Sean Minor:
Sean was born in the Midwest surrounded by agriculture and the concept of coaxing things out of the earth. His wine career began after a formal education in finance from Arizona State University where he met his wife Nicole. After graduation, he began working for Napa Valley’s Beaulieu Vineyard, taking classes at U.C. Davis in viticulture & enology in hopes of developing a further understanding of grape growing and wine production. Sean was recruited by Oregon’s King Estate Winery to manage the Estate. He met Will Bucklin, King Estate’s then winemaker, and developed an even stronger knowledge of winemaking and gained a lifelong friend. He learned firsthand the importance of site-specific viticulture, and went on to lead Benton Lane Winery. He returned to California in 2001 for the opportunity to manage Renwood Winery and enhance his wine experience growing and marketing some of the Golden State’s best Zinfandel and Syrah. Four years later, in 2005, he founded Sean Minor Wines.

Michael Browne:

Michael moved to Sonoma County in 1987 from Washington State with the goal of becoming an architect. While working at local fine dining establishments to pay the bills, he fell in love with the pleasures of the local wines and was intrigued by winemaking and viticulture through his many visits to local wineries and vineyards. The idea of being involved in agriculture, as well as the craft of winemaking, pushed Michael into the pursuit of producing fine wines. Michael was in the restaurant industry for 15 years, fueling his passion for food and wine. The majority of this time was spent at John Ash & Co. in Santa Rosa where he waited tables, bartended and worked the line in the kitchen. The last two years at John Ash & Co. were spent on the floor as a sommelier. He started working with Deerfield Ranch Winery in 1997 as Assistant Winemaker and became Co-Winemaker in 2000. In 2001, he partnered with Dan Kosta and Chris Costello to form Kosta Browne Winery.

From Ondine Chattan, Head Winemaker at Geyser Peak (Episode 4), here’s a fantastic Holiday Gift Pack of 3 of Geyser Peak’s Block Collection, which includes

■2008 Water Bend Chardonnay, Alexander Valley
■2006 Kuimelis Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley
■2006 Walking Tree Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley
It’s available at www.geyserpeak.com for $86.40 (10% off the usual retail price of $96.00. If you’re a Geyser Peak Club Member, you get a 30% discount, so it’s only $67.20).
They also have a Core Collection Gift Set for $44.10 (with 10% discount) or $34.30 for Club Members. It includes:

■2006 Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley
■2006 Merlot, Alexander Valley
■2009 Sauvignon Blanc, California

You can pair the wine with a set of Andrea Immer Robinson’s (Episode 24) “The One” Wine Glasses, which are $49.95 for a set of 4 Red or 4 White (there is a Special offer of Free shipping on orders of 2 or more 4-packs).

Finally, why not add a copy of Andrea’s 2011 Wine Buying Guide for Everyone ($14.95 ), which is completely updated, featuring only her Top Ten wines in every price and style category. These are available at www.andreawine.com.

Day 4 is all about The Cocktail…we have been so fortunate to have some of the most legendary people in the cocktail world on our show this year.

“King Cocktail” himself, Mr. Dale DeGroff, was our guest in August (Episode 14). A wonderful gift for any cocktail buff or aspirational mixologist on your list would be copies of Dale’s two books…”The Craft of the Cocktail” and “The Essential Cocktail”…both are available on Amazon.com for $23.10.

Dale also has a fantastic “Craft of the Cocktail” card deck, which includes fifty fabulous cocktail recipes created by Dale and also includes bartending tips for preparing, mixing, and serving drinks in style. It’s $10.17 on Amazon.

If you really want to be a hero, add a bottle of Absolut or Beefeater to the cocktail gift bag. Those are products from Pernod-Ricard….Suzanne Freedman, Pernod-Ricard’s Director of On-Premise was also a guest on Episode 14 with Dale.

The person who recieves these will be very happy!

