Ed of Vine Connections and Karen of Pioneer Wine Co.

Buenos Aires

Rooftop Bar in Buenos Aires

Santiago of Mendel

Laura Catena, Angel Paulucci, Greg Kassanoff and Luis Reginato.

Laura Catena and Karen of Pioneer Wine Co.

Low Hanging Malbec

Angel Paulucci and Luis Reginato in the Paulucci Malbec Vineyard

Luis holding Luca Syrah in both hands!

Luis Reginato representing Tikal in a Polo Match

The rows that go into BenMarco

Listening to Roberto de la Mota at Mendel

Nice and Greg at the Mapema BBQ in East Mendoza

The Pizzella Family

A tasting with Mendel's Roberto de la Mota

Chad and Karen in Susana Balbo and Pedro Marchevsky's Vineyards

...east of the Andes in Mendoza

Chad being schooled by Laura Catena during a Luca vertical tasting

Emily and Katie of Vine Connections

Hot Empanadas Anyone?

Greg and Chad inside Mendel Winery

Yes, the group was followed around by cooks! They are making fresh bread here on the road in the middle of the Mendoza Countryside.

Nick drenched by water-balloons in Mendoza

Ahh, La Vendemia

A Dried up River Bed, Guns and a Girl from Texas - look out!

Chad drenched by water-balloons in Mendoza

After the water-ballon fight at La Vendemia

Karen and Chad Horseback Riding in Mendoza

Chad

Chad, Karen, Laura Catena and Greg

Karen and the Tikal Men

Karen, Susana Balbo and Chad

Greg in the Luca Syrah Vineyard

Christmas Time in the City...

I want this chair!!

I hung this sign on the gate in 2000 for Henley...my office was in a garden in the back of shops on Union Street. Yes, it was cooool!

Happy Friends!

1976...read the tasting note soon. stay tuned!

My old backyard...

Crissy Field

Golden Gate Park

Looking up in Golden Gate Park

the de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park

looking north-west towards the Golden Gate Bridge and the Pacifc Ocean from the Golden Gate Park

Bottom of the Hilll, Potero Hill

French Miami at The Bottom of the Hill

2005 Burgundy Tasting in Austin

Veritas Importas Tasting in Austin

North View from the Top of  John Hancock Tower

Yes, if you look carefully, you can see one of the Brewers dancing for the dinner guests!

The Divine Droplets "Ice Igloo"

A look inside the Kanabara rice room in Nigata, a process in Sake making Dr. Sato spoke about all week in Texas.

Chef  Tyson

Ginger - the secret ingredient

Inside the watching party and dinner at uchi

Chef Tyson

My favorite course - brown butter sorbet with ginger consomme and galangal tuile - paired with 2007 Perrone moscato d'asti

Tyson dropped off some secret ingredients for "smellavision" during the show.

The Iron Chef Menu

Chef  Tyson

Vice Saves Texas - SXSW Afterparty

Team sake2me

Comedy Stage Crowd at Mess with Texas

sake2me at Mess with Texas

Helio Sequence Showcase at Bourbon Rocks - my favorite band of the weekend!

The Boyfriend

Backstage at The Breeders

Bourbon Rocks

Bourbon Rocks

Austin Whole Foods Loves sake2me

Shurmun CD Release at Kenichi

The Winner

Hands on a Hard Body

The new sparkling wine from Argentina- Reginato Blanc de Blanc

Roll it! Watching "Hands on a Hard Body" while sipping the Red Wines of Vine Connections.

The BACK ROW

An afternoon sun storm over mustard in St. Helena

Scribble and Doodles

Napa Valley Vintners Dinner - Stony Hill Chardonnay, Monticello Cab Franc and Ladera Cabernet were my favorite.

Classroom at the CIA Greystone

At least 500 wine glasses on my table...a stemware sea.

Blind tasting with Karen McNeil and Alder Yarrow at the CIA Greystone

A few hours before sundown off my porch.

