9/30-Michael Horn & Nicole Nielsen visit with Chase Carhartt

Chase Carhartt – Assist. Winemaker & Head of Marketing & Sales, Carhartt Vineyards

The Vineyard - The ten-acre Carhartt Vineyard sits high on a mesa with maximum sun exposure and a soil structure that lends itself to the production of outstanding fruit. Planted in 1996, the vineyard is situated in the heart of the Santa Ynez Valley appellation (AVA), blessed with a climate that is particularly suited to Rhône and Bordeaux varietals. The cool mornings quickly move into hot, sunny days that remain warm until sundown. The growing season is long, often stretching into late November, which allows the grapes to fully ripen and achieve their optimal balance of sugars, acids and spicy flavors.

The Tasting Room - Come and visit with the winemakers, Brooke and Mike, at the "World's Smallest Tasting Room", just one block north of the Flagpole in downtown Los Olivos to taste our full range of current wines. Carhartt wines are also available from the website store. See what our customers have to say about the tasting room onYelp!.

Santa Barbara County - Celebration of Harvest Weekend - October 11 – 14 - The Celebration of Harvest Weekend, our annual celebration of the year's bounty, where vintners take a break from the vineyards and cellars to pour their wines and share harvest tales. The highlight of the Columbus Day weekend is the Celebration of Harvest Festival on Saturday, October 12 at the Rancho Sisquoc Winery in the heart of Santa Barbara Wine County in Santa Maria Valley, where more than 100 Santa Barbara County wineries gather to present their wines, often poured by the winemakers themselves. The Festival also presents some of the best local food from restaurants, catering companies and gourmet food creators.

Throughout the weekend select wineries host their own events on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, ranging from winemaker dinners through library tastings and sales to new wine releases and barrel tastings.

A favorite feature of the weekend is the Vintners' Visa - your passport to complimentary wine tastings at twelve winery tasting rooms - use the Vintners' Visa to explore new wineries - or revisit old friends. The Vintners' Visa can be used on all four days of the long weekend - Friday October 11th through Monday October 14th. It is a great value at only $35 per person!

9/23-Michael Horn & Nicole Nielsen talk with Morgen McLaughlin & Pamela Skidmore

MORGEN MCLAUGHLIN - EXEC DIRECTOR, SANTA BARBARA COUNTY VINTNERS

Morgen McLaughlin is the Executive Director of the Santa Barbara County Vintners’ Association a nonprofit membership organization representing over one hundred wineries in Santa Barbara County, California.  Previously she was the president and CEO of Finger Lakes Wine Country Tourism Marketing Association, a regional tourism marketing association in the Finger Lakes region of New York State and owned and managed a small vineyard and winery in Connecticut.  Morgen has undergraduate degrees in English and Secondary Education from Boston College and is completing her Wine Business Management Certificate from Sonoma State University.  In her free time Morgen enjoys hiking, cooking, traveling, wine and spending time with her husband and three sons.

California Wine Month in September celebrates one of our signature industries and all that vintners and growers bring to the economy, culture and lifestyle of the Golden State.Wineries and regions throughout the state mark the month with special tastings, events and offers.

PAMELA SKIDMORE – DIR. OF SALES & EVENT MARKETING, SONOMA MEETINGS - HEALDSBURG WINE AUCTION

Attention Wine and Food Enthusiasts! The date is set and preparations are already underway for the First Annual Healdsburg Wine Auction benefitting Healdsburg schools and community. A Farm To Fork event featuring collector wines, gourmet food and unique live auction items. Don’t you dare plan anything else for October 5, 2013, and we can’t wait to see you at the Auction at Soda Rock Winery.

