Les Blés de Chanel

The fashion label, Chanel, recently made its way to Napa Valley to introduce their new haute jewelry collection, Les Blés de Chanel. The intimate gathering, which was invite-only, took place at the gorgeous Auberge du Soleil, and brought together some of the wealthiest tastemakers from San Francisco and Napa Valley for the private event. Dinner from the resort’s Michelin Star restaurant was served to guests while they took in 33 acres of pristine hillside vineyard views. Crisp white wines were the pour of the evening – perfect on the warm spring afternoon.

The beautiful event featured fresh flowers, candle lanterns and gold wheat embellishments – a nod to the jewelry presented. With a backdrop of Napa Valley’s beautiful sunset, Chanel’s glamorous 62-piece collection immediately stole the show. Guests were invited to tour the wheat-inspired collection, which also happens to be an acknowledgement to Coco’s childhood in Auvergne, France – the region is known for its wheat fields, and her August birthday coincides with harvest season.

Event attendees tried on their favorite styles, and some took pieces home with them ranging from $100,000 to $1,000,000. Statement treasures, such as the Fête des Moissons, was among the most impressive. The necklace itself is anchored by an octagonal 25-carat yellow diamond, and features a total of approximately 120 carats – just gorgeous. The Brins de Printemps and the Epi d’Ete necklaces were also head turners. From aquamarines and peridots to colored diamonds and sapphires, truly spectacular.

The event was a memorable one. With breathtaking views, delicious food and wine, and of course – the variety of stunning jewelry, it was quite the experience – mostly because haute fashion shows and presentations typically take place in the fashion capital of the world, Paris, but we got a little taste of it right here in Napa Valley.

To learn more about the collection and view some of the precious styles, click here.

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Napa Valley Vintners Holiday Party With A Purpose

It’s the most wonderful time of the year here in Napa! Everyone is in the spirit of giving and the holiday parties are in abundance. This celebration, in particular, had a purpose. The Napa Valley Vintners goal is to consistently produce wines of the highest quality and to provide environmental leadership and to care for the extraordinary place they call home. Imagine all the wineries and winemakers in Napa converging to give back to needy children. That’s exactly what they did at Copia. Copia is a revitalized event space in the Culinary Institute of America in Downtown Napa. Each guest brought one or two bottles of their wine to share with their fellow winemakers and to donate toys for children in need. The venue is an amazing modern space set up for food exhibitions, tastings, and events.  To see everyone coming together to celebrate and give back to the community makes me burst with pride in my city.

On Christmas morning there will be some very happy kids in this valley and I’m glad I was there to witness the generosity of those who made it possible.

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Tuscany Italy

In May I did a shoot for Branca International in Tuscany, Italy.  Branca International is the maker of Fernet Branca, which many of you foodies out there have sipped on after a delicious meal.  Villa Branca is in the heart of Tuscany’s Chianti Region.   Branca makes Chianti Classico and hearty Tuscan Olive Oil.  The Villa’s history is long by american standards- the cellar dates back to the 1300’s and was previously owned by the Medici family!  The vineyards and wine cellar are just spectacular.  I had am amazing time working with the winemaking and management team of Stefano and Anna Serbakova.  So in addition to an incredible photo shoot, I gained new friendship that day in Tuscany.

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Simple Wine News Magazine | Cover Photoshoot and Feature

I recently had the pleasure of photographing the cover and feature story about Ridge Vineyard for Simple Wine News Russia.  I photographed Paul Draper, chief winemaker at the vineyard since 1969.  Draper first gained recognition for his 1971 Monte Bello Cabernet Sauvignon, when it placed 5th in the Judgment of Paris wine tasting.  If you haven’t tried Ridge wines, they are a must!  The winery is composed of two main vineyards in California, one in the Santa Cruz Mountains near Cupertino, and the other in Sonoma.  Take a look at the story below!