Full Moon at Midnight right off my porch!

Within minutes of my arrival after a very long travel day to Meadowood

Peaceful path to my room at Meadowood

A Room with a View at Meadowood.

The view directly over my laptop as I load this picture!

A new look for the Susana Balbo "Brioso" bottle of red wine. We love it!

example of a Vine Connections trade show table...yes, there are trade shows in the wine business too!

Sample bottle of the long-awaited Reginato sparkling from Argentina...so exciting!

Bring on the bubbles!

Laura Catena showing us her new Luca "Nico" during the Vine Connections Sales Summit.

First peek at the new Luca Nico...$125 retail price.

Pellegrini Eight Cousins "Old Vine" Zinfandel...see, it's the truth - these are wicked old vines in Sonoma.

LIOCO Charles Heintz Chardonnay

Kevin Kelly, the winemaker behind LIOCO

My Wine of the Week!

Etienne de Montille Tasting the Austin Wine Merchant

Fans of Chateau Puligny Montrachet, Deux Montille and Domaine de Montille at the Saturday Sigel's Elite store tasting.

More Fans in Dallas

Sigel's Elite Tasting in Dallas with Etienne

BBQ Burgundy in Austin!

Etienne asked "Ali, what is Texas BBQ?", so we took him to the best BYOB BBQ joint in Austin, Texas! Ruby's off the drag...

Etienne getting a lesson on "smoked meats".

Cheers! The whole supply chain at dinner (Ali is behind the camera). Etienne, John and David from Veritas, Doug from Avante Beverages (distributor) and Paul and Zach from the Austin Wine Merchant! Fantastic Dinner!

Austin's Mark Anderson, his girlfriend and Etienne at the Austin Wine Merchant Tasting Friday evening.

The line-up...Chateau Puligny Montrachet, Deux Montille and Domaine de Montille

Etienne leads a 2004 tasting at the Austin Wine Merchant

Sigel's Elite Tasting in Dallas

Etienne's very first Texas beer, queso and TexMex - Curras on Oltorf in Austin, Texas.

Dinner at Ferrings at the new Ritz Carlton in Dallas with Etienne and Jasper Russo. Cheers!

The Incredible Susana Balbo and TexaCali Ali sharing Crios Syrah Bonarda at the base of the Andes Mountains!

In the Luca Malbec vineyard

Oak Staves

the Crios bottling line

French barrels inside of Dominio del Plato

Susana's dog Balthazar - Henley's long lost brother in Argentina!

amazing malbec!

somewhere in mendoza

canopy trellis

looking west at Domino del Plata

Learninig from the Great Pedro Marchevsky

In the vineyards with Pedro

Wild Broncos came flying out of a valley while riding through the Andes

Wine Master Wong on his horsey!

Getting ready for my first horse ride

Preparing for lunch

Still talking about this pairing years later!

SOO HAPPY HERE!

Real Empanadas are baked in a clay oven

How I felt after eating lunch!

My very first glass of Crios Rose of Malbec - first of a few thousand now I'm certain!

Inside the ranch house in the Andes...outside of Mendoza

Where I had my first taste of Luca Chardonnay

Jonas and Amy during a Luca vertical tasting in Mendoza

The coolest ever - fresh empanadas delivered to us in the vineyard.

In the vineyard a few days before harvest

Tikal Malbec

Standing exactly 90 miles away from the base of the Andes. Crazy.

Are you really taking my picture now?

Snow capped Andes Mountains

In the Paulucci Vineyard

Angel Paulucci and his sweet wift in the vineyard

Guess these famous malbec teeth!

Where should we sit?

See the woman on the very right? She is the the mother of 18 children!

So after we all sit down, a hundred glasses set, a raging thunderstorm creeps in - what a mess!

Mapema by candlight, which led to Grappa of Malbec by candlelight, which led to TexaCali Ali laughing all the way home!

