Info

ISO The Good Life Show - Food, Wine, Travel & Lifestyle

Bio: Mike Wreyford, AKA Mike the Wine Guy, is a wine educator, writer, radio show host, and lifestyle expert. Mike is the host & producer of “The Good Life” Show, a popular radio talk show, on air since 2011. As one of the most “casually authentic” wine experts in the industry, Mike Wreyford, AKA “Mike the Wine Guy,” has blazed his own trails and made it his life’s passion to educate, inform and entertain his audience with his extensive knowledge and passion for wine, and the lifestyle that goes with it. His weekly radio program and podcast, “ISO the Good Life” has become a must-listen for travel conscious wine enthusiasts and curious foodies alike. With countless hours of Live Radio, and 1,000+ interviews, Mike’s show has earned a reputation for being informative, entertaining, and uniquely original. As a native Californian, Mike’s adventurous lifestyle and world travels have undoubtedly influenced his approach to wine and food. His dedication to bringing an “all of us” approach to his topics has earned him a loyal following of listeners who appreciate his ability to make even the most complex subjects accessible. In addition to his radio program, Mike is known for his involvement in charitable events and fundraisers, including the highly successful “World of Wine” tasting events which he has been instrumental in developing and hosting since 2011. Mike’s talent for uncovering the stories behind the wine and food he covers is unmatched. His loose yet thoroughly prepared style of interviewing guests allows him to dig deep and discover the true passion and journey of each guest. With his extensive network of contacts throughout California, the West Coast, and beyond, Mike is able to develop unique story ideas that captivate and inspire his audience. As a dedicated professional and wine expert, Mike Wreyford is undoubtedly a name to watch in the industry, and his commitment to bringing the best of wine and food to his audience is unwavering.
RSS Feed
ISO The Good Life Show - Food, Wine, Travel & Lifestyle
2022
April
March
February


2020
November


2019
September
July
June
March


2018
November
September
July
June
May
April
March


2017
November
September
August
July
June
April
March
February
January


2016
November
September
August
July
May
April


2015
December
November
October
September
August
June
May
April
March


Categories

All Episodes
Archives
Categories
Now displaying: Page 3
May 20, 2018

Dawn Martella is currently winemaker for Karmère Vineyards and Winery, a 6500-case facility in the heart of California’s Shenandoah Valley. Dawn’s emphasis on vineyard expression and understanding of yeast attributes and barrel contributions results in carefully crafted, award-winning wines. A relative newcomer to the winemaking industry, Dawn’s passion for her art is evident in the subtle complexity of her wines. Prior to her relationship with Karmère, Dawn and her husband, Richard, were part owners in another local winery, where she served as both General Manager and Assistant Winemaker.

The wines produced by Karmère include Viognier, Syrah, Barbera, and Zinfandel varietals. Dawn and her husband, a winegrower, especially enjoy time with their family and friends. A farmer at heart and an avid gardener, she can often be found walking the vineyards to see what the grapes are doing. Dawn also enjoys hiking, kayaking, and motorcycling.

As a country girl growing up in Grass Valley, Dawn Martella always wanted to be a winemaker. Fate intervened in the most unlikely of places: While taking a college welding class. Martella recalls, “The instructor gave me a bottle of wine from his vineyard. Since I already had a crush on him, at that point the sky opened and a beam of light illuminated him. I think there were angels singing in the background, too.” The instructor became her husband; as a viticulture and plant science teacher, he helped spark her journey. After working on small productions, she initially turned down Karmère owner Marilyn Hoopes’ offer to become winemaker because of the sheer size, but a pep talk from her husband convinced her to reconsider. “And I’m glad I did,” says Martella. “I just love being here and doing what I do.” Martella is now approaching her 11th harvest at Karmère, and is deeply passionate about all aspects of winemaking.

Every winemaker does things a little differently; Martella says she likes to focus on varietal character. “I want to taste those elements that make Barbera, Grenache, Zinfandel, etc., taste the way they are.  When I walk through the vineyard, I taste the whole cluster, because it tells me what the wine wants to be.” Of all the aspects of winemaking, walking the vineyard prior to harvest is her favorite. Says Martella, “There’s a welcoming peace to the vineyard that draws me, and I’m always at my happiest touching the vines and watching their progress. Someone once quoted ‘how can one be an atheist in the vineyard, when you find yourself in the presence of the Divine?’”

