Because another wine food and travel blog was way too long.
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Best Moment of an Overwhelmingly Good TripThis trip to California is winding down, we are packing to leave. Instead of thinking about returning to my cage tomorrow, I am focusing on the amazing memories this journey has provided. There are so many things that I will remember for all of my days, but one thing stands out overwhelmingly to me above everything else. I am not easily starstruck. In a previous life I was a union stagehand and either met or occupied the same general space as some of the world’s biggest rock stars and actors. However, yesterday I was struck by a star. Our hosts for the past couple of days at the wonderful La Residence in Napa have been the Hall family, of HALL Wines fame. The proprietor of HALL is Kathryn Walt Hall, Bill Clinton’s U.S. Ambassador to Austria, Texas Philanthropist, and all around amazing woman. I think what overwhelmed me is that I am just some opinionated guy with some technical skills that I use to babble on the Web about food and wine. To be invited to stay at Ambassador Hall’s wonderful resort hotel, tour her properties and winery, and taste wine with her winemakers and vineyard genius was an amazing honor. When we arrived we found that she had left a personally hand-written note for Amy, welcoming us to La Residence. For a guy who still thinks of himself as a kid from the wrong side of the tracks, a personal note from a U.S. Ambassador just seems mind-boggling! So, imagine how gobsmacked I was when she met us in HALL’s wine cave to drink and participate in a blending seminar. The kicker however, was when she looked around the table and seemed genuinely thrilled to know our faces from reading our blogs. How *@#$ing cool is that? Here she is, looking beautiful in a stunning white blouse. Considering she was sitting next to one of our spillingest wino friends, stayed miraculously white the entire time. Who wouldn’t be just a little starstruck?  Ambassador Kathryn Walt Hall of HALL Wine More about La Residence and HALL Wines coming soon. 
View Comments to “Best Moment of an Overwhelmingly Good Trip”
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July 28th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
Next time you come to California you'll have to visit Santa Barbara County. We have a lot of wineries here too…such as the ones depicted in the movie Sideways, and Firestone wines. Glad you had a fantastic trip and gracious hosts to make it a memorable one!
July 28th, 2009 at 10:46 pm
This is from one of your “cage” mates. Get back to work. We haven't had a drink the whole time you've been gone…
July 29th, 2009 at 12:53 am
Nice to see you all still lie a lot!
July 29th, 2009 at 12:54 am
Sounds like a good plan to me. Hopefully next trip!
July 29th, 2009 at 4:56 pm
That is totally awesome that she knew you from your blogs! It sounds like a fun trip. I have enjoyed reading about your adventures.
July 31st, 2009 at 3:58 pm
Hey! I resemble that remark! And remember. I didn't spill until DINNER. At which point I tye died the entire place hehehe
I have to agree that for a woman of her stature and a winery as large as Hall to invite a small group of bloggers to taste, eat, discuss, and blend was amazing. I was thrilled to know that even some places in Napa GET it and are interested in what we do as bloggers and as people.
July 31st, 2009 at 7:58 pm
Hey! I resemble that remark! And remember. I didn't spill until DINNER. At which point I tye died the entire place hehehe
I have to agree that for a woman of her stature and a winery as large as Hall to invite a small group of bloggers to taste, eat, discuss, and blend was amazing. I was thrilled to know that even some places in Napa GET it and are interested in what we do as bloggers and as people.
August 8th, 2009 at 11:03 pm
[...] Masterpiece,” then tasting of the other wines we can use in the blending. Ambassador Kathryn Walt Hall came in to join us for a bit, and sat beside Thea. Which started all sorts of comments from the [...]
November 9th, 2009 at 1:41 am
[...] chance to put pipette into wine. Rather than relying only on my taste buds, I tried to duplicate my HALL blending experience as a base, converting the percentages of each wine as compared to the aroma and [...]