The James Beard Foundation 20th Anniversary Dinner Features 2005 Parallel Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon - 10/28/07
Susan G. Koman for the Cure - Couture Fundraiser - 7/26/2007
Sun Valley Wine Auction to benefit Sun Valley Center for the Arts - Parallel's Repeat Performance - 10/01/2007
Jackson Hole Wine Auction Benefiting the Grand Teton Music Festival - 01/22/2007
Parallel Celebrates Its Continuing Relationship With The United States Ski And Snowboard Team Foundation - 10/22/2007
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The James Beard Foundation 20th Anniversary Dinner Features 2005 Parallel Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
10/28/07
Recently, our 2005 Parallel Napa Valley Cabernet was in some excellent company at the St Regis in San Francisco for the 20th anniversary celebration of the creation of the James Beard Foundation. In 2007, Traci des Jardins, Executive Chef and Partner of the famed Jardinere Restaurant in San Francisco, was awarded Best Chef Pacific and it was our great honor for the 2005 Parallel Cabernet Auvignon to be served along with her dish that evening, American Lamb Loin with Knoll Farms Eggplant, Gypsy Peppers and Arugula, Almond Salsa Verde. A perfect pairing for a great dish!
Created in honor of the father of American cuisine, James Beard was most noted for his emphasis on locally grown and sourced food for both the home cook and professional chefs. Each year now, in his honor and name, the James Beard Awards are conferred in New York to the top chefs and wine personalities in the country. Otherwise known as the Oscars of food and wine, the awards represent the highest achievement in the world of gastronomy in the United States.
The event turned out to be a sold-out gathering of San Francisco top foodies who enjoyed a peerless feast of grand cuisine and spectacular wines at the St Regis on September In addition to Traci, the all star menu was prepared by four of the top women chefs in America: Gale Gand, Nancy Oakes, Cindy Pawlcyn, and Joanne Weir.
The dinner was made all the more special by the gracious presence of James Beard Foundation President Susan Ungaro and Williams-Sonoma Founder Chuck Williams.
That night a fundraising auction which included a day in Napa with Cindy Pawlcyn and a three liter bottle of Parallel 2005 helped raise $50,000 to support the James Beard Foundation mission of celebrating and promoting the sophistication and diversity of American cuisine, a mission which the evening most definitely upheld. With the funds raised by Taste America, the Foundation will help to administer a number of diverse programs that include educational initiatives, food industry awards, scholarships to culinary schools, and publication
Susan G. Koman for the Cure - Couture Fundraiser
7/26/2007
Parallel partner Val Chin was front and center on the runway, July 25th, for the San Francisco Couture for the Cure a fashion show and live auction at the San Francisco Design center to benefit Susan G. Komen for the Cure. The fashion show featured creations inspired by SFDC haute decor fabrics, which were transformed into haute couture ensembles by 15 Bay Area fashion luminaries. The accompanying gala celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Susan G. Komen San Francisco Bay Area affiliate and of the 35th anniversary of the San Francisco Design Center. Fifteen of the 2007 twenty models were breast cancer survivors. Val, herself a survivor, wore a beautiful gold gown and jacket created by Lea Ditson and glided down the runway like a pro. Parallel had the honor of providing a tasting station for the event, manned by Steve Chin and Mac MacQuoid. While Val was hard at work on the runway, the guys recruited a new Parallel Girl, complete with the perfect dress. Steve led Val's posse for the night and surprised her by purchasing her gown when it went up for auction! The event raised more than $65,000 in one evening!
Sun Valley Wine Auction to benefit Sun Valley Center for the Arts - Parallel's Repeat Performance
10/01/2007
http://www.sunvalleycenter.org
Parallel, for the second straight year, donated an Auction Lot including an etched 3L bottle, plus a trip to Sundance Film Festival in Park City and the Parallel Vineyard house in Napa. Over these past two years, Parallel donations have raised a total of $23,000 for the Sun Valley Center for the Arts!
During the auction evening, everyone was clamoring for the Parallel we poured it at our table. The tasting event the next day went exceedingly well, with Mike, Steve & Mac pouring. The boys were just having too much fun for the girls to get in the way, so we just spent the afternoon sending people their way. There were a lot of cute young things swirling around Parallel. And for the second straight year, Parallel was definitely one of the wonderful hot, "buzz" wines of the day.
Partner Mac MacQuoid summed it up: "Our enthusiastic Parallel team was present at every activity. I do not imagine many people left there without some knowledge of us and our great wine!"
We love this Sun Valley Event. It is a win-win-win event, a fantastic wine tasting for the guests, a beautiful showcase for the vintners, and a huge success for the arts. We can not wait for our third run. Put it on your schedule. See you in Sun Valley in July, 2008.
