wine log

A Visit To Orvieto, Umbria

2010-03-22T17:14:00.000+02:00

Yesterday we went for a day trip to Orvieto in Umbria. Orvieto is in southern Umbria not far from the border with Lazio. This beautiful town dates back to before the Etruscans and its position on top of a volcanic plug means that it has a natural defensive position without the need for a city wall.

Natural Defensive Walls, Orvieto, Umbria

After a fairly relaxed start from our home on the Tuscany Umbria border we arrived in Orvieto at around 12.30. There are car parks higher up but I like to park at the station and take the funivia up into the town. You buy tickets in the station bar (€2 return), head across the road and make your way onto the funavia, a railway going up the very steep slope towards Orvieto. There is one carriage at each end and they are connected with a system of cables so that the weight of the descending carriage helps to pull the ascending carriage up. Use the same ticket to get on a bus up to the Duomo, there should be one waiting as you arrive.

Funavia, Orvieto, Umbria

We alighted from the bus outside the Duomo and as it was already lunch time, headed for a leisurely lunch at the Ristorante Zeppelin, a trattoria in the maze of streets leading off from the piazza del Duomo.

Ristorante Zeppelin, Orvieto, Umbria

After lunch we wandered over to the steep cliffs that form the natural boundary of the centro storico and looked at the views across the surrounding countryside.

View From Orvieto, Umbria

Slowly, we made our way back through the streets of Orvieto towards the Duomo. If you wander off the main shopping streets it is easy to get disorientated but there is always something interesting to look at. Most of the buildings in Orvieto are made from tufa, a soft brown yellow volcanic stone that can easily be shaped into blocks.

Tufa Tower, Orvieto, Umbria

We didn’t have time to do everything in Orvieto, so we missed out on climbing the Torre del Moro from the top there are more superb views. We also missed out on the Underground Orvieto tour which takes you down into a network of man made caves in the tufa below the city.

Torre del Moro, Orvieto, Umbria

The main shopping streets are full of shops selling the famous white wine, Orvieto Classico, salamis and cheeses and brightly coloured maiolica pottery.

Maiolica Pottery, Orvieto, Umbria

The Duomo is by far the most striking building in Orvieto, unlike most of the town, it isn’t built from tufa and the green and white striped marble throughout the interior and exterior echoes that of the Duomo In Siena.

Duomo Facade, Orvieto, Umbria

The facade is stunning, at the base are medieval carvings and higher up are relatively modern mosaics that make liberal use of gold leaf which lights up in the sunlight. The whole facade has been compared to a triptych, a painting on three panels, usually used as an altarpiece.

Medieval Carvings, Orvieto Duomo, Umbria

The vast interior has glass and travertine windows to provide illumination, the thinly sliced travertine stone windows look amazing with the light behind them, you can see the patterns in the stone as the light shines through.

Travertine Window, Orvieto Duomo, Umbria

Interior Of Duomo, Orvieto, Umbria

Whenever I go to Orvieto I always go to see the frescoes in the Chapel of San Brizio, the right hand transept of the Duomo. The frescoes in this chapel are the finest work by Luca Signorelli, a painter from Cortona in Tuscany. Luca Signorelli finished the ceiling that Fra Angelico and his assistant Benozzo Gozzoli had started fifty years earlier before getting started on the walls where he painted scenes from the biblical end of of the world.

Detail From The Damned, Luca Signorelli Frescoes, Orvieto, Umbria

Luca Signorelli was interested in the human body and strong foreshortening, the subject matter of the Book of Revelations gave him ample opportunity to show off his skill at painting nude human bodies, everyone, from devils to humans looks like they have been heavily working out at the gym.

Resurrection, Luca Signorelli, Orvieto, Umbria

The most interesting scenes show the resurrected as skeletons and bodies coming out of the ground and violence and mayhem as devils carry off the damned and the Antichrist preaches with murder and sin going on in the background.

Read more about Luca Signorelli’s Frescoes, San Brizio Chapel, Orvieto, Umbria

Read about Luca Signorelli’s Frescoes In Monte Olivetto Maggiore, Tuscany

Read about Luca Signorelli’s Frescoes In San Crescentino, Morra, Umbria

The ticket also gives you access to the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo at the back of the Duomo.I wanted to see some paintings by Simone Martini and a Mary Magdalene by Luca Signorelli.

Mary Magdalene, Simone Martini, Orvieto, Umbria

The Simone Martini paintings were beautiful but the subject matter was the usual Madonna con Bambino and various saints found on church altarpiece panels. The Luca Signorelli was a bit of a disappointment, I wondered if an assistant had finished her face, it looked as if it had been slightly squashed to fit within the painting. If you have the time and are interested, it’s still worth a quick look in here.

Mary Magdalene, Luca Signorelli, Orvieto, Umbria

Time was running out so we caught the bus down to the funivia and took a detour down St. Patrick’s well, the Pozzo di San Patrizio. This well was built on the orders of Clement VII, a Renaissance pope, who had been held hostage in Rome by the Holy Roman Emperor. He wanted to avoid the same thing occurring and had the well built so he could hole up in Orvieto if the Emperor invaded again. The well was built with two spiral staircases cut into the tufa, one on top of the other, so that donkeys could go down and fetch water in a continual one way system. The well was never used and became an expensive waste of money, until, that is, modern times, when an endless stream of visitors to Orvieto go down and back up, each paying €4.50 for the privilege! Incidentally, Henry VIII of England was refused a divorce from Catherine of Aragon by Pope Clement VII because she was the Holy Roman Emperor’s niece, this led to England’s split from the Catholic church.

Pozzo di San Patrizio, Orvieto, Umbria

We returned back down the funivia and headed home to the Niccone Valley on the Tuscany Umbria border, about an hour and an half’s drive away.

Tuscany & Umbria Villa Rental

You can easily visit Orvieto when you holiday on the beautiful Tuscany Umbria border in central Italy. A holiday villa, farmhouse or apartment in this stunning area makes a great base to explore these famous regions.

Gorgacce Rentals tuscanyumbria.com have a superb selection of vacation villas, holiday farmhouses and rental apartments for self catering holidays on the Tuscany Umbria border. Look at our website for large Tuscany Farmhouses with Swimming Pools, smaller Holiday Villas To Rent In Tuscany & Umbria and Tuscany Agritourism Apartments With Pool.

We have a selection of Tuscany and Umbria vacation accommodation to suit every budget, take a look at one of our Tuscany Umbria Luxury Holiday Villas or beautiful but Cheap Accommodation In Tuscany.

If you would like to stay in the middle of an Italian hill town we have Apartment Rental in Cortona, Tuscany and Apartment Rental In Spello, Umbria.

Gorgacce Rentals tuscanyumbria.com

Tuscany Villas, Umbria Farmhouses

[Via http://tuscanyumbriavilla.wordpress.com]

Magician James 'The Amazing' Randi: I'm Gay - Towleroad, More than ...

Ruby Anniversary

2010-03-22T11:19:00.000+02:00

When the Boys from Bluebells Bar in Los Cristianos heard that their very good friends, and owners of the bar, Mary and Campbell were about to celebrate 40 years of married bliss, they were at a loss at what to buy them to celebrate.

Jason, chef at Smokey Joes, also in Los Cristianos, had seen the some of the Bottles By Design Mother’s Day gifts and decided that was what he wanted.

A bottle of Pink Cava was requested as a photo supplied and together with red, obviously, and gold ribbon, the result looked beautiful. Much to the delight of the recipients!

Congratulations to Mary and Campbell for reaching this landmark!

[Via http://bottlesbydesigntenerife.com]

VOA News: The jihad against the West is all our fault - Jihad Watch

Strange Food & Wine Pairings

2010-03-22T05:42:00.000+02:00

Today I was making myself a quickie lunch of tomato and rice soup. As I was eating my soup with crackers, I realized something was missing. I couldn’t quite put my finger on craving until suddenly I thought—peanut butter sandwich! I remember one evening back in Bloomington when I went over to a friend’s house for a chili supper and they were serving peanut butter sandwiches on the side. My family didn’t grow up eating chili this way, so the pairing struck me as odd. Peanut butter and chili?!? But I gave it a try and you know what? It was GOOD!

My experimentation with tomato soup and a peanut butter sandwich made me start to think about wine and what kind of wine would go best with a peanut butter sandwich. Food and wine pairings are similar because opposite taste sensations can make the best pairings! Take salty and sweet for instance. A classic food and wine pairing would be brie and Champagne (salty + sweet).

But what about even stranger food combos?

In a recent article in Imbibe magazine, “Pair & Share: From takeout to home-cooked, how to choose wines for the way you really eat,” they explore fun and interesting food and wine combinations.

Chips and salsa with an off-dry German Riesling.
Sparkling wine with French fries.
Fried chicken and Sauternes.
Burgers and a Spanish Tempranillo.
Pizza and a Chianti classico.

And the perfect match for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich? Well, I had to do my research to come up with the answer, but one sommelier suggests an Argentine Torrontes. A dry, spicy white wine, Torrontes has the perfect amount of acidity to wash down the peanut butter. Or try pairing sweet with sweet by choosing a white wine like Riesling or Chenin Blanc.

The best way to find a perfect pairing is to play around with flavors until you find something you like, however there are a few rules of thumb to follow when doing food and wine pairings:

Match the weight/richness of the food and the body of the wine. Ex) Red meats with full-bodied, tannic red wines and white meat or fish with white wines or light-bodied, delicate reds.
Match the flavor intensity of the food and wine. Delicate wines and powerfully flavored foods don’t pair well together.
Match acidic foods with high-acid wines. Ex) Italian food and Italian wines go together well because both are dominated by acidic flavors—think tomatoes, olive oil, lemons and vinegar.
Match sweet foods with sweet wines. Late-harvest wines and Muscat-based wines are called dessert wines for a reason!
Avoid combining oily or salty foods with high-tannin red wines. Salty foods are best when enhanced with a touch of sweetness. Ex) Prosciutto and figs, Fino Sherry and salted nuts, etc.

Now it’s your turn to experiment and discover your perfect food and wine pairing!

Cheers,

Jess

[Via http://bemerryevents.wordpress.com]

Exciting news! « Richard Wiseman's Blog

Linfield Road Wines

2010-03-19T23:05:00.000+02:00

This is the second of 2 cellar doors I visited on my recent Barossa trip . Williamstown is on the southern edge of the Barossa and it is the way I travel to Tanunda and the other parts of the Barossa.

This is definitely a family affair with a real sense of history here. The Wilson family grape growing business started in 1860, by Edmund Major Wilson and that makes the 2010 vintage the 150th vintage on the property. They have 2 rows of extremely low yielding Shiraz with the remainder of the vines between 30 and 60 years old. The current incumbents of this history are the 4th and 5th generations of the Wilson Family. Since 2002 they have been making their wine under the Linfield Road label.

They have seen a need for quality meeting place for the locals so they are filling that need with their “Friday Unwind” nights once a month during the warmer months with Food, Music and Art – plus of course wine. The view from their cellar door area is wonderful with vineyard on one side and forest to the other. Check out their website that includes details of coming events.

2008 “The Steam Maker” Riesling ($A18)

The offerings from 40 year old vines are made into this wine. The nose had some developed kerosene aromas with hints of apple still coming through and the flavors were lighter than expected but the citrus base was coming through plus the acid was obvious. I felt this wine was just entering the “dumb phase” ie going from the up front fruit phase to the developed phase – so I would like to try this again in about a years time.

2009 “The Dear Nellie” Unwooded Semillon ($A15)

Straight away I knew this wine was going to be my favorite white wine here. There is an abundance of lemon aromas and flavors with a wonderful tangy acid and lemon/lime zest finish. Uncomplicated and yet complex and just made to eat with fresh seafood – you know the big plate of cooked but not peeled prawns and bugs with lots of seafood sauce and big bowls of lemon water (to wash your hands). Very messy but bring it on!

2004 “The Dear Nellie” Chardonnay ($A12)

A 2004 Chardonnay??? Is this here because they cannot sell the wine? Questions I posed to myself – but after trying the wine, who cares. The wine was surprisingly fresh and the portion of wooded material (this wine is the last of their wooded whites) set the wine well. The cedar tones of the oak combined with melons and citrus peel on the nose and the flavors followed with the oaky citrus mouthfeel working well. The wine’s freshness combined with the richness of the oak treatment means that it would work well with Bruschette.

2005 “The Dear Nellie” Chardonnay ($A12)

I have always thought that Chardonnay needs some oak treatment to get the best from the variety. This wine just strengthened this long held view. The wine had closed aromas and the flavors showed the expected melon characters – but while I was drinking it I could not help but feel there was something missing.

