DaVinci® Wine Unveils Tuscan-Inspired Art, Recipes, Video and Narratives From 2011 "Storyteller Experience" Participants

HEALDSBURG, Calif., Oct. 27, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- After six days touring Tuscany in July, DaVinci is proud to debut the final works of four Storytellers who were selected to join the Italian wine brand in Italy for a look at the authentic people and place behind its wine. The art, recipes, narrative and video have been unveiled at Facebook.com/DaVinciWine.

To view the multimedia assets associated with this release, please click: http://www.multivu.com/mnr/52528-davinci-wine-2011-storyteller-experience

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20111027/MM91029 )

Hand-selected from over 200 applicants, the four 2011 DaVinci Storytellers were flown to Vinci, Italy on an all-expenses-paid trip to gather, bring to life and share stories of the Tuscan town's dynamic culture. Vinci is a small town in the heart of Tuscany made famous by its celebrated son, Leonardo da Vinci. It's also home to the historic Cantine Leonardo da Vinci growers' cooperative, where DaVinci wines are produced.

From touring family-owned vineyards and medieval hillside towns, to visiting artisan studios and wild boar feasts, the Storytellers were asked to simply share their impressions of the experience via their chosen artistic medium.

Each DaVinci Storyteller was selected to fill one of four Storyteller categories via a robust online application process. This year's DaVinci Storytellers included the following individuals:

• Evelyn Lauer (Language Arts): Lauer is an English teacher and a mom and represents one half of the husband-and-wife team behind Chicago Now's popular He Sipped/She Sipped wine blog.
• Janelle Maiocco (Culinary Arts): Maiocco, a wife, mother and graduate of the Seattle International Culinary Art Institute, is from Seattle and pens the food and gardening blog, Talk of Tomatoes.
• David Jon Kassan (Visual Arts): A Brooklyn-based contemporary painter, Kassan has received accolades for his life-size realist portraits that combine figurative subjects with abstract backgrounds, or "tromp l'oeil texture studies."
• Kerry Shaw Brown (Documentarian): Brown has created award-winning commercials and entertainment for nearly 20 years and recently garnered critical praise for his inspiring short film, Be Infectious.

"We're thrilled with the amazing works of this year's talented group of DaVinci Storytellers," says Gabriela Becker, Assistant Marketing Manager for DaVinci Wine. "Their artistic expressions truly capture the authentic people and place behind DaVinci."

From art and mouth-watering recipes, to nuanced narratives and documentary-style video, the 2011 DaVinci Storytellers' works are available to the public on DaVinci's Facebook page.

About DaVinci Wines: Nestled near the Tuscan hillside town of Vinci—historic home of Leonardo da Vinci—Cantine Leonardo da Vinci brings together 200 passionate local winegrowers, who contribute their finest grapes to an extraordinary collection of authentic Italian wines. Rooted in centuries of winemaking tradition, DaVinci wines embody the rolling hills and majestic vineyards of Tuscany. Learn more at www.davinciwine.com and www.facebook.com/davinciwine.

Italian Table Wine, ©2011 DaVinci USA, Healdsburg, CA. All rights reserved.

SOURCE DaVinci(R) Wine