HALL Family Wines Appoints Megan Gunderson Director of Winemaking

Luxury wine producer HALL Family Wines, maker of HALL, WALT and BACA Wines, proudly announced that Megan Gunderson has been promoted to the position of Director of Winemaking. In her new role, Gunderson will be responsible for the production and direction of all wines produced under the HALL, WALT, and BACA brands. Gunderson has been a member of the HALL winemaking team since 2005, and head winemaker for award winning WALT Wines since 2010.

“We are thrilled Megan will be spearheading our winemaking program,” says Vintner Kathryn Hall. “Her expertise with Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and Zinfandel has helped each of our brands grow over the years in quality and acclaim. Megan is a dedicated, inspiring and highly respected leader. Our entire team is excited to work with her in her new role.”

Gunderson began her career in the Napa Valley in 2001 after moving from Colorado to California to work as an intern at Robert Mondavi Winery. While at Mondavi, she discovered her passion for wine and viticulture which she regarded as a marriage of science, art, and technology. After completing her internship, she joined St. Supéry in Rutherford as Laboratory Manager, later moving to Dominus Estates in Yountville in the same capacity. At Dominus, inspired by the complexities of the Napa Valley appellations and sub-appellations, Gunderson developed her meticulous approach to winemaking. In 2005, she joined HALL Wines as Enologist and quickly rose through the ranks as an Assistant then Associate Winemaker, then was promoted to Winemaker ten years later, assuming the increasingly central roles within the winemaking operation.

“I am tremendously excited about this new opportunity” says HALL Family Wines Director of Winemaking, Megan Gunderson. “We have the opportunity to produce wines from many of the finest vineyards in the world, following the most efficient sustainability practices, while enabling our production team to utilize the newest technologies. I love to experiment within the winemaking process and look forward to continuing research as a core part of our production effort. I am also excited to continue to work with Director of Vineyards, Don Munk, Senior Winemaker Alison Frichtl Hollister, and all of the very talented, hard-working members of our winemaking team.”

In addition to managing HALL’s flagship Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons, Gunderson will oversee winemaking for the WALT Pinot Noir brand, known for producing single vineyard Pinots, as well as the family’s newest brand, BACA, which focuses on the production of high-quality Zinfandels.

Gunderson resides in Napa with her husband Juan and three daughters, Lily, Emmy, and Vianny.

For more information, please visit www.hallwines.com, www.waltwines.com, and www.bacawines.com.

ABOUT HALL FAMILY WINES:

HALL Family Wines produces high quality Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and Zinfandel under the HALL, WALT and BACA brand monikers. HALL Family Wines collectively owns five wine country tasting rooms including HALL St. Helena, HALL Rutherford, WALT Sonoma, WALT Oxbow, and WALT | BACA Healdsburg. Owned by Craig and Kathryn Hall, the family-owned winery produces artisan wines that express the unique and diverse character of the wine country’s soils and climates through meticulous attention to detail in the vineyards and throughout the winemaking process. The family’s luxury wine portfolio, led by Director of Winemaking Megan Gunderson, sources fruit from some of the most prominent vineyards up and down the West Coast including eleven Estate vineyards– Sacrashe, Bergfeld, Hardester, Beller, T Bar T Ranch, Atlas Peak, Lamoreaux, Rainin, Dellar-Freidkin, Cook, Bob’s Ranch, Clos Pepe and The Corners. The HALL St. Helena winery was the first LEED® Gold Certified Winery in the State of California in 2009 and earned another LEED® Gold certification for its high-tech production facility and Tasting Room in 2014. Since the inception of HALL in 1995, the three luxury wine brands have earned over 600 ratings of 90 points or above from the industry’s top critics, including five 100-point scores. Visit www.hallwines.com, www.waltwines.com, www.bacawines.com f

The Best Chocolate Gifts Collections for Valentines

There is a lot of great chocolate to chose from for romantic times such as Valentine’s Day.  It’s a lot easier to chose when you select from three that are top award winners

Panache Chocolatier “With Love” Valentine’s Day Truffle Collection

GOLD MEDAL

Judges Summary:

Panache wins the gold with their incredible with Love Box, which not only comes with a wood veneer box and ribbon, but also with a custom pamphlet that describes the providence and history of each of the chocolates. These chocolates include ruby passion from Brazil, pistachio rose from Spain, raspberry noir from France, and spiced vanilla being from Madagascar. Of course the spherical design of these chocolates is very truffle-like, and they are each topped with a unique design, whether that is gold leaf, spices, or chocolate drizzle and cocoa powder. What is truly phenomenal about this collection is that the box extends outwards into three tiers, one of which contains the pamphlet, and the other two of which contain nine chocolates each, for a total of 18 chocolates. This gift is one that you want to be there forwhen it is opened, and once opened, you want to put it on display. Or at least, post a lot of photographs on Instagram.

