tried an american beer that had that kind of flavor. boston lager really was a groundswell. there's that saying, "do something you love "and you'll never work "a day in your life." i don't feel like i've worked for 24 years.

welcome back to "poker after dark." i'm here with your winner, gabe kaplan. gabe, what do you think this win does for your reputation as an announcer? >> absolutely nothing, you know? [ laughter ] people enjoy announcers like -- you know, you don't expect a football announcer to be able to play football.

if a football announcer really knows a lot about the game and says the things you're interested in hearing, he's a good football announcer. so as a poker announcer, i think that's a side deal that really shouldn't have any effect on how people think of you as a poker player. if you're a good poker announcer, you can be a good poker announcer. >> do you have the bragging rights now as probably the best poker-playing announcer out there? >> well, i think i have the bragging rights of the best 64-year-old, semi-bald poker announcer there is. i don't think there's anybody that compares to me. but i think we should get the world series of poker guys to be here and to, you know, compete on this show. >> and mix it up with you guys. >> they've never been on. i don't know why. i'm sure they're invited. >> well, what happened to your cowboy hat? i'm so used to seeing your cowboy hat, when you showed up this week, i'm like, "where's his hat?" trying something different? >> yeah, well, i won cowboys week, so i decided have a different outfit for commentators week.

>> you're a successful commentator, but you're also a successful actor. do you ever act at the table? >> well, i'm a very successful actor. i haven't got a job in 24 years. [ laughter ] so one of the most successful actors who hasn't got a job in 24 years. actually, i was in a poker movie where you make up your own lines. you know, improv poker movie. >> right. were you playing yourself, though? >> no. i was playing a character who was a father of two poker players, actually similar to howard and annie. he's not similar to their real father, but they were similar to howard and annie. and i was a very driven poker dad. so i was in that movie. but i haven't really done a lot of acting. but i think everybody's acting at the table. >> sure. >> everybody's trying to, you know, convince other people that you don't have the hand you have.

>> well, a few of the other guys this week mentioned that. they couldn't read you. "does he have something? does he not?" and you kept changing it up. so were you acting? >> well, yeah. everybody's acting. everybody's always acting at a poker table. in a home game, where they're playing 50 cents and a dollar, everybody's acting. everybody wants to put the other guy off a hand and make them feel you have something other than what you really have. so -- but this week, you know, i really got lucky. i had the bad hand against howard right in the beginning, and i was down to less than $3,000. so to make that comeback, i got lucky against ali in a couple hands -- real lucky against ali. >> i think he's still fuming about that, by the way. >> no, not ali, no. [ laughter ] >> he thinks he should win everything. >> i think he took it very well when he was over here. >> when he laid on the couch and pouted. >> the relatives of the "titanic" people that got killed were in better spirits than ali was on the couch over here. but you can't blame him. you know, he has king-queen.

i have, you know -- one win of 7, and i catch the 7. it's devastating, because you're so -- you know, everybody acts like, well, you don't care, but you want to win, and you want to be successful, and you want to present a good image. and when you get drawn out on like that, it makes you feel terrible. >> we were kind of joking about that. we're like, "it's commentators week, but you guys were being pretty serious poker players." >> oh, yeah. >> now, you've won three times here at "poker after dark." >> right. >> why does this format work so well for you, do you think? >> i think i've been a little lucky. i'm more gressive than most of the players are here. here you start with $20,000. the blinds start out pretty big, $100 and $200 for a $20,000 buy-in. so aggression generally pays off in a format like that, and i'm a little more aggressive, and i got a little lucky. especially tonight, i got lucky, and i got lucky in heads-up against joe. >> i think you'll take luck, right? >> yeah, i will. >> okay. congratulations. >> thank you.

>> gabe kaplan wins our commentators match and takes home the 120 grand. we're back next week for more "poker after dark." for ali nejad, i'm leeann tweeden. good night from las vegas. those who can't do play. those who can do commentate. >> i'm howard lederer. >> i'm mark gregorich. >> i'm gabe kaplan. >> i'm ali nejad. >> i'm kara scott. >> i'm joe sebok. >> this is our really advanced sign here that keeps everybody out. >> ali nejad was busted out by gabe kaplan, but this time, would his fortune change? no. [ laughter ] >> this is kevin. kevin works for the show. most of the money he makes, he gives to me in one way or another. chin -- show it. why is it wet?! that's disgusting. why is his chin wet? >> that's right, 'cause it's all about the tweeden right now, not the nejad.

