The Culinary Gadabout

Wine tip for Oscar night

2012-02-21T13:07:00.000-08:00

Wondering what wine to serve at your Academy Awards party on Sunday? Here's a perfect--and perfectly appropriate--choice: the Director's Collection of wines from the Francis Ford Coppola Winery, owned by the legendary filmaker.

The winery knows it's on to a good thing with Awards night, too. One of the idas they've had fun dreaming up is a $65 "Oscar Gift Set," which includes one bottle each of the Director's Cabernet Sauvignon and Director's Chardonnay; Fleur de Sel caramel popcorn; black truffle and cheddar popcorn; red wine snaps; white wine snaps; and Francis Coppola Winery chocolate.

You can also buy the $80 Director's Four Pack (Director's Cut Pinot Noir 2010, Cabernet Sauvignon 2009, Chardonnay 2009, and Merlot 2008). Or you can buy just one in the cast of Director's Cut characters: Cab Sauv (about $21), Chard ($17), Merlot ($21) or Pinot Noir ($21).

And someone at Coppola had a good time coming up with this passage: "The Director's wines are made of grapes carefully sourced from various plots of land throughout the Sonoma Valley. The result is a complex finished production with the style to match the greatest cinematic achievements of the year."

For more info or to purchase, visit franciscoppolawinery.com

Free until Saturday: Top 10 San Francisco travel apps

2012-02-16T12:37:00.000-08:00

Today and tomorrow you can download my top-rated travel app, San Francisco Waterfront, along with 9 other top-rated apps covering the San Francisco Bay Area. For free!

Why? Most of us app authors have known each other a long time through various travel writer organizations, and we've decided to collaborate on this giveaway. Many thanks to Karen Misuraca, author of many print guidebooks and the wonderful travel app, California Coast North, for spearheading this project.

To download the apps, go to this page on Karen's site.You'll see all the apps listed and you can choose which ones to download. Ignore the prices you see: when you get to the iTunes store, the apps will be shown to be free.

Download the apps and then come visit and leave your heart in San Francisco!

U.S. wine exports reach new $1.4 billion high

2012-02-16T08:40:00.000-08:00

Click to enlarge. To convert liters to gallons, multiply liters by .26418. To convert liters to cases, divide liters by 9.

The Wine Institute sent news via press release early this morning that U. S. wine exports increased 21.7% in 2011 over the previous year, for a record high of $1.39 billion. Ninety percent of the nation's wine exports are from California.

Here's the entire release:

2011 U.S. WINE EXPORTS, 90 PERCENT FROM CALIFORNIA
REACH NEW RECORD OF $1.4 BILLION

SAN FRANCISCO – U.S. wine exports, 90% from California, reached a new record of $1.39 billion in winery revenues in 2011, an increase of 21.7% compared to 2010. Volume shipments were up 5.8% to 455.7 million liters or 50.6 million nine-liter cases.

“The quality, diversity and value of California wines have propelled us to another record year for wine exports,” said Robert P. (Bobby) Koch, Wine Institute President and CEO. “Our success in removing trade barriers and opening new markets as well as significant marketing investments by our wineries will allow us to reach our goal of $2 billion in exports by 2020.”

“Our global Discover California Wines campaign with its link to California’s iconic and aspirational lifestyle resonates with consumers, media and trade throughout the world,” said Linsey Gallagher, Wine Institute’s International Marketing Director. “We have significantly increased our focus on and investment in the China market over the past year in this top priority market. Our goal is to connect the lifestyle that is associated with our state with the understanding of California as a world class wine producing region.”

“Wine Institute’s work with the U.S. government and key international organizations such as the World Wine Trade Group, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation and FIVS continues to have a valuable impact in facilitating trade. Export growth in 2011, however, reinforces the need to continue eliminating unreasonable trade barriers, particularly in the Pacific Rim where wineries are burdened by protectionist tariffs and duplicative regulations costing Asia-Pacific economies close to $1 billion per year,” said Wine Institute’s International Trade Policy Director Tom LaFaille.

Thirty-four percent of U.S. wine exports by value were shipped to the 27-member countries of the European Union, accounting for $478 million of the revenues, up 10% from 2010. Volume shipments to the EU reached 28 million cases in 2011, edging up 1.4% from the previous year. Other top markets were: Canada, $379 million, up 23%; Hong Kong, $163 million, up 39%; Japan, $105 million, up 39%; and China, $62 million, up 42%.

“California wines continue to grow in popularity with both trade and consumers in the Canadian market,” according to Rick Slomka, Wine Institute Trade Director for Canada. “Some of the recent growth comes from new brands with eye-catching labels and clever names. Also contributing to this growth is the ongoing strength of the Canadian dollar which has made California wines more competitive compared to wines from other major wine regions. Our continued success with premium wines in the Quebec market and in LCBO VINTAGES, indicates that Canadian consumers see good value in California at all price points,” said Slomka.

