Chiara Giannotti, Marketing Director, is great-granddaughter of Fazi Battaglia's founder. The Fazi Battaglia Winery has just celebrated its 60th anniversary. The history of this company began in 1949 in Cupramontana, at the very heart of Verdicchio territory. Over the decades, the winery grew and its reputation increased to where the name Fazi Battaglia was recognized all over the world and known for the famous amphora-shaped bottle introduced on the market in the 1950s. Today, with 300 hectares of vineyards located in the growing zone for the Castelli di Jesi Classic Verdicchio, Fazi Battaglia is aiming for new successes.

The name "barbara" comes from latin "barbarus" which means "foreign." Santa Barbara winery is named for the place where it is located and the surroundings vineyards, which form a natural amphitheater. Here they live and work in order to best characterize autochthonous grape varieties Verdicchio and Montepulciano, locally known as Conero. In addition, The Santa Barbara Winery plays by creating blends with international grape varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah. On a more serious note, there are two new releases of Classic Method Spumante sparkling wines based on Chardonnay and Pinot Nero. Mara Magnini graciously joins us from the winery with her very best English!

Michele Bernetti, CEO, Founder of Umani Ronchi winery explains that Verdicchio is one of Italy's premium white wines. The Verdicchio is an indigenous vine (the name Verdicchio had already appeared in documents dated 1579) which has been predominant in the Marche region, having developed on the hills that run from the Esino River Valley, a terrain that is gently bathed in the sea breezes coming off the Adriatic Sea. Monte Conero, a promontory which detached itself from the Apennine Mountains, is now a cliff, falling sheer down to the Adriatic Sea. Pliny the Elder, had praised the red wine produced in this area as far back as two thousand years ago. In 1967 the Rosso Conero wine earned DOC status, among the first in Italy, for its Montepulciano and Sangiovese grape blend and in 2004, earned DOCG classification for Reserve wines.

Becky Sue Epstein, Senior Editor, Wine & Spirits for Intermezzo Magazine; Contributing Editor for trade/retail The Tasting Panel magazine; talks about her work as International Editor at PalatePress.com: The Online Wine Magazine, a modern on-line wine magazine, seeking out and publishing the very best wine writers and writings on the internet. By harnessing the power of the internet and entering into partnerships with thousands of wine writers around the world, PalatePress.com is able to have an “on the scene reporter” at every wine-related event on the globe.

The development of Benziger Family's farming techniques has been an evolution of sorts. When they first began growing grapes on their Sonoma Mountain estate, they farmed like everyone else... with machines and chemicals. Over time, they started to notice that their wines, while consistent, lacked that intangible thing, that sense of place, that they knew existed in the land and should have been reflected in their wines. They eliminated the use of chemicals in 1990, and in the mid-1990s met Alan York, an expert in Biodynamic practices and a world-renowned horticulturist. Today, Benziger Family estate is one of a handful of Demeter certified-Biodynamic vineyards in North America.

To achieve the purest expression of vineyard character in the wine, Benziger Family embraces a winegrowing philosophy that emphasizes naturally maintained, vital soils. Healthy soils allow roots to fan out and grow deep, providing a better balance between the root system below and plant growth above. This results in stronger vines and fruit with more intense, site-specific flavors. Benzigers created a pyramid to illustrate the principles and practices of Biodynamics; The core elements of a healthy, well-balanced vineyard estate are described in the bottom half of the pyramid; The top half expresses vineyard individuality.

Michael Wangbickler, DWS, CWE, is providing new leadership for wine coverage in the media as Executive Director of the Academy of Wine Communications (AWC), founded in 1994. Members of the AWC are wine and food public relations and marketing professionals, as well as wine reporters, writers, editors and wine communication industry leaders. AWC general principles include: Build on the past � look to the future; Be a resource; Be Inclusive; Use Web 2.0 for Communication; Generate Content; and Be a Green Organization. Membership Benefits include: A friendly environment in which to build new professional relationships with industry colleagues, foster invaluable alliances, advance your career, generate business referrals, and begin lifelong friendships.

Matt Reidy's familys passion is making small lot hand-crafted Pinot Noirs and Syrahs from cool climate vineyards in Sonoma. They work with only the highest quality grapes from the best vineyards and gently harvest at the peak of ripeness. They baby their wines from grape to barrel to bottle making every effort to fashion vineyard-designate wines that are a natural expression of the place they are grown, fussing over every small lot and barrel. Their goal is crafting elegant, food- friendly, styled wines.

