Highly Anticipated Fourth Release from Parallel Napa Valley

Nov. 13, 2008 - PRLog -- On the heels of two top Napa Valley Vintners Association barrel auction showings earlier this year, Parallel Napa Valley and noted winemaker Philippe Melka are proud to introduce the winery's fourth release: their 2006 Parallel Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. The partners of Parallel recognized the unique talent of Philippe Melka years before he was named Winemaker of the Year in 2005 by Food and Wine magazine. Together they set out to create an authentic Napa Cabernet Sauvignon, which expresses the property's unique terroir at a price that belies its quality. At $55 for the 750 ml, the 2006 Parallel Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is an affordable gem in Melka's portfolio. The partners will offer 1600 cases of this blend, which is comprised of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc.

With three sold out releases preceding it, expectations are high for the 2006 vintage. Philippe Melka, Winemaker describes it as follows: "The flavors express ripeness and intensity with blackberries being dominant. The mouthfeel is the perfect harmony of what we worked on during our numerous sessions of blending, a combination of approachability with lush and sweet characters and longevity with dark toast, black cherry, truffles, coconut and finishing with super fine grained tannins and lively fruit."

Mike Doilney, Parallel partner and general manager added:  "We're very excited about the progression of each release to date, and feel the 2006 truly reveals the consistency and quality we have worked hard to create with Philippe and our vineyard manager Jim Barbour, two modern masters. Each previous release has been ready to drink but has revealed wonderful new characteristics with each passing year.  We look forward to sharing the 2006 blend as well as special things to come this spring."      

Estate Wine on the Horizon
In addition to the fall release of the 2006 blend, Parallel Napa Valley will be introducing its first Estate wine in Spring 2009: a 2006 made exclusively from its exquisite mountainside vineyard in the hills high above Lake Hennessey on Greenfield Road in Conn Valley.

Partners Collection Chardonnay
While the partners' favorite wine is Cabernet, they were drawn to the idea of creating a chardonnay for their own private collection.  Their 2007 Chardonnay turned out to be so delicious that they could not keep it to themselves, and will be offering this limited edition in 2009 to friends and family through their mailing list and Premier Parallel membership.

Parallel Napa Valley Partners
Parallel Napa Valley, often referred to affectionately as "the ski wine" was founded in 1999 by four families from Park City, Utah. The friends - Val and Steve Chin, Mike and Toni Doilney, Mac and Ann MacQuoid, and Joe and Paula Sargetakis - all avid skiers with a life-long appreciation of wine, wanted to create a wine that reflected these passions (note the ski track design on the label) but offered as much value as it did quality.  Working with star winemaker Philippe Melka and top vineyard manager Jim Barbour, they have been able to achieve just that. Parallel Napa Valley is custom-crushed, cave barrel-aged and bottled in St. Helena.

In addition to making great wine, the partners of Parallel Napa Valley are committed to sharing their wine in order to support charities that are near and dear to them, including the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Team Foundation, with whom they have an ongoing relationship. Since Parallel was founded, the partners have helped raise more than $400,000 for nonprofits through wine and auction package donations.

Parallel Around the World
Parallel Napa Valley wine is available in fine restaurants, resorts and wine shops in more than 20 states across the US in select markets and online through its mailing list at www.parallelwines.com. With a focus in California and the Ski Country of the Rocky Mountain West, it has become the unofficial wine of Park City, Utah, the partners' hometown. In the last two years, Parallel Napa Valley has gone global, with followers around the world creating demand and distribution in cities around America and the world, from New York and Las Vegas to Tokyo and Istanbul.

# # #

Charles Communications Associates is an independent creative marketing communications and public relations firm that helps local and global companies, organizations and non-profits create, build and launch a brand.