Guess who Gina Gallo married? The groom in the swanky suit was none other than Jean-Charles Boisset, best known in Sonoma County as the owner of DeLoach in Santa Rosa and abroad, as the scion of France’s third largest wine company.

There are about 200 tickets still available for the Harvest Fair Awards Night Gala on Sept. 26 – a sign of the economic downturn. I remember when these tickets were such a hot commodity that people would camp out at the Sonoma County fairgrounds and, yes, pull an all-nighter, in the hopes of buying a coveted ticket when the doors opened at 8 a.m.

In Lake County the people will have an unmitigated say on Oct. 3rd with “The People’s Choice Wine Awards.” This is a blind tasting of Lake County wines and it’s open to the public so curious palates are welcome.

Vintner Lou Preston said his winery – Preston of Dry Creek – is the reluctant debutante of the valley when it comes to wine events.

The hot topic in Wine Country today is about truth in advertising when it comes to gold medal winners. A recent study of U.S. wine contests found little consistency from contest to contest regarding gold medal winners. The study focused on 13 U.S. wine competitions in 2003. Here’s what I have to say about this study: so what?

It may look like Kosta Browne, a Sonoma winery that makes striking pinot noir, was an overnight success. But the winery wasn’t always a multi-million dollar operation with the cachet to attract such high-powered investors.

Yes, I know, I know. You’re like most Americans, running approximately a day behind schedule. So let’s cut to the chase. Here’s your sixty second nugget of knowledge.

Vintner Daryl Sattui, who also owns tourist-friendly V. Sattui Winery in St. Helena, spent 14 years and $30 million building Castello Di Amorosa, a 121,000-square-foot castle. A popular tourist destination, it’s also a working winery, producing a broad range of wines to explore.

Tickets are now on sale today for the Harvest Fair Awards Night Gala on Sept. 26 at $65 a pop. (www.harvestfair.org, 707-545-4203) Is it a black tie event? Well, this is Sonoma County, so you’ll find everything from Chiffon to blue jeans, wing tips to Birkenstocks.

Brandon Staglin, the son of vintners Shari and Garen Staglin, said he lives with schizophrenia “but like any significant part of one’s life, it can be a learning experience.” Brandon, now 37, is the impetus behind this Saturday’s 15th Annual Staglin Family Music Festival for Mental Health.