A cult-like following of its wines contributes to Chile’s increasing success in international markets. Chile is currently the eighth largest wine producer in the world, rising one spot from just two years ago, according to the International Organization of Vine and Wine. Ranking 17th worldwide in wine consumption, a vast majority of Chilean wines are exported with the United States and United Kingdom as the top importers.

“South America’s Virtuoso” is a feature in the summer 2013 issue of Montage Magazine. Read the full story online.

A Portrait of a Snowboarder: Chris Hernandez from Monica Prelle on Vimeo.

Chris Hernandez went snowboarding at Mammoth Mountain on December 15, 2009, just like he always does — “by himself.” He woke up a month later in the Intensive Care Unit at Reno Renown Hospital.

High winds at Mammoth created variable terrain and Chris crashed on a familiar run, tumbling for 80-feet through rocks.

His helmet saved his life.

After three months in the hospital, and months of rehabilitation re-learning how to walk, Chris went snowboarding again on June 30, 2010. Since then, he’s competed in the June Lake triathlon three times and is looking forward to an active summer in the High Sierra.

Click on the first thumbnail to view the slideshow.

As I look out at the snowcapped Sherwin Range and Mammoth Crest—the sweeping ridge that forms part of the rim of the Mammoth Lakes Basin—I’m invigorated by the rugged beauty. Still untouched by skiers, the freshly groomed trails on the mountain sparkle in the sun.

It’s days such as this that convinced me more than a decade ago to move to Mammoth Lakes—a village in the Eastern Sierra Nevada range that is a short plane ride from Los Angeles International Airport. It is an outdoor paradise located at the foot of Mammoth Mountain, California’s highest ski area. With the summit reaching an elevation of 11,053 feet, Mammoth Mountain receives an average of about 400 inches of snow a year. That’s enough powder o ensure skiing into May, and even June in some years.

Read the full story on an Alaska Airlines flight this March, or read the digital edition.

“Writing isn’t fun, but it sure is gratifying when it works,” Roberts says. “It’s not like making a nice move climbing — that’s fun.”

Roberts, 69, is the author of 25 nonfiction books. His latest, Alone on the Ice, is an account of Australian explorer Douglas Mawson’s 1913 scientific expedition to Antarctica, a lesser-known adventurer of the era. Mawson’s scientific research has been overshadowed in history books by the Norwegian team that was the first to reach the South Pole and Earnest Shackleton’s Antarctic expeditions.

Online platforms are saturating the internet with all kinds of content and publications are struggling to profit — not every website can adopt the NY Times online subscription platform, so many publications are asking writers to write without pay.

Writing for free dilutes the market, essentially ruining the pay scale for all writers, says Jeanie Cho Lee, a Master of Wine and notable wine journalist.

Tonight I read this blog post on the subject of writing for free, so I thought I would share. It’s an interesting exchange of emails between a freelance journalist and an editor at the Atlantic. The editor even wrote “Hi there,” in one of their exchanges — gasp!

For less experienced writers it might betempting to write simply for the exposure or experience, but many established writers say that kills the market.

What do you think? Do you, or would you consider writing for free (not counting your blog)? Why or why not?

King is a Lab-Airedale Terrier mix  (just like esha!) and full of energy. He’s a 68-pound 7-month old puppy, who looks like a full grown dog until you see him run and play. This photo essay was shot for a school assignment. My goal was to portray him as the puppy-like dog that he is.

The JLA Banked Slalom was rowdy to say the least — a super epic awesome rowdy good time. Almost ten years after snowboarder Jeff Anderson died, his family created the inaugural event, which took place last Saturday in Mammoth Lakes, California and benefited the JLA (Jeffery Lin Anderson) Project created in his honor.

The course started at the top of Chair 5 at Mammoth Mountain and descended a challenging route in Dry Creek though banked turns with variable snow. Hurricane grade winds held the race’s start time until midday, restricting the competitors one run. Clouds and snow blowing in the wind, reduced visibility and increased difficulty.

Spectators heckled friends as they came through the “party turn” a section of technical back to back turns where many crashed, including me. Though the JLA Banked Slalom was far from perfect — the rowdy nature of the course, and challenging weather conditions were reminiscent of Jeff’s personality — he wouldn’t have had the course any other way.

Storify: JLA Banked Slalom, Mammoth

Pictured here is my race number and snowboard.  My motto of the day: #smashyourfaceget10thplace

By Monica Prelle

China is on track to become the world’s second biggest wine consuming nation in 2016, with sales reaching $16.7 billion, according to Jeannie Cho Lee a Master of Wine, and editor of the website Asian Palate. According to Cho Lee, imported wine sales have grown from $13 million to $1.4 billion in less than ten years, also making China the fastest growing wine market in the world.

There is a “going out culture” and the opportunity to reach younger wine consumers is good.

The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Napa Valley, California hosted a Chinese food and wine pairing seminar on Thursday, in conjunction with the Symposium for Professional Wine Writers. More than 50 wine journalists tasted Chinese cuisine paired with wines from the Napa Valley. The seminar was hosted by Cho Lee MW; Bill Briwa, Chef-instructor at the CIA; David Rosengarten, Wine Editor of Saveur Magazine; and Karen MacNeil, Chairman of Professional Wine Studies at the CIA and author of the Wine Bible.

