Premier Napa Valley

Posted 02/22/2008 at 03:30 AM by Dirk

Have you heard of Premier Napa Valley? (PRE-MEER) (They pronounce the second "R" here while in France it would sound like 'prem-ee-yah')

In Burgundy they have the Hospice de Beaune (pronounced Bone). They call "Futures" En Primeur (PRE_MUR) Here we have pre-meer! (Confusing) It is a really cool barrel tasting and auction...of course you can't actually attend unless you are a wine professional. (I think there is a chance that you could injure your palate on all these young barrel samples unless you are a professional.)

PRE-MEER is where most of the members of the Napa Valley Vintners donate 5 to 20 cases of otherwise wines. They are sold at auction and the proceeds will help the Vintners stay in the business of promoting our wonderful wine region and may someday allow them to buy their own home. We have been talking about a home for the Vintners since...well...basically....forever!

As you may have guessed, most of the lots, but not all of them, are Cabernet. They tend to be special and certainly unique. The coopers should be thrilled with this because nearly every one that I tasted at a preview the other day was showing gobs of new oak. There were plenty of exciting wines in the line up and I am not going to name names...remember, I am not a wine writer unless my regular and shameless promotion of Far Niente, Nickel & Nickel and Dolce somehow gives me minimal qualifications.

At PRE-MEER, the bidders, who are wine professionals in restaurants and retail, are tasting the barrel samples and purchase them for delivery in a couple of years! (It is the same idea as what we do with Nickel & Nickel futures program.) It has turned into one of the major wine events in the Napa Valley. It gives a taste of what is happening with unique small lots of wine from vineyards that each winery cherishes. I wouldn't say that the wines are "better" but they are excellent and it is the only place that they are ever available.

If you can't go because you don't know "the secret handshake," you likely can talk to some of the great retailers you know, and see if they bought anything that would tempt you. (I am assuming that they resell these special wines.) Remember, they may pronounce it PRE – MEER.

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