Paul Franson's
NapaLife.com  

June 29, 2009
The insider's guide for those who live in Napa Valley – and those who wish they did…

Go to TravelTastes for wine, food and travel writing by Paul Franson.

 

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  An Insider’s Look at Napa Valley

Published each Monday from Napa Valley   

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NapaLife runs 12 to 18 pages each week including a list of almost everything happening in Napa Valley in the next two weeks. It is e-mailed each Monday and an online version is also available. It costs only $1 per week, $50 per year. 


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Publisher and Editor: Paul Franson
(707) 258-0159
paul@napalife.com


Paul Franson writes about Napa Valley


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A Perfect Day in the Heart of Napa Valley

A Perfect Day in Carneros

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Napa's Top Ten Gardens Napa Valley Life

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Ten Best Things on a Cold Day Napa Valley Life

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Tuscan dinner at Long Meadow Ranch

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Top restaurants with no Corkage Napa Valley Life

Living in Napa Valley

Millionaire's Guide to Buying the Napa Dream Food & Wine

 

Napa Valley: Glitz on  Deep Roots

Howard Backen's Kitchens Napa Valley Register

Ag preservation saved Napa Valley

Napa Valley Wineries

Charles Krug Winery   St. Helena Star

Artesa Winery
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Howell at the Moon Napa Valley Register

Round Pond Winery Napa Valley Register

Judd’s Hill's winery Napa Valley Register

HdV and Burgundy   Napa Valley Register

Napa’s French connection

Nichelini Winery
St. Helena Star

Dr. Revana returns to his roots St. Helena Star

Doctors & wine        Napa Valley Register.

Cade Winery                St. Helena Star

Make wine at a microcrush facility

Markham at 30             St. Helena Star

A view of Atlas Peak

Vintners  weather climate change San Francisco Chronicle

Lieff Vineyards
 St. Helena Star.


My favorite Napa blogs and web sites

Jim White's NapaMan

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Each issue of NapaLife lists events for the next two weeks, and the last issue each month (and the online edition) lists events for the next year.


Wine and corkage survey published

Subscribers to NapaLife have received a bonus issue: A survey of the corkage and minimum wine prices of local restaurants.

It offers information on restaurants that offer free corkage, and when they do, the lowest cost glasses and bottles of wine, and more.

To subscribe to NapaLife, use the coupon at the top of the page to pay with a credit card of Pay Pal, or send a check for $50 to Paul Franson, 2035 Oak St., Napa, CA 94559.

The e-mail address is paul@napalife.com.

Mondavi Summer Festival lineup complete

The Robert Mondavi Winery has released its schedule of summer concerts.

The eclectic performances at the winery in Oakville:

July 4              Preservation Hall Jazz Band and fireworks

July 11            Ozomatli urban-Latino

July 18            Blondie

July 25            KC & the Sunshine Band

August 1         Smokey Robinson presented by Napa Valley Opera House

Tickets are $60 to $260 from general admission lawn seating to premier dinner seating.

Order from www.robertmondaviwinery.com or (888) RMW-JAZZ (769-5299).

Stars for fourth Festival del Sole

Festival del Sole has released details of its fourth season in Napa Valley, July 17 to 25.

The weeklong schedule includes world-class concerts, exclusive receptions, lunches and dinners, wine tastings, art exhibitions and free community concerts showcasing talented young performers.

Tickets for concerts range from $35-$125 with discounts for students and purchases by April 15.

Passes include gala lunches, dinners and other VIP events, and prime seating at performances. For information and purchases, visit www.festivaldelsole.com, call 888-337-6272 (888-FDS-NAPA) or write to info@fdsnapa.org.

Music in the Vineyards

Music in the Vineyards is a nationally acclaimed chamber music festival held each Aug. in the Napa Valley. The three-week festival Aug. 5-23 showcases world-class artists-in-residence performing new and classic chamber music repertoire in stunning winery settings.

