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Napa Valley Vintners to Visit Paris and Bordeaux
Vintners will host U.S. Ambassador to France and French Counselor of Agriculture
6/13/2003 - St. Helena, California, - More than 20 Napa Valley vintners will be traveling to France next week as part of the Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) semi-annual trade mission to France. Vintners will be meeting with trade and press in both Paris and Bordeaux, in an ongoing effort to build key relationships in foreign markets.
The first stop on the trade mission is Paris, France where the NVV group will be hosting a press luncheon and trade tasting on Thursday, June 19th at the Hotel de Crillon. In addition to the over 20 key wine writers and journalists attending the luncheon, will be a number of special guests including United States Ambassador to France, Howard L. Leach. Ambassador Leach is a native of Salinas, California and a long-time supporter of California agriculture.
Other special guests attending the press luncheon will be the French Counselor of Agriculture, Jean Christophe Martin; Alain Gayda, president, and Beatrice Da Ros, Directrice, French Union of Enologists (UOEF); and, Philippe Faure Brach, president of the Sommelier d'Ile de France.
"We're extremely pleased to be traveling back to Paris on our second official NVV visit," said Bernard Portet, co-founder, president and director of winemaking for Clos Du Val Wine Co., Ltd. and a native of Bordeaux, France. "Our inaugural visit in 2001 was so successful that we agreed to return at our next available opportunity."
On Friday, June 20th, a number of the vintners will be participating in the 30th anniversary of "A Taste of America," a gala dinner and wine tasting hosted by The Association of Americans Resident Overseas at The Mona Bismarck Foundation in Paris. The expatriate community attending the gala will enjoy Napa Valley and Chateau Lafitte wines paired with American favorites prepared by world famous chefs of Le Cordon Bleu.
From June 22-26, the Napa Valley vintners will be sharing more than 30 Napa Valley wines with thousands of trade and press attending Vinexpo - the world's largest wine and spirits trade event, held every other year in Bordeaux, France. Vinexpo is celebrating its 12th year and anticipates 2,500 exhibitors from 44 different countries.
Vintners will be pouring wine for trade and press in the California Pavilion, an area within the 41,000 sq. m. exhibition area. Wines represented will include Beringer Vineyards, Cain Vineyard & Winery, Cakebread Cellars, Chimney Rock Winery, Clos Du Val Wine Co., Ltd., Cuvaison Winery, Duckhorn Vineyards, Heitz Wine Cellars, Joseph Phelps Vineyards, Markham Vineyards, Markham Vineyards, Napa Vista - Peter Mondavi Family, Napa Wine Company, Paraduxx Winery, Peju Province, Robert Mondavi Winery, Rutherford Hill Winery, Saintsbury, Schramsberg Vineyards, Sequoia Grove Vineyards, Shafer Vineyards, Signorello Vineyards, Silverado Vineyards, St. Supery Vineyards & Winery, Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, Stonegate, Stonehedge Winery, Swanson Vineyards & Winery, Trefethen Vineyards, Trinchero Winery and Viader Vineyards & Winery.
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