The Lou I Knew ~ Louis J. Foppiano
Louis J. Foppiano The Lou Everyone Knew Louis J. Foppiano, patriarch of Sonoma County’s oldest winemaking family and a man of firm ethics, never forgot his humble roots growing up in Healdsburg, California. He dedicated his life to farming his Russian River Valley vineyard, and promoting quality grapes. In the process, he became a wine [...]
Wine Writer/Critic Joe Pollack of St. Louis, Missouri Died on Friday, March 9, 2012
Joe Pollack dies at age 81 on Friday, March 9, 2012 ~ St. Louis Dispatch’s best-known food and wine critic. The memorial service for Joe Pollack’s family and friends will be on Saturday, March 17, 11:00 a.m., at The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, 130 Edgar Road, Webster Groves. In his St. Louis, Misourri, career, [...]
Patty Bogle Passes Away ~ The Wine Industry Has Lost A Quiet Leader
Yesterday I learned through a news alert from Wine Business that my friend and colleague Patty Bogle has passed away. Patty was the matriarch of Bogle Vineyards in Clarksburg, and she passed away this past Friday, February 11, 2011. This past Friday, as I was packing up Petite Sirahs for our Dark & Delicious event [...]
A Legend Leaves Us in 2010 ~ Edward Kean
Image via Wikipedia This blog posting is inspired by my friend Steve Heimoff, and has nothing what-so-ever to do with wine, but is worth documenting SETTING THE STAGE: In my December 30 post that included CapaBunga (a new closure for wine bottles), Steve wrote to me, “It’s not really relevant to your post, but when [...]
Heaven Has Retrieved One of its Angels ~ Pamela Tompkins Hunter
[I have borrowed this image of Pam Hunter from Studio 707, her Website and agency.] Pamela Tompkins Hunter died Sunday, November 28, 2010, in the Napa Valley home she shared with her life partner Carl Doumani. Carl was at her side. I’m just devastated to learn this very sad news, as Pam Hunter was one [...]
Remembering renaissance man and winemaker Art Finkelstein
As the song goes, “Only the good die young.” A more kind and gentle man can not be found, as Art Finkelstein was the quintessential prototype. Art died on Friday, May 28, 2010 in Napa Valley. His family was by his side, and I can’t imagine it any other way. Art’s wife, Bunny, their son, [...]
Letting Go of A Childhood Icon ~ Fess Parker
Thursday, March 18, 2010, Fess Parker died of natural causes, at his Santa Ynez home near his winery. Fess was 85 years old. It’s taken me a while to write about Fess Parker’s passing away. I grew up watching Fess Parker on Television during the 1950s with his signature coonskin hat as ‘Davy Crockett, King of [...]
Napa Valley Wine Icon Aldo Biale Passes Away
Born: October 24, 1929 It’s with great sadness that I’ve just learned that Aldo Biale has just passed away ~ Saturday, December 12, 2009 ~ in his home after a short illness. My friend and passionate Petite Sirah producer, Aldo has been at every Petite Sirah event, since I started working with the variety in [...]