Day 5 is about Boston and some of the great guests we’ve had from my hometown…

First up is a gift card or a gift basket from The Urban Grape, a fantastic new wine shop in Chestnut Hill that is co-owned by TJ Douglas, our guest on Episode 9, and his wife Hadley. The Urban Grape is featuring several gorgeous gift baskets made by Table & Tulip – this one is a pair of Hudson “Baby Bourbon” and “Four Grain” Bourbon bottles nestled in a lush mood moss accented with succulents in your choice of silver metallic box or reclaimed wood box. Check it out at

www.theurbangrape.com

To that, how about adding a gift card to Russell House Tavern, one of the hottest restaurants just over the Charles River in Cambridge? Executive Chef Michael Scelfo and Bar Manager Aaron Butler were also guests on Episode 9. The Russell House Tavern is a New American Tavern serving seasonally-inspired, classic dishes from New England, specializing in artisanal fare served alongside carefully hand-crafted cocktails and a distinctive collection of all-American wines and craft beers.

www.russellhousecambridge.com

Cheers,
Catherine

We have had so many amazing guests on our radio program over the past 7 months, we thought it would be fun to highlight one gift idea each day from those guests leading up to Christmas.

Gift Idea #1 – A bottle of Veuve Clicquot Rose from one of the guests on our first show, Chef de Caves Dominique Demarville, along with a copy of the New York Times Bestseller, “The Widow Clicquot, The Story of a Champagne Empire and the Woman Who Ruled It” by Tilar Mazzeo, our guest week 12.

www.veuve-clicquot.com

www.tilar-mazzeo.com

Day 2′s Holiday Gift Idea also comes from our first show….our very first guest on Cocktails for Everyone! was Denis Toner, Founder of the Nantucket Wine Festival. How about 2 tickets to the 2011 Grand Tasting or Harbor Gala in your stocking? Works for me!

www.nantucketwinefestival.com

Along with that, why not include a gift certificate to Nantucket’s American Seasons? Co-owners Michael La Scola (episode 1) and Orla Murphy LaScola (episode 3) run one of the best restaurants on the island, as well as have one of the best wine lists on the East Coast.

www.americanseasons.com

Our blog can be found at cocktailsforeveryone.wordpress.com

Cheers! Catherine

Guest Bios:

Alex Sokol Blosser:

Alex Sokol Blosser, son of Sokol Blosser’s founders, Susan Sokol Blosser and Bill Blosser, grew up working in the family vineyards and winery. After starting college in Texas, he realized his heart lay back on the family farm, so he returned to Oregon to finish his degree and acquire more wine industry experience. In 1998, after working in neighboring vineyards and with a Portland wine wholesaler, he worked for the president, his mom, Susan, while earning his MBA degree. When he achieved his MBA, Alex became Vice President of Sales at Sokol Blosser. In addition to his sales duties, he works harvest and oversees vineyard and winemaking activities. Now a Co-President with his sister Alison, he actively participates in the Oregon wine industry, including spearheading the project to develop six new American Viticultural Areas in the northern Willamette Valley in 2002. He currently serves as President of the Willamette Valley Wineries Association and has twin boys, Nikolas & Avery.

Jackson Cannon:

Jackson Cannon, son and brother of renowned award-winning journalists Lou & Carl Cannon, grew up immersed in a world of travel, politics & literature. A stint booking music acts in Cambridge, MA provided the introduction to the craft of bartending. He found mixology to be the perfect profession and has elevated the craft of bartending in Boston. As opening Bar Manager at Eastern Standard his cocktail program has received national attention. USA Today named Eastern Standard one of the country’s Top 10 Hotel Bars, Boston magazine awarded it “Best Restaurant Bar”, Esquire magazine included it in its list of “Best Bars in America” in 2008 & 2010 and ES was awarded top honor of Spirits Hospitality Restaurant of the Year by Santé magazine. In 2010, he created the bar program for Island Creek Oyster Bar, ES’s sister restaurant. When he’s not traveling or spending time with his wife and two young children, Jackson can be found mentoring the next generation of craft beverage devotees.