"poker after dark" accommodations provided by the golden nugget hotel and casino, las vegas. -good wine, good sailing, and the most perfect weather. >>we're setting sail for a seaworthy adventure in wine country where wine tasting vies for the views. -the food is just supposed to be to the point and everything's on the plate for a reason. >>his restaurant is red hot! discover a napa valley eatery where haute cuisine feels like comfort food. -a lot of times they really don't even know that it's a family member that has painted them and that's a real compliment. >>meet the wine country artist behind the bold paintings at her family's winery. -there's a

tremendous amount of education that goes along with an actual enjoyable lunch. >>where to go for a taste of wine country food, wine and gardens. -one of the best ways for making coffee at home is definitely the french press or the coffee press. >>essential tips for brewing that perfect cup of joe. bringing this lifestyle into your own home, all now in wine country. >>hello and welcome, we're in wine country and i'm mary babbitt. we're here at groth vineyards and winery in napa valley. this family owned winery was established in 1982 and the focus of winemaking

here is oakville cabernet sauvignon. art is another focus here thanks to the talents of one family member. behind the label at groth vineyards... meet the painter blending wine and art in wine country. -i've never had a place that i could paint, i could set up my paints and i didn't have to take them down. i've always painted in the basement or you know the bedroom. >>suzanne groth's new artist studio at her napa valley home is a welcome change. -my favorite view on the property is of the western hills. it's the mayacama range. it's a great view, very inspirational. i put some nice lavender in 'cause the purple is a color i use a lot. i like the way it looks against the vineyard. it's easier to get the effect i'm looking for with acrylic. it's liquid plastic. so you

lay it on, it dries, it never moves and i love thick impasto. it's what the technique is called where you lay on layers of paint. it gives you a good perspective as well. it actually imitates perspective if you lay on thick layers of paint. i'm always inspired by color over form and so i always start there, andwhen you come to napa valley you see a lot of those colors. it's california even in winter, so when i paint scenes in winter you have the dark purple against the yellow mustard or the dark green of the foliage against vivid reds that i see in things. this is a beautiful vineyard behind st. helena. it'svery striking. you know, in the springtime the colors, the mustard against the green grasses against the purple hills of napa valley and then you throw in some very vivid pink cherry blossoms, which

bloom at the same time as the mustard. that's just a nice contrast. it just caught my eye so it's really for fun. >>although suzanne paints for fun, some pieces are created with a commercial use in mind. -groth vineyards is a family business. both our family and our business, which are one, are rooted here in oakville with multiple generations working at the winery. >>suzanne's parents, judy and dennis groth, founded the winery.-this is all clone 7? >>the blending decisions are a family affair, led by winemaker michael weiss. -a little riper. -it's all hands- on deck when it comes to tasting the cabernet now. it's the most important thing we do. everybody drops everything. >>suzanne's involvement in the family business also extends to her artwork. her paintings are featured on marketing materials. -this is a birthday gift for my mother. she immediately decided that she needed to use it on a postcard to announce that we

were going to be releasing a reserve cabernet. andit shows my two favorite elements of oakville: the oak trees that oakville's named after and our reserve vineyard behind it. >>you'll also find suzanne's art on display in the winery's tasting room. -the barrel was commissioned by the napa valley wine auction in 2005. the title of the piece is called rooted in oakville. customers come in and buy posters and, you know, a lot of times they don't even know that it's a family member that has painted them. and that's a real complimenti don't know any other job that you could be involved in the business and then have fun with,you know, your passion on the side. so it really is a wonderful balance, actually. >>rooted in wine and the arts in wine country. stay with us, up next in wine country... how to brew that perfect cup of joe.

click on in wine country dot com to see behind the scenes photos, watch videos, download podcasts and sign up for our email newsletter all at in wine country dot com. [ rinsing ] ah, fresh. minty. handsome! ♪ mmm, minty. mindy? wow. fresh. sorry. beautiful, isn't it. breathtaking. fresh. [ women sighing ] [ female announcer ] for a fresh breath feeling that lasts up to 5 times longer, there's new scope outlast. seacrest? yeah. i know. destroy them with lysol neutra air. it eliminates odor-causing bacteria in the air... and kills 99.9 percent of bacteria at the source.

