represented as well, including Howell Mountain, Spring Mountain, Diamond Mountain, and Mount Veeder. At this year’s Wine Tasting, you will find several examples of varietals such as Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Zinfandel, and Petite Sirah.   And of course, Cabernet Sauvignon.

Need some more motivation?   Here are some wines you should know will be at the Napa Valley Wine Library Association Wine Tasting on August 11:

  • von Strasser Winery, 2012 Diamond Mountain Grüner Veltliner
  • Robert Sinskey Vineyards, 2012 “Abraxas” (Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer)
  • Grgich Hills Estate, 2009 Carneros Selection Chardonnay
  • Reverie Winery, 2011 Cabernet Franc
  • Hendry Wines, Block 28 Zinfandel
  • Pride Mountain Vineyards, 2010 Vintner Select Cabernet Sauvignon
  • Caymus Vineyards, 2003 “Special Selection” Cabernet Sauvignon
  • Joseph Phelps Vineyards, 2009 “Insignia” (Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Malbec)

Keep reading and we’ll tell you more about the 2013 NVWLA Wine Tasting on August 11th and their Winemaker’s Seminar taking place on August 10th which focuses on the wine industry leaders of the future. 

Napa Valley Wine Library Association Wine Tasting

Reverie Winery

In the Caves at Reverie Winery

The theme at this year’s NVWLA Wine Tasting is “Winemaker’s Favorites,” so the pouring will feature special wines chosen by the vintners themselves.  In addition to the wineries already mentioned above, some of the other wineries scheduled to participate are Robert Biale Vineyards, Ceja Vineyards, Charnu Winery, Hendry Wines, Jericho Canyon Vineyard, Judd’s Hill, Keenan Winery, Stony Hill Vineyard, Truchard Vineyards, Varozza Vineyards, and Vincent Arroyo Winery.   To see the complete list of participating wineries confirmed so far (and the wines they will be pouring) please go here.

Jericho Canyon Vineyard

Tasting Salon at Jericho Canyon Vineyard

The NVWLA Wine Tasting is free, but for Napa Valley Wine Library Association members only.   If you now need a membership, you should know they are easy to obtain and are available online here.  Annual memberships are $80 per person prior to the Wine Tasting event and $85 on the day of the Tasting. If you are a fan of wine, wine knowledge, and wine history, you should seriously consider joining the Napa Valley Wine Library Association to support their great work.

 

Wine Library Association Winemaker’s Seminar

In addition to free admission to the Annual Tasting event, members of the NVWLA receive special rates for wine education courses and seminars throughout the year. In fact, Association members can get a special rate for a Winemaker’s Seminar on August 10th  (the day before the Wine Tasting) which will be held between 9:00 am and 12:00 pm at the former COPIA Center (500 First Street, Napa). The Seminar, titled “Pairing Words and Wine,” will feature a discussion panel of leaders from the next generation of wine professionals.

Rock and Vine LogoThe discussion is going to be facilitated by Chelsea Prince, author of “Rock and Vine: Next Generation Changemakers in America’s Wine Country,” and the panel will feature some of the subjects from her book who will share their insights and approaches to the wine industry, and talk about their personal experiences in continuing the legacy of the Napa Valley and Sonoma wine regions.

“Pairing Words and Wine” Panel Participants include:

  • Angelina Mondavi, Dark Matter Wines
  • Danny Fay, Envolve Winery
  • Jordan Kivelstadt, Kivelstadt Cellars
  • Tony Leonardini, BNA Wine Group
  • Maggie Pramuk, Robert Biale Vineyards

Additional “Rock and Vine” winemakers may be added to the panel, subject to harvest schedules.

Oxbow Public Market

Oxbow Public Market

The panel discussion will take place from 9:00 to 10:45 am, followed by a special wine tasting and book signing with the author and panel members from 10:45 to 11:45 am.  Lunch will then take place at the nearby Oxbow Public Market where you can spend your seminar-provided “Ox-Bucks” at the market’s many vendors and restaurants.    For the Winemaker’s Seminar, tickets are $95 for members and $105 for non-members (the Seminar is not limited to NVWLA members only, but may sell out).  If you are interested in purchasing Rock and Vine, the book is available at a discount for $15 with advance ticket purchases, or you can buy it for $25 at the event.

For complete details on the NVWLA Wine Tasting, the Winemaker’s Seminar, to purchase a NVWLA Membership, and/or to register for the Seminar, please go here. If you’re not already familiar with Oxbow Public Market, you can read about how awesome we think it is by going here.

 

Napa Valley Wine Library Association

NVWLA logoThe Napa Valley Wine Library Association was founded in 1963 as a resource for information about wine. Today, the Association hosts seminars and other educational events, and funds an extensive collection of books, interviews, newsletters, technical journals, and other wine-related materials about wines and wine growing. The collection offers incomparable resources for wine enthusiasts and professionals alike and is available at the St. Helena Public Library. Membership in the NVWLA helps support the mission to collect and preserve these treasures for generations to come.

 


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