Dream collaboration announcement: I was recently asked to create a tasting around Alberta Ferretti's new capsule collection for Macy's Impulse. HeLO amazing fashion opportunity! It gets better: they're dressing me in the clothes. It's all going down at Macy's SF Tues. April 17 and called, officially: Stylish Sips: Wine Pairings for Ferretti Fashions. I'll be creating a tasting around four featured outfits (so the wine will literally be paired with the fashion), plus styling food pairings to match. It's like, FREE (!) to attend, but RSVP is a must.

Oh, and they'll have personal shoppers on hand for those of you who'd like some extra attention (you know who you are). Let's share a drink to being ever more fashionable. Drop me an email or leave a comment here if you'd like to be added to the guest list. - xoxo, CC

Posted by Courtney at 09:26 PM • Comments (0)

Enter to be considered for a spot on the bottling line for Hip Tastes' new red blend - our first-ever commercially available wine - debuting this spring! A small group of Hip Tasters will pitch in over barrel samples and snacks at Oakland's Urban Legend Cellars this Saturday 2/4/12 (note: timing and details to be confirmed once bottling team selected). To be considered, visit our Facebook page, like us and post a note on our wall telling us why you would make the best wine bottler ever.

Extra points for creativity, natch.

Posted by Courtney at 11:40 PM • Comments (0)

One of the most delightful new people I met - virtually, via Facebook in this case - in 2011 is Nikki Nelson of Liquid Farm. Nikki runs Liquid Farm - a 100% Chardonnay project - with her husband in Los Angeles, with the wine made in the Lompoc wine ghetto. She was kind enough to share with Hip Tastes these pics of her "Wine Nerd Wedding" with Jeff, a longtime rep for Henriot Champagne. After the jump, more on their in-the-vineyard nuptials (I so love this pic of them holding grapes in the vineyard, which they captioned "Chardonnay and Us") and the startup label, which takes inspiration from the whites of Burgundy but equally channels the richness and purity of the Santa Rita Hills. Onward, to wine geek fabulosity!

Continue reading "Liquid Farm: Insanely Cute Wine People, Liquid Gold, Santa Rita Score" »

Posted by Courtney at 03:18 PM • Comments (0)

It's T minus one hour to La Cocina's annual holiday gift bazaar in the Mish. This is just a quick note to say that if you're looking for something to do tonight and you love supporting local food talent while also finding totally fabulous stocking stuffers and hostess gifts and pantry musts this time o' year - then head over to the Mission Cultural Center tonight for some goodies between 5 and 9.

AND, don't forget to check out La Cocina's silent auction - which runs through the 12th - online. I am offering a private in-home tasting and 3 signed copies of Hip Tastes! Talent is fierce on the auction roster with heat coming from the likes of Chez Panisse, Food Network hottie Aida Mollenkamp and more - please help me represent! Proceeds go to this fantastic non-profit that makes a wonderful impact on our community while enriching lives and enabling business building dreams. ;)

Silent Auction overview
My item @ eBay

- CC

Posted by Courtney at 04:06 PM • Comments (0)

Last week I paid a visit to the affable Steve and Marilee Shaffer at Urban Legend Cellars, their Oakland-based vinous outpost that strikes quite the appropriately urbane mold. I'm working with Steve and Marilee to create the next Hip Tastes blend, a red featuring Amador County fruit to be released March 31, 2012 at a splashy HIP TASTES Event at the winery (mark your calendars!!).

At their website, Steve and Marilee describe themselves as: "Husband and wife, serial entrepreneurs, high tech alumnae, flavor junkies, and, likely, moderately crazy, but in a nice, togetherness sort of way (would that be a folie a deux?)." Check out the Flickr album for more on their technicolor tasting room, cool mechanical pipettes for blending (srsly high tech!), our method and the day that was. Oh, and there's also a pic of my cool new cowboy boots for a hit of fashion flair. ;)

AND: Stay tuned for more on what's shaping up to be quite the exciting collaboration!

Posted by Courtney at 10:21 AM • Comments (0)

Hip Tasters gathered Saturday at Sutton Cellars for our first ever urban winery event with Twitter-powered scavenger hunt. Featuring the debut Hip Tastes wine (Hip Tastes Red!) and custom blended beverage-inspired scents, 'twas a merry day in Dogpatch. Stay tuned for more on future wine collaborations, events and Hip Tastes culture. For now, happy almost T Day. May you drink well and make many good memories with your nearest and dearest.

