Peju Winery Welcomes Featured Wine Country Artists For Winter Art Gallery Opening

Jan. 22, 2009 - PRLog -- Rutherford, Calif. – Peju Winery is pleased to announce the opening of its upcoming winter art exhibit featuring the works of three talented wine country painters, all capturing the beauty of Northern California’s landscape in their oil and water color paintings. Don Hatfield, Betty Jo March and Marina Golden will spend the afternoon at Peju on Sunday, February 8, 2009 from 1-4 p.m. to kick off the opening of their art show which runs through April 27, 2009. Guests are invited to mingle with the artists and enjoy wine and fare while viewing the range of the gallery’s paintings. Winery guests are able to view the exhibit at their leisure during Peju’s daily tasting room hours of 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Hatfield, March and Golden channel their artistic expression through paintings, though all use diverse mediums of paint, including watercolor and oil, and distinctive styles of technique in their pieces.  Each painter’s passion for nature and scenery is able to bring the land, people and ambiance of the Napa Valley to life.

In 2007, Peju began to showcase top artists from the Bay Area and beyond on a three-month rotating basis. Past artists have showcased sculpture, painting, photography, illustration, charcoal drawing, giclée and contemporary doll art.  

When Tony and Herta Peju founded Peju more than 25 years ago, the couple incorporated their passion for wine, art, architecture and horticulture into the structure, style and hospitality at Peju’s Rutherford Estate. The family has committed to surrounding guests with an inventive and artistic experience from the wine glass, to the tasting room, to the gardens.  

“We believe that wine can be made by the book, but when it’s made using an artistic approach, it becomes superb,” Tony Peju said about the relationship between wine and art.  “Making wine is an art, and art in an extension of wine. It is natural for us here at Peju to patronize the arts.”

There is no charge to attend the February 8 artist reception or to view the Peju art exhibit.  All pieces of artwork are available for purchase.

Editor’s Note:  For full artist bios or images of their artwork, please contact Katie Lewis at klewis@peju.com or 707-302-1162.

About Peju Winery:
Established in 1982, Peju Province Winery is a family-owned boutique winery located in the Rutherford Appellation. Peju’s organically farmed Rutherford Estate Vineyard is home to 30 acres planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc and is ideally situated between Highway 29 and the west bank of the Napa River. Peju also produces wines from its sustainably farmed Napa Valley Persephone and Wappo Vineyards. Visitors are welcomed into a magnificent 50-foot tasting room tower to sample Peju’s award-winning wines, including its flagship H.B. Reserve, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Zinfandel, Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Provence, a proprietary blend of red and white varietals. Peju visitors can also enjoy pristine gardens, art exhibits, an extensive gift shop, three wine clubs and a full-working kitchen that hosts a variety of events and classes. Peju’s tasting room is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and is located at 8466 St. Helena Hwy, Rutherford, Napa Valley. For more information, visit www.peju.com or call 800-446-7358.

About the Artists:

Don Hatfield – Painter
Don Hatfield is one of the most sought-after impressionists of our time and one of Napa Valley’s most respected and renowned artists. He documents the essence of fleeting, stirring, enchanting moments using luminous compositions and a pastel color palette. His works are found in collections worldwide. Born in Long Beach, Calif., Hatfield dabbled in both art and ministry before moving to New Mexico in 1979 to pursue a career in painting. He eventually moved back to Los Angeles and studied under Sergei Bongart, who had a tremendous influence on him. For 20 years, every painting created by Hatfield was bought by a publishing company. The originals found their way to all corners of the globe, as did the serigraphs made from them. Hatfield now enjoys the freedom of painting for himself and his worldwide following from his studio in the beautiful Napa Valley.

Betty Jo March – Plein Air Painter
Betty Jo March has lived in and loved the Napa Valley for more than 60 years. During that span, March has recorded every nuance of color and shadow of every season, working in either watercolor or oil, to share the beauty she experiences with the world. Although March has studied with other well-known artists and has taken a variety of classes, she considers herself to be mainly self-taught which in turn has helped her to develop a personal, unique style. March is a founding member of Wine Country Artists; a member of the National League of Pen Women; and has earned a Society of Western Artists signature. She was also honored by the St. Helena Hospital and Health Center when they purchased one of her paintings to present to Rosemary Clooney after she performed for their charity fundraiser. The Napa Valley Heritage Foundation chose March as one of ten artists to paint the Valley’s old stone bridges for their Heritage Collection. Presently, March is a partner in the Blue Heron Gallery in Yountville, Calif.

Marina Golden – Painter
Marina Golden attributes her artistic influence to the Impressionists. Whether painting a landscape or a still life, her passion is studying the way in which light and shadow interact through vibrant color. Golden uses a palette knife, which gives her paintings fluidity and allows her to capture the essence of each scene. She loves transforming the moments of the beauty of earth into painting. Golden is deeply inspired by her mother’s creativity. It has infused all that she does. Those same Pennsylvania roots also contribute to an enduring passion to paint scenes of backcountry roads. Plein air painting allows Golden to experience the sheer joy of being outside in nature. She paints both on location and in her private studio, a cottage nestled in the middle of a redwood forest in West Sonoma County.

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Established in 1982, Peju Province Winery is a family-owned boutique winery located in the heart of the Napa Valley. Visitors can enjoy organically and sustainably grown estate wines, gardens, art and wine and food events. Open daily 10-6.