The Vice Wine partners with the USA Triathlon Foundation for “The Tri” 2019, Napa Valley

The Vice Wine, in partnership with the USA Triathlon Foundation has a limited edition triathlon-inspired “The Tri” 2019 wine release with a portion of proceeds being donated to the USA Triathlon Foundation in support of its mission, which is “to transform lives through sport by providing opportunities to swim, bike and run”. 

USA Triathlon sanctions more than 4,000 events and connects with more than 400,000 members each year, making it the largest multi-sport organization in the world.

The Vice Wine co-founder and winemaker Malek Amrani is a multi-time member of USA Triathlon’s amateur Team USA and a USA Triathlon Foundation Ambassador. Amrani, passionate about sharing his love of both multisports and wine, combined those interests to create the specially crafted Tri Blend.

“The Tri” is the one and only wine blend by The Vice Wine, known for single varietal luxury Napa Valley Wines. The limited release wine is based on triathlon’s three disciplines, with the 2019 vintage inspired by 2016 U.S. Olympic Triathlon Team Member Joe Maloy and his race at the Olympic Games Rio 2016. 

The blend is made from 18% Cabernet Franc, 52% St. Laurent and 30% Malbec to celebrate Maloy’s time spent on each discipline (swim, bike, run), respectively. Maloy is a longtime friend and daily mentor to Amrani. 

All wines by The Vice are biodynamic and BevVeg! Certified Vegan. 300 cases of 750ml bottles and 45 cases of 375ml bottles of the 2019 Tri Blend were produced.

“It is an honor to be able to collide the two vices that I am most passionate about. I am eternally grateful to The USA Triathlon Foundation and to the athletes and future athletes that have inspired “The Tri” blends and will inspire future blends to come,” Amrani, Founder and Winemaker of The Vice Wine, said. 

“Triathlon became a vice for me in 2017 and has helped me tremendously in winemaking. I’m proud that the simple pleasure of enjoying a glass of The Vice Wine will contribute to someone’s healthy lifestyle, participation in sports, or even Olympic dreams.”

“I’m honored by Malek’s choice to blend this wine as a tribute to my 2016 Olympic Triathlon. I’m also glad he did it after my race, because this bottle does not fit onto my bike’s bottle cages! While sport and wine might seem like an odd couple, each aspires to bring people together. The interlocking Olympic rings exemplify that aspirational unity,” Said Joe Maloy.

“Enjoy this summer’s Olympic Games, and know that the proceeds from this batch will help the USA Triathlon Foundation support athletes like them when the cameras are turned off. I hope this blend inspires you to unite with others, to celebrate differences, and to create your own Olympic memories. Go Team USA!”

The Vice Wine and the USA Triathlon Foundation first launched a partnership in 2020, and the inaugural Tri Blend was based on 2016 U.S. Olympian Katie Zaferes’ finishing time at the 2019 ITU World Triathlon Grand Final in Lausanne, Switzerland, where she captured her first world title.

“We are proud to continue our partnership with The Vice Wine,” said David Deschenes, Executive Director of the USA Triathlon Foundation. 

“Our inaugural Katie Zaferes-inspired Tri Blend sold out within a few months, and now we have a great opportunity to enjoy the 2019 blend that memorializes Joe Maloy’s finishing time at the Olympic Games Rio 2016. Both Maloy and The Vice Wine are huge supporters of the USA Triathlon Foundation, and the proceeds from our newest batch will help the Foundation introduce even more individuals and groups of all backgrounds across America to the benefits of the multisport lifestyle.”

“The Tri” 2019 was organically grown and picked at its peak ripeness, fermented, and aged for 18 months in French oak barrels before being blended to yield a unique, complex wine. The Cabernet Franc and St. Laurent grapes come from The Vice Wine’s Carneros vineyard, which has a moderate microclimate thanks to its position just north of San Pablo Bay. 

The Malbec is from the Oak Knoll District, where the temperature is known to swing 40 degrees in a single day. “The Tri” has aromas of Morello cherry, blueberry, and violets, with a little white pepper on the edge. The tasting notes are juicy and peppery, with added notes of plum, pomegranate molasses, and cacao. The finish is long with smooth tannins, which reveal leather and baking spice.

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