WINE TASTING CONTINUES AT STIFEL

WHEELING, W.Va. (September 24, 2009)- - Blending the art of wine with the visual arts, Oglebay Institute continues its season of wine tasting at 6:30 p.m. Friday, October 16 and will feature Napa Valley wines from Rubicon Estate, owned by legendary movie director Francis Ford Coppola.

A wine expert will share facts and lead the tasting of five world-class Rubicon vintages. A buffet of light foods, prepared Ye Olde Alpha, compliments the tasting, and tables set-up in the formal living room add to the relaxing, mix and mingle atmosphere.

Rubicon Estate is situated on what was once known as the Ingelnook Estate in Rutherford, California. Gustave Niebaum, a young sea captain who amassed a fortune in the Alaskan fur trade, founded the original winery in 1880. Longing for missed European tradition, Niebaum was compelled to launch a winemaking business and create wines that would rival the famous French bottlings sought by connoisseurs.

Five-time Oscar winning director, writer and producer Francis Ford Coppola purchased the estate in 1975 while searching for a quaint summer home where he could make wine in the basement like his grandparents did. Impressed with the natural beauty of the estate and feeling connected to the man who shared a similar immigrant story, Coppola vowed to reconstruct the great estate. It took twenty years to reunite all of the original vineyards and restore winemaking to the original Chateau, and Coppola was actively involved in every aspect of the design, creating Niebaum-Coppola Estate Winery. The winery progressed into a new era of innovation, and in 2006 Coppola chose to rename the property Rubicon Estate after its critically acclaimed flagship wine.

“In America, so few things that are broken apart are ever put back together.” Coppola said. “Reuniting this property is truly a dream come true, both for my family and for Napa Valley.”

Sponsored by H.E. Neumann Co., the Oglebay Institute wine tasting season continues through June. Each program has a different theme, guests always have an opportunity to purchase their favorite vintages and browse the art exhibition on display in the Hart Galleries.

Wine tasting dates for 2009-2010 are: October 16, 2009, November 20, 2009, December 11, 2009, February 12, 2010, March 19, 2010, April 16, 2010, May 14, 2010 and June 11, 2010.

Reservations are required and can be made by calling the Stifel Center at 304.242.7700. Payment is required at time of reservation. The Stifel Center is located at 1330 National Road, Wheeling and welcomes the public daily to art, dance and fitness classes, craft activities and ongoing art exhibitions.

These programs are presented with financial assistance from the West Virginia Division of Culture and History and the National Endowment for the Arts, with approval from the West Virginia Commission on the Arts.