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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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