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BOB CABRAL - DIRECTOR OF WINEMAKING / GENERAL MANAGER OF WILLIAMS SELYEM WINERY

Bob Cabral has been involved in growing and making wine professionally since 1980 and has had an interest in wine and farming since his childhood helping his grandfather make wine in his barn. Growing up pruning grapes, irrigating vineyards and harvest became routine on his family’s 70 acre ranch near Escalon, CA. A fourth generation farmer and grape grower from the great San Joaquin Valley, he took all he learned at the family farm and applied it to his degrees at Fresno State University.

His passion for pinot noir was evident very early on as he would spend every spare dime, and good chunk of his student loans, on buying wine from all over the world - especially Burgundy and Russian River Valley pinot noir. One of the first North Coast wineries he became passionate about was Williams Selyem. He joined their consumer list during graduate school in 1985 as customer #576, soon after experiencing the Williams Selyem 1983 vintage wines.

In the mid 1980’s while working at a large winery south of Fresno, Bob knew that Sonoma County was where he could best hone his skills and learn to make wines that could rival the best made anywhere in the world. He worked the next 11 vintages in various winemaking positions as the Associate Winemaker at De Loach Vineyards, Custom Crush Winemaker at Kunde Estate Winery, Winemaker at Alderbrook Vineyards and Winemaker at Hartford Court Winery. In 1998 Burt Williams recommended that Bob take over for him as Winemaker at Williams Selyem. Bob met with John Dyson, then the new owner of Williams Selyem, and discovered that they shared a similar philosophy about winemaking and viticulture: that the most important aspect of winemaking is in the vineyard. Bob became the winemaker at Williams Selyem July 29, 1998.

Heading into his 15th vintage at Williams Selyem and 33rd at a commercial winery, his winemaking philosophy has not changed: “The key is to respect the vineyard and value the fruit. Working with some of the best grower’s and vineyards in the world allows us to farm to the highest possible standards and provides us with the finest fruit available. That’s more than half the battle in working with Pinot Noir. Once the fruit is taken care of, then we try to intervene as little as possible. While there is no shortage of hard work in the cellar and you must still pay careful attention to detail as great wines are really made in the vineyard. My job is to just guide it along and allow the individual vineyard to be expressed in every bottle.” Bob is an experienced winemaker whose meticulousness and patience yield wines that are authentic expressions of each vineyard site.

Bob was awarded the 2011 Wine Star Award from the Wine Enthusiast Magazine as Winemaker of the Year. Bob, his wife Heather and daughter Paige, make their home in the Russian River Valley.


BILL KURTIS - TALL GRASS BEEF / KURTIS PRODUCTIONS

Founded in 2005 by broadcast journalist Bill Kurtis, Tallgrass Beef Company is the industry leader in the production of grass-fed, grass-finished beef in the United States. After purchasing his 10,000 acre ranch near the town of Sedan, Kansas, Kurtis was compelled to find a sustainable method of raising cattle that was not only good for the environment, but also the animals themselves and the American food consumer. This was the genesis of Tallgrass Beef Company.

Today Tallgrass Beef Company is comprised of a network of family farmers and ranchers across the United States that produce grass-fed, grass-finished cattle according to a strict set of protocols. These stringent standards ensure that food consumers are buying the safest, healthiest, most nutritious beef possible. Tallgrass Beef is a favorite among consumers seeking a healthy, humane source of beef.
In addition to being available for purchase by consumers online, Tallgrass Beef became the first grass-fed, grass-finished product served in many of Chicago's finest restaurants, with a roster of clients featuring James Beard Award Winning chefs Rick Bayless (owner of Chicago's Frontera Grill, Topolobampo, and XOCO restaurants), Charlie Trotter, George Bumbaris and Sarah Stegner. Harry Carays, Praire Grass Café, Frontera Grill, and Topolobombo serve Tallgrass. The brand has expanded to the west coast where Tallgrass Beef is available in San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle. Tallgrass Beef products are also available in select grocery stores, including Sunset Foods and Fox and Obel in Chicago; Fairway Markets in New York; and Sendik's Markets in Milwaukee.

