{"id":8880,"date":"2024-07-11T20:02:10","date_gmt":"2024-07-12T04:02:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rjwine.com\/blog\/?page_id=8880"},"modified":"2025-11-10T12:23:03","modified_gmt":"2025-11-10T20:23:03","slug":"home","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/rjwine.com\/blog\/","title":{"rendered":"Home"},"content":{"rendered":"

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ fullwidth=”on” admin_label=”Header” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_color=”#b7b9c7″ custom_padding=”0px|0|0px|0px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_fullwidth_header title=”Ray’s Writings” subhead=”Notes From a Traveler and Wine Professional” text_orientation=”center” background_overlay_color=”rgba(83,90,128,0.3)” content_max_width=”90%” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ title_font=”Noto Serif|700|||||||” title_text_align=”center” title_font_size=”7vw” title_line_height=”1.1em” content_font=”Noto Serif|700|||||||” content_text_align=”left” content_font_size=”32px” subhead_font=”Noto Sans||||||||” subhead_text_align=”center” subhead_font_size=”30px” subhead_line_height=”2em” background_color=”rgba(0,0,0,0.42)” background_image=”https:\/\/rjwine.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Sweetbreads-at-a-brasserie-in-Reims.webp” background_blend=”multiply” custom_button_one=”on” button_one_text_size=”17px” button_one_text_color=”#ffffff” 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custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/rjwine.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Ray_Johnson_Sonoma_State_WBI-Photo-by-Fabian-Jauregui.webp” title_text=”Ray Johnson: Notes from a Traveler and Wine Professional” align_tablet=”center” align_phone=”center” align_last_edited=”on|desktop” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ custom_margin=”-250px|||” animation_style=”slide” animation_direction=”bottom” animation_intensity_slide=”2%” border_radii=”on|3px|3px|3px|3px” box_shadow_style=”preset2″ box_shadow_horizontal=”33px” box_shadow_vertical=”52px” box_shadow_blur=”80px” box_shadow_color=”rgba(0,36,73,0.07)” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_cta title=”Exploring the World” button_url=”https:\/\/rjwine.com\/blog\/contact\/” button_text=”Contact ray” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ header_font=”Noto Serif|700|||||||” 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Ray moved to California in 1986 to begin a career in wine.\u00a0 The first step was leading tours for the public and trade at the historic Christian Brothers’ Greystone Cellars in Saint Helena, California. From there he went on to sell wine, first on the supplier side and later in retail, working directly with consumers.<\/p>\n

Ray became the Assistant Director of the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition in 2000. His company TasteWine consulted and created events and seminars for a Who’s Who of companies and organizations, including Four Seasons Hotels, GE Capital, LexisNexis, Siemens, Visa, Wells Fargo and many more.<\/p>\n

In 1998, Ray began began a rewarding career teaching wine appreciation for consumers.\u00a0 In 2006 he earned his Master’s Degree in Wine Business at the University of Adelaide and expanded his teaching into sensory evaluation and the business of wine, focusing on management and marketing.\u00a0 His published research focused on regional branding.<\/p>\n

From there he went on to become the Executive Director of Sonoma State’s Wine Business Institute and did some of the most important work of his life. He recently retired and continues to enjoy the community of wine and food, the business of wine and traveling the world with his wife Linda.<\/p>\n

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Around the Country and the Globe<\/h2>\n

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Recent Blog<\/h2>\n

My most recent work here<\/p>\n

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global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_image title_text=”1 Steak Tartare and Chips in Paris” align=”right” admin_label=”Image” _builder_version=”4.27.3″ background_color=”rgba(30,30,30,0.39)” background_image=”https:\/\/rjwine.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/1-Steak-Tartare-and-Chips-in-Paris.webp” background_blend=”multiply” max_width=”90%” max_width_tablet=”90%” max_width_last_edited=”off|desktop” module_alignment=”right” custom_padding=”||392px|||” border_radii=”|3px|||3px” always_center_on_mobile=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ admin_label=”Travel Advice Row” _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_cta title=”The Good Life Guide to Enjoying Wine” button_url=”https:\/\/rjwine.com\/blog\/author\/” button_text=”Learn More” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ header_font=”Noto Serif|700|||||||” header_text_align=”left” header_font_size=”44px” header_line_height=”1.5em” body_font=”Noto Sans||||||||” body_line_height=”1.9em” use_background_color=”off” custom_button=”on” button_text_size=”17px” button_text_color=”#ffffff” button_bg_color=”#ff6b5a” button_border_width=”5px” button_border_color=”#ff6b5a” button_border_radius=”100px” button_font=”Noto Sans|700||on|||||” button_use_icon=”off” text_orientation=”left” background_layout=”light” module_alignment=”left” custom_margin=”60px|||” custom_padding=”|||” link_option_url_new_window=”on” header_font_size_tablet=”” header_font_size_phone=”34px” header_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” button_text_color_hover=”#ffffff” button_border_color_hover=”#ff9e59″ button_bg_color_hover=”#ff9e59″ global_colors_info=”{}” button_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_text_color__hover_enabled=”on” 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The Good Life Guide to Enjoying Wine<\/em> slashes through the pretensions so often associated with wine. In one afternoon reading and tasting, you’ll find the answers to the most frequently asked questions that the author has heard while teaching about wine in California.<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_cta][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/rjwine.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/08\/Good_Life_Guide_Cover-647×1024.jpg” alt=”The Good Life Guide to Enjoying Wine” title_text=”The Good Life Guide to Enjoying Wine” url=”https:\/\/rjwine.com\/blog\/author\/” align_tablet=”center” align_phone=”center” align_last_edited=”on|desktop” _builder_version=”4.27.3″ width=”80%” custom_margin=”-250px|||” custom_margin_tablet=”50px|||” custom_margin_phone=”|||” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|desktop” custom_padding=”|||” animation_style=”slide” animation_direction=”bottom” animation_intensity_slide=”2%” border_radii=”on|3px|3px|3px|3px” box_shadow_style=”preset3″ box_shadow_horizontal=”30px” box_shadow_vertical=”51px” box_shadow_blur=”80px” box_shadow_spread=”-20px” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ray moved to California in 1986 to begin a career in wine.\u00a0 The first step was leading tours for the public and trade at the historic Christian Brothers’ Greystone Cellars in Saint Helena, California. From there he went on to sell wine, first on the supplier side and later in retail, working directly with consumers. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"

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Ray's Blog<\/h1>\r\nAdventurer, Published Author, & Wine Professional<\/span>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/section><\/div>\r\n
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\r\n\r\n\"\"<\/span>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\nTaking on the World, One Sip at a Time<\/span>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n
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Ray joined the wine business in 1986, leading tours for the public and trade at the historic Christian Brothers\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u201e\u00a2 Greystone Cellars in Saint Helena, California.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 From there he went on to sell wine, first on the supplier side, working with the trade, and later in retail, working directly with consumers. In 1998, Ray began teaching in the areas of sensory evaluation, probing deeply into European wine, and later wine business, focusing on management and marketing in particular, regional branding. Ray became the Assistant Director of the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition in 2000.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 His company TasteWine consulted and created events and seminars for a Who\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s Who of companies and organizations, including Four Seasons Hotels, GE Capital, LexisNexis, Siemens, Visa, Wells Fargo and many more.<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-8880","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rjwine.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8880","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rjwine.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rjwine.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rjwine.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rjwine.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8880"}],"version-history":[{"count":37,"href":"https:\/\/rjwine.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8880\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9068,"href":"https:\/\/rjwine.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8880\/revisions\/9068"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rjwine.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8880"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}