Francis Ford Coppola is pairing film and wine. But what’s wrong with this picture?
Coppola spent a year in Buenos Aires and since it is well known that he is a vintner, he received many wines to try: Argentine malbec and torrontes.
A blind tasting with strangers cruising near Alcatraz
I met an English couple on a ferry in the San Francisco bay Sunday who were intent on catching a glimpse of Alcatraz, the rocky island with a checkered past. They had just finished taking a picture of the eerie island that housed the nation's most notorious criminals when I [...]
Truce? One millennial has a plan to put an end to generational sniping
Zack Zimmerman is on a peace-keeping mission. The 24-year old millennial has just created the website Wine for Millennials & Beyond (http://www.meetup.com/Wines-for- ) to "bridge the gap between generations and dilute the preconceived notions-"Millennials-and-beyond/Q: Seems like it would be an impossible feat to make the passionate politically correct. How will [...]
For the curious about Auction Napa Valley, here’s a snapshot
A chandelier made from old vines. This image best captures the feel of this year's Auction Napa Valley - "prudent elegance." Several of these old vine chandeliers were hanging in the white tent at Meadowood Resort at Saturday's live auction. While organizers only reeled in $4.3 million -- about half [...]
At Traversos there’s something stealing wine’s spotlight.
When people think of Traversos most think of wine. But now that the store is in its new digs in the Fountaingrove Village shopping center the sandwich seems to be upstaging the wine. Yes, it appears people are developing a sandwich palate. On the first day Traversos' opened -- right [...]
Did you know that Jess Jackson now has a fashionista filly?
Yes, it's true, the four-legged Rachel Alexandra -- not to be confused withthe lanky, two-legged model Rachel Alexander (although some would argue they're equally sleek) -- posed for a photo spread in Vogue magazine. Photographer Steven Klein, shot the Preakness-winning filly for the magazine's August issue. Asked why he thought [...]
What made a stockbroker want to trade up and become a winemaker?
Ray Walker, 28, was a stockbroker with Merrill Lynch in San Francisco when he was romanced by wine. "I was initially not that interested in wine - but when I took my wife to Italy to propose I decided to open up, be less boring," he said. "In Italy, wine [...]
Did you know Auction Napa Valley is recession-proof?
The organizers of Auction Napa Valley aren't losing sleep over the Naples Winter Wine Festival's plunge. The Florida auction, which has become the world's most successful wine fundraiser, drew $5 million in January, a plummet from last year's take of $14 million.Terry Hal1, communications director of the Napa Valley Vintners, [...]
The Sonoma Paradiso auction is taking a sabbatical due to tough economic times. Good call?
The organizers of Sonoma Paradiso believe they made a smart decision to sit out auction season this year considering the Naples Winter Wine Festival's plunge. The Florida auction, which has become the world'smost successful wine fundraiser, raised roughly $5 million in January, down from $14 million in 2008. Quite a [...]
How many bottles of bubbly did Marilyn Monroe bathe in according to legend?
350 That trivia question always makes me smile because bubbly is so utterly decadent and fun. I'm such a fan of champagne and sparklers that an editor once called me Bubbles Melnik, and I'm happy to report that over the next two weeks we'll be rolling out two sparkling wine [...]
