Such was the opening decree from Master Sommelier Devon Broglie before the opening tasting session of this year’s TEXSOM conference—a firm but friendly reminder to those in attendance to be aware of their behavior and the increasing scrutiny we are all under.. <<Click image to read more>>
Fresh off the heels of the Bâtonnage Forum, when so many of us from all parts of the industry came together, we thought it would be interesting this week to offer an international perspective on “building up the tribe.” <<click image to read more >>
Last Saturday I had the tremendous honor to offer closing comments at the first-ever Bâtonnage Forum, the sold-out, gritty, stir-the-lees conference in Napa that was convened by the indomitable Stevie Stacionis and her team.. <<click image to read more>>
Change and growth are intrinsic to a healthy career trajectory.
However in a small and tight-knit industry like wine, where "success" may be judged based on technical knowledge, networks, connections and tenure, maintaining your sense of self through transition can be tough.
“Practice.”
We use that word a lot when it comes to yoga and meditation and mindfulness, and here’s one of my favorite parts of it all: there are lots of ways to practice. <<click on the image to read more>>
Life on the road with relentless days and weeks of entertainment, client hospitality and multi course meals can leave you feeling sluggish and your metabolism just plain stuck. So here are five easy hacks to help your digestion stay ahead of your schedule. <<click image to read more>>
Triggers. They’re the things that set us off, and the things that we know, probably from repeated experience, will threaten to set our days, our agendas, and our emotions off the rails. <<click image to read more>>
The Food and Wine Classic in Aspen remains the pre-eminent food and wine festival in America. After 35 years, the professionalism of the event and its offerings are as honed as the finest knife edge. But this year was different. <<click image to read more>>
We can’t not talk about it.
Bourdain, I mean.
How could he not have known how much we appreciated him?
I’ve heard that a hundred times this past week, and wondered it, myself. <<click image to read more>>
Last week I attended my first cannabis event hosed by the entrepreneurial powerhouse Marcia Gagliardi of San Francisco dining bible Tablehopper and the genius behind MyMilligram – a site offering low dose, high quality cannabis products through a non-presumptive approach. <<click image to read more>>
Several years ago I volunteered in the kitchen at the Green Gulch Farm Zen Center near Muir Woods, north of San Francisco. A sign of instructions for cooks was posted that could not be missed. <<< click image to read more>>>
Philosophers, sages, teachers and critics have debated over translation, interpretation, and nearly every aspect of yogic philosophy, but the one thing that still unites all communities is the universal sound of Aum, or more commonly, “OM”. <<click image to read more>>
“I don’t want to know everything about wine. Can we stop trying to understand it all? Let’s leave the mystery in…”
A good friend of mine, an importer in the wine industry, said that to me a few years ago and I’ve never forgotten it. <<click image to read more>>
Decades of medical research, books, journals, and papers exist on the benefits of spending time in nature, the positive impacts on stress levels, and the our overall physical and mental wellbeing. <<click image to read more>>
There's something missing from most discussions of "balance" that I've seen.
It's what matters most.
Think about what matters most to you -- your priorities, your beliefs, the things you long for, the things you're utterly devoted to. <<click image to read more>>
The need to belong is a psychological driver behind a desire for human connection, but WHO are the people we want to connect with, beyond basic survival needs, and HOW do we find them? <<click image to read more>>
Putting a new idea out there — such as this 30-day practice for the wine industry on breathwork and meditation — is a lot like turning on a lightbulb. Once it’s lit, we’re more able to see what we couldn’t see before. << click on image to read more >>
Our aim with the 30 Days of Practice is to share ways to help you navigate a career and industry that can be difficult at times. But there’s one thing we can’t teach you how to do, which is perhaps the most critical step in the process –- and that’s to show up in the first place.
Don’t think you can find time in the day to meditate?
Think instead about the times during the day when you move.
As in, walking – from your car to the office, say, or walking the dog, or even walking from one meeting to another. Notice the different paces of walking – sometimes briskly, others leisurely. <<click image to read more>>
As we draw to a close of our 30 Days of Practice, here’s two simple resources I have found instrumental in helping get deeper into my breath and manage stress, concentration and anxiety - and one is free!
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