Bios:
Joel Peterson:
Joel Peterson has been the Winemaker of Ravenswood Winery since 1976 and has shepherded Ravenswood from a small unknown one man winery producing 327 cases of Zinfandel, to the number one producer of Zinfandel. He owns the historic 119 acre Bedrock Vineyard in Sonoma Valley that produces grapes for Ravenswood. In addition, he works with 100+ growers that provide grapes for Ravenswood annually, consulting on irrigation/cultivation practices, cropping levels and sustainable vineyard practices. He has presented innumerable seminars, lectures and tasting over the years at venues such as the Boston Wine Expo, Culinary Institute of America (NY and CA) and the Epcot Food and Wine Festival.
Joel is a current member and former president of the Sonoma Valley Vintners and Growers Alliance, a founding member and former two-time President of Zinfandel Advocates and Producers as well as a Senior Vice President and member of the Senior Executive team of Constellation Wines US.

Shirley Roy:
Shirley Roy and her late husband Charles were both born and raised on the East Coast. Charles, originally from Massachusetts, was a civil engineer and an architect. Shirley was born on Long Island and grew up in New Jersey. She is an accountant and a student of fine food and wine.
Together, they owned and operated executive suite businesses in New Jersey and Norfolk, Virginia. During the 1980′s and 90′s they made many business trips to San Francisco and Northern California. They fell in love with Napa Valley.
In 1999, with the purchase of pro golfer Johnny Miller’s estate, they began new lives as vintners.

Guest Bios:

Chef Daniel Bruce:

Born and raised in northern New England, Daniel Bruce graduated with honors from Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island, then traveled to Italy & France for more traditional training. Upon his return to the United States, he began working in New York City at 21, becoming in quick time the youngest executive chef in the history of that legendary restaurant. Internationally-renowned, he has been awarded the title of Vice Consellier Culiniaire, Bailliage de Boston, and has been honored twice as one of the “Best Hotel Chefs in America” at the James Beard House. In 2009 he was the featured chef at the Celebrity Chef and Winemaker Auction Dinner at the Nantucket Wine Festival. He is an honorary member of Chevalier du Tastevin, has been recognized by Boston magazine as the city’s Best Hotel Chef and has made numerous live television appearances on programs such as NBC’s Today and Live with Regis & Kelly. He was awarded an honorary doctorate from Johnson & Wales University in 1996.

John Jordan:

Born in Colorado in May 1972 – the same day his parents, Tom and Sally Jordan, signed the deed on the land that is now Jordan’s valley floor vineyards – John Jordan has served as Chief Executive Officer of the winery since October 2005. The family moved permanently to California in 1979 to live on the winery estate, where he attended school in Healdsburg. He earned his Private Pilot Certificate at age 17, and his Commercial Pilot Certificate before heading to college. Following in his father’s footsteps, he studied economics then attended law school. A graduate of Occidental College in LA and Empire College School of Law in Santa Rosa, has also an MBA from the University of San Francisco. Lured away from his private law practice by his father in 2005 to oversee the day-to-day operations of the family winery, he built a home overlooking the lake where he grew up fishing. In his free time, John enjoys flying planes, is a lieutenant in the US Navy Reserve and a part-time professor of law.

I am writing to ask you to be part of my “Pie In The Sky – Boston Pie Diva” Team, which supports Community Servings’ effort to prepare and deliver nutritious, appealing meals to critically ill people all around Greater Boston–all year long. The pies are prepared by some of Boston’s best restaurants, bakeries, caterers and hotels, who donate thousands of pies that volunteers then sell to family, friends and colleagues. Each pie costs $25, and that provides a week’s worth of hearty home-delivered meals to a Community Servings’ critically ill client as well as a tasty Thanksgiving treat to the buyer.

Participating are some of the best restaurants in Boston, including Davio’s, Rialto, The Catered Affair, The Capital Grille, and so many more….

There are several ways you can help – by ordering a pie for your dinner table, by donating a pie in honor of a loved one, and by spreading the word of my “Boston Pie Diva” team to your friends & family. I’ve pledged to sell 50 pies and I really need your help to accomplish that!!

Here is the link to order a real or “virtual” pie that will help someone in need: http://pieinthesky.org/events/mypage.cfm?event=47&ec_id=142&ID=2784

I thank you in advance and wish a you & your family & friends a very Happy Thanksgiving!

