George Rose (born December 23, 1952) is an American photographer and writer whose career has included work for the National Football League, Rolling Stone, Time, Life, Newsweek, Sports Illustrated, USA Today and the Los Angeles Times. He spent 20 years in the California wine industry, holding prominent public relations positions while amassing a significant body of award-winning food and wine photography. Early career A graduate of Ganesha High School in Pomona, California, George Rose's newspaper and photographic career began in the early 1970s when he worked as a copy messenger for the Pomona Progress-Bulletin. In 1974, Rose was hired as a staff photographer at the nearby Claremont Courier. Following a 1977 staff photographer stint at the Louisville Courier-Journal, Rose moved back to Southern California to become a staff photographer for the Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times It was at the Times that Rose honed his photo skills and developed a style covering a variety of national and worldwide news events, major sports and fashion, with a special emphasis on Hollywood and popular culture. Rose was twice nominated for a Pulitzer Prize while working at the Los Angeles Times, first for his 1979 photographic coverage of the Malibu fires, and also in 1980 for his coverage of the presidential election. National Football League Beginning in 1983, Rose spent 15 years as a photographer for the National Football League, covering regular season, playoff and Super Bowl games. Virtually every weekend was spent shooting at least one Sunday NFL game and, on many occasions, Monday Night Football. Special emphasis was on photographing the Joe Montana and Steve Young eras at the San Francisco 49ers, as well as the Oakland and Los Angeles versions of the Raiders. Rose was member of the elite official NFL Super Bowl photo team, providing game coverage for 13 of his 15 years. Freelance work His freelance photography from 1985-1991 was featured in Rolling Stone, Time, Life, Newsweek, Sports Illustrated, USA Today and the Los Angeles Times. Rose is a recipient of a World Press Award for his aerial photograph of the 1987 Whittier Narrows earthquake. Rose's career included other interests as well. From 1983 to 1985, he co-owned and published the Mendocino Grapevine, a general interest weekly newspaper in Mendocino County, California. Wine industry It was during his time in Mendocino County that Rose met members of the Fetzer family, owners of Fetzer Vineyards. In 1991, Rose