Video Update

As mentioned previously I am in the running for the last spot on the reality series airing on PBS called The Winemakers.

The producers on August 7th will make a decision on who that last person will be using criteria which, in part, is determined by the popularity (measured by number of views) of their audition videos.

Right now I believe I'm in second place behind Tammi Ramsey. You'll notice that I've placed a collection of the audition videos to the left. Take a look at all of them as a few, like Tammi's, are well made and give an accurate sketch of who they are. Just make sure to share mine with those you know!

As I mentioned previously the effort to make the video itself was a reward. I'm grateful for those of whom I crossed paths and for the newly found desire to continue blogging about the nexus of wine, cuisine, and social media.

Whatever happens I'll be in good company.

Savoring Sonoma: What to Do

Grow your affection for the San Francisco area with something off the beaten path

[Note: My article first appeared in Jezebel Magazine, August 2000 and was last updated May 2009. I'm posting in part as a favor to @winetonite who is currently vacationing in Sonoma. This article appears briefly in the casting call video for The Winemakers]

Here is a great twist the next time you plan a visit to the SFO area that includes a tour of the wine country. Instead of leaving your bags in the city and taking a day trip to Napa Valley, make metro San Francisco your day trip, skip the Napa wineries entirely, and explore all that Sonoma Valley has to offer. It’s certainly big enough to warrant its own vacation (the county is larger than Rhode Island). Here’s a sketch of what to do and where to stay along with some travel technique – Sonoma style.

Villa Fiore

Some wineries would have you believe that their wine tastes extra special when sipped in the middle of blooming gardens or decorated balconies overlooking spectacular scenery. They are right. The best example is the Ferrari-Carano Winery located in Healdsburg, North Sonoma. Its extraordinary hospitality center, Villa Fiore, is an architectural masterpiece with a Renaissance/Roman feel. Translated as House of Flowers in Italian, Villa Fiore showcases Italian/French gardens, waterfalls, and ponds that make amazing eye candy. Located inside are the barrel cellar, tasting room, and private winery areas that include a rotunda lobby, grand salon, and formal dining room and exhibition kitchen space – all in an Italian/Mediterranean design. Did I mention the wine is pretty good too? For an experience that will linger with you well after the trip, visit the winery, take in the view, and taste all that they have to offer. Other great wineries to visit in the area include Chateau Souverain, Lake Sonoma Winery, and Clos Du Bois.

KJC Wine Center

Pairing these wine activities with great food is, thankfully, a piece of cake. A visit to the Kendall-Jackson California Wine Center provides a delicious lunchtime meal using ingredients from the Center’s diverse, international gardens on display year-round. New York transplant, Chef Jeff Dawson, and his staff give a great lesson on which foods impart what flavors to different wines. The answers are here if you have ever wondered what wine to serve with vegetables if no one is having fish or meat. (Try a Sauvignon Blanc from Kendall Jackson with your next fresh corn or asparagus dish.) Another delicious option, without the lesson, is the Topolos’ Winery and Restaurant [Now called Corks Restaurant as part of the Russian River Vineyards]. Try and sit outside on a beautiful day to experience the house wine (literally) and Mediterranean food underneath beautiful vine-covered trellises. If you are looking for where the locals eat, find them in Sonoma at John Ash [Vinter's Inn] a place with a long tradition of serving some of the best food both valleys have to offer.

Napa Valley: CIA

Napa Valley can’t be forgotten entirely. The best way to remind you it’s still there is with a trip to the Culinary Institute of America (CIA)’s Greystone campus near Calistoga. The best chefs on the planet come here for their continuing education. If the amazing things they do for your food and your taste buds don’t bowl you over at the restaurant located on site, the sight of hundreds of them slicing, dicing, pinching, and preparing will. This place is the exception to the rule about too many chefs in the kitchen – it’s so big! The kitchen here is a vast hall (converted from an early century winery) with dozens of rows of stainless steel ranges and cooking stations that make just a glimpse well worth the visit.

