Friday is Think Pink Day

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This year, the Renaissance Esmeralda supports awareness efforts with a series of events in and around the Indian Wells resort on Friday, October 8. Net proceeds from the day's activities benefit the Susan G. Komen for the Cure®, Inland Empire Affiliate and the Lucy Curci Cancer Center in Rancho Mirage.

Early risers can step to the Pink Power Walk at 7 to 9:30 AM. Sleepy-heads or sun-worshipers, dive into Pink in the Pool from 10 AM to 2 PM. Fashionistas, head to the Pink with Passion Fashion Show at STIR from 2 to 3:30 PM with a special exhibit of gorgeous pink sapphire jewelry.

Too busy for you? From 4 to 6 PM, choose instead to Rejuvenate in Pink at a private spa party. Or not busy enough? FM radio's Mix 100.5's Acoustic Lounge and Bradley Ryan kick it up from 6 to 8 PM with Five For Fighting, also at STIR.

Each event offers prizes and specials from continental breakfast, pink T-shirts and water bottles for the walkers to mini-facials and spa treatments, cocktails and hors d'oeuvres for the Rejuvenators. Contact Jackie Diaz for tickets and information at 760.836.1286 or jackie.diaz@renaissancehotels.com.

Events carry separate admission tickets starting from $10. Make a day of it with event packages ($100) with or without a day room at Esmeralda ($250) or an overnight stay with a $25 resort credit ($500).

The silent auction that begins at 9 AM will include a fun wine experience donated by this Winewoman: A private guided tasting of five excellent pink wines for eight people. The winning bidder need only provide a venue. Private wine tastings are a cool way to thank or entertain business clients, friends or family. The five wines will include at least one lip-smacking pink sparkler meant to color your thinking about this amazing wine category.

Instead of the sweet stuff that gave pinks a bad rap, tasters will enjoy a refreshing range of international rosé, blush and pink sparkling wines. Wine boss brings everything – wines, glasses, tasting sheets and light, wine-friendly snacks. Guests get to relax, nibble, enjoy, taste and learn. We promise you'll rethink pink.

Come on out tomorrow, and bring a sister, mom and friends. Take in as many activities as you can, meet some great people and bid on cool auction items to help these great causes.

Ribbon art copyrighted by Bobbie Peachey.

Follow Us to L.E.A.D.

Today is the last day to lock in the early-bird registration fee of $75 for Women Leaders Forum Thursday, October 21 L.E.A.D. event. So what are you waiting for? Get busy and register here right now for what promises to be the year's most talked-about women's event.

WinewomenPSP connects with other leading Coachella Valley women organizations in support of L.E.A.D. – Learn, Educate, Aspire, Demonstrate. The 4:30 – 9 PM event will be held at the Renaissance Esmeralda Resort and Spa in Indian Wells. After today, registration for the full event, including dinner, is $85. Admission to opening cocktail reception and keynote address only is $40.

The evening leadership conference begins with a cocktail reception followed by a keynote address by NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory scientist Dr. Cinzia Zuffada, who will address leadership in science.

Following Dr. Zuffada's talk, attendees will proceed to their choice among five breakout dinner panel sessions. Each moderated panel track will feature accomplished women in Lifestyle and Wellness, Business, Sports and Entertainment, Literary and Philanthropy fields. Esteemed panelists scheduled to appear include iconic fashion model and businesswoman Beverly Johnson, motorsports sportscaster Kay Presto, award-winning film producer Gita Pullapilly, Mars exploration engineering manager Nagin Cox, major league sports executive and sports marketing maven Joann Klonowski, critically acclaimed author Deanne Stillman, and other remarkable women.

Register now to stake your claim on the panel track of your choice!

For only $50 more, you can elect to sponsor a Young Woman Ambassador to attend the L.E.A.D. event. This WLF youth program is open to sophomore, junior and senior women attending Coachella Valley high schools. Help support these energetic and inspirational young ladies who seek to Learn, Educate themselves and others, Aspire to higher goals and Demonstrate how to get it done!

Join other Winewomen as we team up with Women Leaders Forum and women valley-wide to L.E.A.D. on October 21 at the Esmeralda by signing up to attend today.

Coachella Wine Festival Pix

With help from other vendors, we caught a few sips and snapped a few pix at the Grand Tasting last weekend at Coachella Wine Festival. Next time, we'll plan for more help so we can have as much fun as these happy people did. Thanks to all for making it such a great time!
Winemaker Greg Jenkins and his Fleming-Jenkins wines were a huge hit - thanks Greg and Peggy for your classy presence and great juice.

Josie Genaro of Sisters Cupcakes by Design works her magic.
Brian Ricci and Renaissance Esmeralda's CAVA/Sirocco staff season up organic beet ravioli stuffed with mozzarella, spinach and ricotta, dusted with aged Parmigiano-Reggiano. Deliziosi!
Johnny Meza (center) with Todd Ashley and Mike Dooley are top-notch music machines who filled the air with their great sound.
Banker Bill doesn't miss a trick - having fun at the Fest!