With wine tastings at each intermission and breathtaking views of the Napa Valley, this combination of Wine Country ambiance and world-class talent allows artists and audiences alike to experience the intimacy of chamber music as it was intended to be performed.

Get details at www.napavalleymusic.org or call 258-5559.

Wine Country chefs fight childhood hunger

Wine Country’s hottest chefs, restaurants, and wineries will gather for Share Our Strength’s Taste of the Nation. It raises critical funds needed to support efforts to end childhood hunger in Napa County and across the nation.

This year’s event will be held on Monday, Aug. 17 at Silverado Resort with a golf tournament and lunch from 12 to 5 p.m., and a Grand Tasting and Auction beginning at 5 p.m.

Tickets for Taste of the Nation Napa Valley Golf Tournament with lunch and Taste of the Nation are $215.

Taste of the Nation food and wine reception are $100.

Buy tickets at (877) 26-TASTE (268-2783) or TasteOfTheNation.org.

Fresh Aire Festival

The Napa Fresh Aire Festival, a three-day celebration of healthy lifestyl is Aug. 28-30. 

The fair focuses on health, wellness and renewal, with programs and activities featuring over 60 leading authorities and 75 sessions devoted to personal well-being and eco-conscious living.

Highlights include special guest speakers Dr Andrew Weil and Dan Buettner, a concert by two-time Grammy Award-winning “Wings” guitarist Laurence Juber, outdoor fitness programs and yoga classes, lessons on bio-dynamic food and wine, a free wellness area for sample treatments and demonstrations of health and healing modalities, and a free Expo featuring traditional and alternative spiritual health, fitness and recreation, and eco-conscious products and services.

The Festival will be at the Westin Verasa, with other activitiesnearby.

For information, visit www.napafreshairefest.com.

Harvest Stomp

Napa Valley Grapegrowers will hold Harvest Stomp, an authentic harvest celebration on Saturday, August 29, from 5-9 p.m. at the historic Gamble Ranch Vineyard in Yountville.  The evening will feature diverse wines from throughout the Napa Valley, exhibition style cuisine, dancing, a raffle and a live auction filled with a limited number of select, one-of-a-kind Napa Valley experiences. For information call 944-8311 or visit www.napagrowers.org.

Napa Valley Opera House Gala 2009

The Napa Valley Opera House 2009 Gala will be titled Shaken, Not Stirred and will naturally feature  the great retro Latin band Pink Martini.

It will be on Saturday, Oct. 3, and festivities begin at 4 p.m. with wine tasting and a martini bar reception, dinner and live auction in the a pink pavilion across from the Napa Valley Opera House.

The performance will be in the Margrit Biever Mondavi Theatre.

Call 603-2339 or e-mail cheryl@nvoh.org for tickets and more information.

 

 

For a free guide to public relations for wineries, restaurants and non-profit events,  and for a guide to media in Napa Valley, click on the links or e-mail paul@napalife.com.

 

 

Learn what's new in Napa Valley by reading NapaLife

NapaLife is the insider's guide to Napa Valley; this is only a taste of the whole newsletter. The weekly newsletter is published by Paul Franson, an insider who writes about doings in the valley for publications from the Napa Valley Register to Food and Wine.

 

This week in NapaLife; subscribe for details.

A campout at Wildlake

Coffee Caboose opens in Yountville

Babe’s in Carneros goes upscale

New restaurant named

Cindy Pawlcyn hires three chefs

Triple S Ranch closed

Avia opens Wednesday, July 1

Hotel Luca to open in October

Yountville Inn adding 32 rooms

New airporters to airports

Entertainment

Enjoy this summer’s free outdoor concerts

Napa City Nights

Saturday night movies in the park

Piccolino’s adds Monday night jams

Concerts in Calistoga

Musical Picnics in Lyman Park

Ubuntu Annex open

17th Annual River Festival needs sponsors

A slow week in Napa Valley?