Take Care Completely

There is much more to Sonoma than the treats your taste buds will savor. Some wonderful experiences for the body and soul await you after a tour of the wineries. For example, how about an enzyme bath in a Japanese style day spa? Osmosis Enzyme Bath & Massage in Occidental, Sonoma knows how to completely stop time and relax the toughest of stress-cases with tea, Swedish massages – and tubs of sawdust.

Long before you dip into these redwood tubs filled with fragrant cedar flakes, kimono-clad attendants dress you in Japanese cotton bathrobes, known as yucata, and glide you into a Japanese-style waiting room for digestive-easing teas and views of the exquisite, lush garden. The enzyme bath, a brew of cedar flakes and over 600 enzymes, naturally ferments and heats the mixture to sauna temperatures without any other generated heat source. Getting buried at the beach was never like this. There’s an air of humble majesty as you sit in the ashes. The attendants thankfully replenish you with liquids and keep your forehead cool enough to get a royally relaxing groove on. The experience only gets better after a quick shower and a peaceful walk to the wooden pavilion for a Swedish massage in the middle of wine country fields. Hold all my calls!

Another way to get invigorated in Sonoma is to call Getaway Adventures and let them coordinate a bike tour of the wine country. Any level of tour can be chosen from Getaway using the surrounding hillsides and they will even shuttle you or your belongings to your next destination when you call it quits. Don’t be surprised if you go farther, faster than usual given how picturesque the winding trails are. Getaway Adventures also provides guided exploration of the majestic Redwoods Preserve in Sonoma if you love hiking.

No Accident: Inn at Occidental

A great base from which to see these sights and more is at the Inn at Occidental. Located on the road to the Pacific Ocean, this Victorian jewel rests, perched on a hill, overlooking the quiet town of Occidental. Everything you want in a bed and breakfast experience is here and yet, in its flawless presentation and warmly personalized ambience, there are several aspects of the Inn that you’ll never see elsewhere. For example, the sixteen rooms at the Inn are uniquely designed to deliver a marvelous, coordinated antique theme. Among the rooms to choose from are the Wine Country Room, Kitchen Cupboard Room, and (my favorite) the bright and airy Carnival Room – with clown costumes and antique baton-covered walls. Most rooms complete their luxurious settings with breakfast balconies, a temperature controlled fireplace, and spa tub. The warm and genial owner-hosts, Jerry & Tina Wolsborn, are hospitality industry veterans who delight in their guests' experiences and oversee the entire experience at the Inn. Stay with them at the Inn on selected weekends and delicious, vineyard-sponsored, wine tasting dinners make it hard not to come back again and again. From the Inn exists one of the most scenic drives in the country, Coleman Valley Road, which takes you to the Sonoma Coast and Bodega Bay for whale-watching, surfing, horseback riding, and redwood hiking.

Experience all that Sonoma has to offer and you will appreciate the great job Napa Valley marketers have done with the hand they have been dealt. Much of the beauty and majesty of the wine country rests quietly with Sonoma as a relatively undiscovered travel opportunity. Sure, you can leave your heart in San Francisco the next time you journey out west, but make the city a day trip and show your eyes and taste buds some love in Sonoma. Just don’t do the normal routine.

Images sourced from: http://www.sonomauncorked.com

[Article Insert: Travel Technique – Sonoma Style]

• When to go: Fall or Spring

- Less crowds

- Incredible landscape colors

• Transportation

- Take shuttle company, Airport Express, directly to and from Sonoma

o Avoid airport car rental taxes!

o Avoid SFO Airport construction and city traffic!

o Access to HOV bus lanes make it a short and quick trip

- Rent the car at the Petaluma or Santa Rosa stops within Sonoma

• Pack Efficiently

- Bring black casual clothes – they’re versatile and hide wrinkles

- Wear light sweaters

- Carry maps

• Drink plenty of water from tastings, walking, and enjoying Sonoma

[Index of Sites in Sonoma]

Destination details grouped together by geographic proximity to each other:

