Poolside Style...Carneros Inn Shopping

PlumpJackSport Senior Sales Associate, Manda Heath, at The Carneros Inn says…

Although summer has not officially started, we are definitely starting to feel the warm weather here at Carneros. And what way to better start the best season of the year than with Tory Burch flip flops and TYSA tunics and cover ups. TYSA is a new brand that we just picked up here at PlumpJackSport. Our customers love this brand, as do we. TYSA is made of soft organic cotton, made in the USA and the perfect addition to your summer wardrobe. TYSA makes great tunics, dresses, and bathing suit cover ups that are lightweight (perfect for the warm weather) and oh so comfortable (to wear into the evening, even into dinner).

This season, PlumpJackSport has just what you need to style out your spring-into-summer wardrobe. From the chunky belts from our new belt line to the jeweled sandals from Mystique we've got you covered. A trend that we are on top of is floral prints and dip-dye fabric. A great brand we just brought in, 1520 has done a great job translating this trend into blouses that look amazing against dark denim. Yoana Baraschi is also a new line we couldn’t resist this season. Their dresses and trench coats have a great fit and are a sure way to make a statement. These new vendors are a great addition to the store that we think you will love.

We all know that a summer pool outfit is made up of a perfect bathing suit along with a brilliant cover up. This year we have brought in Trina Turk swimsuits and cover ups in addition to our other great ones from Tory Burch and Melissa Odabash. The great thing with swimsuits and cover ups is you can mix and match! We have the perfect combinations too. From solids to prints to cotton to terry cloth, we’re sure you will find just what you’re looking for here at PlumpJackSport for you new summer attire. Whether you’re at the beach or at the Hilltop pool here at Carneros, you’ll be sure to be looking great!

Make your reservations for The Carneros Inn.

Napa Wedding Trends- Savvy Savings at The Carneros Inn

Brooke, our "Carneros Inn Wedding Expert", gives you the scoop on Napa nuptials.

What is the biggest trend these days for weddings? Scaling down!

Whether it means cutting the guest list from 300 to 175 or from 50 to 10; a lot of brides and grooms these days are scaling back because the easiest way to cut cost in these tough times is to cut the guest list. Needless to say, the number of elopements is on the rise!

Traditionally, an elopement was simply the Bride, Groom, Officiant and perhaps a witness or two. These days even elopements have a little more to them - after all, it still is the Bride & Groom’s big day. We see personal flowers, photographers, music, and even a small audience!

The Carneros Inn can do “Elopements” for brides and grooms up to 18 guests including the couple. To accommodate requests from so many Brides & Grooms, The Carneros Inn has even put together an elopement package that includes the ceremony site fee, Officiant, Personal Flowers, Photography Package, Ceremony Music, some savory or sweet bites and a Sparkling wine toast. The couple often follows the ceremony with a lunch or dinner in the Private Dining Room of FARM.

Elopements are a great option for Brides & Grooms who want to take advantage of all Napa has to offer for a fabulous wedding day, even when the economical downturn makes it difficult.

Elope in Napa Valley... call Brooke at 707.299.4900.

Single Malt File: The Independents

PlumpJack Wines Noe Valley served its 300,000th customer on April 23, 2009 and will celebrate its 8th Anniversary on May 2nd. And who has been there to see it all? Drew Spaulding, PlumpJack Wines Noe Valley GM. He's not just a wine guy. Look forward to monthly installments of "The Single Malt File" from Drew.

Most Single Malt customers, when they first walk in thee door, are looking for something that they have had before, something comfortable and familiar. Then there are that small portion that are always looking for something new, unusual, or even unique. This is when the Single Malt Scotches that are bottled by the ‘independent bottlers’ really come in handy. Prior to the last quarter of a century or so, very little Single Malt Scotch was bottled by it’s producers to be consumed straight. Nearly every cask of whisky was sold to the blending houses that, according to their house style, would blend dozens of different single malts, along with more neutrally flavored grain whisky, to achieve their house style. Frequently these blends will contain in excess of 50-60 different whiskies, each used sparingly to lend a bit of their character to the final product.