Much like the cattlemen of the old west, Bill Kurtis started Tallgrass Beef with a vision of a healthy, sustainable, delicious beef source for the American consumer. With a steady annual growth rate and a loyal customer following, Tallgrass Beef Company provides customers with a sustainable alternative to traditionally raised

SUSAN FENIGER - CHEF/OWNER OF "STREET" AND "BORDER GRILL"

Susan Feniger’s passion for food has propelled her into a three-decade career as a successful chef, restaurateur, cookbook author, and media darling, with the Los Angeles Times recently saying, “She deserves an Emmy for energy." She spends most days dividing her time between her first solo venture, Susan Feniger’s STREET, and the Border Grill restaurants in Santa Monica, Downtown LA, and Las Vegas at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, as well as the Border Grill Truck--all co-owned with Chef Mary Sue Milliken. A veteran of nearly 400 episodes of Food Network's "Too Hot Tamales" and "Tamales World Tour" series along with Milliken, Feniger has also appeared on season two of Bravo's “Top Chef Masters,” “The Today Show,” “Chef vs. City,” and “The Best Thing I Ever Ate," as well as in print for magazines such as Gourmet, Sunset, Bon Appétit and O, The Oprah Magazine. Feniger has co-authored five cookbooks including City Cuisine, Mesa Mexicana and Cooking with Too Hot Tamales with Milliken, as well as her most recent solo endeavor, set for release in July of 2012, Susan Feniger’s STREET: irresistibly crispy, creamy, crunchy, spicy, sticky, sweet recipes.
Susan shines a light on a number of worthwhile organizations and has been on the board of the Scleroderma Research Foundation for 17 years and the board of the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center for three. In all her endeavors, Susan’s genuine love for the authentic flavors of street and home cooked food has been her driving force and she shows no signs of slowing down.


RICK MAYNARD - COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR KFC

As Official Sponsor of Couchgating, KFC Invites Armchair Quarterbacks Everywhere to Become Couchgate Hall-of-Famers KFC Partners with ThePostGame.com on an Innovative Athlete and Celebrity Video Series  There's watching the game and then there's "couchgating," the act of enjoying a big time sporting event from the comfort of your couch. KFC, Official Sponsor of Couchgating™, understands that the latter hinges on a few key factors – a comfy sofa, a group of friends, and most importantly, the right game-day food. With that in mind, KFC is introducing the Gameday Bucket: 8 pieces of chicken, 8 Hot Wings® and 10 Original Recipe® Bites, sure to be the MVP of any game watching party. "When having people over to watch the big game, we know that people only get one shot at impressing their friends and family," said Jason Marker, Chief Marketing Officer for KFC US. "That's why KFC is coming to the rescue with the Gameday Bucket. It's food worthy of the game!"

AARTI SEQUEIRA - "TASTE IN TRANSLATION" 

Series Premieres Friday, January 4th at 9:00pm ET/6:00pm PT on Cooking Channel. Aarti Sequeira explores the most popular dishes from around the world as well as the history and cultural significance behind every bite in Cooking Channel’s original series Taste in Translation, premiering Friday, January 4th at 9:00pm ET/6:00pm ET.  Each country has its own unique and delicious way to celebrate a holiday, commemorate a special moment, or even satisfy a ravenous craving.  From the number one comfort food in America to the most popular first date dinner in Thailand, Aarti not only tastes her way from dish to dish but also discovers how they became iconic from both local cooks and culinary experts. Over the course of the series, Aarti uncovers the most popular, and sometimes, unlikely dishes that play a role in different cultures.  In one episode Aarti dives into the number one global comfort foods starting with a unique, comforting Scandinavian family classic—hint: it’s not meatballs!  She then gets acquainted with a Senegalese chef cooking up a scrumptious, hot stew at Cazamance in Austin as well as a comforting breakfast dish from the popular restaurant Mission Chinese in New York City.  On another journey, Aarti explores birthday traditions around the world.  From a symbolic spicy soup in China, to a brightly colored, bite-size sweet in Brazil, each tradition is more unique than the next.  Aarti tops off her list at Vanilla Bakeshop in Los Angeles where she reveals America’s number one birthday dish.  In August 2010, Aarti Sequeira won season six of Food Network Star, landing the ultimate dream culinary job: her very own Food Network show, Aarti Party. She draws from her Indian heritage to put approachable and delicious twists on all-American classics. In January 2012, Aarti made her Cooking Channel debut as food correspondent on Drop 5 lbs with Good Housekeeping. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Journalism at Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism with an adjunct major in International Relations then worked at CNN in both Chicago and New York. She married her college sweetheart in 2003, moved to Los Angeles, and produced 'Sand and Sorrow,' a documentary about the genocide in Darfur.  She decided to explore her culinary calling by attending The New School of Cooking in California where she earned her professional cooking certificate. She then combined her educational and professional backgrounds in journalism with her passion for food into a successful blog and online cooking-variety show, “Aarti Paarti” (www.aartipaarti.com). She currently resides in Los Angeles with her husband, Brendan.


