ST. HELENA, Calif. — After a five-year pause, Wine Spectator’s iconic “Bring Your Own Magnum” Party returned to the Napa Valley on June 4, drawing nearly 500 of California’s most respected vintners, winemakers, and industry leaders to St. Helena’s Louis M. Martini Winery for a night of camaraderie, celebration, and world-class wine.
The revived event marked an unofficial kickoff to Auction Napa Valley, providing a relaxed prelude to the whirlwind weekend of tastings, bidding, and festivities. Since its inception in 1988, the Magnum Party has served as one of wine country’s most exclusive gatherings.
“Everyone was starving for a Magnum Party,” noted Carole Meredith of Lagier Meredith. Linda Reiff, president of Napa Valley Vintners, echoed that sentiment, emphasizing the importance of community in a challenging era for the wine industry. “We needed this party now more than ever,” she said.
Wine Spectator senior editor James Molesworth welcomed attendees on behalf of editor and publisher Marvin R. Shanken, who was unable to attend. “We’re back, and not only are we back tonight, we’re coming back every Wednesday night of Auction Napa Valley, just like it used to be,” Molesworth told the crowd.
The guest list was a veritable who’s who of California wine. Among those mingling were Tim Mondavi of Continuum, winemaker Paul Hobbs, Mike and Kendall Officer of Carlisle, Jeff Mangahas of Williams Selyem, Cleo Pahlmeyer of Wayfarer, and Cabernet legends Randy Dunn and Thomas Rivers Brown. Representing Jackson Family Wines were chairwoman Barbara Banke and winemakers Chris Carpenter and Greg Brewer.
Attendees arrived bearing rare and storied bottles for communal tasting. Among the offerings were a 2012 Abreu Cabernet Madrona Ranch, 1995 Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Cask 23, 1999 Mayacamas Cabernet Sauvignon, 1995 Shafer Merlot, and a 1964 Louis Martini Mountain Cabernet sourced largely from the renowned Monte Rosso Vineyard.
The party also served as a platform to spotlight the ongoing work of the Wine Spectator Scholarship Foundation. Mel Mannion, special adviser to the publisher at parent company M. Shanken Communications, shared progress on the foundation’s largest initiative to date: the nearly completed Wine Spectator Education Center at Napa Valley College, funded by a $10 million donation. “While this party may have taken a hiatus, the foundation has been very busy,” said Mannion.
Guests gathered under mature sycamores on the Martini winery grounds, enjoying an al fresco culinary experience that included wood-fired pizza, lobster ravioli, pork porchetta, octopus salad, and ahi tuna cones. The food, part of the winery’s pairing program, complemented the evening’s extraordinary wine selection.
Larry Turley of Turley Cellars, who recently celebrated his 80th birthday, reflected on the event’s legacy. “I used to be one of the Young Turks coming to this. Now I don’t feel so young anymore, and as I look around, there’s fewer of us. But it’s a spectacular party,” he said.
Longtime industry figures and newcomers alike shared heartfelt reunions. Winemaker Andy Erickson caught up with Paul Hobbs and daughter Agustina Hobbs, while sisters and winemakers Chiara and Carissa Mondavi opted to begin the evening with white wines.
Vintner Bill Harlan, recently featured on the cover of Wine Spectator, summarized the spirit of the event. “We get to see our friends that we only see sometimes once a year. It’s a great time, a great tradition of Marvin’s that brings the wine community together. Marvin and the organization have been supporting us all here in the Napa Valley and have made a big difference for the Napa Valley as a whole.”
With its return, the Magnum Party reestablished its place as a cornerstone of Napa Valley’s wine culture — a gathering that celebrates both the product and the people behind one of the world’s most storied wine regions.
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