oust air sanitizer is not approved to kill bacteria at the source. enjoy nothing but freshness. with lysol neutra air-- the ultimate odor eliminator. and try lysol neutra air freshmatic for clean, fresh air automatically. >>do you take extra care when throwing a dinner party to choose just the right wine for each course of the meal? well, when it comes to dessert, don't let the coffee you serve be an afterthought. we've got the essentials on the best home brewing method for making that perfect cup of joe. andy newbom is owner and coffee guru at barefoot coffee roasters near san jose, california. when it comes to

making the best cup of coffee around, he's an expert. andy starts with the freshest coffee available and grinds it seconds before brewing. then he reaches for a french press. -one of the best ways for making coffee at home is definitely the french press or the coffee press. the best flavor, the least expensive and it's one of the easiest to do at home. >>start by dropping the ground beans into the bottom of the press. -it's important to measure. our usual rule is about two tablespoons to about six ounces of water. >>that translates to two tablespoons per cup of coffee. if you want your coffee to be a little stronger, add another half tablespoon for each cup. heat your water with a tea kettle, but don't let it boil. use the water to agitate the grinds and get them moving. bubbling like this is a good sign. -if you don't get that bloom and that kind of boiling over, then your coffee is not very fresh. >>wait one minute, then stir. -stir it

to get those grounds back in there so you get a really good even extraction. mmm, that smells good! so good coffee should taste just like fresh ground coffee smells. we're gonna put the top back on just to keep the vapors in there and i'm gonna push it down just enough to get a bit of bubbles up there. >>timing is important when brewing any coffee, but especially with a french press. you want no more than four minutes total brewing time. when the brewing is done, push the plunger to the bottom. -you should go relatively slowly and you'll see this nice, what we call "crema" on top. >>and that's where all the oils and intense flavor compounds are. -now that it's done, you want to make sure that you pour it out fast, so that it stops brewing. mmm, perfect! >>besides being a popular drink, coffee is also used as an ingredient to flavor many wine country recipes. which leads us to our ingredient- driven in wine country pop quiz. our question today in

relation to wine country: what is mustard? is it "a", the color most often used to describe the appearance of chardonnay? "b", a wildflower grown as a cover crop between vineyard rows? or "c", the condiment favored by most wine country chefs? give it some thought, we'll have the answer for you after the break. also ahead... we've got a seat for you at one of napa valley's hottest tables. host: could switching to geico really save you 15% or more on car insurance? host: does elmer fudd have trouble with the letter r? elmer: shhhh, be very quiet; i'm hunting wabbits. director (o/c): ok cut!!!! uh...it's i'm hunting "rabbits," elmer. let's try that again. elmer: shhhh, i'm hunting wabbits. director (o/c): cuuuuut! rabbits. elmer: wabbits director (o/c): rabbits. elmer: wabbits. director (o/c): rabbits with an "r."

elmer: aw...this diwector's starting to wub me the wong way. vo: geico. 15 minutes could save you 15% or more. ♪ fresh butter taste ♪ yes, that's here ♪ no hydrogenated oils ♪ so there's no trans fats here ♪ ♪ whoa... ♪ turn the tub around ♪ talking about nutrition [ female announcer ] "i can't believe it's not butter" has 70% less saturated fat than butter and no hydrogenated oils,

so there's no trans fat. "i can't believe it's not butter," butter taste, better health. it can go from a scratchy throat in the morning. to a cough. to a full body ache... at night. new tylenol cold rapid release gels day and night work fast too. they release medicine fast to relieve painful coughs, congestion and sore throats. so you can rest, day and night. feel better, tylenol cold. >>welcome back, we're in wine country and i'm mary babbitt. so are you ready with the answer to our pop quiz? our question today: in relation to wine country, what is mustard?is it "a", the color most often used to describe the appearance of chardonnay?

"b", a wildflower grown as a cover crop between vineyard rows? or "c", the condiment favored by most wine country chefs?well, you might think some chardonnays have a golden color similar to mustard. but the correct answer today is "b". if you've been to wine country in the spring you've probably seen mustard growing as a cover crop between the vineyard rows. wild mustard starts blooming in napa valley in late january. the plants carpet the vineyards and the bright yellow flowers provide a colorful contrast to the bare grey and brown vines. mustard blooms last through march. many people think the best time to visit wine country is when the mustard is in bloom. and that's our pop quiz with a burst of color. mustard certainly signals a season in wine country. and you know chefs here cook with the seasons, updating their menus with whatever is freshest. at our chef's

table, one of wine country's hottest restaurants puts food center stage. -alright, add in two nine course rice, one no lobster, two more nine course scallops. tartare sashimi foie against mole. one tartare scallop right now. >>tonight the kitchen at redd is in full swing. -runner!!! take it out. go! alright, pull three. >>executive chef richard reddington is in the middle of all the action at his namesake restaurant in napa valley. -redd is sort of my take on a napa valley restaurant, what i see andwe call it contemporary american food. the food is just supposed to be to the point and everything's on the plate for a reason. there's no fluffy stuff or fried stuff, it's just, it makes sense. >>the minimalist sleek interior is intentional letting the food be the focus. the large patio is a popular

