Tobacco Road Cellars

Tobacco Road Cellars Wine Series Set to Begin Billed as 'Not Your Typical Winemaker Dinner'

2010-01-25T11:25:00.000-08:00

Boutique winery, Tobacco Road Cellars, is hosting a wine series at Solas in the Glenwood South entertainment district of downtown Raleigh beginning Wednesday, January 27th and following on February 24th and March 24th.

Winery owner Jason Earnest will walk the dining room and introduce Tobacco Road Cellars to diners as well as offer special pricing for some of his winery’s highly acclaimed vintages like Tobacco Road ‘s Vitality Cabernet Sauvignon. Winemaker notes about Vitality include, “Mid to deep red with soft purple rim, lifted bright fresh berry fruit showing red currant and blueberry notes. Rich mouth filling weight that swamps the palate with ripe, juicy flavor that runs through to a long and fine tannin finish.” Also featured on January 27th is a Pinot Noir from Santa Lucia Highland, one of California’s up and coming viticulture regions. In fact, many wine writers and enthusiasts agree that the Santa Lucia Highlands stands shoulder to shoulder among the top names in Pinot. From Santa Barbara’s White Hawk Vineyard, Earnest is introducing a beautiful Syrah created through a 100% signature single vineyard. This region is quickly being recognized by wine connoisseurs the world over as a top producing wine region.

“Drinking good wine is an experience, something special; it’s a celebration of sharing, connecting with someone and making memories,” says Earnest. The North Carolina native started Tobacco Road Cellars in 2004 after going to Napa Valley on a whim to create own wine to give as holiday gifts. After bottling 25 cases of Cabernet Sauvignon and tasting his bounty, Earnest was bitten by this new passion. Earnest has not lost sight on what brought his vision to where he is today. He plans on keeping Tobacco Road Cellars very intimate, keeping it a one-on-one personal experience that is lacking in today’s world.

“From the succulent grapes that we hand pick, to the high-end French oak barrels we use for aging, to the delicate hand-dipped wax seal, we pay attention to every single detail and demand the highest quality at every level,” remarked Earnest. Today, Tobacco Road Cellars has a half-dozen bottlings under its belt, a host of loyal collectors and wine enthusiasts vying for a bottle of their limited production, and the endorsement of Gary Vaynerchuk of winelibrary.com—one of the nation’s best-known wine aficionados. Tobacco Road Cellars also was just named “Winery of the Month” by Amanda Hagood of The Traveling Grape. Reservations are recommended for the Tobacco Road Wine Series at Solas where diners also will enjoy an award winning meal from Executive Chef Cliff Vogelsberg.

What: Tobacco Road Cellars Winer Series
When: January 27th, February 24th and March 24th
Time: 7:00 pm - 11:00 pm
Where: Solas - 419 Glenwood Avenue, Raleigh
Reservations: Call Solas now at 919-755-0755
Media Contact: Sharon Delaney McCloud; 919-810-5085; sharondmccloud@gmail.com

The Traveling Grape features Tobacco Road Cellars as Winery of the Month

2010-01-06T07:51:00.001-08:00

What a way to start 2010!

It is an honor to be considered winery of the month by Amanda Hagood of The Traveling Grape. So much of my time is spent on the road with our distributors visiting restaurants and wine shops or in the homes of our supporters doing private tastings, so it's an amazing feeling that people are starting to hear our story. We set out to make world class wine to share with our family and friends and now that we have just released the thrid vintage of Cabernet Sauvignon I am as excited as I have ever been on the quest to share our wines with people.

As you know I recently spent some time in the South Florida market with our new distributor, Strategic Importers and the buzz that surrounded Tobacco Road Cellars was awesome. This is what I enjoy most...sharing our wines and telling our story with people. If someone connects with our story and shows our winery support all the better but what is most important is to expose people to new wines and explore wine in general. Enoying wines is an experience that most people like to share with their friends, family or colleagues...all wines are different, they all are made differently, have a different story and if we can turn a new wine drinker on to the world of possibilities and convert them to a passionate drinker then I feel like we have accomplished something.

History of New Year's Traditions

2009-12-28T08:42:00.000-08:00

Whether your popping bottles of Tobacco Road Cellars "Private Reserve", your favorite box wine or bubbly this New Year's, I found it interesting where the celebration all came from. New Year's is the oldest of all of the holidays and it started in Babylon about 4000 years ago when they recognized the beginning of spring. They considered it the season of rebirth, planting new crops and enjoying the new warm weather. The Babylonian New Year lasted for 11 days and each day had its own celebration...I think I know why they call it "Amateur Night" now.

The Romans continued to observe the holiday in late March, but their calendar was continually tampered with by various emperors, so the Roman Senate and Julius Caesar eventually declared January 1st the beginning of the new year.

People believed that their luck could be affected by what they did and who they were around on the first day of the new year, so it became common for people to celebrate around the middle of the night with family and friends. As far as the idea of eating black eyed peas, cabbage and ham to bring good luck...uhh I think I will pass. After doing several dozen body shots and enjoying a few cocktails then throwing back the bubbly...I'm thinking an order of hot wings, pizza and a milkshake are more in order. I hope the restaurants don't care when I show up in my pj's. (http://tinyurl.com/yfc82km)

Celebrate Life's Great Occasions!

TRC in South Florida Restaurants and Wine Shops

2009-12-26T19:16:00.000-08:00

Just finishing up with our distributor Strategic Importers out of Boca Raton in the South Florida market. We have had a great time introducing our wines to South Florida and especially meeting all of the wonderful people. We shared our wines with fine wine retailers and restaurants from Palm Beach to South Beach and everywhere in between.

Our Syrah, Pinot Noir, Cabernet "Vitality" and Cabernet "Private Reserve" can now be found at such places as the Boca Resort, The Addison, Rustic Cellar and Ferraro's Ristorante in Boca Raton. We are also featured in La Bottega and Uva 69 in Miami. We will be back in South Florida in March for several wine maker dinners and in-store wine tastings and will be sure to keep everyone updated.