“In a challenging economy, the UK wine market does not stand still, and new sectors and opportunities have arisen. California has been responsive to these, and has built on the bedrock of its major branded wines with successes in the independent retail sector and on-trade outlets. Growth in these areas introduces our wines to new audiences, and enables California to demonstrate its diversity at higher price points. This growth is by no means exhausted, and augurs well for the future here,” said John McLaren, Wine Institute Trade Director for the United Kingdom.

"California wines fared well in most European countries. In Sweden for instance, sales growth of California wines were the highest of all wine supplying countries in Sweden. The story was similar in Germany, where California again experienced the highest growth rate of all wine exporting countries. However, a significant portion of California wine imported into Germany is re-exported and actually sold in other European markets. Additionally, as a word of caution, the 10% change in the Euro/Dollar exchange rate of the past few months may have an effect on exports to Europe in early 2012,” said Paul Molleman, Wine Institute’s Trade Director for Continental Europe.

“The outlook in the world’s emerging wine markets remains positive as most markets continued to post strong gains in 2011. Hong Kong remained California’s third largest export market by value, although growth slowed to 39% from 150% in 2010 compared to 2009. China’s growth remained buoyant at 42% compared to 2010 and is now the fifth largest export market by value, up two places from last year. Vietnam posted the strongest year-over-year gains (+266%) among the top 25 markets. Elsewhere, there is significant optimism in South Korea due to the recent ratification of the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement and in Mexico where the 20% import tax on California wines was repealed in late October 2011," commented Eric Pope, Wine Institute’s Regional Director, Emerging Markets.

“U.S. bulk wine exports to Japan have been growing as major Japanese importers are now importing popular-priced California wine brands in bulk and bottling in Japan. This reduces the burdensome import duty to a certain extent and makes inventory control easier. As per bottled U.S. wine, Japan is now importing more expensive California wines than in the past. Unlike other new world wine exporting countries, California wine is well represented at high-end restaurants because of our successful annual restaurant promotion,” reported Wine Institute Trade Director in Japan, Ken-ichi Hori.

Since 1985, Wine Institute has served as the administrator of the Market Access Program, an export promotion program managed by the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service. For more information, see: www.wineinstitute.org.

Win a Charles Krug t-shirt

2012-02-08T07:09:00.000-08:00

Here's something fun.

Founded in 1861, Charles Krug Winery is the oldest winery in Napa Valley. Krug pre-dates a lot of devices that have been around forever, and which we take for granted -- like lightbulbs, airplanes and the telephone.

The winery's longevity gave its marketing department an idea: they would show just how very old Krug is by pairing the invention of ancient devices with Krug's existence. As an example, take a look at that photo of the Wright Brothers at the top. They invented powered flight in 1903, but Charles Krug had already been around for 42 years at that point, which leads to the photo's quote: "Charles Krug, always the right wine, quite possibly a Wright wine."

About that t-shirt...

Go on over to Krug's Facebook page and see if you can come up with a clever caption for the Statue of Liberty photo you find there (she didn't arrive in the US until 1886, 5 years after Krug had been founded). If you can dream up a winning quote for the photo, you will win what has been described to me as "a very special t-shirt" and get Krug bragging rights in the bargain.

Good luck!

Maybe lard's not so bad after all...?

2012-02-07T07:43:00.000-08:00

There’s been a lard conversation going on lately, one which seems to be re-thinking the artery-clogging dangers of lard (rendered pig fat). I hadn't really paid much attention until a short audio article entitled “Who Killed Lard?” was broadcast on NPR’s “Planet Money.”

Apparently there is some evidence that lard has gotten the kind of bad rap that's not entirely deserved.

A century ago, lard was used in every kitchen in America. It was the #1 cooking fat, used by everyone. But when lard fell from grace, it was a quick and steep plunge.

Author Robert Smith traces that fall from grace: “Lard didn’t just fall out of favor,” he writes. “It was pushed. It was a casualty of a battle between giant business and corporate interests.”

Smith refers to the old-time, big-money lard business as the “lard-industrial complex.” It’s an amusing, and at times fascinating, tale. You can read the audio text or listen to the audio here.

5 Food trends for Super Bowl Sunday

2012-02-02T07:29:00.000-08:00

The National Restaurant Association estimates that 48 million Americans will order takeout/delivery food while watching the Super Bowl this Sunday, February 5.

The five most popular food items of the day: salsa/dips/spreads (69% of survey respondents), chicken wings (63%), pizza (61%), desserts (50%), and healthful food items (42%).

In addition, 12 million people are expected to visit a restaurant or bar to watch the big game. Younger adults 18-34 years old constitute 52% of this group. The next highest percentage is people with children, at 40%.

People on the West Coast are nearly twice as likely to watch the game at a restaurant or bar as people on the east coast (9% in the west, 4% in the east). This is probably due to the earlier kick-off time in the west.

Best glasses to savor single malt and other whiskeys

2012-02-01T14:29:00.000-08:00

Single Malt and other fine whiskey fans know that the shape of a glass can maximize enjoyment of its contents. Part of this has to do with aesthetics—the simple pleasure of holding and admiring a beautifully-designed glass. But equally important is that a glass with the right size and shape enhances aromatics, and thus taste.