However, starting in the mid-1800’s, specialized wine & spirits brokers, and even a few licensed grocers (this was before the dawn of the supermarket!), began purchasing casks that they thought were especially distinctive. These merchants would bring the whole casks to their shops, and display them on site. Their customers would come in, frequently bringing their own flasks, bottles, jugs, or other containers, and buy their whisky by the liter, tapped straight from the barrel. When the bottling of whisky became cheaper and more commonplace, these merchants switched over to selling their whiskies by the bottle, so that they could market their products to a larger audience than just their local customers. The real advantage of buying these whiskies is the fact that they are almost always bottled as ‘single barrel’ bottlings, meaning that all of the whisky came from a single barrel, and there will be no more than 250-450 bottles of any particular Scotch – for the entire world – so these are very rare and unique bottlings. The other great thing about the independents is that they rarely adulterate their whisky. It comes as a shock to some, but most ‘official’ distillery bottlings of Single Malt are composed of dozens (perhaps hundreds) of barrels blended together, then filtered to death, before caramel coloring is added, just to make sure that this batch looks just like the last one. The independents tend to forego these two practices, so you get a whisky that is all-natural. If you consider yourself a fan of good Single Malt Scotch, get in touch with me, and I’ll turn you on to something special!

Join the Scotch Club today and stop in to the Noe Valley store.

Bar Bites in Mill Valley

Check out Balboa Cafe Mill Valley in the 96 Hour Report from the SF Chronicle.

PJ'er in The Carneros Vineyard Run

Milham, Vice President of Finance for PlumpJack Group, gives PJ Blog readers advice on a balanced life: Eat Drink Sleep Shop- RUN!





PlumpJack truly is a lifestyle company, with businesses in numerous industries including Dining, Retail, Lodging and Wine Making. I enjoy and relish in the challenges that being involved in so many businesses affords. Although not easy, during my life I have come to find that the worthwhile things are often not the easy things. Finding a company that shares your core beliefs and truly practices what it preaches is not an easy thing in business today. I have also come to find that good companies attract good people and feel extremely fortunate to work with and share my life with so many exceptional people within PlumpJack.

As we all know, living a balanced life is not easy with so many demands on each of us. The needs to earning a living, to take care of our families and loved ones and to attend to our own personal well being all compete for a slice of our precious time. And in this life, there never seems to be enough time in a day. Having peers who share the desire to achieve balance in life goes a long way to sustaining the motivation needed to be a well rounded person. This is one of the things that I love most about working for PlumpJack. As I have built friendships within the organization, I have come to find many areas of life that many of my coworkers share such as friends, family & the desire to attend to personal fitness.

Fitness is an easy area to neglect given life’s demands. Running is my way of attending to my own fitness. It provides a physical outlet for the stress of daily life, a slice of solitude where I can recharge without anyone pulling at me (unless they can keep up) and of course the chance to take care of my body. Many days I find it very difficult to muster the energy to get out there & do that run. Fortunately the last few months I have had something special to look forward to that has helped me remain motivated. It is the Annual Carneros Vineyard Run. This year was my second time running this annual event. Adding to my motivation was the knowledge that some of my friends from work were considering participating.

At the end of March I had gathered with a number of my closest friends. We all have different fitness levels and exercise preferences, but what made this event so special for me is that we were all able to participate at the level appropriate for each of us. For some it was an all out 10K run and for others it was a brisk 5K walk. For all it was a chance to support each other, be outdoors on an incredibly beautiful morning in the beautiful Carneros region of the Napa Valley, and of course get in some exercise. And to make the rewards of participating in the event even better, the proceeds benefited the Carneros Volunteer Fire Department so it was also a chance for each of us to give back to one of our local communities as well. For me this event was another shining example of how the people who makeup PlumpJack really embody the companies core ideologies.

To all my friends who participated, John, Patty, DeeAnn, Kelly, Kristina, Jayme, Serena, Bethy, Nick- I wanted to thank you for coming out, it really meant a lot to me to share that event with you. I look forward to our next.

Events like that really make me believe that sometimes you really can have it all….

Milham

Bottling Wine... A Winemaker's Story

PlumpJack and CADE Winemaker, Tony Biagi, gives blog readers a behind-the-scenes look at bottling 2008 CADE Sauvignon Blanc. Get the play by play in our video.