Thank you for your continued support and we hope everyone had an amazing holiday. Please send us any pictures of you and your family enjoying our wines this holiday and New Year's. info@tobaccoroadcellars.com

Celebrate Jimmy V Week

2009-12-04T07:45:00.000-08:00

Today is the last day of the inaugural Jimmy V Week -- a week-long initiative featuring special content across ESPN platforms and programs to drive awareness of and donations to The V Foundation for Cancer Research. It may be the last day of Jimmy V week, but it is not the end of our battle to eradicate cancer.

The V Foundation for Cancer Research was founded in 1993 by ESPN and the late Jim Valvano, legendary North Carolina State basketball coach and ESPN commentator. Since 1993, the Foundation has raised more than $70 million to fund cancer research grants nationwide. It awards 100 percent of all direct cash donations and net proceeds of events directly to cancer research and related programs. The Foundation, which has received five consecutive top 4-star ratings from Charity Navigator, awards grants through a competitive awards process strictly supervised by a Scientific Review Committee. For more information on The V Foundation or to make a donation, please visit www.jimmyv.org.

At Tobacco Road Cellars, we embrace the history of tradition and reputation for excellence that one of the richest characters in Tobacco Road history helps create…Jimmy Valvano. It was an honor to create the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon from the world’s premier vineyards in Napa Valley and pay tribute to Mr. Valvano with our limited edition “V”. This special bottle will make a great holiday gift and we will donate 10% from all proceeds of the “V” bottle to The V Foundation for Cancer Research. See the bottle at http://tinyurl.com/yhdjmh9

Tobacco Road Cellars To Introduce Four New Wines In Stylish-Red Carpet Event

2009-08-19T05:43:00.000-07:00

August 18, 2009 (RALEIGH, NC) – Tobacco Road Cellars, a boutique Napa Valley winery owned by Jason Earnest and Dusty Field of Raleigh, North Carolina, will introduce four new Cabernets during a stylish red-carpet celebration and silent auction to be held Thursday, October 8, from 6 to 9 p.m. at the RBC Plaza pool deck high above downtown Raleigh.

The event is entitled “Bacchanalle: A Cultural Intervention.” According to Tobacco Road Cellars co-owners Jason Earnest and Dusty Field, the evening will include tastings of the new wines, catered dining that will pair the wines with haut cuisine, music, VIP suites for the winery’s Regency Club members, and lavish decorations.

The evening’s silent auction will offers such items as an original handpainted surfboard by Raleigh artist Clark Hipolito of ArtCo Surf that will be signed by the Carolina Hurricanes, other signed items by such sports luminaries as the Hurricanes goalie Cam Ward, Duke University basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski and various wine packages from Tobacco Road Cellars. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Frankie Lemmon Center School & Development Center in Raleigh.

Clark Hipolito has also created an original work of art for one of the Cabernets’ labels and will be unveiling his new series “Cultural Intervention” during the event.

Earnest calls Bacchanalle “an alchemist experience blending visual art, high design, fine wine and extraordinary personalities.”

The Cabernets Tobacco Road Cellars will introduced during the Bacchanalle event are “Vitality,” “Tradition,” “07 V” (honoring former NCSU basketball coach Jim Valvano with a portion of the proceeds supporting the Jimmy V Foundation), and the Private Reserve.

Earnest describes “Vitality” as a “deep, mid-red with violet hues with great blue fruit and black berry aromas, lifted raspberry and black cherry with dark, brooding notes of fig, coffee and spice. It’s an excellent mid-weight palate entry with dense fruit weight supported by heaps of fine-grained oak and fruit tannin. The wine has fruit-forward style that’s very well backed up by layers of deep, softly drying tannin.”

“Tradition” offers “sweet, ripe, black berry with a warm alcohol lift of spice and nutmeg,” he said. “It has rich, mouth-filling black fruit flavors with solid, blocky tannins. Very firm finish, drying but sweet at the same time. The Palate lingers and shows lots of classy French oak palate weight. Firmer acid helps lift the tannic finish, which will soften nicely over the next three to five years.”

Of the Private Reserve, Earnest notes, “This is a very solid, deep, dark red/black wine with purple hues. It offers aromatics of black fruit, chocolate, mocha and berries that draw you into the wine. It has a lovely solid entry with gobs of firm tannin. Its rich fruit weight is a class above other wines and supported by an amalgam of French oak flavors of vanilla, toasty oak and spice. It has a huge palate that just keeps going and going. Big blocky tannins appear a little proud at present, but given time it will soften into a true classic Napa Cabernet for those patient enough to wait.”

And the ’07 V is “supple, fleshy and very defined as berry fruits lead into a classy, sexy, fine-grained tannin finish that lingers on and on,” he said. “The French oak is evident but not obtrusive -- quite elegant and fine boned but overall very classy and seductive. It’s delicious!”

Tickets for the Bacchnalle event are $100 and only 250 will be sold. An after-party will also be held at Solas restaurant and lounge on Glenwood South for ticketed guests only. To order tickets go to http://www.bacchanalle.com/ or call 888.770.3635.

For more information on Tobacco Road Cellars, visit http://www.tobaccoroadcellars.com/.

About Tobacco Road Cellars

Award-winning Tobacco Road Cellars was conceived when two North Carolina-based entrepreneurs and wine enthusiasts, Jason Earnest and Dusty Field, went to Napa Valley to create a wine to give as holiday gifts. The results were so successful that they decided to create their own boutique winery committed to producing world-class wines from California grapes. The partners now have several years of bottlings and have been endorsed by Gary Vaynerchuk of winelibrary.com, who called Tobacco Road Cellars’ 2005 Private Reserve “stupid good.” The winery’s 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon received the 2008 Gold Medal in the International Wine Competition held in Riverside, California. For more information visit http://www.tobaccoroadcellars.com/.

The origin of the word Bacchanalle:

Bacchanalle – pronounced bak-uh-ney-lee-uh – was coined by the Tobacco Road Cellars owners and Raleigh interior designer Clark Hipolito. It incorporates the root word bacchanalia that, in Greco-Roman religion, refers to any of the several festivals of Bacchus, or Dionysus, the wine god. And it mixes with the word, “Biennale”, which is Italian for "every other year" and can be used to describe any event that happens every two years. It is commonly used within the art world to describe an international manifestation of contemporary art -- for example, the Biennale de Paris, which was created in 1959 by André Malraux. The term is most commonly used in the context of major repeating art exhibitions. According to Jason Earnest of Tobacco Road Cellars, it also refers to Hipolito’s visual style for his design projects: “faux paint effects, banquet-hall tapestries and lighting, large furnishings, etc.”

