In challenging economic times and a competitive global wine market, Navarro Vineyards prevails by staying true to a particular style of wine and cultivating consumers one by one.
Ted Bennett, his wife Deborah Cahn and their children Sarah and Aaron Cahn Bennett are proprietors of Navarro Vineyards, one of the first wineries in what is now the Anderson Valley wine region in Mendocino County.  From their first vintage in 1975, they have made dry aromatic white wines such as gewürztraminer, pinot gris and riesling which are today among the fastest growing …

Imagine an exciting Los Angeles town that by the 1920′s, was home to three major motion picture studios, famous screen actors and musicians and a thriving nightclub scene.  It’s not the Hollywood most people think about, but West LA’s Culver City is where it all began.  It’s a pocket town sometimes overwhelmed by LA’s other neighborhoods – flashy Marina del Rey, tony Brentwood, funky Venice and chic West Hollywood.  But Culver City has a self-confidence all its own born in a rich and authentic Hollywood past.
If you want a taste …

New York City at this time of year is resplendent with holiday lights, Christmas trees and festive window displays.  Just walking  down Fifth Avenue in the crisp December air fills me with holiday cheer – and an appetite.  There is no lack of great Michelin star restaurants here, but during the holidays when you’re out-and-about, it’s easy to be drawn into the convivial and cozy atmosphere of the neighborhood cafe or bar.  Here are some ideas for your next trip to Manhattan!
Tribeca

Terroir Tribeca is the larger of the wine bars …

When immigrant Jacob Schram searched the relatively virgin Napa Valley in the early 1860’s to plant vines, he searched for steep hillsides that he knew from his youth growing up near the Rhine River would yield the highest quality grapes.  He found his vineyard site in the foothills south of Calistoga.  The wines of Schramsberg would achieve such renown for their quality that author Robert Louis Stevenson was inspired to declare on the veranda of Schram’s home that “wine is bottled poetry.”  After Jacob Schram’s death in 1905, the estate …

 
Ubuntu Executive Chef Aaron London learned about his James Beard nomination for Rising Star Chef, not from a phone call, but on Twitter – nine simultaneous tweets from friends.  This young 27-year old CIA Hyde Park alumnus already has back-to-back Michelin stars for Ubuntu Restaurant under his belt, and several years working at renowned restaurants in France, Canada and the U.S. including Daniel and Blue Hill at Stone Barns in New York, but he has only just begun.
Ubuntu is a restaurant that focuses on vegetables as a culinary specialty, using …

After taking a back seat for decades to the more famous sub-appellations in the Napa Valley, Calistoga is quietly becoming the destination of choice for producers seeking terroir-driven wines in a down-to-earth environment.
Kelly Fleming could have invested anywhere in the Napa Valley for her namesake brand but chose to make Calistoga her home, seeing the potential for high quality winegrowing in Simmons Canyon off Silverado Trail.  The watershed here creates one of the few alluvial fans on the eastern side of the Napa Valley and her location, farther and deeper …

Under the terms of the Australia-European Community Agreement on Trade in Wine, on the first of this month, Australia became the latest in a long line of countries that prohibit outright the use of the name “Champagne” on the label of domestically-made sparkling wine.  Champagne is a venerable protected appellation (or place) of origin in France which produces high quality sparkling wine based on unique location and winemaking techniques.  In the European Community (“EC”) and in other countries which respect appellation of origin through trade agreements, only wines made from …

Food and wine charities are not new.  Professionals in the hospitality industry who participate in these events are by nature, generous people, and so are their patrons.  But when Dry Creek Valley vintner Clay Mauritson asked busy restaurateur, hotelier and Michelin star Chef Charlie Palmer to help him put together Project Zin – a charity to raise funds and awareness for Down syndrome which affects Mauritson’s son – Chef Palmer was standing by.
Clay and Charlie’s friendship goes back over a decade, when Clay’s family began helping Palmer develop vineyards in …

Kenzo Tsujimoto, Chairman of publicly held Capcom Co., Ltd., is the owner of Kenzo Estate, a 15,000 case production winery in the eastern mountains of Napa Valley.  His luxury cabernet sauvignon wines are made with the best talent money can buy but his goal wasn’t to create an exclusive wine that few can buy.  Like the successful video game products his company sells worldwide, his wines are approachable and accessible.
Tsujimoto wasn’t one of the those wealthy businessmen seeking to create a monument to himself in the Napa Valley.  While he …

From the first building to be erected in the Napa Valley in 1848, the downtown area of the city of Napa grew rapidly over the following three decades to support the growing commerce arising from the abundance of grains and grapes grown in the fertile valley, and increasing tourism.  Even in the 1870’s, Napa Valley had become a popular weekend or permanent retreat for San Franciscans attracted to the beautiful scenery, mild climate, medicinal springs and convenience to the metropolis.  Visitors would take one of the daily steamboats …