Charles Krug Winery celebrates 75th Anniversary Of Ownership, The 36th Annual Paso Robles Wine Festival

Peter Mondavi, Jr. - Charles Krug Winery Celebrating Their 75th Anniversary Of Ownership

THE MONDAVI FAMILY
Today, Charles Krug Winery is under the direction of brothers Marc and Peter Mondavi, Jr., who steward the family business passed to them by their father, legendary Napa Valley wine icon Peter Mondavi, Sr. The family is now proudly welcoming members of the fourth generation to the business, continuing a legacy started more than 70 years ago, and setting a foundation for generations to come.


Christopher Taranto - Communications Director, Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance 

THE 36TH ANNUAL PASO ROBLES WINE FESTIVAL

The 36th Annual Paso Robles Wine Festival is less than one month away! This annual festival that celebrates the Paso Robles wine lifestyle is set for May 17 – 20, 2018. The festival began in 1983 with 17 wineries sharing their craft in the warmth of the beautiful Paso Robles Downtown City Park. This tradition continues among the trees on Saturday, May 19 with more than 70 wineries, two stages of music, wine-related crafts, and complimentary bites from 14 caterers, chefs, and artisanal purveyors.

The Paso Robles Wine Festival Grand Tasting begins at 12 p.m. on Saturday, May 19 for the early entry ticket holder ($90) or 1 p.m. for the general admission ticket holder ($70) and concludes at 4 p.m. Guests wanting more Paso Wine can still purchase Combo Tickets ($145) which gives them the RESERVE event on Friday, May 18, as well as the Grand Tasting Early Entry on Saturday, May 19. RESERVE Only tickets are currently sold out. Please visit the ticket option page on Pasowine.com to learn more.

NZ Wine Navigator, Sangiacomo Family Vineyards

Dan Keith - West Coast Regional Manager,  NZ Wine Navigator 

 Like so many other enterprises, NZ Wine Navigator began with a group of friends and family and a few excellent bottles of wine. Graham Painter, our Founder, was visiting family in the States and was sent out on the oh-so-common task of fetching a nice wine for dinner. Wanting to show off some of our fine Kiwi wines, he went from one wine shop to the next searching for something beyond the big-name NZ Sav Blancs. A deep, rich Pinot or Syrah? How about a superb Riesling? Surely, with the breadth of fine wines being produced in New Zealand, there was something special to be found.



Steve Sangiacomo - Partner, Sangiacomo Family Vineyards 

The Sangiacomo family has been farming in Sonoma County since 1927, and for 50 years has farmed premium wine grapes in Sonoma soil. Three generations of the family have been dedicated to growing some of the finest grapes in Sonoma County and Napa Valley from vineyards that are 100% certified sustainable. We are committed to crafting the finest wines from our estate vineyards and cementing our position amongst the very best in new world California Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Sauvignon.

The majority of wine is sold direct-to-consumer and to a select few restaurant accounts. The winery produces a small number of large format bottles for charity auctions only. Information surrounding the allocation of wines is distributed via email a few weeks prior to its annual spring and fall releases. To learn more, please visit www.sangiacomowines.com.

Craig Haserot, Sojourn Cellars, Sally James, Australian Wines

FOUNDER AND PROPRIETOR OF SOJOURN CELLARS CRAIG HASEROT JOINS THE SHOW 

Sojourn Cellars began in 2001 as a collaboration between two tennis buddies who discovered a mutual passion for great wine and the things that tend to go with it – good food and good company. Utilizing Erich’s experience as an Assistant Winemaker at Arrowood Winery, Craig Haserot and Erich Bradley developed a plan to produce distinctive Pinot noir wines complemented by small bottlings of Cabernet Sauvignon from extraordinary vineyard sources. Over the next 10 years, they worked together to develop their shared love of fine wine into a winery that has established a consistent track record of producing highly rated wines under the Sojourn brand. Today, what began as their own personal journey into the world of winemaking has evolved into a first-class boutique winery committed to creating high-quality artisan wines for people who know and appreciate them.