2007 California Pinot Noir is Unparalleled

2009-08-13T08:20:00.000-07:00

In the September 30th issue of Wine Spectator Magazine, the cover story is on the best ever California Pinot Noir. The surge in quality for the over the last decade in California is a reflection of so many new wineries as well as emerging growing regions such as Anderson Valley, Santa Lucia Highlands and Santa Rita Hills. The 2007 vintage has been so well received due to the purity of ripe fruit flavors, finesse and complexity in aromatics. The flavor profile of many of the 2007 vintage display a range of flavors from wilted rose to wild raspberry, cherry and blueberry to more mineral and spice. Everything just fell into place with this vintage and the two most important factors were the perfect weather and low yields. The weather wasn't too hot and not too cold which allowed us to get the fruit as ripe as we wanted without pushing the sugar levels too high. The article claims that the 2008 vintage won't be nearly as good due to the frost damaged vineyards which is a benefit to how we make wine at Tobacco Road Cellars. One of our properties in the Russian River Valley was hit pretty hard by frost in the 2008 vintage and our vigorous vineyard management and planning saved our Pinot Noir that year by moving the entire production to three vineyards in the Santa Lucia Highlands. Our wines are tasting truly amazing in barrel right now and we believe will stand up quite nicely to the 2007 Russian River Pinot Noir that we made.

James Laube of Spectator makes a point to say that Sonoma is the place to begin when looking at what California Pinot Noir is all about, especially the Russian River Valley. One of his highly rated Pinot Noirs comes from Kosta Browne and Amber Ridge Vineyard in the Russian River Valley. He scored the wine an impressive 94 points and priced at $72. This makes us extremely happy to know that we are delivering mid 90's scoring wines for $49 to our customers and restaurants. Most recently the Pinot Noir has been picked up by such restaurants as Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse in Charlotte, NC and Dolce Vita Wine Shop in Greenville, NC. We greatly appreciate the continued support and look forward to continuing to make world class wine for each of you in the future.

Give us a call at the winery, 888.770.3635 if you would like to know more about our 2007 Pinot Noir Russian River Valley or any of our wines.

Coach K and Grant Hill Visit the Winery in Napa Valley

2009-08-09T20:15:00.000-07:00

We had the fortunate opportunity to host Coach K, his family, Grant Hill, Michael Stewart and several Duke University supporters at Tobacco Road Cellars in Napa Valley this week. We greatly appreciate the interest Coach K has taken in our wines and story...We take great pride in our pursuit of making the perfect wine and look forward to creating a history of Tradition like Coach K has done at Duke University. We started this winery to share our wines with family and friends and obviously with the name Tobacco Road Cellars, had inspiration from several key people in the North Carolina area. The history of Tradition and reputation for excellence that Coach K has built with the Duke Basketball program over the years and the long time rivalry between Duke and University of North Carolina is a staple in the Triangle area of NC..."Tobacco Road". For us there was no better name of our winery than Tobacco Road Cellars and it has been a goal from day 1 to have Coach K as a supporter of our wines and our mission to share these wines with everyone we can. We set up lunch at Taylors in St. Helena and had the group of 25 over for burgers, fries and Tobacco Road's finest. That's how we like to do it...Black Tie and big fancy dinners are sometimes a lot of fun...but we would rather relax outside with a bacon cheeseburger and a bottle of Private Reserve. We brought the 07 Syrah, 07 Pinot, 06 Tradition and Reserve as well as a special treat...barrel samples of our entire 2007 vintage of Cabernet...Vitality, Tradtion, V and Private Reserve. We had a great afternoon and look forward to sharing our wines with everyone again soon. Coach K and Grant Hill were a major inspiration for us and hopefully we greatly appreciated them taking the time to come learn more about what we're doing at Tobacco Road on the west coast.

Vote For The Next Wax Color

2009-05-26T10:24:00.000-07:00

This is an exciting time of year at Tobacco Road Cellars...we just bottled the 2008 Pinot Gris and 2007 Syrah and we're getting ready to bottle the 2007 Cabernet's in the next several months. Before we can do that, we have to decide on the next wax color for the 2007 Cabernet "Vitality". We allow our supporters to vote every year, based on school colors from our home state of North Carolina.

This is your chance to decide...so cast your vote and spread the word!

www.tobaccoroadshow.tv

Tobacco Road Cellars to Sponsor Two East Carolina Alumni Association Signature Events

2009-04-16T11:25:00.000-07:00

East Carolina alumni Jason Earnest ’00 and Dusty Field ’94, owners of Tobacco Road Cellars winery, have signed on to be title sponsors of two of the East Carolina Alumni Association’s signature events—the Pirate’s Bounty Scholarship Auction and the Alumni Awards Ceremony and Dinner, both held annually in the fall. A complimentary one-hour wine tasting will be provided for attendees of the Pirate’s Bounty Scholarship Auction and guests of the Alumni Awards Ceremony will enjoy Tobacco Road Cellars vintages throughout the evening.

“The Alumni Association is always looking for partners with high quality products, impeccable reputation, and a recognized brand. Tobacco Road Cellars is a brand that exemplifies quality and prestige. We are proud to align the East Carolina Alumni Association with fellow Pirates and an award-winning company,” said Paul J. Clifford, president and CEO of the East Carolina Alumni Association.

“As alumni, we value our East Carolina education and believe in the good things the Alumni Association is doing for student scholarships and to recognize alumni achievement. We’re pleased to be able to support the programs of the Alumni Association through this sponsorship,” commented Earnest and Field.

The East Carolina Alumni Association will inform, involve, and serve members of the ECU family throughout their lifelong relationship with the University. Visit us online at PirateAlumni.com.

# # #

CONTACT: Jennifer Watson, Assistant Director for Membership & Marketing at 252-328-4902, Jennifer.Watson@PirateAlumni.com, or the East Carolina Alumni Association at 800-ECU-GRAD.

