 Founder of bimonthly newsletter The Wine Advocate which he recently sold to some Hong Kong investors and announced shifting the office to Singapore, Parker reportedly said, “This means a lot to me from one of my favourite wine regions, many thanks.”Besides Parker, winemaking pioneer Meredith Edwards, wine writer Frank Schoonmaker and labour leader César Chavez have been also invited to be a part of the Hall of Fame.
“This year’s inductees represent a broad spectrum of the wine world and demonstrate how people from vastly different professions have influenced the quality and perception of California wines,” said CIA president Tim Ryan while announcing the recipients of the award that was founded by the Culinary Institute of America in 2005.
Interestingly, the institute founded in 1946 had been using the acronym CIA before the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) was set up in 1947; so according to the mandate, an exception has been made in the case of CIA being used also by the Culinary Institute located in Hyde Park in New York, San Antonio in Texas and Greystone in Napa Valley. Recently, it has opened a campus in Singapore as well.
The new inductees will enter the Vintners Hall of Fame Barrel Room after the unveiling of sculpted bronze plaques honouring last year’s inductees. The ceremony will be followed by dinner in the teaching kitchen of the college. Like every year, the past and present provide a selection of their wines to be served with dinner. As it is falling on President’s Day, a dozen California wineries will host a reception featuring food paired with wine from the White House menus.
 This year’s nominating committee was chaired by the wine journalist W. Blake Gray. The members included Andy Beckstoffer, founder of Beckstoffer Vineyards (2010 inductee); Darrell Corti of Corti Brothers (2008 inductee); Mike Dunne of Sacramento Bee; Randall Grahm, founder of Bonny Doon Vineyard (2010 inductee); Carole Meredith, Professor Emerita of UC Davis and co-founder of Lagier-Meredith Winery (2009 inductee); Joel Peterson, founder of Ravenswood Winery (2011 inductee); Charles Sullivan, wine historian and author; Paul Wagner, Vineyard & Winery Management magazine; Warren Winiarski, founder of Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars (2009 inductee); and Alder Yarrow, according to the news report in Napa Valley Register.
Tickets for the event are selling for $175; interestingly $100 are tax deductible. Proceeds from the Vintners Hall of Fame celebration help support the Vintners Hall of Fame and contribute to the scholarship fund for students in the Professional Wine Studies program at CIA Greystone.
For earlier related articles on Parker recently, please also visit:
Parker Poised to Peter Out of Wine Advocate
Winefuture: Magical Moments with Maestro and a Master
Tags: America’s Vintners Hall of Fame, Culinary Institute of America, Napa Valley, Robert Parker,
The Wine Advocate, Meredith Edwards, Frank Schoonmaker, César Chavez, California wines, Tim Ryan, CIA, Vintners Hall of Fame Barrel Room, W. Blake Gray. Andy Beckstoffer, Beckstoffer Vineyards, Darrell Corti, Corti Brothers, Mike Dunne, Sacramento Bee, Randall Grahm, Bonny Doon Vineyard, Carole Meredith, UC Davis, Lagier-Meredith Winery, Joel Peterson, Ravenswood Winery, Charles Sullivan, Paul Wagner, Vineyard & Winery Management, Warren Winiarski, Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, Alder Yarrow, Professional Wine Studies, CIA Greystone.
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