Page 19 - Terroir_2014

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A STORY IN EVERY BOTTLE
The family of Andrew Hoxsey, a fourth-generation grape grower and
managing partner of the Napa Wine Company, started harvesting
grapes back in 1903. His family, the Pelissas, moved to Napa Valley in
the late 1890s around the same time as the Del Bondios. Today, Hoxsey
and the Del Bondios’ son, Bryan Del Bondio, president of Markham
Vineyards, collaborate yearly for their Premiere Napa Valley auction
lot. The Meritage crafted from Ghost Block and Markham Vineyards
demonstrates a rich tapestry of family history that spans more than a
century, intertwining the vines from both vineyards indisputably. “We
come to this relationship from a number of different sides, but it’s all
still family,” says Hoxsey. “The uniqueness of our collaboration for the
auction is our guarantee that you will never see this wine anywhere else
on the face of the earth, because it is from two different producers who
‘never the twain shall meet,’ except for this event.”
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ALL IN THE APPROACH
Winemaker Denis Malbec, who crafted three lots for this year’s
auction—including one from his own wine, Notre Vin—adds a personal
touch, likening his efforts to a piece of art. “I always associate two
different brains with winemakers: one is scientific, technical, and logical;
the other is more artistic, inventive, and creative. For Premiere Napa
Valley, we can let our imagination and creativity go as far as we want. I
sincerely let my ‘artsy’ brain work alone. The more extreme the blend is,
the more excitement we warrant during the tasting and auction, and the
more money we can raise for our local community.”