 JOEL FISHER - LA WINEFEST

Joel M. Fisher, PhD is the wine columnist for the Culinary Connection of the Chefs de Cuisine Association of California. He was a Contributing Editor of Patterson's Beverage Journal. From 1999 to 2006 he was a wine instructor for the Culinary Arts Department of the Art Institute of California-Los Angeles and is a founding partner of the educational Wine Vine and Dine, which conducts programs throughout Southern California. Sommelier for the Escoffier Association of Southern California, Joel is also a member of Patterson Magazine's tasting panel.


 
STEVE EVANS - "THE MOVIE GUY"

GREAT MOVIES OPENING THIS WEEKEND AND BOX OFFICE PREDICTIONS AND HOPES. FIND OUT WHAT MOVIES ARE WORTH YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY. GET SET FOR THE WEEKEND.

Tim Gunn - Fashion Consultant

Tim Gunn is the Fashion Dean at Fifth & Pacific Companies, Inc. (formerly Liz Claiborne Inc.). In this role, he helps develop and foster an environment that supports creativity among designers and merchants, while connecting key talent inside the company with important and emerging trends in the marketplace. Gunn has lectured widely on fashion and lifestyle design and, especially, Parsons’ profound role in putting America on the global design map. His interviews have appeared in a wide range of publications, from Newsweek and The New York Times to Entertainment Weekly and Martha Stewart Living, as well as Women’s Wear Daily, Fortune and Fast Company. He has also covered the red carpet at the Academy Awards, Emmy Awards and Golden Globes for The Today Show and Entertainment Tonight, and he co-hosted the Official Oscar Red Carpet Pre-Show in 2009 and 2011 for ABC. He has written articles for Elle, Seventeen, People, US Weekly and Fortune and has a monthly feature in People Style Watch and Marie Claire. The now 59-year-old was named one of People magazine’s “sexiest men alive” in 2006. Gunn serves as co-host of the eight-time Emmy-nominated Project Runway, a reality-based fashion design incubator, the eighth season of which broke all previous seasons’ ratings records. Gunn’s first book, A Guide to Quality, Taste and Style, was the core of Tim Gunn’s Guide to Style, a two-season makeover show on Bravo. His second book, Gunn’s Golden Rules, was released on September 7 and rose to #5 on the New York Times bestseller list.  His most recent book, Tim Gunn’s Fashion Bible: The Fascinating History of Everything in Your Closet was released in September 2012 and started at #5 on the New York Times Advice and How To bestseller list.

Richard Binder – GM of Phillipe - Home of the Original French Dip

Phillipe the Original has been operating for more than 100 years. The restaurant moved to its current location on North Alameda Street in 1951. The French Dip sandwich was created at Philippe's back in 1918 by founder Philippe Mathieu. For beverages, Philippe's serves cans of soft drinks, freshly brewed iced tea, lemonade, coffee, select wines, and beer.  Historically, homemade wine had been available. The current owner, a wine aficionado, has added a small selection of California wines to the menu. Philippe's is famous for serving cups of regular coffee for 9 cents to this day, in honor of old-fashioned prices. The price was last raised from 5 cents in 1977.

