July '06
Ballard Canyon - A Tour
Winegrower Steve Beckmen (left). Although the Sta. Rita Hills AVA has been getting most of the attention with its world class Pinot Noir, there are a few other growing areas in the Santa Ynez Valley that have also been excelling with wine grapes. Ballard Canyon is one of those areas, and destined to get even better! Our tour included stops at Tierra Alta, Stolpman, and Purisima Mountain, with lunch at Larner Vineyards. Along the way, we heard from growers & vineyard managers about what makes Ballard Canyon different.
June '06
Pinot Days - San Francisco
Winemaker David Dain Smith (left). This annual event began on Saturday with a series of blind tastings. Involving sixteen of the best producers from the Russian River and Sonoma Coast appellations, it gave us the opportunity to study the wines side-by-side, and was followed by similar look at the wines of Santa Lucia Highlands. Sunday held some smaller regional or vineyard-specific tastings, followed by the centerpeice of the day, the Grand Tasting, with wines from 140 Pinot producers from around the world.
June '06
Santa Rita Hills, Wine and Fire Festival
At the historic La Purisima Mission, over two dozen winemakers poured library wines and current releases from the Sta. Rita Hills AVA, during a reception on Friday. People mingled until dusk, after which, we had a private screening of the wine documentary, “From Ground to Glass," in the Mission's sanctuary. Saturday consisted of 4 tasting seminars, held in a secluded canyon, where winemakers discussed their particular approach to Chardonay and Pinot Noir. And the day was capped by a huge BBQ lunch.
June '06
Auction Napa Valley
Actress Geena Davis (left), and auctioneer Fritz Hatton work up the crowd. Arguably the benchmark in charitable wine auctions, the Auction Napa Valley is held annually in the Napa Valley. Established by a group of Napa Valley vintners in 1981, ANV has given $62M over its first 25 years for healthcare, youth service and low-income housing charities in Napa County. The GrapeRadio crew received an invitation to attend this stellar event, and we were not disappointed. Auction results also included.
May '06
2006 Hospice du Rhone- Paso Robles
Winemakers Françoise Peschon (left) and Vanessa Wong. The HdR is a two-day event featuring wine seminars, library and Grand tastings, and a unique opportunity to meet and talk with the people who are at the forefront of an increasingly popular Rhône varietal movement throughout the world. Presenters and attendees come from Europe, Australia, South Africa, and the U.S. to attend this annual function. Included in this photojournal are tasting and seminar notes, and auction results.
May '05
2005 Hospice du Rhone - Paso Robles
Seminar setup, for the wines of Alvaro Palacios. The HdR is a two-day event featuring wine seminars, library and Grand tastings, and a unique opportunity to meet and talk with the people who are at the forefront of an increasingly popular Rhône varietal movement throughout the world. Presenters and attendees come from Europe, Australia, South Africa, and the U.S. to attend this annual function. Included in this photojournal are tasting and seminar notes, and auction results.
May '04
2004 Hospice du Rhone - Paso Robles
Winemaker Rolf Binder (left), from Australia's Barossa region. The HdR is a two-day event featuring wine seminars, library and Grand tastings, and a unique opportunity to meet and talk with the people who are at the forefront of an increasingly popular Rhône varietal movement throughout the world. Presenters and attendees come from Europe, Australia, South Africa, and the U.S. to attend this annual function. Included in this photojournal are tasting and seminar notes, and auction results.
April '04
Green Valley Symposium - Sonoma County
Hosted by many of the growers and wineries of the Sonoma County's Green Valley appellation, this event covered the small premium wine-producing area which is nearly surrounded by the larger Russian River Valley appellation. Green Valley is a slightly cooler region that the RRV, due to its maritime influence from the south, and has a more constant temperature throughout various vineyards within the appellation. Included in this photojournal are tasting and seminar notes.

November '03
A Look at The Santa Rita Hills
Established in 2001, the Santa Rita Hills AVA is located in western Santa Barbara County. At about 48 square miles in size, it occupies slightly over 25% of the western-most portion of the larger Santa Ynez appellation. This region is the only area on the Pacific Coast of North America with transverse, or east to west, mountain ranges. Adding further to the distinction of the Sta. Rita Hills, an ocean fog penetrates up to, and often past, the eastern end of the appellation, just to the west of Buellton.

Sept '05
Scenes from Honfleur, France
This historic port on the estuary of the Seine was founded in the middle of the 12th century. Honfleur became an embarkation point for goods from Rouen to England. One of the most picturesque ports in France, characterized by high-houses with slate-covered exteriors. Sainte Catherine's Quay at the center of town is especially beautiful, having been painted many times by artists, including impresionists Claude Monet and Eugène Boudin.
Sept '05
Normandy and D-Day Battlefield & Memorial Sites
Arguably the most pivotal event of the 20th Century, the 1944 D-Day invasion of Europe involved an armada of 6,939 vessels, 11,680 aircraft, and 159,000 troops. Landing on beaches covering a 55 mile wide area, Allied troops encountered various amounts of resistance from German troops defending their "Atlantikwall."
Sept '05
Battle of Britain Air Show - Duxford
Located northeast of London near Cambridge, the Imperial War Museum's Duxford facility, a former WWII RAF base is both a 'living and working museum,' as well as the site of several air shows during the year, including the Victory in Europe Anniversary Air Show, the Flying Legends Air Show, and the Battle of Britain Anniversary Air Show.

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Updated 5.31.10