Gilt Taste Launches Wine Division

NEW YORK, Aug. 23, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Gilt Taste (www.gilttaste.com), the new online culinary marketplace and interactive magazine from Gilt Groupe, announces the launch of its wine division today, featuring exclusive access to highly coveted bottles and wonderful stories about the people behind them.  Gilt Taste, which debuted in beta in May, now offers a full-price wine marketplace with more than 50 exceptional and hard to find wines from California and France, many of which are exclusive to Gilt Taste.  A stellar tasting panel of wine authorities and culinary industry experts, including Gilt Taste Editorial Advisor Ruth Reichl, curated the selection.  With the addition of daily special wine sales featuring impressive bottles at equally impressive prices and compelling editorial content, Gilt Taste provides users with a new and inspiring way to discover food and wine from the very best artisans, farmers and winemakers.

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"Now Gilt Taste readers can discover the wines that the best sommeliers in the world love, read about the people who make them, find great recipes to pair them with – and then buy the wines with a single click," says Ruth Reichl, Gilt Taste Editorial Advisor. "We look forward to telling the stories of the talented men and women behind these wines as we help our users discover varietals and vintages they've never tasted before."

A tasting panel of notable sommeliers and industry experts helped to make the final selections during a blind tasting held at Brooklyn Winery in Brooklyn, NY: Ruth Reichl, Gilt Taste Editorial Advisor; Laura Maniec, Founder of Corkbuzz Wine Studio and one of only 18 women Master Sommeliers in the world; Jordan Salcito, Beverage Director of Crown (opening soon on Manhattan's Upper East Side); Joe Campanale, Beverage Director and Owner of dell'anima, L'Artusi and Anfora in New York City; Adam Landsman, Director of Operations of EMM Group; Elizabeth Esqueda, Sommelier of Brooklyn Winery; and members of the Gilt Taste team.  The group tasted dozens of bottles, narrowing the list down to their top picks.  With more than 50 extraordinary wines from California and France, wine aficionados will be able to access the very best from two iconic wine regions while novices are introduced to these regions – old world and new – with great bottles.  With wines starting at  $12 to rare and collectable vintages for special occasions, there are wines to suit anyone's taste and budget.  In the coming weeks, the site will continue to expand its selections to include additional regions around the world.

Some of the notable wines available on Gilt Taste include: 2008 Bryant Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, an exquisite bottle from one of the most iconic wineries in Napa Valley whose vintages have attracted a cult following and an even longer waitlist; Derenoncourt California 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon, 2006 Cabernet Franc & 2006 Merlot (sold as a set), the first-ever American wines produced by famed Bordeaux vigneron Stephane Derenoncourt, who released these incredibly rare vintages exclusively to Gilt Taste; Freeman Vineyard & Winery 2009 Keefer Ranch Pinot Noir; 2009 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir; 2009 Ryo-Fu Chardonnay (sold individually and also in a set), a critically-acclaimed winery in the Russian River Valley, whose wines are available in limited quantities and are on the wine lists of several top restaurants; 2008 Relic Wines "Artefact" Cabernet Sauvignon, a gorgeous Napa Valley wine that is difficult to find outside of the winery itself; 2008 Bure Family Winery "Majesty" Cabernet Sauvignon, just recently released and in limited supply; and 2008 Patel Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, which is not being released anywhere else, except via Gilt Taste, until October 2011.  From abroad, Chateau Valandraud Blanc de Valandraud N degree 1 2004 and N degree 2 2005 are beautiful wines produced by a Bordeaux garagiste winery, situated in the Saint-Emilion appellation of France.  

Several notable wine writers will be contributing to Gilt Taste, chronicling winemaking from grape to glass, debunking wine myths, and sharing helpful tips for pairing wine and food.  Jennifer Pelka, Gilt Taste Managing Editor, will share an introduction to the site's wine offerings, while Restaurant Editor Tejal Rao writes about Drops of God (a Japanese manga comic series about wine which will soon be translated into English).  Wine sales in Japan have soared since the comic first appeared; will it have a similar effect here? Melissa Clark, Gilt Taste Contributing Editor, cookbook author and columnist for The New York Times, will offer a recipe for gougeres, the classic French cheese puff, with a delightful and surprising twist: red wine. Clark Wolf, Founder and President of the New York-based restaurant consulting firm Clark Wolf Company, will tell a lively tale about why wine and cheese pairings shouldn't be taken too seriously.  Gilt Taste will also continue to celebrate artisans and winemakers – the true heroes of the culinary industry – through profile stories, field notes and videos.

About Gilt Taste

Gilt Taste, www.gilttaste.com, launched in beta in May 2011 and offers an ongoing full-priced marketplace of curated artisanal products and wines, as well as thoughtful original editorial content, gorgeous photography, delicious recipes, one-of-a-kind videos and Daily Special sales.  All of Gilt Taste's products are inspired, inspiring, honest and coveted. Ruth Reichl, former editor in chief of Gourmet and restaurant critic of The New York Times, serves as Gilt Taste's Editorial Advisor.  It is a true content-meets-commerce site – a culinary experience that hasn't been available online until now.  Users can connect with the farmers, artisans and winemakers who make and grow the products (many of which have only been available to professional chefs, until now), read intriguing stories and original content, learn where their food comes and how to prepare it for the best results, and then have the products shipped directly to their front doorstep with a single click.  No membership is required to shop the site.

About Gilt Groupe, Inc.

Gilt Groupe, www.gilt.com, is an innovative online shopping destination offering its members special access to the most inspiring merchandise, culinary offerings, and experiences every day, many at insider prices. Gilt continually searches the world for the most coveted brands and products, including fashion for women, men, and children; home decor; artisanal ingredients; hotels and travel experiences on every continent; and unique activities in a growing list of cities and destinations. We believe that every day is an opportunity to inspire and be inspired.

SOURCE Gilt Groupe, Inc.