See the pics - by the one and only John Curley - at Flickr, and don't forget to "Like" Hip Tastes on Facebook! Images are posted there, too, so please tag yourself and share, share, share!

xoxo, Courtney

Posted by Courtney at 01:25 PM • Comments (0)

I met up with soon-to-be-wedded pal and expert-o-crafting-arts, Ariel Sutro, to put together decor and accessories for my upcoming Mix It Up! event (11/19). Not only is Ariel's SF abode super stylish, it's a veritable "bus station" (her words) of family members and friends shuttling through on various errands or to say hello. I'm thrilled she found time to help given all this activity and that her wedding is the weekend before my event.

Check out Ariel's GORG Givenchy wedding shoes - they fit right in with the be-feathered "flair" we created for Hip Tastes and set the tone for high style! After the jump, lots more pics from my visit and the story on the bespoke bouttonnieres, fascinators and feathered clips we're crafting for Mix It Up!. Peruse the full Flickr album here.

Pictured: Shoes, Ariel's pad, flair in process; below, Le Couple: Ariel with her fiance Josh at their joint bachelor/ette fete in Golden Gate park

Continue reading "Hot Shoes, Pre-Nuptial Excitement & "Mix It Up!" Flair Fabulosity " »

Posted by Courtney at 06:59 PM • Comments (0)

I dropped in on talented botanical perfumer Beverly Alkire at her Inner Sunset flat to discuss blends for my upcoming Hip Tastes event (details going up 10.11). Beverly has a great eye for color and interiors and I was looking forward to the visit as much for the chance to check out her cool abode as for the work we set out to do there!

I'm working with Beverly to come up with three custom unisex scents for Mix It Up! Blending In Three Acts Featuring Earth, Wine & Scent (Nov. 19 @ Sutton Cellars). The event is a chance to explore the art of the blend across different mediums, including - naturally - wine. And while I know that guests will love learning a bit about how wine blends are created, I suspect they'll be as excited to learn about how perfumes (and more!) come to be. Guests are invited to meet Beverly at her perfume bar on Nov. 19 to learn more about these three scents. Then, because we're cool like that, you'll be able to take a generous sample of your favorite scent home with you!

>>More on blends, juniper & wormwood, Bev's method & how learning scents isn't that different from leaning wine...

Continue reading "At Home with Beverly Alkire: Custom Botanical Scents for Hip Tastes, Sensual Wormwood, More" »

Posted by Courtney at 11:33 AM • Comments (0)

My April visit to NYC was made so much more superb thanks to Buvette. Wine vixen Alice Feiring sent me there, so I've her to thank (her note praising Buvette can be found near the bottom of this post speckled with bottle reviews - but beware some conclusions drawn, Cali Pinot lovers!!). Billed as a modern "gastroteque," Buvette is tucked into a quiet corner of the West Village but has already - no doubt thanks to mucho good press here and here, for example - started drawing major crowds. And while I love love love the simple and delicious plates at Buvette, I love the spot's ethos even more: chef-founder Jody Williams captures just this when she says "we think of our kitchen as a workshop; we think of ourselves as craftsmen more than cooks." With workaday tools and luxe embellishments alike right at home in the spot's luminous interior, it's easy to anticipate the honesty, quality, character and - dare I say it? - craftsmanship coming out of the kitchen. Kibbitzing with Jody about her new boite over a bottle of Bugey-Cerdon (her personal fav at the moment) was just icing on the visit.

Read on for more on Buvette, and don't forget to check out my Flirk album from the visit here.

Continue reading "New York Stories: Gastronomes, Bugey-Cerdon and Bliss at Buvette" »

Posted by Courtney at 02:12 PM • Comments (0)

As you can easily imagine, I was tickled when an expat princess - or some sort of Germanic royalty, for that matter - phoned me up recently and asked if I would like to meet the head of Champagne uberpowerhouse Krug (AKA Ms. Krug). Though I'm short on German words for "hell yes" - okay, downright bereft - I managed to accept and immediately commenced planning my outfit for the interview. I felt, you see, as though I needed to get dressed for the Champagne as much as for the woman. Two things that, depending on how you look at them, are more or less the same thing in this case.



Hey, Champagne: There's a New Gal In Town
Turns out Margareth "Maggie" Henriquez is not your typical Champagne house CEO. For starters, she's not French. But not only is she not French, she is - mon dieu! - Latin. As in, Venezuelan. Though unmistakably elegant, Maggie's is a subdued elegance that probably strikes the insanely-turned-out Parisian women she bicycles past as inadequately outree.

