Red Phone: Concerned about Calltrace
“Red Phone, Charter billed me $20 for a one minute call to something called ‘CALLTRACE’ on my phone bill this month. When I called to inquire what the charge was for the Charter customer service rep said she could not discuss it with me and I should call the police. I did and they know nothing about it. I am retired, live alone and never heard of ‘CALLTRACE’ – is there anything you can do to help? I would greatly appreciate it.”
Learning the ins and outs of a vineyard
Last month I got as close to heaven as any oenophile has ever been. I’m not much of a camper, but when Matt Levy, public relations and marketing manager, invited me to attend Camp Schramsberg, a three-day sparkling wine seminar at Schramsberg Vineyards in Calistoga, I jumped at the chance. Schramsberg Vineyards has been producing sparkling wine since 1965 when they became the first U.S. producer to use Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes in the méthode champenoise (where a secondary fermentation occurs while the wine is in the bottle - thus producing bubbles). These sparkling wines are so good that in 1972, the Blanc de Blancs was served at the historic “Toast to Peace” in Beijing, between President Richard Nixon and Premier Zhou Enlai. To this day, Schramsberg’s wines are still being served in the White House.
