Am I surprised that Napa, Calif., was judged to be the happiest place in America based on a mathematical analysis of 10 million tweets? No, I am not. Some of my pleasantest hours have been spent in Napa. Am I further surprised that Beaumont, Texas, wound up at the bottom of that list? Not...
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Do you know how hard it is for me not to bust out with a lot of corny seafaring jargon for this story about the new Judd’s Hill winery pirate-themed Internet show? Hard.
But because I am a trained professional I will restrain myself from avasting, shiver-me-timbering, and the like, and inform you calmly and collectedly that Read more »
One of my favorite lines in the Pixar movie Ratatouille occurs when the young chef and his chic Parisian girlfriend have to leave a roomful of people in a hurry and she announces bluntly, “We hate to be rude … but we’re French!” Who doesn’t chuckle at the thought of those brusque, supercilious Parisians? So...
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So now we know who the mystery buyers of the Robert Mondavi mansion are _ Jean-Charles Boisset, president of the French company Boisset Family Estates, which owns several California wineries, and his wife, Gina Gallo, granddaughter of California wine pioneer Julio Gallo. Call me sentimental but I like the idea of all that dynastic...
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Remember that two-bedroom steal I told you about in the Napa Valley? That’s right, the former home of the late wine pioneer Robert Mondavi and his wife, Margrit, that was going for nearly half off? Well, if you had your eye on it, you’re too late, buster. Someone has snapped that puppy up. Unfortunately,...
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Psst, looking for a hot deal in Napa real estate? I’ve got a good one for you, half off. OK, the minimum bid is $13.9 million. But, still. The property in question is the mountain top retreat of the late wine pioneer Robert Mondavi and his wife, Margrit. The original asking price was $25...
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Somewhere around hour 11 of a recent 26-hour marathon trip by train, plane and automobile from Soave to San Francisco I was struck by a thought: Have you ever noticed that the people hauling the biggest suitcases around airports are often not really dressed that well? As in you almost want to ask...
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Looking for something a little different? Raymond Vineyards fits the bill and then some. Interested in organic and biodynamic farming? They’ve got that. Want to meet a weed-eating sheep named Woolly Wonka? Check. Meanwhile, if you want to indulge your inner hedonist there’s the Crystal Cellar, which has the usual tanks, etc., you’d find...
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A few weeks from now the weather in the Napa Valley will be tilting toward toasty in the afternoons and there will probably be more people around than you may want to rub shoulders with. But right now conditions are pretty near perfect. Sunny skies, mild temps, moderately trafficked tasting rooms. Here’s a few...
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If you’re going to San Francisco, be sure to wear flowers in your hair. But if you’re headed for wine country, forget the flowers and pack your camera. Doesn’t matter if your photographic equipment consists of a battleship of an SLR you paid way too much money for or a point-and-shoot _ there...
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