Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/898117
november 2017 / the tasting panel / 1 1 1 "Pull up a chair and stay a while, at the family table" suggest the lyrics from the Grammy Award-winning Zac Brown Band's new song "Family Table." What better sentiment to kick off the holiday season? Fittingly enough, Zac Brown's wine brand Z. Alexander Brown has timed the national release of its 2015 Z. Alexander Brown Uncaged Tri-County Pinot Noir to serve as the perfect pair- ing for Thanksgiving. A blend of the best fruit from Monterey, Napa, and Sonoma counties, this lush and layered Pinot Noir boasts intense aromas of black cherry, vanilla, and toasty oak, as well as robust flavors of fresh raspberry jam and strawberry complemented by rich mocha and caramel. With a score of 93 from The Tasting Panel, it's the ultimate match for hearty holiday meals or gifting with quality that overdelivers at $20. The season-of-giving theme also extends to the retailer through Z. Alexander Brown wine holiday promo- tions. Starting this month, in-store programming includes free music downloads of "Family Table" and a consumer text-to-win promotion for a custom guitar played onstage by Brown. A collaboration between Brown and Napa Valley winemaker John Killebrew, Z. Alexander Brown was launched by Delicato Family Vineyards in 2016 and quickly became Nielsen's number-one new wine brand of the year. The first vintage of Z. Alexander Brown included the 2013 Uncaged Cabernet and 2013 Uncaged Proprietary Red Blend, and the portfolio now includes the Uncaged Pinot Noir. The name "Uncaged" was inspired by the pair's approach to crafting Z. Alexander Brown wines, as well as the title of one of Zac Brown Band's multi-platinum albums. These robust wines express Brown and Killebrew's shared passion for bringing food, people, and a sense of place together through creativity and artistry—especially at the family table. Z. Alexander Brown is a collaboration between winemaker John Killebrew and country music star Zac Brown of the Zac Brown Band.