JAQK Cellars Plays its Cards Right and Launches Internationally

Oct. 23, 2008 - PRLog -- Game on! It’s been estimated that 70 million people in the United States participate in some aspect of high-end card gaming. Like any cultural phenomenon, the growing popularity of card and casino games is something that can be tapped into.

Inspired by the Jack, Ace, Queen and King in a deck of cards, San Francisco-based JAQK Cellars is the playful family name for eight distinctive limited production wines. With names like High Roller, Soldiers of Fortune, Her Majesty, Black Clover, 22 Black, Charmed, Bone Dance and Pearl Handle these wines tap in to the allure and sophistication of the world of gaming. They are sophisticated, sexy, mischievous, alluring and totally disarming in their appeal.

All too often, an alluring label doesn’t live up to the hype, with the resulting wine leaving something to be desired. Or, a great tasting wine can be trapped in a bottle that is lacking in “curb appeal.” Not the case with JAQK— with 2 founders hailing from the graphic design world while the 3rd founder & winemaker has been crafting acclaimed wines in the Napa Valley for the last 24 years, they’ve upped the ante, proving that great taste and a captivating allure can co-exist ---top level wine, meets original and captivating design.


THE TEAM
JAQK Founders Joel Templin and Katie Jain have been friends and graphic design colleagues for over six years. They founded their San Francisco based company Hatch Design together, not just to help clients build brands, but out of a desire to work on their own projects as well. “JAQK cellars is the first idea to be hatched from our company and we’re thrilled to have witnessed its evolution this spring and summer, just in time for harvest. For us, play includes the excitement of testing our luck—and tempting fate—at games of chance” note Templin and Jain. “It also includes getting together with friends and enjoying each other’s company. A bottle (or two) of great wine can be quite helpful in that regard.”

JAQK co-founder and winemaker, Craig Maclean, shares that same passion for play. But he raises the bet with a proven ability to craft a great wine. At Cain Vineyards and Winery, Craig crafted his first wine (93 points, Wine Spectator) and as winemaker for Spring Mountain Vineyard, he released his Napa Valley Reserve Cabernet from the 1997 vintage and earned a ranking of Number 17 in Wine Spectator’s Top 100 wines in 2001. JAQK’s wines reflect the culmination of Craig’s years of experience and know-how with a style that is expressive yet elegantly restrained.

As President of JAQK, Bernard La Borie brings his 23 years of domestic and international sales and marketing experience in the wine industry, a career with strategic senior positions that encompassed Gallo to Remy Cointreau to Piper Sonoma and most recenty Darioush. And now, at the helm of JAQK Cellars, Bernard has tasked himself with bringing the world a family of first class wines with an original premise. In very short order, JAQK Cellars is being ordered for Japan, London, Hong Kong and beyond for the export market.


THE WINES
The Full House of JAQK wines includes three from Napa Valley, one from the Sonoma Coast, and four with a California appellation.

High Roller, the pinnacle of the collection, is a 2006 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, a complex wine with excellent color and ample acidity.

Black Clover, named for the Irish good-luck charm, is a 2006 Napa Valley Merlot with a creamy finesse.

The Soldiers of Fortune—the Jacks—are known to protect their famous royals; in this case, they protect the 2006 Napa Valley Shiraz within.

Named for the derringer gun that tamed the West, Pearl Handle is an elegant 2007 Chardonnay from the Sonoma Coast.

22 Black is a round, balanced 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon with a California appellation that rolls around on the tongue, loaded with flavor.

Bone Dance certainly isn’t a roll of the dice—this 2006 California Merlot has good complexity, and has a soft, round taste.

Her Majesty is a 2007 California Chardonnay—crisp, but smooth with a regal elegance.

And if you feel lucky enough, Charmed is a 2007 Sauvignon Blanc with a mouth-watering finish.

JAQK Cellars is a small production winery, and will initially be available only in select markets. But for the curious, JAQK wines are available to purchase directly through their website, www.jaqkcellars.com. The wines, which range in price from $23 to $70, can be purchased separately or in attractive gift sets of four bottles that can be mixed and matched.

So go ahead, play a little!

FOR MEDIA IMAGES AND FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT
Kimberly Charles of Charles Communications Associates
cell: (415) 730-0064
office: (415) 701-9463
kcharles@charlescomm.com

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Charles Communications Associates is an independent creative marketing communications and public relations firm that helps local and global companies, organizations and non-profits create, build and launch a brand.