2013 年2 月23 日，加州圣海伦娜St Helena—第十七届纳帕谷年度期酒活动今日获得高达304美元的收入，近乎于突破记录的去年活动。拍卖活动在美国瑞斯图恩烹饪学院The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone 举行，所拍卖的211 种不同的美酒由218 位NVV 成员捐赠，并在短短三个小时的热烈拍卖中全部售出。
超过80%的拍卖用酒的年份为2011 年，这个年份的生长季不寻常。但是，今日拍卖时的火热气氛证明了即便是在条件并不完美的年份里，纳帕谷经验丰富的葡萄园管理者以及酿酒师们仍然可以酿制品质优良的美酒。
“今天是了解2011 年份葡萄酒质量的绝佳机会。”来自科斯塔梅萨 Costa Mesa 的 Hi-Time 酒窖的成交买家Daniel Williams 如是说，“我认为这次活动中有很多非常出色的酒，而在这样一个可以称得上很有‘挑战性’的年份里，酿酒商们做得相当不错。”
平均批发售价为每瓶160.75 美元，这也说明了纳帕谷期酒的珍贵，以及人们对于限量2011 年份酒的需求，还有对于纳帕谷葡萄酒稳定质量的肯定。今年的期酒如往年一样走俏，全部都提前六周售出。1000 位参加者来自于9 个国家35 个地区的600 个顶级贸易组织和媒体。
纳帕谷期酒活动始于1997 年，致力于为纳帕谷酿酒商协会（NVV）筹集资金，以推广、保护以及改善纳帕谷产区，纳帕谷葡萄酒以及纳帕谷社区。收入来自于拍卖独一无二的级高端葡萄酒，制作少至60 瓶最多也不会超过240 瓶。对于纳帕谷的酿酒师们来说，在每年的这个独一无二的时间利用产量如此小的酒，可以传达他们理念的机会，。而对于参加者来说，这则可以预测某一年份酒在未来的市场中会有怎样的表现。
“我们非常庆幸纳帕谷期酒活动又一次圆满成功，这使得纳帕谷酿酒商协会可以拓展活动和项目，包括我们的环境领导力、扩大本地社区、努力在全世界范围内推广纳帕谷产区、竭力保护酒标上纳帕谷的名字。”Bruce Cakebread 这样说，他是 Cakebread Cellars 酒庄的庄主兼首席运营官，同时也担任纳帕谷酿酒商协会2013 年董事会主席，他还表示“我们认为这些项目的质量与我们的葡萄酒质量一样重要。”
今年的67 个成功投标者可以选择如在纳帕种植的葡萄品种一样繁多的葡萄酒，包括赤霞珠、品丽珠、黑比诺、长相思、美乐、霞多丽、马贝克、小味而多、赛美蓉、西拉，甚至包括起泡酒。
收入最多的酒庄：Bevan Cellars/Chateau Boswell Winery（联合参与）、Reynolds Family Winery、Shafer Vineyards、Keenan Winery、Kapcsandy Family Winery、Rombauer Vineyards、Duckhorn Vineyards、Silver Oak Cellars、Derenoncourt California、Saintsbury; Hourglass、VHR, Vine Hill Ranch 和ZD Wines。
买入最多期酒的买家：Total Wine & More, Potomac, MD、Cliffewood Wine Syndicate, Little Rock 亚利桑那州、The Wine House 洛杉矶，加州、Gary’s Wine & Marketplace, Madison 新泽西、Beverage Warehouse 洛杉矶，加州、Nakagawa Wine Company 东京，日本、 Meritage Wine Market, Encinitas 加州、Imbibe Wine and Spirits, Bakersfield 加州、Petroleum Club, Oklahoma City 奥克拉荷马州、Spec’s Wines, Spirits & Finer Foods 休斯顿、德克萨斯、Bounty Hunter 纳帕，加州。
