Scott Alexander. It’s difficult to find the right words to convey just how grateful I am for all you’ve done to help transform this latest flight of fancy into a reality. So I’ve left space in the margins for you to add those words yourself. I have no doubt you’ll nail it. You always do.
Curtis Robinson. You’re still the finest Aspen Daily News editor who ever lived. And if there’s a better “venue research” guy in the business, well, I hope he sees this and reaches out to me.
Scott Gould. Who says agents are a bunch of sleazy suckfish? I do. I say it a lot actually. But never about you, buddy. You’re one of the good ones. Thanks for sticking with me all these years.
Josie Freedman. Here’s to the film adaptation I hope somebody’s making. Put some of the money toward that dream home in Healdsburg.
Brittany Hamblin. You convinced the brass at HarperCollins to shell out actual currency for this tome. So this is your fault. But not all your fault . . .
Ain’t that right, Sean Newcott? Thank you, thank you, thank you. And thank you again. You did a hell of a job editing the book and keeping me in check. It couldn’t have been easy.
Marcos Efron and Michael Waghalter. For that thing you did that ultimately led to this thing.
Same goes to you, Rob McElhenney and Glenn Howerton and the rest of the “Sunny” crew.
Tom Caltabiano. You owned Pebble Beach Food & Wine.
Dave Bernahl. Without you, there wouldn’t have been a Pebble Beach Food & Wine.
Kurt Russell. For that time we did two radio shows in a row. That was cool.
Maynard James Keenan. Whenever I’m feeling low, I watch the “Safety Dance” video, and suddenly everything is okay again.
Justin Silver. Three words: World Dog Awards.
Alana Bly. We’ll always have Virginia.
Natalie Oliveros (a.k.a. Savanna Samson). That kiss!
Adam Carolla, for warning me of the very real threat of psychos posing as vintners.
To all the people—some old friends, some new—who opened their hearts and homes and bottles of wines along the way. I cannot thank you enough for all you did to help make this possible . . . Lisa Mattson, John Jordan, Christopher Sawyer, Drew Bigda, Jenny Peters, Mary Wagstaff, Kanchan Kinkade, Deborah Clifford, Peter Work, Karin Warnelius-Miller, Elizabeth Vianna, Ashley Teplin, Jeremy Baker, Claudia Wade, Dan Brennan, Tom DeVaul, Ken and Gail Albert, Shona Lothrop and Pat LaClair, Jeff Knapp, Eileen Wong, Patrick Reuter, Alex Sokol Blosser, Alison Sokol Blosser, Emily Saveraid, Chris Carpenter, Trey Busch, Jerry Solomon, Charles Smith, Michaela Baltasar, Hannah MacDonald, Linda Trotta, David O’Reilly, Joe Benyak, David Oldham, Jenna Hudson, Josh McFadden, Sofian and Crystal Himeur, Daniel Johnnes, Denise Clarke, Katie Roller, Laury Poland, Christina Roberts, Steve DiFrancesco, John Wagner, Anthony Lerner, Ian Blackburn, Sam and Robin Sebastiani, Michael Coats, Scott Wagner and Beckie Tilden, Ashley Trego, Alfred Eames, Danielle Emerson, Amy E. Ciarametaro, John and Jamie Parsons, Michelle Prevost, Geralyn Hashway, Patrick Zimmerer, Kim Whistler, and Louise O’Brien.
Oh, there’s more . . . Mike Miller, Mick and Loretta McDowell, Jada Williams, Becca Hensley, Cassandra Earle, Casey Hough, Marcheta Keefer, Jamie Claudio, Jen Sigal, Rachel Martin, Jenni McCloud, Vanessa Casas, Rutger de Vink, Jim Law, Jonathan Wheeler, Allison Conway, Dave Kostelnik, Steve Monson, Luca Paschina, Brigitte Bélanger-Warner, Dave Matthews, Gabriele Rausse, Ann R. Tuennerman, Megan Uram, Monica Seide, Heidi Witherspoon, Emily DeFoor, Martha Ezzard, Georgia O’Farrell, Lisa Ezzard, James Seib, Catherine Markel, Lincoln Case, Beverly Stotz, John Rivenburgh, Nichole Bendele, Chris Brundrett, Doug Lewis, everyone at Rose Hill Manor, Xandria Lorenzo, Greg Bruni, Neal Newsom, Krystin and Jared Herrera, Amanda Cevallos, and Chris Turner.
If I’ve forgotten someone, insert name here: ____________.
Thanks for your couches and spare bedrooms (and, of course, good company) Greg Lewis, Dave Zierler, Brian Hightower, Sammy Hewins, Stinky, Jenny Hirsch, Mike Surcouf, and Rich and Mia Andreoli.
For being there when I needed to see a familiar face . . . Fred Pichel, Emily Blue, Jasmin Hakes, Larry Olmsted, Charles Joly, Jeffrey Morgenthaler, Craig Owens, Pat Cunningham, Barbara Joan Nardi, Grace Graham, Bob LaBrum, Marc Dent, Bill Nickels, Sean McGovern, Rosalina Pong, Gita and Falcon, JC, Chrissy Stock, Dennis McGlinn, Mike Dunn, Marty Swanson, Michelle Evans, Bridget Evans, Lucinda Sterling, Tim McAteer, Autumn Marie Dean, and Alex Dalton.
Yvonne Rankin. For the music.
Helen Fielding. For all the wonderful e-mail.
Tom Fitzpatrick. For keeping me afloat.
Everyone at Food & Wine and Food Republic.
My family. I’m convinced most of you are clinically insane. Don’t ever change.
Jessica. For the good times, mostly. Though the bad stuff did inspire good material.
And finally, Thomas Jefferson. You were right. America is a hell of a fine place to make wine.