Tampa's Pelagia Launches Private Label French Wine Line

A new private label French imported wine marketed under the PELAGIA brand is now available exclusively at the wine's namesake Tampa restaurant, PELAGIA Trattoria. The blended PELAGIA red and white wines are sold by the glass and by the bottle.

The partnership between the restaurant and winemaker Bruno Lafon, owner of the Domaine Magellan Winery, has been more a year in the making and is recognized as a rarity in the food and beverage business. Most private label wines served by restaurants in the U.S. are produced by domestic wineries.

"We are so excited to have this partnership! Bruno has been a pleasure to work with and his wines are magnificent. When he was here for the unveiling, I was pleasantly surprised by how modest he was about his wine and winery which I can't wait to visit one day soon," said Stewart Smith, PELAGIA Trattoria general manager.

Domaine Magellan Winery is located in the South of France, within the region of Languedoc, Roussillon, in the small village of Magalas. It was purchased by Lafon and his sister-in-law Sylvie Legros in 1999 and has been recognized for its critically acclaimed wines. Lafon is from a famous and highly regarded Burgundian family who has been in the wine-making business for centuries. The family name, Lafon, is synonymous with top-of-the-line wines.

Bruno Lafon describes his approach to winemaking as very traditional, noting that pesticides are only sparingly applied, much of the work is done by hand, including harvesting the grapes, and an aging process that is completed in concrete tanks.

"I don't like the idea that wine must be complicated. For me, wine is for everybody and drinking wine is a pleasure," Lafon said, during a Tampa trip to present the first cases of PELAGIA wines at the International Plaza restaurant.

Plans for the private label wines began with talks between Lafon, National Distributors and Jim Bartholomay, general manager of the Renaissance Tampa Hotel International Plaza located adjacent to PELAGIA.

"Jim said he wanted something out of the ordinary because the restaurant is very unique and the food served there is Mediterranean," Lafon recalled. The winemaker describes the blended blanc wine as "elegant and fresh" and the blend of rouge wines as "rich and fruity."

PELAGIA wine are $8.75 per glass and $35 per bottle.

"We've been anticipating this for quite some time. We definitely have hit a home run," said Bartholomay, after tasting the first shipment.

PELAGIA Private Label Wine Fast Facts:
- Winery: Domaine Magellan
- Appellation: Vin de Pays des Cote de Thongue
- Red Varietals: 33% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 33% Syrah, 1% Grenache
- White Varietals: 70% Chardonnay, 15% Grenache Blanc, 13% Bourboulenc, 2% Muscat
- Price at Pelagia: $35 per bottle and $8.75 per glass.
- This is a Private Label for Pelagia only at this time.
- Domaine Magellan is located at 467 Avenue de la Gare, 34480 Magalas, France; phone number (0) 4 67 36 20 83

Since opening in August 2004, PELAGIA Trattoria and Executive Chef Fabrizio Schenardi have received critical acclaim for the quality of the food, impeccable service and impressive setting.

Recent raves and review include:

7 The "Zagat Survey 2005: America's Top Restaurants" notes, "a stylish crowd comes (to P E L A G I A) clamoring for Chef Fabrizio Schenardi's lush Mediterranean cuisine."

7 Florida Trend Magazine named P E L A G I A to its annual list of Florida's 20 Best New Restaurants."

7 The St. Petersburg Times honored it as the "Best New Restaurant (Hillsborough County) and Best Honey and Cheese" for 2004.

7 In its "Critics Savor 2004's Memorable Meals," the Tampa Tribune reported, "Management pampers without pretense and wh