MrAndrewBradley

Another week of wine and food ... I kind of like the life I lead. Friday evening I was fortunate to attend a winemaker dinner at The Meritage featuring Joseph Phelps Vineyards , the four courses paired with excellent wines and 100 people in the Estate Cave = spectacular. Saturday I continued the wine theme with a trip to Lodi's Oak Farm Vineyards , a quick stop at Wine & Roses where my brother and his wife had their wedding reception, and Chinese food from Chop Chop at my grandma's. On Monday I was back in Napa and got to try "Burger Monday" at Fume Bistro , spectacular burger and fries with a nice bottle of Merlot. Photos for those with iPads.

It's not very often that I specifically go to a "Farm to Table" dinner. Typically they're expensive and crowded. but when I heard about the Crop to Tabletop dinner that was being put on on PlacerGROWN for just $35 a person, I figured I would go. I bought two tickets and went with my dad (my mom is in Texas, so he didn't want to cook for himself). The dinner was hosted at the top of the peak at Twin Peaks Orchard . We started with a bottle of Popie Wines and some Goat House Brewing beer (alcohol was not included, but $20 a bottle for wine was very reasonable), before dining on farm fresh produce, meats and even dessert. The setting was spectacular, especially as the sun went down. We even made new friends and I was able to see people I've gotten to know at other PlacerGROWN events. There's still a whole week of activities to go , so be sure to head out to the farms and enjoy the bounty provided by Placer County's many family farms . Pictures f...

I hadn't been to the Central Coast since February 2010 , so this trip was a long time coming. It started with a quick wine tasting stop in Paso Robles at Halter Ranch Vineyard , then we headed to San Luis Obispo for lunch at Firestone Grill and to watch the Giants beat the Nationals in Game 1. After lunch and shopping at the Cal Poly Downtown store (I needed some things like a wine glass, trailer hitch cover and hat), we headed to our financial advisor's office and then with him to dinner at Novo Restaurant in Downtown San Luis Obispo . My mom picked the perfect wine, Anniversary Blend from Sterling Vineyards , since their wedding anniversary was the day before, and we enjoyed a fabulous dinner along the San Luis Obispo Creek . After spending the night in Morro Bay , we did some quick picture taking at Morro Rock and got some great photos of the harbor before continuing our trip by driving through the Cal Poly Campus (a lot has changed in the 10 years since I grad...

In late August I rushed to Napa after the South Napa Earthquake and, less than a month later, the community came together to help those who lost so much. I was able to attend the opening night dinner for Napa Valley Rocks , Nourish Napa! From Morimoto sushi by the pool to a multi-course dinner prepared by Napa's top chefs, it was a great evening of food, fun and moving forward for a city that was hurt, but began to heal very quckily. After a baby shower and a quick dinner at Pocket Bistro before the game, my family and I headed to Bonney Field at Cal Expo where Sacramento Republic FC also continued their quest for MLS by winning the USLPRO championship in their inaugural season. In front of yet another sold out crowd (although this was also standing room only). With a 2-0 win, great crowd, great time, and amazing city I'm pretty sure Sacramento is #BuiltForMLS . Photos for those with iPads.

Over the last year or so I have been able to get more involved with Placer Grown . It's interesting to learn more about all the items grown in Placer County , once one of the top grape (yes, that means wine) and stone fruit agriculture regions in the world. Now the biggest export is actually rice , but walnuts, grapes (for wine), fruits, vegetables and hops (for beer) are all making a resurgence. I started my afternoon off with the official event at Wise Villa Winery , where I, along with a few other bloggers and members of the media enjoyed a fabulous lunch with wine pairing. The farm fresh arugula and beet salad was a highlight, but the steak, pork chop, pasta, tuna and wines were all spectacular and enjoyed by all. I even bought a bottle of Wisdom of Wise (their red wine blend) for "Wine Fridays" at my office. While at lunch a few people had mentioned Goat House Brewing Company just down the road, so ... not being one to miss out on opportunity ... I decided to...

So I am not sure it can really get any better than that. Great Food, Great Wine, Great Soccer. From a Masters Winemaker Dinner with Duckhorn Vineyards at The Meritage , featuring an excellent menu, to a run in West Sacramento and two soccer victories , it was an amazing eight days. There were also home cooked meals (salmon with vegetables, and shrimp pasta), a clean oven, harvest of the vineyards behind The Meritage, dinner (well margaritas with a little bit of food) with a friend at Chevy's , a Farm to Fork dinner at River City Brewing Company , happy hour at Florez Bar & Grill , church at Bayside , and something I never thought I would see in Sacramento (but I'm very glad I did) ... a #BuiltForMLS rally with thousands of soccer fans in attendance (and dirty duck fat fries at Low Brau ). Pictures for those with iPads .

I haven't been home much over the last few weeks, but it has been fun. I started out with a cooking segment on Fox40 to promote a winemaker dinner with Grgich Hills Estate at The Meritage . Went to Orange County for a few days and got to see all of the hotels that PHG operates in the area, including a construction site in Huntington Beach that will soon be the Pasea . Once back in Napa I enjoyed meeting with Mike Grgich and a fantastic multicourse dinner in the Estate Cave . Then there were trips to Bayside , a bike ride in Folsom around Lake Natoma , dinner at Trademark Pizza , a 30th birthday party , lots of meals with friends ... and the unexpected, an earthquake in Napa . As soon as I heard about the earthquake I headed to The Meritage, even doing a radio interview with KGO-AM on my way. Although there was not major damage at The Meritage, I and the other staff were busy the day of the quake and for the week after reassuring future guests that they could keep the...