Ask anyone who works in a winery, “What is the most stressful time a year?” and I am almost certain they would all answer “BOTTLING.” Many of you probably think it is harvest. I would not disagree. But in all the stress inducing situations, there are so many wonderful things happening during harvest you tend to overlook the bad situations and remember the good ones. Bottling on the other hand is like waiting for disaster to happen. And sometimes it does.

Once the last tank was barreled down and the equipment was sanitized in November of 2008, I started to plan for bottling the 08 Sauvignon Blanc in 2009. The first person we contact is Alcan, our screw cap manufacturer and let them know that we need to place an order. The screw caps are made in France and they are shipped here by boat. If you order to late, you might have to air freight them. If this happens I am going to be sitting in John Conover's office, our General Manager, explaining why we just had to spend thousands of dollars to get them here in time.

The next person I contact is the mobile bottler. We are a small winery and it does not pencil out to have our own bottling line. We use Ryan McGee Mobile Bottlers and have since 1997. They are considered the best and are in high demand. I request a date for bottling around the second week in March. This date is chosen based on the time the fruit arrived at the winery. If the Sauvignon Blanc arrives early or on time, March is perfect. But in a year like 2006, when whites were late, we bottled in April. Within a month I have a bottling date.

The next person I reach out to is our glass supplier. Demptos Glass does all of the ground work for us. The glass for Sauvignon Blanc is made in Mexico and is in huge demand due to the fact that the market wants wines in screw cap. The glass is then shipped to Benicia in bulk. There the glass is packed into a 100% recycled carton.

Ok , we have the first three down but now comes the most important part of the package- the label. I have never worked at a place that has more stringent standards for the label than PlumpJack. Whenever a label goes to print, there is a person from CADE/PlumpJack looking over the label to make sure the colors look like previous labels. This will be the third or fourth time we have looked at it at this point. You can never be too careful. When ordering labels you have to be right on the quantity. I ask my guys in the cellar to tell me how many labels we need and often they get caught in the same trap I once got caught in. They will say 12 but forget the box label which will leave you 7-8% short on a run. There is no worse feeling than having the last couple hundred cases sitting around waiting for labels!!

The Sauvignon Blanc lots are tasted individually in December and, if they all pass, they can be blended together in January. At this point the wine is sent to a lab to be tested for heat and cold stability. Heat stability will tell us if a wine will get “cloudy” and cold stability will tell us if a wine will develop “wine diamonds”. When we get the report, it allows us to add bentonite clay and cream of tartar to stabilize the wine. We also add a small amount of PVPP to prevent “pinking” in our wine. Sauvignon Blanc can and will turn pink if you let it. The weird thing is once it happens it will go away within a month or two and never come back. It is hard to explain that to a customer at Chateau Marmont when they order a bottle, so we would rather it not happen. The wine is then set at 28 degrees F in tank for 30 days to settle

About two weeks before bottling, I schedule a bottling crew to help us because our crew is so small. About a week before, we rack the wine off of bentonite. We then slowly warm the wine up to its bottling temperature of 58-60 degrees. Any lower and you run the risk of having uneven fill heights because of off-gassing of CO2, any higher you run the risk of cooking the wine.

Two days before the bottling run we start to pre-filter the wine for bottling. White wine is fairly easy and passes through the filters with no problems. You cannot filter the wine any earlier than 48 hours before bottling or you run the risk of plugging the final filter on the truck.

Finally, it’s bottling day. Bottling day usually starts at 6am. At this point you have scheduled everything to arrive, but will it? It usually does but if it does not guess were you end up? If you said the GM’s office, you are right and you have to explain why 15 people, getting paid by the hour, are standing around because you wanted the labels here on Friday but they showed up on Monday. At 7:30am you start to get nervous that the bottling crew will not show up (which they always do, but you are still nervous!) 8am wine starts to flow to the truck and this where it gets to be a real nail bitter. Will the filters plug? Will the screw caps go on right? Will the labels stick? Question after question fills your head. After 20 minutes or so, you start to calm down and realize all is alright. The sound of clanging glass fills your head and all of a sudden you are at peace with the bottling. You hang around for an hour to make sure your assistant has it all under control and you disappear into your office to plan another bottling run.

