Well, as luck would have it, I was at the Aspen Food & Wine Classic on the Murphy-Goode application deadline day. I must admit, I was a bit stressed about not being in front of my computer for the last 72 hours, harassing people on Facebook, twitter and Foodbuzz – recruiting them to vote for my video. It even occurred to me to print business cards with a link to my URL and hand them out at the event. But given the actual contacts at my disposal, I threw the 2.0 campaign techniques to the wind, opting for a more traditional approach to this competition: Namely, good old fashioned me, out there in the field with my smile. Judging by the number of votes my video received, this was a smart move.

I scoped out Murphy-Goode’s spot in advance. Prime location near the entrance of tent #1. I drag my tasting companion directly to the table —much to my astonishment Dave remembers my name?! I start with the Fume Blanc, it’s sunny out.  I nonchalantly try to slip all the A Really Goode Job propaganda in my bag. . . Continue Reading »

Tags: A Really Goode Job, Aspen Food & Wine Festival

I’m sitting in the Aspen airport as I type. The lines are long, flights are sparse. Bad weather has created an epic bottleneck at the airport. People don’t seem to care. I think we are all still a bit giddy from the greatness of this weekend. It has truly been one of the most fantastic experiences of my life. To my right, Susan Dolye of MacMurray Ranch (http://www.macmurrayranch.com/OurWinemaker.htm) smiles at me from one row over. I met her at the Sonoma Superstar lecture; to my left are Vinny Dotolo and Jon Shook from Animal in Los Angeles (http://www.animalrestaurant.com/), they also smile and say hi, I met them at the Texas Outlaw Party party. That’s how the whole weekend has been. You ride the shuttle bus into town with Merry Edwards of the Merry Edwards Vineyard (http://www.merryedwards.com/). You stand behind Marcus Samuelsson at the coffee shop and he invites you to a cocktail party. If I had to come up with one word to describe the event, I would go with accessible – that’s not sexy or exciting, but it is what is most remarkable about this event. Over the course of the weekend you have access to some of the most influential people in the food and beverage industry. Lowly “consumers” like me are brought together with these stars by a shared passion for food and wine. Everyone here is approachable. Eager to talk, learn and educate. Danny Meyers (http://www.unionsquarehospitalitygroup.com/) is interested in hearing about what you think of his new wine; he wants to know if I learned anything about terroir at this lecture. As he leaves the tent on Sunday, he waves good bye to me. It’s inspirational to meet all of the leaders in my field. Their humbleness and enthusiasm reminds me why I have chosen a path in food and wine. 

For three straight days, I have been in the presence of greatness. A text comes in. It’s my friend Kimberly, she is hanging out with Fabio from Top Chef (http://www.bravotv.com/top-chef?c=fabio) at the Denver airport. I have an urge to scream at the Frontier airlines gate agent, “I’ve been with celebrities, now get me out of here” but, I resist. Gail Simmons wouldn’t do that now would she?

Tags: A Really Goode Job, Aspen, Sonoma County Wine Tasting

In my race to create a social media storm of epic proportions, for a Really-Goode job, I have discovered some really incredible material on the internet. The “social” part of this storms keeps me very connected to my beloved laptop, far, far away from real people.

Today, I stumbled upon a company called Crushpad. Believe I dug this one up through a Facebook group? The concept is mind blowing. Crushpad is a facility that enables you to make your own wine. “Crushpad is a state-of-the-art winery where you are the wine maker.” They provide the grapes, the facility and you decide what level of involvement you have in making your own wine. Sounds too good to be true?

A step-by-step program has been created. Starting with grape and barrel selection, everything from business plans, to production and licensing; sales and marketing; logistics and storage services are provided. What seems most unique about Crushpad is its dedication to connecting its clients and creating a “virtual” community for them. “Crushnet” (http://www.crushnet.com/) is proprietary online community to connect fellow winemakers and learn about each other’s experiences. I personally LOVE all of the videos that take you through the entire wine making process. If you are new to wine and haven’t had the chance to visit a winery yet, Crushnet has some excellent video that you can watch from your computer while enjoying a nice glass of vino! They also host events and classes for members and wine makers. Continue Reading »

Tags: A Really Goode Job, crushpad

I’ve done a lot of writing about white wines. I don’t want the folks at Murphy-Goode Wines to think I’m biased towards white. That’s absolutely un-true. As luck would have it, I stopped by Venice Beach Wines to see how Taste Of The Nation went for them. It’s a cold, cloudy day in Venice. Rain is eminent. Finally, the right type of weather to put me in the mood for red.

I’m in the California section. Something catches my eye. A wine from Bolinas? That hippy town North of San Francisco, where, everyone goes surfing? They don’t make grapes there? But a bottle of Sean H. Thackrey Pleiades XIII Old Vines California Red Table Wine ($23.49) stares me back and say’s “oh yes, they do”. A table wine (blends of many different varietals) for $23 bucks seems steep. Oscar nods his head yes, his eyes light up. Okay, here we go! Continue Reading »

Tags: A Really Goode Job, Sean H. Thackery