Founded by Craig and Ellen Haserot together with winemaker Erich Bradley, Sojourn Cellars makes wines that reflect a heartfelt commitment to producing carefully handcrafted wines for individuals who appreciate sophistication without pretension. Launched in 2001 with 100 cases of Cabernet Sauvignon, Sojourn remains today a boutique artisan producer of Pinot noir, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon wines sold on allocation to their mailing list members and a select group of restaurants, retailers and distribution partners.


AUTHOR, EDUCATOR, CHEF AND RADIO HOST SALLY JAMES TALKS AUSTRALIAN WINES

Sally James is an award-winning Australian author, educator, chef, television presenter and radio host whose books and recipes have won international acclaim for food & wine pairing, health and creativity. Sally is the author of eighteen cookbooks and publications, including her best-selling Simply Healthy—winner of the prestigious World Cookbook Awards, Versailles, France, 1999 for Best Health Cookbook; Fresh and Healthy–Winner of the 2001 IACP International Cookbook Award in the Health category; Simply Sensational, a finalist for the IACP Award in 2003; Escape to Yountville – Recipes for Health and Relaxation from the Napa Valley, and the Australian Heart Foundation Cookbook. Since relocating to the U.S. in 2001, James has been a guest presenter on the Food Network and UPN Networks, a recurring guest on ABC TV’s View from the Bay, and has been featured in magazines including Cooking Light, Wine Spectator, Fitness, Family Circle, New York Times' Savor Wine Country, Plate, In the Mix and Healthy Cooking. She has been a guest chef and lecturer for the American Heart Association, the Culinary Institute of America, Disney’s Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, COPIA, Aspen Food and Wine Classic, the National Restaurant Association Show, Draegar's and Publix Markets, the American Institute of Food & Wine, and Johnson & Wales Universities across the United States.

WINE LA'S ELEVATING ZIN, TERCERO WINES

IAN BLACKBURN – OWNER/FOUNDER, WINE LA & - UPCOMING EVENT: ELEVATING ZIN 

wineLA is about enhancing the wine culture of Los Angeles. To do so, wine must be in rhythm with fashion, music, food and other beverages.  It must take advantage of the geography, the architecture and the centers of interest. Los Angeles is a giant playground with an amazing array of venues, spaces, wine bars, restaurants, beaches, roof tops, gardens, and magical views. We want to be a part of the LA lifestyle, the wine lifestyle, and celebrate the people, the place and the passion. wineLA will promote significant events, occasional classes, and tastings of merit. This is phase two of what we started 20 years ago at LearnAboutWine.com - America’s first wine education website and first in wine event creation. LearnAboutWine will now evolve onto a digital platform; the transformation will take some time; so we will slowly rebrand our event efforts onto wineLA, reduce the number of activities we focus on, and elevate our efforts to focus on the next big thing… Doing what is best for the wine industry and the communities we serve.  Edicts:  innovate, evolve and excite.

ABOUT ELEVATING ZIN
Wednesday / May 16, 2018
Montage, Beverly Hills - 225 N Canon Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
VIP Admission - 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
General Admission - 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

wineLA has teamed up with some of the worlds best Zinfandel Producers to bring you "Elevating Zinfandel"! An event geared on showcasing the "Crème de la crème" of the Zinfandel community in one fabulous location. You will have the chance to meet with the wine producers as well as purchase some of these exclusive wines.


LARRY SCHAFFER FROM TERCERO WINES 

The idea for tercero wines surfaced a number of years back. Larry Schaffer had been in the educational and trade publishing industry for a number of years and had achieved all he had set out to do. It was time for a change . . . . but to what? Larry’s dreams of becoming a professional volleyball player were never going to happen, so he looked towards something he had always been interested in but never understood completely – winemaking. One thing that really interested him was the ‘why’ involved – how in the heck do you start with a grape and end up with this wine? Or that one? He needed to know more – and he needed to challenge his brain.

