Wine Auction: Premiere Napa Valley Brings $3.1 Million

We just returned from Premier Napa Valley, the Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) non-profit trade association's annual wine futures auction, and the excitement was overwhelming. From new wines to vintage cases, there was much to bid on and bring back for our clients. The most overwhelming news: Premier Napa Valley made a record-breaking $3.1 million in just over three hours of fast bidding on 200 unique, one-of-a-kind wines.

This year, there were over 200 lots comprising of 1495 cases of wine. The average case price was $2,069 and the sold-out event included 1000 attendees (including yours truly at Destination Cellars) representing retailers, restaurants and distributors. The energy was on high all week, and we can't wait to share some of our lots with you!

Wines included everything from Cabernet Sauvignons, Red Wine blends, Cabernet Francs, Pinot Noirs, Merlots, Malbecs, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Meunier and sparkling wines.

According to PNV, the top earning lots were: Dana Estates, Kapcsandy Family Winery, Ovid Napa Valley, Checkerboard Vineyards, Vine Hill Ranch, Joseph Phelps Vineyards, Amuse Bouche Winery, Duckhorn Vineyards, Silver Oak Cellars, Levy and McClellan and Shafer Vineyards.

Intrigued? Contact us to learn more about PNV and find out what we brought back!

More Celebrities Investing in the World of Wine

What do Carlos Santana, Drew Barrymore and Joe Montana have in common? Not only are they famous in their own right, but they've also entered the wonderful world of wine.

Just last week it was announced that Drew Barrymore has launched her own "fine wine". The celeb's partnership with California-based distributor Wilson Daniels resulted in a Pinot Grigio.

"Wine is all about the journey, the discovery of new places and new varieties. I'm excited about sharing this Pinot Grigio with my friends and family and other wine lovers," Barrymore told The Drinks Business. The Barrymore 2011 Pinot Grigio doesn't have a release date in the US, yet, but reports say the bottles will start selling at $19.99.

Barrymore certainly isn't the only celebrity to venture into the wine space. Just last year, Yao Ming announced his family's vineyards and foray into the wine world, and he's preceded by a slew of stars including Dave Matthews, Dan Aykroyd, Mick Fleetwood, and Madonna.

Not all celebrities are making their own wines, however. Some celebrities, such as Sting, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Johnny Depp, and UK's royalty couple David and Victoria Beckham own vineyards and wine estates solely for personal use. Regardless of the reason they invest in the wine world, there's no denying that when celebrities put their stamp of approval on something, people take notice.

We want to know what you think: Would you buy a wine if it were endorsed by a celebrity?

Boston's Best Wine Cellars

With fine wine comes refined tastes, but with fine wine cellars comes some of the richest tales.

There's a story to tell in every wine cellar, so that's why we're highlighting some of the best wine cellars throughout the U.S., starting with Boston.

Next time you're in the Bay State, make sure you stop by for a tour (and a bottle) at some of these grand estates:

XV Beacon: The luxury hotel on Beacon Hill has a wine room in the basement of its restaurant, Mooo, that is available for private events and meetings. The wine room has its own bar and kitchen, perfect if you're hosting your own event here, but the true gems lie in what's behind the walls. The restaurant houses some rare varietals including 1907 Heidsieck Monopole "Gout Americain" Champagne for $14,000 a bottle, and a 1996 Red French Bordeaux Pesac-Leognan, Chateau Haut-Brion for $1295. The hotel and restaurant also hosts wine tastings and wine dinners throughout the year that take place in the wine cellar.

L'Espalier: This restaurant is known for doing wondrous things with wines. The wine walls wrap around the restaurant and there are special wine nooks throughout, where you can peek in and take a look at what's being stored. With over 500 bottles of wine to choose from, you can be sure you'll find a wine to suit your tastes. You'll find bottles from just about every region in the world, but one of our favorites on hand includes the 1998 Le Montrachet, Grand Cru for $5,000. The restaurant also has its own private labels, the 1996 Westport Rivers, “Cuvée L’Espalier”, Brut from Westport, Massachusetts and 2002 Alex Gambal, “Cuvée L’Espalier”, Fixin Blanc, from Burgundy, France.