Continue reading "Krugtastic Fabulosity Starts Here" »

Posted by Courtney at 09:05 PM • Comments (0)

This just in from The Swill, my beverage gossip column at Eater SF. It's my coverage of this week's Taste of Mendocino here in SF - lots of great pics and insider tidbits on this northerly region. Watch for dish on Navarro Vineyards, Phillips Hill, Trinafour Cellars, Philo Ridge, Elizabeth Spencer, Toulouse, Goldeneye & Roederer Estate. On the food front: Shamrock Artisan Goat Cheese, Mendocino Sea Salt and Seasoning Co., canner/blogger Caroline Radice and Wicked Bon-Bon Chocolatier.

***Via Eater:
Mendo likes to hang its hat on being green--as in, the "greenest wine region in America." The area boasts the greatest percentage of certified organic vineyards of any wine region in the US, so there's some truth to the claim. But let's talk about what else is hot about Mendo: pot and people...

Continue reading at Eater

Paparazzi PS: View my entire Flikr stream from the event here.

Posted by Courtney at 11:50 AM • Comments (0)

Wherein I compare this illustrious Austrian grape to a certain Austrian ex governor of ours. Read it to believe it. Big thanks to Michael Mina somm Josiah Baldivino, Sons & Daughters bev maven Carlin Karr and Roland Micu of Napa's La Toque for their fabulous commentary. I'm looking forward to Assyrtiko sending "gateway wine" Gruner the baklava!

Read on @ Eater SF

pictured: sommelier Josiah Baldivino

Posted by Courtney at 11:05 AM • Comments (0)

The author and my dear friend Caille Millner will soon depart our fair shores for Berlin, where she'll be doing a fellowship for the year. I want to wish her the very best, and to offer my first suggestion for her immersion: find the nearest wine bar, find a few fav pours and send word! I'll be on my way out to visit soon. Warmest, CC

Which means: all of you can expect a full wine-diary-from-Berlin report, in due time. ;)

Snap: This pic was taken at my birthday last year - Caille is pictured here as a guest - by my pal Gari James, whose now-you-see-me-now-you-don't persona makes the shot. Or maybe it's his stylish ensemble??

Posted by Courtney at 11:32 PM • Comments (0)

I snapped this shot of Jess Jackson, Sonoma wine magnate whose passing was just announced today, last summer. I was consulting for some of Jackson's ultra luxe brands - Sonoma Bordelais standout Verite among them - in a marketing and PR capacity. This shot was taken high atop his much-loved Alexander Mountain Estate, from which fruit for some of Verite's lovely wines hails. I know he was proud of this special place, which overlooks the Alexander Valley's sweeping vistas and boasts some of the best (and most challenging to farm) vineyards in the state. I didn't get to know Jess too well during the short time I worked with his family, but it was still clearly evident how much he loved Sonoma, its terroir, and the California wine industry. A great contributor to all of these things, he will be remembered for a long time. Thanks, Jess.

photo: It's not ideal, but I kind of like that my finger obscures some of this shot. It was "of the moment," and it was a good one.

Posted by Courtney at 11:03 PM • Comments (0)

With "crowd-sourcing" firmly entrenched in the 21st Century lexicon, it's only natural that the collective movement should find its way to the wine world. But that it should do so hilariously seemed too much to ask; then again, that was before rubber chickens were introduced to the equation. Galvanizing his "Twisted Few" (read: wine club members and anyone quirky enough to get on the bandwagon) to participate, California vintner Jeff Stai of Twisted Oak winery recently initiated his annual "Take Your Rubber Chicken to Work" contest, which just concluded. Participants submitted photographs of the winery mascot in their various places of business (the OR, a writer's retreat), creating an oeuvre on the winery's site that tells its own sort of tale: one in which a spot's fans are as key in driving identity as the vision and output of the founders themselves.

With tongue planted firmly in cheek, Stai seems poised to keep pushing the envelope where wine and collective branded identity goes. Yes, please.

