Once again Team Stark will be on location in Napa. Juggling the calendar and the deluge of invites is one of the more (pleasing) challenges we face every year.

Also making appearances in this video: mega wine collector Park Smith (81,000 bottles!), winemaker Randall Grahm, sculptor Lawrence Nolan, and patriarch Peter Mondavi Sr. who steals more than one kiss from the Little Loni.

Brand building is a mysterious thing. It’s part science, part art. There’s no repeatable formula that anyone could tech someone on, say, how to become the next Robert Parker.

Napa Valley Vintners appoint Patsy McGaughy as communications director and Teresa Wall as marketing director.

Ensuring it doesn’t get punctured is, I suspect, a rather high priority — lest the crew of the ship be confronted with an ominous, Kubrick-sized sea of red juice.

Total crush for the year came in at a a record high 4.3 milion tons. That’s up 13% from last year and 1% better than the previous record set in 2005.

As Jean-Charles Boisset presided over the Buena Vista Winery celebration which featured 3 national anthems, 2 mayors, 1 Count celebrating his 200th birthday, a proclamation, Hungarian dancing, and a vortex, I couldn’t help but wonder: is this all really happening?!

“The bottom line is the kids.” says Hoss Zaré, executive chef and owner of Zaré at Fly Trap. “We’re here to raise money for their wishes.”

I’ve culled my RSS feeds, Googled the Web, and am pleased to present the best wine blogs for 2013. Napa may never be the same again.

Pixar animator John Lasseter combines his love for southern France, trains, and wine in this delightful red blend, the Stark Insider wine of the week.