I hope this was helpful and all of you have a better understanding of bottling. Please enjoy pictures from the 2008 Sauvignon Blanc bottling run just completed taken by our very own Ryan “Annie Leibowitz” Keith. He’s good with action shots but just doesn’t capture the souls of his models. (Just kidding Ryan.)

Call DJ at CADE and come up for a tasting. 707. 965.2746

And check out Jack Falstaff Chef Jonnatan Leiva on View from the Bay!

Destination Weddings and Commitment Ceremonies

Liz, the Sales and Events Manager at PlumpJack Squaw Valley Inn, has seen her fair share of special days at Squaw... in sun and snow.

Weddings and Commitment ceremonies are a very personal expression of a couple and sometimes tradition plays large role, but often the couple creates their own tradition! Winter destination ceremonies can be a lot of fun, especially if the couple and their friends are avid winter sports enthusiasts. Make a day of it! Have the ceremony on top of the mountain early in the day, ski all day and then come down the mountain for the reception. For your guests that do not ski, there is plenty to do in and around Squaw Valley - ice skating on top of the mountain and shopping in the Village. Granted you will need to find a photographer that can ski, but we can help with that too! Every season in Squaw Valley offers exciting ways to make your destination ceremony a personal event for everyone! Whether it is golf, sailing, mountain biking or skiing we are here to make you and your guests enjoy your stay at the PlumpJack Squaw Valley.



Every day is special at PlumpJack Squaw Valley Inn. Check out the Summer Winemaker Dinners, stop in for Happy Jack Hour at PlumpJack Cafe and SAVE 20% by booking your summer trip today.

Bombay Sapphire GQ Drink Contest

Ken, MatrixFillmore GM, knows cocktails.

This past week I entered a Bombay Sapphire drink competition for GQ Magazine. The drink I came up with is called Uncle Harry. For those who know Harry Denton, you may also know that Harry Denton sells (or orders) more chartreuse than anyone on the planet, so of course the drink contains green chartreuse. It consists of Bombay Sapphire, green chartreuse, apricot brancy and Lillet Blanc with homemade Myer lemon sweet and sour. Shaken and served up it is the perfect summer concoction for passing some time in the spring sun with friends. For more Bombay Sapphire cocktails please pull up a stool at the MatrixFillmore and ask the person behind the stick. Hope to see you soon.

Go to GQ to find out if the Uncle Harry wins the cocktail competition.

Sip, Shop and Play in Napa

The gorgeous weather in Napa Valley is calling your name. Stop into MARKET and order your custom sandwiches, sample local artisan cheeses and peruse our extensive wine selection. Try our new 20 great everyday wines under $20 and take home Speare-PlumpJack's new house wine- for only $11 per bottle. But your day isn't over yet. Sip $5 tasting pours of our 5 current favorite wines and bring your sandwich out to a picnic table in the FARM Pavilion. As you taste CADE Savignon Blanc, Etude Merlot, King Estate Pinot Gris or any of the other fabulous selections play bocce ball under the warm sun and remember why you came to Napa.

Giving Back, Pat Kelley and The Golf Classic on RedCarpetSF

The PlumpJack Group has a long history of community support. Through PlumpJack University and other company-wide initiatives, the entire PJ Family is encouraged to spend time strengthening their community. Kristina, Vice President of Human Resources, tells PJ Blog readers about her most recent experience.

“On the Thursday before Easter, Katie, Jen and I joined the Wizards class at the Holy Family Day Home for their Easter celebration. We helped hide Easter eggs, surprised the Wizards with Easter baskets and were there to witness the smiles on their faces when meeting the Easter bunny. It was truly a magical moment and I always feel so privileged to be made part of their lives, knowing how much they might have already suffered and gone through in their short lives. Through all of our efforts and initiatives at the Holy Family Day Home, I am always reminded of how blessed I truly am and how little it takes to put a smile on a child’s face. The giving is only a part of it and so much more important is to spend time with the children in their class room and at reading time. From the bottom of my heart, thank you to everyone at PlumpJack who has helped me put those smiles on their faces! I am touched in a different way every time and apparently it shows!