人们都说这是“纳帕谷最好的一周”，而人们认为品鉴会以及拍卖会之前的那几天跟期酒活动当天一样令人兴奋。今年的活动还包括第九届专业葡萄酒作家研讨会，由NVV，纳帕谷梅都伍德 Meadowood 酒店以及美国瑞斯图恩烹饪学院 The Culinary Institute of America 联合举办。体验纳帕谷是NVV 为全球的业内以及媒体人士提供的一个项目；“纳帕谷-地地道道 Napa ValleyRocks”系列电影大荧幕首映；以及这一整周里由酿酒商们举办的众多期酒前瞻聚会。众多的活动吸引了大约750 多家业内组织、媒体以及游客来到纳帕谷，在传统意义上的淡季为酒店和餐馆带来了许多商机，并且有助于这一产区维持经典旅行圣地的声誉。
“本周的热潮持续至期酒活动，所有的活动令人兴奋不已，并且获得了众多重要的业内组织及媒体的关注。”雷诺德家族酒庄 Reynolds Family Winery 以及2013 年纳帕期酒主席Steve Reynolds 这样说，“期酒以及相关活动让纳帕谷、酿酒商和葡萄园充满生机，无论对于刚了解纳帕的人还是对纳帕了解很深的专家都是如此，并且也为各个市场发展纳帕谷葡萄酒持续发展的大使。”
关于纳帕谷酿酒商协会：纳帕谷酿酒商协会（NVV）是一家非营利性的商业协会，致力于推广并保护纳帕谷产区作为一流葡萄酒产区的地位。从1944 年的七位创始成员，发展到今天代表450 家纳帕谷酒庄，纳帕谷酿酒商协会已经成长为世界葡萄酒领域内的一名佼佼者。
了解更多关于纳帕谷产区与美国葡萄酒的信息，敬请登录我们的网站：www.napavintners.com纳帕谷期酒活动引述“这真是一场令人惊叹的品鉴会，充满了热情与愉悦。”获奖作家兼教育者、1976 年巴黎评判的组织者Steven Spurrir 说，“并且，我热爱2011 年份的酒，十分优雅，入口一段时间后变得十分优美，正是我中意的风格。”“纳帕谷期酒活动是一个与酿酒商们接触的绝佳机会，并且能给予我们的顾客一个了解纳帕的特别机会。”Total Wine & More 的采购副主席说， “我们的顾客真的对这些期酒很感兴趣。 并且，我们非常高兴能够为他们提供真正诠释纳帕的葡萄酒”
“纵观2011 年份的酒，你会发现惊人的风格以及精细度。尽管生长季是相当的凉爽，但是当你尝到这些酒的时候，你就会意识到纳帕谷发展到今日，酿酒商们已经知道如何应对较冷和较热的天气，无论如何他们都能酿出好酒。”侍酒师大师Larry Stone 这样说“对于了解近期的赤霞珠年份而言纳帕谷期酒活动是一个完美的场合，而通过品鉴能够了解今年的真正情况；我想到场的绝大多数人会认为2011 年份是非常优雅、可爱的葡萄酒，拥有可以持续十年甚至二十年的纯净果味，以及无可匹敌的平衡性和结构感，”葡萄酒大师，美国星座葡萄酒集团葡萄酒教育副主席Peter Marks 如此评论。
“对于了解近期的赤霞珠年份而言纳帕谷期酒活动是一个完美的场合，而通过品鉴能够了解今年的真正情况；我想到场的绝大多数人会认为2011 年份是非常优雅、可爱的葡萄酒，拥有可以持续十年甚至二十年的纯净果味，以及无可匹敌的平衡性和结构感，”葡萄酒大师，美国星座葡萄酒集团葡萄酒教育副主席Peter Marks 如此评论。
如需获得更多关于2013 年纳帕谷期酒活动的信息请点击以下链接：
http://www.napavintners.com/trade/tm_3_release_detail.asp?ID_News=3621204
Wines from 2011 Vintage Propel Premiere Napa Valley to Near-Record Total
PREMIERE NAPA VALLEY | FEBRUARY 20-23, 2013
2/23/2013-St. Helena, CA—The Napa Valley Vintners’ 17th annual Premiere Napa Valley today brought in a resounding $3.04 million, nearly matching last year’s record-breaking event. The auction’s 211 lots donated by 218 NVV members were purchased in just over three hours of lively and spirited bidding at The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone.
