Premiere Napa Valley (PNV) is the must-attend trade event of the year! Since 1997, retailers, restaurateurs, hoteliers, club managers and wholesalers representing the breadth of wine professionals gather in America’s leading wine region in mid-February for what has become widely known as “the best week of the Napa Valley wine business.” The region’s top winemakers offer ultra-boutique wines to the trade, crafted in as few as 60 and never more than 240 bottles, exclusively for the PNV brand.

Each PNV wine is created only once. At the auction, 225 different wineries offer futures only to the wine trade—individual restaurateurs and wine retailers—so they have the unique, and some of the best wines made from America’s leading appellation. Each wine is a “one-of-a-kind,” and will not be found in the market except by the wine sellers who secure unique wines via the annual trade auction. The winemakers take an out-of-the-box approach, often using varieties they may not bottle as a stand-alone. These wines are innovative and showcase the region’s sense of exploration in fine winemaking.

On January 15th, 2016, the Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) nonprofit wine trade association announced that as part of this year’s annual PNV, the NVV is introducing the sale of twenty-five PNV lots exclusively online. The other 200 lots will go on the auction block at the sold-out event, taking place at The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone on February 20. Bidding for the new E-Premiere Napa Valley Online Auction opens Friday, February 19 at 8 a.m. PST to pre-registered licensees anywhere in the world. Look for E-Auction wines from Beaulieu Vineyard, Ca’ Momi, Domaine Chandon, Sterling Vineyards, Chateau Boswell Winery, Sequoia Grove Winery, Corison Winery, Elizabeth Spencer, among others. To preview description of all 225 lots offer at the auction this year visit PNV’s website.

Hundreds of top wine traders will gather in Napa Valley for tastings, social gatherings and networking events as Napa Valley vintners roll out the red carpet to greet their best customers at the main event at The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone. The funds raised support the association’s work to promote, protect and enhance the Napa Valley appellation. This year the anticipation builds as the Online Auction will allow other trade members around the world to have access to some PNV lots.

During this time of the year, the Valley exudes high festive energy. Wineries and wine organizations like Atlas Peak, Appellation St. Helena, Spring Mountain District, Oak Knoll Vintners, Oakville Winegrowers Association, Stags Leap District Winegrowers, Rutherford Dust Society, Coombsville Vintners and Growers will join efforts to showcase the best of Napa Valley with tastings open to the wine trade during the days preceding the main auction event. Also, not to forget special engagement gatherings like Napa Gras! at Raymond Vineyards. A unique opportunity to taste hundreds of Napa Valley wines. The professional networking peer to peer and amongst the vintners is often compared to a homecoming for Napa Valley’s finest ambassadors.

Complement the tasting with professional development seminars, a unique Vintage Perspective Tasting and countless intimate at-winery open houses and educational tastings and you’ve got all the right ingredients for a fantastic time in the Napa Valley, just for members of the wine trade.

For members of the trade not able to attend the PNV auction event, electronic bidding will be open to pre-registered licensees anywhere in the world from Friday, February 19 at 8:00 a.m. PST through Saturday, February 20 at 6:00 p.m. PST. For more information about how members of the wine trade can register for the E-Premiere Napa Valley Online Auction, visit NVV website.

The NVV nonprofit trade association has been cultivating excellence since 1944 by inspiring its more than 525 members to create consistently wines of the highest quality, to provide environmental leadership and to care for the extraordinary place they call home.