In her new book, But Mama Always Put Vodka in Her Sangria!, Julia Reed, a master of the art of eating, drinking, and making merry, takes the reader on culinary adventures in places as far flung as Kabul, Afghanistan and as close to home as her native Mississippi Delta and Florida’s Gulf Coast. Along the way, Reed discovers the perfect Pimm’s Royale at the Paris Ritz, devours delicious chuletons in Madrid, and picks up tips from accomplished hostesses ranging from Pat Buckley to Pearl Bailey and, of course, her own mother. Reed writes about the bounty—and the burden—of a Southern garden in high summer, tosses salads in the English countryside, and shares C.Z. Guest’s recipe for an especially zingy bullshot. She understands the necessity of a potent holiday punch and serves it up by the silver bowl full, but she is not immune to the slightly less refined charms of a blender full of frozen peach daiquiris or a garbage can full of Yucca Flats. And then there are the parties: shindigs ranging from sultry summer suppers and raucous dinners at home to a Plymouth-like Thanksgiving feast and an upscale St. Patrick’s Day celebration. This delightful collection of essays by Julia Reed, a master storyteller with an inimitable voice and a limitless capacity for fun, will show you how to entertain guests with style, have a good time yourself and always have that perfect pitcher of sangria ready at a moment’s notice.
WAYNE TUCKER - CEO BIO S.I. TECHNOLOGY
Soil inoculants are bacteria or fungi that are added to soils in order to improve plant growth by entering into symbiotic relationships with plant root systems. They improve soil condition and
promote plant growth by freeing up soil nutrients for plant use and acting as antagonistic
organisms against plant pathogens. Mr. Tucker’s 19 years of experience in developing inoculant products dates back to 1989. Mr. Tucker has conducted extensive research and worked with many notable industry experts including James H. King, Jr.: BS, MA; Gerard O'Donovan, Professor and Former Chairman, Dept. of Biological Sciences, University of North Texas; Michael J. Reber, Park Services Manager, Town of Flower Mound, Texas; and Dr. Benny Bruton of the USDA Research Facility and Noel Garcia of Texas Plant & Soil Lab.
Mr. Tucker is a featured speaker, educator, and industry representative at trade events and state
and national agricultural conferences and possesses a broad technical knowledge of micro
bacteria, enzymes, fungi, microbes and plant metabolism. He attended the University of Houstonand has an extensive educational background in Chemistry and Pharmacy.
Bio S.I. Technology, LLC was incorporated in 2006 and includes a team of experts who have
over 20 years of experience producing microbial products since 1989. Bio S.I. solutions are all
natural, made with soil borne microbes, and do not contain any laboratory engineered or
manipulated microbes. The company constantly strives to improve their products and uses
cutting-edge testing methods for improving the consistency of every product they make. For
more information about Bio S.I. Technology, or to purchase their cutting-edge formulas, please
visit www.biositechnology.com or email info@biositechnology.com .
RICH AURILA - RED STITCH WINE GROUP
Rich was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. In 1992, Rich was selected by the Texas Rangers in the annual Major League Baseball draft and would go on to play for such teams as the Seattle Mariners, San Diego Padres, and the Cincinnati Reds. His baseball career would eventually bring him to San Francisco, where he played 11 seasons for the San Francisco Giants. He was honored in representing the Giants in the 2001 All Star Game in Seattle, Washington.Rich worked for Comcast Sports Bay Area and played an active role throughout his career in San Francisco with the Bay Area Make a Wish Foundation. Living in the bay area and traveling to the wine country for so many years gave him a wonderful love and appreciation for fine wine. In addition to Red Stitch, Rich enjoys cooking many wonderful types of foods for family and friends - always sharing a favorite bottle of wine. Rich currently resides in Phoenix Arizona with his two sons, Chaz and Gavin.
Drawn together through a blind tasting group, our families (the Aurilias, Miceks and Roberts) have become close friends and devoted wine enthusiasts. Beginning in 2007, we have enjoyed incredible tastings in our homes and at our favorite restaurants across California and around the world. As our love for wine brought us closer together, our relationships across Napa and Sonoma grew deeper as well. After the 2008 baseball season ended for Rich and Dave, we started to lay the groundwork for our venture into the wine business. Enjoying one incredible tasting after another across the Napa and Sonoma Valleys, visits with Rolando Herrera of Mi Sueño Winery, and the story of his passion for the art of fine wine, led us to friendship and an ultimate partnership. Rolando’s knowledge and enthusiasm for Red Stitch gave us the opportunity to source incredible grapes from the Frog Tree Vineyard in the Coombsville region of Napa Valley for our first vintage of Red Stitch.
Since the formation of Red Stitch, all three couples have been intimately involved in the wine making process, and have worked closely with Rolando and the entire Mi Sueño family to craft a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec that would stand the test of time. This hands-on approach defines our group’s desire to be involved in all aspects of the winemaking process. We are especially excited to include the Malbec varietal in our 2007 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon both due to the vintage’s outstanding characteristics and the fact that a fantastic Malbec tasting first brought our three families together in San Francisco.