Local Event Premier Host
Cost: $49 to $69
The BIG APPLE ZINFANDEL EXPERIENCE
features some of the finest wines at any of our annual events. WHY?
NOTE: When you think of California wine country, you may think of Mendocino for sparkling wine, Napa for Cabernet or Paso Robles for Rhone-style wine. But, think again!!! Our renowned panel of Zinfandel specialists will show you that these regions have been known for Zinfandel from the very beginning of California winemaking and produce some of the most terroir-driven, nuanced and balanced wines California wine country has to offer.
Don’t miss this awe-inspiring display of award-winning wineries from the Napa Valley, Sonoma County, Central Coast, Lodi, Central Valley, Mendocino and Lake, Sierra Foothills and Southern California. A once-a-year opportunity in NYC.
WINERIES
FOOD
All guests will enjoy light fare including:
Additional light food sampling will be provided by artisan food makers Beecher’s Handmade Cheese and My/Mo Mochi Ice Cream
AN EXTRAORDINARY VENUE:
At the Big Apple Zinfandel Experience, wine lovers will get to taste world-class wines at a world-class restaurant, NYY Steak. An extraordinary experience whether you’re at Yankee Stadium, in midtown Manhattan, or South Florida, NYY Steak brings signature touches from the world champion Yankees to its world class restaurants.
WINEMAKER SPOTLIGHT
Tom Hinde, Angry Bunch Winery
Tom Hinde’s expansive career in California wine spans three decades and brings with it a breadth of industry and consumer knowledge along with a unique market perspective. Tom has served as President and Director of Winemaking at Yao Family Wines since 2009 and, in 2012, took on responsibilities as winemaker for Heritance Napa Valley Wines as well as overseeing winemaking at Au Contraire Cellar Wines – an exciting, recently established project in Healdsburg.
Randle Johnson, Artezin Wines
Ask Artezin Wines winemaker Randle Johnson, “Why Zinfandel?” and he will tell you, “Because this stuff is awesomely cool.”
A native Californian, Randle Johnson attended the University of California, Davis with the intent of becoming an M.D. but destiny changed his plans. Randle discovered a passion for winemaking and graduated with a M.S. in Viticulture. He honed his art and skill at The Hess Collection, producing award winning Cabernet Sauvignon for 20 years and earning his unofficial title, “The Wine Doctor.”
Jeremy Kreck, Kreck
Jeremy’s objective in winemaking is to essentially stay out of the way of the vineyard and the expression of the fruit. “My goal is to have the winemaking process and components compliment and enhance the fruit.” He maintains a hands-on approach that includes weekly vineyard inspections, and he smells and tastes each barrel of wine every six to eight weeks.
In 2011 Chris Leonard planted roots in Napa Valley and began working full-time on highly skilled winemaking teams. Although Chris continues to pursue mentorship under select Napa Valley colleagues, he left their employment in 2014 when Tom and Chris Leonard executed their own business plan and launched Leonard Wine Company to supply niche products to the wine industry; the elegant, vineyard designate luxury wine brands Muddy Arch Roussanne and Leonard Zinfandel.
Intuition must be part of the entrepreneurial spirit, however Chris attributes his beliefs in differentiated products and customer service to growing up in an ethical Midwestern business family. To receive the highest caliber ‘hands on’ training possible throughout his winemaking career, Chris strategically found mentorship under seasoned winemakers at the following world-class wineries; Joseph Phelps, Spottswoode, Claiborne & Churchill, Vidal, Ceretto, Cakebread, Rustridge, Anomaly, Zeitgeist, Keever, and Vellum.
Since 1927, when John Pedroncelli, Sr. purchased vineyard and a small winery in Sonoma County’s Dry Creek Valley, two elements remain unchanged: the exceptional place the Pedroncelli family farms vineyards, and the family’s dedication to making fine wines.
Robert Parker called the Pedroncellis’ “one of the old, iconic Italian families of Sonoma” that “survived Prohibition and consumers are all the better for it.” Parker also proclaimed that “dollar-for-dollar, the Pedroncelli wines consistently offer both character and quality for their prices, something consumers should never forget.”
Robert Parker has called Joel Peterson’s wines “first class – bold, dramatic and complex.”
Peterson works with 100+ northern California growers who provide grapes for Ravenswood, consulting on irrigation methods, cultivation practices, cropping levels and a slew of other vineyard management issues. This attention in the field, coupled with the fact that Ravenswood is one of the few wineries that has had the philosophical and winemaking skill of one winemaker for over 30 years, contributes to a consistency of quality and style rarely found in California.
As a St. Francis Winemaker, Katie continues St. Francis’ long tradition of creating high quality wines from Sonoma County grapes. She oversees production of our top selling Zinfandels, Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays.
In 2015 Katie was named Best Woman Winemaker by the International Women’s Wine Competition. Additionally, Katie was named Producer of the Year by the California Zinfandel Championship in 2014 and 2015.
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Charlie Tsegeletos was born to be a winemaker. There was always wine in his Greek/Italian household in northern California, and his great-grandfather made wine in Guerneville in the 1930s. Charlie graduated from UC Davis in 1979 with a degree in Agricultural Science and Management/Plant Science, and honed his craft at Hacienda Wine Cellars, D’Agostini Winery, and Glen Ellen Winery.
Since joining Cline Cellars in 2002, he has created legendary Zinfandels, distinctive Rhône-style wines, and Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, Merlot and Chardonnay. He also makes the wines for Jacuzzi Family Vineyards, Cashmere, and Farmhouse. Charlie loves making wines that express the unique qualities of California fruit, and their specific sense of place. His mission is the creation of wines that surprise and delight the senses.
ABOUT ZINFANDEL ADVOCATES & PRODUCERS (ZAP)Just as Zinfandel differentiates itself with approachable yet unmistakable flavors that provide a discerning sensation for the palate, ZAP and its members create a dynamic community in pursuit of a bright and distinctive future for America’s heritage wine.
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Crush Wine Experiences
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