place to dine and sip wine. -a little more modern contemporary atmosphere and people walk in here and it's just different for wine country. and i think it's not the same old thing. >>in the kitchen, chef richard works on creating a different dining experience. -we always design tasting menus and that's beena big focus so far at the restaurant. and usually with the menus here we'll start with this tartare to start the meal. we do a five course menu or nine course menu. if it's two people, they get different things for each course. it's a progressionand usually we might start with this and this might be a second course on a tasting menu. they have the opportunity to do it with a wine pairing and/or we'll design the menu around a bottle of wine or a half bottle of wine or a full bottle of wine so they can have a five course menu with all red wines or all white wines or "we brought a bottle

of old bordeaux. can you do a menu?" so i'll take whatever he's gonna do and just come up with a pairing. using both some of the stuff that i have by the glass and then also, a few things that i have on the list. and a few little suprises too. >>wine director chris blanchard takes richard's menus and matches each dish to just the right wine. -syrah vouvray. >>this is truly customized wining and dining. -it's a syrah from 2003. the producer is chateau larouc. it's a really amazing pairing with your next dish. -oh, it is a wine pairing?-we'll change the whole menu around according to what they drink so on any given night there could be 20 different menus that are all different. i think it's exciting for the kitchen because it's different every night and some nights you sell 50 tasting menus and

other nights 2. when it's spontaneous, when you call out orders for the cooks, i think it's interesting for them too. some extra risotto i might give him here. -i think the guests really enjoy that because often you go where there's not a lot of choices and i really want a tasting menu, but the whole table has to have the same thing. then you get the same wine. i'd prefer to ask a chef to see different food and to taste different wines. -what other vips are here? >>richard is also very focused on his guests and their experience in his dining room. -we're sitting in a valley with 200 wineries, so a lot of our guests are the actual vintners and their guests. i wanna be in an environment that's fun and i want to be in an atmosphere that's relaxed and that the food's good but you just feel comfortable. >>a new level comfort food at redd in napa valley. dining out at a restaurant is one way to enjoy wine country cuisine. but we've discovered another culinary experience

where you not only get to eat good food, but you get a short lesson on wine pairing and gardening too. on the grapevine... discovering what wine country has to offer at a taste of copia. ah, wine country cuisine. lucky us. what could be better than eating organic greens, artisan breads, and gourmet recipes? how about having the chef personally show you how to create her signature dish? that's the idea behind "taste of copia", a program led by a dream team of experts such as wine guru burke owens, master chef jacqueline buchanan, and gardener colby eierman. -taste of copia lunch is just one of our favorite most popular programs. -there's a tremendous amount of education that goes along with the actual enjoyable lunch.

>>today's three-course menu: crayfish remoulade, pulled pork with southern greens and coconut cake for dessert. each item is typically paired with a wine, but there are exceptions, which leads us to our first lesson. -this is actually a non-grape substance, we call it beer. [laughter] it's quite a popular beverage in some parts of the world, actually. there are no seconds, i'm afraid, on the beverages. but i hope you enjoyed that. >>jacqueline is next to share her culinary wisdom with us. a word of warning: -this is a little tool called cook help. >>she's a bit fond of gadgets. -the curls of carrot that were on your salad were made with this little gadget. my kids used to think this was the coolest thing on the planet. it's kind of fun to learn about these things. >>but as colby likes to point out, fresh ingredients are key to any good recipe. -we're in

a climate here in california where we can garden 365 days out of the year and we do here at copia. i kind of forgot i got this box of produce here. my props. -is this beautiful or what? i mean, that's a bouquet. look at that. >>so what's the moral of this story? mix together equal parts skill, ingredients, good humor, and voila! -the south is one of the most hospitable places on the planet. you'll have a meal worthy of applause. -so y'all come back now, ya' hear? >>don't go away, up next... setting sail on a wine country adventure. an italian white worth discovering tops our wine

pick. lisa minucci of vintrust, a wine management and cellarage service, found the 2005 ceretto arneis. -ricardo ceretto started his winery in the mid 30s and he is known around the world for his barbarescos and his barolos. but it's his arneis that i think is the little known gem. arneis has a beautiful mineral character. some limestone, some citrus, beautiful acid, and a great length. >>at 15 dollars a bottle, you get a wine that pairs well with many foods. -this wine would be lovely with cold shrimp, chilled chicken, beautiful salads. it has a hint of effervescence, so it's a perfect aperitif for a sunday lunch wine. >>a fresh choice for a wine pick.