May 20, 2018

Michael Long, son of Larry and Linda, and Head Winemaker- Michael graduated Magna Cum Laude from Fresno State University with a Bachelors of Science in Enology. Michael was just 15 years old when his parents purchased the land that Amador Cellars now sits on. His love and passion for grape growing and winemaking blossomed as he began to learn more about the process and gained an appreciation for what it takes to make a nice bottle of wine.  Michael began working in the vineyard as a teenager and gradually became more involved in other aspects of the business, including working side by side with father and winemaker, Larry.  Michael became the Assistant Winemaker in 2008 and held the position for 5 years prior to taking the reins from his father as Head Winemaker in 2013.  Michael is also very involved with the grape growing and farming, and you may find him pouring in the tasting room and at events from time to time.

May 20, 2018
Tim Hanni MW
Master of Wine, Certified Wine Educator
Wine Industry Faculty, Sonoma State University
 
Tim Hanni is an internationally renowned ‘flavor maven.’ A professionally-trained chef, he is one of the first two resident Americans to successfully complete the examination and earn the title Master of Wine. He is a Certified Wine Educator accredited by the Society of Wine Educators. He has been involved with wine- and food-related businesses, education and research for over thirty-five years. Hanni has a unique perspective on food and wine, providing a modern and innovative approach to the subject. 
 
His techniques for creating easy to use wine lists and retail wine programs are combined with tried and tested culinary philosophies on "balancing" food and wine flavors. These techniques are employed by thousands of restaurants and hotel outlets around the world and have provided the foundation for Napa Seasoning Company's unique new product Vignon™, the first Flavor Balancing Seasoning designed to simplify food preparation. Hanni is recognized for introducing the concept of the "umami" taste phenomenon to the wine and food community. He has lectured in over 27 countries around the world on the topics of flavor balancing, sensory sciences, wine and culinary history.
May 20, 2018

Bryan Doreian is the President and founder of Wysebridge Patent Bar Review, an inventive startup designed to help individuals pass the Patent Bar Exam efficiently. This is achieved by providing online resources and materials in a way that anyone can understand, and the means to quickly and efficiently develop the skills to pass.

Bryan Doreian has a background in many areas of research including Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, and a PhD in Cellular and Molecular Biophysics. He has not only developed analytical skills allowing him to process and summarize information and data, but also how to quickly and efficiently find solutions to problems.

Bryan Doreian's experience in multiple sectors is diverse, providing him with a unique perspective into the field of patents and intellectual property. He has been involved in drug development, process design and control for a major manufacturer, biomedical academic research, and is working on quantitative reforms for the healthcare industry.

May 20, 2018

Ellen is a grammar freak, a former freelance writer, and a founder and principal of Syntaxis, a communication skills training firm based in New York City. She has a B.A. in German from Harvard and an M.A. in comparative literature from UCLA. Ellen lives with her husband, Brandt Johnson, in a wildly polylingual apartment building on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, and can often be found walking or running around the city listening to language lessons.

I had studied German, Spanish, and French in school, but I wanted to go more global this time and add other language families. The initial plan of a year soon became two years, which eventually became three years, then four, then five, and which now stands at nearly eight years. The schedule has so far included 21 different languages involving a total of nine different alphabets and writing systems. No end in sight.

Through my blog here, I have chronicled linguistic adventures, some misadventures, and the mental and physical fallout of spending a lot of time outside one’s own alphabet and grammar. In 2013, I added a directory of learning-resource reviews for other people seeking to learn a new language or reinforce old skills. I continue to add to that.

Mostly now I wish to pay tribute to the joys of language learning, and to the extraordinary linguistic riches of my beloved adopted city and makeshift language-learning lab: New York.

I am often asked how I remember all these languages. I don’t! I forget tons. I study, forget, restudy, relearn, reforget, and so on. Doesn’t matter. I wouldn’t do this if it weren’t fun for me: I am a language hedonist! With each new language, my sense of the world, linguistic and otherwise, feels, well, larger. I treasure that.

