The Chianti Classico Experience was the name for the recent seminar we attended in Los Angeles.  Conducted by Jeff Porter it also featured  representatives  of  the eight wines we tasted.  All the wines were of the 2016 vintage but from different geographic areas.
And yes the black roster, that has been the symbol of Chianti Classico since 1716, was also present.  It is true that when  many Americans think of Italian wine the association is with Chianti.  There are many reasons for this association,  Sangiovese is the basic grape varietal for all Chianti Classico with its roster trademark.  It produces a wine with a ruby red color with intense aroma and a pleasant, gentle taste and mellow tannins.  The fact that Chianti can be consumed while still reasonably young adds to its attraction. Now however  many producers are adding more age to their wines.
For the 21st century producers of  D.O.C.G. Chianti Classico made some major changes both in where designated vineyards are located but also the blend.  For Chianti Classico wines Sangiovese must  include eighty per cent of any blend with only a few other local red varietals permitted.
 The Consorzio Vino Chianti was first established in 1927 by producers in four provinces--Florence, Pistoia, Arezzo and Siena.  The D.O.C.G. was recognized in 1984. 
The eight wines we tasted were from all the geographic regions,  all of 2016 vintage with two years barrel aging and ranged in the 14 per cent alcohol level.  One producer showed two wines, each from different geographic areas and terroirs.  The result was that while similar in excellent quality other characteristics were much different.
The Los Angeles event took place at the Republique Restaurant and was well attended by local restaurateurs, sommeliers and retailers.  Following the seminar Italian appetizers were served while offering the opportunity to taste the wines of each producer.
Presently there are 560 members of Chianti Classico producing 35 million bottles annually with exports to some 100 countries.

The idea of flight captured human imagination long before that first plane left the ground.  Then the early beginnings of  commercial aviation which offered excitement and adventure with the concept of faster transportation.
All of this is well spelled out at the Flight Path Museum located at the Los Angeles International Airport.  An invitation to a special event first brought our attention to this museum which offers exhibitions  of aviation history and memorabilia as well as guided tours and educational programs.
The event was a salute to the significant contributions of Asia Pacific airlines to global aviation.  This included an exhibit that showed vintage flight attendant and pilot uniforms and artifacts from Air Bali, Asiana, Cathay Pacific Airlines, Korean Air, Malaysian Airlines and Singapore Airlines.  This exhibition then became available for public viewing at the Museum..
On our visit we met  Agnes Huff, president, who acted as our guide and explained what the Flight Path Museum and Learning Center has to offer.  There are exhibits listing the many airlines that have existed both in the present and the past.  Uniforms of pilots and flight attendants from around the world are on display.  One room is devoted to  Aerospace and the dominate role played in Southern California on its development and future.
Other rooms include an Aviation research library and one with model planes from almost every airline that has ever existed.  There is much emphasis as a learning center with Flyers Programs featuring flight simulators, Navigation and aircraft ground and air operations. These are offered to participants 12 years and older.  Some of these courses are taught by retired airline pilots.  These courses are held on five consecutive Saturdays with a $25 registration fee.
Besides its exhibits the Museum enjoys a wonderful location at the LAX Imperial Terminal and from its windows airplanes can be seen taxing, taking off and landing at the world's second busiest airport.  Sometimes an older plane is parked adjacent and available for actual tours from the Museum.
The Flight Path Museum is located at 6661 W. Imperial Hwy, Los Angeles.  There is free admission and free parking.  It is open Tuesday thru Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.  Telephone 424 646-7284.  Learn more on the web at www.flightpathmuseum.com.

