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NH is Wine Country

NH Liquor Commission to Host Week Long Celebration of Wine 

9th Annual Wine Week features region’s largest wine tasting, intimate wine dinners and exclusive celebrity events throughout New Hampshire

Concord, NH – In late January, the biggest names in the wine world will flock to New Hampshire – not Napa Valley – for a week-long celebration of wine known as New Hampshire Wine Week. For the past 9 years New Hampshire Wine Week has attracted legends like Michael Mondavi, Cristina Mariani-May, Joel Peterson and Merry Edwards who participate in intimate wine dinners, exclusive panel discussions and tastings and the largest wine event in northern New England, the Winter Wine Spectacular. Dozens of wine industry titans, boutique vineyard owners and local producers will participate in the New Hampshire Liquor Commission’s 9th Annual New Hampshire Wine Week, which takes place January 27 – February 2. View a full list of celebrity appearances and register for events online at www.NHWineWeek.com.

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“With dozens of intimate wine dinners in every corner of the state pairing delectable cuisine with fantastic wines, bottle signings, two exclusive wine discussions and tastings, and the Winter Wine Spectacular, Wine Week simply cannot be missed,” said Nicole Brassard Jordan, New Hampshire Liquor Commission Wine Marketing Specialist. “Only in New Hampshire will you be able to interact and learn directly from wine celebrities and sample a wide variety of wines. At some events, you can purchase the wines of your choice, and at the Winter Wine Spectacular attendees can pre-order their favorites with an exclusive show discount.”

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The New Hampshire Liquor Commission created Wine Week in 2005 after two great years of the Winter Wine Spectacular, the largest wine event north of Boston. This event gives customers the opportunity to sample some of the 7,000 wines available at New Hampshire’s 77 Liquor & Wine Outlets and allow them to meet with nationally and internationally acclaimed winemakers at dozens of events throughout the state.

 

“Wine Week taps into New Hampshire, and the region’s love of wine,” said Joseph W. Mollica, Chairman of the New Hampshire Liquor Commission. “With more than $272 million in wine sales last Fiscal Year, which marks a 7.3-percent increase from the previous year, New Hampshire is a significant player in the wine world. Our status draws the industry’s premier wine producers, who travel great distances each January to interact with our customers. The wine world has taken notice; New Hampshire is wine country.”

 

NHLC’s 9th Annual Wine Week features numerous events and celebrity bottle signings at select NH Liquor & Wine Outlets, celebrity wine dinners at some of New Hampshire leading restaurants and three signature events. On Wednesday January 29th, NHLC will host two “Cellar Notes” events, one held in Manchester at the Puritan Backroom Event & Conference Center and another in Portsmouth at the Portsmouth Harbor Events and Conference Center. The events will feature four elite wine personalities for an educational tasting, reception, bottle-signing. Guests can purchase wine that night as well.  Those attending the Manchester event are Rob Mondavi Jr, Joel Peterson, Farrah Felten- Jolley and Cheryl Indelicato. The Portsmouth event will feature Michael Philips, Joseph Carr, Janice Mondavi and Melissa Stackhouse. A second “Cellar Notes” event was added to meet demand.

 

Wine Week culminates with the 11th Easter Seals Winter Wine Spectacular, the largest wine tasting in northern New England which takes place at the Radisson Hotel Manchester on Thursday, January 30th, from 6 to 9 p.m. Along with nearly 1,800 wines, the Winter Wine Spectacular features scrumptious local fare, a silent auction and raffle, the Bellman Cellar Select VIP tasting room, and the chance to meet and learn from more than 50 wine personalities. This marquee event drew a sold-out crowd of 1,500 people last year. The 2014 Winter Wine Spectacular will be located in the Radisson Hotel’s ballroom and Armory.

 

The event raises much-needed funds for Easter Seals New Hampshire, which provides exceptional services to ensure that all people with disabilities or special needs and their families have equal opportunities to live, learn, work and play in their communities.

 

“Proceeds from the Winter Wine Spectacular directly support our early intervention program,” said Christine Pederson, director of events and corporate relations with Easter Seals New Hampshire. “This statewide program provides much-needed services and therapy for hundreds of children ages three months to three years with a variety of developmental delays and physical disabilities. Studies have shown that these early intervention programs can help many children from needing support later in life.”

 

Tickets for the Grand Tasting cost $65 per person, and tickets providing access to the Grand Tasting and Bellman’s Cellar Select cost $125 per person.

 

“Wine Week is a week for everyone who enjoys wine,” Brassard-Jordan said. “With so many wines to choose from in New Hampshire, wine can be overwhelming. That’s why Wine Week is such a great time to get out there, try something new, learn about its origins and appreciate all the great wines New Hampshire has to offer, from local and international wineries.”

 

Some of the Wine Week 2014 participants include:

 

Michael Mondavi & Rob Mondavi, Jr. – Folio Fine Wine Partners & Michael Mondavi Family Estate

Joel Peterson – Ravenswood Winery

Andrea Cecchi – Cecchi Wines

Joseph Carr – Joseph Carr Wines

Marco Fizialetti – Castello Di Querceto

Melissa Stackhouse – J Vineyards & Winery
Pat Henderson – Kenwood Vineyard

Philip diBelardino – Banfi Vintners

Wendy Lange – Lange Estate Winery

Michael Phillips – Michael David Winery

Peter Merriam – Merriam Vineyards

Serge Dore – Serge Dore Selections

Suzanne Groth – Groth Wines

Yoav Gilat – Cannonball Wine Company

Bill Murphy – Clos LaChance Winery

Gary GiCenzo – Forenzo Vineyards

Gianni Abate – Morgan Winery

Guillaume Bousquet – Domaine Bousquet

Maria Helm Sinskey – Robert Sinskey Vineyards
Marc & Janice Mondavi – Charles Krug Winery
Eleanor & Albert Leger – Eden Orchards 
Bob Dabrowski – Candia Vineyards
Amy LaBelle & Cesar Arboleda – LaBelle Winery
Michael Fairbrother – Moonlight Meadery

Guillaume Touton – Monsieur Touton Selection LTD

Geoff Whitman – Michael Mondavi Family Estates

Tony Sasa – Tony Sasa Wines

Michael Eddy – Ghost Pines

Humberto Berlanga – Geyser Peak Vineyards

Robert Bliefer – Food Network

Ariane Bouron – PJ Mumm

Caterina Sacchet – Carpineto

Farrah Felten-Jolley & Stefan Jolley – Klinker Brick Winery

Alejandro Maria Lopez – Trapiche

Alessandro Marino – Cesari

Rob Staurt – R Staurt & Co. Winery

Cheryl Indelicato – HandCraft Artisan Collection

Peter Oldak – Jewell Towne

 

For more information on Wine Week events and to purchase tickets, visit www.NHWineWeek.com

 

About the New Hampshire Liquor Commission

The New Hampshire Liquor Commission (NHLC) operates 77 retail locations throughout the Granite State and serves more than 9 million customers each year. More than $2 billion in net profits has been raised since the first store opened in 1934. NHLC had its best sales year ever in fiscal year 2013, generating $603.5 million in total sales, an increase of $38.9 million – or 6.9% over the previous fiscal year. Total liquor revenues reached $145.6 million, which are used to fund programs including education, health and social services, transportation and natural resource protection through New Hampshire’s General Fund. NHLC is expecting to net an additional $1 billion for the state in the next seven years. Visit www.LiquorandWineOutlets.com to locate a store, search for product availability, learn about monthly sales, review wine tasting schedules, and sign up to receive significant savings with monthly Email Extras
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