The Tasting Panel magazine

May 2011

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INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT Niner Takes the LEED A fter years of planning and constructing, Paso Robles’s The captured rain water and pond system at Niner Wine Estates: treatment pond (lower left), constructed wetland (middle) and irrigation pond (background). n a fi rst for the wine sector, Carrick Wines, Forrest Estate, Lake Chalice Wines and Seifried Estate have joined forces to form a new company, Pacifi c Prime Wines, to import, market and sell their range of premium wines across the U.S.—the fi rst time a group of indepen- dent New Zealand wineries have created a joint U.S. import venture. Managing the business are three senior wine business professionals, Stu Devine, Paul Couldrey and Dave Nicholas. All have extensive international wine marketing and sales experience. Pacifi c Prime Wines Director Dave Nicholas says, “New Zealand premium wine is the fastest-growing wine import category in the United States and has been for some time. Our major advantage is the ability to sell directly into retail and restaurants, instead of relying on a third party importer to represent our brands.” Visit www.pacifi cprimewines.co.nz. Kiwi Invasion I It’s A Breeze! M Niner Wine Estates announced in April that it has been awarded LEED Silver Certifi cation established by the U.S. Green Building Council. “We recognize that LEED Certifi cation is a signifi cant achievement, given the complexities of a winery operation, and one that was very important to our entire team,” said owners Richard and Pam Niner. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is the preeminent build- ing rating program that is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. ew changes are in the mix for Aloha State–based K¯ oloa Rum, announcing new California distri- bution through Western States Beverages. K¯oloa has also announced the appointment of Meghan Thibault to its Sales, Marketing and Business Development Manager position. Thibault, an industry vet who has worked with distributers and produc- ers around the world, says, “I am excited to work with an authentic, premium Hawaiian-made brand that has such signifi cant growth potential.” Carmel Valley’s Talbott Vineyards announces the promotion of Matt Viotto to VP of sales and market- ing. Viotto joined Talbott Vineyards in February of 2010 as Director of Sales, Appointments N Meghan Thibault. Matt Vioto. overseeing both national and global sales for the winery’s portfolio of estate-grown Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs. In the year since, Viotto has increased sales for Talbott Vineyards by 49 percent, while also expanding Talbott into new markets. alibu Tropical Sea Breeze joins the brand’s line of great-tasting premixed cocktails. It’s packaged in environmentally friendly 1.75-liter pouches. The fi rst-of-its kind pouch is made of soft plastic that allows for quicker chilling and keeps the product fresh once opened. The dispenser nozzle is leak-proof and easy pouring for minimizing waste. SRP $19.99/1.75L. 12 / the tasting panel / may 201 1 Mike Cekay is now Executive Vice President/ Global Sales Manager for Don Sebastiani & Sons. “Mike’s promotion is well-deserved and a refl ection of the Mike Cekay. increased amount of work that he has assumed—particularly when it comes to our international sales,” says Donny Sebastiani, President of Don Sebastiani & Sons. Cekay joined the company in 2009 as Senior VP, National Sales Manager.

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