We are so honored and excited to host Michael Silacci, one of the great teachers of winemaking.

He has asked himself, more seriously and more severely, than anyone I know: what I can I do this year, right now, next month-- to make better wine? He is ceaseless and indefatigable in his questioning. And his scope is wide.

He has worked and learned especially in Bordeaux and Napa. He was the student and companion of Napa's first great winemaker, André Tchelistcheff, with whom he worked at the beginning of his career. He was Warren Winiarski's student and first winemaker at Stag's Leap Wine Cellars and supervised me in my first internship. In 2001, he became the winemaker of Opus One, which he now runs, you could say, on his own and without supervision-- and still pushes himself, and his whole team, every day to improve the grape growing and winemaking at Opus.

Michael will choose 8 wines for us to drink together. There is so much for us to talk about. I have invited him to join us for 100 reasons, because of 1000 things we could talk about-- but at the center of my desire to have him in Los Angeles is for him to share thoughts with us especially on one thing: what is Classicism? We need not in any way be limited to thinking and talking about wine.