Donna, the Principal wrote me this e-mail thank you: “I also could not believe my eyes when our children looked truly with awe and wonder at the baskets and the Easter Bunny. It was so fun I was moved to tears—the flood gates wide open-- at least 4 times today…and you caused two of them. All of you, the baskets were awesome…even the teachers were in awe. Kristina, I glanced at you once through my bunny costume and the way you were looking at the children from the Wizard Classroom brought tears to my eyes. There are some children in that class in particular who have suffered more in their 5 years than most of us have suffered in our entire lives. Your smile, and that of your two co-workers, was truly a special gift. This has been one of my most special Easters at the Day Home…because of the three of you…because it was most special for the children. With all my love and appreciation for YOUR love and understanding, Always, Donna” How could it not, they are all such wonderful children!

Donate Now to the Holy Family Day Home!

Other PlumpJack News...

Check Out the 10th Annual PlumpJack LINK/Golf Classic on RedCarpetSF! There's still time to play or to attend the Dinner!

And don't miss this incredible Bruce Bellingham blog about PlumpJack's own Pat Kelley.

Dinner Attire? JBrand, Tolani, Hudson and Frye

The girls of PlumpJackSport in Squaw Valley may be fashionably late, but they always arrive fashionable! Meagan from PJSport gives you the in on dressing for dinner...

The other night, Carolann called the store to see what time Jaleh and I would be arriving in Truckee for dinner. It was raining, sleeting, and sometimes snowing outside, so very few people were out and about shopping in the Village at Squaw Valley. We both thought it would stay pretty slow and we would be able to meet in Truckee by 8:30. Carolann was psyched and said that she would go early to reserve us all seats at the sushi bar. As I was about to hang up the phone, Carolann quickly asked what we were wearing out that particular evening. She told me that she had on her cute new Hudson jeans that she had just purchased from the store and her red patent leather Frye flats. “Ok …. we’ll see you at 8:30. Yup, later.”

Of course she had to say the fateful words, “What are you guys wearing?” Those were the words that quickly turned a shirt or a jean that you might want, into something you needed … as important as food, water, or shelter; the coveted JBrand pencil leg jean or the bright pink and orange Tolani scarf that would look fabulous over your plain black cotton crewneck.

Jaleh and I both looked good, but we definitely didn’t look as springy and summery as all the new merchandise we had just received in the store over the past few weeks. Slowly, we began to look around the store and think about what we might need for our big night out on the town. Jaleh grabbed the new dark JBrand jeans that had small zippers on the bottoms. “I love these, Meg. And wouldn’t these just look fabulous with my Frye ankle boots?” She held them out in front of her and stuck out her foot. She was right, what could I say, they would look perfect. I pulled some of the new Billy Blue capris we just got and stuck them in a room for her. “If you are going to try those jeans on … you may as well as try on those pants because I think they would look great on you as well!”

Suddenly, everything that we had secretly been coveting over the past few weeks was relocated in a fitting room for each of us to try on for size. Bright dresses by Laundry, soft, stretchy cotton crewnecks by Velvet, short cropped pants by Billy Blues were among the many items that we both thought would be “so cute” for the evening out. I started to accessorize some of my favorite outfits on Jaleh with big, chunky sunglasses from Oakley and the wedge sandals from Ugg and Frye. I fell in love with the Ugg wedge called Hazel. (We have them in this nude color that really adds another 10 inches to your legs. Great for summer weddings!!) Jaleh fell in love with the comfy JBrand boyfriend jean. They didn’t look as good with her ankle boots as the pencil leg, but they were so comfy she did not want to take them off.

We were having so much fun, trying on the new merchandise and styling each other out, that the time flew by! It was after 8 pm by the time we put everything away and closed the store for the night. Carolann called Jaleh’s cell as were locking up the doors. “Are you guys almost here? The bar is beginning to fill up and I have been holding these seats for a half an hour.” Quickly Jaleh lied and told her we were half way there, as I ran across the street to get my car. I looked back as Jaleh adjusted her new boyfriend jeans and retied her new Tolani scarf and thought to myself, “we may be late, but we look and feel great!”