See you April 30th for our Rodney Strong wine dinner at Bellatrix in support of the American Heart Association's Go Red For Women campaign. Catch all the details here!

WinewomenPSP at Desert Woman's Show

Visit us at booth 202 at this weekend's Desert Woman's Show at the Renaissance Esmeralda Resort and Spa. We're planning plenty of fun and show specials: Hand-crafted, original sterling silver and genuine Swarovski crystal wine charms.

We have eight colors to match your wine taste, or not. Heck, they're so gorgeous, you'll want to convert these wine charms to earrings or wear them as pendants. Find your fancy in champagne, rosé, pinot noir, bordeaux, malbec and more. At only $12 for one or two for $20 tax-inclusive, you can delight all the wine lovers on your holiday gift list.

After you visit the food and wine pavilion, visit our booth to try out our new WinewomenPSP logo wine aerators. Not only will they smooth out any rough spots in your wine, they'll also instantly aerate your wines to make them ready to enjoy as soon as you can pour. Can you drink to that? We thought so, too. Besides, they're so pretty on their cork-bottomed bases that you'll want to display them at home. Each aerator is dishwasher safe and comes with its own travel pouch so you can take it with you to restaurants or parties. You won't want to leave home without your wine friend.

WinewomenPSP member price is only $40 each ($45 for non-members) but don't forget: When you renew your membership, this logo aerator is your free 2nd anniversary gift! If you're not a member, sign up at the show for two years and you'll not only get your gorgeous wine bottle necklace welcome gift, you'll also receive your logo aerator. Make it your Halloween - Holiday combo!

Also, don't forget to pick up event flyers and sign up for our two faboo November events. Come to our first South African wine safari at Miramonte's Piazza on Thursday, November 12th. Chef Nyerick will prepare irresistible nibbles paired to each of the five exotic wines. On Friday, November 20th, we'll be treated to Executive Chef Brian Recor's debut at the new Morgans in the Desert at La Quinta Resort and Club. Join us to welcome back the former Rattlesnake chef de cuisine for a sneak preview wine dinner at what's sure to become La Quinta's culinary beacon.

We'll be at Esmeralda's Emerald Ballroom from 10 AM until 5 PM Saturday and Sunday. See you at the show!

Wet & Wild: Surf's Up at Esmeralda

Boards and wetsuits weren't de rigeur for our June 26th Surf's Up bash at Renaissance Esmeralda's sleek CAVA restaurant, but that didn't keep a few lassies from pouring themselves into Neoprene-tight summer sheaths – all for the cause, of course. Yikes.

It was all good as we celebrated summer with a quartet of refreshing wines paired with Executive Chef Greg Picard's seafood extravaganza. In the barrel with Step into Liquid and Riding Giants on the flat screen, we feasted on sweet cracked crab, made-to-order seafood risotto, salads, sushi and a sumptuous array of hard-to-resist specialty dishes. Our June charity United Way never had it so good.

Four wines that not only paired well with seafood but also presented distinctly different choices whetted a wide range of tastes. Many started off with A to Z's Oregon Rosé made from 100% Sangiovese. Its fresh and strawberry-scented flavors with a bit of spice on the finish brought complexity to sheer refreshment and drinkability. We spotted a few rosé converts at first sip of this affordably wow wine.

Two whites netted Neptune's feast on their own terms. A Chilean Sauvignon Blanc by Montes, Leyda Vineyards gave Chef's ceviche a racy run with hints of lime, green papaya and bracing food-friendly acidity. Those who preferred a rounder, softer white with muted tropical fruit and sleek-textured medium body found a perfect palate-pleaser in Oregon's Pinot Blanc from Bethel Heights.

Red wine devotees heeded the call of King's Ridge Pinot Noir with its cheery color and clarity. The cherry-scented Oregon Pinot delivered a fruity-floral nose and easy-drinking versatility beyond fish to pork, chicken and lightly grilled veggies. We gave thumbs us to adventurists who bagged the one-wine approach and rode in on all four liquids. The quartet has been spotted at LA Wine Company and A to Z Rosé at Jensen's.

In the corner, a few bliss-seekers took advantage of chair massage by Spa Esmeralda's Carlos. If you haven't experienced a massage by Carlos, it's quite possible you haven't lived. Call 760.836.1265 to book your special WinewomenPSP spa offer, valid into December. Bring more Zen into your life during these rough and tumble times.

We hope Surf's Up under the stars turned you on to four fab wine choices for your next dinner party. Dump the red-with-meat-white-with-fish mantra and take off instead with fresh varietals and wines from exotic locales to rip into the pleasure zone. Tell us how you liked our quartet and Esmeralda's no-holds-barred seafood buffet. As the mercury climbs higher this summer, you'll catch us chilling at Spa Esmeralda and cooling down at CAVA's elegant poolside venue. Carlos, Patricia and the wet-noodle spa wizards are calling your name.