Gary Vaynerchuk Becomes The Wine Guy for Virgin America

Posted by Chad Catacchio on May 4th, 2010

Gary Vaynerchuk and Virgin America just announced that Vaynerchuk will hand pick wines for Virgin America flights, and his Wine Library TV will become a featured program on Virgin America’s Red onboard entertainment system.

This is a great move for California based Virgin America, which is already considered by many to be the hippest airline in America. Gary V (or @garyvee as he’s known on Twitter) is one of the most savvy social media users, as he showed by getting his Crush It book onto the NY Times’ Best Seller list, mainly through his social media channels, which includes Wine Library TV. Of course, being the wine guy for the hippest airline in the country isn’t bad for Gary V as well (he also is prominently featured on Hulu as well, so he is really putting together quite a collection of mainstream channels).

Virgin America announced that Gary V will adding wines to the menu throughout the year, and that two wines - Turnbull Sauvignon Blanc 2008  and Arrowood 2002 Sonoma County Merlot – will be on the menu starting today.

Another thing to note is that Virgin America of course has in-flight WiFi, so perhaps Gary V could use that to his advantage. For example, he could mention in his Wine Library TV episodes, “hey, if you’re on a Virgin America flight right now, go to my website and use the code VA20 for 20% off your purchase!” (of course, Gary might use more colorful language than that).

Finally, although a little vague, the announcement also promised that:

This summer, Virgin America is also planning an in-flight wine-tasting with Vaynerchuk in the First Class cabin.

Not sure where or when that is, but if Virgin America wants to invite us along, we’ll certainly cover it for them!

Image: PlaneBuzz

THE PROBLEM: Rancho Drive is a sleepy side street off busy Del Dios Highway leading to a restaurant, a horse facility and a dozen or so short residential streets. Even at midday it gets little, if any, traffic.

So Gordon Larsen wondered why a signal at the T intersection would need to stop traffic on Del Dios as often as twice a minute, with no one waiting or even approaching from Rancho Drive.

The constant stops, acceleration and deceleration on the main road, which connects Escondido and Rancho Santa Fe along the west side of Lake Hodges, must waste “a tremendous amount of gas,” said Larsen, who drives through at least twice daily. Larsen said the signal had been acting strangely for a few weeks before he called Just Fix it on April 26.

A spot check Tuesday confirmed Larsen’s observations. The signal went red again and again without any vehicles on Rancho Drive, rarely keeping traffic moving for more than a minute and sometimes staying green for as little as five seconds. There was no apparent pattern to the signal, which turned red a few times without traffic on either road.

STATUS: It’s fixed. A call to the county Transportation Division on Tuesday got a repair crew sent out Wednesday morning.

Michael Robinson , head of the division, said there was a malfunction with the intersection’s video equipment, designed to detect the approach of vehicles on Rancho Drive. So a default mode kicked in, switching to an automatic red/green cycle so that any vehicles venturing up Rancho Drive would have a protected turn.

WHO’S RESPONSIBLE: Michael Robinson. For county-maintained roads, report traffic light outages and other signal problems at (858) 874-4040 or go online to sdcounty.ca.gov/dpw/roads/lightsout.html, which has a service request form and links to city websites with similar information.

NEED A PROBLEM SOLVED: Is there a problem government hasn’t taken care of despite your complaints? Whether it’s a broken stairway or rusted park equipment anywhere in San Diego County, Just Fix It might be able to help.

Call (800) 820-8714 or send e-mail to justfixit@uniontrib.com to describe your problem.

For tips on taking direct action, our “Guide to Getting Things Done” — a list of government phone numbers to use for complaints on such things as burned-out lights and bumpy streets — is at signonsandiego.com/news/justfixit/gettingitdone/

Chef Thomas Keller of French Laundry and Per Se fame is swinging through San Diego to sign copies of his latest cookbook, “ad hoc at home: family-style recipes” at noon May 13 at Williams-Sonoma in University Towne Center, 4417 La Jolla Village Drive.Keller will only personalize copies of “ad hoc” that have been purchased at Williams-Sonoma. To pre-order a book, call the store at (858) 597-0611.

