Sharing Stories and Wine With Kimberly Jones

One of the best things about wine, besides sharing it with friends and enjoying it with food, is learning the stories behind it.

I met Kimberly Jones, founder of Kimberly Jones Selections several years ago and we hit it off immediately. I was fascinated by the story behind her becoming a successful wine importer and distributor. How she now has so many connections and friends in the wine world that she partners with big names to make wines.

And how with a phone call, she can get wines in front of famous wine critics who can make or break a brand.

Julie Glenn and I recently sat down with her for an episode of our Grape Minds Podcast, where she shared some of her journey over some new wine releases.

Hope you enjoy the conversation as much as we did. Please subscribe to Grape Minds. It's not a stuffy wine podcast by any means.

Wine Wednesday; NEW from Whitehall Lane

I've been a long time supporter of wines from Whitehall Lane in Napa Valley, California. So when I found out National Sales Manager Edd Lopez would be in Southwest Florida for a wine dinner at Cru tonight I was super excited. That is until I realized I couldn't go.

When I was invited to join him for lunch at Mereday's in Naples, the car on the roller coaster was back at the top of the track. Just as exciting, finding out Executive Chef and owner, Charles Mereday, is the former Executive Chef at South Seas Resort on Sanibel. I interviewed him when he first came to town. More on his new joint later this week, it is Wine Wednesday after all.

Whitehall Lane is well know for it's outstanding Cabernets among other things. However, they've never produced a blend with all of that good fruit, until now. Tre Leoni is a Cab based blend, made from estate fruit grown in Napa. Seven grapes flow together seamlessly in this new project. It's just being introduced to Florida this week.

Lopez said women were the inspiration for this wine. He used the words finesse and elegance, and that's all I needed to hear. I immediately smelled vanilla in the glass and tasted it too; along with plums and red fruit. There is a hint of cedar on the finish, it is fresh and darn good. Tre Leoni is already sold out at the winery so don't bother trying to order it. You can, however,  find it at Decanted in Naples and Mereday's will be serving it as soon as the delivery truck arrives.

Big thanks to Chef Mereday and his staff along with Heather from Opici Wines for pulling it all together. Happy Wine Wednesday! CHEERS!