Good Life Diaries

Upcoming Events.... We have two very special events coming up: Both hosted at the exclusive Grand Havana Room (Pictures below). Please call or email for tickets. They MUST be purchased in advance and are non-refundable. Both events have VERY limited availability. A Night of Tasting with Ashton's Manny Ferraro and launch of the new La Aroma de Cuba "Mi Amor"   13 SEPTEMBER 2010 GRAND HAVANA ROOM 666 5TH AVENUE $250 +TAX 7:00pm Cocktails 8:00pm Dinner This small intimate event will be an evening of great tasting and conversation with Ashton's Manny Ferraro.  It will feature a full dinner paired with wonderful wines and the finest cigars from the Ashton Portfolio including the introduction of the new La Aroma de Cuba "Mi Amor" by the great Jose "Don Pepin" Garcia in Nicaragua.  Padron Cocktail Reception and Launch Party for "Family Reserve No. 46" 7 SEPTEMBER 2010 7:00PM-10:00PM GRAND HAVANA ROOM 666 5TH AVE $250 +TAX Enj

The Kahala Resort Presents.... Symposia- The Best of Northern California: Napa, Sonoma, and Carneros Ocean Front, Poolside Saturday, August 21st 6:30pm – 10:00pm The Kahala will be presenting wine selections from nine Californian wineries at this Symposia event. The Kahala's Executive Chef Wayne Hirabayashi will be preparing dishes that inspire while cigar connoisseur Michael Herklots will be beachside to showcase cigars from Davidoff. Guests will be able to interact with vintners and sample selections from: Black Sears Dyer Wines Plumpjack Winery Outpost Winery Realm Cellars Rivers-Marie Staglin Meteor Vineyards Schrader Cellars: including Aston Estate, Double Diamond Wines and Vieux-Os Wines $80.00 plus tax and 20% gratuity. Symposia - A Celebration of Wine Menu. For reservations, please call 739.8760 or email restaurants@kahalaresort.com.

In just a few days, I'll be boarding a Delta flight bound for New Orleans to attend the 2010 International Premium Cigar and Pipe Retailers annual convention at the Ernest N Morial Convention Center.  The first time I attended the show in New Orleans was just a month before Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast in 2005.  Since then I've been back almost every year to support and attend Emeril Lagasse's Carnivale du Vin .  Last year's trade show was in New Orleans and we're returning again this year since the accomodating folks of NOLA are willing to let us smoke on the show floor. I'm always reminded as the show nears some of the great launches of IPCPR's past (formerly called RTDA). The first show I attended was in Nashville in 2003. For me, the hottest release of that year was the La Aurora Cien Años.   A Dominican Puro, it was handed out in the corona format and I still remember what a unique departure that flavor was from the standard La Aurora line.  A l