With much thanks and appreciation,

Catherine Stanton Schiff

Mark Gillespie:

Mark Gillespie is the host and Executive Producer of WhiskyCast, and started producing the weekly podcast in November, 2005 as part of his own education in whisky. His career in broadcast journalism spans 30 years and the entire United States. Mark has worked at radio and television stations in Indianapolis, Detroit, Houston, and Anchorage, and his reports have appeared on CNN and NBC Nightly News. Behind the scenes, he has worked as a writer, producer and editor at MSNBC, The Gallup Poll, and Bloomberg News. Mark is currently the principal of Cask Strength Media, a media production and consulting practice based in Haddonfield, New Jersey. He is a member of the Malt Maniacs, has been a judge in several whisky competitions, and was named a Kentucky Colonel by Gov. Steve Beshear in 2008.

Guest Bios:

Andrea Immer Robinson:

Andrea’s first book, Great Wine Made Simple, was an enormous success, and quickly established her as one of America’s top wine writers. She subsequently published, Andrea Immer’s Wine Buying Guide for Everyone (published in 2002 and updated annually), Great Tastes Made Simple, and Everyday Dining With Wine. Her television show, “Pairings with Andrea” aired on the Fine Living TV Network, and complimented her previous show “Simply Wine”. Andrea served as wine and spirits consultant on more than 100 episodes of the Food Network’s “Cooking Live Primetime”, “Hot off the Grill”, and “Emeril Live” shows. She is a regular contributor to Esquire, F&B Executive, and Health Magazine, and is a frequent speaker to the National Restaurant Association, dozens of major corporations, consumer wine groups, and top hospitality schools. Andrea was the first Corporate Director of Beverage Programs for Starwood Hotels & Resorts and oversaw the entire beverage program for its North American hotels.

Kate Moore:

Kate Moore is L’Espalier’s internationally educated prima sommelier, who is happy to enchant guests with intimate stories of far away vintners, influential wine growing regions and marquee distilleries. Her extensive beverage knowledge is further enhanced by relevant insights about provincial cultures, art restoration, climate, and agriculture, all which she artfully explains in the context of a particular vintage or spirit. She guides guests through L’Espalier’s world-class floor to ceiling wine collection and exceptionally stocked bar. Diners often meet her during a Chef’s Tasting Journey multi-course dining experience which features exquisite wine pairings to accompany the culinary creations of New England’s most acclaimed independent restaurant. The recent renaissance of vintage and classic cocktails inspired her to lead L’Espalier’s “Top Shelf” cocktail class series, which is unique to Boston and is equally informative for the home mixologist or a serious cocktail connoisseur.

Guest Bios:

Francine Cohen:

Francine Cohen, a native Washingtonian, whose interest in the industry continued through to her professional career where she worked on multiple food and beverage product accounts at various advertising agencies, put in some time in the communications department of ITT/Sheraton, and raised money and awareness for Food & Hunger Hotline as the Director of Communications before turning to a career in journalism. Francine has been fortunate to serve as an honorary judge at cocktail competitions for Don Q Rum, critiquing final projects at The French Culinary Institute, speaking at the Manhattan Cocktail Classic and the International Restaurant Show, is Bar Smarts™ certified, and is currently at work on a cookbook. She lives in New York City with her husband of eight years where, much to the dismay of her pastry chef friends, she’d happily pass up dessert for something savory, and has never met a cheese that she didn’t want to eat.

Dana M. Bruner:

As Corporate Mixologist for the The Perfect Purée of Napa Valley, Dana M. Bruner has shaken a few cocktails over the past ten years. As the in-house beverage palate for the company, Dana helps to refine flavor profiles and develop recipes showcasing the versatility of The Perfect Puree’s extensive line-up of fruit purees, concentrates, zest and beverage blends. She has developed long standing relationships with the mixology community and is the go-to person for flavor advice when they are designing beverage menus and pitches. As a top-notch and seasoned executive, Ms. Bruner holds dual responsibility as the Director of Sales Operations for The Perfect Purée of Napa Valley. Dana’s primary responsibility is to maintain successful business relationships by providing onsite sales support to the company’s distribution network.