October 2016 - Please The Palate

“Celebrity Spotting” of Jack in the Box and Cricket as they launch Brunchfast

Recently I received an invitation to a VIP Jack in the Box event in Los Angeles and I was intrigued. I do not eat fast food, except maybe on a very, very rare occasion. But, I do watch a lot of television and am quite familiar with the entertaining Jack in the Box commercials. For those not familiar, Jack Box is the founder, CEO, ad spokesman and mascot for the Jack in the Box chain. He is a typical man but his head is round and white with blue dot eyes, a pointy nose and a linear smile. He wears a business suit and a yellow clown cap. Jack has been the mascot since 1994 and for more than a decade, we have met his family members, some who have human heads and others with egg-shaped heads. We even saw Jack get hit by a bus and end up in a hospital. And, in 1998, Jack met his wife Cricket at a "Meat Riot" concert and they have a young son, Jack Jr. The commercials are really quite funny and tell a contiguous story.

31 October, 2016

Six Unique Wine Tasting Experiences: CARNEROS

This story originally appeared in California Winery Advisor. Carneros sits at the base of both Napa and Sonoma. In fact, Carneros is the only AVA in the United States that is located in two counties. With 8,000 acres planted, the majority of vines are planted on the Sonoma side. Carneros is a cool-climate appellation that is influenced by the San Francisco Bay. It is known for chardonnay, pinot noir and sparkling wine production. There are thirty wineries located in Carneros and here are six unique tasting experiences you can have to get to know the wines and the region.

Schug | 602 Bonneau Rd, Sonoma, CA 95476 Try their wine: Schug Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2014 Every winery has a story to tell. Sign up for a tour and tasting at Schug to learn its history. Schug was started by pinot noir pioneer Walter Schug in 1980. A third generation winemaker from Germany, where his father ran the first pinot noir estate, Shug was raised on pinot noir. He applied for an internship in Bakersfield and emigrated with his family in 1961. After working for Julian Gallo, Shug went to Joseph Phelps Winery in 1970 where he created the infamous Insignia. Shug started his own label in 1980 focusing on pinot noir, and in 1989 opened the winery that you can visit today.

28 October, 2016

On the Hunt for Semillon

This story originally appeared in the Napa Valley Register.

So many times, I hear people say that they do not like white wine or they prefer red wine. To me, there is a time and a place for every wine.

And, as much as I love red wines, I am currently obsessed with white wines. Chenin blanc, assyrtiko, grenache blanc, riesling, gruner veltliner, vermentino and so on, the vast diversity of white wine in the world is what I find exciting. I have now added semillon from the Hunter Valley, Australia to that list.

When you think of Australian wine, you probably think about shiraz. But in the Hunter Valley, located in New South Wales, two hours from Sydney, semillon is the iconic wine of the region.

Semillon, a golden-skinned grape, is the famous variety blended with sauvignon blanc to make Bordeaux blanc. With “noble rot” from botrytis, semillon is the dominant variety in the sweet dessert wines of Sauternes, Barsac and Cérons. But outside of France, semillon’s other primary home is the Hunter Valley.

26 October, 2016