Greg Cole is the executive chef and owner of Celadon and Cole’s Chop House, both located in historic downtown Napa. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America at Hyde Park, Greg and his wife and business partner, Beth Fairbairn, opened the award-winning Celadon in 1996, and Cole’s Chop House in 2000. In 1998 Greg was selected as one of the 24 “hottest young chefs” in America by the Wine Spectator magazine.

Traci Dutton is the sommelier and beverage manager for The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, located in St. Helena, where she is responsible for selecting and purchasing wine, creating wine lists, menus, and food and wine pairings, and staff training for all components of the CIA Greystone campus, including the Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant, the Professional Wine Studies Program, and Special Events. Her imaginative wine lists at the Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant have won numerous awards.

Ken Frank, the Executive Chef and owner of La Toque in Napa, is entirely self-taught. He began his career at sixteen with a dishwashing job in France, and quickly worked his way through the kitchen ranks to become a successful chef at a very young age. In 1979 he opened the original La Toque on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood at age twenty-three. In 1998 Ken decided to pursue his dream of moving to Napa Valley, where he opened a new La Toque in Rutherford. In 2008, La Toque moved to the new Westin Verasa in downtown Napa.

Cookbook author Peggie King joined the healthy food revolution with her first cookbook, entitled Fit Food for Foodies. Her simple recipes are gluten-free, dairy-free, and sugar-free. Peggie has prepared her unique recipes for local community winery events featuring healthy lifestyle foods paired with local wines. Peggie’s “day job” is in environmental consulting.

Cattails & Tules will be held on June 16th from 12:00 to 3:00 pm and will showcase local restaurants and chefs as they pair Vigilance and Gregory Graham wines with their creative cuisines. The panel of judges will evaluate the pairings in four different categories:

• Best Presentation
• Most Creative
• Best of Show
• Best Use of Local Products

Guests will vote on a special 5th category, “Consumers’ Favorite Wine & Food Pairing.” Tickets may be purchased at Shannon Ridge, Vigilance, and Gregory Graham Tasting Rooms, online at www.cattailsandtules.com or by calling 707-998-9656. The price for the event is $40 per person, and proceeds will go towards the Konocti Regional Trails and Anderson Marsh Interpretive Association. 

About Shannon Ridge and Vigilance:

The Shannons are committed to preserving their land, not only for the great vineyard sites but also for the bear, elk, mountain lions, eagles and other creatures which live there. Of the approximately 1,400 acres on the ranch, only about 35% have been converted to vineyards. The balance of the land has been preserved for the wildlife which wanders through the property from the expansive wilderness area to the north and east. The vineyards were carefully planned out, leaving corridors open to migrating animals and protecting sensitive nesting areas.

About Gregory Graham Wines:

Twelve years ago Greg Graham set out to produce world-class wines from Lake County. His hands-on approach to winemaking, complemented by 25 years of experience, is giving consumers fresh, structured, fruit-forward vintages that are reflective of a high quality winegrape growing region.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for guests to learn about American Wine history from the experts,” says Brian Murphy of Expedia CruiseShipCenters. “Not only will the participants get to know American wine celebrities and industry professionals, but they will develop a strong relationship with the fellow wine participants.”

The host of the cruise will be Count Agoston Haraszthy, who founded Buena Vista Winery in 1857 and is considered to be the Father of Viticulture and Modern Winemaking in California (played by George Webber, professional character portrayal actor). The other guides for the cruise will be Dr. Liz Thach, Master of Wine, and management and wine business professor atSonomaStateUniversity, and Tom Blackwood, Director of Retail Operations for Buena Vista Winery, DeLoach Vineyards, JCB and Raymond Vineyards.

Guests will also enjoy wines from Buena Vista Winery and the Boisset Family Estates collection, such as Raymond Vineyards, DeLoach Vineyards and JCB by Jean-Charles Boisset.

“Buena Vista is thrilled to be a part of this premier cruise exploring the fascinating history of Americawines,” says Jean-Charles Boisset. “As California’s first premium winery, Buena Vista is historically important in bringing modern viticulture to California.  We are eager to share our wines, our story, and our vision for the future of Californiawines with cruise guests.”