Pictured: cover of contest winner, Vineyard & Winery Management magazine, edited by Tina Caputo, my fellow scribe in about-to-be-launched iPad wine mag, Uncorked (Nomad Editions)

Posted by Courtney at 03:54 PM • Comments (0)

Announcing the latest version of The Swill (my Bay Area beverage gossip column for Eater), wherein I dish on for gourmet & sartorial fabulosity dets in Dogpatch. Or, how an SF 'hood is emerging as the new hottie spot...

from Eater: Vermouth master and conqueror of the quirky wine trend, Carl Sutton is about as artisanal as it gets when it comes to making wine. Add in the self-taught vintner's recent move from Sonoma to urban winery digs in Dogpatch, and the story gets even better for urbanites. en lire plus

Flikr pic stream

Posted by Courtney at 12:06 PM • Comments (0)

I was thrilled to get the invite to tonight's unofficial Ugly Sweater party at Saison from Somm-about-Town and resto co-owner Mark Bright. I've known wine wunderkind Mark just about since I landed in SF in 2005/6, when we became pals after he'd caught wind of my Hip Tastes events. Mark was sweet enough to feature my book in his wine shop at Local Kitchen several years back and we've just recently reconnected as I'm penning a piece for a freelance client on his Dcantr, the new wine bar adj to Saison...

But I digress from the purpose of tonight's post, which is simply to post this fabulous pic of Mark and I posing along with my pal Jenn H in our ugly xmas sweaters. I still can't decide if the best part of the night was roasing s'mores in Saison's outdoor open fire oven or making funnel cake under the tutelage of Josh Skenes.

Update: A link to my review of a meal at Dcantr for Eater SF

Posted by Courtney at 10:46 PM • Comments (0)

I was lucky enough to be included in an absolutely fabulous dinner @ Relish Culinary in Healdsburg Nov 3, where host Hardy Wallace of Murphy Goode's (in?)famous Really Goode Job search rapped with current season Top Chef contenders Eli Kirshtein and Kevin Gillespie over multiple courses of foie gras-esque fabulousness paired with - what else? - Murphy Goode wine. Enjoy this intro clip of Hardy at said meal introducing the top toques and welcoming us to the occasion. I really, really love MY job. :)

Posted by Courtney at 10:29 PM • Comments (0)

Thurs. Oct 15, 6-8pm
TICKETS

Calling all ladies and skincare conscious gentlemen!! In just two short weeks I'll be co-hosting "Beauty & Bubbly," a fabulous evening of sparkling wines from the world over and incredible deals on medi spa services (which include, of course, Botox, as well as the likes of microdermabrasion, facials, peels, products and much more). It'll be at Union Street MedSpa - a gorgeous space in Cow Hollow - and I'll be on hand serving the bubblies, natch.

Best part? Your ticket scores you a signed copy of my book, Hip Tastes: The Fresh Guide to Wine ($20 value) and a rockin gift bag including product samples and a coupon for a FREE microdermabrasion ($100 value). That's like $120 in value - plus awesome international sparklers (some bubbs will hail from as far away as Argentina and Israel), light bites, fab music and stylish peeps to mingle with.

So what are you waiting for?? Reserve your spot today - it's all very limited, of course. :)

Tickets

Posted by Courtney at 01:47 PM • Comments (0)

I thoroughly enjoyed my visit with The Eyrie Vineyards' second generation winemaker, Jason Lett, who clearly takes following in his father's footsteps very seriously (his father founded the Willamette wine industry back in the 60s). He strikes as a bit of a sage - plus wears this very cool hipster hat - and so I asked him to share his philosophy on making great wine. Enjoy.

Posted by Courtney at 10:25 PM • Comments (0)

I join Willamette's Scott Wright of Scott Paul Wines as he talks about his passion for Pinot Noir and the magic in his 2006 La Paulee and 2007 Audrey (my fav wine from the trip!) bottlings. Filmed on location at Scott's Carlton, OR tasting room.

Posted by Courtney at 10:11 PM • Comments (0)

I meet with David Adelsheim, Willamette wine pioneer and all-around nice guy (plus he's wicked good with maps, but more on that later), and can't help but ask - "why are people so laid back around here?" I'd just driven past a street called "Why Worry Lane," and been slowed to a near standstill by the unbelievably slow drivers in the area, so I wanted to know. David's answer is sweet, and his candid stories about the founding of the Willamette wine industry as we know it are even better.
***

Posted by Courtney at 01:28 PM • Comments (0)

Check out my video of celebrated winemaker (and Cali transplant) Lynn Penner-Ash outside her gorgeous winery in north Willamette's Yamhill-Carlton district. Neighbors aren't too shabby: Lynn points out nearby Beaux Freres, among others, and chats about her winemaking philosophy and the perks of Oregon wine country living.

Posted by Courtney at 01:17 PM • Comments (0)

Just back from the gorgeous Willamette Valley and excited about video using my new Flip cam! The sound quality is not what it ought to be (sorry, folks), but the scenery and people are divine - I hope you'll take a few minutes to watch!
***
Second generation winemaker Jesse Lange of Lange Estate Winery in the Willamette talks about his family's dedication to the vinous way of life and how Oregon Pinots are beyond doubt the next big thing.

