High Museum Atlanta Wine Auction - The Genius Inside
This March, we were pleased to welcome three Special Guests of Honor from the world of wine.
Alessia Antinori of Antinori
The Antinori family has a heritage that boasts 26 generations and more than 600 years of traditional and innovative winemaking in Tuscany and Umbria. The family registered in the Florentine Vintners' Guild in 1385, and traces its tradition of wine making back to 1180.
Alessia, a native of Florence, spent summers and weekends at her family's wine estates in Chianti Classico and Umbria learning the intricacies of wine making. She graduated with a degree in Viticulture and Oenology from the Department of Food Science and Technology at the Agrarian University of Milan in January 1998. For more than a decade, she has participated in harvests at the family's Tignanello estate in Chianti Classico and Guado al Tasso in Bolgheri. Currently, she manages one of her family’s new estates, Montenisa, located in Franciacorta, which produces high quality sparkling wines. In order to better understand all aspects of the fine wine business, Alessia has joined the export and sales team, first in India and Asia and then in the U.S. since January 2009.
Alessia has an avid interest in fine art and photography and serves on the International Council of the Museum of Modern Art. An enthusiastic tennis player and sports woman, she takes to the court or the slope to relax.
Click here for the CBS News story on the Antinori family.
Jean-Guillaume Prats of Château Cos d'Estournel
Jean-Guillaume Prats was born into a family where wine is religion. He is the fourth generation to be involved in the management of Château Cos d'Estournel.
His father Bruno, who is now retired, was a key figure in the Bordeaux trade, managing Cos d'Estournel from 1970 to 1998. Jean-Guillaume's grandfather, Fernand Ginestet, bought the second-growth St.-Estephe château in 1917; he also owned other Bordeaux estates, including Château Margaux, as well as a large negociant firm, Ginestet. His other grandfather, Jean Prats, was the founder and president of Saint-Raphael, a major French spirit company of his time.
In 1994 he returned to Cos, after graduating from the European Business School, and worked with his father. Four years later, the young executive was in charge as president of the estate. In that same year the family sold the château; then, in 2000, it was sold again to Michel Reybier, a French businessman. Prats stayed on through all the changes, and is now CEO of Domaines Reybier, which includes Cos, Château Marbuzet (also in St.-Estephe) and a new high-end wine called Goulée.
He is a member of the board of Directors of the Conseil des Crus Classés en 1855, The Académie du Vin de Bordeaux and the Commanderie du Bontemps du Médoc et des Graves, de Sauternes et Barsac. Beside his professional career, Jean-Guillaume is also a keen player of real tennis (jeu de paume) and was the youngest player ever to play for the French team in an international match. He was French amateur champion in 1994, 1995, 1996 and 1998.
Florencia Palmaz of Palmaz Vineyards
Julio and Amalia Palmaz established Palmaz Vineyards to accomplish a shared dream: revive an important part of Napa’s wine-making heritage. The dream began many years ago when they first moved to the San Francisco Bay Area and fell in love with the unique charm of the Napa Valley.
Years passed, but the Palmaz’s dream never faltered, and the Napa Valley’s hold on the family grew stronger. Finally, the vision began to take shape when they learned of an abandoned vineyard and winery at the foot of Mount George in east Napa. It was love at first sight, and they began to restore the property in 1997. Ever interested in mechanics and engineering, Dr. Palmaz played an integral role in designing Palmaz Vineyards’ elaborate gravity flow winery. He now lives in Napa with his family and also maintains an impressive collection of vintage race cars!
As President, Amalia Palmaz is responsible for the daily management of the winery and vineyard operation. Julio and Amalia's children Florencia and Christian are also involved in the family business. Florencia’s interest in food and wine led her to establish three enterprises with her mother, Haute at Home, GoodHeart Brand Specialty Foods, and GoodHeart SureChef. Christian is Director of Operations and his wife Jessica works at the winery as Director of Hospitality.
Save the date for the 19th Wine Auction: March 24–26, 2011
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