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Livermore’s Taste of Terroir Event

We felt like we were in an episode of Top Chef.  Last summer (’08), my wife, myself and two other couple friends of ours went out for a unique twist of an evening in the Tri-Valley.  We heard about an event put on by the Livermore Valley Winegrowers Association that piqued our interest.  The evening event showcases Livermore wines by pouring tastes and presenting food pairings created and innovated by winemaker and chef teams from Livermore wineries and Bay area restaurants.  Considering we love wine and my wife is somewhat of a foodie, this was a must-check-out event.  When we got to the Palm Event Center in beautiful wine country Livermore, we were blown away by how crowded it was.  From shorts to cocktail gowns, the guests were a busy group of folks ready to drink up and chow down.

When we reached the inside, we received a wine glass and a neat tasting plate that could curve snug to the glass.  There were many stations set up around the room where you would wait in line to sample a wine from the local winery and then try the food pairing presented by the teamed-up restaurant.  A taste adventure!  The cherry on top of our Top Chef-like night was that attendees were able to vote for a People’s Choice Award by ballot.  For my wife and most of our friends, we just couldn’t get enough of the duck sausage in a bun.  Credentialed judges decided on the winners for various categories including “Best Expression of Local Ingredients”, “Most Innovative Pairing”, and “Judges Best”.  Check out last year’s winners and the pairings that earned them the title.  

Taking a break from all that tasting, we made our way out onto the patio for… more tasting!  There were champagne tastes on the patio, for those that were interested (we were!).  If I remember correctly, there were desserts to be had, too.

It may not be too late to get in on the action for this year.  Taste of Terroir – Livermore Valley’s Food & Wine Experience is Read more

The Tri-Valley Rocks: Summer Concert Series Abound

I just took in a concert this past Sunday evening in my hometown of San Ramon that was fun, festive and free!  My family grabbed some KFC and a few blankets and headed down to the San Ramon Central Park amphitheater area to meet our friends for a perfect-weather night listening to David Martin’s House Party band.  We managed parking alright, even though there was a large crowd of listeners. This particular band played hits from the 70′s, 80′s, 90′s and today, with kids and adults joining in to boogie right up front.  The music didn’t stop until about 8:30.  What a super evening that we hope to replicate through the rest of summer.

In fact, if you wanted to, you could attend a free summer concert on almost every Friday, Saturday and Sunday evening through the rest of July and into August in the Tri-Valley!  The towns of Danville, San Ramon, Dublin, Pleasanton and even the beautiful Blackhawk Plaza all have Summer Concert Series of their own just waiting for audiences to attend.  Here are a few schedules and the Read more

Be Prepared: Trial Period for Modified Mortgages Exists

There is an interesting new twist to the whole loan modification procedure.  Mortgage modifications may require a three-month trial period in order to test the borrower’s ability to make payments under the modified loan structure.  If the borrower meets the requirements during this trial period then the loan modification will be finalized. During the trial period a loan could be reported as delinquent and in most cases the foreclosure process will be suspended.

For the most part, this trial period is specific only to the federal government’s Home Affordable Modification program.  However, expect modification programs that fall outside of the federal government’s program to implement the trial period as well.

In a recent article by Marcie Geffner of Bankrate.com, she describes 10 things that a borrower needs to know about the trial period. To read more about those ten items, please click on this link, Modifying Mortgage Trial Period