Parallel Napa Valley Offers Peek at the Future as its Barrel of 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon by Philippe Melka Raises $19,700 Napa Valley Wine Auction

ST. HELENA, CA - One of the new kids on the block made a big impression in Napa earlier this month, as the 2006 Barrel of Cabernet Sauvignon from Parallel Napa Valley raised $19,700 for the Napa Valley Wine Auction. This is great news for a first time barrel auction entry, but not surprising for Parallel as its wines by noted winemaker Philippe Melka have been garnering some great kudos of late. As the auction winners gathered for a lunch the day following the auction, they found some great coverage of Parallel Napa Valley in the Quarterly Review of Wines, who picked Parallel as one of its 5-star Best of the Best for its 2004 cab. This is the heels of a score of 90 points for the same vintage in the most recent Wine Spectator.

The top bidder for a 2006 Parallel Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon barrel was $2,400, while one other bidder bought four barrels at $2,000, $1,800, $1,700 and $1,600 respectively. Ten more people bid on the barrels but didn't get them.

The Parallel Napa Valley partners were thrilled with the 2006’s reception at the auction and hope to have generated some new fans along with the funds raised for charity. The Napa Valley Vintner’s Association channels the funds raised by the auction to more than 45 local charities, including Napa County health, low-income housing and youth service non-profits.

“We’re proud to be a member of the Napa Valley Vintners and are humbled by the response to Parallel’s 2006 barrel lot at this year’s auction,’ shared Parallel partner Val Chin. “We’re honored to be a part of this great Napa Valley community effort.”

Parallel is a new Napa Valley wine representing a collaboration of eight close friends and two of the top winemaking professionals in the industry today: Philippe Melka, who was recently named the 2005 Winemaker of the Year by Food & Wine magazine, and highly acclaimed Vineyard Manager Jim Barbour of Barbour Vineyards. Philippe and Jim are responsible for crafting some of the most sought-after wines in Napa Valley. Yet the 2003 Parallel Cabernet Sauvignon marked the first time these masters have collaborated on a wine that is both affordable and available to the general public.

For more information, visit www.napavintners.com and www.parallelwines.com.