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APRIL NEWS Premiere Rings Up Record Sales N $3.1 million in wine futures sold at February trade auction apa, Calif.—The Premiere Napa Valley trade auction raised $3.09 million in bids from the audience of 1,000 retailers, restaurateurs and other members of the trade. The total for the Feb. 25 auction represented a 31% increase over last year's $2.36 million. In the cost-per-case race, which is complicated because lots of five, 10 or 20 cases were sold, the average bid was $2,069, 34% higher than last year's $1,546 per case. All the future releases were donated by wineries spanning the length of Napa Valley. The top bid was for Dana Estates: $70,000 for five cases, or $14,000 per case. That's $1,167 per bottle and about $240 per glass. Other high bids came in for Kapcsandy Family Winery, Ovid Napa Valley, Checkerboard Vineyards, Vine Hill Ranch, Joseph Phelps Vineyards, Amuse winesandvines.com Learn more: Search keywords "Premiere sales." APPROVALS TTB LABEL Low per-label costs Gov't. Liaison Negotiations or Footwork Reasonable Hourly Rates TRADEMARK SEARCHES As Low as $185 Your trade names or designs are searched at the U.S. Patent Office to help establish valuable ownership or avoid costly legal liability. Over 100 years' total staff experience handling every government liaison need for industry. 200 N. Glebe Rd., Suite 321 Arlington, Virginia 22203 Phone: (703) 524-8200 Fax: 525-8451 TOLL-FREE 1-800-642-6564 Major Credit Cards Accepted www.trademarkinfo.com Since 1957 16 Wines & Vines APRiL 2012 An enthusiastic crowd bids on the first lot from Pine Ridge vineyards. GovtLiaison_Dir08 11/29/07 2:00 PM Pag Bouche Winery, Duckhorn Vineyards, Silver Oak Cellars, Levy & McClellan and Shafer Vineyards. The event, which sold out six weeks in advance, included 1,000 attendees representing 88 retail outlets, 84 restaurants, 86 distributors and importers and 100 members of the media. Premiere Napa Valley was founded in 1997 by the Napa Valley Vintners as a S.D. winery wins big federal grant B elle Fourche, S.D.—A tiny South Dakota winery won't stay so small after being awarded a $300,000 grant to expand. The United States Department of Agriculture an- nounced in February that a matching grant through the Rural Development Value-Added Producer funds will go to Belle Joli' Winery, a family operation in Belle Fourche, S.D., with Patty and John Jackson of Belle Joli' Winery tend 25 acres of vineyard. vineyards in Belle Fourche and a tasting room in Deadwood, S.D. Patty and John Jackson planted their first grapes in 2000 and now tend a total of 25 acres of vineyard planted with Frontenac, Marquette, St. Croix, La Crescent, Frontenac Gris, Valvin Muscat and Concord. Their son Matthew, who holds a degree in enology from California State University, Fresno, is the winemaker. He said the grant from the USDA would be used over a two-year period to "expand the winery's marketplace." The Jacksons are already in the planning stages for a new winery that will be located near Sturgis, S.D., on Interstate 90. The new production space will allow the winery to grow from its current 4,000-case size to at least 10,000 cases. They will dig a winery cave and plant an ad- ditional 5 acres of grapes—possibly La Crescent for sparkling wine production. —Linda Jones McKee way for the association to raise funds and further its mission to promote, protect and enhance the Napa Valley appellation. This year's offerings included 145 Cabernet Sauvignons, 28 red wine blends, eight Cabernet Francs, six Pinot Noirs, five Merlots, three Malbecs and one lot each of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Meunier and sparkling wine. Top bidders came from across the continent and around the world: Bounty Hunter, Napa, Calif.; The Wine House, West Los Angeles, Calif.; Nakagawa Trading Co., Tokyo, Japan; Total Wine and More, Potomac, Md.; Petroleum Club, Oklahoma City, Okla.; Beverage Warehouse, Marina del Rey, Calif.; Gary's Wine and Marketplace, Madison, N.J.; Imbibe Wine and Spirits, Bakersfield, Calif., and Meritage Wine Market, Encinitas, Calif. —Paul Franson Phone or write for details. JASON TINACCI/NAPA VALLEY VINTNERS