2006 “The Monarch” Merlot ($A22)

The founder of the family vineyard, Edmund Major Wilson, was a butterfly collector – so the name of this wine is dedicated to the founding father’s hobby of collecting Monarch Butterflies. The wine is true to variety with plums and cherries, with a slightly bitter finish. Unfortunately, this wine did not improve my view of straight Australian Merlots – just not for me.

2005 “The Slab Hut” Merlot Cabernet Shiraz ($A22)

While the main cottage was being built James Wilson lived in a simple Red Gum Sleeper Hut – that is still on the property today. The wine is 60% Merlot, 30% Shiraz and 10% Cabernet. Again, like the straight Merlot, this wine was not for me.

2005 “The Black Hammer” Cabernet Sauvignon ($A22)

The name comes from that James Wilson was a partner in the local blacksmith. Back on track with this wine with the black fruit aromas and flavors one expects from Cabernet. The fruit characters are reminiscent of a dark fruit cake. There is not a lot of oak flavors so definitely no oak monster on the palate here, however there is a good acid length here. I am thinking red current glazed lamb loin chops would work well with the fruitiness of this wine.

2005 “The Stubborn Patriarch” Shiraz ($A25)

Scottish Captain Andrew Wilson was “dismissed” when he refused to call out “God Save the Queen” when captured the British. This wine is made in reference to this ancestor’s stubborn nature. I found the aromas quite closed with the flavors kicking in nicely. The mouth is full of plums, raisins and black fruits. The oak is well integrated and the palate finishes with soft tannins. Hard to go past a steak going well with this wine.

2005 Edmund Major Reserve Shiraz ($A65)

2 rows of 100 year old vines, producing at a quarter of a tonne per acre. The wine is let sit in new french oak for 2 years to get enough character to off set the concentrated fruit from the old vines. The nose is just oh so concentrated fruit with the cedary tones of the oak. The flavors are just complex layers of plums, black fruits, oak with plenty of acid length. This is a wine to savor in another 8 to 10 years with a meal if Beef Wellington. The complexity and texture of the pate in the dish would go well with the layered complexity of the wine.

2008 Ratifia ($A22 350 mL bottle)

This different wine sparked my interest – a wine made from Riesling pressings and before fermentation is completed neutral grape spirit is added to achieve 16% alcohol. The product has an unusual tropical aromas with lifted fruit flavors (apricots and peaches). There is some bitterness of the alcohol here but it is almost masked by the sweetness (which is not cloying). I can imagine this wine being popular at their wine food & music evenings.

2006 “The Man About Town” Fortified White ($15)

To start a fortified wine can be a long journey, to get the old complex wines, so here is a method to sell some young wine while starting down the path of the classic tawny styles. On this basis they only draw off enough wine to bottle a few dozen at a time when needed. The aromas and flavors are reminiscent of butterscotch and caramel and as expected the overall mouth fell and viscosity are lighter than the classical tawny style. Some nice aged cheddar cheese and share this wine with a few friends would be good. I would like to see the offerings in about another 5 years to see how the fortified wine blending goes.

[Via http://lonelygrape.com.au]

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Music, Sports, Nurse Ratched and Beethoven all in a Petite Sirah

2010-03-19T17:45:00.000+02:00

When I listen to Fur Elise by Beethoven, I hear a beautiful, seamless flow that is both resolute and reflective. It is a piece that is quite moving and graceful. When I play the piece on the piano, the fixity of the timing is very striking. The piece sounds so meandering and flowing, yet is quite precise.

I recently attended my son’s honor band performance at a local theater. One of the visiting band conductors commented that, ‘In baseball, you can hit the ball 50% of the time and that’s considered a good batting average. In football you get 4 tries. In band you get 1 try, and 90% isn’t good enough. On the other hand, there isn’t a 350 lb tackle coming at our soloists, so it all balances out.’ But the point is, to be good, a piece of music must be played with precision and accuracy. Even music that sounds unstructured, must be played with precision. Music is a precise art.

For my birthday this year, my parents sent me a bottle of Pedroncellis’ Petite Sirah. Petite Sirah, not to be confused with Syrah, is a grape that is not on Mark Oldman’s list of wines from light to heavy. But if I were to place it, I’d put is somewhere after New World Cabernet Sauvignon, but before Barolo. It’s a very heavy wine with lots of tannins.

The Pedroncelli Petite Sirah is a very grown up glass of wine. It is structured and balanced. There is nothing fruity about it. If it were a person, Pedroncelli Petite Sirah would be Nurse Rachet, strict, and humorless, yes, but also very focused, disciplined and intense. The color is a deep purple red. The nose is peppery, cedar and the flavor has hints of licorice. The finish is long with great tannins. “When I first tasted this wine, I was at a dinner party. My hostess poured me a glass. I took one sip, and that was it. I didn’t want to talk. I didn’t want to eat. I just wanted to sit and experience the wine.’ That’s what my friend, Betsy said about the wine. That’s a good glass of wine. And she makes a good point. This wine is so intense and precise, it commands your full attention, like a great piece of music.

[Via http://foxress.wordpress.com]

Roger Ailes To Fox News Staffers: No Trash-Talking Beck, 'Defend ...

Borie la Vitarèle

2010-03-19T05:24:00.000+02:00

Borie la Vitarèle Les Terres Blanches

France (Languedoc)

grenache (80%), syrah

www.borielavitarele.fr

Anyone looking for a clear demonstration of the effect of terroir on wine need look no further than this gem of a domaine down a narrow road just a few kilometres outside the village of Causses-et-Veyran. The surroundings are modest, but the wines are anything but. They are to be found on the wine lists of several very fine restaurants throughout France.

Jean-François and Cathy Izarn have 60 hectares, 15 of which they cultivate. Since 1998 the approach has been biodynamic. The beauty of the property is the diverse soils to be found here — limestone mixed with clay, schist, fossil pebbles from what had once been a river bed — and the distinct character they impart to each of the cuvées. The soils are healthy and alive, yields are kept low, harvest is by hand, work in the chai is carefully managed. Borie la Vitarèle is deep enough in the country that it escapes any chemical blow-over from other domaines. Nature has nowhere been compromised.

Jean-François is an artist, not just in his wine-making. We sit at a long table to sample his wines, surrounded by his paintings in progress. He also has a particular interest in growing bonsai. He is a chef, and with his wife operates a ‘ferme auberge’ on the property. A man of many interests and talents, someone for whom viniculture is part of a broad world view.

The individual character and complexities of the wines of Borie la Vitarèle are impressive. There is not one — from the lighter-bodied, summer-drinking La Cuvèe des Cigales to the much deeper, limited-production Les Crès — that wouldn’t find pride of place at any table. Neither do they bear any pretensions. Their prices present the opportunity for everyone to drink well. These attributes would seem to be a natural extension of the process that brought the wine to the bottle, a reflection of the philosophy that let to the creation of Borie la Vitarèle.

Among the wines set out for tasting is Les Terres Blanches. All the wines leave a lasting imprint, but I am particularly taken with this one, and decide to further the experience with a full bottle. (Another time, and it could have equally been Les Schistes or Les Crès that held the day.) It’s ironic then that a few days following, as I am due to uncork it, Languedoc is blanketed with snow. Les Terres Blanches indeed! A rare occurrence, perhaps 20 years since such an accumulation. The local people don’t quite know what to make of it. The young woman at the boulangerie next door seems not quite as amused as her Canadian customer. But then, I have the comfort of very good wine.

Borie la Vitarèle Les Terres Blanches 2008

Young, but with great character, Les Terres Blanches holds forth in a manner that belies its age. It is a wine that would suit many occasions — easy drinking (while looking out on snow) to an elaborate dinner with friends (Jean- François suggests Mediterranean cuisine). There is a subtle rustic air, with tannins well on their way to smoothing out. Such interesting depth in such a recent vintage. Not profound, not endless, but richly authentic. The careful work of a vigneron able to get special qualities from his terroir. As with any exceptional wine, the charms of the fruit — here, the spice, the compote qualities — are in good measure, but it would seem to be the clay-limestone (‘argilo-calcaire’) mix of soil that offers up something extra, giving the wine its distinctive, enduring appeal.

Not the wine nor a day of snow melting on palm trees will be forgotten.

[first two photos by ACM]

[Via http://onebrilliantbottle.wordpress.com]

Nexus One | News and Updates

TREKKING NEW ZEALAND KNOW THE TRUTH

2010-03-17T17:09:00.000+02:00

The Truth About New Zealand

Read these websites before considering going to New Zealand

www.NewZealandOldScam.weebly.com

www.TruthAboutNewZealandWine.com

www.nakedtruthnakedbus.weebly.com

If you, your family, or your friends plan on a trip to New Zealand in the future, especially using a “Working Holiday Visa”, then read this first.

Entry requirements for tourists vary in accordance with the country of which you are a citizen. An American may be granted a 90 day Tourist visa after completing a simple form distributed on the plane and receiving a stamp from the immigration officer upon arrival. The Working Holiday Visa is generally a one year visa receivable after such a visa is applied for through the New Zealand Embassy of your country.

The Working Holiday Visa program is an agreement between participating countries under which individuals under 30 years of age can, with little effort, acquire a visa of varying length and conditions to both work and travel within the host country. It is a wonderful opportunity for those of that age group to travel and live in other countries and support themselves while doing so, provided they are not subjected to illegal or unethical behavior of criminal elements of the host country. In the case of New Zealand, the country failed beginning even before my son William, aka Beau, even landed in Auckland.

Wipe away any of your preconceptions of what New Zealand is supposed to be; the country where the Lord of the Rings series was filmed; a nation in which sacrifice and honor were rekindled among men actually reeks of corruption. A country lush in physical geography, with a population of only four million people and sixty million sheep, a nation ripe for tourism and technological development, cannot seem to see the forest for the trees. What Beau discerned about the true New Zealand makes me wonder if the convicts sent to Australia in colonial times were actually dumped in New Zealand by mistake.

In The Beginning

This story actually begins at the in Los Angles International Airport, California – before Beau even left the United States. At the Air New Zealand check-in counter, he was told, without exception, that before Air New Zealand would allow him to board their plane he would have to obtain a forwarding airline ticket out of New Zealand and the one way ticket he currently held did not fulfill this alleged visa requirement.

Beau pointed out to the ticket agent that his Working Holiday Visa clearly stated, in bold print, that no forwarding ticket was required in accordance with the requirements of the visa. The agent coldly stated she did not care what his visa stated, in bold print, and they would not issue a boarding pass until he complied with the demands of Air New Zealand.

The SCAM of extortion against Beau was set in motion; he was instructed to proceed to the Air New Zealand purchase counter and that an agent there would sell him a one way ticket to Australia for a flight two days in the future, and that before then he could cancel the ticket for a partial refund; Air New Zealand would keep $100 USD of it.

Beau repeatedly argued with these agents but to no avail, so he proceeded to buy the exit ticket from Auckland to Sydney for USD 573.57, an unprecedented USD 300.00 more than the normal rate for either Air New Zealand or any competing airline. With his exit ticket purchased through extortion, and now shorted USD 573.57, he was allowed to board the plane, and he arrived in Auckland the following morning.

As soon as I found out about what happened the day of his arrival I contacted the New Zealand’s immigration office at the Auckland Airport and demanded an investigation into this criminal behavior, wanting to know if the immigration department was in on this SCAM also. Immigration responded within 24 hours, stating they had no knowledge of any problems occurring either at LAX or during Beau’s arrival at the Auckland airport and that, according to the records supplied by Air New Zealand, he had properly passed through check-in and customs without incident.

The full story of what had happened came out within the 48 hours from Beau’s arrival at the Auckland Airport. Immigration’s investigation stated the problem was with Air New Zealand and if there is any doubt regarding passengers entering New Zealand the airline agent is required to immediately contact the immigration office by phone for clarification. My son visited the Air New Zealand office in Auckland the day following his arrival to try and get his money back and was told without any hesitation from the staff they “don’t care” what his visa said; for anyone get on their plane an “onward ticket is required”. This statement confirmed that what happened to Beau was no misunderstanding, rather a calculated con-game orchestrated by Air New Zealand to skim extra profits off the unsuspecting, either through the $100 ticket refund charge or the inflated price of the actual ticket should the individual give up and take the loss on the overpriced ticket.

Air New Zealand did refund the entire amount and apologize for the incident, but only after Immigration was notified along with the manager of LAX Airport and the New Zealand Prime Minister’s office. Air New Zealand is owned by the government of New Zealand, so you best beware of this airline and all business in New Zealand as the rest of this story will show.

Blenheim Slavery

Months before Beau left for New Zealand, I investigated temporary job prospects for him once he got into the country. The vineyard pruning work in the Blenheim looked like a good entry point for him and the websites were numerous offering jobs specifically to backpackers. I picked the company with the best looking website in the vineyard area of Blenheim with this assumption: “What could possibly go wrong in New Zealand with a population of 4 million people, who are vastly outnumbered by the sheep?” There was never as much as a hint as to what my son would encounter before he began to work in the vineyards.