A wine auction that solely benefits the Healdsburg community is long overdue. This year’s event on October 5, 2013, will be the start of a wonderful Healdsburg tradition. Graciously hosted by Soda Rock Winery with Diane Wilson as our Honorary Chair, this first annual event will be a tribute to the bounty of our county and our future community leaders. This year’s Farm to Fork experience is a locally driven collaboration of collector wine, gourmet food and unique live auction items. Contributions from talented students enrolled in Healdsburg High’s Culinary, Agriculture and Digital Arts programs will be showcased through-out the evening. The event will be fun, festive and memorable. A great way to celebrate Harvest in the beautiful Sonoma Valley. Some of the proceeds from the First Annual Healdsburg Wine Auction will benefit the Healdsburg Education Foundation. Chartered in 1985, a group of teachers, business leaders and community activists in Healdsburg, California, came together to develop funding solutions for the schools of Healdsburg.

HEF is a non-profit foundation committed to raising funds to sustain vital programs in the Healdsburg public schools. HEF supports K-12 programs which promote healthy lifestyle choices including school gardens, nutrition, agriculture, and culinary programs-all which are connected to our regional food and wine heritage. Their goal is to provide students with the education they need to reach their highest potential upon graduation.

9/16-Michael Horn & Nicole Nielsen talk to Michael Traverso

Michael Traverso - Hospitality Manager, Williams Selyem - Sonoma County Single Malt Society

Michael’s favorite food and wine pairing is truffle and egg pasta with butter, olive oil, and grated cheese—paired with an interesting Nebbiolo. Yes, you are correct, he is indeed of Italian decent.

Michael started working with customers at the age of ten at his family’s grocery store, so you could say he has some experience getting to know people. As for wine, well that was as common on his family’s dinner table as salt and pepper. Combine his love of helping people with the traditions of enjoying wine over family dinner and conversation, and Michael was the perfect choice as Williams Selyem Hospitality Manager. Michael graduated from USC with a degree in Business Marketing and is also a Level 1 Certification, Court of Master Sommelier. He brings a global perspective to our events here at the winery, through his years visiting family in Italy (Michael’s favorite region is the Piedmont), and various trips leading wine tours throughout France and Italy.

Away from the world of wine, Michael’s swam with sharks in Tahiti, was the proud owner of a 1970 Camaro he inherited from his mom, and he has a cousin related to his great-grandmother on his father’s side who was related to Frank Sinatra. Mike was born in 1973, a year when the Pinot’s were described as having a “vivacious bouquet” accented by “orange zest, flowers, earth, and mineral tones”.  

Sonoma County Single Malt Society:

Simply, this Society was created by Michael Traverso and Fred Thumhart after years of conducting educational spirits tastings for Traverso's Gourmet Foods, Wines & Spirits. When Traverso's closed in November 2011, a void was left. This Society is the bridge to fill that void and for Michael and Fred to continue to share their passion for spirits with the wonderful people of Sonoma County.

Michael Traverso is currently the Hospitality Manager for Williams Selyem Winery in the beautiful Russian River Valley. With almost 15 years of experience in the wine and spirits industry as a owner and buyer for Traverso's, Michael as also traveled extensively in Scotland and has established great relationships with many distilleries. Fred Thumhart is currently a Wine Specialist at Oliver's Market on Montecito in Santa Rosa. Fred loves to share his passion for wines and spirits with customers new and old. With a love of research and desire to always learn more, Fred has also established great contacts in the Spirits Industry.

9/9-Michael Horn and Nicole Nielsen talk with Guinevere Aide & Wes Hagen

Raw Chef Guinevere Aide
Guinevere Aide is a graduate of Matthew Kenney Culinary;
Level?s I, II & III. Previously a student of Bangkok?s;
Blue Elephant Culinary, The Kitchen in the Castle Cookery
of Dublin, Ireland and various courses throughout CA that
include such lessons with Chef Jill Silverman; food and
wine author of ?Skinny Bitch in the Kitch?; A New York
Times best seller. Prior to her career change, she worked
for nearly 9 years as a Real Estate Portfolio Officer. Her
years in Business and Hospitality management, love of
culinary arts and health issues pushed her to walk away
from it all in her pursuit of passions and better health.
 Outside of the academy you will most often find her outdoors, or hosting her rather unusual take of private dinner parties; including but not limited to silent films, live Jazz and a selection of renowned Wine.



