The Relais & Châteaux GourmetFest is not, nor does it try to be, an event for the average food and wine lover. This is where true connoisseurs come to play, where elite wine collectors gather to share their very specialized obsession with like-minded folks such as legendary sommeliers Rajat Parr and Larry Stone.
Sonoma (US)
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Palazzo Wine | WINE
Several years earlier, when deciding on varieties, Palazzo adamantly selected Merlot and Cabernet Franc. “Everyone discouraged me and said, ‘You’re in Napa, Cab is king,'” Palazzo said, “I said, ‘No, I’m going to make what I love – a Right Bank Bordeaux Blend.'”
Art
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Artist Jessel Miller: Divine Inspiration | ART
Jessel is a bit of a Renaissance woman, fitting for an artist who studied her craft in the birthplace of the Renaissance, Florence, Italy. She is an acclaimed artist, the author of six books (a seventh to be released soon), an art and painting instructor, a songwriter, and an accomplished businesswoman.
Roma (Italy)
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Nerello Mascalese of Mt. Etna | WINE
“[Nerello Mascalese] is to Marcello Mastroianni as John Wayne is to Cabernet.” Alberto Graci, Graci Winery, Passopisciaro, Sicily. My mission is to explore the Etna DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) wine region and find out what is percolating on Mt. Etna, other than the still-active volcano.
Art
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Hess Collection: World Class Wine Experience | WINE
Founder Donald Hess’s art collection began when he bought a painting as décor for his new home. Years later, a friend studied the painting and informed him that he owned a Picasso. That gave Hess his first inclination that he might have an eye for art curation.
Slider Posts
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Healdsburg: A Food Lover’s Paradise | TRAVEL
Healdsburg is at the epicenter of three world-class American Viticultural Appellations. Just a few minutes outside town in any direction, estates and tasting rooms dot the rolling hills of vineyards wrapped around two-lane country roads.
Sonoma (US)
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Chase Cellars | WINE
“We gave our babies a huge haircut this year, and it wasn’t easy.” Katie was referring to the 117-year-old Zinfandel vines on the property her family has owned for almost 150 years.
Sonoma (US)
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Reviving the Ghosts | TRAVEL
When Prohibition was repealed in 1933, only 40 wineries had managed to survive and hundreds were left abandoned. Called “ghost wineries,” most were lost forever, but a precious few were later restored to their former glory. These wineries make up some of the oldest, most iconic, and cherished properties today.
Sonoma (US)
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Summer in the Vineyard | WINE
In wine country, the gentle cadence of the seasons grows stronger with each stage; it begins softly in winter when the vines are clipped and bare, and steadily intensifies through the first signs of life at bud break, then becomes steady but more urgent during the slow pace of summer when gloriously green vineyards sway across the valley, marching in time toward the crescendo of harvest.
Sonoma (US)
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Enriquez Estate Winery | WINE
Enriquez Estate is more than a winery and vineyard—it’s a wine country experience. Visitors to the estate can tour the beautiful 8.5-acre estate on ATVs, enjoying breathtaking vineyard views and then relaxing with a picnic lunch prepared by a private chef at the property’s lookout point.