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10 / the tasting panel / march 2016 INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT Openings H ilary Newsom and Jeremy Scherer, partners in The PlumpJack Group, are pleased to announce the opening of Wildhawk, a neighbor- hood bar located in San Francisco's Mission District. Industry experts Ken Luciano and Jacques Bezuidenhout, the personalities behind the popular Mid-Market bar Forgery, will oversee the cocktail, beer and wine experience, plus daily operations. Wildhawk is scheduled to open mid- March 2016 at 3464 19th Street. The space has undergone a full renovation under the direction of local interior design superstar Jay Jeffers. The name Wildhawk was inspired by Lola Montez, San Francisco's original "bad girl" and dancer of the 1800s, who was known around town for being a wild hawk. The bar's design incorporates adventurous pieces and colors such as patterned black and white wallpaper, retro lighting fixtures and audacious emerald green furniture. The space is intimately sized (49-person capacity), and features a gorgeous bar and moody wooden elements throughout. See page 82 for more about Jacques' SF scene. Importing Treasures F ollowing the close of the acquisition of Diageo Chateau & Estates (DC&E), Treasury Wine Estates announced it has been granted exclusive import- ing rights in the United States for the former DC&E portfolio of French, Italian and Spanish wines. This elite group is comprised of independent, family-owned, estate-grown and -bottled properties and includes some of the finest domaines in Burgundy, châteaux in Bordeaux and the South of France, and estates in Italy and Spain. Sandra LeDrew, President of Treasury Wine Estates said, "We are so incredibly honored to be working with this esteemed collection of world-class estates. I have had the plea- sure of meeting many of the families behind these iconic, luxury brands and it will be a privilege to represent them in the U.S." PHOTO COURTESY OF THE PLUMPJACK GROUP Ken Luciano and Jacques Bezuidenhout will oversee the beverage program at Wildhawk, located in San Francisco's Mission District. I n late January, after a spirited weekend featuring the best wines pro- duced worldwide and cuisine from the country's top chefs, the Naples Winter Wine Festival generated $11.1 million during its thrilling live auction, bringing the total amount raised since the Festival's inception in 2001 to more than $146 million. Guests from around world came together under the tent to bid on 64 live auction lots, including exclusive wine and travel experiences, daz- zling art pieces and limited-edition cars. These items were donated in support of the Naples Children & Education Foundation (NCEF), the Naples Winter Wine Festival's founding organization, which has delivered grants to more than 40 non-profit organizations in its 16 year history, benefitting more than 200,000 local children. Serving the People PHOTO COURTESY OF NAPLES WINTER WINE FESTIVAL