Back in 1992, in a quest to develop the ultimate whiskey glass, famed Austrian glassmaker Riedel brought together a panel of Scotch whiskey experts to test nineteen different glass shapes. Later, with the help of master distillers in Scotland, the company continued making refinements.

The result? The perfect glass for any fine whiskey. Shaped like an elongated thistle on a truncated stem, the Riedel whiskey glass possesses a slightly outturned lip. This long glass, warmed by the hand, permits the release of aromatics perceived by the nose in a slowly-unfolding, multi-layered sequence of discovery. And that’s even before the shaped lip directs the whiskey to the tip of the tongue, from where it expands into the mouth for that first velvet feel.

Experts consider Riedel’s line of glasses to be the finest for wines and sprits. Robert Parker, writing in The Wine Advocate, stated that “the finest glasses for both technical and hedonistic purposes are those made by Riedel.”

Riedel makes two versions of its whiskey glass. I don’t recommend the expensive, hand-blown Riedel Sommeliers Series Single Malt Whiskey Glass, which start at $50 each. They’re extremely thin and break easily.

However, the machine-made, reasonably-priced Riedel Vinum Single Malt Whiskey Glasses offer beauty, utility, and value: a set of two costs $39.95. The glasses are beautiful and thin (but not so thin that they break if you look at them the wrong way). They possess no “machine” seams, and the Riedel name is etched on the base. They stand 4.5” high and hold 7 ounces. Although they’re dishwasher-safe, hand-washing is recommended. These glasses also come in a Set of 4 for $79.90.

And if you want to learn more about single malt scotch, you can't do better than British writer Michael Jackson's classic Michael Jackson's Complete Guide to Single Malt Scotch.

Global wine consumption rising fastest in US and China

2012-01-25T08:40:00.000-08:00

According to a marketing study by Vinexpo, wine consumption will continue to grow swiftly in the US and China over the next four years. Conversely, a tough economic climate will create little increased demand in the "mature" (read "already-saturated") European market.

In 2011, the US officially overtook France and Italy to become the world's biggest wine consumer by volume. However, China is expected to overtake the US, becoming the world's largest wine market, within twenty years.

Between 2011 and the end of 2015, the US and Asia will drive a 6% increase in global wine consumption. By comparison, consumption rose by 4.5% between 2005-2010.

Read the whole story and a lot more statistics at just-drinks.

16 tasting rooms on Sonoma's 19th-century plaza

2012-01-23T08:31:00.000-08:00

Click to enlarge. You can obtain a free copy of the map at the Sonoma Valley Visitor Center on the Plaza.

A bit more than a year ago I wrote an article about Sonoma for a travel website. At the time there were maybe half a dozen wine tasting rooms on the town's mid-19th century Plaza.

Today there are fourteen, with two more set to open soon.

Collectively known as the “Sonoma Square WineWalk,” the tasting rooms are rapidly gaining a reputation as Sonoma County’s premier destination for sampling top-notch, small-lot wines. They even have their own WineWalk map, which you can obtain for free at the Plaza’s Sonoma Valley Visitor Center (the back side offers 2-for-1 tasting coupons). Many, though not all, tasting rooms waive the tasting fee if you purchase one or more bottles.

To learn more about the wineries, read my recent newspaper article, "Take the Sonoma Square WineWalk."

And while we're on the subject of Sonoma, why not enter to win a Wine Country Getaway?

Paula Deen makes it onto 2011’s "worst cookbook" list

2012-01-20T07:02:00.000-08:00

Ingredients in Deen's "Lady's Brunch Burger" include butter, ground beef, eggs, glazed donuts and English muffins. Photo: www.pauladeen.com

I've never paid much attention to Paul Deen for the obvious reason: way, way too much fat and sugar in her recipes. Apparently I wasn't alone in my feelings.

On January 4, nearly two weeks before news of Deen’s 3-year-old diabetes diagnosis was revealed to the world, PCRM – Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine – included her Southern Cooking Bible on its list of 2011's worst cookbooks.

Getting on that list means a cookbook’s recipes exhibit a complete disregard for health. Specific to Deen, the organization stated in its January 4 press release that “Deen, who made it into PCRM’s Worst Cookbooks of the Decade list two years ago, is back on this year’s list with her latest cookbook, which contains recipes like Burgoo—a stew that calls for 3 pounds of chicken, 2 pounds of beef, and 2 pounds of lamb…One serving of Hot Buffalo Wings (three wings) contains 910 calories and 85 grams of fat; meat-heavy diets raise obesity risk.”

There is also compelling evidence that such diets lead to Type 2 Diabetes.

Suffice to add two paragraphs from WikiPedia:

Deen has faced extensive criticism for the high amounts of fat, salt, and sugar in her recipes. She faced particularly strong objections with the release of Lunch-Box Set, a cookbook aimed at children, with Barbara Walters saying of the book, "You tell kids to have cheesecake for breakfast. You tell them to have chocolate cake and meatloaf for lunch. And french fries. Doesn't it bother you that you're adding to this?"Celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain commented in 2011 that he "would think twice before telling an already obese nation that it's OK to eat food that is killing us."