Tobacco Road Cellars Magazine Cover

2009-03-24T10:15:00.000-07:00

“We both really love wine,” remarked Dusty Field ’94 about he and business partner Jason Earnest ’00, “so it all started when we decided to have our own wine made to give as gifts to friends and family. It was a huge hit and people wanted to buy it from us.” With a little nudging from friends and a little more tasting of their product, the duo was convinced their supporters were right—hence Tobacco Road Cellars was born—a boutique winery that bottles ultra premium Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Gris. This is the story of two proud ECU graduates who met after college through a mutual friend. They soon realized they had many things in common with similar life goals and aspirations, so they decided to combine their talents and interests into consumable profits. In the few short years since Field and Earnest started Tobacco Road Cellars, their wines have received numerous accolades from the industry and a fan following that includes the likes of ECU Head Football Coach Skip Holtz and his wife Jennifer.But let’s go back a few years, to before Tobacco Road…You could say that Dusty Field has that entrepreneurial spirit in his blood—or perhaps in his fingertips—for everything he touches seems to turn to gold. Field was not a typical college student. Yes, he enjoyed going to class, participating in his fraternity Sigma Phi Epsilon, and having a good time with friends, but Field also caught the business bug early-on. Despite being a biology major whose original intention was to be an optometrist, Field knew that earning a living was critical to survival. “I have to give credit to my parents for instilling in me a sense of financial responsibility. They provided a way for me to attend college, but I had to come up with ways to pay for the extra-curricular activities I was involved in. My fraternity brothers used to joke on me because they’d be at a location as a patron and I’d be there collecting quarters from my pistachio and gumball machines.” Little did the brothers of Sig Ep know how Field’s first business venture would lead to bigger, better, more profitable businesses in the future. “With the vending machines, I learned on a small scale how to negotiate commissions, how to factor in your cost, and how location was a big factor on profitability per machine. I always worked hard, but I learned that if you work smarter you could get a lot more accomplished than by just manually working hard. It might not have been the most glamorous job, but in terms of hours spent and money earned I was usually better off than my friends who worked at restaurants or in retail.” With the continued success and growth of his vending machine business, Field decided to add pay telephones, then ATM’s, and finally armored cars to his business—all potentially dangerous when changing out money. Field was very fortunate in that his safety was never threatened, but he took precautions—including fast food bags and his black lab—to be inconspicuous. “I’d walk into a convenience store to service one of my ATMs with a McDonald’s bag with $10,000 in it. I figured no one would think I’d have anything important in a McDonald’s bag! And of course my dog was always good protection, too.” After Field’s ATMs had spread into 32 states with 1,400 machines, his interest turned to armored cars. “When I say I’m going to do something I strive to deliver on that promise. One weekend the armored car company that we were using to service the ATMs didn’t do what I needed them to when one of our machines in a large mall ran out of money. So I decided that in order to have the level of service that I expected I needed to start my own armored car company. I wasn’t willing to risk my business based on someone else’s shortcoming.” In 2003, at just 31-years-old, Field sold the ATM company for $7 million, and the armored car company shortly afterward for $1 million. But Field had no intention of “retiring early” or just taking it easy—he set his sights on real estate and partnered with Tyler Morris, a long time friend who had plans to build condos in Raleigh. The two formed Boylan Companies, a multi-faceted real estate company with development, construction, management, commercial, and realty capabilities, of which Field is the CEO. It was through charitable work Field was doing for Boylan Companies that he met his future business partner.Enter Jason Earnest.“My dad owned his own real estate company, so growing up I always knew that I wanted to go into business for myself. My degree from East Carolina is in finance, which certainly helps when you’re an entrepreneur. I had a great time at ECU, and it was through my fraternity Kappa Sigma that I was exposed to leadership roles and got involved with community service and other charitable work. That’s a tradition that I’m proud to continue with Tobacco Road Cellars.” Earnest and Field understand that letting people taste their product is the best way to make sales. But they use this tactic for the good of others, not just to increase their bottom line. “When we hold wine tastings in people’s homes we allow the host/hostess to choose which charity they would like a portion of the sales to go to. Some of the organizations that we’ve recently contributed to are Muscular Dystrophy, Duke Hospice, and Band Together (who then makes donations to groups like the Boys and Girls Club and Big Brothers Big Sisters).” “It was actually through our individual philanthropy work with Band Together that Dusty and I met. After I graduated I worked with Principal Financial Group where I assisted individuals with financial planning and managing assets, and with small businesses for things like retirement plans. Principal Financial Group was a sponsor of a Band Together event, and coincidently, Boylan Companies was too. I wanted to learn more about Boylan Companies, so a friend got me in touch with Dusty. We met, discovered that we share the same visions on a lot of things, and were able to partner on some projects. The wine came shortly after that.”Earnest had received a bottle of wine as a gift from a friend. He thought it was the ultimate gift because the friend’s signature was on the label—and it wasn’t just written with a Sharpie. He thought for sure the guy must own his own vineyard, but quickly learned this wasn’t the case. “We [Earnest and Field] got in touch with some contacts we had in California and went out to make our own wine.”Fast forward to today…“California Grapes. Carolina Attitude.” is the tagline on the Tobacco Road Cellars’ press kit. It’s a testament to the superiority of the “Tobacco Road” region, the inspiration for the company’s name. “Dusty and I are entrepreneurs, naturally, and like to start things from the ground up and make them succeed. Our focus from day one has been on quality and making the best wines that we can make. The name “Tobacco Road” is a tradition of excellence in North Carolina and the region, so our wines have to live up to that name. We’re involved in every detail from choosing which vineyards to use and bottling to label design and marketing.” The pair did their homework and learned that there is much more to making a delicious wine than crushing and fermenting grapes. It’s truly a two-part process that begins with the vineyard and ends at the winery. Tobacco Road Cellars does not own it’s own vineyard, but takes advantage of doing business with multiple vineyards to pick and choose the best harvest of grapes each season. Many factors determine berry quality, including weather conditions, soil acidity or alkalinity, and the viticulturist’s method of tending the vines and collecting the ripened grapes. Then it is up to the winery to complete the process—de-stemming, crushing, fermenting, aging, filtering, and bottling to produce the perfect blend. All that attention to detail has paid off—Tobacco Road Cellars won a gold medal for it’s 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon “Vitality” at the 2008 Riverside International Wine Competition in California; the endorsement of Gary Vaynerchuk, host of Wine Library TV; and praise from numerous industry experts like Scott McKeon and Bart Holstein of Wine God Collections.In the beginning, Tobacco Road Cellars was primarily focused on red varietals, offering Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, and Syrah, but like any good business the company has continued to grow. Pinot Gris, a white varietal, was added in 2007 and 2010 will bring Chardonnay to the offerings. Tobacco Road Cellars’ wines are available at many restaurants, country clubs, and wine shops in the Triangle area, Greensboro, Charlotte, and Asheville, North Carolina, and true connoisseurs can enjoy Tobacco Road Cellars’ wines delivered to their door through membership in the Regency Club. As most businesses do, Tobacco Road Cellars uses traditional marketing methods to sell their wines, but these business savvy partners also utilize today’s popular technology and a few non-traditional methods to advertise. “Tobacco Road Show,” a link on the company’s Web site www.tobaccoroadcellars.com, provides fun, entertaining videos of enthusiastic customers, sommelier reviews, and Field and Earnest enjoying the fruits of their labor. Tobacco Road Cellars also has a presence on Facebook, MySpace, and You Tube. The company offers a music CD Vitality, a collection of new age music perfect for sitting back, relaxing, and enjoying the perfect glass of wine, and Excellent Courses, a cookbook from Ravenscroft School in Raleigh, North Carolina.For Field and Earnest winemaking is not just a business, it’s a passion, and this passion is renewed each season when they begin the process for the year’s reserve—a tradition that has been practiced for thousands of years and continues through these two ECU graduates.

