Reata Winery Appoints New Winemaker Nori Nakamura

NAPA, Calif., Aug. 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Reata Winery is pleased to announce the appointment of Nori Nakamura as winemaker. With his appointment, Nakamura brings a decade of Napa Valley winemaking experience to Reata's award-winning wine portfolio.

A native of Tokyo, Japan, Nakamura initially gained wine experience in the hospitality industry; after graduating from Keio University and receiving his Sommelier certification from the Japan Sommelier Association, he became Catering Manager at the Hotel Nikko in San Francisco in 1999. Deciding to make winemaking his career, he took cellar jobs at Koves-Newland Vineyards & Winery and Pine Ridge Vineyards in the Napa Valley, while earning his Bachelor's degree in Viticulture and Enology at the University of California, Davis. Nakamura began his winemaking career with a position at Napa Wine Company, which provided experience in a wide range of winemaking styles. He thereafter served for four years as assistant winemaker for Artesa Winery, honing his skills making Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from the Carneros region.

As winemaker, Nakamura will continue Reata's winemaking excellence that has yielded several multiple gold medal wines.  Nakamura says, "At Reata, I have only one goal, I want to capture the purity and character of these two great cool weather varietals: Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. This means working with small lots, each with its own charm and voice, and then working them into a chorus that really sings."

Situated in the rolling hills of the southeastern Napa Valley, Reata Winery specializes in cool climate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, with limited production of Viognier, Syrah and Petite Sirah for the Tasting Room, from both the Reata Estate vineyard and from select vineyards in the Napa Valley and Sonoma County. Reata Winery also produces Whiplash, a line of exciting, richly fruited wines – both classic varietals and unique proprietary blends – for everyday enjoyment.  Reata provides its winemakers with the freedom and resources to make each bottle of wine the best possible expression of the varietal by sourcing grapes from vineyards across multiple appellations in California.   

Reata produces wines from the 350-acre estate that was once part of the Suscol Ranch owned by General M.G. Vallejo.  Reata's first vintages were released in the fall of 2011 and are in national distribution.  The tasting room is open daily and carries small batch wines exclusively available on-site or online at www.reatawines.com.  

SOURCE Reata Winery