On January 17, 2012, Deen announced that she had been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes three years ago, a disease for which a high fat diet is a major risk factor. It was also disclosed that Deen is a paid spokesperson for the Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk. She was called a hypocrite for continuing to promote her high fat diet while only disclosing her medical condition when it benefits her in representing the drug company to market their diabetes management program.Deen stated on the January 18, 2012 episode of The Chew that a portion of her compensation would be given to charities.

BTW, the other four books on the "worst cookbooks" list:

Jamie Oliver’s Meals in Minutes: “One serving of the Meatball Sandwich contains 1,182 calories, 47 grams of fat (including 18.5 grams of saturated fat), 185 milligrams of cholesterol, and 2,352 milligrams of sodium, according to a nutritional analysis based on estimates by PCRM dietitians.”
Guy Fieri Food: The Jambalaya Sandwich is “loaded with bacon, pork butt or pork loin, smoked sausage, Andouille sausage, chicken thighs, and Havarti cheese.”
The Cook’s Illustrated Cookbook: More than 50 pages of recipes featuring grilled meat, which increases cancer risk.
The Neelys’ Celebration Cookbook: Bourbon Bread Pudding is saturated with butter, half-and-half, and whole milk; high-fat diets increase heart-disease risk.

“The high-fat meals in these cookbooks are real recipes for disaster,” says Susan Levin, M.S., R.D., and PCRM’s nutrition education director. “It’s scary that despite all that we know about the close link between high-fat foods and obesity and diabetes, cooks like Paula Deen continue to tout unhealthy meals. The real key to healthful eating is moving away from high-fat, meaty meals that increase the risk of these diseases.”

Enjoy Port? Maybe you'll win an iPad 2

2012-01-18T07:30:00.000-08:00

The Center for Wine Origins, devoted to protecting/promoting “unique wines from unique locations,” is giving away an iPad 2. Here’s the scoop:

January 27, “Port Day,” celebrates Portugal’s renowned fortified wine. As part of the celebration, the Center is hosting a contest encouraging U.S. consumers to photograph their favorite authentic Port wines.

To enter the contest and possibly win an iPad 2, send a picture of an authentic Port label to wineorigins@clsdc.com with the subject line “Port Day 2012 Photo Contest Entry.” Alternatively, you can post the picture to your Facebook profile, tagging yourself and the Center for Wine Origins in the picture.

One Grand Prize winner will be selected randomly on January 25 to receive an iPad 2. Complete contest rules are available here.

CG Shops: Quick and Fab Breakfasts

2012-01-13T09:44:00.000-08:00

Starting today, I'm adding a new feature to The Culinary Gadabout. Primo shopper Suzy Shepherd--always on the search for quality items at a value price--will occasionally write about a find geared to people who love to cook, enjoy a glass of something spirited, or take off on a trek to places far and near.

Today's CG Suggestion: Back to Basics' Egg & Muffin Toaster/Egg Poacher

Want a hearty breakfast before you rush out the door in the morning...but don't have time to fix it? I recently found the solution under the Christmas tree: a nifty and very efficient device that makes a delicious breakfast sandwich in less than 5 minutes. It's received a solid 4-star rating (out of 5) from more than 900 Amazon purchasers.

No kidding. The Back to Basics Egg-and-Muffin 2-Slice Toaster and Egg Poacher really makes delicious egg/muffin (or toast) sandwiches. It also contains a tray that warms up pre-cooked bacon or sausage patties, which you can then add to the sandwich. And it does even more.

The number of simultaneous functions employed with this handy 3-in-1 device is up to you. Maybe you'll want to toast bread while poaching or steam-scrambling an egg and warming up some bacon. Or maybe you'll just want to toast half an English Muffin. About the same size as a conventional toaster (7"x15"x8"), the BB Toaster/Poacher poaches one egg at a time (or boils up to four). Other features include light-to-dark toast settings, automatic shut-off, an easily-cleaned control touchpad (small photo), a removable crumb tray, and built-in cord storage.

The Back to Basics 2-Slice Toaster and Egg Poacher comes with a 1-year warranty and only costs $34.

Cooking for a crowd? Consider the $55 Back to Basic Egg ‘N Muffin 4-Slice Toaster/2 Egg Cooker.

Disclosure: If you click on a link and end up ordering something, The Culinary Gadabout will receive a small commission from Amazon, at no additional cost to you.

Wente Vineyards Introduces "entwine" tours

2012-01-11T15:04:00.000-08:00

This past summer TV’s Food Network and California’s family-owned Wente Vineyards collaborated to create entwine wines, a portfolio of Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon that retail for $12.99.

Beginning in late January, Wente Vineyards is offering visitors a special behind-the-scenes tour of its historic Livermore Valley winery, where entwine wines are produced. The tour will include an exclusive tableside food and wine pairing experience.

This month’s tours will be held on Thursday, January 19, at 12 p.m. and 4 p.m., and Saturday, January 21, at 2 p.m.

