NAPA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Gary Erickson and Kit Crawford, owners of Clif Bar & Company and Clif Family Winery & Farm, today opened the doors to Velo Vino Napa Valley, a new tasting room destination located at the southern end of Main Street in St. Helena. Situated in a comfortable craftsman style building, Velo Vino captures Gary and Kit’s passion for wine, cycling and the great outdoors in a single location. Open to visitors from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm daily with extended summer hours beginning in June, Velo Vino offers tastings of Clif Family Winery Napa Valley wines along with pairings of Gary & Kit’s Gourmet food products. More than an average tasting room, Velo Vino also pays tribute to Gary’s love of cycling. Whether it’s one of the thousands of bike enthusiasts who visit Napa Valley each year, or local weekend road warriors, cyclists visiting Velo Vino can pick up maps of local bike routes and customized rides to Clif Family Farm on Howell Mountain. Velo Vino also offers a unique retail experience featuring Clif Family wines, food products from the Farm, espresso, bike jerseys, and CLIF BARs. LUNA Sport, a stunning collection of athletic apparel for women, is also available.
“Velo Vino is a place for slowing down and spending time with family and friends over a great bottle of wine. With so many cyclists riding through Napa Valley we also recognize that cycling and wine are a natural fit,” said Gary Erickson. “Because cycling is such a passion of ours we wanted to create a central hub for congregating and connecting the two. I’d say that Velo Vino was built to fuel the adventurer’s soul,” he concluded.
“Imagine starting your day at Velo Vino with a shot of espresso as you map out your bike ride and grab a few CLIF BARs,” said Kit Crawford. “Then, finish your ride back at Velo Vino and relax with a glass of wine in our sensory garden. We want Velo Vino to be the source for starting and ending that perfect day in Napa Valley.”
Always emphasizing the importance of local food sourcing and organic farming, Gary and Kit have also created a sensory garden as part of the outdoor patio area at Velo Vino, which will be open later this spring. In addition, produce grown on Clif Family Farm will be made available at Velo Vino for members of their CSA Box program. Further demonstrating their commitment to sustainability, Gary and Kit have plans to add an Electric Vehicle Charging station (EVC) to the parking lot. One of the only stations in St. Helena, this EVC will be compatible with Nissan and Chevrolet electric car models, many of which make their debut this year.
Wines available at Velo Vino to try and buy include Clif Family Winery Rte. Blanc Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc, Climber Limited Release Red Wine, Gary’s Improv Zinfandel and kit’s killer cab. A Napa Valley Petite Sirah will make its debut in May. Visitors are offered several flights of tastings that vary in price from $10 to $25, and the tasting fees are waived with a bottle purchase. Velo Vino will mark its grand opening with an open house celebration for locals next month.
Gary Erickson and Kit Crawford are owners of Clif Family Winery & Farm based in St. Helena, CA and Clif Bar & Company based in Emeryville, CA. Both companies are named for Gary’s father, Clifford, who spent many years hiking and skiing in California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains with his son. Gary and Kit’s love of food and wine began with cycling trips through Europe. A day of cycling would inevitably end with a long meal and a great bottle of wine. The purchase of their property in Napa County in 1998 fueled their passion for wine and food, and its connection back to the land.
About Clif Bar & Company
Clif Bar & Company is a leading maker of nutritious, all-natural, organic foods and drinks, including CLIF® BAR energy bar, LUNA®, The Whole Nutrition Bar for Women®; and CLIF Kid®, Nourishing Kids in Motion®. Focused on sports nutrition and healthy snacks, the employee and family-owned company is committed to sustaining its people, brands, business, community and planet. For more information on Clif Bar & Company, please visit www.clifbar.com.
Recently Clif Bar & Company was ranked the No. 1 brand in the Forbes Breakaway Brands survey, conducted by Landor Associates using Young & Rubicam’s BrandAsset Valuator database measuring brand momentum from 2006 to 2009. Forbes.com
About LUNA Sport
LUNA Sport clothing is designed exclusively for women. Created from scratch, LUNA Sport’s stunning, original designs are brought to life in the finest recycled and natural-fiber fabrics available. LUNA Sport is the official clothing sponsor of the LUNA Chix Pro Team and proudly develops its products with input from these amazing athletes. Their unmatched athletic experience and unique insight help us develop, test and refine the most authentic women’s cycling and athletic clothing available. LUNA Sport donates 1% of its annual gross revenue to the Breast Cancer Fund.
About Clif Family Winery & Farm and Velo Vino
Clif Family Winery & Farm was founded in 2004 in St. Helena, California. The company is focused on making high quality wines that sustain the natural resources of the local community and bring awareness of organic and sustainable farming to others. Fruit for Clif Family Wine is sourced from some of the best vineyards in the Napa Valley and North Coast appellations, including their Estate vineyard on Howell Mountain. Clif Family wines include The Climber White, The Climber Red, Rte. Blanc Sauvignon Blanc, Gary’s Improv® and kit’s killer cab®, a Cabernet Sauvignon blend from Napa Valley. Created by Gary and Kit, Velo Vino is a tasting room destination that brings together their passion for wine, cycling and the great outdoors. For more information, including how to visit Velo Vino, call 707-968-0625 or go to www.velovinonapavalley.com. You can also follow Velo Vino on Twitter at http://twitter.com/velovinonapa or become a Fan at http://www.facebook.com/VeloVinoNapaValley.
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