Photography Exhibit Opening at Mumm Napa Graced by Ms. Moutarde in Person

At the closing event of the 16th Annual Napa Valley Mustard Festival, The Mumm Napa Photo Finish, Melissa Baker’s model from her poster artwork of the year, “Magique de la Moutarde” greeted visitors in full costume at the entrance. As if Mumm champagne poured out in abundance was not enough for the festivities, Hagafen, Seduction, Peju, St. Supery, Verismo, Del Dotto, and other distinct makers shared some wonderful stills with the public. Scores of food presenters were offering their delectable wares. Artisan Sonoma Foie Gras (25 years of hand-crafted duck meat products par excellence) was at the helm of the gourmet love boat, closely followed by Brix restaurant (executive chef Anne Gingrass), The Meritage Resort (executive chef Laurent Berthon) and All Seasons Bistro and Catering. A very sweet finale followed from Patisserie Angelica… The festival left behind a comet-like trace of a photography exhibit that will shine through May 1 for all to see. The majority of artists whose work is presented in the show live and work in this blessed place of wine rivers and mustard shores, and the themes, however whimsically presented sometimes, don’t stray away too far from the vines and blooms of Napa Valley. The abundance of saturated yellow, green, and blue mirrors the surrounding fields, captured by tireless cameras on any day of the season, and at any hour of the day. The images of smiling seasonal workers superimposed on a shot of oak barrels by Kenneth Donald Rester grant immediacy to the picture, while the wiped out color with just a splash of wickedly red in the sky by Eric Ryder turns the evergreen valley into an unexpectedly still snow-bound landscape. Out of 310 photographs entered into the competition to vie for the prize money totaling $5,250, the winners were: Digitial Category - First Place: Robert Johnson, Second Place: Doug Kohen, Third Place: James Kohatsu; Innovative Category – First Place: Glenn Fidler, Second Place: Faith Echtermeyer, Third Place: Hilary Brodey; Traditional Category - Honorable Mentions: Steven Taddei & Sally Wood; Carneros Category - Rebecca DeAnda; and Silverado Category - Wolfgang Dietrich. Photo by Emma Krasov: My photographer with Ms. Moutarde; all other photographs by Yuri Krasov.