Thereafter, tours will be held on the third week of each month, from Monday-Thursday (twice daily at 12 p.m. and 4 p.m.) and Saturday (2 p.m. only). The fee of $25/person includes a tour of the winery and winemaking facilities, specialized entwine and food pairings, and a 20% discount on all entwine and Wente Family Estates wines purchased the week of the tour.

Advance reservations are required, with tour groups limited to 25 people. For more information, including how to book a tour, please visit www.entwine-wines.com/visit-us

or call (925) 456-2306.

A little background: The initial inspiration for entwine came from viewers’ requesting the Food Network to introduce them to the world of wine. Food Network partnered with Wente Vineyards because Wente makes great wine and has a deep connection to food as embodied in its vegetable garden and on-site restaurant.

Founded in 1883, Wente Vineyards is the oldest continuously-operated, family-owned winery in the country; owned and managed by the fourth and fifth generations of the Wente family. In 2011, Wente Family Estates was named American Winery of the Year by Wine Enthusiast and a top 30 wine company by Wine Business Monthly.

The Food Network is a lifestyle network, website and magazine connecting viewers to the power and joy of food. Food Network is distributed to more than 100 million U.S. households and averages more than 9.9 million unique web users monthly.

Nancy Cline of Cline Cellars & Jacuzzi Family Vineyards

2012-01-09T09:42:00.000-08:00

The Mission Museum's 1939 replica of the San Luis Rey Mission.

One of the best things about being a freelance writer living in wine country is that I get to to meet and interview so many wine industry people who love the work they do, from winery owners and winemakers to tasting room tenders and cellar rats.

I particularly enjoy profiling wine country folks who use their profits to accomplish a bit of good in the world.

On that score, I've admired Fred and Nancy Cline from the moment I stepped into the small museum they built on the grounds of Cline Cellars. The California Missions Museum houses a one-of-a-kind collection: large, hand-crafted replicas of all 21 California Missions. The replicas were built in 1939 by a team of German woodworkers for the World's Fair held that year in San Francisco.

The collection managed to stay intact until the late 1990s, at which time it was set to be auctioned off piece by piece. The history-loving Nancy Cline, believing that the Mission replicas should remain a set, purchased them all at auction. The Clines then built a home for them at Cline Cellars, opening the doors to the public. Admission is free. Last year 4,000 California 4th graders visited the museum as part of their history curriculum.

Just this year the Clines purchased and refurbished an historic hotel in Tonapah, Nevada. It makes for an interesting story, which you can read in my recent published profile of Nancy Cline.

The Mizpah Hotel in Tonopah, NV

Behind the scenes with wine.woot.com

2012-01-04T07:08:00.000-08:00

Wine.Woot founders, brothers David (left) and George Studdert, sampling wines. Photo: Christa Jeremiason/PD.

One of the Internet's earliest and most successful flash sales sites, wine.woot, keeps a deliberate low profile. So low, in fact, that I had no idea the company was founded and based in the town of Sonoma, California, where I live. An offhand remark at a party tipped me, and I ended up doing a story about wine.woot for the Santa Rosa Press Democrat--it ran on Sunday, January 1.

Here's an excerpt:

Prior to starting wine.woot, George had successfully run national sales programs for major corporations before founding his own boat lift company in 2001. David had earlier worked at Airborne Express, specializing in direct-to-consumer wine shipping. In 1998, when the states’ attorneys general declared this practice to be illegal, he started his own company to “help wineries ship legally to consumers in non-reciprocal states.”

The company did well until the U. S. Supreme Court’s 2005 Granholm ruling opened the door for wineries to ship directly to consumers. While that was great news for wineries and consumers, it essentially put David out of business.

But another door opened almost simultaneously. David had recently read a Wall Street Journal article about a new company, woot.com, that had pioneered the one-discounted-deal-a-day online business model in 2004 (woot.com was purchased by Amazon in 2010). He was intrigued by the one-daily concept and loved the site’s humorous sales approach.

“I was talking to George, worrying about the end of my business,” David recalled. “Suddenly he said: ‘Why don’t we sell wine on woot?’ He was half-joking, but I had a major epiphany, with bells and whistles going off in my head.”

The next day David sent an email to woot’s founder, Matt Rutledge, who immediately saw the possibilities in wooting wine. Talks ensued and, in May 2006, “almost a year later to the day,” wine.woot became the first offshoot launched by woot.

You can read the full story here.

10 Steve Jobs-style lessons for the restaurant industry

2011-10-10T11:33:00.000-07:00

I really wasn't going to write about Steve Jobs again, but this article from FastCasual, an online pub for the restaurant industry, is just too clever to pass up. Written by Alicia Kelso, it offers 10 tips for restaurant owners based on Jobs' life and work:

The customer-user experience trumps everything else.
Keep the brand simple and contemporary.
Get inspired by the small things.
Embrace technology.
Innovate past failure.
Anticipate trends.
Business is more than the bottom line.
No man or woman is an island.
Employees reflect the brand.
Keep it in perspective.

Read the article for yourself.

Steve Jobs, a new book by Walter Isaacson (CEO of the Aspen Institute and former chairman of CNN), will be released on October 24. Order it in advance on Amazon for $17.88.

