Governors Ball

When you say "Red Carpet," most people probably think of fantastic frocks and celebrity smiles. Not the folks at Patron. For them the phrase "Red Carpet" has a completely different meaning. To them it means a lavish raspberry red tequila drink coated in edible gold. The specialty drink is called the Patron Red Carpet, and four thousand of them will be served at this year's Governors Ball. If you'd like to make that four thousand and one, get the recipe — including a video on how to make one at home — when you read more

When I walked into the preview for the Governors Ball, the suspended globes immediately caught my eye. However, once I was able to pull my gaze down, my eyes became lost in the drama that is the floral arrangement.

There are over 15,000 roses, in 15 different shades of red, and they're accompanied by golden orchids imported from Thailand several days before the event. The cocktail tables are dotted with bouquets of roses, the dinner tables are huge, tall red and gold bouquets, and the food stations are littered with petals. The staff at Mark's Garden have created a beautiful arrangement that is dramatic, and somehow over the top and subdued at the same time.

I had a chance to talk to Mark Held — he and his staff have been doing the flowers for the Governors Ball for the past 13 years — about their floral decisions. To see that, and even more pics, read more

Considering that the Oscars are less than a week away, it's about time to start prepping your house for your own Sunday night Oscar party. Since YumSugar shared images with me of her preview tour of the Governors Ball, I figured I'd put 'em to use and show you how to get the look of an Oscar party lounge, making your digs worthy of an award — or at the very least, a nomination.

While I'll never endorse this color scheme, I do appreciate its inspiration. Special events producer Cheryl Cecchetto spoke to the influences saying, "The inspiration this year was really drawn from the gold of the Oscar and the red of the red carpet." To learn how to get this inspired look for your Oscar party, or any other, read more

If you haven't been following along with all of our Governors Ball coverage then you may have missed the fact that it's going to be "simple but refined." Everything is an elegant sea of red and gold, and the food is nothing but refined simplicity.

While at the press preview, I had the opportunity to watch Wolfgang at work. For two hours he entertained members of the press, grilled steaks, stirred up mac and cheese, and answered similar questions over and over and over again. Ever the great spokesperson, Wolfgang smiled and hammed it up; each member of the press got the same story, but it was always done with vivacity and it always seemed genuine. I managed to get some video of him in action, and our video editor really captured the feel. To check out Wolfgang giving his shpiel over and over and over again, read more

Tick tock: The Oscars are fast approaching! If you haven't yet, you should fill out BuzzSugar's ballot for a chance to win a cash prize. YumSugar was kind enough to share photos with me of her preview tour of the Governors Ball, the Academy Awards' official afterparty, and I noticed that the Kartell Bourgie Table Lamp ($362) was used in a rather unusual manner. For once, the table lamp found itself atop a dining table, used as a centerpiece along with a plethora of red roses and a ruby-red runner, rather than placed on a bedside table, a desk, an accent table, etc. So long candelabras, huh? How do you feel about this curious use of a table lamp? Would you use this technique at your own dinner party?

You've seen the food, and you've seen the decorations, heck, I even showed you what wine they'll be drinking at the upcoming Governors Ball. However, it's now time for the thing I'm sure a lot of you have been waiting for: the desserts!

This year, Sherry Yard, the executive pastry chef and author of several cookbooks, including Desserts by the Yard, is concentrating on wonderful little bites. There are solid dark chocolate Oscar statues, almond-apricot petit fours, edible bubbles — yes, bubbles! — shortbread Oscar-shaped cookies, chocolate truffles and more.

We recently got to chat with Sherry — who is quite delightful in real life — and she told us all about the dessert menu and prep. To check out the video, and see loads more pics, read more

For the last five years, Sterling Vineyards has created special blends specifically for the Oscars. The blends, which are the Red Carpet Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon and the Gold Standard Reserve Chardonnay, are limited to 350 cases of each and are extremely exclusive. Unless you sneak into to the Governors Ball, or have someone sneak a bottle out for you, you won't even be able to taste it. Luckily, I was able to taste the red during the press preview, and it was a dangerously smooth, well-rounded cab with a hint of chocolate, berries, and spice. Hollywood's elite are going to have a good time with this one!

And although you can't get your hands on one of these elite bottles, you can treat yourself to another vintage from Sterling. They have several different varieties — both whites and reds — and a price range that fits any budget.

Recently I had a chance to sit down with winemaker Chris Millard. He explained the exclusive wines and how they're developed. To check out the video, read more