The 219 California Strawberry Festival proved to be Oxnard’s version of a Carnival.  The two day event featured booths, lots and lots of booths  featuring arts and crafts with everything from Ford trucks to king size mattresses.  For kids there was Strawberryland with rides including inflatable ones.  Two food courts ensured that there were goodies and munchies in vast supply.  For entertainment there was Just-in-time Stage, Dr. Kato Stage and Stage Three.
Huge in size it meant a good amount of foot travel and some serious consulting of the 2019 Festival  Map.  Finding the Media Tent proved a mystery not only to us but to everyone we asked about its actual location.  We really wanted to sit in on the Berry Contest with competing chefs but alas this was not to be either.
The Festival was a two day Saturday and Sunday event and the weatherman cooperated in a big way with a perfect Spring day on Saturday, some light rain Saturday night but Sunday was dry, mild with blue sky and clouds trading places throughout the day.
To say that the event was well attended is an understatement.  There was a large police present with amply parking and all very well planned. Not quite so well planned was our map reading and agenda.  However it proved a most interesting day and hurrah for the Strawberries.

What does it take to make a single bottle of California wine worth $100?  First, of course, is the quality of the vintage in the bottle.  But also there should be a story of where  the vineyard is located and third the people responsible for its creation.
Which brings us to our recent tasting of Immortal Estate Slope 2014 Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon. There was no question that the wine  we tasted  was superior, rating high points in every category including aroma, flavors and finish.  But we wanted to know more.
The vineyard is located on the flanks of the Mayacamas Mountains with the vines planted on hillsides with a slant of 50 degrees.  First planted in 1990 by Timothy Milos and the late Lynn Hofacket  they soon discovered that the vines were  producing unique vintages which often received national attention under the name Hidden Ridge.  Then Tim Martin, already a vintner in Sonoma and Napa appellations with Tusk Estate, became co-owner with Randy Nichols and Timothy Milos as winemaker. So  Immortal Estate was created as the new name for the Mayacamas Mountain Vineyard and its wines. 
Martin believes that the already outstanding wines produced from these mountain vineyards will continue and even expand the quality of the Cabernet Sauvignons to new luxurious levels.
After tasting  Slope 2014 Cabernet we think Tim Martin has a running start on these new luxurious Cabernet Sauvignons.

The Cork & Rind was a welcome departure from the usual  tasting event since it paired varietal wines with French Cheeses.  The wines were from the J Vineyards & Winery of Sonoma with Fromager Francois Robin of  France discussing the merits of each cheese and how it matched the paired wine.
Nicole Hitchcock, winemaker at J Winery, described each of selected wines opening with a most interesting sparking Cuvee.  A Brut in style, it included 51 per cent chardonnay, 41 per cent pinot nor and 8  per cent pinot meunier, all from the Russian River Valley..  Next to arrive was J Vineyards & Winery 2018 Pinot Gris which was produced in Stainless Steel with 13.5 per cent alcohol.  The 2017  Chardonnay, also from Russian River Valley grapes, offered intense aromas and full in flavor and with a long finish.  It was aged in French Oak for 9 months.
Also enjoying French oak aging was the 2016 J Vineyards Pinot Noir.  With each wine Fromager Francois Robin took the floor offering all those at the seminar a sample of each cheese and then  describing the cheeses and how and why they had been selected.
It all took place at the Palihouse West Hollywood.  Following the seminar there was cheese instruction and an opportunity to compete for custom designed J Cuvee 20 bottles.

