Experience the Excitement of Premiere Napa Valley Week! If you are a member of the wine trade and interested in placing an absentee bid for these wines, please download our absentee bidder information and register your bids. Preview the 2013 Offerings Start strategizing the wines you want in your cellar by reviewing the 2013 Premiere Napa Valley wine portfolio.
Wednesday, February 20 Napa Valley Rocks World Premiere Cameo Cinema 1340 Main Street, St. Helena 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm
Thursday, February 21 Premiere Preview Parties Locations throughout the Valley
Friday, February 22 Multi-Vintage Perspective Tasting Rudd Center, The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone 2555 Main Street, St. Helena 9:30 am - 12:00 pm
Drop in at your leisure for this walk-around, three-vintage perspective tasting of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. This tasting provides a snapshot of wine coming to, already in and finishing up in the market, offering insight into how vintages may unfold with time.
Premiere Preview Parties Locations throughout the Valley Saturday, February 23 Barrel Tasting & Auction The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone 2555 Main Street, St. Helena
The weekend's highlight! Taste and network with owners and winemakers from 200 of Napa Valley's finest producers in the barrel room, enjoy lunch prepared by the staff and students of the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, and then head into the auction room for the fast-paced and high-energy live auction of the 200 made-for-this-event-only wines previewed earlier in the day.
Michael Honig - President of Honig Vineyard and Winery - NVV Board of Directors
At the age of 22, Michael took the reins of his struggling, family vineyard and winery. With an old meat locker for an office, a shoebox marked "miscellaneous" for an accounting system and no training, he began canvassing the streets of San Francisco, selling wine and delivering it himself. As president of the winery, he has built a strong team and transformed the business into a success. With his seemingly endless energy, Michael is often referred to as "the James Brown of the wine industry" and spends 75% of his time out in the world introducing people to Honig wines.A leader in sustainable farming, he chaired the first California initiative to develop a "Code of Sustainable Winegrowing Practices," a voluntary program establishing statewide guidelines for sustainable farming and winemaking. He is also involved in an innovative pilot program that trains yellow lab puppies to detect vine mealy bugs in the vineyard.
Michael sits on the board of directors of the Napa Valley Vintners Association, whose mission is to promote, protect and enhance the Napa Valley appellation and its wines. He also serves on the boards of several organizations including: the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance; California Farm Service Agency State Committee; Napa Crimestoppers; Tower Road Wine Storage; and is a past board member of the Wine Institute. He lives on the Honig estate in Rutherford with wife Stephanie, daughters Sophia and Lola and son Sebastian, and their dogs Raisin and Kota.
Hugh Davies - Owner, President and CEO of Schramsberg Vineyards
Schramsberg Vineyards is now in the hands of Jack and Jamie Davies' youngest son, Hugh. Born in 1965, the year his parents Jack and Jamie Davies revived the historic Schramsberg Vineyards property in Napa Valley, Hugh was named President and CEO of the 40-year old sparkling wine house in 2005. Prior to this, he held the dual responsibilities of Winemaker and General Manager. He holds a master's degree in enology from the University of California, Davis, and has his undergraduate degree from Bowdoin College in Maine.At Schramsberg, Hugh has led the ongoing effort to fine-tune winemaking and grape growing techniques, building upon the winery’s venerable track record of producing award-winning sparkling wines. Schramsberg’s current stable of vineyards includes more than 90 specially selected sites in the Carneros district of Napa Valley, the Anderson Valley, and along the Sonoma and Marin coasts. The winery's commitment to small lot base wine production has yielded extraordinary blending opportunity for the 8-10 sparkling blends produced each year. Over 200 lots are evaluated after harvest, representing many variables: vineyard terroir, grape clone, barrel fermentation, stainless tank fermentation, malolactic fermentation, etc.
Additionally, Hugh was instrumental in replanting the historic hillside Diamond Mountain District vineyards adjacent to the winery to Bordeaux varietals. They are now used by the Schramsberg winemaking team to make J. Davies Cabernet Sauvignon. From the first vintage in 2001, J. Davies has received both public and critical acclaim. Hugh serves on the board of directors for the Napa Valley Vintners (he was President, 2006) and, with his family, he chaired the 2004 Auction Napa Valley. Hugh, along with his brother Bill, heads up the Jack L. Davies Fund, which is committed to carrying on efforts initiated by his father to preserve the Napa Valley for its highest uses: agriculture and wild lands. For prior hands-on experience in the wine industry before joining Schramsberg, Hugh worked with Möet et Chandon in Epernay; Petaluma Winery in South Australia, and Mumm Napa Valley, among others. His political and public service background includes work with the San Francisco Trust for Public Land and assisting California Congressman Tony Coelho in Washington, D.C.
Hugh lives on the Schramsberg grounds with his wife, Monique and his three young sons Emrys, Nelson and Hugh Lawrence. He enjoys spending time with his kids, backpacking and going to the Oakland A’s baseball games. Hugh is dedicated to continuing the quality enhancement of Schramsberg and J. Davies wines. With his leadership, Schramsberg Vineyards is in good, sturdy hands.