• Ferrari-Carano, Vineyards and Winery, www.ferrari-carano.com

- What’s it all about: Gorgeous grounds and tastings

- 8761 Dry Creek Road, Healdsburg, CA, 95448

- Telephone: 707-433-6700

• Osmosis Enzyme Bath & Massage, www.osmosis.com

- What’s it all about: Unique Japanese style massage and spa

- 209 Bohemian Highway, Freestone, CA 95472

- Telephone: 707-823-8231

• The Inn at Occidental, www.innatoccidental.com

- What’s it all about: Each room a story, the entire stay an experience

- 3657 Church Street, Occidental, CA 95465

- Telephone: 707-874-1047

• Bodega Bay Visitors Center

- What’s it all about: Magnificent sea coastal views

- www.bodegabay.com

- Telephone: 707-875-3866

• Kendall-Jackson Wine Center, www.kendalljackson.com/index_KJWC.html

- What’s it all about: Tasting lessons and food pairings

- 5007 Fulton Road, Fulton, CA 95439

- Telephone: 707-571-7500

• Topolos’ Russian River Vineyards Restaurant and Winery, topolos@topolos.com

- What’s it all about: Tours of the winery and meals at the restaurant – can’t miss

- 5700 Gravenstein Highway N, Forestville, CA 95436

- Telephone: 707-887-1562 (Restaurant)

- Telephone: 707-887-1575 (Winery)

• Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, www.ciachef.edu

- What’s it all about: Tours and a meal at the restaurant are a must

- 2555 Main Street, St. Helena, CA 94574

- Telephone: 707-967-2328

It's Official - The Hat is in the Ring

Below is the casting call video I'm submitting to the Producers of The Winemakers: Season 2.

Per their instructions I can land the last spot if the video below is seen by as many people as possible. Thank you for taking a look and going the extra step of sharing with someone you know!

On August 7, 2009 the Producers will tally which of the casting call videos were the most watched and then make a final determination.

Thank you to everyone who motivated me to try this and who helped me put this video together (Montaluce Estates, Brasserie JOEL, the Atlanta Braves, @kaplanbr, and many more) - most of all my friend Vincent aka @TraderAlamo. I give special thanks to my wife Stephanie for letting me play Peter Pan one more time. Maybe it will also inspire our girls to go for it once in a while.

D

Who Do These Atlantans Think They Are?

I'm hoping to ride a wave of recent Atlantans in the food & wine news. Starting with @RichardBlais and his excellent showing on Top Chef, here is the line of others I'd like to follow:

• Hector Santiago, contestant on the new season of Top Chef, Restaurant Pura Vida
• Eli Kirshtein, contestant on the new season of Top Chef, Restaurant Eno
• Kevin Gillespie, contestant on the new season of Top Chef, Restaurant Woodfire Grill
• Hardy Wallace, winner of Murphy-Goode Wine Country Lifestyle Correspondent job

At least that's the angle I'll pitch to Tom Walker & John Kessler of the AJC - and Mary Reynolds. Tomorrow I'll have details on how to help. Thanks in advance!

Source: Top Chef Season 6: 3 Atlanta Chefs! Two "Riding Dirty" Winners!

Here's another video before edits from my recent trip to Montaluce Vineyards:

I completed the essay portion of my application to be the final candidate for Season 2 of The Winemakers. This effort would be impossible to even consider if not for the generous support and understanding of my wife (helping me pursue the chance of a lifetime!).

ESSAY (500 words or less)

When the universe presents the karma-filled opportunity to participate in Season 2 of The Winemakers in France, you don’t pass on it. So here I am. I auditioned with The Winemakers for Season 1 when producers visited Atlanta and did well but did not make the final cut. This time with production set in France I could not resist trying again.

My wine and wine appreciation activities always occupy my free time - whether building a successful software company from scratch or in previous work as a management consultant. Indeed I moonlighted working for a local wine distributor while getting the software company into + revenues. I loved many of the days that enriched my wine knowledge as well as introduced me to the amazing people from around the world who make these wines.

