
Mr.Spitz’ genre is biographies. He has written previous books, one even about
The Beatles, but chose for this book a friend he had written about and with for
several years before her death, the birth of which was celebrated last year as
a 100th anniversary: Julia Child.
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Julia - Richard - Robert |
Among her many and varied accomplishments, Julia was
one of three founders of the AIWF in 1981, along with Richard Graff, who had recently bought Chalone Winery and Robert Mondavi, who was defining the American wine
industry. Northern California at the
time was an absolute incubator for change in the food and wine industry. The three had in mind improving and defining
the food and wine culture by supporting two charities: the first, called Days of Taste ®
was a program designed to teach fourth and fifth grade children from limited social
strata the path of foods from farm to table and in the course of learning that,
develop a sense of how taste fits in to the process. The second was a scholarship program,
initially supporting students in the Culinary Institute of America, just then
moving from its core base in New York to a branch at St. Helena in California
and an educational marriage of food and wine.

The Book Group found my name because through persistence
or survival, I am the current Chair of the Orange County (California) Chapter
of the national AIWF organization and was the closest Chapter to the library
the Book Group uses for their meetings.
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Harnessing a Heritage By Dee FitzGerald |
Besides the opportunity to speak on a topic I feel
strongly about, I was attracted because the 50 or so people expected read books
and I am always looking for an audience for my book: Harnessing a Heritage beyond those who read the first chapter at my
website
I have been doing some research on what role Julia
played in AIWF. In the early years it was mostly supportive of the organization
by her name and contacts. Even in Orange
County at the peak of membership we would raise $20,000 for the charities by
wine, food and auction events, some at the Mondavi Center. And national AIWF enjoyed large donations from
the Mondavi Family. Other corporations
or individuals proudly donated $5,000 to be a member of the Julia Child Circle.
Unfortunately those events are not as well supported
today and we are looking for sponsors for the charities as well as other
revenue streams to support them. How
successful we will be remains an open question.
No one doubts their value, but competition for their
support is brutal.
Those of you who saw the Academy Awards will
remember the “50 Years of Bond” segment.
In my next post I’ll recollect how Bond has been in my life for all of
those fifty years. I hope for your eyes.
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