From the chocolatier –

“Hand crafted, artisan truffles highlighting flavors from around the world.
Focus is on bringing flavors identified with regions and creating with a twist of uniqueness.
All created “With Love” by PanacheChocolatier”

chocolatekc.com

Craft-Chocolate Sweetheart

 

SILVER MEDAL

Judges Summary:

The Craft-Chocolate hazelnut and milk chocolate Irish cream is delicious and beautifully presented. The box design is simple yet elegant, and we love how the ribbon criss-crosses the heart in contrast with the arrangement of subtle pastel dots. The inside of the box is composed of two layers — two rows of chocolates — that are shaped like hearts and flowers. These caramels are a delicious luxury. The judges also loved the size of the packaging, which can be easily held in one hand but is substantial enough to be considered as a thoughtful splurge and gift.

From the chocolatier – 

“This Valentine gift gives heart shaped sweet chocolate to the one you hold sweet in your heart.”

https://www.craft-chocolate.com

Bella Sophia Chocolates Valentine’s Day Mix Box

 

BRONZE MEDAL

Judges Summary:

Bella Sophia‘s Valentine’s Day packaging is a gift within a gift. The outside artist paper is carefully folded and wrapped, while the box underneath features Bella Sophia’s trademark quilted box design. Inside of the box is delicate gold wrapping paper, which gives a sense of elegance and luxury. The gold is also reflected in some of the gold leaf that adorns various chocolates within. This box contains a variety of 16 chocolates, enough for the giver and the recipient to share together. They demonstrate a range of molding styles and chocolate techniques, as well as flavors, and colors. There is no chance of getting bored with this collection.

From the chocolatier – 

“Our mix box for Valentines day has a flavor for every chocolate lover in this box, with some hand painted bonbons, dark, milk, white, truffle, gianduja, nutted and pale d’or and hand dipped ganache.”

www.bellasophiachocolates.com

Paris Men’s Fashion Week: The Enfants Riches Deprimes

Los Angeles–based fashion brand Enfants Riches Deprimes mesmerized the audience for its runway at their show at Paris Men’s Fashion Week. Fortunately, we have some footage so you can see this great collection.

Designer: Henri Alexander Levy

Season: Automne/Hiver 2020/21

Front Row Celebrities: Courtney Love Cobain, Michele Lamy, Dr. Woo

Runway Stylist: Oscar Nominated, Arianne Phillips

Enfants Riches Deprimes is a Los Angeles–based luxury fashion brand that designs unisex pieces for the forward and avant-garde consumer. The DIY label is inspired by abstract expressionism, and fuses a French punk streetwear aesthetic with premium high-end fabrics. The brand has a loyal following including Kanye West, Jared Leto, Justin Bieber, Kim Kardashian West, Courtney Love Cobain, Pusha T, Kendall Jenner, Beyoncé, Michael B. Jordan, Future, Rihanna, Rita Ora, Halsey, Migos, and more. The label is also distributed worldwide in luxury boutiques including Maxfield, Barneys New York, Patron of the New, Luisa Via Roma, The Webster, Selfridges, Hirshleifers, Antonia Excelsior and more, as well as the brands own first brick-and-mortar store in Paris on the Rue Charlot, and at www.enfantsrichesdeprimes.com.

Paris Fashion Week Haute Couture: Ziad Nakad’s Atlantis Collection

Statement by the Designer:

The idea of Atlantis — the “lost” island subcontinent often idealized as an advanced, utopian society holding wisdom that could bring world peace — has captivated dreamers, occultists and New Agers for generations.

Ziad Nakad imagines, for his Spring Summer 2020 Couture collection, the Modern Day Warrior Princesse.

The celebration of fierceness, softness, determination, ingenuity and compassion that makes up the Modern Day Warrior Princess is electric and eclectic : tulle, silk and taffeta mixed with organza and chiffon emphasize the mermaid silhouettes.

The Modern Day Warrior Princesses, have been able to play to the strength of being female, to celebrate their femininity, not to shy away from it or downplay it: crystals, beads, feathers, all handmade details, are underlining all shades of blue, water green, sun yellow, peach and gold.

A hymn to sensuality, as fluid as the sea and as bright as the sun.

TASTEABLE Television Series Season 5 Episode 10 Intro

TASTEABLE Television Series, Episode Intro, Season 5 Ep 510, featuring Darioush Winery in Napa Valley, a seller of rare books about food, a trip along the California central coast, and recipes for ahi tuna scramble by the Stephanie Harris-Uyidi the Posh Pescatarian.

TASTEABLE can be watched on these PBS-affiliate television stations in Northern California, reaching over 2.5 million households from the San Francisco Bay Area to Wine Country

KPJK, Ch 17 (HD 717) on Fridays
KRCB, Ch 22 (HD 722) on Mondays

TASTEABLE Television Series Season 5 Episode 9 Intro

TASTEABLE Television Series, Episode Intro, Season 5 Ep 509 featuring television actress and food activist Fran Drescher at the Food for Thought Summit in Los Angeles.

TASTEABLE can be watched on these PBS-affiliate television stations in Northern California, reaching over 2.5 million households from the San Francisco Bay Area to Wine Country

KPJK, Ch 17 (HD 717) on Fridays
KRCB, Ch 22 (HD 722) on Mondays