Based on more than forty interviews with Jobs conducted over two years—as well as interviews with more than a hundred family members, friends, adversaries, competitors, and colleagues—Walter Isaacson has written a riveting story of the roller-coaster life and searingly intense personality of a creative entrepreneur whose passion for perfection and ferocious drive revolutionized six industries: personal computers, animated movies, music, phones, tablet computing, and digital publishing.

Although Jobs cooperated with this book, he asked for no control over what was written nor even the right to read it before it was published. He put nothing off-limits. He encouraged the people he knew to speak honestly. And Jobs speaks candidly, sometimes brutally so, about the people he worked with and competed against. His friends, foes, and colleagues provide an unvarnished view of the passions, perfectionism, obsessions, artistry, devilry, and compulsion for control that shaped his approach to business and the innovative products that resulted.

Driven by demons, Jobs could drive those around him to fury and despair. But his personality and products were interrelated, just as Apple’s hardware and software tended to be, as if part of an integrated system. His tale is instructive and cautionary, filled with lessons about innovation, character, leadership, and values.

Steve Jobs narrates "The Crazy Ones"

2011-10-07T07:53:00.000-07:00

Not food, not wine, not travel.

Today it's just a simple video. A 1972 Apple commercial that never aired, it's narrated by Steve Jobs.

If you're one of the world's Creatives and sometimes feel out of step, you'll get the message.

Preserving California's ancient vineyards

2011-10-04T09:07:00.000-07:00

Dino Amantite of Sonoma County's Pagani Ranch, kneels beside a vine planted in the 1880s.

This past Sunday, the Santa Rosa Press Democrat ran a feature story by me entitled Preserving Vines of Yesteryear.

California's Napa and Sonoma counties are home to many historic vineyards. Some—such as Sonoma Valley's Bedrock Vineyard, Pagani Ranch, and Old Hill Ranch—were first planted in the 1880s. Ancient vineyards such as these not only tend to produce grapes of great intensity, concentration and flavor, but also harbor rare and even near-extinct grape varieties.

However, the economics of wine today are contributing to the gradual disappearance of these heritage vineyards. Like other commodities, wines move in and out of fashion. When a hot new varietal comes along, these historic vineyards are sometimes replaced by the more profitable grape.

In the article I discuss the work of a new organization, the Historic Vineyard Society, which is working to keep these slowly-dwindling ancient vineyards intact.

Here's a link to my article.

California wine history on Christie’s auction block

2011-09-20T13:55:00.000-07:00

Earlier this year, California wine expert James Laube wrote that “Inglenook is to Napa what Margaux is to Bordeaux – one of wine’s crown jewels.”

This Saturday, September 24th, Christie’s New York will offer wine collectors a unique opportunity to bid for some of these “crown jewels.” The auction house will present a selection of rare bottles from the private cellar of Inglenook owner Francis Ford Coppola, including two bottles of the legendary 1941 vintage. All wines in this special offering were acquired by Mr. Coppola when he purchased Inglenook in the 1970s and have remained undisturbed all these years.

Inglenook Vineyards was founded in 1879 by Gustave Niebaum, a Finnish sea captain who used his enormous wealth to import the best European grapevines to Napa. Over the next several decades, under the guidance of the legendary John Daniel, Inglenook built a reputation as the source of some of the finest wines ever made.

By 1975, however, when Francis and Eleanor Coppola first purchased part of the famed property, the Inglenook Estate had long since been broken up and its name sold off. The Coppolas spent the next twenty years reuniting the vineyards and restoring winemaking to the historic Inglenook Chateau. Today, in addition to the Cabernet Sauvignon that dominates the Estate, the Inglenook acreage is also planted with Zinfandel, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Syrah, and six acres of white Rhone varietals that produce the estate's flagship white, Blancaneaux. Inglenook is now completely restored to original dimensions and is once again America's great wine estate.

The Christie’s auction now offers fine wine collectors the opportunity to purchase bottles so rare that only a handful remain in the original cellars at Inglenook. To mark the occasion for posterity, successful bidders will receive a handwritten note from Francis Ford Coppola with each bottle purchased, in custom-made wooden box designed specifically for this sale.

Here are some highlights of Christie’s day-long September 24 auction:

One bottle of the rare 1935 vintage from the “Golden Era” of John Daniel Jr. wines (estimate: $600-800).
A two-bottle lot of the celebrated 1941 Inglenook Cabernet Sauvignon (estimate:$8,000-12,000). Christie’s wine specialists note that the 1941 vintage can rightly take its place among legends like the 1945 Mouton-Rothschild, 1982 Lafite Rothschild, 1900 Margaux, 1961 Latour and 1989 Haut Brion, some of the most celebrated, most valuable and longest lived Cabernet Sauvignon-based wines in the world today.
A vertical of 12 key vintages from the years 1946 – 2008 presented in a bespoke wooden case signed by Mr. Coppola (estimate: $3,000-4,200). Proceeds from this lot will be donated to Shigeru Ban Architects + Voluntary Architects Network, a charity that helps build temporary housing for tsunami victims in Japan.

