FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Julie Ann Kodmur, 707-963-9632, corking@aol.com
Or Nick Tucker, 831/425-3625, nicholas@bonnydoonvineyard.com

BONNY DOON RELEASES 80,000 CASES OF SCREW CAPPED WINE
Funerals for the cork staged in NYC and San Francisco
www.deathofthecork.com has details

Santa Cruz, CA, October 2002 - In October 2002, Bonny Doon Vineyard is celebrating the death of the cork in elaborate events in New York City and San Francisco. All-black food and all-black dŽcor, in addition to "deceased" Bonny Doon wines as well as verticals of Le Cigare Volant and Old Telegram were the framework for the events; in New York British wine authority Jancis Robinson delivered the eulogy for the cork; in both cities Randall Grahm, Bonny Doon Vineyard founder/winemaker, also delivered a eulogy. The winery is sharing all of these details and photographs from the events at www.deathofthecork.com. The fanciful events were inspired by a chapter in J.K. Huysman's 1884 novel Against Nature.

Why? On July 15, 2002, Ca' del Solo released the largest U.S. bottling to date of a fine wine with a screwcap closure. "At 80,000 cases (of 2001 Big House White & 2001 Big House Red, approx. national retail, $9.95), this is definitively the biggest commitment on the part of a U.S. winery to the StelvinŠ screwcap," says Vincent Rabanas, General Manager for the U.S. of Pechiney, the French manufacturer of the StelvinŠ screwcap. It is estimated that as many as 10% of wines with cork closures are tainted to one degree or another. This was the impetus for Pechiney's development of an organoleptically inert closure that would allow wine to age gracefully.

A big gamble? Indeed, but "sales are remarkably robust, greater than we anticipated, showing a widespread acceptance of screwcaps," explains Nicholas Tucker, Bonny Doon's Director of Marketing. "This is a great example of how innovative Randall Grahm can be. He is not opposed to taking large risks and certainly has shown great proficiency in taking a lot of the stuffiness out of the wine business. The Stelvin screwcap closure is an exciting packaging tool and after 700 years of cork closures its time has definitely come for premium wines," says David Amadia, Vice President of Sales & Marketing for Bonny Doon Vineyard. The winery's commitment to this closure was demonstrated by an extensive re-tooling of its bottling line in Santa Cruz. Pechiney crafted new machinery in Italy which was flown to California for installation at an expense of approximately $100,000.

The 2001 Ca' del Solo Big House Red is a blend of syrah, cabernet franc, carignane, sangiovese, barbera, petite sirah, petit verdot, dolcetto, and grenache. The wine pairs well with "flavorful, soulful, even piquant cuisine" according to Grahm---pastas with red sauce, pizza and barbequed meats. The 2001 Ca' del Solo Big House White is a blend of sauvignon blanc, riesling, pinot blanc, viognier, pinot grigio and malvasia bianca. The wine pairs extremely well with seafood and lighter Asian dishes.

"Randall Grahm appears to have been on an enological 'road less taken' from his earliest days as a winemaker," said Eileen Fredrikson of Gomberg-Fredrikson & Associates, a firm specializing in wine industry economics. "Often championing under-appreciated regions and grape varietals, his wines have been honored by critics while also gaining a consumer-friendly image," she added. "Today's young wine consumer is hip, experimental, brand conscious and at the leading edge of a population bulge that will soon determine the direction of the American table. Who better than Grahm and his excellent and irreverent Ca' del Solo wines to push the limits of closure tradition?"

In keeping with Bonny Doon's history as an innovative marketer and proponent of bold graphic design in its packaging, the StelvinŠ closure has been designed by artist Chuck House to synchronize thematically with the Big House Red and Big House White's front label (which he also designed). The wines' back labels have also been re-designed and re-written to explain the adoption of the screwcap.

Randall Grahm's mission or message might be summed up as "long live diversity." He is a champion of lesser-known grape varieties, experimental vinification techniques, controversial packaging and an irreverent and erudite approach to winemaking and marketing. Bonny Doon has established a history of innovation; it was one of the first California wineries to use microbullage and cryoextraction. Bonny Doon has pioneered unusual blending and sourcing as exemplified by its Pacific Rim Riesling, a blend of rieslings from California, Germany and Washington State. Bonny Doon is noted for producing an array of proprietarily named wines, including Old Telegram, Critique of Pure Riesling, Heart of Darkness, Clos de Gilroy and California's first Rh™ne blend, Le Cigare Volant. The winery is also known for its unconventional packaging - from see-through and multi-piece labels to hourglass-shaped bottles - and the use of artists including Ralph Steadman, Bascove and Gary Taxali.

Bonny Doon Vineyard's Ca' del Solo line consists of 2000 Barbera ($15.00), 1999 Sangiovese ($12.00), 2001 Malvasia Bianca ($12.00), 2000 Pinot Grigio ($15.00), 2000 Charbono ($20.00), 2001 Freisa "Frizzante" ($20.00) and 2000 Moscato del Solo ($15.00).

In addition to the Ca' del Solo wines, Bonny Doon's offerings include 1999 Le Cigare Volant ($32.00 suggested retail price), 2000 Pacific Rim Riesling ($10.00), 2000 Cardinal Zin ($20.00), 2000 Muscat Vin de Glacière ($17.00), 1999 Domaine des Blagueurs Syrah-Sirrah ($9.00), NV Framboise Infusion of Raspberries ($12.00), 2000 California Syrah ($18), 2000 Old Telegram ($32.00) and 2001 Vin Gris Cigare ($10.00).

Bonny Doon's newsletter, written by Randall Grahm, is highly original and often satirical. Bonny Doon offers consumers experimental, small batch wines via its wine club, D.E.W.N. (the Distinctive Esoteric Wine Network); there is no membership fee and consumers can choose amongst a number of options for membership. Bonny Doon has two tasting rooms---in Santa Cruz (831/425-4518) and in Paso Robles (805/239-5614)); more details at http://www.bonnydoonvineyard.com.

Event Photos New York
(NY - October 2, 2002)

Event Photos San Francisco
(SF - October 14, 2002)

High Resolution Photos (NY)
(For press and printing)