Fast forward four years . . . and Larry begins his new career in earnest as the Enologist for Fess Parker Winery, a well-respected winery in the Santa Ynez Valley. Why Santa Barbara County? The winemaking community is willing and wanting to help each other, but more importantly, it is simply an incredible place to raise children!

Fast forward another year, and Larry is ready to ‘take the plunge’ and start buying grapes to make his own wines! It’s scary and challenging at the same time – no matter how much you read about it or do it for others, it’s quite different when it’s ‘your own baby’ . . . But it’s also a way for Larry to ‘marry’ his past with his present – to use his sales/marketing skills along with his technical winemaking skills to see what he can produce . . .

28TH ANNUAL ROLL OUT THE BARRELS, HOOK & LADDER WINERY

HEATHER MURAN - EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SAN LUIS OBISPO WINE COUNTRY ASSOCIATION – ROLL OUT THE BARRELS

28TH ANNUAL ROLL OUT THE BARRELS WEEKEND
Thursday, June 21-Saturday, June 23, 2018 

Kick off the summer in San Luis Obispo’s Wine Country at our 28th Annual Roll Out the Barrels Weekend, June 21-23rd.  Your getaway to our coastal wine mecca begins Thursday, June 21st at Barrels in the Plaza, with over 50 wineries and local chefs dishing out delicious food and wine.  Then on Friday and Saturday, sip your way through San Luis Obispo tasting rooms with our Passport to Wine Country*. Walk the vineyards, barrel sample the new vintage, and enjoy open houses, wine tastings and festivities all day Friday & Saturday! Just pick up your wristband, wineglass and passport booklet at the first winery you head to and bring them along to enjoy the festivities!

EARLY BIRD SAVINGS!
Take advantage of these special savings and purchase your all-inclusive weekend ticket package early!  All-inclusive packages include tickets to Thursday's Barrels in the Plaza & Friday & Saturday Passport to SLO Wine Country.
April 2-May 1st - Early Bird Package Price: $120
May 2nd-June 22nd - Package Price: $130

EVENT LINE-UP

Barrels in the Plaza
Thursday, June 21st, 2018, 4:30-7:30pm
Includes winetasting, commemorative glass, and edibles from local chefs
$60 Ticket / $30 Designated Driver

Passport to SLO Wine Country*
Friday & Saturday, June 22 & 23, 2018
All-inclusive winetasting, commemorative glass, and activities at tasting rooms
$75 Passport • $20 Designated Driver
$50 Saturday Only Passport


DEVIN RUDDICK - DIRECT TO CONSUMER SALES & HOSPITALITY MANAGER,  HOOK & LADDER WINERY 

GROWERS FIRST
In 1970, San Francisco firefighter Cecil De Loach and his wife Christine staked their claim in the wine grape business by purchasing 24 acres of old-vine Zinfandel in the Russian River Valley of Sonoma County. In the early seventies, the De Loaches decided to acquire additional vineyard land. For several years they watched others make notable wine from their grapes before making the decision to produce wine under the De Loach label in 1975. More than three decades later, Cecil and Christine sold that label and have continued their winemaking skills at the helm of a small family winery that employs a simple philosophy – craft exceptional wines, from the highest quality grapes, that people love to drink. We consider each step of the winemaking process an opportunity to showcase the distinctive flavors contained within our carefully cultivated grapes. Every bottle of wine is a worthy representation of the best effort from each and every person at Hook and Ladder Vineyards and Winery.

OUR VINEYARDS TODAY
On 375 acres situated in Sonoma County’s Russian River Valley, our vineyards produce cool climate grapes widely recognized as some of the finest in the world. Grape growers of the early 1900’s recognized the sites of our vineyards as being uniquely suited for wine grape growing. Building on their knowledge and experience, we have matched the soil and climate of each parcel with the varietals most likely to achieve its full potential.