STARR Restaurant Group Releases First Private Label Wine

STARR Restaurants, one of the largest multi‐concept restaurant groups in the country, announces the release of its first private label vintage, a co-creation between STARR’s Corporate Wine Director and the biodynamic Brooks Wine. The 2022 vintage Pinot Noir blend, produced and bottled in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, is exclusively available at all STARR restaurants in New York, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Miami and Ft. Lauderdale.

STARR’s Corporate Wine Director, Mikayla Avedisian-Cohen collaborated with Brooks’ Associate Winemaker, Claire Jarreau on this exclusive vintage. The process began in 2022 when Mikayla and STARR Project Manager, Sarah Starr toured Brooks Wine’s award-winning vineyard, where they blind-tasted and blended a variety of vintages to tease out the perfect pairing for STARR’s myriad of cuisines. The resulting wine is a light-bodied, fruit-forward Pinot Noir with thirst-quenching notes of red raspberry jam, fresh cherry and wild strawberry, followed by a lovely, savory finish.

“I’ve been very fortunate to have worked on many incredible wine programs throughout my decades in the profession,” said Mikayla Avedisian-Cohen; “but it was truly special to take a front row seat at the winemaking table of such an iconic winery. Working alongside Claire and her team at Brooks, and honing in on every layer was beyond impactful. It was like I was given the keys to the castle and told to ‘rearrange the furniture however you think is best.’ With both of us bringing our different palates, Sarah and I had so much fun collaborating to create a wine for all of the STARR Restaurants, and we're pretty damn proud of the result! It’s an excellent vintage with beautiful fruit that we can't wait to share with our guests.”

"As a winemaker," said Claire Jarreau, "my goals at the blending table are to craft wines that encapsulate the season from which they were grown and to provide a moving drinking experience for the consumer. When Sarah and Mikayla joined me at the table here in Oregon, they brought their own honed palates and vast hospitality experience. Working together, we were able to craft a Pinot Noir of remarkable vibrancy that is both a pure expression of the 2022 growing season in the Willamette Valley, and incredibly well-suited to the diversity of cuisines the STARR group offers."

STARR’s Pinot Noir is currently available by the glass and/or bottle, depending on the restaurant location. The wine label pays homage to restaurateur Stephen Starr, who believes in the theater of going out; the two graphics on the label’s top corners represent film crests, similar to those portrayed in movie credits.

About STARR Restaurants

Founded in 1995 by Stephen Starr, Philadelphia‐based STARR Restaurants is one of the largest multi‐concept restaurant groups in the country with 38 properties across four markets. STARR has built a reputation by redefining expectations, merging culinary artistry with cutting edge design to create moments that surprise and delight. Over the last two decades, Starr has helped transform Philadelphia into one of the most vibrant food cities in the US. His trend-setting success, both in his hometown and in New York, Washington DC and Florida, has earned him multiple honors, including “Restaurateur of the Year” from both bon appétit and Zagat, and the highly coveted James Beard Award for “Outstanding Restaurateur.” To learn more, please visit starr-restaurants.com or follow @starrrestaurant on social.

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