Because of my ongoing preparation for the Certified Wine Educator (CWE) exam, I haven’t been posting on this blog as much as I would like. Earning this certification is my primary goal for 2011. So I’m really just beginning to gear up for the exam, and I will grind it out for as long as possible. Anyhow, since so many people have been discovering the Thirsty Reader through CSW-related googling, I’ve decided to post my own version of the CSW study guide, which can be downloaded below as a 55-page PDF document.
I need to acknowledge at the outset [... read more ...]
The last time I had been to the Moscone Center was about 20 years ago, back when it was the site of one of the biggest sportscard conventions in the world. In those days, I was real heavy into baseball, and Moscone had it all; there were even a few tables that offered the infamous 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle rookie card, which was worth about $50,000 back then (not sure what it could fetch now). At the same time, you could also buy a Jose Canseco rookie card for a cool $80 (that same card is worth about $10 [... read more ...]
I continue to receive hundreds of searches per day regarding the Farmstead Restaurant, which is set to open in St. Helena next month. To that end, I’m working on scheduling an interview with proprietors Ted and Chris Hall very shortly, so hopefully I can uncover a few more details about this new project. In the meantime, here is an excerpt from Long Meadow Ranch’s press release from January 11:
Opening in February 2010, Farmstead restaurant showcases the seasonal, ingredient-driven American farmhouse cooking of executive chef/partner Sheamus Feeley, who most recently served as executive chef/research and development for Hillstone Restaurants [... read more ...]
During the heights of harvest and crush, I’ll often promote Calistoga as a potential refuge from the Napa Valley’s tourist congestion (of course, it requires a trip up to Mendocino wine country to truly leave everything behind). But even in the winter, when things around the entire valley go calm, Calistoga still has its merits. For one thing, I could argue that it’s the most scenic area in the valley this time of year. When the vines themselves don’t present much in terms of foliage, the gnarled and burly vineyards of Calistoga offer much more personality than the slight, [... read more ...]
