Happenings
JUSTIN Harvest "Hard Body" Competition
Congratulations to the winners of this year's JUSTIN Harvest "Hard Body" Fitness Competition, Rob Schuberg and Erin Hoffman. Erin Hoffman spent a jaw-dropping 41 minutes on the balance ball to take the womens title!
Pictured from left to right: Debby Baldwin, winner Rob Schuberg, JUST Fit Gym Trainer Rich Pollock, winner Erin Hoffman, and Justin Baldwin.
The JUSTIN Harvest Hard Body Fitness Competition is held every year at JUSTIN Vineyards & Winery. All wineries in the Paso Robles appellations who produced wine under their own bonded winery number in the current vintage are eligible to compete. Each winery can enter a maximum of two men and two women. There will be one female and one male winner, winners receive $500!!!
Check back during Harvest 2008 for more details about the next competition!
Grower of the Year
It all starts in the vineyard. The recognition we place on the recipient of this award demonstrates what it takes to grow the quality fruit needed to produce JUSTIN wines. It takes tremendous sacrifices, hard work and long hours to make it happen. Our growers are dedicated to producing the highest quality fruit and work closely in achieving our objectives with JUSTIN Grower Relations Manager, Nick Filice. Some of our growers would argue its easier dealing with Mother Nature but together Nick and our grower team make an unbeatable combination.
For 2007 we are proud to recognize Laird Foshay, owner of Adelaida Springs Ranch, as our Grower of the year. Since moving to Paso Robles from the Bay Area, Laird and his family have immersed themselves in Paso Robles ranch life. Just a few short years ago he traded the high tech Silicon Valley world for hours of hard work and time spent on the tractor. He has made the transition seamlessly and has embraced their new life to the point of sporting a cowboy hat wherever he goes! He and his wife’s future plans for their 2000 acre property include the possibility of their own winery, farming organic kitchen crops and cattle. He and Lisa, his wife, are very involved in many community activates including raising funding for the restoration of our local one room school house.
“In recognition of our relationship and his outstanding execution of quality vineyard practices JUSTIN Vineyards & Winery is pleased to acknowledge Laird Foshay, 2007 Grower of the Year.”
Laird Foshay receives the JUSTIN 2007 Grower of the Year Award from Justin Baldwin, Proprietor.
Distributor of the Year
Hartley & Parker
Our association with most of our wholesalers date back for years. Over that time we develop an appreciation for each other and the teamwork necessary for us to each be successful. The key to achieving our mutual objectives is working together. Understanding goals and executing plans doesn’t just happen. When it does happen everyone is a winner. In 2007 Hartley & Parker Distributing in Connecticut demonstrated beyond any doubt that they can make it happen for JUSTIN. They seamlessly exceeded all goals and established new levels of distribution and effort for JUSTIN.
Accordingly, we are proud to recognize the management and the entire team of Hartley & Parker for their tireless and well executed efforts in 2007. Way to go Phil!
“Having exceeded all expectations in embracing and promoting our merits and virtues and exemplifying the highest possible spirit of cooperation in support of the attainment of our objectives and excellence JUSTIN Vineyards & Winery is honored to designate
HARTLEY & PARKER, CONNECTICUT, JUSTIN Wholesaler of the Year 2007.”
Big Kahuna of the Year
Laura Taffe Balderelli
In honor of our first recipient of this award being a Hawaiian native it was given the title of "Big Kahuna". Each year it is awarded to that individual who most captures the spirit of JUSTIN in representing our wines. Past recipients have included retailers, wholesalers and sommeliers.
For 2007, we are proud to single out the efforts of Laura Tafffe Balderelli. Her tireless energy and market savvy resulted in major advancements for JUSTIN in the Mid Atlantic and Southern Atlantic states. Laura works with our marketing company The San Francisco Wine Exchange and lives in Maryland with her husband Mark and their cats Haley & Smokey. When not representing wines she enjoys traveling & drinking wine.
Thank you Laura.