To view the complete e-catalogue for this sale, please visit this site.

Simple pleasures

2011-09-12T06:41:00.000-07:00

Yesterday after a 6- or 7-mile hike through classic Northern California landscape -- rolling hills, oak trees, killer views from the high spots -- I ended up in the garden of my hiking companion.

A landscape gardener, he has the kind of extensive, highly-productive garden you might imagine: eight different kinds of tomatoes, and a few different kinds of everything else (eggplant, squash, peppers, citrus, herbs, beans, and on and on).

But it was the melons that amazed me. I've never been able to successfully grow a melon, but David's garden contained at least half a dozen varieties. The dense vines sprawled across the ground, strong and healthy, with the fruit hidden below.

For about half an hour we tasted melons, slowly making our way up and down the rows. David would reach down, pluck a melon, cut it in two, and empty the seeds onto the ground. Then we'd stand there, straddling the melon vines, the late-summer sun nicely warm on our backs, tasting and comparing notes.

The most remarkable was the banana melon, which resembles and smells like it's namesake. The French charentais wasn't ripe enough; given the cool temperatures in Sonoma this summer, it may never get there. The honeydew needed another week, but was still excellent: crisp, clean, sweet. The yellow-skinned watermelon was a total winner.

I came away with a honeydew and a watermelon, and a few perfect veggies.

Sometimes the simplest things are the best things.

California Foie Gras ban is months away

2011-09-08T12:28:00.000-07:00

It's delicious, but... Where do you stand on Foie Gras?

This week Bloomberg took an interesting look at both sides of California's Foe Gras ban, which is set to take effect next July. The law was passed in 2004 and signed by then-Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. However, enforcement was put off for eight years to give producers time enough to find force-feeding alternatives. Those alternatives haven't appeared.

Opponents of forced-feeding include major animal rights organizations like People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), famous chefs (e.g., Wolfgang Puck, Charlie Trotter), and high-profile celebrities such as Paul McCartney, Alicia Silverstone, and many others. All cite the cruelty and inhumanity of forcing feed into the esophagus of a duck or goose through a funnel, a process that takes only 2-3 seconds but is thought to be painful. Studies have shown that mortality rates among force-fed birds can be elevated in the latter stages of fattening.

Those in favor of forced-feeding -- chefs, foie gras purveyors, and gourmands of all stripes -- say that the forced-feeding process is not painful, and that it imitates the gorging behavior of birds in the wild as they prepare to migrate.

Force-feeding is not new. Evidence exists that, as early as 2500 BC, ancient Egyptians force-fed geese. The process spread rapidly across the Mediterannean and into Europe and has been widely used ever since.

The Bloomberg article by Allison Vekshin, Foie Gras Lovers in California Will Soon Become Victim to Rights of Ducks, interviews people on both sides of the issue. Among them are chefs who serve Foie Gras, some of whom intend to ignore the ban, and others who plan to reluctantly comply.

Perhaps the most interesting factoid in the article is this: San Francisco chef Gary Danko, who has won a Michelin star for his namesake restaurant, usually sells 40 orders of Foie Gras each night, but when protesters show up the foie gras orders double.

Where do I stand? I've enjoyed Foie Gras perhaps a dozen times in my life, mostly in France. It's always delicious, whether prepared and served simply or gussied up with a fancy sauce and other ingredients. No matter how it's prepared, it tends to melt in your mouth.

However, I stopped eating it long before I realized there were ethical issues involved, because it's one of the foods highest in choleseterol -- a whopping 255mg per 100g.

But even if I didn't have to keep an eye on my cholesterol level, I still wouldn't eat it now. I'm not sure that forced-feeding is painful, but it might be. That's enough reason to kill my appetite.

A dinner where all pairings worked

2011-09-06T08:09:00.000-07:00


Getting settled in for dinner at Arrowood Winery

Last Friday night I enjoyed a dinner of extraordinary pairings—every combination worked exactly right, with sip and bite interacting in ways that brought out the best in each other. Nothing unusual about an excellent pairing, to be sure; but it is rare, for me at least, to sit through 5 courses in which each pairing is a winner.

The event was a winemaker dinner at Sonoma Valley's Arrowood Winery, part of the annual Sonoma Wine Country Weekend—a three-day, blowout affair that includes dinners and lunches throughout the county on Friday and Saturday, Saturday afternoon's impressive "Taste of Sonoma" (160 wineries, 60 chefs) on the grounds of MacMurray Rarnch, and a mega-fun auction on Sunday at Cline Cellars. Proceeds benefit charities, so it was nice to see that, going into the weekend, events were sold out (gross proceeds for the weekend amounted to $1.4 million).


Arrowood's winemaker, Heidi von der Mehden

Our host at dinner was Arrowood's convivial winemaker, Heidi von der Mehden, who did a nice job of introducing each wine as it was poured. I was having such a good time that I forgot to take note of vintages, but all were either 2006 or 2007.