Highlights of the cruise will include five winemaker dinners, an excursion to Stone Hill Winery inMissouri, and private wine tastings, including a historic tasting featuring the oldest American wineries, such as Brotherhood, Meiers, Val Verde, Wiederkehr, &Buena Vista. There will also be a special wine tasting with Buena Vista Winery and Wollersheim Cellars, which was founded by Count Argoston Haraszthy. The Count and Tom Blackwood will be the hosts of this unique experience.

This ten day, nine night historic wine experience will take place from October 27th – November 5th, 2012, and will embark from St. Louisand finish in St. Paul. Fares start at $2,699. For more information and to book your reservations, call ExpediaCruiseShipCenters–NorthBayat 800-258-8880 or email WineClub@CruiseShipCenters.com.

About Expedia CruiseShipCenters:

CruiseShipCenters has been one ofNorth America’s leading cruise vacation specialists since 1987. With over 116 retail locations and 2500 professionally-trained Cruise Consultants, they are committed to delivering you outstanding service and cruise value online and in store. Wine Club Cruises feature world class wine educators, winemakers, winery owners, wine industry professionals and as many as four partner wineries on each cruise.

About Buena Vista Winery:

Founded in 1857, Buena Vista Winery isCalifornia’s first premium winery and joined the Boisset Family Estates collection in May 2011. Proprietor Jean-Charles Boisset immediately sensed and understood the spiritual and historical importance of Buena Vista toCalifornia. History is reinventing itself, with Buena Vista once again becoming the creative embodiment of theCaliforniawine world and a place of true innovation. Boisset has invested in the restoration of the winery and wine caves and is returning the wines to their former glory.

The Rutherford Dust Society galvanized the local community of landowners to undertake the restoration of the Napa River in Rutherford and Oakville starting in 2002, with the initiation of the Rutherford Reach Restoration Project. A decade later, under the leadership of Napa County, the project has successfully demonstrated shared costs and benefits among all stakeholders, from private landowners to the local community, state and federal government. To date, Napa County has received nearly $6 million in state and federal grant funding in support of the Rutherford Reach Restoration Project, which it has matched with local Measure A watershed improvement tax funds. Private landowners have contributed an equal amount in land and lost agricultural production value to expand the riparian forest by 18 acres along the Napa River. These contributions are supporting improvement of water quality, enhancement of wildlife habitat, attenuation of flood damage, and provision of property protection along 4.5 miles of the Napa River. This project is on target to achieve completion by the TMDL compliance date of 2017.

With the Napa River Rutherford Reach Restoration Project serving as a successful model, Napa County is continuing its restoration efforts an additional nine miles downstream through the Oakville-Oak Knoll Reach, in partnership with the California Land Stewardship Institute and local landowners. Napa County is currently applying for grant funds to construct the remainder of the Rutherford Reach Restoration Project, and to begin construction on the restoration of the Oakville-Oak Knoll Reach Restoration Project.

About Rutherford Dust Society:

Founded in 1994, the Rutherford Dust Society’s mission is to encourage and promote the highest quality standards in grape growing and wine making in the Rutherford Viticultural Area, and to gain recognition for this quality through education of the membership and public. To that end, the Rutherford Dust Society hosts several yearly events, including the community-oriented Rutherford Block Party, and A Day in the Dust, a trade and media tasting of current vintages. To promote the health of the Napa River, the Rutherford Dust Society formed the Rutherford Dust Restoration Team, a group of vintners and growers who are working together to restore the river as it passes through the Rutherford AVA.

“Margarita and I have admired this property for a long time,” says Clay Shannon. “The Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet are a great fit for our Shannon Ridge Family of Wines, and our flock of 1,000 sheep have always thought that the grass seemed just a little bit greener on the other side of that fence.” The vineyard will be renamed Betsy’s Vineyard, paying tribute to Clay Shannon’s mother, who passed away from cancer. “It’s nice to think that her memory will live on in this vineyard and wines,” Shannon says. 

The High Valley Vineyard wines will be expanded into national distribution. “We really believe in Lake County and the quality that we can deliver in the bottle,” says Clay Shannon. “So purchasing this vineyard and these wines was just another way to confirm our commitment to the region.”