Stop into PlumpJackSport in Squaw Valley and see Jaleh, Carolann and Meagan... not to mention to pick up something to wear to dinner!

Napa Bridal Beauty

Kristin of The Spa at The Carneros Inn applies make up for Brides-to-Be all over wine country. Here she gives PJ Blog readers the inside scoop on that bridal glow.


The brides who come to Carneros usually have a few descriptive requests when it comes to their makeup: natural, finished, soft, and beautiful. And I love to give them just that. It’s them, but enhanced. This “bridal look” is very easy to achieve with our makeup line, Being TRUE cosmetics. The mineral foundation not only gives the skin a luminescent glow, but it has an amazing sun protection hard to beat by any other makeup or sunscreen product out there. Also, the light reflectors in the mineral makeup look fabulous in photos without looking overdone and shiny. It truly makes giving the bride a naturally finished, soft and beautiful look extremely easy and complete.

Bridal Party hair and make-up application is available in the Bridal Suite at The Carneros Inn. Call 707.299.4850 and book your party with Kristin today.

Wines of the World at Your Doorstep

Paul of the PlumpJack Wine Store on Fillmore Street knows wine. Stop in and learn something.

I often hear customers say apologetically they really don't know much about wine. My response is always the same: Do you know when something tastes good? If so, that's really the only thing that matters. Learning about wine is a lifelong endeavor.

Living in California, and being surrounded by famous wine-producing regions that can be visited easily, one can forget about the diversity and the astounding number of wines that come from all over the world. I have always believed the best way to learn about wine is to taste, which is the guiding philosophy behind our monthly club. I use the club as a vehicle for sampling wines from all over the world, and typically, these wines are not wines you would see floor-stacked in your local supermarket. The criteria for choosing our monthly selections is to seek out wines that reflect the varietal character of the grapes they are made from, that display the terroir from the soil they are grown in, and most importantly, are delicious. I have been selecting wines for the club for over 10 years, and to date, I have only used one wine twice, and there was a five year span in between the offering.

We have truly traversed the globe sampling wines from South Africa, Australia, Austria, Chile, Argentina, France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Slovakia, and more! Of course, we have featured wines from California, Oregon and Washington as well. As someone who has been in the wine business for over 25 years, I am always thrilled when I come across a new wine, grape, or region I have never heard of or tasted.

One such example is the white wine we recently offered in March. The wine comes from the Touraine region of the Loire Valley in France. It is made by a small producer named Xavier Frissant, and the wine is made from an obscure grape varietal that is called Fie Gris. This rare clone of Sauvignon, also known as Surin Gris, Sauvignon Gris, or Sauvignon Rose, is tinted like Gewurztraminer when ripe, and becomes, in Frissant's hands, a wine of surprising substance and character. The wine has similar characteristics to Sauvignon Blanc but is a bit more subtle in its fruit, has a touch more minerality, and is complex and great wine to have with summer salads and seafood. You would expect a wine like this to sell for $30 or more, but the treat is it is only $16.99! I am very excited about our upcoming club selections that I am confident will appeal to the novice as well as the seasoned wine drinker.

I recently received this message from a wine club member:
"Thank you for all your great selections for my wine of the month club and my quarterly reds. It is always a treat to explore regions and varietals that we don’t know about or wouldn’t choose for ourselves. I have learned a lot from your choices and the write ups."

Join the PlumpJack Wine Club now and receive a complimentary month. Call 415.346.9870 for more details.

Mill Valley Art at Balboa Cafe

Balboa Cafe Mill Valley wants you to draw on the table. Well, not exactly on the table. Each month Balboa Cafe Mill Valley holds an art contest for patrons who let their artistic side show on the paper covering each table. Here are a few of the winners from March and April. Stop by Balboa Cafe Mill Valley and let your creative side run wild while enjoying Bottomless Brunch Mimosas or Buck a Burger during Happy Hour.

Jonnatan Leiva at The James Beard House

Jack Falstaff Executive Chef, Jonnatan Leiva, was a guest chef at the James Beard House in NYC. Here's the behind the scene recap...