I would love to see more Americans in particular, but also people around the world, enjoy the study of languages they did not grow up speaking.

A new language is a hand held out to one’s neighbor, an opener of doors, a new way to see, a mental tickle, a road to unmediated communication with strangers in other lands, access to the world’s news, a gesture of peace — really, language study can be anything you want to make of it.

May 16, 2018
 Light has more than two decades of experience in wine industry  communications. Prior to forming Nancy Light Public Relations in 2003, she  was Vice President of Public Relations for Robert Mondavi for seven years,  acting as chief communications strategist and managing public relations  programs for the company and its portfolio of 16 wineries and labels.  Light  was responsible for communications programs for the launch of ten new labels,  including international joint ventures, during a period of intense growth and  expansion in the US and key export markets.  She also managed press activity  for family and key company executives and served as spokesperson on  promotional, business and industry issues.      This direct experience augments the broad view of the industry that Light  gained as Wine Institute Communications Director and in her previous positions  as Account Supervisor for Shelly Berman Communicators, a public relations and  advertising agency, and as Public Relations Manager for Kobrand Corporation in  New York, where she started the company's first in-house PR department in the  1980s.      Wine Institute is a public policy advocacy group representing  637 California wineries and affiliated businesses responsible for more than  80 percent of the nation's wine production and 90 percent of U.S. wine  exports.  Light replaces Kari Birdseye who departs the organization and plans  to remain in the wine industry.    
May 6, 2018

Experts in wine appraisal, Benchmark is one of the largest buyers of private wine collections. Established in 2002, Benchmark Wine Group is the leading source of fine and rare wine for wine retailers, restaurants and collectors around the world. Based in Napa Valley, they acquire the most sought-after wines from private individuals and professional contacts. Their staff draws on decades of industry experience and is dedicated to providing exceptional service to all of our clients. Benchmarkwine.com offers 24-hour access to they're cellar, displaying inventory in real-time. They acquire fine and rare wine from well-maintained private cellars and reputable wholesalers after provenance is verified by our team of acquisitions professionals. Before purchasing a private collection, they travel to meet the collector and inspect storage conditions to verify provenance. As a result, we guarantee the provenance of all wines that they sell.

May 6, 2018

Craig Palmer and Allen Habel, co-founders of the Experience Rosé Today. Experience Rosé brand, which aims to celebrate all things rosé. The new brand will host an array of events in 2018, all honoring the lauded “pink drink,” with the Experience Rosé: The 2018 Competition kicking things off in the Spring. Focusing exclusively on domestic and international rosé wines and directed by globally-renowned wine expert and educator Debra Del Fiorentino, the competition will take place on Wednesday, April 18 at Soda Rock Winery in Healdsburg. The Experience Rosé brand will offer a collection of curated consumer events beyond the competition as well, including The Great Rosé Pairing for Summer, to be held on Saturday, June 16, at The CIA at Copia in Napa, and The Great Rosé Pairing for Thanksgiving, which will take place Friday, October 19, at Jaxon Keys Winery and Distillery in Hopland.

Experience Rosé is all about providing extraordinary experiences for everyone who revels in our passion for Rosé and its infinite possibilities all year-long. Foodie to newbie. Wine maker to chef. Sponsor to volunteer. Because every day pairs better with Rosé. Fill your glass with us. We promise you a fulfilling experience that will be personal, passionate and perfect.

Celebrating a wide range of rosé winemaking styles and taking place on Wed, Apr 18 at Soda Rock Winery in Healdsburg, Experience Rose: The 2018 Competition will showcase the best of the best from both domestic and international producers in dry, sparkling and sweet categories.

“We’re excited to introduce these new elements around the Wine Competition,” states Del Fiorentino. “Our goal is to create an event that is beneficial to both our wine competition entrants and the attendees to the two consumer events, as we want everyone to have the best experience possible.”