Friday, May 7 8:00a

at Poseidon Restaurant, Del Mar, CA

Mother’s Day Weekend
Treat mom to an unforgettable weekend of true relaxation and bliss at the Beach!

2 Night Stay at the Del Mar Motel on the Beach in a King Partial Ocean View Room
Two In-Room, 60-Minute Swedish Massage
Dinner for Two at the Poseidon Beach Front Restaurant ($60 Voucher)

$498+tax/double occupancy. read more

Price: $498+tax/double occupancy. Add an additional $50 to package price for Two Double Beds with Partial Ocean View Room

Phone: (858) 755-9345

Mother’s Day Weekend

Mother’s Day Special! Poseidon Restaurant and Del Mar Motel on the Beach – Website

The Rancho Santa Fe Farmers Market is coming to town every Sunday of the year starting May 2.
The market will run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the parking lot of the Del Rayo Village Shopping Center in the Fairbanks Ranch area (16079 San Dieguito Rd., Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92091). The Helen Woodward Animal Center is a beneficiary of the market and will receive 10 percent of the vendor profits each week.
“I felt like we really needed something like [this market in this community],” said organizer Raquel Pena, who works in event planning and real estate. “Finally, we will have a market of just top-quality products that are not represented by sales people or vendors, but represented by the farmers themselves. This is a farmers’ market and that’s really key.”
The Rancho Santa Fe Farmers Market will not be a place where people come to eat, Pena said. Rather, it will be a place to pick up farmer-fresh foods and ideas to take home and get busy in the kitchen.
“It’s a place for foodies to explore what’s out there,” said Pena, who said they will also launch a website soon that will provide interesting new recipes every month.
Pena is a Farmers Market aficionado, she loves the markets in Santa Monica and Hollywood, as well as the sprawling weekend ones in Hillcrest. She has even gone up to Portland, Ore. to check out markets.
Pena said it doesn’t get much better than buying vegetables and fruit that have been picked that same day, sometimes just the day before.
“I’m crazy about heirloom tomatoes, all the stone fruits and avocados,” Pena said.
Doing her research to find farmers for the Rancho Santa Fe Farmers Market has been a satisfying experience for a foodie such as herself.
“This has been heaven,” Pena said. “It’s been incredibly fun.”
Pena has found a collection of farmers to attend the Rancho Santa Fe market, all from local farms within 150 miles of San Diego. Rather than get a lot of farmers with the same kind of produce, she has tried to find farmers who specialize in each item. Some confirmed farmers include:
• Maggie’s Farm: famous for its Stellar Mix salad mix that comes with edible flowers.
• ParadiseValley: “the best avocados and lemons,” Pena said.
• Sage Mountain: seasonal organic vegetables
• Smit Orchards: stone fruit like cherries, peaches, plumcots, pluots, apricots
• Archie’s Acres: living basil, lettuces, kale, chard
• Suncoast Farms: artichoke and asparagus
• Kuwano Farms: strawberries, raspberries, white raspberries, blackberries and grapes
In addition to fruits and veggies, farmers will also be selling homemade olive oils, honeys, artisan bread, pastas, eggs, olives, fresh roasted coffee, teas, soaps and candles.
The market will also have a fresh fish vendor, cut and potted flowers, and Soledad goat cheese.
Pena is also excited about the cherries they will have available for the market’s opening day on May 2. Cherries have a short season and their launch date will be perfect for the just-in-season fruit.
The market will be held in the middle of the parking lot at the Del Rayo Village Shipping Center where parking will also be available.
“We wanted to provide a service to the community and have Del Rayo be a place where people can come together and find fresh produce at reasonable prices,” said Charles Covello, president and owner of the shopping center.

