Coast to Coast with Heather Dawson — Episode 144

California Wine Month & The Rise of Temecula Valley Host Heather Dawson opens the show celebrating California Wine Month, an annual statewide harvest event now in its ninth year. Producing ninety percent of all U.S. wine across more than one hundred distinct growing regions, California stands as the fourth largest producer in the world. This environmental leader in sustainable vineyard management rolls out the red carpet each September. Highlights include Lodi’s road trip passport for regional discounts, San Luis Obispo County’s four-day Sunset Savor the Central Coast immersion, and Madera County’s annual tasting receptions.

Further south, the broadcast shines a light on Temecula Valley, one of the state’s fastest-growing wine destinations. Located just twenty miles from the ocean, cool breezes sweep through the Rainbow Gap each afternoon to create ideal growing conditions for Mediterranean, Rhône, and Italian varietals. Temecula stands out as one of the few places where guests can stay overnight right among the vines at boutique vineyard hotels, take horse-drawn carriage tours with the Temecula Carriage Company, or take advantage of the $35 SIP Passport. The segment wraps with a look at Crush, the valley’s premier food and wine gala held on September 14th.

Curved TVs: Cutting-Edge Tech or Pricey Fad? Next, California Live tech expert Maril Lee Kern, executive editor of The Lux List, joins the program to weigh in on curved televisions. While curved displays generated significant buzz at the Consumer Electronics Show for promising an immersive, theater-like experience, Kern urges caution. She breaks down the critical distinction between true OLED models—which are thinner and genuinely curved—and LED models, which make up most of the retail market but carry inflated price tags without true curved architecture.

Beyond price, Kern highlights practical drawbacks, including geometric distortions on standard programming and subtle viewing angles that force viewers to sit unnaturally close to the screen. With consumer skepticism mounting over whether the picture quality justifies paying two to three times more than a standard flat screen, Kern recommends waiting two to three years for OLED technology to mature and prices to drop before making the investment.

Healthy Back-to-School Lunch Inspiration As families gear up for the new school year, reporter David Wy examines the daily challenge of packing nutritious lunches. A recent survey by Nature’s Harvest Bread reveals that eighty percent of mothers rank nutrition as their top priority, yet getting kids to eat healthy foods remains a struggle. Celebrity chef Kelsey Nixon steps in with creative “sandwich art” concepts designed to get children excited about whole grains.

Nixon demonstrates playful, easy-to-make designs, including a scrambled egg and toast “chicken” for breakfast, a peanut butter and banana “monkey” for lunch, and a “lion” made with cheese and carrot manes. Packed with at least eight grams of whole grain per serving, Nature’s Harvest helps parents meet daily nutritional goals without sacrificing flavor. Parents can also enter their own creative designs into the Nature’s Harvest Sandwich Art Photo Contest on Facebook before September 6th for a chance to win a home kitchen crash from Nixon herself.

Hamilton Family Brewery: Risking It All for Craft Beer The show moves to Rancho Cucamonga for an inspiring small-business spotlight on Joshua and Kristen Hamilton, founders of Hamilton Family Brewery. Driven by Joshua’s love for homebrewing and bringing friends together, the couple took a massive leap of faith to open the city’s very first microbrewery. To fund the enterprise, they sold their home, their car, and their children’s toys, moving in with relatives to bring their dream to life on 7th Street.

Their sacrifice paid off with a thriving, family-friendly taproom that feels more like a local workshop than a standard bar—complete with open roll-up doors, board games, and house-made root beer for kids. Hamilton Family Brewery prides itself on using only all-natural, real ingredients, pureeing whole watermelons for summer brews, fresh oranges for their signature 909 ale, and organic mangoes for their double IPA. Every label also honors local history, featuring iconic landmarks like Sapphire Falls, Route 66, and the Cucamonga Peak.

Disneyland’s 60th Diamond Celebration Treats Closing out the hour, Audrey Stafford visits the Disneyland Resort to sample exclusive culinary creations for the park’s 60th anniversary. Chef Kane Latrell leads a step-by-step preparation of the Meyer Lemon Crème Brûlée Tart served at the Blue Bayou Restaurant inside Pirates of the Caribbean, complete with caramelized diamond crystal sugar, fresh blueberry compote, and a chocolate stencil logo. Stafford also previews popular collectible merchandise, including the Mickey balloon popcorn buckets, park-specific travel mugs, Dinoco oil-can sipper cups, and the famous “ugly pies” at Flo’s V8 Cafe in Cars Land.

Episode 144 airs nationwide starting the week of Saturday, August 21, 2026. Check your local listings for broadcast channels and regional weekend airtimes.

Watch it here on our Coast to Coast YouTube channel!