The Brand will introduce two new wine events to the general public. On Saturday, June 16, 2018, Experience Rosé will debut The Great Rosé Pairing for Summer, to be held at The CIA at Copia in Napa. Event-goers will have the opportunity to sip winning wines paired with gourmet bites inspired by cuisine from the four major rosé producing regions (France, Italy, Spain and the United States/California). The bites will be prepared by teams of CIA students directed by Lars Kronmark, Professor of Culinary Arts at The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in Napa Valley. This curated event will also include special arts programming and Experience Rosé Talks – an educational series featuring presentations, panel discussions and pairings.

May 6, 2018

Gabrielle and Anthony Poston are avid wine lovers and wine country explorers.

Their passion for wine, and knowledge of winery locations and attributes, caused friends and family to frequently ask for recommendations on “which wineries” to visit.

They began to realize that they, like so many others, were recommending and visiting the same wineries repeatedly. One serendipitous moment in France, with a map in hand, unable to find the champagne house that they wanted to visit, they realized there needs to be a better way.

Gabrielle proposed the idea of creating a website that shared their travel experiences and included a searchable tool that allowed friends, family and ultimately users to make more informed decisions on finding wineries that fit their preferences.

WhichWinery.com now boasts over 20K+ wineries across 47 countries and is the world’s first winery based, travel site that connects each winery’s unique qualities with user preferences, allowing users to find wineries, plan and share trips utilizing the trip planner tool, track their visits and continue to learn about the world of wine.

They’ve launched a VIP service to accommodate clientele who want an elevated experience of allowing us to plan their winery trip - whether that means winery visits, transportation, lunch, accommodations or all of the above.

May 6, 2018

Claudia Vecchio has assumed the position of CEO of Sonoma County Tourism.

Vecchio has many years of experience in the industry, including multiple leadership roles in tourism organisations, serving as the State Tourism director at the Ohio Department of Development, Division of Travel and Tourism, and senior vice president overseeing the tourism group at Edelman PR in Chicago.

In her new role, Vecchio will try to drive Sonoma County Tourism into record-breaking years, with out-of-the-box ideas and by sharing the message that wine country is open for business and ready to deliver the world-class experience that is expected.

She replaces Ken Fischang, who stepped down in May. Interim Sonoma County Tourism CEO Tim Zahner told the Las Vegas Review Journal that, after the fires, Vecchio will have plenty on her plate when she arrives.

“Claudia is stepping into a situation where the community of Sonoma County and the board and staff of Sonoma County Tourism have come together to not only support one another in our time of need, but also to rally around and get the word out that we are open for business and ready to welcome visitors to the Northern California they love,” Zahner said. 

Vecchio leaves her position as the first director of the state Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, which consists of the Commission on Tourism, Division of Museums and History, Nevada Arts Council and the Nevada Indian Commission.

“In addition to its extraordinary natural beauty, Sonoma County exudes an incredible spirit of independent thinking, creativity and fortitude that truly sets it apart from any other destination,” Vecchio said in a statement. “The truest sense of this spirit has been on full display during the recent fires. It’s a privilege to join a team and represent a countywide tourism industry that can come together through challenging times to not only support one another, but also to rally around and get the word out that we are open for business and ready to welcome visitors to Northern California.”

Vecchio said it should be a fairly easy transition on the marketing side, as Sonoma County has a few things in common with Nevada, like its independent, creative, maverick spirit.

“It’s wineries versus casinos,” she said. “They are important drivers, but I see so much more to talk about.” 

Vecchio long has been a fan of and visitor to Sonoma County, having family in Bodega Bay. Upon moving to Sonoma County, she had planned to rent, but after the destructive fires and the even tighter rental market, she is in the process of buying a home.

Vecchio is a former president of Destination Integration in Dallas and head of Ohio’s tourism office. She began working in Nevada in November 2011.

She also has managed national brand launch campaigns for Taco Bell, Frito-Lay and Norwegian Cruise Lines and was on the promotion team that launched the Fox Broadcasting Network’s television programming. She also was a tour manager for the international education and entertainment organization, Up With People.

May 6, 2018

ISO The Good Life Show - Full Show

 

Apr 10, 2018

Dave has worked in travel and tourism for 20 years in many countries around the world. For the past 8 years, Dave has been based back in his home country of New Zealand working in a Senior Management role for Air New Zealand and Les Mills International. After a brief break from the tourism industry, Dave jumped at the opportunity to lead an exciting new start-up business that will show case New Zealand, and enable people to explore the country in the best possible way – cruising in a motorhome.