He began writing emails to me regarding what he saw and the conditions under which he, other backpackers, and a previously hidden group of Malaysian immigrants worked. What he discovered was the vineyard owners hired foreign contractors, especially Indian and Pacific Islander, to bring in large groups of Malaysians and other SE Asian groups to work the fields, keeping them corralled up after work in confined locations as prisoners; the contractors confiscate the passports of their new slaves so they could not leave, overcharge them for food, overcharge them for overcrowded accommodation, and then pay them peanuts. Barred from consuming alcohol and chained with absurd curfews, these slaves are not seen in public; these workers are out of sight and out of mind, working long hours and paid far less than the required minimum wage in New Zealand until someone, like Beau, stumbles upon the operation and exposes it to the world.

Backpackers are enticed by ads on the Internet, at such sites as www.BackpackerBoard.co.nz www.SeasonalJobs.co.nz, to work for these contractors and the New Zealand Government promotes the idea of having backpackers come to their country for up to a year on the Working Holiday Visa to work in the agriculture sector. One of New Zealand’s chief industries is tourism, and what better way to expand than for the government to promote the youth of the world to visit and supplement a large labor force in agriculture. If the agricultural industry was all legal, the Working Holiday Visa program would be great for both the government and the backpackers. Sadly, this is not the case; please read the websites my son published before even thinking about working in the agriculture area of employment in New Zealand.

www.NewZealandOldScam.weebly.com

www.TruthAboutNewZealandWine.com

I spent a month traveling through New Zealand in my six month, ’round-the-world backpacking trip, and what I found buffered everything my son had to say. During my stay at my brother’s home in Australia, my brother warned me about New Zealand: “They will try, in any way they can,” he said, “to pick the last dollar out of your pocket before you leave”. This was a good description for what Beau and I were to unveil.

New Zealand is a beautiful, lush, green tourist location, but certainly not unique. I traveled from one end the the other and the best way to describe it is a shrunken version of the the United States. The renowned mountains of south island are like a miniature version of the Rocky Mountains and Alaska and having traveled through the Rockies many times and to Alaska I saw nothing in New Zealand that compared in the size or grandeur of that in the USA.

Christchurch was my favorite city and the outskirts of it were like a time warp. I walked the 6.5 miles from the airport to the city center and the sights and vegetation and the smell were like going back in time to 1950’s New Jersey.

The capital, Wellington, and Auckland further north are port towns with nothing over such similar locations on the pacific coast of the USA.

My evaluation of New Zealand was it had nothing which I had not seen may times before, however pleasant, and I preferred to visit the western USA for its far grander landscape.

The Kiwi People

You cannot understand the people of a nation until you have traveled amongst them in their home country. The Kiwi people are not at all what I expected them to be, coming from British and Irish stock. They are generally a spineless, cowardly bunch that would rather surrender their country to foreign invaders than stand up for their rights. I stayed in hostels during my month in the country and the repeated word I got from the management of the hostels was they did not care for Kiwis either. I sat and talked to the owner of a Subway sandwich shop in Blenheim and he also had nothing good to say about Kiwi workers: they were lazy, undependable, and semi-literate, which sums up the general population; instead, he hired European backpackers exercising the Working Holiday Visa program.

Business owners across New Zealand and I did not trust them as I felt, as my brother predicted, they trying to get the last dollar out of my pocket before I left. I deduce, if there were not foreigners here to actually work, the country’s economy would implode; it will destroy itself because the spineless, non-confrontational, “sweet as” nature of its people who are allowing corrupt foreign corporations and individuals to take over.

New Zealand is an easy target as very few have the courage to do anything and they are usually foreign like my son or a Kiwi with half American or European blood. New Zealand has such a tremendous opportunity in tourism and the development of hi-tech industry, but the petty philosophy ‘grab the fast dollar today and forget about tomorrow’ of local businesses combined with the take over by corrupt foreign businesses is destroying the country.

The bus company NakedBus.com is a perfect example of a corrupt, money-grubbing business that my son has exposed in the website www.nakedtruthnakedbus.com. The few Kiwis that have honest businesses are being hurt by all the corruption and are too frightened of retribution to take a stand. The New Zealand Government is corrupt from it’s highest executives to it’s lowest inspectors. Prime Minister John Key knows full-well of the slave operation in the vineyards and the abuse of the foreign backpackers, but does absolutely nothing about it. The government knows, from the Prime Minister’s office to the local inspector, because Beau and I have repeatedly informed them of the slave trade throughout the winter and spring of 2009 and into the summer of 2010. There is no excuse for such inaction. One very bright German lad I met in Wellington said it best:

“Why should I stay here to work and get abused by businesses when I can go back to Germany where the workers are protected by real labor laws and the pay you actually get is twice that of New Zealand?”

This young fellow, like Beau, is very bright and would be a major intellectual asset for New Zealand. Thousands of such bright minds visit the country each year with the intention of staying, but the New Zealand Government and it’s people piss away their best chance to be a stellar beacon of prosperity in the world…for the fast dollar. My son came to New Zealand with the intention of staying and attending University there, eventually gaining citizenship. After nine months of being cheated, lied to, and extorted, he now wants little from New Zealand. My son’s websites and the following emails he sent to me really describe the Kiwi mentality best. Before you or your children go to New Zealand, you should at least know what your up against:

From: Beau Burdge

To: Chris Burdge

Date: Mon, 18 Jan 2010 00:50:14 -0500

I’ve had no luck job searching here in Taupo. I just filed some applications today, so I will be waiting for a response this week, but I’ve had more problems with one of the foundations of this country: lies. This country is built on lies. I asked at every single hotel, motel, and hostel between my hostel 3km out of town and the town center, and every single place claimed they had no vacancies. Then, a few days ago, the local newspaper came out, and three of those places advertised staff vacancies. I went back to

them the day of the printing of the newspaper and they first denied they had such a vacancy, almost denied the advert was theirs, then claimed the vacancy was filled. I just looked at that Christchurch

article again on the motels closing down and I can tell you now that I am more than happy that they are suffering. Those lying, cheating bastards deserve it.

From:Beau Burdge

To: Chris Burdge

Date: Fri, 05 Feb 2010 23:42:49 -0500

I’m confident I’m already a lot better at technical analysis than I am at finding standard employment. In New Zealand, you are expected to give 110% towards the job so the employer can hand you that extra 10% back in return as their entire contribution. There appears to be no respect whatsoever for the employee. What is very telling is their old Employment Contracts Act 1991, which made the employee and employer equal in the eyes of the law, ensured the right to receive employment records, etc. That was thrown out and replaced with the Employment Relations Act 200(1?) which has apparently stripped the employee of many employment rights originally granted in ECA 1991.

On my website, I write that although the ECA was replaced by ER Act, the complete failure to mention the clauses regarding the employee’s right to employment records means they are still in effect to some degree. That is only being optimistic though.

Read these websites before considering going to New Zealand

www.NewZealandOldScam.weebly.com

www.TruthAboutNewZealandWine.com

www.nakedtruthnakedbus.com

The Root of All Evil

However, to be fair to New Zealand, one more subject must be noted: money. In his travels in New Zealand, Beau found that the most wonderful aspects of the country involved no transaction of any kind, while the worst experiences always revolved around the acquisition or extortion of money.

The Naked Bus debacle was centered around hoarding passenger fares for services not rendered. The Slave Labor in Blenheim is a conspiracy to make large profits. The inactivity of the New Zealand government is due to profitable bribes from major institutions that are the real masters of New Zealand. Air New Zealand scammed Beau and others because it was profitable. What Beau discovered is the moment money becomes part of any situation, it changes it for the worse and the purpose of the interaction between the business and the customer becomes solely the acquisition of wealth and be damned with the quality of product or service rendered.

When a backpacker works for accommodation, as Beau did across the country, he meets the best kind of people. Neither the (honest) backpacker nor the (good) host attempts to short the other. On the other hand, when money rather than service is the purpose of a relationship, he who stands to gain shorts as much as possible he who stands to pay in order to extract maximum profits. This is true for hostels in cities like Queenstown, where local hostel owners and bar managers claim there will be work “in a few weeks” just so the backpacker stay at their hostels and drink at their bars, unpaid, for those weeks waiting for work that will never come. This is true across New Zealand, where a backpacker can go for months without finding any work for which he is “eligible”.

Eligibility should not even be a problem, especially for jobs like washing dishes, shoveling dirt, changing beds, washing sheets (with the help of washing machines), etc. However, because money (wages) is a part of the exchange, the business forgets common sense and focuses on the extraction of profit. It takes a half-hour to train an employee to do any of the above jobs, yet the business sees that half-hour as lost wealth and refuses to hire anyone without “experience”. In the real world, experience in washing dishes, particularly with a dishwasher, is completely irrelevant and it is idiotic to request references for such a position. To cut costs, however, businesses in New Zealand demand references and experience for the most basic, first jobs, so they can spare the thirty minute training session and maximize profit.

You have to have had a first job before you can get your first job.

This is not only the opinion of a backpacker, but also the testimony of a number of Kiwis who themselves cannot find employment; Kiwis just out of high school or college, who are in a tight space – people who have no “work experience”, making them “undesirable”, and in defense must confess their age, being 15-20, to explain their lack of “experience”, thus making them, once again, “undesirable”.

The moment money is not an object, life in New Zealand is wonderful. Working for accommodation and hitch-hiking across the country have been amazing experiences for my son, per his own testimony, but the moment he walks into a store or pays for accommodation at a hostel, the giver is replaced by the deceiver. There are exceptions, but not enough to negate the rule.

William Burdge

Beau, my son and author of the attached websites, is an exceptional young man. He was a straight “A” honor student his first 12 years of school, has at least a genius IQ, has lived in Europe and traveled through it five times, and has the best soul of anyone I have known and all at the age of 18 on his arrival in New Zealand. Below is his college profile for which he won a Discus Award:

http://www.discusawards.com/winner.php?id=1101

William Spencer Burdge

12th Grade, FL

ATTRIBUTES

Academics

I’m a perfectionist. I have been at the top of my class since first grade and that was never enough for me. Discovering how mechanisms work (and how they could work better) is my passion, be they appliances or social systems. I do my research on everything I learn so I know the truth. I find pleasure in learning and satisfaction in using what I know to benefit myself or others, and I enjoy the challenge of debating what I and others have learned, which is in itself a learning experience. If I’m wrong in what I think or assume, I win because I have learned something from it.

Community Service

While my “traditional” community service, the work you do in exchange for recorded hours, is not my specialty, a more potent form of community service is. I am a co-founder of the unofficial Burdge Law Office (no website yet). This started with one website my father and I published about a man who brutally abused my family. This website, and the others that followed, use the open forum of the Internet to tell the truth about individuals and organizations who violate peoples’ rights. Some would call me a whistle-blower, others a muck-raker, but in the end I am standing up for what is right, for my rights and others, demanding justice when justice systems fail, and that is all that matters.

Technology

I have a philosophy about technology: if you can’t invent it yourself, invest in it. I research new technology on a regular basis and I come up with my own ideas that I will put into practice before, during, and after attending university. My passion is to discover the inner workings of devices and ways to improve upon them. For instance, I theorized that falling water power generation would be more productive than standard hydroelectric power with horizontally flowing water. I was told it would not work. Then I got to see the idea in action, both on television and in person while I traveled in New Zealand. Given the opportunity at a university, I will be able to make more of these developed ideas into developed patents.

[Via http://trekkingnewzealand.wordpress.com]

Crackdown 2 dated for July News | Xbox 360 | Eurogamer

New 4* Hotel in Rioja

2010-03-17T11:55:00.000+02:00

The Rioja region is to opened its new, three-suite hotel on March 16, it’s name, Viura, is from the white grape grown around these parts.

The hotel is found in the small town of Villabuena de Alava at the foot of the Sierra de Cantabria. With several terraces with views the mountains and the 16th century San Andres Church it’s a great base for wine-lovers.

It’s a modern hotel in a charming old town, and a glorious area for oenophiles.

Villabuena de Alava has a several wineries including Luis Cañas, Izadi, Baigorri and Arabarte. The town and is only 20 minutes from Logroño.

Internal flights are available from Madrid into the local Logroño-Agoncillo on Iberia Airlines.

[Via http://luxuryuktravel.com]

Mexico-bound tour bus rolls over, killing 2 near San Antonio ...

2 Weeks Til Miss Jacquie Becomes a Mrs

2010-03-17T05:53:00.000+02:00

First, let me say that Jacquie has been one of the most fun brides to work with! We were introduced by my sister, Rachael, and I couldn’t be more happy she did! With less than two weeks until the big day, the task list is long. But we are making speedy progress! Sunday night Jacquie, her mom and my sister all came over to my house to get down to business. What we weren’t expecting was my fridge to die that day. Needless to say, my kitchen was filled with wedding thoughts and lots of warm, thrown away food.

