Tim Mondavi  announced yesterday that Continuum is the name of the new wine produced by the partnership of Tim and Marcia Mondavi, their families, and Robert and Margrit Mondavi.

“Continuum means that we are continuing the legacy of the Robert Mondavi family in this new venture — we are continuing a commitment to excellence, the highest standards, and the values of a family working hard to do our best,”  Mondavi said.

The partnership is currently produces 1,500 cases annually of Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon with its own equipment at local wineries, and has hired Carissa Mondavi, Tim’s daughter, as project manager.

 “We’re looking at vineyard and winery sites in the valley for our project,” Mondavi said.

As Virginia and the nation celebrate the 400th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown, the first English colony in America where colonists pursued the planting of vineyards and the making of wine, the Napa Valley Lodge is continuing a tradition, initiated 10 years ago, of providing an annual opportunity for Napa and Sonoma area winery professionals and enophiles to taste the award-winning wines of the Old Dominion state.

Gordon W. Murchie, president of the Vinifera Wine Growers Association. conducts the tasting Friday,  6-7:30 p.m., at the Lodge.

Virginia wineries represented include the historic Barboursville Winery, Williamsburg Winery, Horton Cellars, Rappahannock Cellars, Chrysalis Winery, Prince Michel and nine other wineries.

Wines for this tasting include internationally popular vinifera grape wines, such as cabernet franc and viognier, Native American Norton grape wine, and French hybrid Seyval and Chambourcin wines plus other varietal wines.

For further information, call Valerie Raven at the Napa Valley Lodge, 944-2468.

Three Thieves, the Napa valley trio that have introduced innovative packaging of their wines, has developed a new brand, the Show, which uses artwork from Hatch Show Print for its labels. Hatch Show Print is a noted creator of posters relating to country and western music and the south in general. The Show is a cabernet-based blend and will feature three different labels.

 “We loved all three labels Hatch created, so we decided to use them all, even though the wine inside is the same great quality cabernet,” said Charles Bieler, who is identified as the “Chief Thief.” The others are Joel Gott and Charles Scommegna.

The wine will sell for $14.99.

Brothers Robert Mondavi and Peter Mondavi Sr. will be honored with the Southern Wine & Spirits Lifetime Achievement Award on Feb. 25 at the 2007 Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival. The presentation will be held during a lunch at which food prepared by some of Miami’s top chefs will be paired with the Mondavis’ wines.

O’Brien Cellars was a featured wine at the Academy of Friends Academy Awards nominations party Tuesday at the Bubble Lounge in San Francisco.

Academy of Friends raises funds for agencies that provide HIV/AIDS research and care. Last year O’Brien Cellars became a sponsor of Equality California, an organization fighting to end the ban on same-sex marriages.

Sutter Home Winery will host the men’s and women’s Team Colavita/Sutter Home professional cycling team as it trains for the 2007 racing season. Sutter Home is the only sponsor to support both men’s and women’s teams.

The cyclists will train on Napa Valley’s long, flat roads as well as some of the steep hills, mirroring the conditions of the men’s first event of the season, the eight-day Tour of California race.

 John Clews, vice president of vineyard and winery operations at Clos Du Val, was selected as the newest board member of the Carneros Wine Alliance.

Clews joined Clos Du Val in 1999.

Kirkland Ranch Winery will take 50 to 75 percent off retail prices on many end of vintage and cellar closeout wines available for case purchase at its annual sale Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Kirkland Ranch Winery is on Jamieson Canyon Road  in Napa.

Saintsbury Winery in Carneros has released three new vineyard-designated 2004 pinot noirs from Lee Vineyard, Stanly Ranch and Toyon Farm and plans to introduce a fourth this spring from Brown Ranch. It will expand beyond Carneros, with a pinot noir from Cerise Vineyard in Mendocino County’s Anderson Valley.

Submit items for Wine Notes to Sasha Paulsen at spaulsen@napanews.com