Bespoke Collection

File:Michael Polenske at Maisonry.jpg

Michael Polenske purchased the Blackbird Vineyard, in Oak Knoll District in California, in 2003 as a vacation retreat. The 10-acre property has a vineyard, a 100-year-old farm house, a ranch home and a pool. Polenske left his job in finance in 2006, to create a luxury brand focusing on wine, art and design, which would become the Bespoke Collection. Polenske's interest in wine was instilled in him when his father, a pilot in the military, was stationed at Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield, California. He moved from his San Francisco apartment to live full-time in Napa Valley. Polenske opened Ma(i)sonry Napa Valley, a wine, art, and design gallery, in 2008. In 2010, Polenske purchased the I. Wolk Gallery in St. Helena, California.{{cite journal|title=Art and Wine|journal=Gentry|date=June 2010|pages=76–79|url=http://www.blackbirdvineyards.com/included/docs/articles/1006_gentry.pdf|access-date=December 16, 2012|archive-date=April 7, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407073238/http://www.blackbirdvineyards.com/included/docs/articles/1006_gentry.pdf|url-status=dead}} Bespoke Collection also introduced a membership program, which offers members access to limited production wines from the Bespoke Collection labels and to exclusive events. They also have a benefit program, called Bespoke Benefits, which allows members to earn points based on purchases made of Bespoke Collection products, including art and design pieces.{{cite web|title=Introducing Bespoke Membership|url=http://www.bespokecollection.com/blog/introducing-bespoke-membership/|work=A Bespoke Life|publisher=Bespoke Collection|access-date=January 2, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130114023437/http://www.bespokecollection.com/blog/introducing-bespoke-membership/|archive-date=January 14, 2013|df=mdy-all}} In March 2014, Bespoke Collection opened a new art and design gallery in Healdsburg, California.

{{Main|Blackbird Vineyards}}

After the purchasing the Blackbird Vineyard, Polenske created a wine label based around the Merlot grapes grown in the vineyard. Blackbird produces Pomerol-inspired, proprietary red wines by blending Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon. They also produce a rosé from those three varietals. The wine labels have flocks of blackbirds on them.{{cite journal|last=Ell|first=Kellie|title=Blackbird Vineyards|journal=Nob Hill Gazette|date=November 2012}}{{cite web|title=The Blackbird Story|url=http://www.blackbirdvineyards.com/the_blackbird_story/|work=History|publisher=Blackbird Vineyards|access-date=December 15, 2012|archive-date=December 14, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121214163653/http://blackbirdvineyards.com/the_blackbird_story/|url-status=dead}}

Ma(i)sonry is a wine, art and design gallery located in Yountville, California. It was created in 2007 and opened in October 2008, when Michael Polenske purchased a stone building that was a former hotel for over 50 years.{{cite journal|last=Sardar|first=Zahid|title=From city to rusticity|journal=Rosewood Magazine|date=May 2010|pages=78–80|url=http://www.blackbirdvineyards.com/included/docs/articles/1005_rosewood.pdf|access-date=December 16, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140102191138/http://www.blackbirdvineyards.com/included/docs/articles/1005_rosewood.pdf|archive-date=January 2, 2014|url-status=dead}}{{cite journal|title=From the Robb Cellar|journal=Robb Report|date=October 2012|pages=82|url=http://www.blackbirdvineyards.com/included/docs/articles/1210_robbreport.pdf|access-date=December 15, 2012}} The name is a play on the French word maison and the English word masonry. Ma(i)sonry sells contemporary and modern art and vintage and new furniture, including select items designed by Polenske, and has featured works by Alexandra von Fürstenberg, Jedd Novatt, Greg Lauren, and David Armstrong-Jones, Viscount Linley.{{cite news|last=Behbehani|first=Mandy|title=Second career takes flight – as Napa vintr|url=http://www.blackbirdvineyards.com/included/docs/articles/1001_sfchronicle.pdf|access-date=December 16, 2012|newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle|date=January 2010|archive-date=September 5, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905075326/http://www.blackbirdvineyards.com/included/docs/articles/1001_sfchronicle.pdf|url-status=dead}}{{cite journal|last=Schneider|first=Sara|title=Northern California Weekend|journal=Sunset|date=February 2012|pages=20|url=http://www.maisonry.com/included/docs/press/feb_2012.pdf|access-date=December 19, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304031122/http://www.maisonry.com/included/docs/press/feb_2012.pdf|archive-date=March 4, 2016|url-status=dead}} They host trunk shows by San Francisco Bay Area fashion lines. Selected artworks are on display inside and outside at Ma(i)sonry's sculpture garden. An additional sculpture garden is located at Auberge du Soleil in Napa Valley, called the Ma(i)sonry Sculpture Gallery, and with additional gardens at MacArthur Place in Sonoma and Solage in Calistoga.{{cite news|last=Wolfe|first=Alexandra|title=The New Art of Hospitality|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304692804577285672987960122|work=Sites and sightings|publisher=The Wall Street Journal|access-date=December 20, 2012}}{{cite web|title=Gardens|url=http://www.macarthurplace.com/gardens.htm|publisher=MacArthur Place|access-date=December 20, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121126070901/http://www.macarthurplace.com/gardens.htm|archive-date=November 26, 2012|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|title=Art & Inspiration|url=http://www.solagecalistoga.com/resort_art_collection/|work=Art Collection|publisher=Solage Calistoga|access-date=December 20, 2012}}

