Q&A: Paul Roberts
Despite his accolades – winner of the prestigious Krug Cup and the first Texan to become a master sommelier – Paul Roberts just wants you to drink good wine. “There’s no need to tell people what they like is wrong,” says the chief operating officer of famed Colgin Cellars in Napa Valley. “Now that I’m running a winery, I realize there are people who love our wines and some who don’t, and that’s OK.”
Q&A: Michael Silacci
In the mid-70s, viticulturist and winemaker Michael Silacci spent three months camping on the Kaanapali coast of Maui, the first stop of what would become a journey of self-discovery that ultimately led him to France and his lifelong passion for all things wine. Turns out, Maui is where Opus One founders Baron Philippe de Rothschild and Robert Mondavi met a few years earlier to discuss this unique venture.
Ko Hana Rum Distillery: Work of the Cane
The next time you find yourself on the west side of the island of Oahu, do yourself a favor and go get lost in the cane fields of Kunia for an hour or so. The greenery is lush, the air is crisp and clean, and you find yourself taking the time to breathe deep and pause for a moment. After about a mile drive, take a left to reach Ko Hana Distillery, the home of Ko Hana Rum.
Behind the Bottle: Richard Betts
Back in 1996, after a long day in a lab in graduate school at Northern Arizona University, Betts bought a bottle of wine from a liquor store with his last $10. As soon as he poured it, he says, he recalled a specific memory for the year he spent in Italy right before he graduated from college.
Behind the Bottle: Grace Family Vineyards
If you think Grace Family Vineyards is all about the wine, you’d be only half right. Founders Dick and Ann Grace set up the Grace Family Foundation almost 20 years ago and spend at least three months a year working in underserved parts of the world, improving the lives of young people and assisting in meeting the educational and medical needs in countries such as Tibet, India, Nepal and Mexico.
A Jewel Above Vegas
The new cocktail-centric concept by world renowned mixologist Francesco Lafranconi, MR. COCO characterizes its founder’s affinity for impeccably-refined cocktails and chic decor. In a brainstorming session, the distinguished lounge was named for the Lafranconi family pet, Coco the Scottish Westie. Lafranconi’s daughter agreed, noting the exempliary work ethic and style of the late Coco Channel.