Quick story: I took a young Italian ‘hotshot’ winemaker visiting Atlanta on a tour of the city’s best restaurants. He assumed responsibilities for his family’s winery and visited America to push his newly revamped (and superb) wines to key markets. He traveled with a translator, but when we discovered we could communicate easily in French, we ditched the help and had a great day talking about EVERYTHING. A year later I visited him in Asti, Italy and to finally locate the winery, he spotted my car from the tractor in front of the town church from 3-4 hills away and gave me the last turn by turn directions over the phone. Karma!

My enthusiasm for wine comes from every direction and informs the same viewpoint as the one shared in the Disney movie, Ratatouille: “Anyone can cook”. Meaning a good or great winemaker can come from anywhere – from any experience – as long as there is a passion for learning how to master its techniques. I don’t know if it’s the Year of the Rat, but it’s the year that I want to be part of The Winemakers!

On Friday or shortly thereafter I'll post the link to my video portion of the application. I'll need your help in watching and sharing it with others. Thanks in advance!

Note: The Italian winemaker referenced above is my friend, Alessandro Garetto, Tenuta Garetto: http://www.tenutagaretto.it/uk/azienda.htm

Captured great footage for the video application I'm submitting in order to be the last of the 12 candidates in the running for Season 2 of PBS' The Winemakers. My twitter account for this purpose explains all of the ongoing details.

Many many thanks to everyone at the Montaluce Estates and Vineyard in beautiful Dahlonega, North Georgia. It's a top of the line multi-purpose facility for making wine, lodging, eating, and celebrating. My deepest thanks goes to Oliver Asberger, winery manager, for his invaluable time spent showing me the entire vineyards and the operations. His best line of the day, "I'm German - I love making propaganda!!!"

Here's one of the outtakes before it hits the editing room floor:

Updated my Twitter page with information on how to spread the word.

Take a look and thanks in advance for the follow!

@atl10trader

The real effort or voting process will begin once I get the audition video up on Friday.

I'm auditioning for the second season of The WineMakers: 12 People. 1 Passion and I need your help in endorsing me for the last spot. Please follow me on Twitter as I document my steps toward landing a spot on the show.

My wife thinks it's a long shot but is luke-warm in her support. We'll see. I plan to enlist nothing more than the video function in my camera to film some shots I'll put in the required 2 minute video.

My heartfelt thanks to Vincent aka TraderAlamo for the offer to help me edit and package what I send him Thursday afternoon. It will be a tight and quick turnaround, but he's the man for the job for sure. He'll be the first of many I'll be grateful to if and when this works out.

There's a small essay also required as part of the application that's due next Friday, July 24th. Some of the points I plan to make are:

My fascination with wine runs deep:

1. I've researched and written about wine, winemakers, and the wine making process for several magazines including Texas Monthly, Jezebel Magazine, and most recently for Dirty South Wine
2. My experience leading wine tastings for service professionals (e.g., non-profits, law firms, consulting firms, etc.) informs many of my views on how others perceive wine and the best way in which to let others approach wine without lecturing to them.
3. Work at the retail and restaurant points of sale for a local wine distributor inform my understanding of how wine and finance work hand in hand to get what you eventually drink from the vineyard to your table.
4. I've lived in France and drank my way around the country appreciating all of the varied locations for making wine. I'll put this to good use in understanding instructions and most importantly, asking good questions.

That's the working draft anyway.

I'll try to finese it some more.

I'm glad you're reading and am grateful for helping me get the word out that I'd love the opportunity to be the last one picked for the 2nd Season of The WineMakers.

I've used this space as a catch-all for small projects and as temporary graphic pages - no more!

I am throwing my hat aggressively as a contender for the last spot on Season 2 of the The WineMakers: 12 People 1 Passion. This season takes place in France after a successful first season in California. I believe the producers are hitting their stride in terms of style, rules, and obviously the locale: France's Rhone Valley (which I liken to the Mississippi Delta - only they grow fantastic wine in this Valley instead of wonderful cajun cuisine and jazz).

I'm gonna need some help to pull this off and that's where you come in. I'm asking for your vote and social support to get me on board. I'll post my full reason for wanting to do this and the 2 minute video they request shortly. But this is where things start heating up.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Here we go.