Richmond, Virginia born and raised, Andy Beckstoffer has contributed much to Napa Valley. Beckstoffer will be honored at The Culinary Institute of America 2010 Vintners Hall of Fame as a 2010 inductee on March 13, 2010 with a daylong Celebration of California Wine & Food, culminating in the Vintners Hall of Fame induction ceremony. In 1994 Andy was a founding member of The Rutherford Dust Society and served as its initial President. He remains on the Society's Board of Directors and is the current President. Beckstoffer became a founding director of the Napa Valley Grape Growers Association (NVGGA) in 1975. A year later, as the Association's president, he brought forth the revolutionary idea of basing the price of a ton of grapes on the future price of a bottle of wine. As a leader in modern viticulture practices, many of his ideas from irrigation to vine spacing were considered radical when introduced. After years of rapid expansion in the wine industry and little control over what constituted a winery, the NVGGA made a recommendation to require that 75 percent of the wine made in the Napa Valley Agricultural Preserve be from Napa Valley grapes. In 1989, the 75 percent rule was established and Beckstoffer was hailed by the NVGGA as the proposal's "chief architect."

Andy Beckstoffer came to Napa as a corporate executive in 1969, after earning an M.B.A. from the Amos Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College. Recognizing the potential for growth in premium wines, he started a farming company which he eventually purchased in 1973. Beckstoffer Vineyards has grown to be the largest vineyard owner, farming group, and winegrape seller in the Napa Valley and the North Coast, delivering grapes to more than 100 of the state's most famous wineries. Andy Beckstoffer, Chairman and CEO, Beckstoffer Vineyards, developed a formula for paying growers based on the finished wine value, thus reducing the incentive for excessive yield and focusing growers on quality. He has played a major role in preserving agriculture in the Napa Valley and has contributed to efforts to restore the Napa River. Beckstoffer and his namesake Vineyards continue to influence California viticulture. As a leader in the wine and grape industry, his latest endeavor is to bring the technology, business acumen and agricultural sensitivity he honed for 30 years in the Napa Valley to Mendocino and Lake Counties.

While still a student in London, Gerald Asher took a part-time job in a wine shop near Piccadilly, a small step that started him on his way to a distinguished career. A succession of work-study programs in key wine regions, led to employment in the wine industry in positions that eventually brought him to California where, as first chairman of Wine Institute's Geographic Appellations Committee, he quickly developed a keen sense of California's viticultural identity. Through his work in the industry and his elegantly written monthly essays for Gourmet, where he was wine editor for thirty years, he passed to countless others his deep knowledge of wine and his passion for California. Books drawn mainly from his Gourmet writing include On Wine, Vineyard Tales, Wine Journal, and The Pleasures of Wine.

The Vintners Hall of Fame celebrates the men and women whose collective vision, determination, and hard work have been responsible for the growth and worldwide prestige of the California wine industry. Bronze sculptures of the inducteescrafted by renowned artist Lawrence Newlanare displayed on the historic 2,200-gallon redwood wine barrels in the former Christian Brothers' Barrel Room. Each plaque includes a biography of the inductee, capturing that person's unique accomplishments and role in making California one of the most legendary places in the world for fine wine. Each March, the college holds A Celebration of California Wine & Food, a series of events celebrating the induction of new members into the Vintners Hall of Fame. Proceeds from the Induction celebrations contribute to scholarships to the Rudd Center for Professional Wine Studies. Asher is a regular essayist for World of Fine Wine London-based magazine. His March essay is titled: Worth The Sacrifice? Points, Technique, And Terroir.

Michael Brill, President and CEO, founded Crushpad, San Francisco in 2004 to serve would-be winemakers across the virtual landscape who couldn't up and quit their job and move to California. Amateur and virtual winemakers have been winning competitions from the Crushpad warehouse production facility in an untraditional urban setting that is about to embark on a more comprehensive vini/viti experience one-hour north, to an existing winery, in the Oak Knoll district called Silverado Trail Wine Studio in March, 2010.