Mighway is raising the bar on peer-to-peer platforms, offering owners the freedom of being completely hands off during the rental process,” said Dave Simmons, CEO of Mighway—which is owned by TH2, a new joint venture between Tourism Holdings Limited (thl), the world’s largest RV rental and sales operator with 30 years of experience in the industry; and Thor Industries—manufacturers of the renowned Airstream and Jayco RV brands.

“As RV peer-to-peer platforms came on the market, we noticed a huge gap in service and protection options, which was a huge barrier for potential owners and renters,” said Simmons. “We created Mighway to break this barrier, drawing on our extensive experience and partnerships to offer unrivalled premium support, storage and insurance options. As far as we know, no one else is doing this, so it’s a game changer for peer-to-peer platforms in general, not just RVs.”

Although owners can be hands-on if they want, the Mighway Managed option takes away the burden of everything from vetting and dealing with customers to cleaning, vehicle handover, repairs, emergency road service and insurance claims. Owned by the largest commercial rental operator and largest manufacturer, Mighway leverages their relationships with dealers to access to space to store vehicles in professional facilities at a much lower cost than owners can find on their own.

“We recommend RV owners take advantage of our free listings now, so they can be ready for the lucrative spring and summer travel season,” Simmons said. “With Mighway, owners can bank on their RV but hang on to their valuable free time and peace of mind. Our competitors can’t offer this level of service and flexibility.”

Learn more at www.mighway.com.

Apr 8, 2018

Delia Viader was born in Argentina and came to the U.S. as a student. She holds a doctorate in Philosophy from the Sorbonne University in Paris, France. She pursued advanced business degrees at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of California, Berkeley in the U.S.

Delia’s father helped her financially for the initial seven-year investment in her winery. As she fell in love with California when she was a student at Berkeley and was attracted to the wine industry.

After founding VIADER in 1986, Delia studied Enology and Viticulture at the University of California, Davis to learn the practical theory behind making fine wine Her first vintage was 1989, when she produced 1,200 cases of wine. Today, Delia has a production total of 7,500 cases under the Viader labels.

Delia found that she was decidedly more attracted to Old World wines. She was particularly impressed by the wines of Chateau Cheval Blanc in St. Emilion, from which she based the idea for her first blend, the 1989 VIADER comprising 40 percent Cabernet Franc and 60 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, a combination that is now her signature wine.

Always “daring to be different,” Delia decided to bring the Bordeaux style of winemaking and vineyard cultivation to the California hillside by planting the vines in rows going up and down the mountain, following the path of the afternoon sun down the steep slopes of Howell Mountain. At the time, she met strong opposition and criticism for planting her vines in this way, simply because it had never been done before. However, soon after successfully releasing her first vintage, it was clear that her efforts to develop the vineyard were worthwhile. With optimal sun exposure, and unique soil that allows for natural drainage, the vines struggle to survive in the rocky terroir and produce fruit of exceptional quality.

In 2002, her son Alan came on board, first to manage the vineyards and later to be the Director of Operations, joining Delia on the winemaking and production team. Her daughter Janet is Director of Marketing and Sales. Delia’s family (she has four children) and fascination with fine wines have been her primary motivations for starting her beautiful winery overlooking the Napa Valley.

Apr 6, 2018

Bryan Doreian is the President and founder of Wysebridge Patent Bar Review, an inventive startup designed to help individuals pass the Patent Bar Exam efficiently. This is achieved by providing online resources and materials in a way that anyone can understand, and the means to quickly and efficiently develop the skills to pass.

Bryan Doreian has a background in many areas of research including Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, and a PhD in Cellular and Molecular Biophysics. He has not only developed analytical skills allowing him to process and summarize information and data, but also how to quickly and efficiently find solutions to problems.

Bryan Doreian's experience in multiple sectors is diverse, providing him with a unique perspective into the field of patents and intellectual property. He has been involved in drug development, process design and control for a major manufacturer, biomedical academic research, and is working on quantitative reforms for the healthcare industry.