Homeowner turns his property into a truly unique landscape

Charlie Neuman

Art work at the home of Chuck and Pilar Bahde of Rancho Santa Fe

Photo by Charlie Neuman

An untitled sculpture (left) pointed across a walkway at the home of Chuck and Pilar Bahde of Rancho Santa Fe. “My sculptures are unusual. Some say I’m a little weird,” said Chuck Bahde (below), strolling past another of his sculptures, this one twisting skyward.

RANCHO SANTA FE — When Chuck Bahde bought the rambling wooden house in Rancho Santa Fe, the 5-acre spread already had plenty of grass and gardens. But that wasn’t to his liking. Besides, it seemed such a waste of water to keep the lawn green. So Bahde set out to create a new landscape, filled with meandering streams, pools and waterfalls — all created with blue and green glass, hand-painted rocks and plastic.

Today dozens of artworks adorn Bahde’s expansive property, in addition to the waterless pools and rivers. Every last piece is made from recycled or found materials. Pebbles, broken bottles, computer chips, seashells, beads, railroad ties, old-fashioned glass doorknobs and even an old, 5-cent parking meter have been turned into artwork in his hands.

A solar panel from a defunct pool-heating system is now the basis for a towering sculpture called “The Wave.” Plastic CDs are put to use as sun-catchers, and warped, time-faded, wooden tennis rackets and a tiny gold trophy add to the décor surrounding the tennis courts. Every rock lining the numerous pathways was found on the property, he said.

Bahde, 84, was an industrial architect by trade and a graduate of the Institute of Design In Chicago . Over the years he enjoyed a wide-ranging career that included everything from designing and building custom homes in the Midwest to practicing public relations in Europe , where he met his wife, Pilar, who is Swiss and Spanish.

“I was more or less a job-jumper, because I was curious,” he said.

Though he started creating art while in school, and design work was often part of his job, Bahde was never a professional artist. “My sculptures are unusual. Some say I’m a little weird,” he said with a laugh.

But few aside from family members and friends have seen his sculptures and unique landscape of art. “I just do things for myself,” he said.

A vacation in San Diego and a subsequent job offer from Convair, where Bahde worked designing airliner interiors, led the couple to settle in San Diego to raise their two children. After many years living in Point Loma and actively participating in the planning group and other community efforts, the Bahdes bought the Rancho Santa Fe property in 1974. He has been remodeling the house, and the yard, ever since.

Bahde’s landscape is ever-changing, as he continues to add to it and create newer pieces. Even more sculptures fill several garages that once housed a car collection; Bahde plans to put them on exhibit at a gallery someday.

But he is most proud of the fact that his intricate and eye-catching landscape takes very little water to maintain, other than what is needed for the macadamia trees, two coral trees and a small rose garden that were already on the property when he bought it.

In fact, the recent rains kept Bahde busy drying out the “pools,” since standing water could loosen the glue holding the mosaic-like surface together.

Bahde credits a school coach, in part, with some of the modesty that has kept him from making his artwork public. “My first football coach told me: ‘As good as you all are, I don’t want to see you bragging. Just show people what you can do.’ ”

Leslie Wolf Branscomb is a freelance writer in San Diego.

Rancho Santa Fe Rotary donation to Kids Korps

Rancho Santa Fe Rotary Club donates $ 2,000 to the Kids Korps “Build a bike” program
Cindy Bloch, Past Regional President and founding memer of Kids Korps, receives a check along with Robin Chappelow the Regional Program Director from President Michael Manhard

While California home prices are still far below the peak levels of 2006, some economists think California is on its way out of the woods. “Now we’re seeing the interior [of the state] has stabilized – because prices have fallen by 50% to 60% already,” says Stuart Gabriel, director of UCLA’s Ziman Center for Real Estate. The combination of cuts in price, reductions in mortgage rates and all sorts of state and federal programs to incentivize buying activity have brought stability. “Prices are increasing only modestly, but for all intents and purposes, they’ve stopped falling,” Gabriel says.