Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1004126
14 / the tasting panel / july 2018 INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT Napa Valley Boutique Wine Tours Aim to Offer Guests Rare and Memorable Experiences A ndrew Kiken, a former partner and Sales Director at Reverie Winery, is putting his Napa knowledge to work with his company Boutique Wine Tours. Kiken says he aims to create memorable interactions between clients, winery owners, and winemakers rather than just following a tasting-room route as Napa Valley Boutique Wine Tours seeks to network with local sommeliers to create lasting partnerships and positive guest experiences. For information, visit hiddenwinetours.com. More Than $13.6 Million Raised at 38th Annual Auction Napa Valley A t the slam of the last gavel on June 2, just over $13.6 million dollars had been raised during the 38th annual Auction Napa Valley charity event. This year's honorary chairs were sisters Angelina, Alycia, Riana, and Giovanna Mondavi, fourth- generation members of the iconic winemaking family. At Saturday's live barrel auction, U.S. Congressman Mike Thompson greeted guests with glasses of Charles Krug Sauvignon Blanc. Of the 110 specially made lots of prime Napa Valley Cabernet available for guests to bid on, most were primar- ily Cabernet or Cabernet blends from the 2016 vintage. VGS Chateau Potelle was the top earner, raking in $114,300. Other standouts were Will Harlan's 2016 The Mascot ($47,200); Chappellet Vineyard Pritchard 49 ($38,550); Peju's masterfully crafted The Experiment; Stewart Cellars' absolutely stunning Beckstoffer George III; Nell Côte, made by rising-star wine- maker Ry Richards; Mi Sueno by Napa legend Roland Herrera; and a dynamite Block 5 bottling by Frank Family. Samantha Rudd of Rudd Oakville Estate also announced a $1 million contribution from the Rudd Foundation in honor of her father, the late Leslie Rudd. —Jonathan Cristaldi PHOTO COURTESY OF ALEXANDER RUBIN Giovanna, Riana, Alycia, and Angelina Mondavi served as the honorary chairs of the 38th annual Auction Napa Valley charity event in early June. Christopher Harris Takes Over the Wine Program at Chicago's Michelin-Starred Entente C hristopher Harris may be young, but he's making a name for himself in Chicago's restaurant scene. After developing the wine list for the two- Michelin-starred restaurant Smyth + The Loyalist, Harris is taking control of the wine program at Chicago's Michelin-starred Entente. According to Harris, Entente's wine program is focused, fun, and approach- able. "We strive for balance between classic producers as well as those who are emerging into their limelight," he says of the carefully curated list.