So it's finally here, April 2nd 2009. I'm standing outside the James Beard House. It's a cool New York afternoon. My time has come.

Being featured at a James Beard Foundation Dinner is a high honor for any chef. It is especially important for those who understand the mission behind the organization and what Mr. Beard did for the culture of cuisine in America. Being showcased in New York at The Beard House for my passion and love of cooking is a true pinnacle of my career.

So on to the menu. We started with several passed appetizers. An oyster shooter with Cava and lime zest, crispy artichokes with a piquillo aioli, brioche with bohemian creamery triple cream, favas and lamb meatballs with pinenuts.

The first course was bison tartare, followed by a slow cooked branzino with smoked potato puree and asparagus. Then we featured Liberty Duck with spring onion compote and kumquats. The next course was lamb three ways: loin, ribs, and sweetbreads with salsa verde. Finally, a homage to my grandmother, a coconut flan with a coconut shortbread cookie and a cinnamon and bacon cookie!

The service was smooth and calm, and luckily I had my great friends in New York who were able to take time out of their day and lend me a hand. Afterwards I was able to walk into the dining room and received an outstanding reception. Everyone was so in the moment and excited. It was truly a special moment.
I was immediately zapped back in time, remembering when I was assisting my good friend and one of my key mentors, Chris Cosentino, during his James Beard Dinner. It was such a revelation that I knew that what I was doing was the right choice. It was then that I realized that my time had come, Cheers!!

I would like to say a very special THANK YOU to everyone who was able to make this happen, The James Beard Foundation, Hilary Newsom, Adam Ross, Steven Hall, Jen Chism, Lyndsee Sizemore, Michael Garcia and his team, my purveyors, Michael from Biagio Artisan Meats, Jim from Liberty Duck Farms & The Fresh Fish Co.

Jack Falstaff is in Bauer's Top 100. Judge Chef Jonnatan's fare for yourself.

Gifts: Shopping for Sparkling

Spring soirees are popping up all around us! Birthday parties, engagement parties and the like inspire party-goers ponder, "What do we bring to the mom-to-be, alcohol-free or children's party hostess?"

PlumpJack Wines on Fillmore Street had a bubbly visitor on Saturday April 8. Golden Star Tea Co. poured White Jasmine Sparkling Tea to visitors of all ages. The champagne-like beverage is non-alcoholic and contains only three ingredients: filtered water, organic silver needle jasmine tea, and organic cane sugar. As their website states, it is tea, elegantly. The perfect gift for most occasions! (And this shopper picked up a case for her own enjoyment, as well.)

Check out Golden Star Tea products at the Fillmore Street Wine Store or at http://www.goldenstartea.com/.

Outdoor Napa Valley Luxury Has Arrived

They're here. The Harvest Cottages are the ultimate in relaxation and outdoor living. The Carneros Inn has 86 cottages, and the Harvest Cottages are the new kids on the block. Freshly remodeled, the Harvest Cottages include a king bedroom, upgraded entertainment systems, alfresco showers and an indoor tub. They also boast a private garden with outdoor soaking tub, an outdoor fireplace, and a deck with table and chairs. Just in time for Spring. Book a stay in a Harvest Cottage today.

Karaoke for a Cause...

Not only is Ken, the General Manager of MatrixFillmore, known for making out-of-this world cocktails, he also knows how to throw a party for a good cause. But can he sing celebrity karaoke?

This past Thursday, MatrixFillmore hosted a fundraiser for Alejandro, a vineyard worker at the St. Supery Winery. Just before Christmas, Alejandro and his family found themselves homeless after a fire claimed their house. Nick Foulis, St. Supery Sales Manager, a great friend of mine, wanted to raise money to help Alejandro and his family. Nick came up with an event to carouse all the industry folks that we know and love to contribute their singing talents. That’s right, the task was celebrity karaoke. With the help of friends and family throughout the industry MatrixFillmore hosted seven of the industry's finest to sing a song to raise money for the cause. With great support through our singers, friends, and other establishments’ donations, together we were able to raise over four thousand dollars and counting.

