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Food & Wine magazine's 2005 Winemaker
of the Year, Philippe Melka was born and trained in Bordeaux. In
addition to working side-by-side with his friends at Parallel
Wines, he crafts several more of Napa Valley's most sought-after
wines. In addition to their cooperation on Parallel, Philippe is
working with vineyard manager Jim Barbour on wines for Lail and
Hundred Acre. Philippe is also currently making wine for Vineyard
29, Gemstone, Dana Estates, Roy Estate, Seavey, PreVail and
Marston. Despite his high-profile status, Philippe is humble about
his many accomplishments. With a wonderful mix of humor and
dedication, he applies his skills to every aspect of producing
Parallel Wines.
Known for his terroir-focused winemaking - "We should emphasize
much more the estate than the winemaker," he often says -
Philippe's expertise and philosophy toward the land is the perfect
fit for Parallel. Philippe believes the Parallel vineyard "is
capable of producing some of the top wine in Napa Valley." With his
help, it already has.
Philippe graduated with a degree in Geology from the University of
Bordeaux in 1989. After taking a wine class in his final year, he
discovered his true calling and earned additional degrees in
Agronomy and Enology. As his knowledge grew to match his passion,
he honed his craft within the legendary cellars of Petrus, Chateau
Cheval Blanc and the first-growth Chateau Haut-Brion. He moved to
the U.S. in 1991, then traveled to Italy, Australia and again to
France to practice his skills on different soils and grape
varietals. He settled in Napa Valley in 1994, quickly establishing
himself as a caretaker of the land with a firm belief that "the
wine must tell the story of the native soil."
It may raise eyebrows to think that a Frenchman was the American
Wine Awards' Winemaker of the Year, but Philippe Melka is a
long-time resident of the Napa Valley and holds dual citizenship in
France and the USA. Philippe's touch is clearly evident in the
wines he makes, although he believes in strictly noninterventionist
winemaking, designed to let the fruit produced by a great vineyard
- not the art of the winemaker - shine through. "I don't use any
tricks," he says.- Food & Wine magazine, October 2005
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