More than 80% of the lots featured were from the 2011 vintage, which had an unusual growing season. However, the vigorous bidding at today’s auction proved that the skills and experience of Napa Valley’s vineyard managers and winemakers prevail, even when the growing conditions are less than perfect.
“Today was a great chance to get a glance into the quality of the 2011 vintage,” commented successful bidder Daniel Williams of Hi-Time Cellars in Costa Mesa. “I think there were some tremendous wines presented and I think the vintners have done a great job of putting their best foot forward in a vintage some might call ‘challenging’.”
The average wholesale price per bottle sold was $160.75, an indicator of the rarity of Premiere Napa Valley wines, the demand for the limited 2011 vintage and the overall appreciation for the consistent quality wines produced in the region.
This year’s Premiere, always a hot ticket, sold out six weeks in advance. The more than 1,000 total attendees included 600 top trade and media from 35 states and 9 countries.
Founded in 1997, Premiere provides funding for the Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) to further its mission to promote, protect and enhance the Napa Valley appellation, its wines and its community. Revenue comes from the auctioning of rare, ultra-boutique, one-of-a-kind wines, crafted in as few as 60 bottles and never more than 240. For Napa Valley winemakers, Premiere is a chance to express something they have always wanted to convey in a wine in very limited production for this one moment in time and then never again. For attendees, it’s the chance to preview the vintage coming into market.
“We are grateful for the continued success of Premiere Napa Valley, which has allowed the NVV to expand its activities and programs, including our environmental leadership, outreach to the local community, our efforts to promote the appellation worldwide, and the vital protection of the Napa Valley name on a bottle of wine,” said Bruce Cakebread, president and chief operating officer of Cakebread Cellars and 2013 president of the NVV’s board of directors. “We feel the quality of these programs is as stellar as the quality of our wines.”
This year’s 67 successful bidders had the chance to choose from an array of wine lots as diverse as the grape varieties grown in the Napa Valley itself, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Chardonnay, Malbec, Petit Verdot, Petite Sirah, Semillion, Syrah, and even sparkling wine.
Top Earning Lots – Bevan Cellars/Chateau Boswell Winery (joint lot); Reynolds Family Winery; Shafer Vineyards; Keenan Winery; Kapcsandy Family Winery; Rombauer Vineyards; Duckhorn Vineyards; Silver Oak Cellars; Derenoncourt California; Saintsbury; Hourglass; VHR, Vine Hill Ranch; and ZD Wines.
Top Accounts to Acquire Premiere Wines – Total Wine & More, Potomac, MD; Cliffewood Wine Syndicate, Little Rock, AR; The Wine House, Los Angeles, CA; Gary’s Wine & Marketplace, Madison, NJ; Beverage Warehouse, Los Angeles, CA; Nakagawa Wine Company, Tokyo, Japan; Meritage Wine Market, Encinitas, CA; Imbibe Wine and Spirits, Bakersfield, CA; Petroleum Club, Oklahoma City, OK; Spec’s Wines, Spirits & Finer Foods, Houston, TX; Bounty Hunter, Napa, CA.
Often referred to as “the best week in Napa Valley,” the days leading up to the tasting and auction are considered almost as exciting as the grand finale of Premiere Napa Valley itself. This year included the ninth annual Symposium for Professional Wine Writers, co-hosted by the NVV, Meadowood Napa Valley and The Culinary Institute of America; Experience Napa Valley, an NVV signature education immersion program for international trade and media; the big screen premiere of the “Napa Valley Rocks” video series; and numerous Premiere Preview Parties hosted by vintners throughout the week. The many events and activities entice an estimated 750-plus trade, media and their guests to the Napa Valley, building business for hotels and restaurants during a traditionally slow time of year, and helping to further the region’s reputation as a legendary travel destination.
“The flow of the week leading up to Premiere, with the excitement of the events and exposure for so many different key trade and media to Napa Valley wines and hospitality is unparalleled,” said Steve Reynolds of Reynolds Family Winery and Chair of Premiere Napa Valley 2013. “Premiere and its related events bring Napa Valley, its vintners and its vineyards alive for both the newcomer and seasoned pro and creates career-long Napa Valley wine ambassadors in the marketplace.”
View photos from the week and find Premiere Napa Valley wine at www.premierenapawines.com.