File:Charles Rovegno House, 6711 Washington St., Yountville, CA 10-9-2011 2-36-41 PM.JPG

Ma(i)sonry offers visitors the opportunity to sample wines from nineteen vintners, including Bespoke Collection brands – Blackbird Vineyards and Recuerdo Wines.{{cite news|last=Hunt|first=Maria|title=7 California Wine Experiences You Can't Get Anywhere Else|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestravelguide/2012/10/17/7-california-wine-experiences-you-cant-get-anywhere-else/|work=Forbes Travel Guide|access-date=December 19, 2012|date=October 17, 2012}}{{cite news|last=Orlin|first=Mary|title=My Top Ten Wine Moments of 2011|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mary-orlin/my-top-ten-wine-moments-o_b_1176516.html|work=Food|publisher=Huffington Post|access-date=December 20, 2012|date=December 30, 2011}} They also have a wine flight and food pairing program, which Bespoke Collection wine with food from Thomas Keller's restaurant Addendum.{{cite news|last=Nalley|first=Richard|title=Napa Valley: The Entrepreneur's Tour|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/richardnalley/2012/10/19/napa-valley-the-entrepreneurs-tour/|work=Forbes Life|access-date=December 15, 2012|date=October 19, 2012}} In 2011, Ma(i)sonry held a series of winemaker dinners with boutique wines and food catered by Cindy Pawlcyn.{{cite web|title=Ma(i)sonry Napa Valley Announces "The Artist's Palette" Dining Experience|url=http://www.theculinaryscoop.com/2011/04/maisonry-napa-valley-announces-the-artists-palette-dining-experience/|work=The Culinary Scoop|publisher=Cuisine Noir Magazine|access-date=December 20, 2012}} Blackbird Vineyards winemaker, Aaron Pott has produced wines for Ma(i)sonry, including a Marsanne, Tempranillo, Sauvignon blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon and a proprietary red blend. All of the wines are produced from Napa Valley fruit and are made under the label Ma(i)sonry Napa Valley.{{cite web|title=Top Wines of 2011|url=http://www.maisonry.com/included/docs/press/1112_purely_domestic_wine_report.pdf|publisher=Purely Domestic Wine Report|access-date=December 20, 2012|archive-date=September 6, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150906210924/http://maisonry.com/included/docs/press/1112_purely_domestic_wine_report.pdf|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|title=Ma(i)sonry Napa Valley|url=http://store.maisonry.com/index.cfm?method=storeproducts.showList&productcategoryid=dfa4bf24-a057-e0f2-fd14-df6e2748fc31|work=Wines|publisher=Bespoke Collection|access-date=January 2, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141104134541/http://store.maisonry.com/index.cfm?method=storeproducts.showList&productcategoryid=DFA4BF24-A057-E0F2-FD14-DF6E2748FC31|archive-date=November 4, 2014|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}} Ma(i)sonry has a wine club called Medallion, which gives members first access to new boutique wines, special event access, and complimentary tastings at the tasting room.{{cite web|title=Medallion Membership|url=http://store.maisonry.com/index.cfm?method=storeproducts.showList&productcategoryid=42703789-e444-36d6-d991-91a8466bc9bb|work=Acquire|publisher=Bespoke Collection|access-date=December 20, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121122061016/http://store.maisonry.com/index.cfm?method=storeproducts.showList&productcategoryid=42703789-e444-36d6-d991-91a8466bc9bb|archive-date=November 22, 2012|url-status=dead}} Ma(i)sonry has partnered with the Robb Report for Auction Napa Valley live lot packages. In 2013, Ma(i)sonry opened its first tasting room outside of Yountville, on the top floor of Restoration Hardware's Gallery at the Historic Museum of Natural History in Boston, Massachusetts.{{cite web|last=Wolfe|first=Alyssa|title=Restoration Hardware unveils a new Boston store, RH Gallery|url=http://www.architecturaldigest.com/blogs/daily/2013/03/restoration-hardware-boston-store-opening|work=Daily AD|publisher=Architectural Digest|access-date=April 18, 2013}}

