"Best Case Scenario" Collectors Case

UCLA Jonsson Cancer Center Foundation Presents 2006 Gil Nickel Humanitarian Award

Sports personality Al Michaels (right), presents a signed three-liter bottle of Dolce to 2006 Gil Nickel Humanitarian Award winner, Alex Wallau, president of ABC Network Operations and Administration.

The Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills was the site of a star-studded gala event in May where the 2006 Gil Nickel Humanitarian Award was presented to Alex Wallau, president of ABC Network Operations and Administration.

Enjoying the theme, "A Taste of Napa," more than 500 guests, including event co-chairs Robert Iger, President and CEO of the Walt Disney Company, and his wife, Willow Bay, sports personality Al Michaels and others indulged in the fantastic wines and cuisine of the valley. The evening began with a reception featuring a collection of Napa Valley wineries including Silver Oak, Patz & Hall, Barnett Vineyards, Signorello and Cakebread Cellars, followed by dinner prepared by chefs Ken Frank of La Toque, Cindy Pawlcyn of Mustard's and Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen, and Eric Torralba of E.T. Kitchen, paired with the wines of Far Niente, Dolce and Nickel & Nickel. The dinner was followed with a special performance by Chris Martin of Coldplay and a live auction hosted by celebrity auctioneer Jimmy Kimmel. The event raised nearly $825,000 for vital cancer research efforts at UCLA.

Profile: Executive Chef Abi Martinez

Vim and Vigor in the Vineyards


A few months ago, most of the Napa Valley was weighed down by continuous rain and cool weather late into the spring, conditions not seen in years. There were many questions about the effect the spring weather would have on the rest of the growing season: Would there be a smooth budbreak and flowering? Would the harvest be small this year? Would harvest be exceptionally late?

With a string of 100+ degree days in June, the weather has made a complete turnaround, and so have the vineyards.

"I’ve never seen so much vigorous growth in the vineyards as what we’ve witnessed this year," says Aaron Fishleder, viticulturist for the Far Niente, Dolce and Nickel & Nickel wineries.

Having so much growth is great news, considering how the growing season started out. But the growth will also need to be properly managed as too much vigor can create "green" or unripe flavors in the resulting wines.

"It’s going to require extra canopy management on our part, including extra hedging, suckering passes, and strict attention to pulling laterals, which are much larger this year. Pulling laterals is going to be key to our success, allowing the speckled sunlight to reach the grapes and allow for gradual, even ripening," says Aaron.

The timing of harvest has caught up since late spring, when budbreak occurred nearly a month later than last year. Current estimates put this year’s harvest about 10 days behind 2005. Aaron believes that with proper vineyard management, the season’s challenges will be turned into the opportunity for an exciting harvest.

"Those who astutely manage the vines to obtain the best balance in the vineyards will make great wine this year," he adds.

Personal Best


"On our very first date, my husband, who is a chef, created a dish called 'Bananas Mahi Mahi with Toasted Macadamia Nuts' for me and served it with Far Niente Chardonnay. Now we own a catering company in South Florida and Bananas Mahi Mahi has become a staple on our menu. We always tell the story and recommend the Far Niente wine to our clients. I have attached the recipe just for fun!"

Sheri Jacobs
Chez Gourmet Catering
www.chezgourmet.com

Bananas Mahi Mahi with Toasted Macadamia Nuts

2 pounds mahi mahi filet (blood lines removed)
Flour
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup Far Niente Chardonnay
1/2 cup butter or margarine
3 bananas cut lengthwise – about 1/4" thick
Chopped macadamia nuts

Marinade
Juice of 1 lemon
Juice of 1 lime
3 tablespoons soy sauce

Marinate mahi mahi filets for 2 hours. Combine flour, salt and pepper in bowl. Dredge mahi filets in flour to lightly coat. Sauté fish quickly on both sides in lightly oiled pan – just enough to brown, about 30 seconds each side. Melt the butter and combine with white wine. Place mahi in baking dish and cover liberally with bananas. Pour butter and wine over the fish and bananas, making sure bananas are completely covered. Sprinkle with macadamia nuts. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until mixture starts to bubble. Do not overcook. Serve at once – it will be love at first bite!