Mapema by candlelight during the wicked storm.

The view from my window in Mendoza - the Park Hyatt.

La Recoleta Cemetery is a famous cemetery located in the exclusive Recoleta neighborhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina.

I was trying to get the picture of Eva Peron's grave here...

The cemetery again...

La Boca District

Classic Pub in La Boca

Don't Cry for Me Argentina

Inside a delicious restaurant in Buenos Aires (more wine bottles than soccer balls I think!)

First meal in Buenos Aires after the 10+ hour flight!

Buenos Aires

San Telmo

Beautiful Buenos Aires

San Telmo

Sunday in San Telmo

BBQ Dinner with Mapema

A Tikal Vine

The veggies in Argentina are just as amazing as their beef!

San Telmo Cafe in Buenos Aires

Laura Catena at Limon with TexaCali Ali and Vine Connections

2007 TexSom Conference

Inside my fridge the night before the TexSom Masters dinner at Wink!

ahh, a break in New Mexico!

Sunset at Handley Cellars in Anderson Valley

Tasty Treat at the Anderson Valley Brewing Company

Lunch in the Garden - Mendocino August 2007

Fort Ross Sales Call in Dallas

Guy Davis at Spanish Oaks - a lovely evening of food and wine!

TexaCali Ali finally gets her  "ocean fix" August 2007

TexaCali Inner Circle on Tour in Sonoma

Russian River Rocks

Over the Rainbow in Sonoma

Russian River behind Fitch Mountain in Sonoma

Presidio Steps

Path to my old house in the Presidio from Crissy Field

Palace of Fine Arts Feb. 2007

Palace of Fine Arts Feb. 2007

Small Display of the best Argentine wine....

Pedro speaking during the Malbec Masters Tour in Houston

Luis speaking in Houston during the Malbec Masters Tour

Tikal and BenMarco!

Malbec Masters speaking to Bill and Matthew at the downtown Spec's store - Houston.

Roberto de la Mota - winemaker of Mendel chatting with Bill on the Argentine row in Spec's.

Well feed winemakers along with Chef and Owner Lanny Lancarte!

Susana Balbo and Pedro Marchevsky at Lanny's Alto Cocina in Fort Worth ...ahh the lovebirds!

The North Texas Malbec Masters Tour & Seminar at the Gaylord Texan

Guests at the North Texas Malbec Masters Seminar

Winemaker for Tikal, Luca and La Posta - Luis Reginato at the Malbec Masters Seminar

Fresh Wasabi in Japan

East Bound from the top of Fort Ross Vineyards

You can see the Faralon Islands from Fort Ross

steep vines at Fort Ross

Fort Ross Vineyards Jan. 2006

Linda and Lester - the Lovebirds behind Fort Ross Winery!

Half Moon Bay Sunset

My favorite porch in Dry Creek

Doug Wight of Lewelling teaching me about pruning.

Germain-Robin

2005 Dallas Morning News Wine Competition

Pellegrini Family Vineyards - Cloverdale Ranch Cabernet and Merlot

Bride of the Fox Mask

Bon Appetite Party in Austin with Vine Connections @ Kenichi

York Street - Dallas Texas

The famous Bill and Laura!

Lewelling Barrel Samples

Asakahan Entrance - Japan

AHH - Sweets prepared by Doralice Handal of The Cheese Shop for the Valdez Family Vineyards Release party!

Pellegrini Family Vineyards

Malibu sunset in September 2006

Hosting Dallas Uncorked!

Stirring Sake in Japan - Bride of the Fox actually

Hiking in Marin November 2006

Hiking in Marin November 2006

Luis Reginato - Winemaker for Tikal, Luca and La Posta from Argentina dines at Austin's The Oasis

Mike Meadows of  PORTERDAVIS and Luis Reginato of Tikal, Luca and La Posta at The Oasis

Winemaker Luis and Central Market WIne Stud Matt in Austin