Let’s go ahead and chalk this one up to the that-couldn’t-have-been-too-hard-to-decide category. According to organizers, the Napa Valley has been named the official wine region of the 34th America’s Cup. In partnership with The Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) and The Napa Valley Destination Council (NVDC), America’s Cup events in the United States through 2013 will exclusively feature Napa Valley wines, while the Napa Valley will be the only wine region featured as a getaway destination for attendees of the San Francisco-based America’s Cup events.
“The America’s Cup is a fantastic way to showcase the wines of Napa Valley. This high-profile, world-renowned sporting event’s stature perfectly aligns with the high quality and world renown of Napa Valley, America’s premier wine region. We are delighted to bring our wines to the table in celebration of this great partnership,” said Napa Valley Vintners Executive Director Linda Reiff.
“Many of the America’s Cup enthusiasts love the same things that the Napa Valley is known for — great wine, food, arts and wellness activities. We are very excited to have the opportunity to invite them to experience our beautiful region while they are in the Bay Area, and we look forward to sharing the best we have to offer,” said Clay Gregory, NVDC CEO and President.
The Napa Valley is home to the founders of America’s fine wine industry — legendary entrepreneurs who showed the world that the art of winemaking had crossed continents — and the region is prized for its natural beauty, 14-Michelin Star culinary scene, world-class hotel accommodations, robust arts community, and one-of-a-kind wellness experiences including the region’s famed spas, mud baths and healing geo-thermal hot springs.
Over the next two years, Napa Valley wines will be poured and tourism to the region will be promoted, beginning with the America’s Cup World Series event in San Diego this November 12-20, as well as at the AC World Series Newport and San Francisco events in 2012, and in San Francisco during the 2013 Louis Vuitton Cup – the America’s Cup Challenger Series – and America’s Cup Finals.
“We are very pleased to partner with the Napa Valley on our America’s Cup events in the United States, as it is one of the world’s premier wine growing regions,” said Craig Thompson, CEO of the America’s Cup Event Authority. “The 34th America’s Cup is focused on creating a one-of-a-kind experience for every fan, so we look forward to showcasing the bounty that the Napa Valley has to offer to our guests.”