Posted by Courtney at 01:12 PM • Comments (0)

Lord I love Mutineer Magazine. Just in from their uber hilarious drinks blog, this photo montage featuring the likes of Piven, Spidey (yuk), La Lohan (train wreck?), Shia and Megan Fox and...what they like to drink. It's eeeeeexcellent. Enjoy! PS don't miss the Jesus Juice feature they ran today, too - it's pretty fab.

CHECK IT

Posted by Courtney at 02:58 PM • Comments (1)

As a 30-year-old sommelier and owner of HIP TASTES EventsTM, I field this question constantly. I've spoken on panels about it and written extensively on the topic. And while I can hardly speak definitively on the needs and desires of an entire generation simply because I'm one of their ilk, I can throw into the ring what I feel are some halfway decent ideas about what they want from wine, based on personal experiences, winemaker input and some top notch research. (For those of you who are still cloudy about who the "Millennials" are: they are Americans who've turned 21 after the turn of the new Millennium).
***
Continue reading my latest feature at AppellationAmerica.com on just what makes 20-something wine buyers tick. Includes highlights on wineries doing the following right:

Collaboration
DIY Spirit
Core Values
Gourmet Savvy

Including coverage of Twisted Oak Winery, Municipal Winemakers, Sutton Cellars and more. Get the full story here!

pictured: moi in NYC (just back) - enjoying a glass at City Winery

Posted by Courtney at 02:12 PM • Comments (0)

In this, my first column for terroir-evangelizing site AppellationAmerica.com, I explore how a diminutive rapper's take on life can inspire the best in winemaking (seriously!!). Here's an excerpt - be sure to click through (below) the read the whole thing. I had a lot of fun putting it together. Cheers! - CC

Making great wine, like any creative pursuit, calls for great inspiration. After all, winemakers - like other artists - don't operate in a vacuum. Hardly. Over the years, winemakers the world over have gleaned inspiration from the likes of art, jazz, classical music, cuisine, and even films in crafting their blends.

And so, given this penchant for looking to the arts for ideas, I wonder why winemakers can't also look to rap for inspiration? It is, after all, an art form just like the others; its creators also artists searching for a means of expression.

Take Lil Wayne, for example. When the 26-year-old rapper sat down with Katie Couric last month to dish on everything from his name to his music to his unabashed love of weed, the New Orleans native and eight-time Grammy nominee offered up this choice summation...

Continue reading

Photo: MusicRemedy.com

Posted by Courtney at 03:15 PM • Comments (0)

Emily Wines, the world's 15th female Master Sommelier and wine director for Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants as well as the critically acclaimed Fifth Floor Restaurant, recently related her impression of a certain wine in this way, and I have to say: AWESOME. Wines wrote as much in a very amusing article in the most recent tablehopper, a weekly e-column on all things food put out by my pal and SF food maven Marcia Gagliardi. Besides the horseback reference, Wines (her real last name, how cool is that?!) talks of finding impressions of GAJR, which stands for Green Apple Jolly Rancher, in young German Rieslings; rubber a la dodge balls in South African and Chilean wines; pencil shavings in Chateau Latour (and hence thoughts of second grade sharpening (mis)adventures); sweet tarts in young high-acid whites; and so on. As a sommelier, I too, am frequently struck by nostalgic scent references - sometimes even super wacky-sounding scent references like Wines' - in the wines I'm trying, and so I couldn't agree with her more. Even more cool, until now I've never seen a super credible somm relate such "non-scientific" - but absolutely delightful - impressions in such a public way.

Cheers to breaking new ground. Read Wines' full article here.

Posted by Courtney at 04:19 PM • Comments (1)

Deciding when to pick from Adopt A Grape 2008 on Vimeo.

Dubbed the "first lady of wine" by one Robert Parker, Heidi Peterson Barrett makes damn good wine (think Screaming Eagle) in Napa, and now you can listen to her talk about how she decides what and when to harvest in this video just posted by one of her winery clients, Fantesca. Filmed on October 2, Heidi discusses not only Fantesca's harvest but that of the region as a whole, so it's a nice 3-minute primer on what's happening in the vineyards in and around Napa about this time. Personally, I was super lucky to meet Heidi earlier this year in Napa at a fantastic gathering of women in wine, and if you click the link to "read more" you can check out a pic of the two of us. Not my best pic - but then again, that hardly matters when one is so close to Ms. Hallowedness of Wine. Cheers!

