Brown and Dutch Public Relations

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Press contacts:
Todd E. Appleman / Alyson Dutch
BROWN & DUTCH PUBLIC RELATIONS
800.892-9551 / 310.456.7151

KOBRAND PAIRS STAR PINOT
SELECTIONS WITH AMERICA’S TOP TOQUES IN
NEW YORK,DC, PHILADELPHIA AND PITTSBURGH

APRIL 11-18

Industry Analysts Say “Sideways” Has
Increased Pinot Sales By 40 Percent

New York, NY (March 29, 2005) With the run-away hit and Oscar-winning film, “Sideways,” pinot noir is finally getting its day in the limelight. Some of France and California’s most prestigious pinot winemakers will be presenting their selections in a multi-city “Pinot & Pork” walk-around tasting tour in the following cities:

New York at Ruby Falls, 609 West 29th Street, on April 11, 2005
Pittsburgh at the Le Mont, 1114 Grand View Avenue on April 12
Philadelphia at Bellevue, Broad and Walnut Street, on April 13
Washington DC at Café Mozu, 1330 Maryland Avenue, S.W. on April 18, 2005

Each dish and pairing are designed to bring out the complexities of the famous pinot grape. Philadelphia’s pinot lovers are invited to partake in this once-a-year opportunity to sample some of Kobrand’s star offerings.

About the Food

Accompanying Kobrand’s fine wines will be an equally spectacular wealth of dishes made from pork, including naturally-raised Niman Ranch pork from family farms in America’s heartland. Selections ranging from classic chops to innovative, spicy barbecue delights will be presented by many of Philadelphia’s premier culinary masters, including Chef Patrice Rames, Bistro St. Tropez; Chef Rob Mockus, Di Bruno Bros.; Executive Chef Martin Hamann, Four Seasons Hotel; Executive Chef Jean-Marie Lacroix, Lacroix at the Rittenhouse, Chef Lynn Buono, Feast Your Eyes; Chef Thien Ngo, Fork; Chef Steven Cook, Marigold Kitchen; Chef Matt Spector, Matyson; Executive Chef Richard Hebben, The Park Hyatt Philadelphia at the Bellevue; Chef Roberta Adamo, Penne; Chef David Ansil, Pif; Chef Tim Olivett, Rx; Chef Joe Scarpone, Sovalo; and Chef Eddie Blyden, White Dog Café.

Kobrand Pinot & Pork Event

Tickets are $50 General Admission and $40 for Slow Food U.S.A. members. Proceeds will benefit Slow Food U.S.A., a non-profit educational organization that celebrates regional food and wine traditions from all over the world. For reservations, or additional information, call (866) KOBRAND (866-562-7263). Or visit Error! Bookmark not defined.. The Park Hyatt Philadelphia at the Bellevue is located at Broad and Walnut Streets. Tasting begins at 6:30 p.m.

About the Pinot

BENZIGER PINOT NOIR (Sonoma, CA): The Benziger Family believes that the nature of great wine lies in vineyard character, winemaker artistry and family passion. Benziger Pinot Noir is marked by aromas of cherry and black plum, which give way to flavors of black cherry, chocolate and dried herb with subtle oak notes. The wine shows a rich middle mouth feel, a silky texture, chalky tannins and a long, creamy finish. The BENZIGER PINOT NOIR retails for $15.

DOMAINE CARNEROS PINOT NOIR (Carneros, CA): Completely committed to the Carneros appellation, Domaine Carneros takes advantage of the appellation's ideal microclimate and terroir for Pinot Noir. Carneros' soils are poor and shallow, and rainfall scant, resulting in low yield per vine and superb fruit concentration. This distinctive Pinot Noir is an intensely fragrant, elegant expression of the varietal, with a deep cherry red color and powerful, classic Carneros aromas of blackberry and spice offset by notes of toast and vanilla from its time in oak. On the palate the wine is full, perfectly balanced, with a harmony of lushness and acidity set in a structure marked by supple tannins and a silky texture. The long finish contains impressions of dark fruit and spice. The DOMAINE CARNEROS PINOT NOIR retails for $25

CHAMPAGNE TAITTINGER PRESTIGE CUVEÉ ROSÉ (Champagne, France): Taittinger Cuvée Prestige Rosé is intense cherry-pink in color with extremely fine, persistent bubbles rising in delicate strands to the surface of the wine. Its classic, aromatic Pinot fragrance of red raspberries and strawberries is offset by elegant, subtle floral and earth nuances. On the palate, the ripe, full berry flavors are vibrant, delicately balanced by a fresh acidity, which carries into a long, crisp, finish. CHAMPAGNE TAITTINGER PRESTIGE CUVEÉ ROSÉ retails for $50.

FOLEY ESTATES PINOT NOIR SANTA RITA HILLS (Santa Barbara, CA): An elegant Pinot with layered scents of luscious cherry, spice and cranberry offset by classic earth notes. The flavors are lush and silky, with a refined balance of moderate tannins and crisp acidity ending in a lengthy finish. The grapes are hand harvested in several passes over the course of September and October. Following maceration, the wine is pressed from the skins and pumped into French oak casks for aging. FOLEY ESTATES PINOT NOIR SANTA RITA HILLS retails for $25.

LINCOURT VINEYARDS PINOT NOIR (Santa Barbara, CA): This is an elegant, well-integrated wine, which shows cherry, and berry aromas with hints of earthy truffle and spice leading into a sweet, rounded, velvety texture with flavors reflecting the nose and a lingering fruit finish. Lincourt Pinot Noir is produced from prime vineyards in Santa Barbara County’s two principal AVAs: the Santa Maria Valley and the Santa Ynez Valley. The Santa Maria Valley opens directly to the Pacific Ocean, drawing evening fogs over the vineyards, which persist until late the next morning. This marine influence creates very cool conditions and an extended growing season especially well suited to Pinot Noir. LINCOURT VINEYARDS PINOT NOIR retails for $17.

MAISON LOUIS JADOT BURGUNDIES (Burgundy, France): There is no vine more difficult than the fragile Pinot Noir. While fairly widely planted, it has never traveled very successfully, and nowhere does it attain the greatness it achieves in Burgundy. The thin clay and chalk soils of Burgundy give Pinot Noir a unique character: a distinct earthiness married to fruit sweetness with a red-berry fragrance very typical of the grape. Pinot Noir's power and complexity are elegant and subtle. Maison Louis Jadot, founded in 1859, releases wines that best express the terroir of Burgundy and prides itself in using the highest standards of quality. The MAISON LOUIS JADOT BURGUNDIES, include the following: PINOT NOIR ($15), GEVREY-CHAMBERTIN ($35), POMMARD ($35), NUITS-ST.-GEORGES ($35), CÔTES de BEAUNE-VILLAGES ($25), and SANTENAY CLOS de MALTE ($25).

About Kobrand Corporation

A fine wine is one of life’s greatest pleasures. At Kobrand Corporation, for the last sixty years, we’ve been dedicated to bringing you that pleasure in its highest possible forms. Kobrand’s portfolio was meticulously selected according to a single, unerring principle: quality.

Today, we’re proud to be able to share over fifty of the world’s finest names in wine from every corner of the globe. As a company, we bring these wines to you. As wine lovers, we’re also inspired by them. In the endless array of wines available today, the Kobrand name, which usually appears with our horse-drawn harvest cart trademark, has become synonymous with wines and spirits of the highest caliber.

Note to Editors: Retail prices quoted in this release are national averages. Pricing may vary slightly in different parts of the country.

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