Blantyre: A little west of Boston in the Berkshires is Blantyre Resort, a Relais & Chateaux property and centuries-old estate welcoming guests year-round. Aside from its luxurious amenities, Blantyre is continuously given a Grand Award from Wine Spectator. The wine cellars here are what wine lovers dream of, so don't miss a chance for a tour. Various cellars in the hotel hold different wines from vineyards around the world, all of which are found in the wine book that is presented to you for your perusing before dinner. Blantyre is one of the few cellars to carry a Petrus for over $40,000.

Love is in the Air: Wines to Celebrate Valentine's Day

February is the month of love, and to help you celebrate with your soul mate our sommelier at Destination Cellars has picked the best wines for Valentine's Day.

Whether you're rekindling an old flame, celebrating a momentous occasion or just looking for something special to celebrate the night, these wines are sure to set the mood:

Capture the heart of your valentine with, Captûre Sauvignon Blanc “Les Pionniers” Sonoma 2010 $40: The Les Pionniers Sauvignon Blanc has a beautiful nose with delicate aromas of Meyer lemon, ripe pear, mango and white spring flowers. The mid-palate is creamy yet fresh with great minerality, showing off our terroir with a pleasant lingering finish.

Pinot Noir is certainly a wine with plenty of sex appeal. With its subtle fruits, floral aromatics and supple, silky texture is makes a perfect selection for your valentine. One of our favorites is:
Paul Hobbs Pinot Noir “Lindsay Vineyard” Russian River Valley 2007 $85: Deep, opaque ruby color carries bold aromas of red cherry, cola and clean earth that carry through to a seamless, silky palate. The balance of pure, perfectly ripened berries and undertones of forest floor accented by refreshing acidity weave together for a velvety pinot noir of great finesse. Fine-grained tannins complemented by top notes of bergamot and white pepper grace a long finish.

What could be more romantic than an extraordinary wine named after a the earth’s most spectacular Meteor shower. Meteor Vineyards, Cabernet Sauvigion “Perseid” Napa Valley 2007 $125: The 2007 Perseid is deeply colored with a vibrant hue leading towards ruby red violet rim. On the nose, aromas of plum, fresh blackberries and black cherry compote mingle with sandalwood, sweet tobacco and bittersweet chocolate. The palate is rich and supple with firm assertive tannins and a complex mineral driven finish.

Chardonnay Celebrates 100 Years in the U.S.

The world's most popular white wine celebrates its 100th birthday in the U.S. this week. Ernest Wenter, of the family-owned Wente Vineyards in California, bought the Chardonnay cuttings from Montpelier, France back in 1912 and planted them in California.

Chardonnay is one of the top wine sellers in Napa and Sonoma Valleys, with some of the most popular bottled at wineries such as Jordan, La Crema and Matanzas Creek in Sonoma.

"(I am) a fan because even in cool regions it tends to ripen evenly and it always has a lot of flavor," Corey Beck, the winemaker for Francis Ford Coppola Winery in Geyserville, California, told Reuters.

Chardonnay certainly made a name for itself. It's produced around the globe, and there more than 30 different variations of Chardonnay with a wide range of styles and prices.

Some of our favorite Chardonnay, straight from our sommelier, include:

• Fantesca
• Terlato
• Signorello
• Fisher Vneyards
• Domaine Drouhin (Burgundy)
• Alex Gambal (Burgundy)
• Domaine Joseph Voillot (Burgundy)
• Terlato (Napa)
• Jadot (Burgundy)
• Domaine Serene (Oregon)

Read the full story about how Chardonnay got its roots in U.S. from Reuters.