Hudson is the kind of restaurant and bar lounge that you want to return to and could be habit forming.  It was our first visit to Hudson but we quickly noted the friendliness of the staff and how servers and customers seemed to know each other from past visits.  We loved the ambiance, how many restaurants have live trees growing in their dining rooms?, the Hudson has two.  The result makes the rustic appearance of the bar and lounge perfect for a casual  relaxing visit.
Our visit was a part of a 10th anniversary  for the popular West Hollywood restaurant which recently enjoyed a remodeling and a completely new menu.  We also noted how well the Hudson fits the local West Hollywood culture and lifestyle.  We met with Managing Partner Brandon Hawkins who told us of new cocktails for the bar as well as a new wine list that will include wines from all parts of the world. 
The restaurant already had a sound reputation for its wines with a program called “Wine Wednesday” that showed new vintages each week.
A look at the menu showed that we were in for an interesting dining experience.  We opened with what is called ‘Shares’, ours herb fries, and cauliflower tempura, others included croque sticks, lamb ribs  or hush puppies.  House favorite is roasted jalapeno mac & cheese
From the entree list entitled ‘Mains’ we selected the hanger steak  which came with an arugula salad. And we added as a side  the Yukon gold potatoes.   The portions are large and my dining partner and I chose to split one order on all our choices and we did not leave hungry.  With the entree we selected  a pulenta la flor malbec from Argentina, and  indeed it was a superior vintage.
Other entrees included grilled pork porterhouse, roasted chicken, fish & chips and tasmanian salmon.
Our dessert was another house favorite the Butterscotch bread pudding which came with a large scoop of vanilla ice cream.
The casual, friendly, neighborhood style of Hudson ensures that no one is a newcomer or stranger for very long.  This bar restaurant has long enjoyed a reputation as a West Hollywood Hotspot and it is well earned.
The Hudson is located at 1114 N. Crescent Heights Blvd., Los Angeles, Ca. Telephone 323 654-6686, web www.thehudsonla.com.  Hours are Wednesday thru Friday 4 p.m. to 2 a.m., weekends 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. with Brunch from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m .  There is a daily Happy Hour from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Closed Monday and Tuesday.

The Palm Springs Cultural Center proved to be the perfect  setting for our group of writers who were being hosted by the Palm Springs Preferred Small Hotels.  The Center is relatively new to the City being founded in 2007 with its mission to produce arts and cultural programs.  Then in January 2018 the Camelot Theatres Building officially became the Palm Springs Cultural  Center.   Greeting us was Michael Green Chair for the Hotel Group as well as Executive Director of the Cultural Center.  We were there to learn about the history of Palm Springs which included the Agua Caliente Tribe of Cahuilla Indians, who have been residents for countless centuries, as well as the early white families who arrived  to attempt farming.
The farming was not successful but the mild climate soon attracted people especially those with health concerns.  What then followed was the discovery of Palm Springs by cinema celebrities changing it to be known as ‘Hollywood’s Playground’.
So what followed for our group was the City’s famed Celebrity Tour.  With a guide, who has become famous for his own expertise, we were off on a comfortable bus to seek out the homes and hideouts of Hollywood’s most famous stars.  Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra, Elizabeth Taylor and the list continued as we drove through luxurious neighborhoods where the homes occupied not just lots but often acres. The guide would point to an Estate with 12 bedrooms and as many baths.  Others with guest cottages, the name cottage being used loosely.  Some homes, like that of Liberace, can easily be recognized as displaying the artistry of the owner.
Tours are very much a part of the scene in Palm Springs.  The Visiting Palm Springs Travel Guide lists twenty three possible tours available with every thing from a Desert Tasty Tour to a   Sky Watcher Stargazing adventure.  If you would rather walk than ride the Palm Springs Historical Society offers Walking tours.  Some of these tours follow the route we took in the bus being listed as “Frank Sinatra’s Neighborhood”  or “Rat Pack Playground”.

