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| EVENT ADVISORY |
LADIES WHO LAUNCH BLAKE LEONARD
& BEATRICE LANDINI DEBUT THEIR FIRST
SUPER TUSCAN VARIETAL
Stew Leonard's Wines of Norwalk Introduces the Ladies of BLBL
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WHO:
In 2009, a unique winemaking partnership began in Tuscany between two friends – Blake Leonard, daughter of Stew Leonard's grocery store CEO, Stew Leonard, Jr., and Beatrice Landini, of the Viticcio Estate in Italy. Both women attended an Italian wine show, VinItaly, which brought them together again after meeting at the Viticcio Estate nine years earlier; and, it was at VinItaly that the girls decided to blend their mutual passion for wine into a distinctive opportunity – to create and bottle their own wine. With Landini's wine trade knowledge and Leonard's marketing background, the two passionate women leveraged their talents and their family businesses with Alessandro Landini's Viticcio Estate producing the wine and Stew Leonard's Wines behind the sales. The result – BLBL.
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WHAT:
Join us for a delightful afternoon of tastes and toasts as Stew Leonard's Wines introduces the ladies of BLBL – Blake Leonard and Beatrice Landini. Please come enjoy the fermented fruits of their labors as you sample this distinctive Super Tuscan varietal.
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WHEN:
Friday, June 18, 2010 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
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WHERE:
Stew Leonard's Wines on 55 Westport Avenue in Norwalk/203-750-6162 |
MEDIA CONTACT:
Meghan Bell, Stew Leonard's Wines, 203.750.6107, mbell@stewleonards.com |
ABOUT BL BL:
Tasting Notes: BLBL is 40% Sangiovese, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 20% Syrah. This unique blend of grapes is accented with Sangiovese's bright red fruit flavors while the Cabernet's darker fruit adds authority. The Merlot offers the wine its richness and body and the Syrah adds an additional layer of spiciness. BLBL strives to combine the best of Tuscany - the Sangiovese and Syrah comes from the vines at Viticcio and most of the Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are from I Greppi. Very complex yet very easy to drink, BLBL clearly delivers the value of wines at twice the price – perfectly in line with the price and value philosophies of both families.
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ABOUT BLAKE LEONARD:
Blake Leonard, the oldest daughter of Kim and Stew Leonard, Jr., is a member of the third generation of the family-owned shopping Mecca, Stew Leonard's. Her work experience began as she artfully navigated the store aisles, learning the family business and watching it flourish into a now $400 million food and wine retailer in the Tri-State area. Blake received a Bachelor of the Arts in Cultural and Media Studies from the New School in New York City. It was her internship at wine importer and distributor, Domaine Select, which led to touring over 20 wineries throughout the Italian countryside to gain firsthand winemaking experience. Blake cultivated her knowledge of the industry working as a sales representative for Gallo Wines focusing on merchandizing and sales in the Metro Los Angeles area. This summer, she will be relocating to Napa as a Hospitality Associate for two of Gallo's wineries, Louis Martini and William Hill. She is an Intermediate Level graduate of the WSET (Wine & Spirits Education Trust) and currently is studying to become a Certified Wine Specialist.
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ABOUT BEATRICE LANDINI:
Beatrice Landini is a third generation member of proprietorship at the 135 acre Viticcio estate in Italy, where she spent her youth. Following high school, Beatrice spent a year at the prestigious University of Bordeaux studying the art of winemaking which naturally led to an apprenticeship at Chateau Malartic-Lagraviere in the Graves region. Returning to Viticcio, she enrolled at the University of Florence's winemaker program that encompasses all facets of the wine trade, which she will complete this year. Throughout her studies, Beatrice has been integrally involved in the winemaking, blending and ageing processes for many of the wines at both estates. She has been given credit as "Winemaker" for I Greppi's 2007 Greppicante which was selected # 46 in Wine Specator's Top 100 Wines of 2009. Fluent in English, French and her native Italian, Beatrice has travelled to the US many times to promote the wines of Viticcio and I Greppi. Conducting her first winemaker dinner at the age of 21, her family is confident she will be a great successor to the family business and lead the two estates to even greater prestige.
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