Storify: “Chinese Food and Wines from the Napa Valley”

“In China, 1.35 billion people are hungry and thirsty,” Chef Briwa said opening the seminar implying that the Chinese enjoy eating and drinking. They have a rich culinary culture, though wine has not historically been a part of that culture.

Asia is the biggest fine-wine market in the world, though the “mood this year is low key and looking for value,” says Cho Lee.

The average bottle purchased in mainland China costs $6, Cho Lee says, but the average bottle in Hong Kong is $28. The Chinese are more familiar with Napa Valley wines than any other wine region in the world, according to Wine Intelligence, a global wine market research firm, though 75% of wine consumed in China is domestic.

Knowing that the Chinese wine market is rapidly increasing, the Culinary Institute of America developed a “Chinese Food and Wines from the Napa Valley” program, which introduces Napa Valley chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon with traditional and Chinese-inspired cuisine.

“Wine is just liquid food,” Chef Briwa says. “The rules of wine and food pairing are not only for French food.”

Traditionally, sommeliers pair wine with cuisine that a chef created, Chef Briwa says, but to achieve great pairings, the Chef must be willing to adjust the menu.

“It was encouraging to hear how thoughtful the chef was in preparing these dishes, and how he altered the original or authentic recipes to better suit the wines they would be paired with,” said Lauren Buzzeo, Tasting Director for Wine Enthusiast. “It’s a lesson that many foodies can embrace and become more accepting of.”

Chef Briwa adapted a traditional sesame noodles recipe from The Modern Art of Chinese Cooking and paired the dish with Cuvasion, 2011 Napa Valley chardonnay. He added orange zest to the dish to highlight the acidity and citrus notes in the wine.

Forks and knives clanked on plates as the tasters critiqued the pairings. The journalists murmured about the seamlessness of flavors in the sesame noodles and chardonnay.

Next, Spring Valley Vineyards 2008 Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon was paired with red cooked beef with turnips. Red cooking is much like braising, Chef Briwa says, but it uses a lot of soy, rice wine and sugar, to create a richer dish than American-style braising.

The full-bodied cabernet’s tannins balanced the richness of the braised meats and the earthy characteristics of the turnip rounded out the pairing.

“The food was much lighter than traditional Chinese cuisine,” said Weiley Lu, a restaurateur from Beijing, China.

“Traditionally the dishes were too light, ” Lu said.

“The dishes were customized to the Western palate,” Lu explained. “It was enjoyable, but not really authentic.”

Typically, Chinese cuisine is paired with sweet and acidic white varietals like riesling and gewürztraminer, though the experiment conducted with Napa Valley wines demonstrated that Chinese flavors can be paired with a wider variety of wines.

“I don’t typically think California Chardonnay with Chinese food,” Rosengarten said, “but it worked well.”

She’s not the only dedicated female in Robert Mondavi’s past life. His wife, Margrit Mondavi and Director of Winemaking, Genevieve Janssens both speak of the late Napa Valley winemaker with great love and respect. Each works to carry on his legacy in a year that would be his 100th birthday.

“I always called him Mr. Mondavi,” Janssens says quietly.

The French-born winemaker has led the winemaking team at Mondavi for 26 years. Behind her, winery workers wearing bright yellow reflective vests sprayed barrels, aerated tanks and worked like their boss was watching. The noise drowned out Janssens as she spoke about traditional winemaking’s evolution to modern times.

Mondavi’s vision, she says, is that all wines are accessible at the table. Robert Mondavi wines have a softness that is approachable, yet powerful.

Robert Mondavi died in 2008, leaving his legacy to be carried out by his winery staff and his wife, Margrit Mondavi.

Looking out the window from the Vineyard Room, Margrit, says the view is the same –  as beautiful, as it was 50 years ago. Rain dripped down the windowpane, though she didn’t reflect the gloom. Her presence sparkles.

“I feel very much at home here,” Margrit says softly.

Dressed in silver sequined navy blue Ugg Boots and grey sweats, Margrit reflects on her late husband. Her cheeks are rosy pink and her blonde bobbed hair is neatly styled.

Storify: Ladies and Love at Robert Mondovi Winery

Even five years after Mondavi’s death, Margrit blushes and talks about her late husband like a young girl who recently fell in love.

“I like very much to talk about him,” she says, referring to her late husband.

Margrit and Mondavi met when she was a young tour guide working for the winery in the late 1960s. A date to the newly opened Chez Panisse in Berkley sparked a relationship, but it wasn’t until each married another, had children and divorced that they actually cultivate their romance.

As the culture ambassador for Robert Mondavi Winery, Margrit has the opportunity to carry on the Mondavi legacy, but she still has work to do.

In the old days, she says, the winemakers walked the vineyard–they had their feet in the soil, but today, anyone who has money can buy land, build a winery, hire a winemaker and make good wine.

We created romance, cultivated it, Margrit said. He sent flowers and wrote love notes, which she has saved in a drawer at home. But now her biggest task is to preserve Robert’s memory and his passion for winemaking.

Note: This post was written at the Narrative Writing Workshop led by Louise Kiernan from the Medill School of Journalism at the Symposium for Professional Wine Writers at Meadowood, Napa Valley.