Ma(i)sonry was chosen as one of The New York Times must-visit places in a one-day visit to Napa Valley, in 2010.{{cite news|last=Gross|first=Jamie|title=Place; Omnivore's Delight|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E00E3D8163FF930A15756C0A9669D8B63|work=Travel|publisher=The New York Times|access-date=December 20, 2012|date=May 23, 2010}} It was awarded the 2013 Best of Wine Tourism for Napa Valley for Art & Culture.{{cite web|title=Award Winners|url=http://www.maisonry.com/included/docs/press/1212_NV_lifemag.pdf|publisher=Napa Valley Life Magazine|access-date=December 19, 2012}}

The building that houses Ma(i)sonry is one of two buildings in Yountville listed on the National Register of Historic Places.{{cite journal|last=Sung|first=Sarah|title=Flights of Fancy|journal=Diablo|date=May 1, 2011|url=http://www.maisonry.com/included/docs/press/110501_diablo.pdf}} It was built in 1904 as a house for Charles Rovegno, a farmer. It has two stories and totals 3,000 square feet.{{cite journal|last=Williams|first=Bridget|title=The Business of Leisure|journal=Sophisticated Living|date=April 16, 2010|pages=86–93|url=http://www.blackbirdvineyards.com/included/docs/articles/100416_sophisticated.pdf|access-date=December 16, 2012|archive-date=January 2, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140102191141/http://www.blackbirdvineyards.com/included/docs/articles/100416_sophisticated.pdf|url-status=dead}}{{cite journal|last=Muromcew|first=Joohee|title=Home Sweet Maison|journal=Departures|date=March–April 2009|pages=94–96|url=http://www.maisonry.com/included/docs/press/0903_departures.pdf}}{{cite journal|last=Lane|first=Melanie|title=Meadowood All Stars|journal=Caviar Affair|year=2011|issue=Holiday|url=http://www.maisonry.com/included/docs/press/2011_caviar.pdf|access-date=December 20, 2012}} The building was the Burgundy House Inn starting in the 1970s, until becoming Ma(i)sonry in 2007.{{cite journal|title=Grape Awakening|journal=Robb Report|date=July 2009|url=http://www.maisonry.com/included/docs/press/0907_robbreport.pdf|access-date=December 20, 2012}}{{cite news|last=Sweet|first=Carey|title=Winery collective offers boutique wines, art|url=http://www.sfgate.com/wine/tastingroom/article/Winery-collective-offers-boutique-wines-art-3254690.php|work=Food|publisher=San Francisco Chronicle|access-date=December 20, 2012|date=August 29, 2010}}