Mar 11, 2018
100% sustainable, recyclable and renewable

Cork stoppers are the most famous product of the cork industry. It is the most produced and most exported. More than 12 billion bottles of wine are closed every year with cork, keeping all the qualities of this drink intact for centuries. The cork stopper has been the closure par excellence of wine for many years, chosen by more than 70% of producers. Cork’s relationship with wine began in ancient Egypt as a closure for amphorae. 

 According to Executive Director Peter Weber of the Cork Quality Council, consumers still need help understanding and appreciating the environmental and social benefits of natural cork over plastic stoppers and screwcaps.

“The fact is that cork is a 100 percent renewable and sustainable natural resource, harvested every nine years without damaging the tree. It not only provides important CO2retention, a crucial tool to fight climate change, it also provides one of the world’s 36 most important biodiversity hotspots. In the era of climate change, education about natural cork’s environmental and social benefits is becoming more and more of a focus, and we still have work to do to fully engage the public on this topic,” 

In addition to cork being seen as an indicator of wine quality by the majority of wine consumers, surveys showed that natural cork is the closure of choice for wine purchased at a restaurant, wine purchased as a gift, and wine purchased to bring to a dinner party.

Some of the reasons people stated for preferring cork were led by the idea that natural cork evokes an important sense of heritage, while the enjoyment of opening wine sealed with a cork, the “pop” and the “ritual” creating a unique distinctiveness at the moment of consumption were also cited. 

Also importantly, wine lovers found cork to be conducive to wine aging, a marker to check the quality of the brand before purchasing, and an indicator of overall quality.

Mar 2, 2018

Gabrielle and Anthony Poston are avid wine lovers and wine country explorers.

Their passion for wine, and knowledge of winery locations and attributes, caused friends and family to frequently ask for recommendations on “which wineries” to visit.

They began to realize that they, like so many others, were recommending and visiting the same wineries repeatedly. One serendipitous moment in France, with a map in hand, unable to find the champagne house that they wanted to visit, they realized there needs to be a better way.

Gabrielle proposed the idea of creating a website that shared their travel experiences and included a searchable tool that allowed friends, family and ultimately users to make more informed decisions on finding wineries that fit their preferences.

WhichWinery.com now boasts over 20K+ wineries across 47 countries and is the world’s first winery based, travel site that connects each winery’s unique qualities with user preferences, allowing users to find wineries, plan and share trips utilizing the trip planner tool, track their visits and continue to learn about the world of wine.

They’ve launched a VIP service to accommodate clientele who want an elevated experience of allowing us to plan their winery trip - whether that means winery visits, transportation, lunch, accommodations or all of the above.

Mar 1, 2018

Lisa Niver is a travel expert, writer, artist, entrepreneur, and on-camera host who has explored 96 countries. Niver has established a following through her written and video content, garnering over one million video views on YouTube, Amazon Fire Tv and Roku.

Niver is the founder of a top 100 travel blog, We Said Go Travel, that reaches more than 200,000 annually and is in the top 1/8 of the top 1% of all sites in the United States. In her tri-annual international travel writing competitions, she has published nearly 2000 writers from 75 countries.

She was invited to the United Nations as a Champions of Humanity ambassador, to the red carpet at the Oscars with United Airlines and to New Orleans for a project with American Express and Starwood Hotels. Her recent stories include Dutch designer villas for Luxury Magazine, interviewing Fabien Cousteau for Delta Sky, skiing with the blind for Sierra and scuba diving in the Solomon Islands for Smithsonian.

She also contributes to USA Today, Wharton Business Magazine, the Jewish Journal and is verified on Twitter. Niver was a 2012 nominee for the Presidential Award for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching and a 2014 nominee for the Charles Bronfman Prize.

Nov 25, 2017

Rempfer Cellars was formed in 2014 with their first release of four wines in 2016 (Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, Zinfandel, and Tetrahedron). Jeff has been a firefighter for 25 years. He started his wine passion many years ago, opening multiple wine bars and traveling the world tasting wines from some of the most prestigious regions. He uses that experience and knowledge in producing his wines. Jeff met his wife Allison, who is a Registered Nurse, while working at the Fire Department. They married in 2014. Jeff and Allison have two sons, Levi and Luke, along with the family dog Chloe. They hope to pass the art of wine making on to their sons.

