When the Stars Align

Ok, maybe it's a girl thing. But there really, truly, is something magical about being at the SAG Awards, representing our wines to all those stars. Ironically, I'm the last person who should be impressed with the who's who of Hollywood. Heck, I can't even identify most of the celebrities since I go to the movies about once a year and rarely watch anything on TV besides 60 Minutes. Nonetheless, our 11^th year as the official wines of the SAG Awards was just that, magical.

From the glittering lights and flashing cameras, to the frenzied excitement of walking the red carpet, it's a surreal experience. I proudly chatted up the winery and mingled with the crowd while teasing the paparazzi with my big bottle...and I mean literally as you can see from the photos. The exposure was great, thanks to a very dear publicist friend who took me under her wing for a day. Without her, I would have been lost. With her, I was transformed from just another Sonoma County vintner to a glamorous wine diva... Ah yes, hard work does pay off.

All in all, it was a great show. I had interviews with a variety of television and print media outlets, met a number of influential and interesting personalities, and got a lot of great photos and memorabilia to add to my collection. My favorite is Ernest Borgnine, who at 94 years old won the Lifetime Achievement Award. But most importantly, I added new fans to our extended winery family. Because when it comes right down to it, that's what matters most.

A recent email from the head of the Producer's Guild of America summed it up best:

"I loved your SAG Awards Cuvee. How can I get more?"

But I still have a lot of work to do. Angie Harmon didn't know that Zinfandel is red. Celebrities, (like others new to wine) almost always automatically ask for Chardonnay. And, Napa is by far the better known wine region of the state. I don't know how many times I corrected people on this last point.  No, we are not in "NAH PAH"; we are in "SO KNOW MA!"  

As for LA LA land, I'm not sure I fit in. My lips aren't poochy, my eyes are showing signs of age, and my culinary tastes veer toward savory and satisfying as opposed to slimming and slenderizing. (Something about air bread and H2O just doesn't do it for me...you know what I mean?)  Besides, I can't get used to the "you know who you remind me of...?" phrase that seems to automatically pop out of people's mouths when you meet them for the first time. What's wrong with just being me?

The weekend was filled with plenty of laughs as I sipped, slurped, and gawked my way through the streets of LA. Thank you to everyone who helped make this happen. I will be forever grateful!

My new BFF's.....