Friday, December 28, 2012

Best of Taste N Trip 2012


My first year of blogging about tasting events around California (mostly) has been very rewarding.  I've met lots of great people involved with wine, beer, and spirits.  Some of them even produce wine, beer, and spirits!  Other than wine and food tasting, you can probably tell that my favorite part of blogging is taking pictures of people pouring wine and serving food.

Some of my favorite pictures from the hundreds I shot this year are below.  You can download hi-res versions of any of these pictures by clicking on the link for each section (just credit Taste N Trip if you publish them anywhere).


Taste N Trip Blog 2012 - Wine
These are my favorite shots of wine at festivals and wineries.  You don't always see it while shooting, but when you look at the picture later on there is usually a lot of stuff in the background!  Some creative cropping, blurring, and sometimes decreasing the brightness help focus the composition.


Bill from Wades Wines with Sundowner Wines at Ojai Wine Festival

Doug and Terrie of Toucan Wines at A Taste Of Camarillo

Malibu Discovery wine tours pouring Surfrider & Rosenthal wines at Calabasas Malibu Wine & Food Festival


Surfrider 2010 & 2009 Chardonnay at Rosenthal Estate Winery

Domaine Du Grand Cros/Jules Wines at Provence in the City, Los Angeles


Donald Thiessen Owner and Winemaker of Stacked Stone Cellars at Santa Barbara California Wine Festival


PAMA / Hpnotiq / Harmonie Liqueur at Calabasas Malibu Wine & Food Festival

Veronica & Tim from Magnavino at the Conejo Wine & Jazz Fest
 
Lauren & Corey at SIP Malibu Wine Bar

Artiste Winery at Santa Barbara California Wine Festival
 
Marc Spellman of Bridle Trail Wines - CabIn at the Calabasas Malibu Wine & Food Festival

Cambria at Santa Barbara California Wine Festival

Hirsh Malibu Estate, Cielo Wineyards, Woodstock Collection, Black Widow at the Conejo Wine & Jazz Fest


Taste N Trip Blog 2012 - Pouring Wine


Getting a good picture of someone pouring wine while showing the wine label clearly and looking at the camera, hopefully while smiling, has become one of the Taste N Trip signature shots. With some coaching the technical challenge of aligning the label and the measure pouring spout can be overcome. Then the general hand-eye-glass coordination has to be working well. And for the best visual it's always easier to see red wine in a glass. These issues can usually be worked out after 2 or 3 or 4 pours though.  It's OK, I can be patient, and if it's a good wine all the better! Notice that 19 out of 21 people pour with the bottle in their right hand. 

Vines Of The Marycrest, Conejo Wine & Jazz Fest

Calcareous Estate Wines / Twisted Sister, Ojai Wine Festival
 
Toucan Wines, Santa Barbara Wine Festival

San Vicente Cellars, LA Wine Festival

Ojai Ridge, Ojai Wine Festival

Poalillo Vineyards, A Taste Of Camarillo

Panaro Brothers, Ojai Wine Festival

Rosenthal Estate Winery, LA Wine Festival

Reyes Winery, LA Wine Festival

Inception Wines, Santa Barbara California Wine Festival

Grassini Family Vineyards, Santa Barbara County Vintner's Festival


J Ludlow Vineyard, Santa Barbara County Vintner's Festival


Hoyt Family Vineyards, Santa Barbara California Wine Festival

Magnavino Cellars Carnivale Pick Up Party, Oxnard


Kiamie Wine Cellars, A Taste Of Camarillo


Becca at Justin Vineyards & Winery


Hart Family Winery, LA Wine Festival


Cliff Creek Cellars, Santa Barbara California Wine Festival


Calabasas Vineyards, Calabasas Malibu Wine & Food Festival


Hearst Ranch Winery, Santa Barbara California Wine Festival


Adam at Brian Benson Cellars


Taste N Trip Blog 2012 - Scenic Places

These are some of the places visited while traveling around California and in the Finger Lakes wine region of NY.

View from Terry Hoage Vineyards, Paso Robles


Rancho Ventavo Cellars, Oxnard


Niner Wine Estates vineyard, Paso Robles


Magnavino Cellars barrels, Oxnard


Head Trained Zin, Paso Robles

Dr. Konstantin Frank Vinifera Wine Cellars, Hammondsport, NY


Taste N Trip Blog 2012 - Celebrating

Various pictures of wine events with everyone having a good time!

Vince Pantess/San Vicente Cellars & Gary Stewart/Four Brix Winery at the LA Wine Festival

Faye Hawes of Ventavo Cellars and Aloha Steakhouse interviewed by KADY

T-Rex at Santa Barbara Wine Festival


Thousand Oaks Inn Tapas Bar at Ventura County Wine Trail Celebration in Oxnard


The Westlake Junior Women's Club Sipping in Springtime benefit at the Stagecoach Museum, Newbury Park


Pierre's Catering at the Conejo Wine & Jazz Festival


Fun at the Santa Barbara California Wine Festival


Patron girls at the Calabasas Malibu Food & Wine Festival


Wine recommendations for the holidays (also published in Calabasas Style) 


Taste N Trip Blog 2012 - Food
I tasted some awesome food this year. Unfortunately some of the best treats disappeared before I could focus my camera on them!  Amazing how people can attack a plate of appetizers in a nanosecond. I've got a couple of good pictures with blurry hands coming in for the grab. Sometimes it's also a challenge just to find the good food before it's all gone for the day. During three festivals in Santa Barbara I had the assistance of my good friend, Richard, in scouting out the best food and wine.

Ventura County Wine Trail Celebration, Oxnard


Appetizers at Provence in the City, Los Angeles

The Willows, Santa Barbara County Vintner's Festival


Rosenthal Sliders at the Ventura County Wine Trail Local Food & Wine Challenge


BBQ at Carmody McKnight Estate Vineyards, Paso Robles


Firecracker Summer Salad at Santa Barbara Wine Festival


Grapes in Naples, NY


KIND bar at Calabasas Malibu Wine & Food Festival


Lisa Pretty with new book at Santa Barbara California Wine Festival


Spanish Hill CC food entertainment


Aloha Steakhouse at Ventura County Wine Trail Food & Wine Challenge

Richard, the festival scout, at work ... Swirl N Sip? Santa Barbara California Wine Festival

Taste N Trip Blog 2012 - Beer 
Sometimes it seems that there are almost as many craft brewed beers as there are varieties of wines. And there are many great micro/nano breweries all over California that I have yet to visit.  According to a 2011 study published by the California Craft Brewers Association there are 243 craft breweries in California and 12 of them are in the top 50 largest craft breweries (by volume) in the country.  I was able to catch a few of my favorite local brewers at wine festivals or at their brewpubs this year.


Wolf Creek Restaurant & Brewing Co. Calabasas


The LAB Brewing Co. with 'Moo' at Sipping in Springtime, sponsored by the Westlake Village Junior Women’s Club


Santa Barbara Brewing Co, Santa Barbara California Wine Festival


Ladyface Ale Companie, Agoura Hills


Enegren Brewing Company, Moorpark 

Hope you have enjoyed my Taste N Trip pictures.  And if your in the wine business, it's always a good idea to practice your wine-pouring-while-showing-the-label-and-looking-and-smiling technique! Just straighten up your pouring spout and try it on your friends or customers.  That way, you'll be ready to be featured in Taste N Trip in 2013. 

Here's to more tasting trips in 2013, cheers!


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Articles and photography in Calabasas Style magazine: