Dear Friends of REALM CELLARS:

We are excited to share this latest update with our Mailing List customers, Wait List members and trade partners. Please excuse the length of this update but we have a lot to share!

2009 VINTAGE WINES — FEBRUARY 15th ORDER DEADLINE
Mailing List customers please be advised the ordering deadline for our 2009 vintage release will be Wednesday, February 15th at 11:59 PM (PST). Visit our web site or follow the links below for more details (your password is realm until you personalize it). Please note there is a 3-bottle minimum for this release, which must be achieved from your ALLOCATION Wines (as opposed to your WISH LIST wines). All orders will ship by the end of February.

2009 Vintage Release Letter
2009 Vintage Wines Summary
2009 Vintage Purchase

WAIT LIST UPDATE
We intend to allocate any residual wine from our 2009 vintage release to our Wait List members shortly after the February 15th order deadline for our Mailing List customers. Since the Wait List was established in February 2009, we have been able to offer wine once a year for each of the last 2 vintages as our production has gradually expanded. We appreciate your patience and are grateful for your expressed interest in our hand-crafted wines!

RECENT WINE PRESS ACCOLADES
During the last several months Realm Cellars has continued to receive positive press, both in printed publications as well as popular online forums & blogs. Some highlights include the following:

Antonio Galloni of The Wine Advocate, in assuming coverage of Napa from Robert Parker, wrote, "Realm is one of the most exciting young wineries in Napa Valley. This is a gorgeous set of wines that deserves considerable attention." Noteworthy is the fact that our average scores increased sequentially (again!) despite this transition in coverage responsibility, whereas most Napa Valley wines received more conservative quantitative ratings. To read the entire Wine Advocate review our of 2009 vintage wines click here.

In Wine Spectator's November 30th review of more 125 California Merlots, Tim Fish awarded 1st place honors to our 2008 The Tempest and awarded it 94 points. We take great pride in the fact it has only taken us 7 vintages of producing The Tempest to reach the top of the heap! To read the summary review click here.

The steady flow of reviews by consumers on web sites such as CellarTracker, WineBerserkers, and Mark Squires' BB on eRobertParker are other good resources for what our customers are saying about our wines.

REFLECTIONS ON 2011 VINTAGE HARVEST
The 2011 harvest was full of anxiety and surprises but fortunately our winemaking team of Benoit Touquette (winemaker), Randy Hester (Cellarmaster) and harvest intern dream team (Andy, Renaud & Aly) pulled together through the end. Mother Nature made sure that success was more dependent on work done in the vineyard. Ripening was slowed by a wet Winter and Spring with continued rainfall into mid-June that delayed bloom and fruit set, where after it became apparent crop yields would be well below average. Milder than normal Summer temperatures were another twist and resulted in the latest harvest start in memory in Napa Valley (August 29th). Heavy rains in October created botrytis and rot issues for some growers while the sun’s re-appearance in the 2nd half of October was a savior. On the positive side, much like the previous vintage, flavors once again developed at lower brix. Varietals that ripen earlier – such as Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Cabernet Franc - should reveal strong character and style. Given the more uneven ripening of Cabernet Sauvignon there will be a wider gap between strong and weak wines in 2011 – being aggressive with extraction was necessary to produce wines with density. The 2011 vintage Realm wines will have alcohols in the 15% range with higher acid levels that 2010. Our 2011 Sauvignon Blanc will be slightly more fruit-driven but with many similar characteristic in terms of density, mouthfeel, alcohol, acidity and sweetness.

BLENDING OF 2010 VINTAGE IS UNDERWAY
On January 21st we held the 2nd blending session for our 2010 vintage red wines along with our 2011 Sauvignon Blanc led by Benoit Touquette and our consulting winemaker Michel Rolland. In 2010 we expanded our acreage contract footprint in several sites, including Beckstoffer Dr Crane in St Helena and Beckstoffer To Kalon in Oakville, while adding several new vineyards in St. Helena and Calistoga that show tremendous potential. Since our production for the 2010 vintage is higher than 2009 we’ll therefore have more wine to share with everyone!

The 2010 growing season was characterized by extremes and volatility. After three years of dry weather, record-breaking low temperatures through the Spring meant later than normal bud break, flowering, fruit set and veraison. It was the 2nd coolest summer in Napa in the last 50 years. Rains hit in June during bloom and caused shatter, while persistent moisture produced vigorous vines. Cool and moist weather meant mildew and botrytis were a constant threat, which caused many vintners and growers to open up canopies and create more exposure to the sun. Then came record heat during the last week of August, which caused considerable crop loss with Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot the most susceptible. The end of October saw extensive rainfall. By that time, however, flavors, tannins and physiological ripeness developed at lower sugar levels with wonderful concentration, complexity and balance. In sum, despite the low yields we were pleased with density of the wines with appealing balance of acidity, alcohol, tannins and sweetness.