Wes Hagen  -  Winemaker, Clos Pepe Vineyards
Clos Pepe Vineyard was purchased by Steve and Cathy Pepe in 1994 as a horse ranch, and established the 9th vineyard in
what would become the Sta. Rita Hills AVA. Specializing in
cool-climate, small production, craft-based Pinot Noir and
Chardonnay, Clos Pepe is now recognized as a leader in
local and national wine culture, wine education and
providing fruit to some of the best winemakers in
California.

The Italians say, ?Il vino e' la Poesia della Terra.? Wine is the poetry of the earth. There is nothing that can obfuscate Pinot Noir?s ability to speak of a time and
place. Of every plant on earth, Pinot Noir is unique in its ability to show every angle of a vintage, every silt particle in the soil, and every drop of morning dew that wet its leaves. Tea, coffee, white truffles? these can tell a story and confound us with their deliciousness, but the
uncontested Queen of Natural Complexity must be Pinot Noir. We anticipate each vintage with a proper mix of anxiety and hope, knowing Mother Nature and the Sta. Rita Hills have a
plan that will allow time and effort to fill a glass.

9/2-Encore Broadcast Michael Horn and Nicole Nielsen talk with Alexis Eaton & Al Jabarin

Alexis Eaton - PR Manager, Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa - Kaanapali Fresh
Kaanapali Fresh - A Culinary Experience - August 30 & 31 2013! Kāʻanapali Beach Resort presents the second annual Kāʻanapali Fresh, a two-day summer event highlighting Kāʻanapali as the premium spot for exquisite cuisine, meaningful experiences, and superb activities, August 30 and 31, 2013. The entire resort comes together to offer visitors exciting opportunities to sample chefs’ menus, learn about Grown on Maui products with Maui’s farmers, savor the beauty of Kāʻanapali, play on the beach, and simply enjoy the rich history of the land. Only Kāʻanapali offers this unique culmination of culinary creativity, memorable experience, and array of choices in land- and ocean adventure. Mark your calendars today!

Al Jabarin -  Founder & Proprietor, 1313 Main

Al is the proprietor of 1313 Main, Napa's premier wine bar and lounge. 1313 Main has been open for about 2 years, and has quickly become known as one of the best spots in the Napa Valley to enjoy and appreciate wine.

1313 Main, Napa's premium wine tasting lounge, announces the opening of Lulu's Kitchen at 1313 Main on Friday, August 30, 2013. 

With Culinary Director Ryan Quigley and Executive Chef Isaac Coles leading the team, Lulu's Kitchen adds a unique dining option to the Northside district of Downtown Napa. Following the adage "you are what you eat", Lulu's Kitchen offers a selection of small plates focusing on regional purveyors and local farms that supplement Lulu's onsite garden. With locally sourced ingredients that are seasonal to the moment, the cuisine at Lulu's Kitchen is crafted to elevate the wine centric experience at 1313 Main in an elegant, intimate setting. 

Offering small bites to main courses, culminating in fresh desserts or the traditional cheese plate, Lulu's Kitchen offers diners a variety of options to complement the 1300+ wines that are offered at 1313 Main on a daily basis.

Proprietor Al Jabarin says, “LuLu’s completes the concept of 1313 Main as a wine-centric destination in the Napa Valley. With LuLu’s Kitchen at 1313 Main we add a new dimension to downtown Napa's diverse gastronomic scene."

Located at 1313 Main Street, Lulu's Kitchen at 1313 Main serves late afternoon bites and dinner Tuesday through Thursday from 4pm to 10pm, Friday & Saturday from 4pm to 11pm, and Sunday from 4pm to 10pm. Lulu's Kitchen is closed on Mondays. For information, please visit 1313main.com or phone 707-258-1313.