LaurelK

Joey Kleinhans is the creator and producer of the LA Wine Elite: Focused wine appreciation dinners. I had the pleasure of attending his latest dinner this past Saturday which was held in the private dining room at the Park Grill at the lovely Intercontinental Hotel. Upon entering the dining area, I was struck not only by how small and intimate the group was but how boisterous, warm and inviting th...

Last month I went to “A Taste of the Bu” at the Viceroy in Santa Monica.  Now as most of you know my favorite wines are cabs and one of the stand outs for me on that day was a Cabernet by Colcanyon Winery.  Established in 2001, Colcanyon Estate Wines were one of the first established vineyards in the Santa Monica Mountains.  The pictures at the tasting were so picturesque, I decided I had t...

In 1991 Dr. Krupp, owner of Krupp Brothers Stagecoach Vineyards was saving people during the week and cooking and make wine on the weekends.  At that time he had a few acres to play with but wanted to do more.  That year he bought 41 acres of unplanted ground and started hiring the smartest farmers he could find and started planting.  Four years later he bought the additional 750 acres that are...

Did you know you can tell the age of the wine by looking at its meniscus? Do you even know what a meniscus is? Whether you are a wine connoisseur or just starting to sip and swirl, proprietor and sommelier Nicole Daddio will make you feel at ease and has the answers to all of your wine questions. I had the pleasure of being invited to one of her “wine virgin” classes and, although I have bee...

This weekend was the LA Times Food and Wine Festival at Paramount Studios.  Oh wait, it was so crowded you were probably there.  Aside from the random bee sting that did not leave me too happy, the festival was not my favorite.  We had applied for press credentials months earlier and were not told that we were denied until the Wednesday before the event.  Which left us with no option but to pu...

The Pebble Beach Food & Wine Festival is one of the most highly anticipated and revered food and wine events of the season.  This series of wine tastings, luncheons, cooking demonstrations and dinners is undeniably one of the most decadent culinary events of the season.   Although it is only in its third year, the event boasts a collection of 60 of the most celebrated celebrity chefs a...