Beaulieu Vineyard® Offers BIG Toast To Primetime Emmys® and Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation For Second Consecutive Year

NAPA, Calif., Sept. 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Beaulieu Vineyard, the great American winery at the heart of the Napa Valley, with 112 years of history in fine winemaking, and the Official Wine Sponsor of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences has bottled up a very special way to benefit the Television Academy Foundation's education programs. 

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120926/LA81743)

For the second consecutive year, BV has created a custom etched and painted, 27 liter bottle of the winery's flagship Georges de Latour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. The 27 liter is the largest bottle produced for the wine industry, holds the equivalent of 36 standard bottles of wine, stands about 3.5 feet high and weighs over 110 lbs when full. The bottle served as an unofficial "guest book" for the Primetime Emmy nominees and is an exceptional collector's item, something truly one of a kind.

The enormous, signed bottle of 2009 Georges de Latour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon will be displayed at the BV Visitor's Center in Napa, California and, like last year's inaugural bottle, will be available for purchase after the Emmy telecast to benefit the educational programs of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and celebrating the medium of television, and educating those who will impact its future. 

Last year's 27 liter presentation bottle featured over 65 signatures representing Emmy winners, nominees and presenters and resulted in a contribution of $8000 to the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation.

This year's autographs include Emmy winners Kevin Costner (Actor in a Miniseries or Movie, Hatfields & McCoys); Damian Lewis (Actor in a Drama Series, Homeland); Jon Cryer (Actor in a Comedy Series, Two and a Half Men); Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Actress in a Comedy Series, Veep); Julie Bowen (Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, Modern Family); Eric Stonestreet (Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, Modern Family); as well as Emmy Host Jimmy Kimmel, Amy Poehler, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Anna Gunn, Zooey Deschanel, Loretta Devine,  Jason Ritter, Benedict Cumberbatch, Brenda Strong, Connie Britton, Dot-Marie Jones, Martha Plimpton, Joanne Froggatt, Elisabeth Moss, Giancarlo Esposito, Mayim Bialik, Jared Harris, Cat Deeley, Jeremy Davies, Sarah Paulson, Julia Ormond, Mare Winningham, Martin Freeman, and more!

"BV continues to enjoy a wonderful collaborative relationship with the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and its Foundation" said Jeffrey Stambor, Director of Winemaking for Beaulieu Vineyard. "The popularity of last year's "Big Bottle" with our Napa visitors encouraged us to commission another bottle for this year.  We feel that this truly exceptional bottle of 'Georges', our flagship wine, would be a great way to raise money to help more students take advantage of the Foundation's amazing education programs."

"We're delighted that BV has provided this very special offering again this year to benefit our programs," said Norma Provencio Pichardo, Executive Director of the Television Academy Foundation.  "Of course, we're also thankful to television's biggest stars who autographed the bottle for a good cause."

BV Georges de Latour Private Reserve was the first reserve Cabernet produced in America and has been a benchmark in California winemaking since the first vintage in 1936. Named for the winery founder, it is the most eagerly anticipated wine produced by Beaulieu Vineyard. The newly released 2009 vintage, widely considered to be an excellent year, has received glowing reviews from respected wine publications, including the Wine Spectator, Wine Advocate and Wine Enthusiast.

Beaulieu Vineyard, established in 1900, is a historic Napa Valley winery with a tradition of quality and innovation. Founded by French immigrant, Georges de Latour, Beaulieu Vineyard set early standards for excellence in premium winemaking that subsequent generations of vintners continue to maintain. Beaulieu Vineyard holds a unique place in the history of California wineries and is one of the most collected American Cabernets.  For more information about Beaulieu Vineyard, visit www.bvwines.com.

Beaulieu Vineyard wines are produced by Diageo Chateau & Estate Wines (DC&E) is part of Diageo (Dee-AH-Gee-O); the world's leading premium drinks business. DC&E brands also include: BV Coastal Estates, Sterling Vineyards, Sterling Vintner's Collection, Chalone Vineyard, Acacia Vineyard, Provenance Vineyards, Hewitt and Rosenblum Cellars. DC&E is also a leading importer of estate-bottled wines from Burgundy.  Please enjoy our fine wines responsibly.

About the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences
The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences was founded in 1946 just one month after network television was born.  It is a non-profit organization devoted to the advancement of telecommunications arts and sciences and to fostering creative leadership in the telecommunications industry.  In addition to recognizing outstanding programming through its Primetime Emmy® Awards, the Television Academy publishes emmy Magazine and through its Foundation, is responsible for the Archive of American Television, College Television Awards, acclaimed student internships and other educational outreach programs.  For more information on the Television Academy and its many industry-related programs and services, please visit www.emmys.com.

About the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation
Established in 1959 as the charitable arm of the Television Academy, the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation is dedicated to preserving and celebrating the history of television, and educating those who will shape its future. Some of the Foundation's programs include the Archive of American Television, as well as its renowned student internship program and the College Television Awards. For more information on the Foundation, please visit EmmysFoundation.org.

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SOURCE Beaulieu Vineyard