COOMBSVILLE GETS NAPA AVA DESIGNATION
On December 14th Napa Valley’s 16th AVA (American Viticultural Area) was awarded to Coombsville, where Realm has been making a Farella Vineyard-designated Cabernet Sauvignon since 2003 and more recently our Sauvignon Blanc. Tom Farella, who co-authored the AVA petition, successfully highlighted the abundance of rock and gravel, along with alluvial soils, which in the case of the Farella Vineyard contains volcanic ash deposits from Mt. George. The Coombsville AVA consists of approximately 11,000 acres and is bound by the Napa River to the west, to the rim of Vaca Range on the east, with altitudes ranging from near sea level at the western edge of the City of Napa to approximately 1900 feet at Mt. George in the north. 
For more information on the Coombsville Appellation, and the Coombsville Vintners & Growers, please visit http://coombsvillenapa.org.

Since early June The French Laundry in Yountville has been pouring Realm 2007 Farella Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon by the glass. If you're one of the lucky few who succeeds in getting a reservation, please enjoy our version of Coombsville Cabernet in all it's glory!

THIRSTY FOR WHITE WINES?
People who attended our Release Parties in October and November were afforded the opportunity to taste Realm Cellars’ first white wine – 2010 Sauvignon Blanc from the Farella Vineyard in Coombsville. The feedback we received has been very positive with many people saying it has renewed their interest in Sauvignon Blanc. This wine is being sold as part of our current 2009 Vintage red wine release (deadline is February 15th).

HR1161 — REGISTER YOUR OPPOSITION
Are you aware of the negative implications of U.S. House Resolution 1161, which was introduced on 3/17/11 at the request of the National Beer Wholesalers of America with the support of the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America? This is very similar to HR5034, which was introduced in 2010 by the NBWA and WSWA. This bill would give wholesalers unfettered monopoly power to pass discriminatory state laws that would remove your ability to buy wine directly from your favorite winery (REALM!) or wine merchant. It would harm your state’s wineries, brewers and distillers, as well as businesses, jobs, and state and local economies. We encourage you to visit www.freethegrapes.org or www.stop1161.org for more information about registering your opposition to this legislation and joining their email update lists.

CALENDAR & UPCOMING EVENTS
The Realm team will be doing numerous events around the country in 2012 – we look forward to seeing as many of you as possible at some of the following events:

Triangle Wine Experience – February 2nd-4th in Raleigh, NC
Wine & Wishes (Make-A-Wish) – February 4th in San Francisco, CA
Cabernet for Connoisseurs (UCSF Family House) – February 17th in San Francisco, CA
Premiere Napa Valley Auction – February 25th in St. Helena, CA
American Heart Association Gala – March 1st in San Francisco, CA
Polaner Selections Spring Portfolio Tasting – March 21st in NYC
Food & Wine Society of New York – March 22nd in NYC
High Museum Wine Auction – March 28th-31st in Atlanta, GA
Pebble Beach Food & Wine – April 12th-15th in Monterey, CA
Chi Chi Miguel Throwdown – April 14th in Destin, FL
Cotes de Coeur Wine Auction – April 14th in Dallas, TX
Tenzing Wine & Spirits Portfolio Tasting – April 16th in Chicago, IL
Sip & Savor (YMCA) – April 19th in San Francisco, CA
Star Chefs & Vintners Gala (Meals on Wheels) – April 22nd in San Francisco, CA
Vintage Bouquet Food & Wine (Beverly Hills Bar Association) – April 29th in Beverly Hills, CA
Hearts Delight Wine Tasting (American Heart Association) – May 2nd in Washington, DC
Kentucky Bluegrass Wine Auction (Lexington Cancer Foundation) – May 3rd in Lexington, KY
CA Winemasters (Cystic Fibrosis Foundation) – May 19th in Beverly Hills, CA
Auction Napa Valley – May 31st -June 3rd in St. Helena, CA
Jackson Hole Wine Auction – June 21st-23rd in Jackson Hole, WY
Sun Valley Wine Auction (Sun Valley Center for the Arts) – July 19th–21st in Sun Valley, ID
L’Ete du Vin – July 21st in Nashville, TN

WE SUPPORT CHARITABLE GIVING
We have a policy of earmarking a small percentage of our annual production for chartable giving purposes. The causes that we support primarily center around education, health research and the arts. We cannot possibly agree to all requests, but if there is an organization or fundraiser that you would like REALM to consider supporting, please get in touch with us via email or telephone with to discuss.

KEEP IN TOUCH WITH US @ FACEBOOK
Have you been following us on Facebook since we started posting updates in 2011? With more than 1,000 loyal followers, we offer informative and timely updates about our activities, travel and latest news. Check out our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/pages/Realm-Cellars/184317141481) and you’ll see that we do have a tendency to reveal the humorous sides of our personalities from time-to-time!

MANY THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT
On behalf of the entire Realm Cellars team, thank you for your continued interest in,
and support for, our wines. Without your patronage our success to date would not be possible.
We appreciate your enthusiasm, value your business, and will always encourage you to
share your feedback with us. We look forward to having you on board as our
magical journey continues!

Regards,