Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/12827
PHOTO: ANTHONY HEAD PHOTO: MARIA SCHRIBER THE mEssaGE Whether THE TASTING PANEL goes to the brand execs or the brands call us, there is an abundance of news to report, from the latest releases to behind-the-scenes experiences with some of the world’s most infl uential importers, winemakers, distillers . . . well, you name it. Brief Encounters We may not have enough pages in each issue to devote as much attention as we would like to each person whose path we cross, but please note that if it’s in the publication, we deem it noteworthy —Meridith May, Publisher & Executive Editor Three Sticks Comes to Dallas F ounded in Sonoma in 2002, Three Sticks Wines emerged into the wider world this past May. The fi rst new market—Texas—was chosen in part because the small label’s allocation list had many Dallas/Fort Worth ZIP codes on it. “It’s our fi rst time venturing out of California and it’s nice to go to a place that knows us to some extent already,” says Three Sticks Sales Manager Karin Ott. She came to Dallas with winemaker Don Van Staaveren and owner Bill Price for a welcoming dinner prepared by Dean Fearing at his eponymous restaurant at The Ritz-Carlton. Karin Ott of Three Sticks Wines at Steel Restaurant & Lounge in Dallas. Ott also took some time to pour the Three Sticks 2007 Chardonnay for THE TASTING PANEL at Dallas’s Steel Restaurant & Lounge. “This is our third Chard, and people got to know it quickly. We sold out of the 250 cases,” Ott says. It’s pretty obvious why: This Burgundian-style Chardonnay is made with fruit from Sonoma County’s Durell Vineyard, then aged 15 months in French oak, plus another year in the bottle. Rather than the grape surrendering to the barrel, the fl avors complement each other, and they worked wonderfully with Steel’s Asian cuisine. Three Sticks just released its 2007 Pinot Noir, and the 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon is anticipated by this autumn. In addition to Steel and Fearing’s, Three Sticks wines can be found in more than a dozen Dallas/Fort Worth area restaurants, including Ocean Air, The Mansion on Turtle Creek, Pappas Brothers Steakhouse, Shinsei, Hibiscus, III Forks, Chamberlain’s Steak and Chop House, and Chamberlain’s Fish Market Grill. –Anthony Head VeeV Gives Back VeeV Açaí Spirits’ tree planting ceremony at Southern Wine & Spirits (Southern CA) honored the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. The company’s continued support of the environment included a donation of $33,720: for every bottle of VeeV sold, the company donates $1 to rainforest preservation through The Sustainable Açaí Project. Left to right: VeeV co-founder Courtney Reum; Dr. Joseph Cho, Mayor of Cerritos, CA; Steve Slater, Vice President/ SWS; Katarina Balalas, Veev SoCal Market Manager; Carter Reum, co-founder of VeeV; Frank Santangelo, VP Director of Spirits, SWS; and Jon Newlon, VP On-Premise/SWS. 1 / the tasting panel / july 2010