As I look back at the night and remembering all of my friends singing and having a wonderful time, I thought that MatrixFillmore peaked a little into its past of being a historic musical venue, even if it was only for one night. A special thanks goes out to all that helped out and for those who stopped in and showed their support. It’s the little things like this that make me happy to be part of this wonderful industry.

Want to make a donation to Alejandro and his family? Email us. And stop by MatrixFillmore to try one of Ken's irresistible cocktails.

Drum Roll Please...

Michael Bauer's Top 100 Bay Area Restaurants came out yesterday, and we are happy to say Jack Falstaff made the list. Congratulations to the entire staff and to Executive Chef Jonnatan Leiva. We're getting hungry just thinking about it.

Stay Tuned...

Chef Jonnatan Leiva of PlumpJack's Jack Falstaff was featured at the James Beard House in New York City on April 2nd, 2009.

Watch for his blog next week and get all of the juicy details.

Shop Talk at PlumpJack Winery

So, a guy walks into a bar... No we won't go there. But when you walk into PlumpJack Winery Tasting Room be sure you ask for Josh. Get to know him below.

My name is Josh Zanow, and I am the Retail Sales Manager for PlumpJack Winery. I have been with PlumpJack for the last five years. The environment here at PlumpJack Winery is very fast paced and fun—once you have experienced it, you will never forget it. In Napa Valley customers have over 400 wineries to choose from on a daily basis, we feel very fortunate when they include us in their Bay area vacation. We host about 40,000 visitors each year at PlumpJack Winery, which means in the last five years I have had the pleasure of meeting over 200,000 customers.

If you haven’t had the opportunity to visit PlumpJack Winery, keep in mind our retail room is pretty tiny. When people hear our yearly guest count they are usually shocked after seeing how small the retail room really is. Our slower months at PlumpJack are from January – March, but the rest of the year we usually host 100 customers per day Monday-Friday, 200-250 customers on Saturdays and 150 customers on Sundays. Personally, my favorite day at PlumpJack Winery is always Saturday. The room is packed with customers who belly up to the bar and all around you are people laughing and enjoying PlumpJack/CADE wines.

I love music, and I have incorporated my passion into the tasting experience at PlumpJack Winery. One thing that adds to our unique laidback approach to tasting wine in the Napa Valley is the great background music from our staff’s personal iPod’s. On any given day customers can come in and hear some of my favorite musicians like Jack Johnson, Death Cab for Cutie, The Police, Elvis, The Cure, Radiohead and Mason Jennings just to name a few. We even won an award from Wine Enthusiast for the best background music in the Napa Valley.

If you are a cat lover than you need to meet our house cat, Wanda. Wanda has lived at PlumpJack for almost 10 years now; as John Conover our General Manager puts it “she just wandered onto the property one day”. Her main job duties are catching jack rabbits and posing for pictures (if you let her taste a little vino). Her big claim to fame: she was the only cat in the 2007 Winery Dogs Calendar.

In my opinion there are two main wow factors that set us apart from the competition in Napa Valley. The fantastic wines made by Tony Biagi, and the warm friendly staff behind the counter. I am from Wisconsin, and in the Midwest a warm “hello” goes a long way in a customer’s experience. You can always count on a big smile and a friendly “welcome to PlumpJack guys” when you come through the door. There are only five of us in the tasting room, and most of us have been here for awhile which customers love because every time they come back, they get to visit with their favorite PlumpJack employee.

So if you are looking for a unique experience with amazing wines, great music, and a fun staff, PlumpJack Winery is definitely the place to be. We are open daily from 10-4, and I only need an appointment if your group is larger than eight people. See you at PlumpJack!

Call Josh at PlumpJack Winery- 707.945.1220.

PlumpJack In Paris

Pat Kelley, a PlumpJack Original, has enough stories to keep you coming back to Balboa Cafe for decades... and people do. But her recent trip to Paris for her close friend, Willie Brown's 75th Birthday is one of her best tales.



We will leave the writing to a professional: Catherine Bigelow of 7x7's The Bigelow Report- one of PlumpJack's favorites.
Read The Bigelow Report on 7x7.com.

(Photo is by Catherine Bigelow, from her blog. Pictured are Pat Kelley, Calvin Grigsby and Debra Owens).