Yao Ming, global humanitarian, vintner, retired NBA star and Hall of Fame inductee, has released the first Sauvignon Blanc in his portfolio of Napa Valley wines under the Napa Crest label just in time for summer.
"We've always intended to add a white wine to our portfolio and searched for the right vineyard in the right appellations to find fruit that would give us a complex and delicious wine," said Yao Ming. Yao Family Wines launched its 2009 vintage of Yao Ming Cabernet Sauvignon in 2011.
"Sauvignon Blanc has so many expressions in Napa Valley's diverse terroir. We've chosen two unique vineyards in Oakville and St. Helena that provide a beautiful ripe melon character and aromatic floral notes. The addition of Semillon fermented in neutral oak barrels gives it richness to balance the verve that makes it a great wine with so many cuisines," said Director of Winemaking Tom Hinde.
The 2015 Napa Crest Sauvignon Blanc ($32) is available for a limited time only at the Yao Family Wines Napa Valley hospitality center opened in February, online, and through the Yao Family Wines Collectors Circle. With only 234 cases produced, and only 70 cases available to non-members, the winery is shipping before the summer heat to nearly all 50 states.
Chuck House, the celebrated California wine label designer, created the labels for the Yao Family Wines portfolio featuring a hand-drawn illustration of Napa Valley with the ancient Chinese character for "Yao," elegantly representing both cultures in which Yao Ming has made his home.
Yao Family Wines is open seven days a week 10 am to 5 pm at 929 Main Street, St. Helena, California. Private appointments and walk-in tastings are available. Guided tastings are available in Mandarin. Call 707-968-5874 or visit http://www.yaofamilywines.com.
Yao Family Wines are available in 24 markets across the U.S. and worldwide.
