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The Newly Formed Alexander Valley Grand Collective Prepares for Unveiling at Sonoma Wine Auction 2017

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GEYSERVILLE, CALIFORNIA | September 7, 2017:  The Alexander Valley Grand Collective is a distinctive group of family farmers committed to advancing viticulture excellence; Garden Creek Ranch Vineyards Winery, Blue Rock Vineyard and Robert Young Estate Winery. The Collective will be unveiling the newly formed group at the 2017 Sonoma Wine Auction on September 15th and 16th with Lot #40, “Away to Alexander Valley and a Luxury European Cruise”. Two couples will enjoy an extraordinary four-day weekend in Alexander Valley that includes farm-to-table dining, over-the-top opulent lodging and intimate experiences with winemakers from each of these critically acclaimed wineries. One couple will choose a 14-night European adventure from Celebrity Cruises. The lot also includes a case of wine from each member of the Alexander Valley Grand Collective and a custom blending session of a 9 Liter Salmanazar.

The mission of the Alexander Valley Grand Collective is to showcase the meticulously crafted elegant and refined wines that are distinctively Alexander Valley. ”Collaborating as three wineries of individual character and place, we are like-minded well-respected winemaking families with deep-rooted ideals to growing and crafting wines which speak Alexander Valley, in the sense of purity and place. This idea surfaced over a glass of Cabernet, of course. Alexander Valley is a vast, complicated, winegrowing region of incredible depth – we know this. Our Collective was created to share these absolute dogmas, together and we’re friends doing what we love,” says Karin Warnelius-Miller, proprietor of Garden Creek.

Garden Creek is a family owned winery & hillside vineyards of 100-acres in the heart Alexander Valley, California, situated below Geyser Peak mountain producing small lot vineyard designated wines; Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay from their own estate vineyards and one of the first in the valley to plant Cabernet Sauvignon in 1969. As husband and wife, Justin Miller and Karin Warnelius-Miller, both have grown up in Alexander Valley winegrowing with decades of experience together. Their focus is soil-driven, allowing the wines to speak the land of Garden Creek. “We are purists and hands-on real farmers. Karin and I have a dedication, a conviction to our farming heritage, farming our own vineyards, and the land our family has owned since 1963. A great wine comes from land you farm yourself, one you have complete control over with craft driven by patience, and varietal integrity. This dedication, striving for the best and the incredible nuances, begins and ends with family,” says Justin Miller, winegrower, winemaker and landowner.

The Young family, starting with Peter Young established a 206-acre ranch in Geyserville in 1858. He and his three sons ran cattle, and planted various grains and fruits, with prunes being the principal crop for decades, as it was for many. It wasn’t until 1963 that Robert Young, grandson of Peter, was convinced by the Sonoma County Farm Advisor that wine grapes would be the crop of the future, and Robert started by planting 14 acres of the then up and coming variety Cabernet Sauvignon, becoming the first grower in modern times to plant the variety in the Alexander Valley. In 1997 the family built what is now the Robert Young estate winery, producing Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay exclusively from the property that has been in the family’s hands for over 150 years. Owner and Winery Founder, Jim Young shares, “There is an enological consistency to the grapes coming from specific sections of Robert Young vineyards.  It derives from the Youngs’ dedication to consistent and high quality viticulture practices on a per vine basis.”

Dating back to 1880, the 100-acre Blue Rock estate tells the story of how European winemaking came to Sonoma County’s Alexander Valley. Italian immigrants brought with them olive trees, vine cuttings, and knowledge of grape growing. The region’s undulating golden hills and idyllic vistas even look reminiscent of Tuscany itself. Blue Rock Winery was first settled by Italian workers from the Italian-Swiss Colony winery nearby. The original stone house was once Villa Maria winery, which closed its doors during the Prohibition Era. Acquired by Kenny and Cheryl Kahn in 1987, the Estate maintains much of its old world character. It even maintains its original olive trees that are now over 140 years old. “In the United States, especially in California, there is so little remaining
of our past. Everything is a modern version of things that existed before, but Blue Rock Winery is the real thing. We preserved the Estate’s old-world style because it is a gift to our culture where so little history remains, ”
explains Kenny.

ABOUT ALEXANDER VALLEY WINE COUNTRY:  Alexander Valley is a community of small to large wineries and winegrowers, most have been here for decades with a determined commitment to producing Cabernet Sauvignon that speak location and place. The general pattern for the greater region is Mediterranean, and is great for grape growing. The nearby Pacific Ocean dominates the climate, resulting in wet, cool winters, and 30-50 inches of precipitation, which recharges the aquifer while grapes are dormant. Summers are warm to hot and very arid, allowing for a slow depletion of soil moisture, which slows down vine growth at the perfect time, ensuring an ideally light-exposed crop, and the dryness greatly reduces pest and disease pressure. The Alexander Valley is cooled from south to north by marine air moving in from the Pacific Ocean via the Petaluma wind gap and the Russian River valley. The combination of enough heat to ripen the crop but a big enough cool down to preserve freshness and acidity are keys to wine quality. Elevations range from 400 to 2500 feet. Stronger UV light causes thicker skins that add color, flavor, and structure. 80% of the Alexander Valley vineyard parcels are grown in the valley’s bench lands and the majority of which are clustered in the middle of the valley at the base of the Mayacama Mountains planted to Cabernet Sauvignon. The quality comes not from the slope of the vineyard, but directly from the soil’s depth and composition.

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