One of the most creative seating charts I’ve ever seen … little cut out squares of paper all taped to ….

A CAPTAIN CRUNCH BOX! Doesn’t get any cuter than this!

First on our list was the programs:

We created a tri-fold program that matches the invitations perfectly (if I do say so myself). These will slip into a sapphire sleeve with a white band around it. I would love to post a photo to show what I’m describing, but that would mean I’ve got one finished. Not so much …. Jacquie still owes me a small amount of content. Once I have that, it’s off to the printer I go to be followed by lots of folding. I’m insane … I love this stuff!

Next on our our list was the guest book:

We went around on this one for a while. We started with possibly two guest books, to a photo frame for signatures, to signed rocks in a pond (decided that with just over 200 guests, there would be WAY too many rocks!) We decided on a coffee book table on wine … to really drive home the home made wine favors. I just finished the guest book tonight. It’s complete with a wide variety of photos and quotes on the fine hobby of wine. Check out a preview here: Preview Jacquie’s Guest Book

Last but not least … center pieces!

I can’t take any credit on this one. It was ALL Rachael. Her and Jacquie put together really cute vases with water, floating candles, glasses pebbles and of course some flowers. SO cute girls … I can’t wait to see the room filled with them!

Not a second to spare, next on the list are wine bottle labels, name tags to slip over the neck of the bottle and finish off the list with place cards. Sunday we continue our tasks with gluing of ribbons on vases and counting of glass pebbles. Ok … scratch the counting, we are going to guesstimate (sorry Mrs Martell!)!

Jacquie is not only going to be a drop dead gorgeous bride, but she is always an amazing woman and friend! And Doug … we’re getting a taxi!

Love Mel

[Via http://mrsbissing.wordpress.com]

Kurtz: Fox News Employees 'Worried' That Glenn Beck Is The Face Of ...

Table for One

2010-03-15T17:57:00.000+02:00

I’ve gotten pretty used to eating alone and no longer hesitate to go out to eat alone. Yesterday I had a rather enjoyable early St. Patricks Daymeal of beer, fish and chip and a good book.

What We Eat When We Eat Alone By Deborah Madison

(read while in Madison, Wi and eating alone fittingly enough)

It reminded me that there can be a certain romance that can exist in the self-indulgence of eating alone. It has occured to me the I feel a little like I’ve forgotten how to cook for someone else. (Now don’t get me wrong, dinner for 10, I still have confidence enough for). But this book, as it described the quirky meals people make for themselves, made me consider my own solo meals. Many of which are as, Madison puts it, “very personal foods… and are not easily shared” Such as my diner before my rock climbing date on Friday: a wedge of laughing cow cheese and two soft boiled eggs eaten with Frank’s Red Hot. Eggs, in any form, though usually boiled and never for long enough, with Frans are one of my most frequent meals. So far what I love about this book is that some how it makes me feel warm and fuzzy, almost protective, about my two egg meals or “wine in the bath” dinners.

I’ve gotten pretty used to eating alone, being alone. Its nice to find something that makes me value my alone time. Instead of just accept it.

[Via http://nobicycle.wordpress.com]

thejetsblog.com » Not News News: Ryan Had Gastic Band Installed

Tempting Food And Beer Are Attractions For Any Dining Place

2010-03-15T11:46:00.000+02:00

Whenever you want to have the best time and fun filled moments, they would not be completed with the right kind of cuisines. These cuisines have an importance of their own and they add more value and worth to any meeting. When you want to meet some one special in a casual and fun filled way then there can be no better place than a café which provides you the comfort of having a conversation with your friend without any problem along with providing the beautiful and superb environment to you. You can always enjoy your sitting in those places because these are such informal places that are perfect for those who want to have the best environment combined with the ease and comfort of sitting at any place. The food of these cafes is usually very delicious and you can have them at reduced prices as compared to other famous restaurants of your area. You can find many attractive deals for the lunch and also for the breakfast that provides sumptuous food to your taste buds. You would be totally lost in the kind of atmosphere that would be created in that place.

There are plenty of other things that contribute towards making these places a perfect place for you. You can easily enjoy your time sitting there even if you are alone and can relax and ease out your mind. You would forget about all of your tensions once you would enter any such place. If you are alone and want to work on the Internet then you can also take your laptop over there and can easily sit there and work as most of these cafes have the facility of the wireless Internet and it allows you to work while having the most aromatic coffee over there.

If you are a fun lover and want to have a little chat with your friend then you can easily invite him over and have the best conversation ever while enjoying this beautiful environment and having a glass of the world’s finest beer or wine in such places. The whole dining experience would be expanded because of these cafes. Some of the cafes are also made at such a place that provide you water views & licensed to make sure that they have the right to make their cafes over this place. This immediately boosts the beauty, look and feel of these cafes and more people are attracted towards them due to the perfect views.

With magnificent water views in the Port of Eden, the Wharfside Cafe has built a widely recognised reputation for the freshness and quality of the food and beverages it serves. For more information please visit: http://www.wharfsidecafe.com.au/

[Via http://wharfsidecafe.wordpress.com]

News Corpse » Karl Rove Confesses: Most Of Fox News Is Unfair

Ten Days In

2010-03-12T23:50:00.000+02:00

. . . in to my 30 days of being dry, that is. No alcohol.

In a previous post, I mentioned that I’d be going dry for 30 days in solidarity with my wife (she’s doing a 30 day diet/exercise regime). In the interest of full disclosure, I must declare that I did, indeed, finish the Cotes Du Rhone that was already opened. Hey! It was open!

Otherwise, I haven’t been drinking at all. I wasn’t sure if I’d want to participate, but, since I went to the trouble of writing it down, I find myself compelled to do the 30 days.

It’s science.

The only effect, so far, has been the realization of how much a habit of drinking wine with dinner has been. I catch myself absently casting about for that mysterious “something” I’m missing. Then I realize, oh yeah, no wine with dinner. And so I have water and that’s been okay.

I’ll probably have a Guinness on St. Patrick’s day, or a glass of Jameson. Or, again, I might not.

Darn science.

[Via http://heednotsteve.wordpress.com]

Wii's Hanabi Festival starts today News | Wii | Eurogamer

Friday round up and the weekend countdown

2010-03-12T17:48:00.000+02:00

Happy Friday all… by which I mean Congratulations on surviving the week Here it’s raining and chilly (so much for that spring weather… but it does give the three short sleeve shirts I own a break), and sanity is waning… So thank you all for sharing your life survival tips. Please take a look at my other blog, focused on the fine line we women professional tread:

http://LifeForward.onsugar.com

Thank you to David who left the following:

A glass of warm, quality whiskey (you’ll never find Jack on my shelf!) always does the trick for me. If something’s racking my mind, by the time I’m bottoms-up, I’ve straightened everything out. Or I’m asleep. Either way, it’s not an issue for at least a couple hours

I’m not a great drinker (Actually what I am is a cheap date… I like appetizers better than entrees, chicken better than fish, and beer waaaay better than wine since wine gives me a headache…even half a glass), so I can only say that the power of sleep is fantastic. Seriously — You get to turn off, let your subconscious deal with whatever is going on and if you’re lucky, wake up at the end of a REM cycle without remembering the weird dream that may or may not hold the answer (or whatever part of the sleep cycle is optimal… I get up at the same time every day so its like sleep roulette).

David, if you’re Jewish and as good looking as your blog is adorably funny (which is a lot by the way), please let me know… After a colleague interrogated me this morning rapid-fire style:

Her: Do you have children?

Me: No (The fact that my office space has pictures of my dog and absolutely no picturs of children probably should have told her that one)

Her: Are you married?

Me: No (trying to walk faster to catch up with ANYONE ELSE)

Her: Do you have a significant other?

Me: No (now fearing that she thinks I’m a. gay or b. the unibomber), Mr. Right hasn’t shown up yet and I’m between Mr. Right Nows

Her: Long lecture on a lot of frogs

Me: (Polite smile, mentally calculating odds of moving offices and/or buying a husband/family online to end awkward conversation and preclude all future encounters)

I obviously need proof that goodlooking (or not deformed) straight single men are still out there…somewhere…

Have a great weekend all

[Via http://shaynaleahk.wordpress.com]

Chaos Theory - Desperation News Network -- Politics Daily

Paul Masson or Dos Equis?

2010-03-12T05:27:00.000+02:00

Everyone has a preference. When it comes to fine drink, some live for wine, others indulge in hard liquor, and many prefer imported beer over both. With so many variations out there, how are you supposed to find the perfect drink that defines you? The options can seem endless.

To choose the right social lubricant, you need a strong image you can count on. A familiar face that compliments the taste. Someone with grace and presence.

If you look around, you’ll find there are very few who can live up to the task. Only two men have proved themselves potent enough to reveal the perfect drink in short, masterful strokes:

The Most Interesting Man In The World…

… and legendary filmmaker, Orson Welles.

Entertaining, influential, and downright classy. What more could you want? Interestingly enough, this is the exact question I could not stop asking myself. For some reason, as much as these suave spokesmen made their impact, I still found myself at a loss. Why couldn’t I find my perfect drink?

Over time (seconds upon minutes), I grew wise and realized what was missing: Reality. That was the problem. These grandiose image makers didn’t feel like me at all. I couldn’t relate. Their effortless simplicity made me feel so common. This discovery was a bit of a downer as I began coming to terms with the fact that I would have to figure this puzzle out all by myself. I was scared and alone.

But as luck would have it, something miraculous happened instead. Little did I know, I had missed a very important extract. As soon as I watched it, my choice came to me almost immediately…

Eureka! Fine champagne. My drink of choice. Stay thirsty or stay French. The choice is yours, my friends.

[Via http://thelbtip.wordpress.com]

Arrowheadlines: Chiefs News 3/11 - Arrowhead Pride

San Felice on a Perfect Day

2010-03-10T23:47:00.000+02:00

A slight rain started our day, but after the sun came out we opened the doors to discover a beautiful day sitting at a perfect 75 degrees. In walked the importers of San Felice to taste us on their library release of 1997 wines. How could the day get any better?

1997 San Felice Vigorello – Big funk on the nose with barnyard and forest floor. The palate was massive with huge dusty cherry, crumbled chocolate, and prune. Loads of earth with black liquorish and crushed stone on the finish. Black currant and spice with wet earth and layers of earthy minerality.

1997 San Felice Poggio Rosso – Ripe blueberries and ripe plums up front with an underlying forest floor and spice. Lavender and red roses add floral complexity and a great earthy minerality finishes the wine out. Chewy tannins and a long finish tell a tale of quality.

[Via http://graileysfinewines.com]

@ Media Summit: CNN's Klein: Fox News Isn't Our Biggest Competitor ...

I own this place!

2010-03-10T05:47:00.000+02:00

So here I am sitting down to write a blog piece for my very own venue – one of the most surreal experiences that I have yet to encounter. For the first time it actually feels like my dream is coming to fruition after many years of late nights, early mornings, great customers, dickhead customers, great mentors, dickhead bosses, drunken staffies, staffies I can’t even remember and those staffies that my dear colleagues will never let me forget! By the way, I’m very disappointed that Microsoft Word does not recognize the word ‘staffie’. This will have to be remedied. Be prepared for an email, Microsoft, I have a sexy new letterhead and a wanky title now!

Seb chowing down while our Chef, Adam, looks on. Yes, he drank that much wine.

So when I started out on this little adventure I was expecting it to be all pornstars, trashing hotel rooms, messy drunken nights, numerous foreign cities – wait a second that was my other dream, being a ROCKSTAR! So I have finally come to the conclusion that being a rockstar might have been a bit more fun but hey I’m in this now so may as well rock it to the best of my abilities, the reality is opening your own bar is bloody hard.

Decisions, decisions, there are just so many to make. You end up relying on so many different people, and these people promise you things, and some let you down and then you’re back to point one – doing it all yourself. Fortunately I have surrounded myself with fantastic people that have been of great help and taken on a lot of the pressure. That said I am still finding myself at home on weekends and waking every night to scribble down ideas.

Being the self confessed boozehound that many of you know me for, I had one primary wish in my very own bar, the ultimate liquor selection. This selection would make many bartenders weak at the knees and have bar owners suggesting a bank-like shutter system come staffies time. I wanted the holy-grail of back bars. Now after many a meeting with suppliers and literally hundreds upon hundreds of liquors tasted Sam Bygrave, Garden Brasserie’s Bar Manager, this wish has been fulfilled, and in just one word it’s Legen….dary! Whilst having an insane backbar provides a great level of bragging rights it has also given Sam the liberty to create a cocktail list that is sure to wow even the biggest of critics, which in most cases are our closest and most dear colleagues.