Nov 25, 2017

Claudia Vecchio has assumed the position of CEO of Sonoma County Tourism.

Vecchio has many years of experience in the industry, including multiple leadership roles in tourism organisations, serving as the State Tourism director at the Ohio Department of Development, Division of Travel and Tourism, and senior vice president overseeing the tourism group at Edelman PR in Chicago.

In her new role, Vecchio will try to drive Sonoma County Tourism into record-breaking years, with out-of-the-box ideas and by sharing the message that wine country is open for business and ready to deliver the world-class experience that is expected.

She replaces Ken Fischang, who stepped down in May. Interim Sonoma County Tourism CEO Tim Zahner told the Las Vegas Review Journal that, after the fires, Vecchio will have plenty on her plate when she arrives.

“Claudia is stepping into a situation where the community of Sonoma County and the board and staff of Sonoma County Tourism have come together to not only support one another in our time of need, but also to rally around and get the word out that we are open for business and ready to welcome visitors to the Northern California they love,” Zahner said. 

Vecchio leaves her position as the first director of the state Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, which consists of the Commission on Tourism, Division of Museums and History, Nevada Arts Council and the Nevada Indian Commission.

“In addition to its extraordinary natural beauty, Sonoma County exudes an incredible spirit of independent thinking, creativity and fortitude that truly sets it apart from any other destination,” Vecchio said in a statement. “The truest sense of this spirit has been on full display during the recent fires. It’s a privilege to join a team and represent a countywide tourism industry that can come together through challenging times to not only support one another, but also to rally around and get the word out that we are open for business and ready to welcome visitors to Northern California.”

Vecchio said it should be a fairly easy transition on the marketing side, as Sonoma County has a few things in common with Nevada, like its independent, creative, maverick spirit.

“It’s wineries versus casinos,” she said. “They are important drivers, but I see so much more to talk about.” 

Vecchio long has been a fan of and visitor to Sonoma County, having family in Bodega Bay. Upon moving to Sonoma County, she had planned to rent, but after the destructive fires and the even tighter rental market, she is in the process of buying a home.

Vecchio is a former president of Destination Integration in Dallas and head of Ohio’s tourism office. She began working in Nevada in November 2011.

She also has managed national brand launch campaigns for Taco Bell, Frito-Lay and Norwegian Cruise Lines and was on the promotion team that launched the Fox Broadcasting Network’s television programming. She also was a tour manager for the international education and entertainment organization, Up With People.

Nov 25, 2017

BRIDGE COFFEE CO. is an artisan, craft coffee roaster. We source premium, specialty-grade coffee from around the world. These carefully selected green coffees are profiled, cupped, and roasted in small batches.

We are, "the bridge from the crop to the cup." Timothy Styczynski - owner

As roasters, we feel that we are the bridge between the wonderful coffee producers that spend all year cultivating their wonderful crop to the consumer who enjoys their delicious cup. Our goal is to connect the producers and farmers who spend months at harvest to grow an amazing crop to those that love a truly remarkable cup of coffee. In less than 15 minutes, we are responsible to bring out and highlight all the natural character trapped in the bean for your roasted coffee.

Bridge Coffee Co. sources its green coffee with the assistance of respected and trusted individuals in the coffee industry. We all work together to maintain integrity, responsibility and sustainability.

With over 20 years of roasting experience, the aid of modern technology and utilizing the finest coffee roasting equipment made, you can be sure your coffee is roasted with care and precision, and consistently delicious. Those early days were an interesting start. "I started home roasting back in 1997. Trying to burn a coffee bean anyway I could get my hands on. Oven, stove-top, wok, popcorn poppers, barbecue, I tried so many!", Tim - Owner

Small batch roasting is an artisan craft. It is our joy and honor to provide you with a wonderful cup of coffee.

All coffee is roasted to order and date stamped. We offer free delivery to your home or office in the local Marysville/Yuba City area!

1 « Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Next » 9