The Celani Family traces its roots back to the town of Ferentino near Rome—and they are deep roots. For generations the Celanis have celebrated life among family, friends, good food, and great wine. In this spirit Vicki and Tom Celani founded their own vineyard in the Vaca Mountain Range of California with one mission, and one mission only, to produce the finest wines in the Napa Valley. In doing so, they vowed to respect the gifts of nature without any compromise in quality – This is the virtue and value of their wine. Visit their website www.celaniwines.com Click on images to...

February 1st & 2nd from 10:30 am to 4:30 pm Visitors will enjoy complimentary wine tasting of their newly released wines in the Charles Krug Tasting Room. Peter Mondavi Jr. will be on hand Friday, February 1st from 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm to welcome guests and sign bottles. The Family Reserve Tasting will be available for a fee of $25.00. If you are looking for truly spectacular Cabernet Sauvignon, this is the tasting for you! Construction of the new Hospitality Center is under way and they will be celebrating the grand opening in just eight months. Charles Krug Winery will bid a fine farewell to the old...

By Karie Zarsky Bennett Photography by Matthew Brandalise In the fashion world, everyone loves a great makeover. The metamorphosis of Santana Row’s Yankee Pier has been just as satisfying.  If Yankee Pier was a comfortable pair of blue jeans, Lark Creek Blue, now open in the space previously occupied by Yankee Pier, is a crisply pressed pair of dark-rinse denims.  Where YP was a casual, sustainable seafood restaurant, LCB brings us globally inspired, seasonal dishes under the direction of Chef Paul Bruno.  Bruno, formerly of such stellar restaurants as SEABLUE and Michael Mina in Las Vegas, brings such...

Romantic love will be in full celebration as guests express their love for each other at Castello di Amorosa’s cupid-friendly Royal Hearts Gala on February 16, 2013. A reception kicks off the festivities at 7:00 p.m. followed by dinner seating at 8:00 p.m. The winery’s name embodies the spirit of this gala — “Castle of Love.” The evening will also include a performance of excerpts from Shakespeare’s works on love. Castello di Amorosa welcomes special guest chef Alejandra Schrader, a Top 10 Finalist in Fox’s MasterChef USA Season 2. “To say we are thrilled to have Chef Schrader showcase...

A16 and Executive Chef Rocky Maselli of the upcoming A16 Rockridge, welcome Chef Luigi Chirico of Masseria Quis Ut Deus for a special Puglia-inspired dinner on Monday, February 4, 2013. This is a unique opportunity to learn about the historic four-star property in Italy and preview dishes from A16 Rockridge. Chef Maselli and Chef Chirico will create a collaborative menu inspired by the Puglia region of Italy. The special à la carte dinner menu will feature ingredients local to the area and wine pairings selected by Shelley Lindgren. Built in 1710, Masseria Quis Ut Deus is a quaint, four-star resort located...

Travel photojournalist Alex Baguio represents GEV Magazine at The New York Times Travel Show – a spectacular international celebration which showcases 500 destinations around the world including domestic and international hot spots, familiar favorites and those under-the-radar escapes that are still relatively crowd free. Some of the crowd favorites were booths representing South Africa, Estonia, Morocco, Iceland, Turkey, Peru, Mexico, Curacao, Quebec, Indonesia, Japan, Antartica, Taiwan, Malaysia and India. Notable attendees were Julia Dimon  (TV host, writer and travel expert ), Andrew McCarthy...

VIADER is a leading first growth Napa Valley winery estate established in 1986 by Delia Viader, and recognized around the world for consistently producing high quality red wines. They are located 1200 feet above the Napa Valley floor just northeast of St. Helena on the steep, rocky slopes of Howell Mountain. Today, VIADER is a thriving multi-generational family business complete with a small bonded winery, underground caves, and a Hospitality Center which offers tours and tastings by appointment, and a sophisticated wine and food pairing Culinary Program. Since the inaugural vintage in 1989, VIADER...

Images by VCrown Photography El Celler de Can Roca is #2 on the San Pellegrino list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants but for so many it is quite clear that Chef Joan Roca is number 1 of the post – Ferran Adria Era. El Celler de Can Roca is a Magic House – a house of the senses, a house of the most exquisite wines, a house of joy. Bonsai trees, world elaborations, caramelized olives, combinations designed to titillate the palate, dishes most memorable. El Celler de Can Roca is to restaurants as the Bottega to Leonardo Da Vinci. Location: Can Sunyer, 48 17007 – Girona Tel: +34 972...

Marston Family Vineyard is a hidden gem on the most southern slopes of Spring Mountain above the Napa Valley. A cool afternoon breeze passes through the vineyard permitting the fruit to ripen slowly and uniformly. Visit them at www.marstonfamilyvineyard.com Mike Johnson (aka wine707) is a chauffeur with a camera who drives for Napa Valley Tours and Transportation, a full service transportation company located right in the heart of downtown Napa, celebrating their 15th year in business. You can reach him at 707.251.9463 or chauffeur@NVTT.net. Follow more...

In the tradition of celebrating exquisite cuisines from all over the world, The Peninsula Manila joins the Embassy of Australia in “Celebrate Australia 2013“, a fête to honor the best in Australian food, wine and culture. Australian cuisine is a relatively recent phenomenon. The foodstuffs of Australia carry a strong influence from people around the world. It all started with Europeans migrating to Australia and taking with them the cooking styles of their homeland, which helped create a rich diversity of Australian flavors. Migrants from North Africa and the Mediterranean brought with them...

Photos by Sonya Yruel The 12th annual Wine and Wishes® event, being held on Saturday, February 2nd 2013 on Treasure Island, features the culinary talents of 9 celebrated Bay Area chefs during the Winemaker Dinner and over 50 restaurants and wineries at the Gourmet Food & Wine Tasting. The iconic Administration Building is the setting for the Food & Wine Tasting, and the Winemaker Dinner will be held in San Francisco’s only working winery, the nearby Winery SF. This year’s event will bring together renowned culinary stars like James Beard Award winner, Roland Passot of La Folie, Mark Dommen of...

The latest chapter in Robert Mondavi Winery’s long history with the arts begins January 11 with the opening of ‘Ancient Textures and Sacred Landscapes,’ a fine-art photography exhibit by acclaimed Napa Valley photographer Teri Sandison. The 25-photograph exhibit will be on display through March 6, 2013 in the Vineyard Room at Robert Mondavi Winery in Oakville. The ‘Ancient Textures and Sacred Landscapes’ series explores the ways humans have found their place within the natural world, particularly throughout Asia. With a focus on highlighting the effect nature has had on ancient sacred sites, the...