News for Napa’s wine community

Napa Valley Vintners set dates

Academy of Wine Communications

Early registration for WITS ends July 3

Best bets this week

Family dinners in the Cellar at Martini House

Spice it up at Locals Night at Oxbow Market

Grgich Hills at a/k/a Bistro

Kids in the kitchen

Locals Night at the Napa Mill

This week at Silo’s

Spencer Day at Opera House

Mustards Pour-Off/Pair-Off Dinner

Artist Godinez at Silverado Trail Wine Studio

Summer Sparklers at Back Room Wines

Jessel’s Treasures opens

Independence Day activities in Napa Valley

The City of Napa’s Fourth of July Festival

Veterans Home in Yountville

Independence Day on the Wine Train

Robert Mondavi Summer Music Festival

Louis Martini Winery Celebration

Calistoga

Independence Day at Neela’s

59th Army Bank at Lincoln Theater

 

 


 Napa Valley Arts & Culture Event Calendar

Events this week in Napa Valley

JUNE

29   Wine in the Summer Sunshine. 12-3 pm. $10. Goosecross Cellars.  994-1986. 1119 State Lane, Yountville.

29-Aug. 7 Summer Camp for kids 6 to 11.  Land Trust’s Connolly Ranch. www.ConnollyRanch.org.

30   Zhug demonstration and tasting. 4:30 pm and every 30 minutes. Oxbow Public Market, Napa.

30   Fun finger foods. Kids in the Kitchen. Chef Laura Lee. 5-7:30 pm. $55. Upper Valley Campus Kitchen of Napa Valley College. 253-3070.

JULY

2      Spencer Day CD Release. $30. Napa Valley Opera House.

3      Opening reception, artist Reuben Godinez. 6-9 pm.  Silverado Trail Wine Studio. 226-8569.

3      Ralph Woodson Trio, www.ralphwoodson.com. Downtown Joe’s. 902 Main St., Napa. 258-2337. www.downtownjoes.com.

3      Festive Dips and Wine Sips. 12-3 pm. $10. Goosecross Cellars. 994-1986. 1119 State Lane, Yountville.

3      Fine Wine & Artisan Cheese. 4-6 pm. $10. Wineries of Napa Valley. 253-9450. Napa Town Center

3      Summer Sparklers. 5-8 pm. $15. Back Room Wines, 1000 Main St., Napa. 226-1378. www.backroomwines.com.

4      Independence Day

4      Preservation Hall Jazz Band and Fireworks Display. $60-$190. Robert Mondavi Winery

4      Fourth of July celebration in downtown Napa.

4      Independence Day Celebration. 7-10 pm. Louis M. Martini Winery, St. Helena. $95. 866-549-2582. www.louismartini.com.

5      59th Army Bank. Lincoln Thater, Yountville. Tickets at box office only.

6      Napa Valley Wine and Artisan Cheese. 12-3 pm. $10. Goosecross Cellars. 994-1986. 1119 State Lane, Yountville.

6      An Evening With Joan Baez  $50. Napa Valley Opera House

6      Moonlight Escapes romantic dinner in the Vista Dome. Napa Valley Wine Train. 253-2111. www.winetrain.com.

 


Enjoy wine, not pretense:

Wine snobs are a pain in the glass!


Paul Franson
NapaLife
2035 Oak St.
Napa, CA 94559

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Spinning the Bottle

Harvey Posert and Paul Franson 

 


Spinning the Bottle
, the first book on public relations for wineries, is a collection of cases studies and tutorial material collected by wine pr guru Harvey Posert and Paul Franson. 

Posert was a long-time head of public relations for Robert Mondavi Winery as well as the Wine Institute. In the book, veteran wine publicists, marketing experts and association officials tell how they conducted 50 winning public relations campaigns.

Spinning the Bottle  is a must for anyone marketing or studying wine. it’s available from 963-2685, at A Dozen Vintner’s at Lodi Lane and Highway 29, Riverside Books an>spinningthebottle.com, Wine Hardware, or Amazon.com.

  11,563

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© 2009 by Paul Franson.