Tobacco Road Cellars to participate in Charlotte Heart Ball

2009-01-28T11:26:00.000-08:00

Napa-Tobacco Road Cellars (TRC) will donate an exclusive in-home wine tasting to the fundraising auction for the 51st Annual Greater Charlotte Heart Ball. The boutique California winery will donate a private in-home wine tasting conducted by label owners Dusty Field and Jason Earnest. Auction attendees will be able to bid in the silent auction for a chance to host up to 30 of their friends for the tasting. TRC will handle all of the planning, logistics and set-ups while providing a fun but enlightening experience, centered around California wine.

“The American Heart Association plays an important role in advocating good heart health and we want to do our part to help raise the necessary funds to do so – especially in tough financial times such as these,” said Jason Earnest, label co-founder.

Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in North Carolina and the consumption of red wine in moderation has been linked to good heart health. TRC plans to donate similar tastings this year to other heart balls throughout North Carolina in an effort to help raise funds for heart health advocacy statewide.

About the Charlotte Heart Ball
The 51st Annual Greater Charlotte Heart Ball will be held at the Charlotte Convention Center on the evening of February 7, 2009. For more information on the ball and the Charlotte area chapter of the American Heart Association, please visit http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3056391.

About Tobacco Road Cellars
What do you get when two forward-thinking entrepreneurs share a passion for California Grapes? The answer: a boutique winery poised to become an exciting force in the winemaking industry. Following the principle of excellence associated with the “Tobacco Road” basketball lore in North Carolina, Jason Earnest and Dusty Field founded a wine label committed to producing world-class Cabernet, Pinot Noir and Syrah. Forget the pretension. Forget the inapproachability often associated with wine. Tobacco Road Cellars delivers without either of these; it has soul. Simply stated it is Carolina Grapes, Carolina Attitude.

Tobacco Road Cellars’ wines are available in select restaurants and independent wine shops in North Carolina, including Del Frisco’s of Charlotte. Tobacco Road Cellars can be found online at www.tobaccoroadcellars.com.

Skirt Magazine Article: December 1, 2008

2008-12-03T06:08:00.001-08:00

Jason Earnest and Dusty Field are big winers.

In 2004, these two friends set out to come up with a great holiday gift idea. They flew out to Napa Valley and created their own cabernet sauvignon, bottled 25 cases, and gave them out to friends and family. “After a few glasses, we realized we really had something,” Dusty says. After bouncing around a few ideas for their label, a 2:30am email exchange finally produced the perfect moniker: Tobacco Road Cellars. Jason says the name represented, to them, “a tradition of excellence.” Like they’ve done with all their ventures – Dusty owns a successful real estate development company; Jason is a serial entrepreneur – they went full-force into Tobacco Road. Their 2005 cabernet sauvignon, “Vitality,” won gold at this year’s Riverside International Wine Competition in California.

What’s your favorite thing about wearing a skirt? Dusty: “The breeze.”

Jason: “I get to show off these legs.”

And about reading skirt!? Dusty: “It helps me get over to my sensitive side.”

Jason: "I read it so I can better understand women - the question is, what will they read so they can better understand me?"

~Faith Dwight

www.skirt.com

Radio Interview

2008-10-14T06:03:00.000-07:00

Dusty and I were recently interviewed by Pirate Radio 1250.

http://www.piratealumni.com/s/722/images/editor_documents/audio/081011PiratesLife.mp3

Taste the fall with new vintages from Tobacco Road Cellars

2008-10-09T07:22:00.001-07:00

For many, great wine is worth going to great heights. Such was the thought behind Tobacco Road Cellars (TRC), a boutique winery combining California Grapes with Tar Heel roots. Co-Founders Jason Earnest and Dusty Field, fueled by their passion for fine wine and penchant for California Grapes, traveled cross-country to Napa Valley to try their hand at winemaking. The result: a unique winery that marries excellence with approachability – a hobby-turned-business venture that is here to stay. The winery now boasts ten California varietals from some of the most revered vineyards in the region.

Changing leaves, falling temperatures, wine is a great accessory to the new season. And this fall proves to be an especially great time for it, as Tobacco Road Cellars releases five new varietals, including their first white wine, October 15, 2008. “We’re extremely excited to release these vintages as they are truly a labor of love,” said Jason Earnest, Co-Founder of Tobacco Road Cellars. “We look forward to introducing the flavors and scents to all of our customers. Our 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon “Vitality” is already a crowd-pleaser in this area with its signature Carolina Blue wax,” added Co-Founder Dusty Field.