The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway is a magic carpet that takes one from desert to mountain   2,643 feet to 8,516 feet at the top, a distance of two and one-half miles and a 20 minute ride. 
Thanks to the rotating tram cars that rotate slowly as the cars ascend or descend passengers are provided a full 360 degree viewing experience.  As it moves up Chino Canyon and traverses above its awesome cliffs it is no wonder that it remains the world’s largest rotating tram car.
 En route and on top there are marvelous views of the whole Coachella Valley and the Salton Sea some 80 miles distant.  On top one is at the gateway to Mt. San Jacinto State Park with its hiking trails and opportunities for year-round recreation.  In the State Park there are 54 miles of hiking trails including nature walks as well as the five and one-half mile trek to the top of 10,804 foot Mt. San Jacinto.
Perhaps we appreciate the Tram more than most people because we first climbed Mt. San Jacinto before it was built. Then it was a dawn to dusk 14 mile hike from a western  approach.  Another year we took the family  making it a backpack trip with an overnight camp at Little Round  Valley.
How the tram came to be is an interesting story in itself.  At that time I was editor of a trade publication called ‘Hotel and Restaurant Operator’ and since I knew the terrain I followed the troubles and problems of its early beginnings as they developed into news stories.  At the time it appeared just about every one from the Governor of California to local business men were involved either for or against the whole concept.
The person who first came up with the idea was an electrical engineer named Francis Crocker.  This was in 1935.  Later Earl Coffman, manager of Palm Springs Desert Inn came aboard to become head the committee that did take the Tram concept seriously.  However World War ll and and the Korean Conflict held up start of the project for over a decade. 
But at last in 1963 the Tram was finished and open to the public.
Now on top there is a full service restaurant, a gift shop, a museum with the animals of the State Park on display, and a theatre showing movies of the Park and Tram.  During the winter when there is snow the Tram is gateway for cross country skiing as well as snow play.
The Tram is number one tourist attraction in Palm Springs and so it is wise to order tickets in advance if at all possible.  This can be done on line or by calling 888 515-8726.  Monday thru Friday hours are 10 a.m. with last ascending car at 8 p.m.  On weekends and holidays starting time is 8 a.m.  Last tram car down is 9:45 each day.  There is also a  fee for parking.

 Palm Springs Preferred Small Hotels was the organization that sponsored our visit which was entitled “Delectably Palm Springs”.  Certainly a well chosen name for it describes our culinary experiences perfectly.
 One evening we were at Eight4Nine Restaurant and Lounge.  With a glittering contemporary design and ambiance it showed an equally exciting menu.  Our dinner opened with roasted beets with baby kale, toasted cumin and goat cheese with honey vinaigrette.   The wine with the starter was Turnbull Napa Sauvignon Blanc.  Our entree was the beef tenderloin with filet of beef, St. Agur blue cheese and red wine reduction accompanied with fingerling potatoes and roasted carrots, the wine Aexander Valley Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon.   For dessert we chose the flourless chocolate torte and Russian River Kobler Syrah.
The skill and attention of the wait staff added to what was truly an outstanding dining experience.  Eight4Nine is a large restaurant with several dining rooms to fit different sized events and includes a handsome patio.
We also admired the bar and lounge which was just right for people who enjoy a club  style ambiance and atmosphere.
Eight4Nine is located at 849 N. Palm Canyon Dr., Palm Springs, Ca. 92262, Telephone 7650 325-8490,  web www.eight4nine.com.
When I learned that we were also going to spend an evening at the Purple Room it brought back some memories for in the 1970s no one went to Palm Springs without spending some time there.  Now we were back and thoroughly enjoyed our evening and dinner, this time with Host and Owner Michael Holmes on stage showing  his skills as a singer and stage entertainer.  I should add we were also much impressed by his two side men,  pianist and drummer, both skilled professionals.
The menu showed many interesting appetizers and the short ribs caught our eye as our entree.  Mostly we just sat there at a show that reminded us of how Las Vegas lounges used to feature such entertainment.  Here at the Purple Room the club show was back.  Other performers at Purple Room include Rose Mallett, Jazz legend; Vocalist Sharon Sills, and a laugh in with Jo Anne Worley.
Michael Holmes Purple Room is located at 1900 E  Palm Canyon Dr., Palm Springs, Ca, tele. 760 322-4422, web www.purpleroomplamsprings.com.
Mr. Lyons Steakhouse was the place where we learned more about the craft of matching foods with wine.  Here Chef Eddie Moran and Sommelier Jessie Casanova matched three original appetizers with chosen vintages.   Course one was radishes & blue cheese with 2017 Marco Felluga Mongris Pinot Grigio.  Second course was Black Cod Escabeche paired with 2016 La Follette Los Pimeros Pinot Noir, with third course Berkshire Pork Belly paired with 2016 Margerum M5Red Blend.
Mr. Lyons Steakhouse opened in 2015 with a  new look and menu for Lyons English Grill  while retaining its Hollywood glamour image and ambiance.  It is located at 233 E Palm Canyon Drive,  Palm Springs, Ca.