Now I know Australia is well known for its wines, but golly gosh (am trying really hard not to swear in this piece) it seems like everyone I know has a friend in the wine game that would like their product on the menu. This is a good thing, it just means more tastings! My body is now a finely tuned, alcohol-injected vehicle! Fortunately there is another finely tuned, alcohol-injected vehicle by my side with a much finer palate, Nic Wright, our Sommelier and Restaurant Manager. Nic has put together an incredible list of local and international wines from all over Europe, North and South America as well as some incredible wines from Japan (yep, wine and not sake!).

Luckily on the business side of things I have a business partner (Stephen Gellert) of whom I have the utmost respect, and together we’re slaving away night and day to achieve this mutual dream of a venue on Sydney’s North Shore that provides great food, great drink and great entertainment in a venue that makes everyone feel relaxed and welcome.

Did someone mention food? Well, if you’ve ever had the privilege of dealing with Chefs you will know that many have very… colourful personalities. Ok let’s not beat around the bush, most of them are complete nutballs, on the edge of snapping at any given moment. That said I was very wary that upsetting a Chef in any way could only end badly, remember after all they carry sharp knives for a living! Our Executive Chef Adam Howe, however, has to be the most friendly, mild tempered knife-wielding person that you will come across. He’s almost too nice (got to be careful of those really nice people, seen too many horror movies where it’s always that nice guy).Well, last week I sat down to trial some of the dishes that will he’ll serve up at Garden, and to say that I was blown away was an understatement. The combination of beautiful presentation and sumptuous flavours leaves me, well, hungry thinking about it.

I look forward to opening the doors on this place and sharing it all with you. In the meantime, I’d love to hear from all of you guys following this blog, our Twitter page or our Facebook page and thanks to all of you so far for your support!

So I guess that’s me for now. I’m Sebastian Gallery, and I freakin’ own this place.

[Via http://gardenbrasserie.wordpress.com]

The Cable News Bubble | Mother Jones

Wine Tasting in Napa

2010-03-08T22:11:00.000+02:00

I visited Napa last week and went to a few wineries including Mumm, Alpha & Omega, and Baldacci. It was a wonderful visit and since I had my camera, I recorded a few images of my impressions of what I saw that day.

[Via http://jljfoto.wordpress.com]

O Japan - Japanese travel news, culture, cuisine, language, and ...

My first WOW meal of 2010 in the Hunter Valley

2010-03-08T10:42:00.000+02:00

Work has been so crazy and you get into that mode where you have completely forgotten where the off switch is. The crazy begins to be normal . So it was just perfect timing to pack a day bag jump into our car and head north to the Hunter Valley for some great food, wine and to see Diana Krall in concert which was held a beautiful winery called Bimbadgen.

It was exactly what was needed, we came back to Sydney, rejuvenated with a car boot full of food treasures. Our Hunter loot was full of amazing Kieth Tulloch and Tempus Two wines

, beautifully soft & ripe cheeses from the smelly cheese shop , some chilli chocolates that packed a punch and Ryan got Turkish Delight liquor which his experimenting with for our next cocktail night . Yet by far the most amazing thing from the weekend was my meal at the Rock. the amuse bouche was till this date the most amazing meal of 2010. I will go back just for that soft ravioli filled with mushrooms and quail egg,which when you cut open the oozed out over the plate and into the amazing foie gras sauce…. each bite was heaven.

[Via http://ilovethesmelloftomatoes.wordpress.com]

Small Business News for March 5, 2010 | Small Business Trends

Wine-Braised Chicken with Tomatoes

2010-03-08T05:24:00.000+02:00

I love cooking with wine, mostly because I love drinking wine so adding it to my food is always a plus. I usually add dry white wine to pasta dishes but I’ve never added wine to chicken, much less used it to braise chicken. That all changed after I saw this fantastic looking recipe on Flavor Diva. I traded cherry tomatoes for chopped Roma tomatoes and and since I’m trying to incorporate more complex carbs into my diet, I served it with brown rice cooked in diluted chicken stock. It instantly adds a little flavor to the rice, so much so that I could have eaten it by itself. Also, the recipe calls for 1 whole chicken cut up but I was only cooking for myself so I used four chicken legs and carried the leftovers to work over the next two days. Speaking of which, I always think reheating chicken on the bone never tastes the same but this actually reheated really well! Must be the wine. I tell you, it makes everything better!

Wine-Braised Chicken with Tomatoes

1 whole chicken cut up (I used four chicken legs, so this is flexible)

1 tbsp of EVOO

1 tbsp of butter

1/2 medium sized onion, diced

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 cup of dry white wine

1/2 cup of chicken broth

1 tsp of dried thyme

1/8 tsp of ground cumin

2 Roma tomatoes, chopped (or 12 – 16 cherry tomatoes)

salt and pepper

1 tsp of parsley

Directions

Rinse chicken legs and pat dry. Salt and pepper chicken liberally on both sides. Heat the olive oil and butter (hot, but not smoking) in a deep frying pan or dutch oven. Brown chicken well on both sides (should take about 10 – 12 minutes).
Remove chicken from the pan and set aside. Drain all but 2 tablespoons of the oil from the pan. Sauté the diced onion and minced garlic in the oil for about one minute.
Deglaze the pan by adding the wine and chicken broth and bring to a boil for about one minute. Use a wooden spoon or whisk to scrape the bits (from browning the chicken) from the bottom of the pan.
Stir in the dried thyme and add the chicken legs back into pan.
Add the chopped tomatoes and about 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 tsp of pepper to the liquid and over the chicken. Cover, reduce heat to low/medium low and simmer for 20 – 25 minutes. Garnish with parsley and serve with rice.

[Via http://hungrygirlchronicles.wordpress.com]

Bad news: HTC says the Nexus One doesn't 'go in pockets' -- Engadget

Watch for "Daring Pairings", by Evan Goldstein

2010-03-05T23:40:00.000+02:00

Granted, I am getting ahead of the game here by blogging about Evan Goldstein’s upcoming book Daring Pairings, http://bit.ly/cJMwM3 since it will not be available until April 1st. But, it will be here before we know it, so put it on your ‘must have’ list, now!

One of the chefs featured is Dan Barber, of Blue Hill fame in NYC and his Hudson Valley outpost, Blue Hill Stone Farm. In 2003, Dan invited me and the winemaker I worked with at the time, Charles Girard, to dine at Blue Hill as his guest. Dan was a fan of Charles’ 2000 Cabernet Franc which he liked to pair with his infamous Short Ribs. Admittedly, I don’t remember the menu exactly, so I can’t regale you with details (it was many dishes)….but, I will say that even without specifics I remember it as one of the most enjoyable meals ever. After dinner, Dan invited us into the kitchen, which was so small we were aghast at how Dan and his team produced such exquisite and varied dishes from such a small area. Great chefs do great things in small spaces. Dan has always been a leader in sourcing local and cooking seasonal, and provides his restaurants with produce from his Great Barrington, MA farm. The specialty of that dining experience was beyond the amazing flavors and textures of the food. It was also special because Dan’s accessibility, passion and generosity made it so. When you are in NYC, or Hudson River Valley, be sure to make Blue Hill a stop….you will be very happy you did.

Cheers,

Anita

[Via http://theallwineagency.wordpress.com]

New Super colorful Casio G-Shock Watch has a Man in the Box ...

Weekend in Napa: Terra, The French Laundry, and Etoile Restaurant at Domaine Chandon

2010-03-05T17:51:00.000+02:00

My fiancé surprised me last weekend by taking me to my first trip to Napa. I have always wanted to go, but lack of opportunity kept me from getting to this much anticipated destination. We stayed at this beautiful hotel in Yountville called Bardessono, one of the most green hotels in the U.S. but strikingly well-designed; it’s uber chic but approachable and warm. We didn’t have dinner at their Italian restaurant (named after the hotel), but we enjoyed our complimentary breakfast with a buffet of local-centric foods, with an option of 4 warm dishes to choose from.

The first night was at Terra, a Michelin starred restaurant in St. Helena, about 15-20 minutes from our hotel. Set in a century-old fieldstone foundry, the restaurant is intimate and romantic. Hiroyoshi Sone and his wife, Lissa Doumani create seasonal New American cuisine, focusing on Californian ingredients but with nods to France and Italy. But you can see Chef Sone’s Japanese sensibility which always seems to find its place in every dish. Yet, nothing is too complicated or overdone. Service was smooth and genuine, never overbearing. We loved how it made us feel that we were worlds away home, yet was still so comforting. Thank goodness for fine establishments like this–it’s been here for discerning Napa goers for 20 years for a reason, folks.

After getting tipsy from wine tastings at Domaine Carneros, Stag’s Leap, Silverado, and Rombauer wineries (no lunch didn’t help), my fiancé again surprised me to a foodie’s dream-come-true: a dinner at The French Laundry. Oh baby, yeah! I was so shocked but so ecstatic; I don’t really remember how we got to our table, or at least, it was a blur. But boy, do I remember what we tasted! We had the Chef’s Tasting of 9 courses (the other option was their Vegetarian Tasting of 9 courses). All the dishes that arrived were surprisingly minimal in presentation–no fancy footwork. But to me, it’s like watching a prima ballerina–they make it look so easy, so effortless, but it’s because they have an incredible amount of technique and experience. Look closely, and every little herb, every little flake, was placed with intent and purpose. Here, they want to showcase each ingredient; there’s no masking of flavors. Each course was like a Oscar-worthy movie, with the best actor, best supporting actress, best cinematography, and best director, with each role vital to the other. And the service is so seamless and balletic, there was no waiting or awkward, long pauses. You know their presence, but the servers somehow never get in your way of enjoying the food and your conversation. That’s called great orchestration; no matter how talented your musicians are, you have to have the right conductor to make them shine. We were so lucky enough to get a invitation to their kitchen. What an honor. I love seeing kitchens, because it reminds me of my days as a ballet dancer. It’s like walking backstage, where everything happens before it goes onstage to perform for the audience.

Our last day in Napa started at a wine tasting at Ma(i)sonry, which was close to our hotel and where we got to choose from several different flight tastings from various local, more boutique wineries. A historic landmark (and one time, brothel), it houses some fantasitc contemporary artwork along with vintage pieces and furnishings. In the back terrace area, we sat at one of their communal tables and selected some wines and was served some Pecorino cheese with nuts, dried cherries, and crackers. Some new wines we have fell in love with were L’Angevin, Peirson Meyer, Tamber Bey, and Brown Estate. It’s a great place to relax and enjoy various collections of rare and under the radar wines. A nice change if you want to be away from all the hustle and bustle of the more popular wineries in Napa.

Our last stop before we left was Domaine Chandon in Yountville, because I just had to have one more tasting of Californian sparkling wine which has captured my heart while I was in Napa. After having a couple different tastings together, my fiancé and I headed for some lunch at their Etoile Restaurant. The chef here, Perry Hoffman, was just nominated by James Beard as Rising Star Chef of the Year. We didn’t have the opportunity to indulge in a full course lunch, but even with our few selections, we knew that this young chef is destined for greatness. Chef Hoffman showcases his culinary techniques with well-balanced flavors and presentation. It’s not groundbreaking cuisine, but it’s the simple, pedestrian dishes that are sometimes so challenging to elevate and impress. Somehow, he does that with ease. All with some more Domaine Chandon Pinot Noir Rose…..Life is oh so good.

Thank you, Fiancé; I am a lucky girl

Terra Restaurant: 1345 Railroad Avenue, St. Helena, CA; Tel. (707) 963-8931; http://terrarestaurant.com/

The French Laundry: 6640 Washington Street, Yountville, CA; Tel. (707) 944-2380; http://www.frenchlaundry.com/

Ma(i)sonry Napa Valley: 6711 Washington Street, Yountville, CA; Tel. (707) 944-0889; http://www.maisonry.com/

Etoile Restaurant at Domaine Chandon: 1 California Drive, Yountville, CA; Tel. 1-888-242-6366; http://www.chandon.com/

[Via http://universaltables.wordpress.com]

Sony should sue Microsoft - Jaffe News | Eurogamer

Regretsy Warning

2010-03-05T04:40:00.000+02:00

I have an enormous respect for the amount of time and effort the sellers on etsy put into their work. I can’t even pretend to be as amazingly talented as some of the creators on that site (though I can dream). That said, my husband came across the blog Regretsy (warning this site does contain mature content including nudity and cursing), and I feel kind of bad, but i can’t stop laughing. One of those posts is a woman trying to sell her Peter Pan video. So NOT what etsy is for. Some of the items posted are ridiculous, but some of them are awesome in an “I would totally buy that for a friend way.” Like toilet paper embroidered with president’s faces. Ridiculous, but intriguing. Like this:

Manllow

After reading through twenty pages the hubby and I decided to get some wine and continue with our perusal of the site. The post about all of the Twilight crafts on etsy had me rolling on the floor. Seriously. Click on the photo and check out all the other crafts. Like the coffee grip warmer that says be safe. “You know Edward Cullen would want you to be safe.”

P. S. you can customize your own manllow with your Significant Other’s face. Looks like I know what I’m getting for my birthday. ^_^ But seriously. I love how on their etsy site they know they’re creepy. That just makes me want one.

So get a glass of wine, cozy up, and enjoy Regretsy.

[Via http://tenacioustextiles.wordpress.com]

Stocks in the News: Pier 1, Urban Outfitters, Citigroup - DailyFinance

Sonoma Wineries Blog Tip - Using the Directory

2010-03-03T17:19:00.000+02:00

To View Winery Information: On the home page you will see all the wineries I have featured on the left sidebar. You can click any one of these to view information about the winery including pictures and links.

Winery Directory: If you would like to see a master winery list that includes addresses and phone numbers click on the directory tab at the top of the page OR in the left sidebar click on the label “Sonoma Wineries Directory.” This will reveal the full list of wineries. Once on this particular page each winery listed also serves as a link to the winery homepage. Just click on the winery name to be redirected.

Map of Sonoma: You can click on the map header at the top of the page to see where the wineries are located.

In each case new information is added all the time.

I hope this blog is useful to you as you research the various wineries of Sonoma! More to come…

Link to blog for those of you viewing on Twitter

[Via http://sonomawineries.wordpress.com]

News Ticker: Bonnaroo, Roots Picnic, T-Bone Wolk, Rock Auction ...

Georgia toasts China growth

2010-03-03T11:53:00.000+02:00

Exporters of Georgian goods to Russia, who had to seek new markets in Asia during a near four-year closure of the country’s border with their northern neighbor, are looking to a sales boost from the scheduled reopening of border crossings this month.

Despite lingering tensions between the two countries, Russia is due to allow imports of Georgian goods for the first time since 2006, when it was Georgia’s number one trading partner. It had cited impurities and health risks when it closed the border and initiated an embargo of Georgia’s main exports, wine and mineral water. The Georgian economy was flattened and companies exporting to Russia have yet to fully recover, a process further

delayed by the brief war between the two countries in August 2008, which caused an estimated US$1 billion in damage.

Today, although Georgians remain highly suspicious of their huge northern neighbor, Vladimir Papava, senior fellow at the Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies, said the benefits of reinitiating trade with Russia cannot be ignored.

“The Russian market is so huge, it’s really impossible for Georgian wine producers to replace the Russian market with other countries,” he said. “So, if the Russian market will be open for Georgian goods, it’s perfect for our business, for our economy.”

The 2006 ban was particularly hard on Georgia’s wine companies. In the second quarter of 2005, Georgia exported 10.6 million liters of wine compared with fewer than 2 million liters during the same period in 2009, according to the Georgian Ministry of Economic Development.

Although Georgian wine has been historically treasured in Russia, wine consumers elsewhere have had little exposure to it, even in Western markets.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in December said he saw “no obstacles” to reopening the Russian-Georgian border and resuming direct flights between the two countries. He also said products “legally” imported from Georgia “should be received and sold like other products”.

Papava, who served as Georgian minister of the economy from 1994 to 2000 and as a parliamentary deputy from 2004 to 2007, remains unconvinced of the offer because of Russia’s previous justification for the embargo.

He said the bans based on impurities and counterfeit concerns were a pretext “to punish” Georgia as relations between the Kremlin and Georgia’s pro-Western government worsened. Russia’s desire to pressure Georgia’s government has not changed, he said, as Moscow still refuses to speak directly with Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili.

Nonetheless, if the offer is legitimate, Georgian companies that once thrived off exports to Russia said they would be interested in a return to the market.

Nitsa Cholokashvili, public relations manager for Borjomi, Georgia’s leading mineral water exporter, said the company would “definitely” be interested in returning to the Russian market despite the risk of another ban. “The Russian ban was a really good lesson for us and for all companies selling products just on one market,” she said.

When Borjomi water was banned in 2006, the company’s total sales plummeted 43% for the year. At the time of the ban, 80% of Borjomi’s products were exported, compared with 64% in 2009. Since then, the company has widened its portfolio and refocused on the domestic market with some success. Still, Cholokashvili said, Borjomi does not expect revenues to reach pre-embargo levels until 2011 or 2012.

To replace the loss of its primary market, Borjomi has expanded to new markets and now exports 10% of its production to Asian countries.

Shota Kobelia, commercial director for Teliani Valley, Georgia’s leading wine exporter, said that while he considers a reopening of the Russian market “important” for his company he also sees much potential in Asian markets.

Georgia does not produce peripheral products needed to package wine and must import bottles, corks and boxes from a variety of countries, making it difficult to compete on price in the West.

However, wine is becoming increasingly popular in Asian countries and these fast-growing markets and consumers are more open to new wine countries and brands, Kobelia said. China’s retail consumption of wine is predicted to increase 18.2% year-on-year in 2010, boosted by domestic consumption and income growth, according to a recent report by Beijing-based Renmin University.

Kobelia said Chinese officials have requested a tasting of Teliani Valley’s wines, which recently competed in Singapore’s annual Wine for Asia competition, and China is one of 30 countries were Borjomi can be found since 2008.

By Nick Clayton

Nicholas Clayton is a Tbilisi-based journalist and blogger covering the Caucasus and the world. His blog can be found at http://www.threekingsblog.com/.

[Via http://ibulletin.wordpress.com]

Brad Friedman and Desi Doyen: Green News Report -- March 2, 2010 ...

Simple dinner, simply happy...

2010-03-03T05:35:00.000+02:00

I’ve been thinking of ways to really make each day a little more gratifying starting with the place I call home…. First stop, the kitchen, since I always feel bad about the leftover bits that don’t get used in the refrigerator.

What to do with all the left over odds & ends in the refrigerator? I found some spaghetti, a few black cured olives, cherry tomatoes, a lemon, some Pepato cheese, & olive oil & spice….soon everything will be nice.

My Simple Italian Pasta….

Your favorite pasta bits

Handful of black cured olives

Handful of cherry tomatoes

One garlic clove

Zest of one lemon

1/4 cup olive oil

A couple or more of fresh basil roughly cut

Quality salt & fresh cracked pepper

Bellwether Farms Pepato sheep’s milk cheese – grated over pasta

Cook the pasta in well salted water until just done, in the mean time halve the tomatoes, chop up the olives once pitted, chop up the basil, mince the garlic clove & set them aside as shown. Heat a skillet over med heat with the olive oil and garlic until just getting soft. Add the tomatoes, olives, zest, & drained pasta (straight from the water). Give it a good twirl in the pan to coat the pasta then add the basil. Twirl once more (don’t you feel better!) Serve in your favorite pasta plate/bowl grate the cheese over with a little bit of cracked pepper.

Don’t forget to poor a big glass of Italian Sangiovese, Bordeaux or whatever you love to enjoy with this beautiful, simple & tasty dish.

"the goods"

putting it all together...

finished product

[Via http://absoludevin.wordpress.com]

Just Released Report: Understanding the Participatory News ...

I'm Going Dry

2010-03-01T23:42:00.000+02:00

Well, actually, I’m only going dry for 30 days.

Well, really, it’s my wife who’s going dry for 30 days. I’m along to support her.

She’s not an alcoholic or anything, mind you. She’s beginning a jump-start exercise and diet regime which strictly forbids alcohol for the first 30 days. Since she won’t be drinking, I won’t either. Mostly.

How hard can 30 days be?

I like to joke, but, in reality, if I choose not to drink, I can go indefinitely. I’ve never had an issue with addiction (except for cigarettes which I managed to quit). I once decided to “slow down” and ended up drinking a total of three or four beers in as many years with nary a drop of any other alcohol. Maybe five years.

I just haven’t decided if I want to go all in. That sounds lame, but it’s true. Red wine is one of my favorite pleasures. Oh, yeah, and whisky is too. Plus, there’s that open bottle of Cotes du Rhone which I can’t let go to waste!

Still, abstaining for 30 days isn’t much to ask.

Shucks, doing that alone, I’d probably lose five pounds.

[Via http://heednotsteve.wordpress.com]

Games blasted for "satanic" themes News | Eurogamer

Wine-Soaked Housewarming Party

2010-03-01T17:57:00.000+02:00

I managed to squeeze in my housewarming party in February, the same month that I moved into my new apartment. In my humble opinion, I think the company was fantastic, the food satisfying, and of course, the wine superb. I even provided some beer as a goodwill gesture (ha!) and some Voyant chai liqueur for my cocktail-loving sis. It was truly heartwarming to have so many people from different parts of my life to my first-ever Wooster party! (Well, since my 18th birthday.) Some of the several wines opened include a 2007 S.A. Prum Essence Riesling (Mosel), 2007 Educated Guess Cab (Napa), 2008 Pascual Toso Malbec (Mendoza), 2005 Le Pousseur Syrah (Central Coast), and 2009 Crios de Susana Balbo Torrontes (Argentina). Sadly, I did not get to taste them all, but I was a huge fan of the Torrontes – beautifully crisp with a touch of sweetness. I got to serve the wine in my gorgeous new Schott Zwiesel wine glasses, thanks to my awesome boss! I also want to share the recipes that I used, as I think everything turned out well for the most part. The only item I wouldn’t make again is the Marinated Feta and Olive Skewers, as the feta is too crumbly to slide onto a toothpick! Or perhaps I wouldn’t marinate it again. The only other glitch was the the power went out (for 3 hours!!) while I was baking the Low-Fat Banana Chocolate Chip Cake, but fortunately, it cooked all the way through! Thankfully, the power came back on in plenty of time for the party, so that we didn’t have to hang out in the dark and cold. I also made Sundried Tomato and Goat Cheese skewers (great combo!), Spicy Spinach Dip with Pine Nuts (yummy and healthy!), Warm Brie with Wild Mushroom Fricassee (the recipe calls for camembert, but brie works just fine), and some AMAZING Oatmeal Cream Cheese Butterscotch Bars. My mom also contributed some deliciously rich brownies with Ghirardelli chocolate-caramel squares sandwiched in the middle! Afterward, a few of us headed to the Wooster Inn Pub for a drink, just in case we hadn’t had enough already. All in all, a fantastic day!

[Via http://woowinegirl.wordpress.com]

Technology News: Social Networking: Facebook's News Feed Patent ...

Big announcement from Purple Cow leads to a SALE!

2010-02-26T17:49:00.000+02:00

I’m sharing the email sent out to the Purple Cow Vineyard’s mailing list yesterday. At the bottom are some special prices on 2 of their wonderful wines. If you’d like to get some of these wines, head to the winery this weekend, OR EMAIL ME and I’ll get them to you! Without further ado:

It’s a pleasure to announce the next phase in our winery construction project. We at Purple Cow have gathered the designs and information needed to submit for permits to construct an incredible gathering space for us all. The new facility will not only improve our ability to provide great service and beautiful vistas, it will allow us to increase the breadth of our product line with additional hand-crafted small-production wines. The next steps require much courage and energy, a journey Purple Cow hopes to make with your help.

We have progressed funding the designs, engineering, and information gathering from the success you have given us. For the next large step in our future, and with today’s lending atmosphere, we must have permits approved before we receive any funding from our bank. This next step in submitting requires substantial application fees for land use and building permits.

With this said, Jon is making an offer to you, our friends and family, to help us forge forward in obtaining success in this next phase of our future. Jon has put together a rewarding opportunity for you to obtain our wonderful wines at generous pricing, hoping you all will invest in the future of your gathering space and your personal cellar.

Was Is Case Price Case Price Savings 2005 Elena Tempranillo $32 $29 $250 $76 2007 Sophie Pinot Noir $24 $20 $180 $45

If you don’t live close but wish to take advantage of the offer, please email as the web the web ordering system doesn’t handle special pricing offers.

We will open 11-5 both days this weekend to make this offer as accessible as possible.

We will also have design documents on display this weekend for your perusal. Many thanks in advance for your interest and participation.

[Via http://winewithgraham.wordpress.com]

Exclusive: What happens next in health care - Mike Allen ...

it starts now

2010-02-26T11:54:00.000+02:00

“What is life? It is the flash of a firefly in the night. It is the breath of a buffalo in the wintertime. It is the little shadow which runs across the grass and loses itself in the sunset.”

Life can’t be explained in a simple quote or even a bottle of wine, but I reckon you’d get closer with each sip..

Later.

[Via http://shadowplayza.wordpress.com]

Facebook Granted News Feed Patent – GigaOM

Creative Juices Wine Show: Episode 6-Tokaji 2006 Sárgamuskotály

2010-02-26T05:07:00.000+02:00

Here it is – Hungarian Tokaji 2006 Sárgamuskotály – just like you guys asked. Delicious, wonderful juice. We hope you enjoy the episode and in particular, Olena showing off her phenomenal wine swirling skills .

Wine: Tokaji Sárgamuskotály 2006

Price: $15

[Via http://creativejuicesllc.wordpress.com]

Adventure Chefs Sees Worldwide Release on iTunes

GreItaSco (Greek honey, Italian wine and Scottish salmon)

2010-02-24T23:53:00.000+02:00

Master Sous Chef presents:

GreItaSco (Greek honey, Italian wine and Scottish salmon)

Music list:
Music artist: Morcheeba
Album: Parts Of The Process

This is my first fish dish and, of course, the expectations are very high!

I just came back from the supermarket and I bought salmon fillets, rocket salad and… that’s it!

Mmm… How can I make my salmon tasty, yummy and appealing?

Very simple, my friends… very simple.

I opened the cupboard and I found one of the many jars containing Greek honey (yes, my wife is officially the biggest Greek honey smuggler in the UK! She keeps bringing tons!)

If you do not know, by the way, Greek honey is the best (or at least is what Greeks say…).

Honestly, the honey is quite something and if you have ever been in Greeceland, you must have tried some yogurt with honey, simply divine!

Honey can be too sweet for my taste though to be very honest, so I had the idea of melting it in a pan with some wine… The experiment was very successful.

I simply baked the salmon in the oven and then poured the sauce of wine and honey over it and the rocket salad really made a difference in giving the dish some crunchiness and balance.

I am very pleased with this new creation, its simple, delicious and very impressive. The overall preparation took only 15 minutes!

If you are inviting guests for dinner and you are running out of time… there you go! (Also very good if you are not very excited about your guests… and you do not want to put too much effort!)

The results are very good… Trust me, I tried in both situations and it works! Ha!

Ingredients:
Salmon
2 full teaspoons of Greek honey
¾ of a glass of red wine
Rocket salad
Salt, Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Estimated Cooking time:

15 minutes

Preparations:

1) Wrap the oven tray with some film and place the salmon fillets. Put in oven at 180 C for 8 minutes. (Do not cook your salmon over 10 minutes or it will loose all its moisture)

2) Pour the red wine in a pan. Add the honey. Stir until melted for at least 5 minutes. Make sure that the sauce it’s not too runny. It should cook on medium fire.

3) Remove the salmon from the oven and let it rest for 2 minutes.

4) Place some rocket salad on the bottom of the plate, sprinkle some salt and pour 2 tiny drops of olive oil.

5) Place the salmon fillets above the rocket. Add sea salt and olive oil. Pour sauce over the salmon.

6) Serve and enjoy

WIFE’S MARKS:
Flavour: 9/10 – The salmon was cooked to perfection, melting in the mouth! The sweetness of the sauce was balancing out the strong flavour of the salmon. The rocket was perfectly complementing the greasiness of the salmon. Very tasty !!!!
Ctrativity: 9/10 – Beautifully presented. Fairly simple ingredients once again proved that sometimes …..less is more !

[Via http://mastersouschef.wordpress.com]

Yahoo knocked at Twitter's door | ABH News

When Not Drinking Helps Drinking

2010-02-24T17:54:00.000+02:00

My parents were in Napa recently and sent me a few bottles of wine to try. I am looking forward to trying them. But my dad asked, “Why have you not tried them yet?” I replied that I had to take things slowly.

As I continue my studies towards becoming a Master Sommelier, I have found that I have a much sharper nose and tasting ability if I take a day or two ff per week from tasting. This is counter intuitive to the norm where you should try as much as possible. But not drinking seems to heighten my sense.

A few friends have said that I am bit different because root beer cleanses my palate. Many in the wine industry use beer to cleanse out the taste buds. But all of this is actually very important.

We know that taste is at least 70% in the nose. When evaluating glass of wine, the firs t thing to do i to take in the bouquet or nose. That is where you get the cherries or lemon or whatever the wine has to offer. The same holds true for champagne. The mouth only gives us sweet, sour bitter, salt and Umami. Umami is the sensation of full or fattiness in the mouth. When someone says there is a great mouthfeel to the wine, then it is being experienced all over the mouth, Umami.

But by not drinking each day, it seems my sense are heightened and I get more out of each taste. The hard part is memorizing each wine and it’s smells and markers. I wish someone would send me a list of wines with accurate markers. But when doing blind valuations, it is best to stick with classic wines from classic regions. Modern wine writers have influenced many wine makers to make big, extracted wines that to me often taste homogenous with other wines. Many of these wines are fine, but too many wine makers are losing a sense of terrior or place that makes that wine distinct. I look forward to always trying to taste the difference in most wines.

Because at California Taste Fine Wine, I taste a lot of wine, I suspect I am becoming a professional wine taster. I have definite opinions. Just do not get me going on Sauvignon Blanc. You know who you are.

So when you are Uncorking Happiness, it is often best to occasionally take a break from tasting and drinking for a few hours or a day or two. The following bottle will be just that much better.

[Via http://kenspearsonwine.wordpress.com]

News Ticker: Eminem, Sonic Youth, Jennifer Lopez, Haiti Relief ...

Busting into club shipments

2010-02-24T11:49:00.000+02:00

We buy a lot of wine. No lie. I belong to 8 wine clubs. I buy wine regularly from local merchants and from internet sources as well as on our visits to local vineyards and our trips to Napa/Sonoma. In any given year I easily buy 20+ cases of wine which even if we were to exclusively consume those would be more than we could taste at home in one year. Wine is a major part of our lives. It has been since before I ever knew what a blog was and will continue to be in the future, with or without the wine blog.

One of the clubs we belong to is De La Montanya. We discovered De La Montanya on our very first trip to Sonoma nearly 4 years ago. We were out for a drive one afternoon, thinking we’d just enjoy the scenery for the day when we stumbled upon a tiny sign directing us to De La Montanya. While we weren’t looking for tasting rooms that afternoon, we couldn’t resist checking it out once we followed the signs to the small, well-hidden tasting room. That day we attempted to join the wine club, as these weren’t wines we were going to find in any local shop back home. Much to our dismay, they had a waiting list as the club had no further capacity at the time. We signed up anyway, and indicated that they should simply add us when they could and start shipping the wine. Our first club shipment arrived about 3 months later and we were delighted to be members and have been enjoying the wines ever since. I even served all De La Montanya selections at Christmas last year after a fantastic shipping/discount offer that came in my fall club shipment. As we watch our wine overfill our racks at an alarming rate, I decided it was time to jump back in and start tasting them. We plucked the 2007 De la Montanya Viognier out of a previously unopened box. The wine had a real cork closure, clocked in at 13.2% alcohol by volume, and I think it ran about $20 in the club shipment.

On the nose I found the wine to be very perfumey, like I expect from a Viognier. (I just had a Viognier tonight at Bistro Bis that simply smelled and tasted like fresh honey, and nothing else, not at all what I was anticipating and I was disappointed that it lacked the aroma and characteristics I expect from Viognier, a grape I’ve come to expect great things from.) This was not the case at all with the De La Montanya, thankfully. I got white flowers, orange spice, honeysuckle, orange spice cake, and citrus. In the moth I found citrus, lemon, spice, orange, lemon zest, and honeysuckle. I enjoyed this Viognier quite a bit and intend to savor my second bottle this summer while sitting on my deck and soaking up the sun.

[Via http://wannabewino.com]

News Ticker: Lil Wayne, U2, Michael Jackson, Nas : Rolling Stone ...

celebration of wine

2010-02-22T17:25:00.000+02:00

This weekend was the annual Celebration of Wine charity wine tasting and wine auction. The proceeds from ticket and auction sales benefit local public radio. There were over 300 wines to taste, but we went with a cheat sheet of wines we knew we simply must try.

With wine glass and map in hand, we wandered around the 39 tables and tried champagnes, proseccos, chardonnays, sauvignon blancs, zinfandels, meritages, cabernet sauvignons, and even a dessert wine or two.

Some of my favorites included the Ridge Zinfandel Ponzo, the Lail Blueprint Cabernet Sauvignon, a Corison Napa Cabernet Sauvignon, and the Barlow Barrouge Cabernet/Merlot blend.

We had tasted several of the wines before, some on our 2009 trip to Napa. Because we knew of some that we liked already, we went back to have another taste of some favorites – the Ehlers 1886 Cabernet Sauvignon, Belle Glos Las Alturas Pinot Noir, and the Alexander Valley Vineyard’s showcase wine, Cyrus. They did not disappoint.

Breaks were critical. If we’d tasted wines for five hours straight, we’d have been stumbling home. The silent wine auction gave us a good excuse to leave the tasting room. Plus, I’m a sucker for silent auctions, so I had to get a good look at the bidding sheets to see what kind of competition I’d be up against.

The Celebration of Wine always ends with a live wine auction. Last year, probably due to the horrible economy, the wine auction was filled with great bargains. We were expecting that this year, but people were very generous with their donations during this auction. In fact, the couple of items we tried to bid on were quickly bid up past retail value and out of our price range. Not good for us, but very good for public radio. And, in hindsight, it was probably good for us too. We can definitely find other uses for that money.

We did walk out with one “win” in the silent auction. Last June in Napa, we spent an amazing afternoon at the Oakville Ranch winery in Napa. When we saw the 2002 Oakville Ranch Robert’s Blend in the auction list, I knew that we’d be bidding on it. It will probably sit collecting dust for a while, but when we do drink it, we’ll have great memories of our trip there last summer.

[Via http://merrygourmet.wordpress.com]

Make Something Unreal winners unveiled News | PC | Eurogamer

Did you have a good weekend? I did!

2010-02-22T11:08:00.000+02:00

Did everyone have a good weekend? I love Saturday nights, but I hate getting up in the morning on Sunday. I think Sundays depress me more than Mondays…… although I love a rainy Sunday It was a beautiful weekend here in London, Ontario (where I live!) I didn’t really take advantage of the sunny days as I only went out during the nights. I had a great weekend though! Friday I went to Call the Office (a local bar/concert place) to see Shad (who happened to go to my high school… CENTRAL… represent!) The concert was amazing!! It was very small and intimate and there were 2 great opening acts- Two Crown King (another local band) and Grand Analog (from Winnipeg). The show was great! I took some pictures, but as you can see below they aren’t the greatest…. oh well. I also decided to bring my new camera with me (It’s the dual screen Samsung ST550!) It’s suppose to take high definition/resolution (whatever?) videos, so I thought I would test it out. If I can figure out how to add a video I will do so (let me know what you think!) Saturday (during the day) was pretty much a write off as I slept most of it away (the concert went late the night before.) But Saturday night was fun! We (my bf Justin, and friends Ben and Amy) went out to dinner downtown (Crabby Joe’s… nothing spectacular) but it was a lot of fun! They are a great couple to hang out with. I had some nice Masi Italian wine, cant remember what it was called though….. Afterwards we met at Yuk Yuk’s as my boyfriend had won 25 tickets (for FREE!) We met a bunch of old friends (and new friends) there and we had a good laugh (Justin was in tears!) The one guy was just too funny. I can’t remember his name, but I’ll ask Justin when he gets home. (He got called out to an emergency for work in Paris Ontario). Which brings me to my Sunday….. my lonely Sunday because my boyfriend had to work last minute…. oh well, it`s kind of peaceful being at home by yourself! I seem to be rambling on a bit (I do that a lot). Anyway, I just wanted to update my blog with a bit of my weekend, and see what my reader’s have been up to. (Hopefully I have a couple readers by now!) Please leave a comment if you wish to share anything fun you did this weekend! I will leave you with some concert photos, and possibly some videos (if I can figure it out!)

xo.meg.xo

My friend Amy and I enjoying Shad at Call the Office in London, Ontario. 02.19.10

My boyfriend Justin and me at Call the Office in London, Ontario. 02.19.10

Two Crown King at Call the Office in London, Ontario. 02.19.10

Grand Analog at Call the Office in London, Ontario. 02.19.10

Shad at Call the Office in London, Ontario. 02.19.10

I figured out videos! Here are a couple!!!

Two Crown King performing a cover of Run This Town (Jay-Z, Rihanna & Kanye West) 02.19.10

A Freestyle by Shad & Grand Analog 02.19.10

[Via http://meganhickman.wordpress.com]

AMERICAblog News: Was Mitt really attacked? Famous rapper, his ...

Pears in Wine

2010-02-22T05:00:00.000+02:00

Adding wine to pears brings out a great flavor. The wine kind of carmalizes and gets thick, making a taffy like consistency in areas. I followed the directions to the recipe, and then topped the side of the plate with a little dollop of whipped cream. To view the recipe, click here: http://rachelscottagehouse.wordpress.com/recipes/fruits/pears-in-wine/

xoxo

Rachel

[Via http://rachelscottagehouse.wordpress.com]

The Virtual Whirl: News of the Whirl - Massively

Spatburgunder, Blauburgunder

2010-02-19T20:32:00.000+02:00

Spatburgunder what?