“As we take these wines into national distribution, we’ll dedicate a portion of the proceeds to fight cancer,” says Margarita Shannon. “That’s something very close to our hearts, and it has affected so many people. We want to do something to make a difference.” The Shannons also support Sponsoring Survivorship, a non-profit organization for women in Lake County struggling against breast cancer.

The portfolio of award-winning Shannon Ridge wines includes the Single Vineyard Collection and Ranch Collection, as well as affiliated brands Vigilance, Hillgate, Dos Brotos, Dalliance, Cross Springs, and now High Valley Vineyard.  Shannon Ridge’s vineyards are certified sustainable, and are known for their woolly compost machines – a flock of 1,000 sheep, complete with shepherd and a team of highly trained sheepdogs. The sheep do an excellent job of canopy management and leaf removal, and pick the vineyard clean after harvest. They also manage the cover crop in the spring and work hard to reduce fire danger in the surrounding hills the remainder of the year.

O’Neill Vintners has retained Balzac Communications & Marketing, the leading wine public relations and marketing agency in the wine industry, as their agency of record. As the acting agency, Balzac will be responsible for promoting the wines of the O’Neill portfolio to wine industry trade, media, and consumers. The brands the agency will represent include Camelot, Pepi, Tin Roof and Moscato Allegro.

“We are excited to be working with Balzac Communications and have their support in growing our wine portfolio,” said Jeff O’Neill, CEO of O’Neill Vintners. “Balzac understands our mission and goals, knows our company’s history and where we want to go. We look forward to getting there together.”

“We’re thrilled to be working with O’Neill Vintners,” said Paul Wagner, President of Balzac Communications & Marketing. “O’Neill has a fresh, exciting portfolio of wines and a strong vision for their future. Their team brings so much energy and dedication to the table. It will be a pleasure working with them to grow their wine brands and expand their business.”

O’Neill Vintners was founded in 2004 by Jeff O’Neill, former CEO of Golden State Vintners and third generation member of a California winemaking family with roots dating back to 1934. During the ensuing years, O’Neill Vintners has grown to become the 8th largest U.S. winery with a reputation for producing premium wines, both for their growing proprietary portfolio and as one of the premier custom wine producers in California. O’Neill’s national brands include Camelot, Pepi, Tin Roof, and Moscato Allegro. For more information on O’Neill Vintners, please visit http://www.oneillwine.com.

April 11: Consorzio del Vino Nobile di Montepulciano

April 12: Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino

9 am- noon

New York

Where: New York Vintners

Speaker: Tracy Ellen Kamens, DWS, CWE

San Francisco

Where: Hotel Monaco

Speaker: Tim Gaiser, MS

For more information or to register for this event, contact Stacey Orozco.

From: 7 X 7 Magazine

The romance and excitement that swirl around wine and wine culture can make it frustratingly  difficult to break into the industry. However, there are plenty of opportunities out there for those who truly love wine and food and are willing to do what it takes to break down the barriers. This is the first installment in a 3-step field guide, complete with advice from the industry leaders doing the hiring, that will help land you a job in this coveted trade.

 Step 1: Get Out There

Get out there and start meeting people, networking, and learning. Spend time in the wine country, get to know the areas and wineries that you like, and figure out why. This is going to be fun and inspiring, but don’t start submitting resumes until you’ve got some trusted acquaintances or friends in the industry, and can hold your own in a conversation about wine (and food pairing if possible). Start by attending local classes at places like the San Francisco Wine Center, wine and cheese pairing classes at the Cheese School of San Francisco, creative wine events hosted by The Right Blend, or informative winemaker events at local boutiques like biondivino. Make sure to stay in touch with the instructors. Go to larger events like the Reserve Room SF and SF Vintners Market, where you can meet winemakers and people from every corner of the industry. Try and buy the wines, get business cards, follow up with comments and questions, and build relationships. 

Here’s what the experts have to say:

“The wine industry is notoriously tough to crack. You not only need good qualifications, you also need to get noticed. That means attending a lot of wine functions, going to a lot of interviews, and making as many connections as you can. It really matters who you know, as much as what you know, so get out there and start networking.”

 –Paul Wagner, Agency Owner and President, Balzac Communications

Read the rest.

When: Thursday, March 22, 4-7 pm

Where: 67 Wine Shop, 179 Columbus Ave. New York, NY

For more information, click here.