Wines of Chile: Breaking New Ground
2009 Grand Tasting to Feature Over 45 Chilean Producers in NYC on June 3rd
A Portion of the Proceeds to Benefit Citymeals-on-Wheels and Share Our Strength
NEW YORK, May 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Wines of Chile will be hosting its fifth annual Grand Tasting in New York at Gotham Hall on Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009 from 1:00 - 5:00 PM. Members of the media and wine trade are invited to taste hundreds of Chile's premier wines from the country's thirteen diverse wine growing regions. The tasting will feature current vintages from over 45 Chilean producers, two unique winemaker seminars, as well as an evening consumer tasting to benefit Citymeals-on-Wheels and Share Our Strength.
The 2009 Grand Tasting comes at a very important moment for Chile's wine industry; for the first time in history, a Chilean wine was ranked # 1 Wine of the Year in the Wine Spectator 2008 Top 100. Moreover, Chile's young and industrious winemakers have set out to explore new terroirs and appellations that run the length of the country in search of ideal sites to produce boundary-pushing wines.
"We are thrilled to have Chile's most impressive producers and winemakers join us for the 2009 Grand Tasting," said Lori Tieszen, Executive Director of Wines of Chile USA. "Value has become a top priority for consumers in today's economy, and Chile has risen to the top as a global leader when it comes to quality driven wines that offer value at all price points."
Michael Green, Wine & Spirits Consultant to Gourmet magazine, will moderate two unique winemaker seminars during the event. The first, entitled Exploring New Boundaries, will take place from 12:00 - 1:00 PM prior to the Grand Tasting, and will feature a panel of leading winemakers and winery principals hailing from six of Chile's newest appellations including:
Elqui Valley: Vina Falernia
Limari Valley: Vina Casa Tamaya
Choapa Valley: De Martino
San Antonio Valley/Leyda: Amayna (Vina Garces Silva)
Maule Valley: Bodegas y Vinedos O. Fournier
Bio Bio Valley: Veranda
The second seminar, entitled Chile's Knockout Carmenere, will take place from 3:30 - 4:30 PM and will provide an in-depth look at today's high quality, value driven Carmenere, Chile's unique variety. Six winemakers and winery representatives will engage in a discussion about Carmenere's various stylistic iterations, including single varietal wines and blends that feature this spicy grape. The wineries that will be represented at this seminar include:
Odfjell Vineyards
Cono Sur Vineyards & Winery Terra Andina
Errazuriz
Montes
Lapostolle
Wineries participating in the 2009 Grand Tasting include:
Agustinos
Amayna
Anakena Wines
Antiyal
Apaltagua
Arboleda/Sena
Bisquertt
Bodegas y Vinedos O. Fournier
Carolina Wine Brands
Cartagena by Casa Marin
Casas del Bosque
Cono Sur Vineyards & Winery
De Martino
Errazuriz
Espiritu De Chile
Gracia de Chile
J.Bouchon
Lapostolle
Lauca Vineyards
Montes Winery
MontGras
Neyen
Odfjell Vineyards
Porta
Santa Rita
Terra Andina
TerraMater S.A.
Undurraga
Veramonte
Veranda
Vina Caliterra
Vina Carmen
Vina Casa Tamaya
Vina Echeverria
Vina Falernia S.A.
Vina La Rosa
Vina Los Boldos
Vina Los Vascos
Vina Maquis
Vina Mayu/Elki
Vina Morande
Vina Quebrada de Macul
Vina San Pedro
Vina Siegel S.A.
Vina Tarapaca
Vina Ventisquero
Vinedos Terranoble
Viu Manent
A portion of the proceeds from the 2009 Wines of Chile Annual Grand Tasting will be donated to our charity partners, Citymeals-on-Wheels, to provide 800 home-delivered meals, and to Share Our Strength.
About Wines of Chile
Wines of Chile is a marketing organization representing seventy-six Chilean wineries with offices in Santiago, Dublin, London, Canada, and New York. Wines of Chile was founded in July of 2002 to promote Chilean wine around the world through strategic marketing and promotional activities. For more information please visit www.winesofchile.org.
About Michael Green
Wine & Spirits Consultant to Gourmet Magazine, Michael Green has worked in the beverage trade for over 20 years in the capacities of educator, marketer, importer, writer, consultant and retailer. Michael's specialties include wine and spirits marketing, beverage education, brand building, and trade liaison support. Michael has appeared on various TV programs including Food Network's Emeril Live, and he has been featured in many print publications including The New York Times and The Washington Post. Michael is a member of the New York Association of Cooking Teachers and is on the Boards of Share Our Strength and the American Institute of Wine and Food. He contributed wine notes to Sara Moulton Cooks at Home, which was nominated for a James Beard Award. Michael also created and co-wrote Wine Lovers, the world's first interactive wine tasting musical, which toured nationally in 2007.
About Citymeals-on-Wheels
Citymeals-on-Wheels raises private funds to ensure no homebound elderly New Yorker will ever go a day without food or human company. Last year, our family of contributors helped us bring over 2.2 million nutritious meals to 18,065 frail aged in every borough of New York City. In addition, over 1,500 volunteers collectively spent 62,000 hours visiting and delivering meals to New York's frail aged. The unwavering support provided by the New York restaurant and hospitality industry has allowed us to create a number of annual events including our Chefs' Tribute at Rockefeller Center, our Corporate Dineout program, and various restaurant-hosted receptions and dinners throughout the year. For more information visit www.citymeals.org.
About Share Our Strength
Share Our Strength(R) is the leading national organization working to make sure no kid in America grows up hungry. We weave together a net of community groups, activists and food programs to catch children at risk of hunger and ensure they have nutritious food where they live, learn and play. We work with the culinary industry to create engaging, pioneering programs like Share Our Strength's Taste of the Nation(R), the nation's premier culinary benefit; Share Our Strength's Great American Bake Sale(R), a national grassroots effort; Share Our Strength's A Tasteful Pursuit(R), a touring dinner series; Share Our Strength's Great American Dine Out(R), a week-long program involving thousands of restaurants nationwide; and Share Our Strength's Operation Frontline(R), a cooking-based nutrition education program. Visit www.strength.org.
Media Contact:
Etty Lewensztain
212-994-7543
etty.lewensztain@rfbinder.com
Website: http://www.winesofchile.org