Oriel redefined Edited by Darryl Beeson oriel n : a projecting bay window corbeled or cantilevered out from a wall  [syn: oriel window] There is no generally admitted difference between a bay  window and an oriel. Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913).  Stand within an oriel, and one has a certain advantage of view, a  positioning.   "Oriel (the wine) is poised to turn the premium wine business on its head by  creating one international brand that consumers will know and trust," boasts  founder John Hunt, a long time wine aficionado and collector. "By taking  old-world, locally-focused winemaking traditions and blending them with  modern day business practices, Oriel brings a wide variety of  limited-production wines from the top winemakers around the world under one label."   Hunt has commissioned two dozen of the most esteemed winemakers in the  world, including Philippe Melka (consulting winemaker for cult winery Bryant  Family), Alain Raynaud (winemaker for some of the most sought- after  small-production wines in Bordeaux as well as consultant to Colgin) and John  Duval (winemaker for Penfold's Grange for over 15 years) to make wines under  the Oriel banner. Each winemaker creates a tiny quantity of a truly handmade  wine that expresses the best of the local soil, fruit, climate and culture,  the whole package of influences often referred to as"terroire." Oriel  presently offers 27 wines from 24 appellations in eight countries.   "The premium wine market can be very confusing, even for those who know  about wine. There are over 60,000 wine labels available today. Oriel's goal  is to provide high quality, small production wines from some of the worlds'  top winemakers, and at the same time, make these wines a bit more  affordable. Providing consumers with a reliable option in the premium wine  world by offering quality, variety and value is extremely important to me. I  want to make Oriel a reliable brand that consumers can trust," says Hunt.   Each bottling indicates the origin of the wine: the region. From Bordeaux,  to Spain's remote Priorat, to prime Napa real estate like Rutherford, the  vineyard location with longitude and latitude coordinates, the grape  varieties, be they Sangiovese or Tocai Friulano, and last but not least, the  respective winemaker's signature is on the bottle, so to speak. Currently,  the largest production of any one of the Oriel wines is less than 3,000  cases, with most hovering around the 500-case mark. Remarkably, because  Oriel has the overhead of just one brand, the cost to bring the wine to market is lower. Most Oriel wines are safely priced in the $15 to $25 range.   Oriel winemakers are given a blank canvas when making wine and are  encouraged to create expressions of their specific terroir. They make  decisions on vines, vineyards, yields and barrels, without worrying about a  winery accountant eschewing quality over cost. They are proud to be a part  of the all-star winemaking team year after year, but will drop out of the  Oriel line-up for a year if their region happens to have a poor vintage.   Choosing an Oriel wine at a restaurant or wine store means getting a wine  that was handmade in small batches and is representative of its native  terroir. Oriel's range of international wines encourages exploration of a  world of great wine—from lesser-known regions and varietals such as a Grüner  Veltliner from Falkenstein, Austria (Oriel's Ortolan, made by Christoph  Körner, $20) to a great bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon from Rutherford in the  Napa Valley (Oriel's Midnight Rambler, made by Gerry Rowland, $30)  Considering that Oriel's winemakers have made some of the most sought- after  wines in the world, the Oriel label empowers consumers with access to wines  they might otherwise not be able to afford or find.   Orbit is Oriel's wine club and takes members on a "voyage of discovery" with  its diverse selection of great wines from around the world—a journey of the  senses across dozens of regions and varietals. For a fixed $79 per month  (including shipping) Orbit members receive two to four different Oriel wines  every month—normally priced between $15 and $75 per bottle. Membership is  monthly and can be discontinued whenever one likes. "Orbit is the best offer  I have come across in 30 years—it allows members to get through the  all-too-often closed doors of the magical world of wine," comments Steven  Spurrier of Decanter magazine.   Retailers and restaurateurs recognize the price-quality ratio that Oriel  provides. Some top restaurants have dedicated whole pages of their wine list  to Oriel wines (e.g. Cru in New York and Tosca in Boston) while Sotheby's  Café in New York has dedicated their entire wine list (25 wines) to Oriel.  Top retailers and wine bars are stocking as many as 20 different Oriel wines  because they recognize the unique price-quality ratio and Oriel makes life  easier for their staff and customers alike. For more great wine suggestions, click here Do you have any questions, comments or suggestions? Email: jwdineline@aol.com Copyright © 1998 Inter Active Media Solutions. All Rights Reserved. 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