"While we have worked hard to provide as much access to the winemaking process as possible, our efforts to provide experiences outside of the winery have been limited. So many of you have expressed interest in getting more involved in areas such as the vineyard. Not only are we going to add classes on viticulture, we are also arranging sessions with well-known winemakers, grape growers and other folks in the business such as our barrel and cork producers. At the winery, we will be operating a tasting room where we will be pouring and selling wines made by Crushpad clients. Although the majority of our winemaking will still be exactly as it is in San Francisco - one barrel at a time � we now can help folks who want to grow their brands substantially." Michael Brill

Wine Author, Wine TV-Personality Leslie Sbrocco is a true jet-setter, whether it's a regular appearance on the Today Show, accepting a Tasty Award for her "Check Please" west-coast PBS series, or tasting wines in Chile, this past December. She never sits still. Her new project �Adventures of a Thirsty Girl" was recently launched at the Boston Wine Expo, and the upcoming New York Wine Expo to follow, where she is a guest speaker. Thirsty Girl is a social networking site where women can share in their passion for wine, food, travel, and friendship.

Ray Johnson, Assistant Director, The San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition talks up the 2010 Public Tasting on Saturday, February 20, at Fort Mason Center�s Festival Pavilion featuring award winning wines from across the country. The Public Tasting is a wine and food experience. Featured at this event will be a sampling of hand crafted creations from premier artisan food purveyors, which will include award winning artisan breads, savory meats, exotic oils, hand crafted cheeses, delicious desserts, sumptuous sauces, and other exquisite delicacies. Buy tickets online now as the last two year public tastings' sold out in advance. Click link to order tickets.

You will thoroughly enjoy Eddie Osterland's journey from New Jersey in the 1960's to becoming America's first Master Sommelier via Honolulu, Bordeaux, and London. His college studies focused on psychology which is uses to his professional advantage as "Your Personal Wine Coach" and "Professional Speaker on Power Entertaining." His approach includes demystifying wine but his expertise is in teaching executive entertaining strategies to empower people with confidence in the boardroom, restaurant, and home alike.

The story of Green Fairy and Djabel Absinth is one that is clouded in the history of the Dark Ages, and carries with it all the mysticism of magic. Made in one of Europe's oldest distilleries, these products have been carved out of ancient culture and forged by the constant battle between good and evil. During the 9th Century, when the Moravian Empire was under attack from the Avars, the male population was greatly reduced. To defend themselves against further annihilation, soothe their souls, and seek gratification, they sought consolation in witchcraft. Many local woodland ingredients were used to concoct "magical" brews including one of the oldest and most respected Wormwood. This herb was often used for hex breaking, love potions, and defense against poisons spawned from sea dragons and hemlock. Leopold Binko is Managing Director for Green Tree Distillery, in the Czech Republic; Bedrich Kabriel translates from Australia.

Green Fairy absinth is produced to an exacting recipe at one of the oldest distilleries in The Czech Republic - The Green Tree that dates back to 1518. In spite of devastating wars, natural disasters, and revolutions, the production of spirits and liqueurs of exceptional quality has continued for nearly 500 years. The power of this wormwood-based potion could not be denied and physicians were quick to administer and prescribe adaptations of it to those suffering from an array of ills. Eventually the potion fell into the hands of the French who would go on to write their own version of Absinthe's history, popularise it and then banish it some years later. Fortunately the production of this mythical brew continued in the land of its birth, the Czech Republic. Today the modern versions, Green Fairy and Djabel, only differ in alcoholic volume and thujone levels but share the same variation of botanicals that include Coriander, Juniper, Hyssop, Star Anise and Wormwood. These absinths are a superb base spirit for a variety of cocktails or even work wonderfully in a simple mix with tonic, soda or any selection of juices.

PASO ROBLES WINE COUNTRY, one of the nation's premier wine producing regions, hits the road for its 2010 national Grand Tasting Tour with the first stop scheduled the week of February 23 - 25, 2010 in San Diego, the first and only Southern California stop on the Tour. Over 40 Paso Robles winemakers will take the journey down to San Diego to participate in a number of winemaker dinners, trade tastings and consumer tastings. The goal of the event is really to introduce Southern California wine lovers to the great wines and winemakers that come out of Paso Robles to learn a little bit about Paso Robles wine as well. Christopher Taranto is Communications Manager for the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance.