There is something magical about pie. Its uniting crust. Delicious innards and heart stopping fat content.
I think the magic also comes from making said pie with a nice person. Collecting the ingredients in a cross-town Sunday dash and putting them all together, to share with some wine and good friends.
Anita and Ben from Rancho Deluxe invited myself and the infamous Kris Wood around to the garage for a Sunday evening pie sharing session. We consulted “Stephanie”, the all encompassing cook book and set our minds on a good old fashioned chicken and leek, with stewed apple and custard for dessert. It was a little trial and error, but really, it all turned out pretty swell. I need to work on my lattice. Perhaps we shall just have to hold another pie night?
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GENERAL INFORMATION FOR WEDDINGS IN THE UK
Wedding Venues and Function Rooms
Weddings can take place in the UK at a Church or Chapel, a Synagogue a Mosque, a Temple, or other religious buildings including a function room, the Society of Friends (Quakers and the Kingdom Hall or a Catholic Church. Other religious ceremonies include Asian and Sikh weddings, Muslim, Indian and Henna and Mendi celebrations. You may have a renewal of Vows ceremony, a blessing or a Civil Partnership ceremony. Venues for civil ceremonies may include function rooms, a hotel, where marquee may be set up in the grounds; a Stately Home, a Museum, University, a pubs restaurant, or entertainment centres such a theatre, a tower, an ice ring, football clubs and stadiums, cricket clubs, sports halls, village hall, civic centre, or the London Eye and cafes. Many golf and country clubs now have a license for a civil wedding. Ceremonies may be conducted by a Registrar, a vicar or priest, or religious elder or ship’s captains.
Wedding Dresses Formal Wear and Suit Hire
Attire for weddings include the bride’s wedding dress, Matron of Honour, bridesmaids and flower girls dresses. Men’s suites may be bought or hired. Top hats and tails may be worn. Formal menswear includes suites for the Groom, the Best man, Ushers and Pageboys. The Bride’s Mother will choose a special outfit as will the father of the Bride. A bridal wedding tiara is usually worn and can be set by the hairdresser or makeup artist. Wedding rings and jewellery will have been chosen before the wedding day.
Wedding Cars
Wedding cars are often hired for the occasion and the popular models are Rolls Royce, a Bentley, Beauford, Jaguar or a Mercedes. Limousines are popular including a stretch limo and colored limo’s such as a pink Limousine. Classic or vintage cars are a popular choice for couples who are getting married and wish for something special on their day. Other couples will choose to have a horse and cart as their desired method of transport.
Wedding Themes
Many couples set an active theme for their wedding. This is often based around a colour or colors. Black and white, cream or blue and red are popular choices. The balloons, table decorations, favour, stationary and wedding invitations can all be designed around these colors.
Wedding Accessories.
Other important items for consideration at a wedding are the flowers; a specialised florist stocks beautiful wedding flowers and can make the bridal bouquet, flowers for button holes and bouquets for the Grooms mother and the Mother of the Bride. During the wedding breakfast at the reception some couples choose to have a Toastmaster to introduce the people and those who will be giving a reading of a poem or one of the speeches. An old wedding traditional includes the attendance of a piper with bagpipes or a chimney sweep. A choir, harpist or piano player or a string quartet or wedding singer may be hired for the occasion. Most couples have a wedding cake although a chocolate fountain is a popular choice in addition to or including a cake for the menu. Fine wines, champagnes and Bucks fizz may be drank a the reception. Wedding presents and gifts may be left on show at the venue. Evening entertainment can include a mobile disco with a DJ and a casino.
Wedding Photography
A professional wedding photographer can capture the celebrations with a set of photographs. These can be presented as loose prints, photos in a wedding album or a storybook album. They can be supplied on a Cd or DVD disc copyright free for printing on a home computer of at a high street shop.
We love the downtown Winston-Salem blog for keeping our name out there while we work on getting open. Thank you!
This article is cool too because they are also supporting Gusto who is in the fabulous building on the corner from us. If you look at the picture, you can see the corner of our blue awning behind the Gusto store.
We’re mentioned in there along with the fact that our building has vinyl siding on it. We have no idea what it looked like before the siding but we have no control over that. That’s a decision for the building owner to make, not the tenant! It doesn’t detract from the charm of the inside of the building and I hope they will come visit us anyway!
http://npaper-wehaa.com/yes-weekly/2010/03/09/#?article=789502 This was a little blurb that showed up in Yes Weekly.
The lesson of the week this week was that wine and yoga don’t mix and I need to treat my body nicer. All week I was drained. Some of that drain was not my doing, some of it was. For the bazillionth time, maybe I have learned a lesson.
I felt somewhat exhausted early in the week because my dog was waking me up in the middle of the night several nights in a row to go out. I knew something was wrong and it turned out she had a bladder infection. A trip to the vet and some medicine and she was on the mend and I could sleep again. Right? Wrong.
Tuesday night I did a stupid thing during dinner, I drank way too much wine.
Wine normally doesn’t bother me, then again I don’t usually drink that much with my dinner. Tuesday night, after what was actually a really good yoga class, I had some pasta and poured too much wine. My friend Debbie bought the bottle for me for my birthday. The wine had a particularly high alcohol content 15% alcohol by volume, which I forgot while imbibing. I had a glass and then another. I should have just said no. But, I thought there was only a teensy bit left in the bottle. So, I poured another glass. Bad move.
Regardless of whether there was just a little bit left or not, I was already buzzed. I didn’t realize it immediately, but then I noticed I wasn’t as agile as I should have been. (read stumbling) The decision to pour the final bit was such a bad mistake and I paid for it. I could have just dumped it down the drain, but no I couldn’t do that. Stupid.
I slept so poorly during the night. I was already worn out, and the wine made my sleep restless. I don’t think I ever fell into a deep sleep and I woke up feeling like I’d been through a war. I made it through the day Wednesday, but I was very low energy.
I went to yoga on Wednesday night hoping for a great class. What was I thinking? I always try to do my best physically, but I felt like I had weights holding me down. Class was difficult and I couldn’t figure out why. Duh? Then of course it came to me; dumbass you drank way too much and you felt like shit all day. Why I expected my body to perform at peak condition during class I have no idea. But, at least I may have sweated out the alcohol that was polluting my body.
I don’t drink nearly as much as I once did, but I still drink some. I like red wine. But, this week’s yoga class experience makes me realize I need to treat my body better. I’m not saying I’m giving up the vino because I think a little red wine is good for the heart. That’s what my mom always used to say. But, too much is definitely bad.
Yoga is about being aware and being in the moment. Often, I know I can get caught up in the moment and lose my awareness. I was enjoying the red wine a little too much and wasn’t paying attention to my body telling me, ‘hey, you are stumbling a little bit you idiot!’
When I was younger I drank a lot and treated my body badly. I smoked for a long, long time. I felt compelled to smoke and drink because my friends did, but I could have been my own person and not done what everyone else did. I wasn’t that strong. It’s a cliche, but I wanted to be cool. I kept smoking until I learned my mother had lung cancer. I stopped. She died. It’s been about 8 years since I smoked. Now it repulses me. The smell is awful and it just looks nasty.
I drank too much too and that really isn’t an attractive thing. I’m definitely not an ascetic and don’t plan to cut alcohol out of my life, but for the most part I have learned to curb my habit.
Having friends (triathletes, marathoners, yogis) who take care of their bodies has benefits because they don’t do things to harm themselves, like smoking. And, they may drink, but if they are going to run, swim, bike or do yoga the next day, more often than not they aren’t downing mass quantities of booze when they go out. There’s always an exception, like the weekend when there was a whole slew of birthday celebrations. But, mostly my friends are too busy to be boozing. The positive influence has had an impact on me.
Back to the yoga, though. Since my yoga practice has gotten deeper I don’t want to eat really bad stuff or drink a lot because the whole point of doing the yoga is to get healthier physically and mentally. What’s the point of trying to improve your body only to pollute it? I still have food challenges, like craving cheese fries on a rare occasion and my cookie habit – I’m working on it.
But, I really try to limit the amount of processed crap I put in my body now. I’m still making progress and I’m not perfect. But, I eat a lot more vegetables and fruits now than I probably ever have. I have even started eating spinach! That is huge for me!
So, now I plan to limit my wine drinking. I’m not saying I’m not going to drink a glass with my dinner on occasion, but I think I will make the occasions fewer. It will be a good experiment to see how I feel sans alcohol. Thank god the wine is all gone that will surely make it easier!
Clifton-based Papadeli have just announced the dates for a series of wine tasting sessions that they are running at the deli this year. These tasting sessions follow on from similar events that they hosted last year with wine expert Raj Soni.
Further details of the sessions are below – to book, simply email info@papadeli.co.uk with details of the session that you’d like to attend, or phone them on 0117 973 6569.
The wine tastings with Raj Soni last year were superb. Raj is former chairman of the West of England Wine and Spirits Association and is a font of fascinating knowledge about wine. His style is easy and humorous and suitable for all – from novice to connoisseur. The wine is accompanied by delicious papadeli food and the atmosphere is always jovial.
Here are the dates for this year.
Start time 7.30pm
21st April
Burgundy, including Cotes Challonaise, Maconnais and Beaujolais. £35.
18th May
Spanish wines. £30.
22nd June
Loire and Alsace. £25.
21st September
Italy with focus on Tuscany. £25.
26th October
Bordeaux. £35.
23rd November
Champagne, sparkling wine and sherry accompanied by delectable festive foods. £45.
Whew! Yesterday I was in AZ and now am in CA. Let’s backtrack, eh? Get cozy. Seriously. You’re about to read two days’ worth of stories.
Yesterday after I woke up and ate a marvelous plate of eggs, I debated between staying home and going out. I chose the latter, though it did cost me ten dollars to take a taxi one mile or so down the road to the shopping mall. The weather was fantastic and I wore a sundress which felt fabulous. Nobody was home except the dogs and I wanted to bust the cabin fever, so I did what every girl likes to do…shop. After an hour or so, Jake’s friend Anna picked me up and we cruised to Scottsdale so meet Jake at work. I got to see more scenic passes through the valley and the sun felt fantastic. Scottsdale, I learned, is a big city, but it is big in length. Going through the towns is quite lovely. It’s just awesome to see how different things are. Anna and I had lunch at Chik-Fil-A (first time ever) and then we parted ways. Poor girl was in a tizzy about not having her paycheck, and by tizzy I mean ready to deck someone in the face. I do hope she got it, otherwise I feel very sorry for anyone who was responsible.
You may be wondering, “Oh Naseem, why ever did you go meet Jake at work?” Well, you see, yesterday we commuted to San Diego, so we rented a car, and I needed to drive the rental car back to Jake’s while Jake drove home in his car. No big deal, right? Not until I saw Jake whip the car around the corner and pull next to his Civic. No big deal that we drove a frickin 2010 silver Mustang to California. Awww yeah ladies and gentlemen, we rode in style, and this girl got to breeze down AZ freeways behind that wheel with the radio blasting and the biggest shit-eating grin on my face. I. Felt. Fabulous.
We got home, packed, changed, got directions to Bengt and Bitta’s (Theresa, if you will) place (friends of Jake and Kate), then left almost as soon as we came. Despite a few holdups earlier, we made great time in getting ready and hit the road between 5:30 and 6:00 p.m. From the Phoenix area, it’s about a six hour drive to San Diego, but the trip was made bearable by good company and even better conversation. We peeled out of the valley area and drove through Maricopa before we hit I-85 W, and it was here that I really saw the desert, even asking Jake to pull over so I could photograph the mountains and cacti, completely disregarding my open toed sandals and the possibility of snakes and other creatures. By the time we got on the open stretch of road that would carry us into California, the sun was beginning to set, the mountains were turning purple and hazy, and I experienced a sliver of the otherwise vast sensation of what it might have felt like to be a cowboy or a New Englander in the 19th century meandering Westward into the vast depths of our nation. After a while, we pulled into a rest stop for bathroom purposes, and I wandered around photographing the sun actually lowering herself over the desert, finally tucking away beneath the horizon line so all that was left in sight were blue and violet washes in the sky kissed with streaks of glimmering copper clouds. By this time, it was dark, and I felt content with the desert photos I had. We piled in the car and continued Westward. We stopped again in Yuma, AZ to eat and stretch, and it was here the drive got interesting.
The road we took (85 W) grazes the U.S./Mexico border by about five miles or so. Yuma is about, oh, approximately thirty minutes from the AZ/CA border. Jake and I stopped at a gas station and ate at Jack In The Box, which was good but oh so greasy. We felt refreshed after the food and I bought myself a too-sweet hot chocolate, but hey, it’s vacation. We then piled back into the car and continued. Shortly after leaving Yuma, we came to a check point of sorts, indicating that we approached the state border. It wasn’t much of a check. We went through a toll lane and the gentleman at the booth asked us where we were coming from. We answered “Phoenix” and he waved us on, wishing us a good night. All was dandy and then about fifteen minutes later, we noticed that traffic started getting slightly backed up. Then we noticed the bright ass lights rigged up alongside the road. Another check point, although it looked makeshift. Patrolmen were walking along the shoulder with drug-sniffing dogs. No speaking was involved here, you simply drove by very, very slowly, the dog would sniff the vehicle as it passed, and if old Fido didn’t start barking up a storm, you were waved on. At first it seemed like it was a rather epic event but ended up being a little disappointing. We did, however, see ATVs cruising around to our left, shining lights into the bushes, and Jake explained to me that Border Patrol ride ATVs at night looking for illegal crossers sleeping in the shrubs. On our left we saw nothing but vast blackness and occasionally, bright lights indicating the country border check points.
After these escapades, we started ascending into the mountains. The pressure change was annoying at first. We climbed 4ooo feet just zooming along on these roads. There was nothing but utter blackness and I could see every star in the sky. I craned my neck at odd angles to gaze upon them. Seeing the silhouettes of the mountains against the velvety blue of the night sky made me feel small and insignificant and filled me with admiration and reverence.
When we came out of the mountains, we had about thirty minutes left of the drive, and oh what a lovely thirty minutes, as we had descended into the San Diego valleys and the lights just glittered as we drove on. We reached our destination in the Del Mar neighborhood shortly after 11:00 p.m., where we were greeted by Bengt and the chipper puppy, Rossi. He showed us around and we had brief conversation before all three of us retired. What a lovely home in a lovely neighborhood. The best part? The comfy bed. I fell asleep almost immediately after hitting the sheets.
This morning we woke up shortly after 9:00 a.m. and sauntered downstairs where I met Bitta, a sweet woman with pretty eyes and the nicest disposition. She insisted we make ourselves at home and help ourselves to whatever we fancied. Wishing us a good day, she departed for work and we set about making eggs and toast and coffee. Rossi jumped at our ankles and we had a lovely morning. After breakfast, we washed the dishes, cleaned up, and got ready for THE BEACH THE BEACH THE BEACH. A trip to Target was required and Bitta lent us her GPS, TomTom (Watson, we call him, for he has a mild British accent), who led us in a loopdeloop around several highways and local streets, unnecessarily complicating the commute to Target. By the time we were ready to actually go to the beach, it was nearly noon.
The day was spent at Mission Beach, about fifteen minutes away from the B & B resort. Primarily a college beach with white sand, tan skin, and clear water, it was probably the most beautiful one I have been to. There was a rollercoaster on the boardwalk too and some shops, but different from other boardwalk shops I’ve seen on the East Coast. Also, this was a monumental first trip to the Pacific Ocean for me! The parking gods blessed us too, as we found a spot in a public lot right across from the main street that divides the parking from the ocean, and we secured a spot right near the entrance. The beach gods also smiled upon us, because not only was it a clean beach (minus all the washed up seaweed, miscellaneous oceanic flora, and buzzing creatures above said flora), but it was not busy at all. We found a good spot to hunker down, and after slathering on sunscreen, I ran into the waves much like a child. They were cold, but I didn’t care. The seaside is my holy place, its waves my deities, and I always feel so calm and content whenever I am near them. Temperature does not faze me and I felt so lucky to be splashing around in clear water. Many seashells and rocks were collected and many photographs snapped. We stayed on the shore for a few hours, then packed up and sauntered along the gorgeous boardwalk, with its marvelous properties and beautiful people. We ended up exploring on top of a jetty but I felt slightly nerve wracked hopping from rock to rock. I kept thinking I was going to slip, fall, bust my knees, bust my camera, misstep and tumble, but it was fine. Slow going (barefoot at times), but great actually. I got some splendid photos.
Around 5:00 we left the beach and got a taste of California rush hour. After getting back to the B & B resort, we showered quick and departed shortly thereafter to University Heights to visit my Aunt Victoria. What an adorable neighborhood, really old and battered with a charm of its owns that no hoitey toitey neighborhood can match. Auntoria was cooking away in the kitchen and her house, though tiny in size, was big in warmth and attitude. The three of us schmoozed and drank wine and feasted on her fabulous appetizers. Eventually I ended up taking her headshots for her business cards and we had fun deviating from this track and taking silly pictures. Auntoria is a licensed acupuncturist and a shaman so she showed me and Jake her new “toys,” which include a moya drum and tuning forks tuned to planetary frequencies. Her new dig is sound healing and we had a blast being zenned-out by her forks, so much so that we ended up getting sleepy. After a great evening with lots of hugs and laughing, she sent us on our way. Jake and I stopped in Normal Heights, the adjacent hood, to a funky coffee shop so we should buy beans for Bitta and Bengt as a thanks-for-lettings-us-chill-here gift. We got home, oh, around 11:00 ish, and I started writing this at 11:15. It’s now 12:05.
Tomorrow is our last day here. We plan on taking a trip to the Meditation Gardens in Escondido and spending another day on the beach before departing this beautiful city at 6:00 p.m. or so. We had entertained the idea of taking a day trip to Los Angeles to visit friends and see the city, but that would require getting up in five hours to avoid traffic. Yeah not happening.
Thanks for sitting tight and reading! If you went through this whole thing, you deserve a high five. Vacation ends Saturday, but look for a new post Friday-ish.
Patrick and I went to wine country in October and visited this adorable vineyard in the Anderson Valley. (Sidebar – if you’re going, Anderson Valley tasting by FAR outshines Napa Valley tasting.)
Anyway, Husch vineyards was a beautiful experience. The most adorable little cottage tasting room and some truly amazing wines. It was the first place we ever actually, REALLY considered doing a wine club. The wines were fabulous… Their Chenin Blanc is so romantic and we shared a bottle of it on the beach the next day (all the while fighting off sea gulls and Ivy’s prying hands).
We decided to bring home their 2007 Gewurztraminer. A wine that I’m usually not a big fan of. Well, today, St. Patty’s day, almost exactly 5 months later,on the first day of 2010 that was darn near 70 degrees, we finally cracked the bottle and were *so* not disappointed. It was smooth and velvety and absolutely perfect…(and yes of course we drank it over ice, in the sunshine, because that’s what we do in our house).
I’m on my third glass, toasting the close to a gorgeous day, and I think I’ll go sit my tired booty down, open my book and savor the flavor baby.
We’re thrilled to have some rounds of the first goat cheese of the season from Blue Ledge Farms in Vermont. Join us on Wednesday, March 17 from 5-7pm at the Brooklyn wine store to sample this cheese along with Valencay, a french goat cheese, both paired with our Sauvignon Blanc from Yellow + Blue wines. The wine will be poured by the founder of Yellow + Blue, Matthew Cain!
Goats naturally produce milk after they kid in February, which means that one of the first harbringers of spring for us is the first arrival of these fresh goat cheeses. Lake’s Edge is mold-ripened goat’s milk cheese, aged three weeks in a 1.5+ lb wheel. This cheese is wonderfully tart and creamy. We’re especially thrilled to taste it paired with wine as it was named one of “100 Best” Cheeses by Wine Spectator magazine in 2008.
For eight years running Ginger and Nutmeg and a crew of very spicy friends have trudged up the Lake O’Hara access road in March. The conditions have varied every year from deep winter to nearly spring. The equipment ranges from light to touring to teli and alpine touring – this year the gals got really smart and went in on snow shoes. Everyone arrives parched, hungry and feeling like they have accomplished something and they have – 11kms of hills!! This year’s crew included Cilantro and Mr. High Maintenance, Curry Murray and Mr Curry, Mountain Pepper and Cayenne, Cinnamon, the salsa twins, Oregano and his lovely wife.
Why is Lake O’Hara a slice of paradise? So many reasons;
An endless amounts of great BC wine – the group tried very hard to get to the bottom of the supply
Gluten free offerings included a flour-less dark chocolate cake on arrival from Mrs Oregano
Arrival snacks including; salt/pepper/lime chicken wings and mini croque monsieurs (ham and cheese melts)
Four course dinners including; sesame crusted halibut, cauliflower soup, NY striploin, 120 strudel, blueberry custard tart
Hot showers
Steamy saunas
More than anything it is the incredible scenery, lack of crowds and the chance to get into the back-country for some turns. This year was over the top! We lucked into 25cms of snow early in the week topped off by 20cms on Friday through Saturday morning. Then the sun came out and the group was treated to two “blue-bird” days. So the hangovers were quickly cured and the blisters quickly forgotten. Our trusty and very patient guide Mike got the daring and energetic into “epic” powder on Saturday.
The weekend was full of laughs, a guitar concert by the staff, a raging dance party and the requisite gals vs boys charades game. The gals were victorious again, in case you were wondering.
Lake O’Hara is paradise summer or winter. Check it out for yourself. http://www.lakeohara.com/
I love wine. For years I said I wanted to learn more, but aside from drinking it I did very little. In Knoxville, a group of us celebrated the release of Beaujolais Nouveau each year with a case of wine, some bread, cheese and grapes but as I got more ‘real’ jobs that fun celebration got tougher to plan. In grad school, I’d participate in wine tastings with friends and enjoyed it, but didn’t really learn about what was going on. Then, for my big girls weekend before getting married, we went to Sonoma. A fabulous weekend with my closest girlfriends from a variety of circles in a gorgeous setting cemented it for me: I needed to learn more. What is it about wine that makes it special? That can unite people with little in common simply by sharing the experience of the taste? That allows this beverage to develop throughout the ages yet still remain so true to its centuries old roots?
A while ago, A and I started tracking what we drank — even taking pictures and occasionally posting on a blog just for us. Then, I started taking classes at UC Davis, then the Northwest Wine Academy. The more I learn, the more I want to experience and learn. After completing about a year of studies, I decided to take on my first exam that would include blind tasting: the WSET Advanced course. I just started the prep course work this weekend and already have enjoyed it. I definitely view the studying as work, but it’s also like solving a puzzle or receiving a piece of a story where you can’t wait to read more to find out what will happen. Over the weekend, we blind tasted 30 wines. All were interesting, some were gorgeous in bouquet, a few were truly outstanding examples of what can be. I feel incredibly fortunate to have the opportunity to explore the world of wine. It’s a different kind of rush than racing my bike or hiking to a great look out, but also very rewarding. Like key moments in those active endeavors, I can recall the moments celebrated with wine, as well as moments celebrated because of a wine moment (the perfect pairing on Christmas Day comes to mind).
I do not know where this path will lead (currently dabbling in the business/marketing side while interning on the production side) but I know I love it. I also know that no matter how many times you taste the same wine, there’s always something new to discover and explore.
Now if I can just ace this exam next month and convince A to move to Tuscany with me… yeah, yeah.. that’s the ticket! Cheers!
Edition 28 has enough posts to be moving along fine. I counted 8 tasting notes of which none I have attended. I would say three of them were very much worth attending and the rest were okay. I will figure out a system for doing tastings also. I have got the other stuff being photo and video out of the way and are systematized now leaving me with figuring out my tastings and events and then I will be fully buried under my own work but will be able to manage them week to week. No thanks to anyone who has helped and that is 100%. As I was promised when I lived and did my blog stuff in San Francisco none of my blogs are ever promoted from a San Francisco base nor are supported for one simple reason I was told. San Francisco media is all about gay this and gay that. If I don’t speak the gay talk and promote San Francisco as from the view that is approved by the gay special interest of that local, I was promised I will never be promoted. That has been held true but everyone believes things that may not be true and San Francisco is not a gay city but has a large gay population. Other things can go on that are not relating or supportive of that special interest. Other people can be as aggressive and hostile toward the gay interests as they are toward neutral and non-gay entities. In other words, I can simply say f…. you to all of them and what they are and believe and do my own work. NO SPECIAL INTEREST OWNS SAN FRANCISCO. And that is all there is to say. I will be doing events and tastings all over as soon as I organize them and should go well. Everything else has gone great and the only problem has been most of what I do tends to be very large in size and volume and requires solid systems to handle and manage or will not work. That has been the problem and has been solved to handle my writing (by the many systems I have invented) and now my photographs and video clips. I will figure out a way to handle dozens of events and tastings weekly with or without help. 2010 will be a good year and I don’t have to support any special interest to do my work or even acknowledge they exist. F… special interest.
*This post belongs to this week’s edition of Wine by Cush Magazine blog and published early in World of Cush also.
I must say, it is extremely hard for me to keep up with this blog. I write so much for work, that when I do get around to write for fun -it seems like work. I have even found myself questioning ideas, punctuation, etc., with the fun stuff. Not fun. The following is a blog that I wrote for my work blog. When I submitted it for approval, I got the thumbs down. My piece was called a rant, which was too controversial and attacked the people who we depend on for wine ratings. I didn’t think it was a rant–but when i gave it to my co-worker, she felt it was a little tough as well. Posting it here will help me feel as though my hard work hasn’t gone to waste.
Isn’t that Obscure?
Wine has been around for thousands of years- and wine critics just as long, describing the nuances of the wine they experience. So it shouldn’t seem unusual to see reviews of wine that are quite outlandish, even laughable. In an effort to avoid being vapid or circular, it seems as though the reviewers have created their own language. Can they do that? Sure! Our pop culture has created an environment where popular words and phrases tend to become legitimate. But, in an effort to be creative, don’t let the professional wine writers unknowingly ostracize you. Trust your taste buds.
To illustrate the unique language some wine writers employ, I went to a popular wine website and read through ten ratings. Here are a few of my favorite descriptions: “minerally with hints of tar, incense and hot stone weave in and out.” ; “crammed with loganberry and linzer torte flavors laid over dense but polished structure.”; “ Pungent aromas of slate, violet and black currant are immediate and intense.” Original? -Yes. Interesting? -Certainly. Appealing? -Not in all cases. Their job is to report flavors and sensations as creatively as possible, good or bad. And who knows, someone might be looking for that special bottle of wine, crammed with hot stone and slate aromas…we’re not here to judge!
In the end, it is my advice to all the common winos not to despair when your taste buds don’t measure up to a critic’s large spectrum of descriptions. If all you taste is berry, so be it; there’s no need to invent a type of berry to prove to the guy next to you that you like wine. I’m sure he’d appreciate a subtle nudge with a, “this stuff’s good!” rating.
I don’t drink much domestic pinot noir but I taste an awful lot of them and I actually like a lot of what’s coming out of Mendocino, the ”true” Sonoma Coast, Santa Rita Hills and Oregon . After I tasted this wine, I was curious to read what Robert Parker had written about it. I wasn’t expecting to be surprised (I wasn’t) but as much as I disagree with his taste on pretty much everything, I need to spot check these wines every once in a while. Here’s his review: ”The 2006 Silver Belt Cuvée Natalie Pinot Noir from a Sonoma Coast vineyard appears to be top-notch. It exhibits rich, medium to full-bodied flavors of forest floor, black cherry, raspberry, licorice, and earth.” RP 94-96 Forest floor and earth? I know those are descriptors that you want to write when talking about pinot noir but the wine should actually display those qualities if you’re going to say that it does. He must have an amazing palate if he can discern those notes through the alcoholic, oaky nose. All I got was spicy oak, heat and a flabby, short and hollow glass of wine. I have no ideas what this wine costs but Kistler is never cheap.
Its a geat time of the year to live on Concession 13. Tundra Swans returned on Wednesday (March 11) and can be seen just west of Townsend. The Chambers have opened their pancake house and are serving their wonderful maple syrup with pancake breakfasts (8:00-2:30 weekends). The winery is open 10:00-6:00 at 1449 Con 13 (519-443-8787) . We have 2 fruit wines, 3 whites and 2 reds available to sample. http://www.villanovaestatewinery.ca
One of my best friends is flying into Portland tomorrow and I’m so excited! We haven’t seen each other for almost 4 years, but I know that as soon as we sit down together and start chatting it will be like no time has passed at all.
I love that. That simple, authentic connection that knows no time line. It’s rare and so precious.
We have a number of VERY important things to do while she’s here:
1. sushi
2. mani pedi’s
3. talk all night
4. drink far too much wine
5. repeat number 4
Since our house is on the market and is too tiny for guests we rented a super hip retro house from VRBO for the weekend. Check it out here. Can’t wait!
My cold is still here but I’m determined to rally!
Ahh, Texas wines. Produced in the nation’s second largest state and fifth largest in wine production, Texas wines are some of the finest around made using the best grapes availa… Well, kinda.
Now, I know that the prices of our wines are quite good, and most of them are under $10, but a greater-than-what-I-would-like-to-know amount of the juice in those wines isn’t even from Texas at all. If I can get a wine from California for under $10, why is my $10 merlot from a Texas producer not Texas juice? Yeah, I know that a lot of people import grapes from other areas of their state, but to import grapes from other states or other countries is kinda phoning it in. How can you make Texas wine without using Texas grapes? They should just put those wines in the junk, er… bulk wine section. (*throwing arms back, raising eyebrows* ) – Not that there’s anything wrong with that. I just would like the Texas wine section at your local wine department of choice to carry true Texas wines. I will give Texas winemakers some leeway though…
We have one of the most difficult growing regions in the northern hemisphere. Texas grape growers have to put up with very hot summers, potentially very cold winters, hail, tornadoes, hurricanes, high winds, and hail. Most climates only have a one or a few of these challenges to deal with. Why then do growers and wine makers try to produce wines from grapes that aren’t hearty enough to survive our rough climate? We need to be planting grapes with thicker skins and the ability to hold up to a very hot growing season (primarily). Syrah, Grenache, Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Viognier, all do well in the Texas hill country and high plains, but they’re a smaller percentage of what is available from Texas. If you want some better Texas wines stick with wines that are from the grapes previously mentioned, or mention the use of Spanish or Rhone or even some Italian varietals.
Probably the other biggest challenge for Texas winemakers is the market. Texas is able to get a lot of fantastic, highly allocated wines of the world. Naturally, these wines can be quite expensive, and still hard to find. As awesome as they are, most people prefer a smooth, fruity, and sweet to off dry finish to their everyday wine. The demand for Texas wines to appeal to the majority of Texans is only natural. Fine, go ahead and make the stuff. Making wine for the masses is a sound business practice. The Robert Mondavi winery makes wine in the entire spectrum of quality and prices. Surely they make the most money from their lower end wines allowing them to make their good stuff and keep the price (mostly) reasonable. Folie a Deaux does the same, making Menage a Trois, enabling them to make 90 point wines at a decent price. But they use locally grown grapes, from their own state. It’s do-able, so why can’t we do it, too? If you’re gonna make the cheap stuff and call it Texas wine, at least use Texas Juice – and then make some good wine for the rest of us!
photo is from Dallasnews.com
If more people read this, it would make more sense for me to say this, but I am challenging our wineries to make wines that are truly from Texas and to be made with grapes that will thrive in this state. That’s it!
Y’all come back now, ya hear!
~ the Hungry Wino
Texas is a state of mind. Texas is an obsession. Above all, Texas is a nation in every sense of the word. ~ John Steinbeck
I was sipping wine while sitting on a patio overlooking a tranquil beach’s turquoise water, suddenly a thought ponders my mind as I pour another glass of wine. The art of wine making is what my mind is brooding. When i think of wine all I recollect is beautiful vineyards, a walk in a cloud (movie), red red wine (UB40), intensive aroma, wine cellar, mature acidity and accessories like bottle and cork. It is often a notion that winemaking only reflects romanticism, but here the winemaking hard work begins. I put my self for a task to learn all about it, finally after my obsession and continuous questioning my partner decided to make it real. A month back we visited a vineyard owned by his friend’s father in Karnataka. I was shocked to learn that Karnataka, is the second largest wine consuming state in India. The first place falls to Maharashtra.
Grapes for Wine
Red Wine
As we reach our destination, the lush green vegetation of grapes in the vineyards looked like a view from the movies. I was educated a crash course on how location, sun, climate, terrain, soils, vines, rootstocks, irrigation systems and pest management controls plays an important role. Believe you me, it is not an easy task. What was most intriguing was the hand harvesting, this is done to protect the grape’s juice content. Awareness about wine is growing rapidly in India, people are learning the health benefits of Wine. Mr. Sharma told us that famous grape “stomp” helps the wine to achieve its intensive aroma, mature acidity, rounded tannins and the most important a full body.
Then came the part of learning the art of wine tasting, i was enlightened by
White Wine
an expert at the vineyard that once you get going on this perfect indulgence, there’s no end in sight. Look, smell and taste were the three mantras of wine tasting. This learning adventure did created a deepen admiration for both wines and winemakers. Mr. Sharma informed me that cabernet sauvignon; one of the finest wines in India comes fro the home of Grover Vineyards. He further stated, the majority of the index consisted of French wine making traditions of Bordeaux. Finally i asked him the question that was dwelling my mind, what are the points one needs to remember when visiting a wine merchant? To this he graciously advised the rules first being the preference of taste and second pairing wine (red or white) with meal.
Cheers to Independence
Drinking wine has become more womencentric these days in India, as women have achieved to attain an individual mark in the society. Professional women in high paying jobs, needs a tonic that helps them relax, unwind and get rid of distress. The young entrepreneur women of this era have developed a suave taste and know how to enjoy it. India has a great future in wine as, one of the leading fruit processing company called Shimla Hills may venture into wine selling.
In spite of the busy weekend I did manage to finish the 5th True Blood book late Monday night.
Book 11: Dead As a Doornail – Charlaine Harris – done!
The story was a bit slow to start and not as exciting as the first four books, but it still managed to be interesting and I was biting my nails through the last 60 pages or so. There were some exciting developments in the love triangle, but I won’t talk about them. I wouldn’t want to ruin the surprise for those who haven’t read the books. More and more often I wish I could shut out the world and immerse myself in True Blood. How nice it would be to be left alone with my books, Soph and a cup of coffee (or a bottle of wine). I wouldn’t resurface for weeks.
Speaking of wine…
Julia and I watched Lost with a bottle of Redwood Creek 2007 Chardonnay last night. The wine was light and fruity, but until I read the label I couldn’t connect the sweetness with the fruit! Apple! How strange and delicious! More please…
Monday was an eventful day…and now I will relate to you what happened after Monday morning’s wine tasting.
The group of buyers, winebloggers and journalists traveled via bus to visit three vineyards who produce Barbera d’Asti wine. These were, Marchesi Alfieri, Tenuto Il Falchetto, and Tenuta La Pergola—all were wonderful hosts offering their wines for tasting, accompanied by delicious assortments of locally produced breads, salamis and cheeses.
Villa Basinetto, just on the outskirts of Asti city, was the venue for an elegant wine tasting event and a grand dinner where the producers, buyers, journalists and winebloggers came together at the end of a long wine tasting day. The producers who displayed their wine offerings in the evening event, were the same producers who offered the wines we tasted in the morning session in Asti. Exciting for me is to know who is producing what. Here we see the face of the producer behind the bottle so to speak—up close and personal. I had the opportunity to taste the best Barbera d’Asti wines, of all constitutions and character, and to discuss at length with the producers themselves the intimate nature and technicalities of their wines. Of course, the technicalities of marketing were discussed as well. I met so many winemakers—these are relationships to cultivate and cherish. Since I live in Piedmont, I consider myself as one of the lucky ones partaking in the journalist, buyer group—it makes it that much more personal.
Several winemakers caught my attention. Especially worthy of note are both the Barbera d’Asti Monferrato and Barbera d’Asti Superiore from Tenuta I Quaranta, owned by Annalisa Battuello.
Another favorite are the Barbera d’Asti Superiore offerings from Castello di Razanno. The most exciting Ruchè I ever drank is definitely from Franco Cavallero’s Cantine Sant’Agata. And, Guido Damilano’s Barolo wine is the most soul warming. But there are tons more wine to taste and enjoy and I definitely have more favorites.
The grand dinner event, yes, that is the way to paint the picture. I was so impressed by the Piedmontese hospitality and the food served. We all sat at large round tables where we had active dialogue with each other. I dined with two wine producers Dogliotti of Castagnole Lanze (AT) and
Mr. Carlo Sacchetto of Bric Cenciurio and journalist Ivo Kozarcanin of Croatia. Our dinner table had the richest and most interesting conversations of everything that had to do with wine, truffles, Piedmontese food, and much more.
I love the way the Piedmontese present their food, as I have much experience at this. In Piedmont thye aim to present nouvelle cusisine, but with a definite Piedmontese nature: the ingredients consist of food elements things typical to the region. Our four course dinner began with an appetizer consisting of a beautiful plate of mille feuille of beef tongue and foie gras together with small cubes of porto gelatin. This was followed by a delicious potatoe, borlotti bean and maltagliati pasta soup. I noticed around the room that many people were craving second servings of the soup—it was very stomach warming. Absolutely exquisite was the main dish which followed: old vintage Barbera d’Asti stewed beef with polenta (cornmeal porridge). This meat dish was out of this world. I have always been a fan of Piedmontese stewed meat, but this was sooo delicious the way it was cooked in the sauce containing Barbera d’Asti wine. In Piedmont there exist many recipes where various meats are stewed for long periods, using different types of wine. And, finally, our dessert was a pasticcio of hazelnut sweets—these were special hazelnuts however—coming from the Langhe region. Hazelnuts are king in Piedmont as far as nuts go, and usually everytime I eat a dessert in a Piedmontese restaurant, hazelnuts are always present. Then of course as we waited between servings wea ll entertained ourselves by conversing and drinking an assortment of Piedmontese wines form Moscato to Dolcetto to Barolo, etc. etc.
The evening is one I will always remember and again I thank our hosts and hostesses for this wonderful dinner event.
I saw my sister today. I forgot to take a pic, which would have been perfect but I forgot so, I had to dig into some saved photos.
She has a cute back side? But I’m really starting to notice a trend …
Is that another wine glass?
But she sure is talented!
And pretty!
So, I talked to her about designing my blog. She’s a talented little Yorkie loving graphic designer and of course she said she would. I’M SOOOO EXCITED! She even said that her and her hubby (I think she calls him “honey bunny”) are …
Aren't they cute!
…talking about having kids in the near future. I simply can’t wait!!
We want to extend our thanks to all of you who attended our Lodi Wine 101 Social last night at Rulis’. We had a great time, and the wines were great! As an early reminder, we will be hosting the Grand Debut of the Wine & Beer Shop opening this Thursday evening at Rulis’ (318 N. Mesa, El Paso, TX) starting at 5pm. We will have live music by West Side Bohemians starting at 7pm. Please come out, and enjoy the music, as well as great food and wine!
I decided to go “down under” for some Chardonnay. Or rather, I just bought some that had been brought from down under to my local market. Not as exciting that way, but much more convenient. In the past, I have enjoyed Australian Chardonnays for their big bold flavors. And Black Swan?
Vineyard: Black Swan
Wine: Chardonnay
Vintage: 2008
Appellation: South Eastern Australia
Price: $6.99
Notes: Lots of citrus on the nose. Flavors were citrus, citrus, and more citrus with a hint of pineapple in the mid palate. Some toasty oak notes and light nutmeg on the finish. Although it didn’t have some of the bigger tropical fruit flavors I have come to anticipate in an Australian Chardonnay, I thought this wine was OK. After all, sometimes those big tropical flavors I mentioned can be unwieldy and attack the palate rather than excite it.
Important: I am not a professional sommelier or wine connoissuer. I have taste buds, however, and know what I like. Please do not consider my thoughts to be an endorsement or diminution of any particular wine. You should always judge for yourself as likes, dislikes, and taste are very subjective.
I have updated the map of the wineries in the Sonoma Valley and surrounding area. If you click on the label “view larger” it will take you to the map page. Here you will see a larder list of the wineries, pins marking the spot of the wineries, and if you click on a bubble (pin) you will see various data about the winery.
Here is a link to the map: Link to Map of Sonoma Wineries
To round out our layover in San Francisco, the Husband and I wanted to get a local San Fran beer in the city before heading back to the airport. Back in downtown, we plugged in “beer” into google maps and found Johnny Foley’s as a spot not too far away from the BART station.
Once we entered, we went through the door that said “bar” (I think the other was for the restaurant) and were greeted with a host stand advising that we would be seated by the host. He asked us if we’d be having dinner. Since we were only having us a drink, he seated us at a “bar.” However, this bar was merely a shelf, near the bathrooms, with three stools in front of it. Hmm.
We took a look at the beer and wine menu and were disappointed to see that they had only one local beer – Anchor Steam. The others were the more traditional Irish brews or American beers (which makes sense for an Irish bar, but with a great beer selection in San Fran, we were hoping for more diversity). The Husband decided to go with the one beer (even though he’s had it before – he was hoping to try something new). None of the beers were speaking to me, so I decided to order a California wine. I went with the BV Century Cellars. (Looking at the online menu, I’m so disappointed the menu in person didn’t match! I would have gone with one of my fav Chardonnays – Toasted Head).
Blah! This wine was not my cup of tea! I rarely dislike wines I try, but this one had a watery first taste, and then an aftertaste I didn’t enjoy (I couldn’t pinpoint the flavors). I ended up barely drinking half before we left
Overall, we were unimpressed with our experience at this bar. If there were happy hour specials, we didn’t know. Our waitress barely gave us the time of day, since she “knew” from the beginning that we’d only be having drinks. Who’s to say we didn’t plan on having multiple drinks? That could have easily added up to the cost of a dinner. But we weren’t given the chance.
The only positive of our experience was the decor. Lots of things for me to play with the DSLR on. Particularly in our corner (where lighting was poorer), I got to play with more settings attempting to make better photos (definitely not great photos). So, if anything, check out this pub for its decor.
One last tidbit to add to our mood, although not the bar’s fault, is a “fee” added to our bill. A 4% service fee for a “healthy San Francisco?” Really?
I think this photo of the Husband explains our feelings.
Okay, that’s all from San Francisco. Follow us as we explore Australia!
We’re thrilled to have some rounds of the first goat cheese of the season from Blue Ledge Farms in Vermont. Join us on Wednesday, March 17 from 5-7pm at the Brooklyn wine store to sample this cheese along with Valencay, a french goat cheese, both paired with our Sauvignon Blanc from Yellow + Blue wines. The wine will be poured by the founder of Yellow + Blue, Matthew Cain! 
I must say, it is extremely hard for me to keep up with this blog. I write so much for work, that when I do get around to write for fun -it seems like work. I have even found myself questioning ideas, punctuation, etc., with the fun stuff. Not fun. The following is a blog that I wrote for my work blog. When I submitted it for approval, I got the thumbs down. My piece was called a rant, which was too controversial and attacked the people who we depend on for wine ratings. I didn’t think it was a rant–but when i gave it to my co-worker, she felt it was a little tough as well. Posting it here will help me feel as though my hard work hasn’t gone to waste.
Images via Spencer
Monday was an eventful day…and now I will relate to you what happened after Monday morning’s wine tasting.
And pretty!
We want to extend our thanks to all of you who attended our Lodi Wine 101 Social last night at Rulis’. We had a great time, and the wines were great! As an early reminder, we will be hosting the Grand Debut of the Wine & Beer Shop opening this Thursday evening at Rulis’ (318 N. Mesa, El Paso, TX) starting at 5pm. We will have live music by West Side Bohemians starting at 7pm. Please come out, and enjoy the music, as well as great food and wine!
