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NVLife_JulyAug_2013

AMERICA’S CUP and the Napa Valley When you first heard about the Napa Valley being the Official Wine Region of the 34th America’s Cup, it probably took a few minutes to find a direct connection between the oldest trophy in sport and our well-known wine region. Sure, there are lots of sailing enthusiasts who live and work in the Napa Valley, and it’s safe to assume that many America’s Cup fans are aware of (and probably drink) Napa Valley wines. But you need only dig a little deeper to get to the core values that the two share: a spirit of innovation and a drive to achieve only the very best result. And like the contenders for the America’s Cup, the Napa Valley has a rich legacy to maintain, and both have a sense of stewardship that is felt keenly throughout their respective communities. As America’s premier wine, food, arts and wellness destination, the Napa Valley epitomizes quality and innovation in its world-renowned wines and its legendary hospitality. And as one of the smallest wine producing regions in the world, attention to detail is its hallmark. These values will be on display throughout this summer as the Napa Valley participates in the excitement that will begin to build when the America’s Cup racing action begins in early July with the Louis Vuitton Challenger’s Cup round robins; it continues through until mid- September when the America’s Cup finals races are completed. Only Napa Valley wines will be poured at America’s Cup hospitality venues and concessions, and the region holds the exclusive right to market wine country tourism through AC channels. “Our strategy with this sponsorship is to leverage the high global visibility and prestige of the America’s Cup to build awareness about what makes our region so special,” said Clay Gregory, President/CEO of Visit Napa Valley. Visit Napa Valley and the Napa Valley Vintners are partners in the sponsorship, and some funding has been provided by the Napa County Special Projects Fund – Destination Marketing allocation, which 26 www. n A PAVA L L E Y L I F E magaz ine . c o m comes from the Transient Occupancy Tax (often called the “bed tax”) that is paid by visitors to the region. “We’ll be telling our story in many ways and to many audiences, including attendees, other sponsors and corporate groups,” added Gregory. “Our team and our partners at the Napa Valley Vintners have been working on this for almost two years and they’ve developed many opportunities.” These include a Napa Valley Wine Lounge right in the center of the action at the America’s Cup Race Park, where guests will not only get a taste of the area’s wines, but also a sense of the gracious Napa Valley wine country lifestyle. In 1968, long before “green” was a buzzword, the Napa Valley community established the nation’s first Agricultural Preserve that today protects more than 38,000 acres of bountiful farmland. This is why Napa is the only Bay Area county to still count agriculture as its top industry. And along the way, Napa Valley vintners and growers created the wine industry’s most stringent and comprehensive farming and wine production programs, known as Napa Green. Ensuring the health of farmland upstream of rivers and bays leading to the ocean is the most important measure of excellent farming, and it literally ties right into the America’s Cup’s focus on healthy oceans, sustainable seafood fishing, and its mission to produce a sustainable event. A key tenet of sustainability in farming and business is that it balances environmental concerns with the financial health and quality of life of the community. This is also an important part of the Napa Valley’s sponsorship strategy – to build the economic impact of its wine and tourism industries to raise the tide for all in Napa County. Sustainability matters to both groups as well


NVLife_JulyAug_2013
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