MICHAEL MARSH - CEO OF WESTERN UNITED DAIRYMEN 

Western United Dairymen is a trade organization and Michael explains what just happened and how Washington provoked a controversy that never really existed. He explains how Milk prices work and how some want to manipulate them



 
MILT LARSEN - PRESIDENT/OWNER - "THE MAGIC CASTLE" 

As anticipation is mounting for the pending Magic Castle Movie, especially after with the announcement of Director McG (Terminator, Charlie's Angeles, ect) taking the helm of the film, Radar pictures is still keeping things under wraps.  However, we wanted to follow up on the idea of speaking to Milt Larsen, co-founder of The Magic Castle , as he prepares for the film, the release of a new book, entitled “My Magical Journey: The First 30,000 Days” (ISBN: HB: 978-1-939178-00-8 SB: 978-1¬939178-01-5), and the 50th anniversary of the the Hollywood landmark.  The construction of the original structure began in 1908 and In November of 2009 the historic structure once known as the Lane Mansion celebrated its centennial. On Jan 2nd, 1963 that same structure became, what is now known as, the world famous Magic Castle. In January, 2013, fans and fanatics of the mystical and mysterious world of illusion gathered to celebrate its 50th anniversary.  The Magic Castle has grown over the years from its original design to include 13 performance spaces including close-up magic, the Parlor of Prestidigitation and, of course, The Palace of Mystery. Practically every great magician of the modern era has appeared within walls, as well as a few noted amature illusionists including Cary Grant, Johnny Carson, Jason Alexander, Dom Deluise, Tony Curtis, Neil Patrick Harris, to name a few and boasts a membership that includes many of todays top stars such as Johnny Depp, Jane Fonda, Florence Henderson, Carol Channing, Romi Dames, Tippi Hedren, Stephen Hawking, and more.  The Magic Castle is not only the showplace for some of the greatest magicians from around the globe, it also houses one of the largest original collections of Houdini's great tools of the trade including his personal handcuffs, straight jacket, metamorphosis trunk and famous milk can escape in the Houdini Séance Room. Houdini himself used these props to mystify thousands. The castle also houses collections from W.C. Field, Johnny Carson, Walt Disney and many more.

ERINN HAYES - Guys with Kids

Erinn Hayes stars as Sheila, Chris’ type A attorney ex-wife, in NBC’s new comedy “Guys with Kids. Hayes is perhaps best known for her role in the series Childrens Hospital where she starred opposite Rob Cordry, Megan Mullully, and Lake Bell. Recently, she played the lead role of Emma in the film It’s a Disaster written and directed by Todd Berger.   From her first series regular role on “On the Spot,” Hayes demonstrated her comedic chops opposite comedy legend Tim Conway.   She starred as “Pam Dawber aka Mindy” in the hugely successful television movie, “The Unauthorized Story of Mork and Mindy” for NBC. Hayes resides happily in Los Angeles with her high-school sweet heart husband Jack and their adorable daughters, Maggie and Lilah. Guys with Kids  Wednesdays on NBC (8:30-9 p.m. ET)  "Guys with Kids" is a new comedy from Emmy Award-winning executive producer Jimmy Fallon about three thirty-something dads who try to hold on to their youth as they face the responsibilities of having kids. Thankfully, Gary (Anthony Anderson, “Law & Order”), Chris (Jesse Bradford, “The West Wing”) and Nick (Zach Cregger, “Friends with Benefits”) have each other to help navigate the highs and lows of fatherhood -- while still trying desperately to remain dudes.


JESSICA KOINE  

Jessica Koine is the executive chef partner of soon-to-open Seasons 52 at Westfield Century City in Los Angeles. She has over five years of experience in kitchen management and event coordination. Koine joined Seasons 52 in 2010, and most recently worked as opening sous chef for Seasons 52 at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, California. Prior to that position, she was the kitchen manager and event coordinator at King’s Fish House in Long Beach, California. Koine earned an Associate Degree of occupational studies from the California School of Culinary Arts of Pasadena and resides in downtown Los Angeles.


 
LARRY LIPSON  -  COSTA RICA


LARRY IS THE FORMER FOOD WRITER FOR THE DAILY NEWS AND REPORTS FROM HIS HOME IN COSTA RICA ON FOOD TRENDS AND GREAT WINE FINDS