“Having exceeded all expectations in embracing and promoting our merits and virtues and exemplifying the highest possible spirit of cooperation in support of the attainment of our objectives and excellence JUSTIN Vineyards & Winery is honored to designate LAURA TAFFE BALDERELLI as the 2007 BIG KAHUNA."
Employee of the Year
Steve Lister
Our most important resource is not our grapes but our employees. As a team we strive to accomplish our mission statement. No single position in JUSTIN is more important than another but each year one employee stands out for their beyond the call of duty performance.
In 2007 Steve Lister was honored as our JUSTIN Employee of the Year. Steve has been with us for 9 years. He arrived at JUSTIN after a successful start at a prominent Central Coast wine distributor where he had been selling JUSTIN wines. A San Diego native, Steve came to San Luis Obispo to attend Cal Poly. After graduation he like many other JUSTIN employees fell in love with our area and decided to stay. That was fortunate for us. Under the guidance of Rich Richardson, our Director of Sales and Marketing, Steve oversees all wholesale sales of our wines in California, Texas and Florida. We constantly receive well deserved compliments about Steve for his courteous and informed manner. He is very effective and hugely contributes to our Mission Statement of “belonging in the company of the finest wines in the world”. He is a tireless traveler, always high spirited, and willing to lend a hand. Steve is a true professional who has led us to new heights. Last year he married the beautiful Beth. Interestingly, they met as” friendly competitors” as she holds a position similar to his at Trefethen Winery. They live in San Luis Obispo with the same car he had when Justin met him as a salesman of JUSTIN wines in 1999. Congratualtions Steve, well deserved. We are proud of you!!!!
“It is with gratitude that we recognize Steve Lister as the JUSTIN 2007 Employee of the Year for his exemplary & tireless contributions to the success of JUSTIN Vineyards & Winery.”
Justin & Deborah Baldwin
Roy Yamaguchi
After more than a quarter of a century producing wine we have been fortunate to know many of our leaders in the wine industry. In an attempt to recognize their contributions and the guidance they provide we created the Deborah & Justin Baldwin Lifetime Achievement Award. Past recipients have been active at all levels of the wine industry, ranging from finance to winemaking. They are all true professionals and we are honored to know them. They have each made a difference and we are proud to acknowledge them.
“I want to express how honored I was to receive "The Deborah and Justin Baldwin Lifetime Wine Achievement Award". Your friendship means a great deal to me and I always enjoy our time together. Thank you again for the award, I look forward to seeing you again soon on the "food and wine trail." - Aloha, Roy
In 2007 the award went to Hawaii’s first ever James Beard Award Winner, Roy Yamaguchi. Roy invented what he refers to as “Hawaiian Fusion© Cuisine” — a tempting combination of exotic flavors and spices mixed with the freshest of local ingredients, always with an emphasis on seafood. Soon after the original Roy's opened in Honolulu in 1988, Food & Wine Magazine dubbed it the "crown jewel of Honolulu's East-West eateries," and it was named one of Conde Nast Traveler's "Top 50." Gourmet acknowledged Yamaguchi as "the father of modern East-West cooking" while the New York Times described him as "the Wolfgang Puck of the Pacific."
There are now 35 Roy's, including 25 in the Continental US, 7 in Hawaii, 2 in Japan and 1 in Guam.
Honored early in his career with the prestigious James Beard "Best Pacific Northwest Chef" award, Yamaguchi has hosted six seasons of the PBS-TV show, Hawaii Cooks with Roy Yamaguchi seen on more than 300 stations in all 50 states, as well as in over 60 countries. Equally notable, he was a featured chef on the acclaimed TV Food Network program, My Country, My Kitchen which takes viewers back to his roots in Japan. Yamaguchi has also published three cookbooks, Roy's Fish and Seafood, Roy's Feasts from Hawaii and Hawaii Cooks: Flavors from Roy's Pacific Rim Kitchen.
“It is with honor that we recognize as the recipient of the 2007 Deborah & Justin Baldwin Lifetime Wine Achievement Award, Roy Yamaguchi, his unassuming leadership commands the respect of his peers. His innovative contributions to the culinary arts have added new definition to the enjoyment of wine. His spirit, guidance and unselfish dedication are an inspiration to all.”