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Taste of Vail announces wineries for 2007

CREATED: 2006-11-20 10:29 PM

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Taste of Vail announces wineries for 2007

America's premier wine and culinary festival goes for a greater international presence

VAIL, Colo. - Taste of Vail, America's premier wine and culinary festival, promises to be one of the great events on the 2007 international calendar, as well.

Organizers of the 17th annual festival, April 11-15, announce perhaps its finest and most diverse selection of participating wineries to date, tapping a preliminary list of 54 wine producers from around the world to pour the best they have to offer.

"This group is one of the best ever," says Mickey Werner, a member of Taste of Vail's board of directors, who plays a large role in selecting which of the more than 800 wineries interested in participating ultimately are accepted. "It took us many hours to pair it down, but in the end these wines speak for themselves."

Celebrating the Vail Valley's rich lifestyle - the fine dining, prestigious art galleries, shops and skiing that have made Vail a world-class, year-round resort - Taste of Vail was created in 1990 by a group of Vail Valley restaurateurs as a marketing event to showcase the resort's world-class restaurants. Now the internationally famous destination boasts more than 21 Wine Spectator award-winning restaurants - the most of any resort community in the United States.

Taste of Vail prides itself in being perhaps the only event of its kind in which the chefs, winemakers and winery owners - and not marketers, salespeople or assistants - do the cooking and pouring themselves. Such high standards over the years have led to the festival's being ranked as one of the top three arts-and-entertainment events in the United States, in terms of quality, by the 2006 Luxury Brand Status Index events, conducted by the New York-based Luxury Institute (www.luxuryinstitute.com).

For 2007, wineries from France, Spain, New Zealand, Australia and Italy join a large contingent from Oregon and, of course, the Napa Valley, Sonoma County and the north and central coasts of California. Many wineries from the 2006 Taste of Vail are return guests, joining others that have become semi-regulars over the years. A handful of wineries, as usual, are newcomers to Taste of Vail, which strives not only to bring the finest traditional vintages to the Rocky Mountains every spring, but the latest trends and hottest blends, as well.

"We try to make sure there are always a few new faces in the room. But these are all quality producers with a high level of pedigree," says Taste of Vail's Tom "TJ" Armstrong, who's been with the festival from the beginning. "This year we tried to up the mix for a greater international presence. The more diverse they are, the more intriguing the experience can be."

Armstrong says more Italian wineries are expected to come aboard soon, as the dates for the upcoming Taste of Vail do not conflict with that country's popular national springtime wine event, Vin Italy. That could lead to more diversification in what the American festival offers in the way of culinary experiences, as well as guest chefs and wine seminars.

"The Italian thing is very cool," Armstrong says. "We'll all get a chance to try new things."

Subject to change, the following is a list of 54 wineries accepted by the 17th annual Taste of Vail, in alphabetical order:

• Alpha Domus Ltd., New Zealand
• Baileyana Winery, California (Edna Valley, Central Coast)
• Commanderie de la Bargemone, France (Provence)
• Benzinger Family Winery, California (Sonoma County)
• Bodegas Breton, Spain (Rioja)
• Boniface Les Rocailles, France (Savoie)
• Calera Wine Company, California (Mt. Harlan, Central Coast)
• Camellia Cellars, California (Sonoma County)
• Capiaux Cellars, California (North and Central coasts)
• Carpineto, Italy
• Cristom Vineyards, Oregon
• Domaine Serene, Oregon
• Duckhorn Wine Company, California (Napa Valley)
• Elk Cove Vineyards, Oregon
• Elyse Winery, California (Napa Valley)
• Eola Hills Winery, Oregon
• Ferngrove Winery, Australia
• Fisher Vineyards, California (Sonoma County)
• Flora Springs Winery and Vineyards, California (Napa Valley)
• Flowers Vineyard & Winery, California (Sonoma Coast)
• Foley Estates, California (Santa Rita Hills)
• Germaine-Robin, California (Mendocino County)
• Gloria Ferrer Champagne Caves, California (Sonoma County)
• Grgich Hills Estate, California (Napa Valley)
• Hendry Ranch Winery, California (Napa Valley)
• Heredad Collection of Spain, Spain
• The Hess Collection, California (Napa Valley)
• Honig Vineyards, California (Napa Valley)
• Justin Vineyard & Winery, California (Paso Robles)
• Maison Louis Latour, France (Burgundy)
• Margerum Wine Company, California (Santa Barbara County)
• Marshall Family Wines, California (Napa Valley)
• Matanzas Creek Winery, California (Sonoma County)
• Michel-Schlumberger Wines, California (Sonoma County)
• Napa Wine Company, California (Napa Valley)
• Paraiso Vineyards, California (Napa Valley)
• Ramey Wine Cellars, California (Sonoma County)
• Raymond Vineyard & Cellar, California (Napa Valley)
• Reynolds Family Winery, California (Napa Valley)
• Robert Keenan Winery, California (Napa Valley)
• Robert Foley Vineyards, California (Napa Valley)
• Robert Sinskey Vineyards, California (Napa Valley)
• Robert Stemmler Winery, California (Sonoma County)
• Rosenblum Cellars, California (Sonoma County)
• Rubissow-Sargent Winery, California (Napa Valley)
• Schramsberg, California (Napa Valley)
• SoloRosa, California (Sonoma County)
• Steve Bird Winery & Vineyards, New Zealand
• Sullivan Vineyards, California (Napa Valley)
• Talisman Cellars, California (Napa Valley)
• Talley Vineyards, California (Arroyo Grande)
• Treana Winery, California (Central Coast)
• Viader Vineyards, California (Napa Valley)
• ZD Wines, California (Napa Valley)

Despite its stature among wine and culinary festivals and a reputation for haute cuisine, the Taste of Vail is a nonprofit organization. In the past 16 years, the festival has contributed more than $330,000 to Vail Valley charities; and in 2005, in conjunction with Ritz-Carlton, the Taste of Vail donated $13,000 to the Hurricane Katrina relief fund.

For more information, visit www.tasteofvail.com, e-mail info@tasteofvail.com or call 970-926-5665.

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Media contact:
Stephen Lloyd Wood, media liaison
(970) 949-9774
press@tasteofvail.com
www.tasteofvail.com

(Note: Photos available upon request - SLW)