Dinner, catered by Sonoma's the girl + the fig, was splendid, incorporating the best in local foods. Here's the menu, with accompanying Arrowood wines:

First Course

Chilled Corn Soup with Crab and Basil Oil

Wine: Chardonnay, Russian River Valley

Second Course

Frisée and Mâche salad

Asian Pear, Toasted Hazelnuts and Pear Verjus Vinaigrette

Wine: Viognier, Russian River Valley/Saralee's Vineyard

Third Course

Tea-Smoked Squab Breast with Black Pepper Spaetzle, Mushrooms and Pomegranate Reduction

Wine: Syrah, Dry Creek Valley

Fourth Course

New York Steak with Caramelized Ratatouille, Bread Salad and Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Wine: Cabernet Sauvignon, Smothers-Remick Vineyards

Summer Dessert

Grilled Peach Tart

Cream Cheese Pastry Cream and Brown Butter Crust

Wine: Late Harvest Riesling, Russian River Valley/Saralee's Vineyard

The impeccable chilled corn soup with crab and basil oil!

My favorite course was the steak. A perfect piece of meat grilled medium-rare, it was familiar in the best of ways. Ratatouille is familiar, too, but it was made new again by being caramelized, and then enhanced with the way-out inclusion of a small bit of bread salad. The combination of all three resulted in a taste that was totally new and, to be precise: scrumptious. And chasing it with that perfectly-balanced Cab with its black fruit overtones...

My favorite surprise pairing was the grilled peach tart with the Late Harvest Reisling. The peaches were the kind you buy in early July in a small outdoor market in an out-of-the-way village in the south of France—that is, they were absolute perfection, exactly what peaches should be but so rarely are. They were grilled so little that they were practically raw. The tart crust was light and airy. The reisling was fruity, with a hint of sweetness. The whole course was a sip-and-sigh. I don't normally even like dessert, but I sure liked this.

Eat local and be happy.

Food really does affect your mood

2011-09-02T10:51:00.000-07:00

This black bear may not know it, but she's warding off pessimism and depression by chowing down on that chum salmon.

An article in U. S. News summarizes various findings about the way in which the food you eat affects your mood, ability to ward off depression, and a lot more.

Elizabeth Somer, a registered dietitian and the author of Eat Your Way to Happiness (2010), notes that most people understand the link between diet and physical health. “But,” she continues, “the link between what you eat and your mood, your energy, how you sleep, and how well you think is much more immediate.”

The article looks at various ways diet could affect your mood. A few brief highlights:

Not eating regularly can make you feel “tired and cranky.” That’s because not eating causes blood sugar to sink, which in turn creates mood swings.

Being carb-phobic reduces your body’s production of the “feel-good” brain chemical, serotonin. According to research, low-carb eaters are more likely to feel tired, angry, depressed and tense.

Not getting enough Omega-3s, found in fatty fish like salmon and sardines, can lead to pessimism and depression.

Eating too much fat doesn’t just add pounds—it can lead to depression and even dementia!

There’s more, and it’s all interesting. Check out the article.

Just in: Top 3 Fast Food Chains in USA

2011-09-01T11:50:00.000-07:00

2011 has been a very good year for Five Guys Burgers and Fries, as it again tops consumers’ favorite quick-service restaurant (QSR) list, according to the annual consumer restaurant chain survey conducted by Market Force Information. It's followed by long-time West Coast favorite In-N-Out Burger (#2) and Chick-fil-A (#3).

The study also revealed that each of the top three restaurants excelled in friendly service, the category with the most differentiation among all contenders.

More than 4,500 consumers across North America participated in the survey conducted in August 2011. It examined which QSRs consumers prefer and which attributes are most important to them. Market Force first calculated the favorites based on pure number of votes, and then factored in the number of locations for each chain for a more level view of the results (see chart below).

The bottom three QSRs on the list are McDonald's, Subway, and, in last place, Burger King.

The study also asked respondents to rate QSRs by attributes such as food quality, taste, speed of service, cleanliness and value. Friendly service was the category with the most differentiation, and it was dominated by Chick-fil-A, In-N-Out Burger and Five Guys. The least variation was found in the taste category, which suggests that consumers see the most differentiation—and value—in those restaurants with the best service and friendliness.

While consumer-favorite Five Guys didn’t dominate any of the categories, it performed consistently well across most of them. Similarly, In-N-Out Burgers scored highest in food quality and second highest in friendly service and value. Other chains were less consistent. For example, McDonald’s scored poorest for quality of food, but ranked second for speed of service behind Sonic. Similarly, Taco Bell was lowest in cleanliness, but highest in overall value.

Wine & beer tie in US consumer preferences

2011-08-31T07:00:00.000-07:00

What's your preference?

For the first time since 1992, wine and beer have tied as the top choice among U. S. drinkers asked in a Gallup poll whether they most often drink liquor, wine, or beer. The poll found that nearly as many named wine (35%) as beer (36%). Liquor came in third, with a 23% preference.

That 36% preference for beer is the lowest recorded by Gallup since the poll began in 1992. Poll findings indicates that younger adults have a decreased preference for beer compared to their elders -- something the beer industry is no doubt paying lots of attention to.

If you'd like to read a detailed article about the study results, visit this Gallup page.