Continue reading "Wine Wunderlady Heidi Barret Talks Harvest" »

Posted by Courtney at 11:07 PM • Comments (2)

Laura Catena is hardly your average emergency room doc. The Argentine native - who came to the US with her professor dad to attend high school and wound up staying to attend Harvard for undergrad and then Stanford for medical school - "moonlights" from her job as an ER physician at UCSF by making wine, and on another continent at that. That's right, the married mother of three (yes, she has a nanny) successfully holds down TWO glamorous jobs and apparently has energy to burn, as I witnessed when I interviewed her in San Fran's homey Cole Valley several weeks ago. But besides her fascinating resume and seemingly boundless energy, I was most intrigued by Catena's commitment to making small batches of totally world-class wine from Mendoza's top low-yield, high-elevation vineyards. And though you may have heard more about her family's OTHER winery, Bodega Catena Zapata (considered by many the preeminent winery in all of Argentina), I predict her own label, Luca, has a bright future all its own.

Read on for an exclusive interview with Laura, including her ruminations on pursuing multiple careers, living on two continents, and generally being fabulous (okay, that last part is totally my conjecture, but I have to say she's impressive). Enjoy!

Continue reading "Emergency Room Doc Saves Lives, Palates" »

Posted by Courtney at 03:53 PM • Comments (0)

Just a little shout out to the great man who worked so hard - and did so much - to make a name for California wine. Not only did Mondavi run his eponymous winery for decades, he helped introduce Americans of all stripes - not just the snobs! - to the modern wine lifestyle. For more on this legend, check out Alan Goldfarb's recent article on Mondavi at Appellation America.

What a fantastic guy. We'll miss him.

Click here to read my list of his top contributions to wine at WineCountry.com

Posted by Courtney at 05:55 PM

Enjoyed this new article at DivineCaroline about women's physiology vis a vis that of men and how this impacts our ability to compete with guys in, oh say, a drinking contest. The results aren't in our favor (sorry, ladies) unless you happen to be a very buff woman paired off to compete with a fat guy of roughly your same height. Here's a brief excerpt from the piece, and link to check out the rest:

"Winning a drinking contest, or just being able to gauge how many drinks you can have while still remaining vertical, depends on numerous factors, including regularity of drink, that day's food and sleep intake, and genetics. But based just on gender...,

Photo Credit Simone Van Den Berg | Dreamstime.com

Continue reading "Buff Women, Drink Those Blubbery Dudes Under the Table" »

Posted by Courtney at 05:50 PM

Just want to give a shout out to the fabulous photogs from my San Fran book launch party last fall. Lensman-about-town John Curley - I swear this guy is everywhere! - did a fantastic job and is as entertaining as he is talented. Check out his Flickr page here - his Burning Man pics are especially cool. And Curley's pal Tracy Bugni - who goes by MS Trouble on Flickr - is terrific, too. Check out her shots here - the portraits in her Favorites section are incredible.

And you can see all the snaps from the launch party at the Picasa album. Thanks again for the support, John & Tracy!

Posted by Courtney at 11:03 AM

Just stumbled upon this video of another interesting young guy (already a good theme) doing something - er - different with wine. Can't really say this stimulated the sommelier in me, but it's good for a quick laugh, as is the "About" page on the guy's site, SundayDrinker. What's the point? According to the site, "If we at Sunday Drinker can get 10,000 members we can finally be recognised as an official religion and take steps to have every Monday morning off as a religious holiday [for drinking]."

Not a bad idea, if you ask me. Watch the video here at sfist; the title you see above the pic is also theirs.

Posted by Courtney at 06:00 PM

Not sure how this guy escaped my notice until now, but I was just tipped off to his site, WineRendez-vous, and I must say AWESOME! Everyone, meet Olivier Magny, a hilarious young French certified sommelier and entrepreneur (some of that sounds familiar...) who's started up what can best be described as the French version of WineLibraryTV. In this episode, he sabors a bottle of bubbly in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower (seriously). There's a great intro with him in some sort of rapper-cum-somm getup, then really cool French music before the saboring. Plus, he's wearing pink. (!!) Love it. Other videos show him in cool Parisian locales (e.g. Place de la Concorde, Luxembourg Gardens), so each short is also like a little window into Paris.

Check it out, and apparently he's got a book in the works, too, so I bet we'll be hearing a lot more about him before long.