The highly-anticipated new wines are as follows:
2006 Cabernet Sauvignon “Vitality”
2006 Cabernet Sauvignon “Tradition”
2006 Cabernet Sauvignon “Private Reserve”
2007 Pinot Gris Anderson Valley
2007 Pinot Noir Russian River Valley

For detailed descriptions on the vintages, please see below.

Tobacco Road Cellars’ wines are available in select restaurants and independent wine shops in North Carolina.

About Tobacco Road Cellars
What do you get when two forward-thinking entrepreneurs share a passion for California Grapes? The answer: a boutique winery poised to become an exciting force in the winemaking industry. Following the principle of excellence associated with Tobacco Road in North Carolina, Jason Earnest and Dusty Field founded a wine label committed to producing world-class Cabernet, Pinot Noir and Syrah from the celebrated California region. By pairing superior California vineyards with a world-class winemaking team, Tobacco Road Cellars creates interesting, hand-crafted wines. Forget the pretension. Forget the inapproachability often associated with wine. Tobacco Road Cellars delivers without either of these; it has soul. Simply stated it is California Grapes, Carolina Attitude.

Tobacco Road Cellars can be found online at http://www.tobaccoroadcellars.com/.

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Fall 2008 Releases

2006 Cabernet Sauvignon “Vitality”

79.5% Cabernet Sauvignon
20.5% Merlot

100% Napa Valley: Rutherford, Calistoga, Howell Mountain

Mid to deep red with soft purple rim, lifted bright fresh berry fruit showing red currant and blueberry notes. Rich mouth filling weight that swamps the palate with ripe, juicy flavor that runs through to a long and fine tannin finish. Moorish and incredibly drinkable whilst young but with very fine, classy tannin weight on the end of the palate that will benefit aging for those patient enough.

2006 Cabernet Sauvignon “Tradition”

91.9% Cabernet Sauvignon
8.1% Merlot

100% Napa Valley: Rutherford, Howell Mountain

Mid to deep red with dark purple notes. Soft berry aromas that show hints of spice and smoky oak aroma’s. Full weight palate that fills the palate with ripe berry fruits of red and black currant. A medium weight tannic finish shows great potential for aging over the next 5-10 years but honestly most people will not be able to wait that long.

2006 Cabernet Sauvignon “Private Reserve”

91.8% Cabernet Sauvignon
5.4% Merlot
2.8% Cabernet Franc

100% Napa valley: Oakville, Howell Mountain, Rutherford

Only 600 bottles produced. Individually numbered and signed.

Mid to deep red with black/purple tints. Deep, dark berry with hints of smoke and black fruits behind. Latent in its power this wine fills the palate with far more tannin than the aromatics suggest. “A sleeper”. Powerful palate weight with layers of fine grained, exquisitely crafted French oak tannin. Flavor lingers after a powerful, palate wholloping tannin “smack!!” that goes on and on. Great with that deliriously decadent rib-eye and a 120 inch screen ball game

2007 Pinot Gris Anderson Valley

100% Sonoma: Hein Vineyard

Mid straw with yellow hues in the glass & crisp green apples with soft warm honey aromas. Followed by mineral, almond and dried tea aromas. A lovely mid to full weight palate with luscious rich round mouthfull. Nice long persistence that runs with a seamless vigor and a feeling that lasts on and on. Supportive acid and alcohol create a firm and crisp finish, which should age well over the next 2-3 years.

2007 Pinot Noir Russian River Valley

100% Sonoma Russian River Valley: 50% Amber Ridge Vineyard; 50% Bohemian Vineyard

Mid to deep red color with hints of purple showing the wines youth. Intense strawberry, cola nut and barrel ferment aromas overlay sweet, rich pinot cherry notes that integrate seamlessly with the spicy oak tones. Luscious mouth filling fruit weight with a soft and incredibly supple tannin finish. Long and intense palate length finishes balanced and clean. Should age beautifully over the next 5 years for those patient enough to wait.

Don't Take Our Word For It

2008-10-02T10:55:00.001-07:00

The most important things to us at Tobacco Road are our supporters, our wines and having fun. This email came to me today from a waiter at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse in Charlotte, NC. I just wanted to share his words with everyone. Thank you again for everyone's continued support.

"I just wanted to say that I am a waiter at Ruths Chris Steak House in Charlotte. Since tasting your wine a friend at work Stuart and myself have contests between us to see who can sell the most. We can't keep it on the self I have to say we have to be some of the top sellers. The response from our coustomers is just like your video WOW . We hope you don't run out too quick. Thank you so much for creating such an outstanding wine, and it is a great pleasure to talk people into buying something you truely believe in . We have it on our list for $210.00 which is a steal. Sincerely Steven"

Pinot Noir Vineyard Update

2008-08-21T06:56:00.000-07:00

We have decided to move south to Santa Lucia Highlands to source our Pinot Noir. We have found three premier properties which we are excited to announce as our partners with our 2007 Pinot Noirs.

Hook Vineyard:

Got an update from the vineyard manager and everything is going well. I am expecting great things from Hook and so far the news is all good. I would expect a late Sept. harvest and we'll keep you posted. The weather will obviously have a significant effect on our harvest date.

Doctors Vineyard:

Brix: 20.0pH: n/aTA: n/a
Got an update from Andy, the vineyard manager, and everything looks great down in the Santa Lucia Highlands. I am expecting a mid to late Sept. harvest but a lot of that depends on the weather and the individual clones. We'll keep you posted.

Lone Oak Vineyard:

Brix: 18.6pH: n/aTA: n/aCommentsEverything is going well at Lone Oak. I got an update from vineyard manager and the grapes have picked up about 1 brix over 1 week. I would estimate the end of Sept, but a lot depends on the weather. We will keep you posted.

Tobacco Road Cabernet Takes a Gold Medal at International Wine Judging

2008-05-14T09:09:00.000-07:00

Napa, CA, May 15, 2008 – Tobacco Road Cellars (TRC), a boutique winery with Tarheel State roots, received a major accolade in the winemaking world, taking home a Gold Medal at the 2008 Riverside International Wine Competition. Wine industry experts awarded Tobacco Road’s 2005 “Vitality” Cabernet Sauvignon the prize at the 27th annual judging, which was held May 2-4, 2008, in Riverside, California.

