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:
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