NapaStyle to Open Fifth and Flagship Store in Yountvilles V Marketplace

Michael Chiarello Creates Quintessential Napa Valley Retail Destination

    YOUNTVILLE, Calif., Jan. 16 // -- Almost two years after opening the first NapaStyle retail location in Berkeley, CA, Michael Chiarello will open the doors to his fifth and flagship NapaStyle store Summer 2008. Located at V Marketplace, Yountville, CA, this new store will feature the popular NapaStyle retail line as well as a new and exciting assortment of house-made specialty foods and picnic provisions that will complete any visitors' Napa Valley experience.

    "We are building much more than a store in Yountville," said Michael Chiarello, Emmy-winning tastemaker and founder of NapaStyle and Chiarello Family Vineyards. "Yountville has more Michelin-stars per capita than any other city in the country; we will strive to bring the same level of excellence you would find in Yountville's restaurants to the retail experience."

    "Michael Chiarello and his brand NapaStyle represent the kind of new energy, excitement and direction V Marketplace is cultivating in its merchant mix," said V Marketplace managing general partner, Jan Lee Fechter.

    A Napa Valley Landmark

    The 4,200 square-foot store will offer several features that distinguish it from the other NapaStyle retail locations in Berkeley, Los Gatos, Corte Madera and Pasadena. Most notably, the store includes 2000-feet of landscaped patio space where visitors and locals alike can loll away the afternoon with a bottle of wine, simple house-made Italian lunch offerings and all of the picnic provisions that this flagship store has to offer. Add beautiful Napa Valley vistas and a view of Domaine Chandon, and you have the perfect Napa Valley experience.

    Napa Valley residents will discover a one-stop resource for unique home decor and entertaining inspiration. For visitors, the store is the perfect place to find a piece of the Napa Valley to bring home. No matter where you call home, NapaStyle has something for everyone, including:

    -- A specialty wine shop and tasting room, offering wines from the

     Chiarello Family Vineyards and other NapaStyle Wine Club varietals,

     plus an impressive selection of glasses, decanters, openers and wine

     accessories.

    -- A salumeria will offer house-made salami, prosciutto and other cured

     meats.

    -- A dedicated area specializing in the roasting, grinding and blending

     of spices and herbs.

    -- A large salt bar constructed of pink Himalayan salt bricks where

     specialty salts from around the world will be sold by the pound.

    -- The full line of NapaStyle homewares, cookware, and serveware.

    A demonstration kitchen will host special events and dinners for up to 80 people as well as provide a set for the filming of short video segments to be aired online through NapaStyle.com and other media outlets.

    A History Lesson Through Sustainable Practice

    Located within V Marketplace, a 23-acre vintage estate and former winery, NapaStyle's Yountville store will be nestled between Villagio, an inn and luxurious full-service day spa, and the Vintage Inn, a discretely elegant AAA- Four Diamond award-winning French country-style inn.

    "At NapaStyle, we look for things that already have, or can create, history and heritage. Having lived and worked in the Napa Valley for over 20 years I was surprised to discover that this property was built in 1870 as part of the oldest winery in the valley. We are thrilled to be a part of that heritage," said Chiarello.

    Continuing in the green tradition of the other NapaStyle stores, the interior of the Yountville location will also be outfitted with fixtures made of reclaimed barn wood, original antiques, and other eco-friendly products. "By renovating and adapting this old building instead of constructing a new one, we are making less of an impact on the environment as well as providing visitors a glimpse of the Napa Valley's historic origins," concluded Chiarello.

    About NapaStyle

    Inspired by chef and vintner Michael Chiarello's Southern Italian heritage, NapaStyle showcases an eclectic mix of handcrafted and exclusive home goods and artisanal specialty foods that encourage experimentation with cooking, entertaining, garden and home. NapaStyle shares Michael's Napa Valley style of life and passion for seasonal and sustainable living through its catalog (1-866-776-6272), website (http://www.napastyle.com) and retail stores, as well as through television shows and cookbooks. NapaStyle retail stores are located throughout California, including stores in Berkeley, Corte Madera, Los Gatos and Pasadena. For more information about NapaStyle's retail locations, please visit http://www.napastyle.com.

    About Michael Chiarello

    Michael Chiarello is the tastemaker behind NapaStyle (http://www.napastyle.com), Chiarello Family Vineyards (http://www.chiarellovineyards.com), and Consorzio Flavored Oils, and is the Emmy Award-winning host of Easy Entertaining with Michael Chiarello on Food Network. Over his 20-year career, Michael has drawn on his Southern Italian roots and Napa Valley way of life to pioneer culinary and lifestyle innovations that inspire friends and family to gather around the table to create meaningful traditions. Michael was Founding and Executive Chef of Tra Vigne and seven other restaurants, and was twice named Chef of the Year, first by Food + Wine magazine and later by the Culinary Institute of America. His latest cookbook, At Home with Michael Chiarello, follows Michael Chiarello's Casual Cooking-which won the 2002 IACP Award-in addition to Napa Stories, The Tra Vigne Cookbook, and Flavored Vinegars and Flavored Oils. Michael is also the proprietor of a small family winery, Chiarello Family Vineyards, making highly rated estate wines from the historic 94-year old vineyards surrounding his home in California's Napa Valley.

    About V Marketplace

    Set on the beautiful 23-acre Vintage Estate, V Marketplace is an historic retail complex featuring a collection of upscale specialty shops, galleries, restaurants, a wine cellar and tasting bar and the Napa Valley's original hot air balloon company. Located at 6525 Washington Street in Yountville -- Napa Valley, V Marketplace shares The Vintage Estate with its Four Diamond award-winning sister hotel properties, the 80-room Vintage Inn -- a discreetly elegant French country-style inn -- and the 112-room Villagio Inn & Spa -- a stylish vision of a Tuscan village. Take the Yountville/Veterans Home exit off Hwy 29, just 9 miles north of the City of Napa. Hours of operation are daily from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. For event information, call (707) 944-2451 or visit http://www.vmarketplace.com