“Based on the very positive feedback we had received from customers who tasted our Vitality Cabernet, we entered the wine in the competition knowing that we would be competing against the world’s finest Cabernets,” explained Jason Earnest of Raleigh co-founder and principal of Tobacco Road Cellars. “Winning the Gold at Riverside confirms our belief that our winemakers have indeed created something truly special.”

The Riverside International Wine Competition provides wineries from around the world an opportunity to have their wines judged by panels of experts that include winemakers, wine writers, wine merchants and others from across the industry. The judging process begins with a “double-blind” tasting by four judges in each category. Judges seek to identify the one entry that best exhibits varietal character, balance and structure, and contains other “exceptional qualities.” Panelists discuss their impressions and deliberate among themselves before voting on the top wine. TRC’s Vitality vied against other Cabernet Sauvignon entries in the Riverside Competition’s 300 Series. This year’s competition attracted a record-breaking 2,136 entries from 417 wineries around the globe, including major industry names such as Kendall-Jackson, Cakebread and Rodney Strong.

Tobacco Road Cellars is a unique winery venture that combines the finest hand-harvested Napa Valley, Russian River Valley and Santa Barbara County grapes with imported French oak casks and a collaborative, detail-focused winemaking process led by experienced industry professionals. The winery bottles a limited production of specialty Cabernet, Syrah and Pinot Noir for premier steakhouses, bistros and country clubs, and to discerning consumers via high-end wine merchants and from the winery directly through TRC’s website and membership, the Regency Club. “The Tobacco Road brand symbolizes the tradition of excellence that exists in our home state of North Carolina,” explains Mr. Earnest, who founded the winery in 2004 with Dusty Field, president and CEO of Boylan Investment Company in Raleigh. “We embrace these values and capture them in every bottle of our wine, ensuring that customers of Tobacco Road Cellars enjoy a superior taste experience that they will never forget,” Mr. Earnest says.

Tobacco Road Show

2008-03-10T08:10:00.001-07:00

Cover Story of Realtor Review Magazine

2008-03-07T17:44:00.000-08:00

The trend in marketing in recent years hasn’t simply been selling the product. More often, especially in luxury goods, the mantra is selling the lifestyle. Whether it’s designer handbags, luxury cars or fine wines, each product tells a story, a way of life – the good life. So why not apply that approach to the biggest lifestyle product of them all – the home?

That’s exactly what business partners and wine connoisseurs Dusty Field and Jason Earnest did back in October with a $3-million-plus plantation home in the Anderson Heights area of Raleigh. To help them introduce prospective buyers to the lifestyle they might discover in such a home, they paired it with another high-end product: wine.

The home, which boasts its own full-size wine cellar, was chosen for the launch of a 2005 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon from Tobacco Road Cellars, a California boutique winery with a North Carolina flair founded by Field and Earnest four years ago. “The pairing of an exquisite home and our luxury, high-end wine, it’s a perfect combination event,” Field says. “We wanted to release it with a bang and provide a first class wine experience at a first class location,” Field says. “At that price point, it has to have the ‘wow’ factor.”

Real estate agent Jason Stegall with MidAtlantic Realty was the owner and listing agent of the home and Field and Earnest were looking for a unique location for the launch that could accommodate a large number of people. At the time, Stegall had already offered the home for various charitable events. “We’re trying to tap into different circles of people in that price range,” Stegall says. “I knew I wanted to build a house for philanthropists. That’s how it was designed.” Stegall notes that other homes in the neighborhood are known for their large social events. The more than 8,000-square-foot home was the perfect venue for the invitation-only event, which drew about 150 people. Invitees were identified through the Triangle Wine Experience, an annual wine event, as well as from among friends and colleagues who would have an interest in both wine and the home. To complement the home and the wine, the event was professionally catered and the house decorated. Not only were attendees able to tour the mansion, but also get a feel for the home as a place for hosting their own events. In addition to its very own wine cellar and basement pub, the five-bedroom home also features a 600-square-hoot home theater, which the hosts put to use by playing video of the winery’s vineyards and operations. Other features include an all-handmade brick exterior, large brick patio, outdoor fireplace and a spacious 1.17-acre lot complete with formal gardens and an orchard. Architectural details of the home were taken from famous plantations throughout the South, Stegall says.
Field considers the combined event a success and looks forward to doing it again. “I think it created a buzz. People were able to see a level of detail in the house,” they wouldn’t otherwise have seen, he says. “We release three wines a year, a cabernet, a pinot and a syrah,” he says. “We may be looking to do three or more events like this each year.”

So, whether it’s an exclusive event such as the launch of a fine wine or a charity event that raises awareness, giving potential buyers a taste of the lifestyle they could be enjoying in a home may prove an effective strategy with that particular luxury property. And who knows, that next glass of wine your buyer sips could be from his or her very own wine cellar.

2006 Pinot Noir Release March 1

2008-02-21T07:04:00.000-08:00

Tobacco Road Cellars is a boutique winery dedicated to producing a limited supply of high-quality Pinot Noir, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon from the beautiful California region. This narrow focus combines great vineyard partners and a world class winemaking team to create premier hand-crafted wines. Our wines exemplify our philosophy of hand picking, sorting and pressing; we believe these processes give our wines immense richness, maturity and drinkability.
The 2006 growing season gave us heavy rains in the spring, putting our vines behind schedule and threatened the size of the crop at Amber Ridge Vineyard. But warm, dry weather soon followed, allowing the vines to catch up. The July heat spell was another threat, with temperatures reaching as high as 115 degrees and anytime the temperature reaches beyond 95 degrees, the vine shuts down. Thanks to quality vineyard management our vines were able to survive the heat quite nicely because of those spring rains. "The challenge was really to hold down the growth of the vines," winemaker Michael Zitzlaff says. "The vines this year wanted to keep growing because they had a lot of water and the heat wave ended up being a real blessing. The heat wave put things back in balance."

