Napa, CA (July 23, 2014) – Pulido~Walker recently named wine and hospitality expert Daniel Ha as its Estate Ambassador, as the ultra-luxury winery expands its operations.
A Napa resident, Ha brings more than 15 years of high-end wine and hospitality experience to this single-vineyard designate winery. Prior to joining Pulido~Walker, Ha created unique experiences and established sales and marketing strategies for luxury Napa Valley wineries, such as Vineyard 29 and Dana Estates, before beginning his consultancy business, DMH Napa Valley.
“Daniel and I met eight years ago. Over that time, I have been so impressed with all of his achievements and long-term relationships in the wine industry and with collectors from around the world. Donna and I are so excited to welcome Daniel to the Pulido~Walker team and honored to be his first winery client,” says Mark Pulido, co-proprietor, Pulido~Walker.
Ha holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Oklahoma. His career began at Glazer’s Wholesale Distributors in Dallas, Texas, one of the largest U.S. wine distributors, working in its retail, hotel and estate divisions. His passion for wine led him to train as a sommelier. Ha eventually ran top restaurant wine programs in Dallas, before his 2005 move to Napa Valley.
Focusing solely on 100% Cabernet Sauvignon single-vineyard designates, Pulido~Walker’s award-winning winemaker, Thomas Rivers Brown, makes wine from two distinctive Napa Valley vineyards. Panek Vineyard blankets a rocky, gently sloping knoll in the shadow of the Mayacamas Mountains along the old Napa River bed wash. The Melanson Vineyard is located on iconic Pritchard Hill with its steep and rugged, boulder-strewn grounds.
Since the much-anticipated 2010 inaugural release of Pulido~Walker, their wines have received accolades and impressive reviews. This year, an exclusive bottling of the 2012 Pulido~Walker Cabernet Sauvignon from Melanson Vineyard was the Premiere Napa Valley Auction’s highest selling debut offering at over $1,000 a bottle. In addition, Robert Parker awarded 95 points to the inaugural 2010 Pulido~Walker from Melanson Vineyard and 92 points to 2010 Pulido~Walker from Panek Vineyard.
Proprietors Mark Pulido and Donna Walker grew up in pharmacy families, and this early common experience is integral to the Pulido~Walker philosophy. Their scientific backgrounds make Mark and Donna precise, inquisitive, and detailed; they know that perseverance and attentive observation yield results worth waiting for.
“In the landscape of luxury and world-class wines there is no cutting corners. Mark and Donna know exactly what it takes to be one of the finest. As vintners, their laser-focus commitment to quality guides all decisions, no matter how challenging, for the benefit of those who experience the wines,” says Ha.
Pulido~Walker’s wine label is inscribed with an ancient apothecary weight bearing the seasonal symbols of alchemy. This Old World instrument of precise measure expresses Pulido~Walker’s patient journey toward “The Possible” where the natural alchemy of geography, soil, climate, and clone combine to yield a wine greater than the sum of its parts.
For more information about Pulido~Walker, please visit: http://pulidowalker.com/.
