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Napa Valley Vintners Inaugurates "100% Napa Valley" Certification Mark
Voluntary Wine Label Program Puts Consumer Interests First Helps Protect Napa Valley Brand
3/4/2003 - St. Helena, CA, - Napa Valley vintners today kicked off a new marketing program designed to help consumers make educated decisions about the wines they purchase. Dubbed "100% Napa Valley," the mark is a voluntary add-on to an existing wine label. It certifies that a full one hundred percent of the wine contained in the bottle is actually made from wine grapes grown, produced and bottled in Napa Valley.
"I am extremely proud to be introducing this program on behalf of all Napa Valley producers," said Clay Gregory, president of the Napa Valley Vintners (NVV), and vice president and general manager, Robert Mondavi Winery.
"Napa vintners and growers have worked extremely hard over the past half-century to elevate and protect the Napa Valley as a brand and an appellation. The new 100 percent certification mark will simultaneously help us protect our brand and provide a simple tool for consumers to quickly discern the true origin of the wines they purchase," Gregory added.
Federal law dictates that wine brand names cannot conflict with the regional origin of the bottled product. And, a California state law currently on appeal before the state Supreme Court requires that that any wine with the word "Napa" on the wine label must contain at least 75 percent Napa Valley-grown grapes. The new certification mark, voluntarily, will be used only on wines that reach an even higher 100 percent threshold.
A key precept of the Napa Valley Vintners mission statement is "to lead in the promotion and protection of the Napa Valley Appellation as one of the finest winegrowing regions in the world." The new certification mark helps support that vision by promoting and protecting the Napa Valley brand to trade and consumers.
Designed by San Francisco-based Landor & Associates, the actual design of the certification mark is clean, simple and easy to read. It may be used on either the front or back label, depending on winery preference. To view the mark and learn about the application process, please go to www.100percentnapa.com.
Any winery that has created a wine 100 percent grown, produced and bottled in Napa Valley may participate in the 100% Napa Valley program. Annual applications will be submitted to the NVV in a process similar to, but easier than the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB, formerly BATF.) A nominal fee will be charged on a per case basis to fund promotional costs of the program over the long-term.
A number of high-profile wineries have already agreed to participate in the 100% Napa Valley program, which was unveiled today at a quarterly meeting of the NVV. Robert Mondavi Winery, Joseph Phelps Vineyards, Duckhorn Vineyards, Lang&Reed Wine Company, Robert Pecota Winery, Dyer Vineyard, Swanson Vineyards & Winery, Schramsberg Vineyards and Lail Vineyards, are anxious to get the mark on their qualifying wines.
"This is a great new way to market our brand to the trade and consumers," said Tom Shelton, president and chief executive officer of Joseph Phelps Vineyards. "It generates an even greater sense of trust in the Napa Valley brand and demonstrates our respect for the consumer. Ours is a fast-evolving and intensely competitive market - the more we can do to help promote, protect and differentiate ourselves the better," Shelton added.
As the program gains momentum and the 100% Napa Valley labels near retail distribution, the NVV will conduct a consumer awareness and advertising effort to educate wine consumers about the mark.
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