BOOK REVIEW ~ “Professional Drinking,” by Jim Schleckser
Jim Schleckser is a Certified Sommelier, and he’s also a best-selling author. Borrowed from his Website: He is an energetic and popular speaker at national business conferences and corporate events, focusing on the leverage points to improve your business performance. What he’s not is in the wine business. He is, however, so passionate about wine […]
The Most Special Time for Champagne ~ That’s a joke, right?
When is there never a special, or non-special, time for Champagne? Winesellars Ltd. just sent this to me, “It’s time to start drinking Champagne—all the time.” I left them in the dust on this one a l-o-n-g time ago, like any of our 365 days in the year, I’m on it. But, I do know […]
Global Climate is Shifting: UC Davis Discussion Invites You to Understand the Impact on Grape Growing
One of the best places in California for studying and scientifically understanding the wine industry is UC Davis. I’m not sure when you realized that global warming was a true warning. I heard it in the 60s and began to do my part. It’s been a somewhat lonely road, quite honestly, but I am thankful […]
Wine Country Adapting to a Pandemic and Fires ~ Geyserville says Happy Halloween to That!
The invite to the citizens of Geyserville read: Geyserville.com ~ Feeling Creative? Paint wine barrels for the fall and spring seasons to brighten up Geyserville. Fun for the whole family. And so they came. The barrels have now been placed throughout the town of Geyserville. Very down-home, and r-e-a-l-l-y well done. Halloween wine lovers are […]
As the World Turns, So Does Wine Importing as the Heartbeat of International Wine Dreams
Let me begin by writing about a past conversation I had with one of my contacts, who works in the Pentagon, whose identity I’m going to keep private. I will say, he knows enough to have called this one, and I’ve watched it all happen to be true. When the Democrats are in power, it’s […]
My Funniest Wine Industry Discrimination Story Ever ~ It’s a Classic
As if discrimination is ever funny; still this one is a classic and continues to make me chuckle. A few years ago, while minding my own business, the phone rang. “Hello, this is Diaz Communications.” Amiable man on the other end of the phone, “I’d like to speak with Jo Diaz, please.” “This is she.” […]
The Importance of Public Relations Cannot Be Underscored Enough, or How I’d Like to Bop a Few CEOs Over the Head
Obviously, I would never bop anyone over the head, but some people really do need to understand what PR is and what it isn’t. So, I got that frustration out. So, let me tell you a little life story, which drove home the importance of PR (not to me, but to a former CEO). I […]
Gentrifying Robs More Than Land in Napa Valley
It eliminates heart and soul… I’m still thinking about “Napa Valley Beyond the Fires, Small Family Farms Are Bureaucratically Being Squeezed Out.” Lots of people who are well-to-do, become land barons. It’s where the money naturally goes, building castles in the sky; and Napa is where everyone into glamour wants a piece of the pie… […]
Napa Valley Beyond the Fires, Small Family Farms Are Bureaucratically Being Squeezed Out
In the event you’ve not heard about this grassroots effort, here it is again, as we wonder so much about Napa Valley these days… SAVE THE FAMILY FARMS “Save the Family Farms” is a group of owner-occupied grape growers, who make wine in Napa Valley and classify ourselves as “micro-producers.” We are small operations and […]
Mastering the World of Wine Has Never Been Easier, Thanks to Evan Goldstein
Webinar and Education – Master the World An extraordinary educator, Evan Goldstein MS might have exercised his rights to the “gold” in his name; as in, a golden opportunity not only for himself, but also for us, when he created Master the World™; Learn Like a Pro. A new seminar is coming up on October […]