Posted by Courtney at 09:48 AM

Okay, okay, so this is NOT Jude Law, but my new pal Sharif looks so much like the actor I couldn't resist. And, as an amusing aside, I actually HAVE had a tete-a-tete with Jude Law once upon a time at a small Malibu bash, although I doubt he remembers me (sigh). But back to this pic - last night Sharif came along with some friends to keep me company (and eat my leftovers) as I tasted through the entire menu at a SF resto where I'll be giving the wine list a face lift in the upcoming months. More on that later, as the list comes to fruition. For now, cheers, and thanks for being a good sport, Sharif!

Posted by Courtney at 06:10 PM

Whoever said hospitality is dead in the wine industry clearly hasn't been to Mendocino. Well, I haven't either (I know, clearly a little embarrassing for someone who gets up to Napa & Sonoma on a regular basis!), but I DID get a great sense for the friendly people and delicious wines of this exciting region at last Saturday's Mendocino By the Bay tasting here in the city. I'll post more on my discoveries - both vinous and lifestyle/travel-oriented - from my regular column at WineCountry.com in the upcoming weeks, but for now I'll leave you with this pic of Mendo man-about-the-vines Casey Hartlip of Eaglepoint Ranch, who shows off his commitment to his award-winning Coro Mendocino wine (very cool story behind this forthcoming) by way of this tattoo. Now that's dedication, ya'll.

Posted by Courtney at 05:48 PM

For those of you who haven't already seen it, be sure to read the great piece on SF's many unpretentious wine bars in yesterday's NY Times. Even better, SF's own reliable, resourceful and very funny wine blogger, Alder Yarrow of Vinography, has a "starring role" in the article! Wine bars profiled by writer Gregory Dicum include Nectar, Hotel Biron, Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant, and Yield (I STILL haven't been, ugh). Congrats, Alder!

Posted by Courtney at 03:36 PM

I asked a handful of up-and-coming winemakers, such as Richard of Napa's HALL winery, to answer a few questions about things I thought readers would like to hear about. Read on for Richard's responses, and be sure to check out the Napa Man blog for the scoop on HALL's totally fabulous upcoming collaboration with the one and only Frank Gehry (yes, that means there will be a Gehry-designed winery for you all to visit in Napa before too long).

Interview with Richard Batchelor

Continue reading "Hip Winemaker: Richard Batchelor" »

Posted by Courtney at 12:07 PM

Those of you who keep up with the blog will recall that I took part in a really fun panel discussion called "Hot Young Sommeliers" (I didn't pick the name!!!) held at San Francisco's historic Commonwealth Club not long ago. Author and Emmy award-winning television host Leslie Sbrocco moderated the discussion, and my co-panelists included Christine Dufault, sommelier at the fabulous Quince restaurant, and Mark Bright, sommelier at Oola (and winner of best new sommelier honors from Wine & Spirits magazine at the tender age of 21).

Listen in here!

Posted by Courtney at 10:49 AM

I'm really pleased to announce that I was profiled this week (with a special shout-out given to the upcoming book launch!!!) on UK-based blog All the Best. Penned by Texas-raised expat Ronda Carman - pictured here, and who lives in Glasgow - the blog chronicles her favorite things, from books to antiques to personalities. She's got quite an impressive global following, and I'm super flattered to be included in her lineup!

Read the interview here

Posted by Courtney at 08:10 PM • Comments (3)

I asked a handful of my favorite up-and-coming winemakers, such as Kenny here, to answer a few questions about things I thought readers would like to hear about. Read on for his responses, and check out his winery, Hobo Wine Company, if you'd like to taste Kenny's take on the great world of wine.

Interview with Kenny Likitprakong

Continue reading "Hip Winemaker: Kenny Likitprakong" »

Posted by Courtney at 10:00 AM

I asked a handful of my favorite up-and-coming winemakers, such as Ames here, to answer a few questions about things I thought readers would like to hear about. Read on for Ames' responses, and check out his winery, Medlock Ames, if you'd like to taste his take on the great world of wine.

Interview with Ames Morison

Continue reading "Hip Winemaker: Ames Morison" »

Posted by Courtney at 04:07 PM

8 = # of years of trash talking I've endured from obnoxious Trojan acquaintances
4 = # of points we beat those jerks by
1998 = last year I was able to celebrate sweet victory

Priceless = Finally beating #2 team in the nation and - more importantly - cross town rival USC last Saturday

Just remember: you can't spell SUCKS without USC!!!