The building underwent eighteen months of renovations by architect Douglas Thornley and the Roche + Roche Landscape Architecture firm.{{cite journal|last=Romain|first=Mikhael|title=What's Hot and Happening in California Design|journal=California Home+Design|date=December 2008|pages=41|url=http://www.maisonry.com/included/docs/press/0812_cahomedesign.pdf|archive-date=November 12, 2011|access-date=December 20, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111112035341/http://www.maisonry.com/included/docs/press/0812_cahomedesign.pdf|url-status=dead}}{{cite journal|last=Romain|first=Mikhael|title=Seeds of Partnership|journal=California Home + Design|date=May–June 2009|pages=88|url=http://www.maisonry.com/included/docs/press/0905_cahomedesign.pdf}} Roche + Roche created five outdoor spaces for wine tasting in a garden setting, which includes a fire pit and a redwood table that is five inches thick and 36-feet long.{{cite web|last=Kulicke|first=Heidi|title=A Wine-Lover's Oasis|url=http://www.maisonry.com/included/docs/press/july_2012.pdf|publisher=Design Bureau|access-date=December 19, 2012}}{{cite journal|title=Napa Valley Luxury|journal=Luxury Las Vegas|date=May 2009|url=http://www.maisonry.com/included/docs/press/0905_luxurylasvegas.pdf|access-date=December 20, 2012}} Polenske describes the exterior as a "living gallery." The space takes influence from Belgian designer and antique dealer Axel Vervoodt's castle. There is also a private tasting room that overlooks the gardens.

Recuerdo Wines is a line of wines based in Mendoza, Argentina. The wines are produced through The Vines of Mendoza and created by winemakers Santiago Achával and Pablo Martorell.{{cite news|last=Orlin|first=Mary|title=10 Wines For Thanksgiving – No Pinot Or Chardonnay Allowed|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mary-orlin/10-wines-for-thanksgiving_b_1096221.html|work=Food|publisher=Huffington Post|access-date=December 20, 2012|date=November 18, 2011}}{{cite web|title=Winegrowing|url=http://www.recuerdowines.com/the_wines/winegrowing.php|work=The Wines|publisher=Recuerdo Wines|access-date=December 20, 2012}} Recuerdo focuses on Malbec wine. They also produce a Torrontés.{{cite web|last=Humiston|first=Courtney|title=Introducing California's Next Big Winemaking Region…Argentina?|url=http://www.7x7.com/napa/introducing-california-s-next-big-winemaking-region-argentina|work=Napa|publisher=7x7|access-date=December 20, 2012}} Recuerdo wines are sold at Ma(i)sonry and at The Vines of Mendoza. They also sell their wine online and through their wine club, Recollection. The wine club provides members with early purchasing of new releases, events and travel opportunities to Mendoza.{{cite web|title=Recollection membership|url=http://store.recuerdowines.com/index.cfm?method=storeproducts.showList&productcategoryid=add1606e-f0eb-4e5b-bc4c-d246b9b2a36d|work=Store|publisher=Bespoke Collection|access-date=December 27, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151022234528/http://store.recuerdowines.com/index.cfm?method=storeproducts.showList&productcategoryid=ADD1606E-F0EB-4E5B-BC4C-D246B9B2A36D|archive-date=October 22, 2015|url-status=dead}}

Recuerdo's Malbec grapes are grown in the Uco Valley. The vineyard is located at 3,700 feet. The Torrontés comes from the La Rioja Province.

{{reflist|2}}

• [http://www.bespokecollection.com/ Official website for Bespoke Collection]
• [http://www.blackbirdvineyards.com/ Blackbird Vineyards official website]
• [http://www.maisonry.com/ Ma(i)sonry Napa Valley official website]
• [http://www.recuerdowines.com/ Recuerdo Wines official website]

Category:Shops in the United States

Category:Retail companies based in California

Category:Companies based in Napa County, California

Category:St. Helena, California

Category:Yountville, California

Category:National Register of Historic Places in Napa County, California