WINE

The recent wine country fires were horrendous. Beginning October 9th and raging for three weeks, the destruction was devastating. More than 160,000 acres (250 square miles) have burned in Sonoma, Napa and Solano counties. 100,000 people have been displaced. 43 people have died and more are still missing. More than 8000 structures were destroyed, including 5,500 homes that were completely destroyed and an additional 4,000 partially burned, as well as some wineries. This is a crisis that continues to reverberate. It is also impossible to wrap your head around the magnitude of damage. I was in Santa Rosa this week and saw first hand the neighborhoods that are destroyed as a friend took me to see her home in the Fountaingrove neighborhood. But recovery is starting to happen and the people are strong and resilient. They are optimistic, ready to rebuild and are working hard to get back to a normal life. And the outpouring of support and the generosity of fundraising from around the world has been extraordinary! The motto is #SonomaStrong and that is the Please The Palate pick of the week. TRAVEL TO WINE COUNTRY Head up to Sonoma Valley right now and support local wineries, restaurants, hotels and other businesses. Bring your tourism dollars. Sonoma and Napa are tourism-based economies so now is the time to take a trip! They are open for business and would love to see you!
18 November, 2017
Do you know what döner is? You know what gyros and shawarma are, right?  Well, döner kebab is from Turkey and is the ancestor of these two dishes. The seasoned meat is cooked on a vertical rotisserie on inverted cones that are slowly turning and roasting the meat in its own juices. And where can you find döner in Los Angeles? At Spireworks.

Spireworks is a fast casual restaurant concept with two locations in Los Angeles -  in Westwood and in Eagle Rock.

16 November, 2017

This story originally appeared in ATOD. Calistoga is a diamond in the rough, a charming little rustic town located in the northern part of the Napa Valley....

14 November, 2017
This story originally appeared in the Napa Valley Register. When I was starting out in the wine industry, I volunteered to pour wine at a Wine Spectator event. I was pouring for an Italian winery and was surrounded by other Italian producers. Next to me was a nice young man, and throughout the evening, we would pour each other a taste of wine. As the night came to an end, I was handed his business card and I looked at the name. It said Salvatore Ferragamo. and my first reaction was that I thought it was funny that he would be named after the famous shoe designer. That was my only thought as we said good night and he offered me a few bottles of his wine to enjoy. The wine was the Il Borro IGT 2000. And when I got home, I did a quick Google search only to find out that Il Borro is the project of Ferruccio Ferragamo, the son of the famous designer Salvatore Ferragamo, and his son Salvatore Ferragamo, is named after his grandfather. I took my three bottles of Il Borro and decided to save them, and over the past 15 years, I enjoyed two of them but have been saving the third and final bottle.
09 November, 2017
This story originally appeared in the Napa Valley Register.
At the heart of Beverly Hills is the famous Rodeo Drive, considered the intersection of luxury, fashion and entertainment. But now as people walk down the street shopping at the likes of Chanel, Prada, Gucci, Valentino, Armani, Dior, Cartier and more, they can also stop for a Napa Valley wine experience in the heart of Beverly Hills at the St. Supéry pop-up tasting salon.
St. Supéry, purchased by Chanel 2015, is the sustainably farmed winery in Rutherford, the heart of the Napa Valley. The new pop-up tasting salon is on the ground floor of the building next door to the Chanel boutique. This magnificent, three-story building was previously the home of Lladro porcelain. The 1.000-square-foot space has large glass windows looking out onto Rodeo Drive, a high ceiling that covers the three-story building and a grandiose staircase in the center.
07 November, 2017
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