Located in the heart of Russian River, Amber Ridge was planted to three Dijon clones (115, 667, 777) in 2000 on gently sloping hill. The typical weather pattern in Russian River is fog until at least 11 in the morning. Then it breaks off, warms up and then the fog starts to come in again around 4 or 5 which cools down the valley. As fall approached we began harvesting clone 777 on September 28th, clone 667 on October 7th and 115 on October 15th at an average of 25.9 brix.

Another fun, exciting and challenging harvest for Tobacco Road. Today, we are happy to offer our 2006 Pinot Noir Russian River Valley from Amber Ridge Vineyard. It is our hope that you will enjoy sharing these wines with your friends and family as much as we do. Wine lovers know-finding unique, limited-production wine is the best excuse to gather together, share a nice bottle or two, and explore the stories of the wine and each other.

NC son's boutique winery Tobacco Road Cellars made from California grapes continues to get attention across the US

2007-12-12T08:08:00.000-08:00

Although North Carolina is home to over 70 wineries - few produce their wine using grapes from California. With the boutique wine industry booming across America, I thought you may be interested in knowing about this NC-based company (hence, the name) and, perhaps, telling their heartwarming story of how the search for the perfect Holiday gift turned into a company.

Four years ago, two old friends, East Carolina University grad and real estate developer, Dusty Field, 35, and Jason Earnest, a 29 year old financial broker, while drinking a cherished wine from Field's cellar, decided they had found the perfect gift. They were going to make their own wine and gift it as one-of-a-kind holiday gifts to their friends and family.

Most ideas conceived with the assistance of good wine and good friends don't make it to the next day. But this one did. Within a week, Field and Earnest purchased two tickets to California - to learn how to make wine, of course.

Today, Tobacco Road Cellars [www.TobaccoRoadCellars.com] is found in the most prestigious restaurants, country clubs, and collector's cellars. Their wine has been acclaimed all over the country. Recently, probably the most reknowned wine reviewer, Gary Vaynerchuk (as seen on Letterman and Nightline) called their wine "STUPID GOOD." (www.WineLibrary.com)

The Gift of “Pretentious Wine for Unpretentious People”

2007-12-06T20:00:00.000-08:00

6 December 2007 -- Napa Valley, California + Raleigh, North Carolina -- Don’t let their Southern drawls fool you. These guys know their wine. These North Carolina based entrepreneurs’ penchant for California grapes led them to Napa Valley four years ago on a whim to create their rnearly half of their production to the lucky recipients. The other half (or so), they swear, they drank themselves.
Today, owners Jason Earnest and Dusty Field have nearly a dozen bottlings under their belt, a harem of collectors and wine enthusiasts vying for a bottle or two of their limited production, and the endorsement of the nation’s best known wine aficionado and blogger – Gary Vaynerchuk (www.WineLibrary.com), who touts the wine as “STUPID GOOD.” (Watch his reaction to our wine on video at www.TobaccoRoadCellars.com)
--- Note to Media: A b-roll package is available ---
Following on the extremely successful release earlier this year of their 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon, “VITALITY,” Tobacco Road Cellars is offering two gifts designed to showcase their extraordinary wines this holiday season.
2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve-Napa Valley
This 2005 Private Reserve is a limited first edition 300 bottle series designed by contemporary artist Peter Sergison commissioned by Tobacco Road Cellars. Each bottle is numbered and hand signed by Earnest and Field and will make a fine addition to any wine collector’s cellar. Each year connoisseurs throughout the world wait, glass in hand, to savor this quintessential wine experience.

One Bottle: $290
Three Bottles: $870
Twelve Bottle Case: $3132

Regency Club Membership –
We’ve narrowed our favorite vintages to the pinnacle three – Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, and Syrah and are offering the trio priced at $180.
This gift comes with membership to our Regency Club. This exclusive club was established with the same care and attention lavished on our wines and vineyards. Only 300 memberships are available and must be ordered in December 2007.
Limited Offering Priced at $180
To purchase these gifts or any of our wine, please visit www.TobaccoRoadCellars or call Dusty, Jason, at +1.888.770.3635.

Exclusive Release Party

2007-10-11T16:58:00.000-07:00

We're so elated with our latest vintage that we can't keep it to ourselves...so we're throwing a party!

Mark your calendar for October 25th and join us for an evening full of good friends, great wine, & lots of surprises.

Join Us
Thursday, October 25, 2007
5:30 until 7pm
2319 Lake Dr.
Raleigh, NC 27609
(near St. Mary's and Glenwood Ave)

Call the winery at 888.770.3635 to RSVP

Harvest 2007 Amber Ridge Vineyard Updates

2007-08-16T14:45:00.000-07:00

Brix: 21.0pH: n/aTA: n/a

Our 777 block is around 20 to 21 brix with medium sized berries and thick skinsl, but still tannic skin and green seeds. Still has another 3 weeks to go. 667 has slightly larger berries... probably 19 or 20 brix. Will probably pick them a week apart. The 115 is still looking great. Smaller berries/clusters and more like 18 or 19 brix... another week behind the 667.There is a fair bit of green "second crop" that we need to be careful we don't pick, but even if a little bit gets picked it is easily sorted out on the line.

Harvest TimeframeSaturday September 8, 2007 - Thursday September 20, 2007

Learn more about Veraison, Brix,
Veraison signals the coming of harvest. It is the stage of the ripening process when grapes begin to soften and change their color. At the beginning of veraison, the berries are hard, green and about half the size they will reach when fully mature. In addition to the outward changes to the berries, this 30 to 45 day period marks an increase in the level of brix, or fermentable sugar produced in the grapes.

Sugar concentration is a major physical property analyzed in grapes and wine. The amount of sugar available will determine the sweetness of wine flavor. Residual sugar is also important to know as any sugar present in wine is a potential substrate for microbial growth. Sugar concentrations are commonly analyzed by measuring the density of juice or wine. Brix is the unit of measurement used in the United States when analyzing density. One degree of Brix is roughly equivalent to 1% sugar in solution or 10 g/L of sugar. Density measurement is normally done with a hydrometer.
Sugar concentrations in ripe grapes will range in Brix values from the low to upper twenties. Full physiological ripeness in grapes is about 25 Brix. Values higher than that come from dehydration of the berries as they begin to raisin. Residual sugar levels below 0.4 Brix, or 4 g/L sugar are considered complete fermentations.