I’m always so happy to see Valentine’s Day arrive. Not because I love the day — I don’t. I’m no fan of Hallmark holidays in general, and this one is particularly commercial. But I welcome it for what it represents.

Every now and then readers bust me for making a mistake in this column or elsewhere in the paper, but they don’t usually back up their facts with a thick packet of documentation.

As I’ve done each year since 1998, I recently attended the California Tree Failure Report Program. This year, again, it was held at Filoli, the fabulous estate in Woodside.    

The word earlier this week that Yahoo is rejecting Microsoft’s buyout offer as being too low — too low at $44 billion —gives us a look at two elements of today’s information age: One, valuations are as completely out of control as in the old dot-com days and, two, Microsoft is willing to give in to such valuations because Web 2.0 or Web 3.0 or whatever the kids are calling it these days really, really scares Microsoft.

Having survived Super Sunday and Super Tuesday, it may be Super Thursday that has the greatest long-term impact on Napa homeowners.

Since opening the doors 17 years ago, Alexis Baking Company has made every Valentine’s Day special.

In the space of a few weeks, food shopping options in Napa have exploded with possibilities and one of the most exciting of these is a tiny shop at the new Oxbow Public Market where Shuli and Ronit Madmone are selling spices — more than 300 kinds at last count, all gloriously fresh (they grind them at their warehouse in Petaluma). The array is visually dazzling — vivid green dill, bright Hungarian paprika, pale pink Himalayan salt, lavender powder — and in addition to spices both familiar and not, the Madmones create distinctive blends for curries, tagines and other exotic creations. And they know their products. Shuli’s family in Israel has been in the spice business for many years, and he brought that expertise with him when he moved to the U.S. Ronit, also a native of Israel, who met and married Shuli in Marin County, said she’s been “doing a lot of reading” in the library to build up her own spice knowledge.

The Department of Fish & Game has scheduled several clinics this year to educate hunters on advanced hunting and wilderness survival skills.

The Department of Fish & Game has scheduled several clinics this year to educate hunters on advanced hunting and wilderness survival skills.

Reports have surfaced indicating that the writers strike is near settlement. So, why is that mentioned in a wine column?

Savvy vintners from all over the world are betting that Mexico’s Guadalupe Valley may well be the next frontier for New World wine.

Time is running out. If you haven’t given your backyard fruit trees their annual dormant pruning, you should get to it as soon as possible. Deciduous trees, including apples, pears, plums, peaches, figs, apricots and cherries, are awakening from their winter’s sleep. Sharpen your pruning shears and get the pruning done.

A will versus a living trust?

Election Aftermath