MAVERICK WINE COMPANY PRESENTS

Wednesday, September 30, 2020 • 6:00pm MST

September is California Wine Month, and we are celebrating with another very special wine experience. Join us via Zoom for a virtual road trip through wine country featuring three remarkable California wine industry leaders as they share their stories and their wines —LIVE!  Select any of the wonderful wines from these producers to enjoy during the event! Visit our Find A Retailer  page to locate the wines and the local retailers who carry them.
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The Zoom will begin at 6:00pm MST with a special homage to the Golden State while everyone gets settled. Presentations will begin at 6:15pm. We will begin our road trip in Napa Valley with Todd Graff of Frank Family Vineyards, journey to Sonoma County to spend time with Baron Ziegler of Valravn Wines, and finally head south to Ballard Canyon to meet Peter Stolpman of Stolpman Vineyards. 

​Get to know the people, places, and wines that make California so special. Invite your fellow wine lovers to join along, too!

In addition, as an act of solidarity toward our beloved wine producers and our own neighbors here at home, we are encouraging donations to help support people in both Colorado and California that are effected by these devastating fires. Check out the section on Maverick Motivation for more information and to donate.

Register Now!

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MAVERICK MOTIVATION

With each of our virtual wine experiences we focus on a noble purpose, or what we call: Maverick Motivation. We work to share our appreciation of wine and to help provide support for causes that we genuinely believe in.  
 
Today, wildfires are burning all around the United States. As a boutique distributor of fine California wines, and wines from around the world, we feel the pain of our partners in California wine country (and beyond). Here in Colorado, we too have experienced a devastating fire season in 2020. Together, we are all struggling with loss of lives and homes, poor air quality, and major threats to the vineyards that make our portfolio of wines so special. 
 
Our Maverick Motivation for this event is to raise funds to help support the people displaced by the catastrophic wildfires in California and Colorado. While donations are not required to participate in the event, we ask that you consider contributing anything you can. We are raising a single pot of donations via Go Fund Me. Following the event, we will split all donations between the two organizations described below. 

This state-wide foundation has a specific fund to give grants and donations to forest fire victims, which covers everything from mental health assistance to home reconstruction.

The American Red Cross Colorado Chapter is a non-profit humanitarian organization that provides disaster relief and helps people displaced by the fires.

MEET THE PRODUCERS

NAPA VALLEY

Todd Graff – Winemaker & General Manager, Frank Family Winery
A native of northern California wine country, Todd developed a passion for wine from an early age; winemaking became the perfect way to fuel that passion, driving him to attend UC Davis’ prestigious viticulture and enology school before embarking on a string of successful winemaking assignments across the globe. He honed and developed his skills as a world-class winemaker throughout the winegrowing areas of France, Germany, Australia, and California, before taking the reins at Frank Family Winery in 2003. Since then, the skill and leadership that Todd Graff possesses has played a vital role in the success of Frank Family Winery.
 
Rich Frank refers to Todd as a “phenomenal winemaker,” and of this there is no doubt! Todd’s experience with both still and sparkling wine production at numerous esteemed wineries across the globe has informed his incredible skill and deft touch as a winemaker. And, as a General Manager, Todd insists on rigorous recycling, energy conservation, and water conservation, at every turn. In addition, he continues to foster and teach as a member of the Napa Valley Wine Technical Group and the Napa Valley Vineyard Technical Group, as he continues to make world-class wines every single year.
 
Learn More:
https://www.frankfamilyvineyards.com/winemaking
https://www.justluxe.com/lifestyle/dining/feature-1970015.php
http://www.thewinewrite.com/2018/05/frankly-speaking-talk-with-todd-graff.html
 

SONOMA COUNTY

Baron Ziegler – Owner, Valravn Wines
Baron is a renaissance man who discovered his passion for wine early on. At the tender age of fifteen, Baron was buying Bordeaux futures and eventually parlayed those profits into a down payment for his college apartment! He even worked incognito at a wine shop for three years before turning twenty-one! His career continued as he became an influential wine buyer and eventually evolved into National Sales Director for respected wine importer, Eric Solomon. The lure of California was strong, and in 2007 Baron found his way out to The Golden State to establish his very own import company, Valkyrie Selections, and start developing his range of powerful west coast wineries!
 
In 2014, Baron launched Valravn, a project that has always been on a mission to source the best grapes from around Sonoma County in order to fashion beautiful 100% varietal wines that have a true sense of place. Valravn is all about making great old-vine Zinfandel, and “leading the charge to restore the great reputation of this quintessential American grape,” but the winery also produces excellent Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir! Indeed, none other than Antonio Galloni of Vinous said of Valravn in late 2019, “the best wines in this range offer solid quality and value,” and that’s a fact!
 
Learn More:
http://www.valravnwine.com/about-us
https://daily.sevenfifty.com/how-did-valkyrie-selections-scale-up/

BALLARD CANYON

Peter Stolpman – Managing Partner, Stolpman Vineyards
​In 2009, Peter took over day-to-day management of Stolpman Vineyards and its handsome 220-acre property that lies on three major limestone ridgelines in Santa Barbara County. Pete spends most of his time traveling and introducing the world to the excellence of Stolpman wines and the brilliance of its Syrah, but he also leads the charge for wine quality in his home wine region as president of the Ballard Canyon Winegrowers Alliance. Stolpman Vineyards relies on dry farming, allowing its established vines to self-regulate production and pour their energy into ripening small quantities of concentrated, vibrant, balanced grape clusters.
 
Peter’s passion and dedication to his winery and its people is unmatched. Stolpman Vineyards employs a highly specialized and dedicated crew, called ‘La Cuadrilla,’ to manage meticulous vineyard operations year-round, which allows the winery to make true ‘vineyard crafted wines.’ Peter also established a non-profit organization called the La Cuadrilla Foundation, this foundation benefits a number of wineries, donates all proceeds to local health clinics, and stands as a heartfelt commitment to sustainable employment.
 
Learn More:
http://www.stolpmanvineyards.com/folks.php
http://www.decant-this.com/peter-stolpman-expresses-thoughts-expressive-wines/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jcu87GKcLCs

RESOURCES FOR RETAILERS