Ok, back to that wine thing :)

Posted by Courtney at 11:01 PM • Comments (1)

The Wine Spectator reports that Italian road safety authorities are enraged that hotel heiress and debauchery-prone party girl Paris Hilton is promoting a new Italian bubbly called Rich Prosecco just after she was nabbed for DUI in Hollywood. USA Today counters that the latest in Paris' slip-ups just functions to boost her popularity, and probably won't hurt sales of the bubbly either (may even give 'em a little boost, much as her now famous video did for her own image not long ago). So, which is it - good or bad? Let's weigh in, shall we?

Continue reading "You Go Paris, Just Don't Drive" »

Posted by Courtney at 09:31 PM • Comments (2)

Ok, I admit it: this entry is totally self gratuitous. Maybe it's because I miss Tasha Petunia. Maybe it's because I'm just a sucker for pets. Regardless, here you have it: PETS OF PROVENCE!!! My sister and I have been snapping some amazing pet pics throughout our travels and really want to share the best of them with you. I assure you: these are the cream of the cream of Provencal pets! That is to say, la creme de la creme, pour vous qui parlez francais.

Continue reading "POSTCARDS FROM PROVENCE 6:
Pets of Provence" »

Posted by Courtney at 02:17 PM • Comments (2)

Everyone, meet Jen Cohen, my long time BFF and soon-to-be Harvard MBA (Class of 2008, baby). There are oodles of reasons she's a Hip Taster, but the main one is that Jen has never, ever turned down an invitation from me to drink some good wine. Heck, I'll even go out on a limb and let it be known that she's enthusiastically downed tons of totally sub-par vino with me (JC - remember that case of Two Buck Chuck?)

And, besides being obviously very bright and an excellent partner in vinous crime, she happens to have a fantastic sense of humor and general joie de vivre that makes her a perfect Hip Taste-r. Check out this very cute pic of her wearing her Harvard sweatshirt and clutching a glass of vino. She's come a long way since the time back in college when she asked me if they "really put strawberries" in a wine we were drinking.

Continue reading "HIP TASTER of the Month: Co-Dogg" »

Posted by Courtney at 08:53 PM • Comments (1)

Who knew that Turtle, the unofficial "house manager" of the LA mansion housing the stars of this hit HBO show, could sniff out "lead pencil" in a glass of red wine? I almost fell out of my chair when Jerry Ferrara, the actor who plays Turtle, let this descriptor slide during the show's most recent episode, "Guys and Doll".

The best part was that the rest of the guys were totally oblivious - per usual - to Turtle's subtle genious. You see - Turtle's got a lot going on, he just doesn't get a lot of cred for it amongst this crew.

Continue reading "Entourage's Turtle: Secret Sommelier" »

Posted by Courtney at 12:31 AM

Everyone, I just have to say HOT DAMN I am so excited - my very own kitty cat, Natasha Petunia, made it onto the illustrious stuffonmycat.com web site with this very attractive picture of her all corked up.

For those of you who aren't in the know, the motto of stuffonmycat.com is "stuff + cats = awesome." I couldn't agree more.

Continue reading "Natasha Petunia, Feline Sommelier" »

Posted by Courtney at 02:45 PM • Comments (6)

Name: Claire
Profession: Litigator
Hometown: Visalia, CA

How sneaky of me to feature my own sister as this week's HIP TASTE-r of the week! She's been an awesome help to me in jump starting HIP TASTES Events and has always been one of my best supporters. But, these are not the only reasons she's a HIP TASTE-r.

Continue reading "HIP TASTER of the Week: C is for Claire" »

Posted by Courtney at 06:23 PM

Name: Barta
Profession: Project Management
Hometown: Danville, CA

Meet Michelle Barta, one of my all time best buds and one of those people almost everyone calls by her last name. In fact, I'm not even sure I've ever called her "Michelle", something that strikes me as a little odd I suppose but makes her a perfect candidate for this week's HIP TASTE-r of the Week.

Continue reading "HIP TASTER of the Week: B is for Barta" »

Posted by Courtney at 12:46 PM

Name: Alina
Profession: Artist
Hometown: somewhere in the Ukraine

Alina is a regular at my salon in LA, "Nine Zero Two Two", located at, appropriately enough, 9022 Sunset Boulevard. And when I say regular I mean she's often there when I'm there, sometimes just hanging out.

When I brought my much beleagured stylist, Vanessa, a bottle of wine to share while she styled my 'do last visit, Alina joined us in a little toast to Friday afternoon and not being stuck in the bumper to bumper snafoo just outside the door.

Continue reading "HIP TASTER of the Week: A is for Alina" »

Posted by Courtney at 12:10 AM