Our agenda included  the  Palm Springs Air Museum  which  we wanted to visit and write about.
We were wearing our cap which proclaims us as a World War ll veteran.  With my group becoming ever more short of supply the Museum docents immediately took  charge and led me up to the second floor where the museum has a huge number of  files containing veterans oral histories. Here they wanted to add my wartime personal experiences to their collection.  Unfortunately I was with a group of Writers who were on a tight schedule of events so time was too short.  However I explained that my personal wartime saga was already written and could be found on my website www.vittlesvoyages.com.  It is entitled “Battle of the Bulge, One Private’s Story”.
The Palm Springs Air Museum is dedicated to American Air Power of World War ll.  Divided in four hangers are the Army Air Corp planes that battled Germans over the skies of Europe and  the Army Air Corp and Navy planes that won the skies over the South Pacific from the Japanese.
Recently planes that took part in the conflicts in Korea and Vietnam have been added to the collection which makes the Palm Springs Air Museum one of the ten best in the world.
 The planes flown in Europe on display include an English Spitfire, victor of the Battle of Britain, as well as the P 51 Mustang whose legendary performance finally mastered the Luftwaffe over the skies of Germany.
One of the planes on display is the B 17 bomber which conducted the raids into the heart of Germany.  I always look with special interest at a B 17 since as a Prisoner of War I was on the receiving end of a most unforgettable bombing raid conducted by these planes.
Besides the Hellcats and Torpedo bombers that played havoc with the Japanese in the Pacific War there are miniatures of U.S. Navy submarines, aircraft carries, cruisers and battleships of that era.  Illustrating some of the battle scenes are the paintings of  Artist Stan Stokes.
The Palm Springs Air Museum is located at the International Airport at 745 N. Gene Autry Trail in Palm Springs.  The Museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.  Besides the exhibition of airplanes both indoors and on the tarmac there are continuous movies and videos and an extensive library.  There is always a series of special events including exhibitions of both historic and modern aircraft.  For more information call 760 778-6262 or check the website www.palmspringsairmuseum.org.  There is an admission charge with free parking.

Now and again we feel the need to spend sometime in the desert.    So recently we once again made the short trip to Palm Springs and environs.
Our discovery of the Westcott Hotel was like a look into the Palm Springs of an earlier era.  It dates back to the 1930s  but has evolved gracefully into the adults only bed and breakfast it is today.   The ambiance includes  the art deco of that earlier era and there are artifacts and photographs that add to the scene.  Here we were pampered  in decadent luxury.  If  the staff of the Westcott  forgot anything in the way of amenities we never discovered it
We were captivated with the serene, laid back style and feeling of escape from the  real world.   Yet the Westcott is only five blocks from Highway 111, and two miles from downtown, museums and points of  interest.
Upon entering the Westcott the first view is the enticing pool that centers a court surrounded by the rooms.  For us it was our oasis from the busy schedule of events and activities of our planned four day visit to Palm Springs.
 In addition to the modest pricing of the rooms and the many amenities  there is the free breakfast, free parking, and  the evening happy hour with cocktails and appetizers.  At  all hours there is fresh fruit, snacks and refreshing drinks.
 Michael  is the perfect host  always available to add helpful advice and maps to the nearby attractions.  It was soon apparent why The Westcott has been named best bed and breakfast in Palm Springs several years in a row.
 The Westcott is located at 530 E. Mel Avenue, Palm Springs.  Telephone 760 992-5410.
 Tearing ourselves away from this Hollywood era resort was not easy but we did have an agenda including  the  Palm Springs Air Museum  which  we wanted to visit and write about.  More about this tomorrow.