The San Diego International Wine Show was held last weekend, April 26 & 27 in Del Mar, California.

I was invited to attend as both a member of the Press and as a presenter.  Not quite sure which role was more fun!

This was the third year for the event and this time they did, indeed, go international, with wineries and wines from Spain, Italy, Mexico, Portugal, Chile, Argentina and, of course, France. Local representation included Napa, Sonoma, Temecula and San Diego.  

For those of you who attended my seminar, "There's No Place Like Rhone!" I say thank you and hope you enjoyed such an abbreviated visit to this truly wonderful part of the wine world.  Forty-five minutes goes way to fast.

If you'd like to know more about the Rhone Valley, please visit my Student Resources page where you'll find all kinds of links and information on the wines and food of the region.

I'd also like to thank KK LaFournaise for wrangling me into doing this, Donato Santarsieri, and Live Fit Magazine for their wonderful, live coverage of the event.  Check out their YouTube page for a full recap.

So, what should my topics be for next year?  

There are times in this life when an opportunity presents itself and one would be a fool to look the other way.

Such an opportunity appeared in my inbox recently - an invitation from the French Wine Society to attend a tasting of Chateauneuf du Pape and Tavel, to be held in Los Angeles.

My first reaction was "yes, oui, where do I RSVP' Although I realized would spend more time in my car than at the seminar, I knew that every mile would be worth the experience.

It was described as a "Master Class" to be conducted by Kelly McAuliffe, one of the few, if not only, American Sommelier living and working in France.  Yes, his credentials and experience are impressive, but his complete and total passion for the soil, the grapes, the winemakers and the wines of this illustrious region is awe-inspiring.

In my years spent talking about wine, I know how challenging it can be to keep it fresh and exciting when answering the same question for the zillionth time.

Yes, the wines were magical and I will write about them soon, but I would be remiss in not thanking the Society for this terrific day.

Merci, Monsieur McAuliffe for reminding me why I love what I do!