Read More: http://www.sunvalleycenter.org
Jackson Hole Wine Auction Benefiting the Grand Teton Music Festival
01/22/2007
http://www.gtmf.org/wineauction/wine.html
In its relatively short history, the Jackson Hole Wine Auction has become one of the top grossing wine auctions in the country. Framed by the majestic Teton mountain range, the town of Jackson Hole becomes a who's who of the international wine world every June.
Given that there are only a small number of prestigious vintners invited every year to Jackson, It was with great fortune that Parallel Wines and our partners were able to participate in the June 2006 event, in this, our inaugural year. The Partners were thrilled to share their wines with new people at the private in-home dinners, and the highlight of the weekend was a private party with wine critic Robert Parker. In addition to Parallel being enjoyed at the Grand Tasting and a private dinner, two auction lots were presented. One was our signature: "Parallel Trip Package" to Napa and Parallel Estate Home and Vineyards, and to Park City during the Summer Concert Season. The other is our Winemaker's Dinner With Philippe Melka in Jackson Hole for January 2007. The winners were thrilled with our offerings, and the partners look forward to hosting them in our parallel valleys.
Read More: http://www.gtmf.org/wineauction/wine.html
Parallel Celebrates Its Continuing Relationship With The United States Ski And Snowboard Team Foundation
10/22/2007
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Parallel winemaker Philippe Melka (right), 2005 Food & Wine Winemaker of the Year, presents an autographed 3L bottle of the 2004 Parallel Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, to J. Taylor Crandall, USSTF Trustee at the San Francisco fundraiser. |
The partners of Parallel Wines of Napa Valley, CA are proud to update you on their ongoing support of the US Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) and the US Ski and Snowboard Team Foundation (USSTF). In 2006, Parallel participated in their annual fundraisers, often referred to as "ski balls" and is continuing this new tradition throughout 2007. It was truly a win-win relationship for both Parallel and the USSTF as it permits Parallel Napa Valley to preview its newest releases to a ski and wine loving crowd, while adding a bit of new panache to the events and helping to raise funds for a cause that is near and dear to Parallel - skiing and snowboarding. Park City, Utah is home to the Parallel partners where they all met 25 years ago, and the base for the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Team Foundation, a non-profit 501(c)3 that supports amateur athletes who work tirelessly to represent the United States in skiing and snowboarding on the international stage.
In 2006, the USSTF raised $2 million through fundraisers in Boston, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Chicago, and New York. Parallel participated by pouring its skiing inspired wine at the events in San Francisco, Silicon Valley and New York, and provided 3L bottles of its new 2004 to honor the top bidder in San Francisco and Chicago. In New York, the wine tasting was met with rave reviews, but the auction package - the "Parallel" trip for two to Napa Valley to visit the Parallel estate and to Park City for the 2008 Sundance Film Festival - was the real winner as it raised $18,000 through a very enthusiastic live auction. A spontaneous gift of a case of the 2004 Parallel Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon added another $1,200 at the last minute to the funds raised in NYC.
At each event, the Parallel wine tastings added a new dimension and buzz to the fundraisers. During 2006, 1,200 attendees in all - were some of the first to sample Parallel winemaker, Philippe Melka's release of our 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon. Melka is world renowned for his wines, having been awarded Winemaker of the Year in 2005 by Food &Wine Magazine. The supporters of the U.S. Ski Team and U.S. Snowboarding Association - the who's who of the winter sports world - were thrilled to learn there was a wine inspired by the fresh powder tracks created by the first run of the day! Some new Parallel fans were definitely born, thanks to the USSA.
Parallel chose to support the USSA due to the partner's long-standing friendship with Bill and Connie Marolt, as well as the fact that it was a natural fit for a skiing inspired wine. Bill, an Olympian in downhill, serves as the Executive Director of USSA. Connie serves as the unofficial "Assistant Executive Director" and head hostess for the events.
"Having Parallel Wine at our events this year definitely added an extra sense of panache and celebration," shared Connie Marolt. "The wine tastings were elegant and the auction items from Parallel - wine, Sundance Film Festival and Napa trips - were all exceptional fund generators. We look forward to having Parallel back on the team next year."
Parallel has been privilaged to recently support 2007 events in Silicon Valley and in San Francisco. For Parallel, he next event on the 2007 schedule is the New York "Ski Ball'. Parallel partners will be attending and sharing our brand new release of 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon. More importantly, Parallel will be offering a terrific live auction package. See you there - Thursday, November 8, 2007. For information on the USSTF events, visit foundation.usskiteam.com
For more on USSA, USSTF and how to help these young athletes reach their dreams, visit www.ussa.org.
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