Blauburgunder how?

Ah ha!

Pinot Nero, Pinot Noir,

AKA Burgundy.

Six Pinots

Wine 101.

MJ Sommelier.

Amavi Restaurant.

Santa Fe.

Heartbreak grapes.

How noble.

How mythic.

Steals hearts.

Even ours.

Cool fog,

grows best.

Complex character.

Youthful red.

Berries, cherries.

Mature earth.

Mushrooms. Violets.

Either way,

Sublime harmony.

Wine #1.

Wild Rock

Pinot Noir

Central Otago

New Zealand

2008 $20

Ruby color

dissipates quickly

Nose:

Cherry. Plum.

Cranberry. Rose.

Palate:

Citrus acid.

Ripe cherry.

Cranberry.

Grapefruit pith.

Light finish.

Fruity. Quick.

Zesty fun.

Young wine.

Wine #2.

Rex Hill

Pinot Noir

Willamette Valley

Oregon

2007 $ 25

Nose:

Not fruit-driven.

Bing cherry.

Barnyard manure.

Earthy. Leafy.

Tea box.

Cigar humidor.

Cedar smoke.

Vanilla.

Pumpkin spice.

Palate:

Very complex.

Sexy. Soulful.

Elegant. Mature.

Spicy pepper.

Dry finish.

Seductively delicious.

Take me.

NOW!

Wine #3.

Maison Louis Latour

Domaine de

Valmoissine

Vin de pays de

Coteux de Verdon

2008 $17

Tawny color.

Nose:

Not fruit-driven.

Black cherry.

Black raspberry.

Black plum.

Tobacco. Fennel.

Hairspray.

Palate:

After tannins

come fruit.

Skin of

old fruit.

Earth-driven.

Old world.

Long finish.

Dusty dry.

Wine #4.

Au Bon Climat

Pinot Noir

Santa Barbara

California

2008 $24

Hippie winemaker.

Light garnet.

Nose:

Full frontal.

Fruit-forward.

Red Cherry.

Red plum.

Boysenberry Jam.

Espresso. Ocean.

Forrest pitch.

Vanilla. Spice.

White pepper.

Fun. Fun.

Palate:

Some tannins.

Full mouth.

Verve. Heat.

Lip-smacking.

Ripe fruit.

Bold style.

New world.

Wine #5.

Kali Hart

Pinot Noir.

Monterey County.

California.

2007 $25-30

Nose:

Flowers. Juicy.

Overripe fruit.

Baked fruit.

Palate:

Molasses. Tobacco.

Toffee. Caramel.

Fig newton.

Noisy class.

Can’t hear.

Getting tipsy.

Uncontrollable conversation.

Wine #6.

Domaine Moillard

Sauvigny-Les Baune

Vilage Cru.

2006 $36-40

Light tawny.

Nose:

Elusive. Sophisticated.

Dried Cherry.

Dried Cranberry.

Dry cereal.

High alcohol.

Palate:

Grabs hold.

Juicy. Jammy.

Syrah added?

Likely Spoofalated.

Drink now.

Hearts stolen.

Wanting more.

Must comply.

Headed home.

Happy Bellies.

[Via http://2chew.wordpress.com]

Helping news be news « BuzzMachine

In Vinegar Veritas Est

2010-02-19T17:18:00.000+02:00

My first attempt at making my own wine a couple of years ago didn’t go as well as hoped; I have learned since that time what works and what doesn’t when it comes to quantities of fruit and sugar per finished gallon of grog etc.

The first batch turned out a bit grim, but the cloud does have a silver lining – it turns out that this horrible brew actually makes fine wine vinegar (some would say it was most of the way there when I made it).

Turning it into vinegar has to be one of the very easiest things I have ever done. All I have been doing is pouring a couple of bottles of wine into a glass jug, adding a splash of some wine vinegar I already had, covering the top so that it is partially open to the air but flies can’t get into it, and just leaving it for a couple of weeks. Bingo! Wine vinegar.

I discovered that a really great way to store this vinegar is in those beer bottles which have replaceable tops which swing on a kind of pivot arrangement, the tension in which keeps the top on the bottle – Grolsch is one well-known brand which has this kind of bottle.

So I was forced to drink several bottles of beer so that I had something to keep my wine vinegar in!

The vinegar makes delicious vinaigrettes, and of course if you have far too much of it, you can use it for cleaning, as per Kim and Aggie.

[Via http://ourgreencottage.wordpress.com]

Fox News Analyst, Retired General Robert Scales, Wants US To ...

Tuesday dinner.

2010-02-19T05:27:00.000+02:00

Best enchilada in the world.

Cherry tortilla with vanilla sauce.

Close up.

This is the place where this fabulous dinner happened.

The way out.

[Via http://lostinseasons.wordpress.com]

Sony's "not-so-secret weapon" is PSN News | PS3 | Eurogamer

Wine vs. Beer Tonight!!!

2010-02-17T17:52:00.000+02:00

Hey everyone! Happy Wine Wednesday! We wanted to remind you that tonight is Beer vs. Wine at DiVino Wine Bar @7pm. We are going to be having a taste off paired with tapas for $25. The face-off will feature Sokol Blosser Evolution vs. Stella Artois, and The Crusher Petite Sirah vs. Duvel. It’s Ameerican Wine vs. Belgian Beer, and you decide the winner!

This has never been done before, so by coming out, you’ll be making history! Call 915.351.1000 to reserve. Cheers!!!

Zak & Olena

[Via http://creativejuicesllc.wordpress.com]

Bits Scan: Wednesday's Tech News Roundup - Bits Blog - NYTimes.com

Muffins, Chili, Wine, and Ask Away!

2010-02-17T11:04:00.000+02:00

Blueberry Banana Tofu Muffins adapted from Heather at Get Healthy with Heather

1 package silken tofu (I used regular, firm tofu)

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/8 cup agave nectar

2 tbsp canola oil

2 tsp vanilla

1 large very ripe banana

1 cup whole wheat flour (I used whole wheat pastry flour)

1 cup old fashioned oats

1/4 cup wheat germ

1/4 tsp sea salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 cup fresh blueberries

1/4 cup + 2 tbsp slivered almonds

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees. In your food processor or blender add the tofu, maple syrup, agave, oil, vanilla and banana. Puree until smooth.

In a large bowl combine the flour, oats,wheat germ, sea salt, baking powder, baking soda and 2 tablespoons slivered almonds. Add the tofu mixture and mix until combined (it will be pretty thick). Gently stir in the blueberries.

Line a muffin pan with 12 muffin cups, or coat with olive oil spray. Fill muffin tins to the top. Top each muffin with the remaining slivered almonds. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Yield: 17 muffins

Nutrition Information (per muffin): 128 calories; 3.9 g. fat; 35mg. sodium; 19.9 g. carbohydrate; 4.9 g. fiber; 2.9 g. protein

Review: These were really good! Even with regular tofu, I was really impressed with these muffins! Super easy, too!

Best Buffalo Chicken Chili by Biz of Biggest Diabetic Loser

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 large carrots

3 stalks celery

1 large red pepper

5 cloves of garlic

5 tablespoons of chili powder

2 tablespoons ground cumin

1 tablespoon paprika

1/2 cup Frank’s Hot Moore’s Wing Sauce

2 (15 oz) cans tomato sauce

1 (15 oz) diced tomatoes

1 (15 oz) black beans, drained

1 (15 oz) chili beans in sauce (do not drain)

salt and pepper to taste

Put chicken breasts in food processor to grind up if you can find ground chicken breast, you can use that too. I chopped the chicken as I don’t have a food processor. Heat oil and add chicken and cook about 10 minutes on medium heat until no longer pink. Rinse out processor and add carrots, celery, garlic and red pepper and puree. Again, I chopped the carrots, celery, and red pepper as I do not have a food processor. Add to chicken mixture and cook about 5 minutes until veggies start to soften.

Next add the rest of the ingredients, put stove on simmer and cook for 1 hour.

Nutrition Information (Per Cup): 239 calories, 3.4 fat, 29 carbs, 7.5 fiber and 23.5 protein.

Review: Spicy! This chili was really unique and husband loved it! Thumbs up!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Have a question for me? Send it on over! I don’t have enough questions to post a Q&A yet . I’m an open door…ask me anything! Email questions to me at PreventionRD@gmail.com!

Question: Did you do anything to celebrate Mardi Gras?

Random question: Would you rather go a day without your CELL PHONE or your COMPUTER?

Don’t forget to enter in to win a Vitalicious Super Sampler! The giveaway ends TONIGHT!

Heading to the library over my lunch hour to catch up with everyone! Sorry I’ve been MIA — duty calls, what can I say?

Happy hump day! Be well!

[Via http://preventionrd.com]

Who's Going to Make Your News? And Who's Going to Pay Them ...

Podcasting for Wine Blogging (Podcast #1)

2010-02-17T05:08:00.000+02:00

I have been in the process of adding video clips to my blog posts to enhance my ability to communicate. I have found podcasting an easy alternative to the same end. This is my first podcast and also a test.

To hear the podcast, click the photograph. To save the podcast, right click and save.

*This post belongs to this week’s edition of Wine by Cush Magazine blog and published early in World of Cush also.

[Via http://worldofcush.wordpress.com]

RealArcade releases Official Winter Olympics Game | iLounge News

More on water

2010-02-15T17:17:00.000+02:00

This RealAge.com article reports on a study that finds dehydration causes not only physical angst, but also has a negative effect on your mood. I recently wrote about water and nausea, and I maintain the dogma that when you’re feeling icky in any way, the first thing you should do is drink a big glass of water. It can’t hurt, and much of the time it will help.

In other beverage news, the Drs. Mohr at MohrResults.com reported on red wine and how its touted health benefits may be exaggerated, while green tea holds up as a powerful antioxident-filled drink that provides a nice energy boost.

It seems that with most people, simply changing your beverage intake can be a huge step toward a much healthier, fitter lifestyle. Especially if you drink sodas, flavored coffee drinks, and lots of alcohol, cutting back to mostly water (and a lot of it), black coffee and tea, and the occasional glass (5 oz.) of wine can save a lot of calories and make you feel much better, even if you change nothing else about your diet.

- albledsoe

[Via http://fittobetried.wordpress.com]

Saturday Morning News and Views « The Confluence

www.indiaonlineflorists.com

2010-02-15T11:48:00.000+02:00

Make a real splash of fun at the celebrations of your loved ones in India by sending flowers and cakes. Stun your dear ones to delight by delivering the spectacular fresh flowers and fresh cakes to India. We are the best online florists for the delivery of flowers and cakes to India for all occasions. Mesmerize your special ones by sending our beautiful flowers to India, delicious cakes to India, Taj cakes to India, eggless cakes to India, friendship day flowers & cakes to India, diwali flowers & cakes to India, valentine’s day flowers & cakes to India, mother’s day flowers & cakes to India, father’s day flowers & cakes to India, women’s day flowers & cakes to India, friendship day flowers & cakes to India, birthday flowers & cakes to India, anniversary flowers & cakes to India, new born flowers to India, wedding flowers & cakes to India, get well flowers to India, thank you flowers to India, congratulation flowers to India, condolence flowers to India, new year flowers & cakes to India, christmas flowers & cakes to India and lots more breathtaking flowers and lip-smacking cakes.

Add zing to the special occasions of your acquaintances in India by sending our fantastic flowers and tasty cakes. Our expert team affords excellent customer service support for the delivery of our flowers and cakes to India. Our supreme delivery networks all over India, Same Day Delivery option to India and punctual delivery of flowers and cakes to India have helped us to be more proficient. Moreover sending flowers and cakes to India online with us is 100% secured.

Please visit:

www.indiaonlineflorists.com

[Via http://giftflowersusa.wordpress.com]

News Fail - FAIL Blog: Epic Fail Pictures and Videos of Owned ...

2006 Nk'Mip Merlot

2010-02-15T05:47:00.000+02:00

I was in Osoyoos for the weekend visiting some family and during our Saturday night dinner we all shared a bottle of 2006 Nk’Mip Merlot. Until last year, I wasn’t very familiar with Nk’Mip wines, but I’ve gotten to taste quite a few of them this year, and have been pleasantly surprised. Their winery is actually just down the street from my mother-in-law’s place, so it’s an easy stop-off when we’re pressed for time. Their facility is actually quite incredible. They have an executive 9-hole golf course, campground, Patio restaurant, resort & spa, and a cultural centre. You can read all about it HERE. If you’re in the area, it is definitely worth stopping by. I fully intend to play a round of golf there this summer, if I can find the time.

Here are my tasting notes:

Appearance: Maroon. No browning. Dark and clear. Very slight purple edge.

Smell: Currants and plums. And some leather.

Taste: Leather and currants.

Overall: Good wine. Quite a wet wine and not too sweet. We had it with a pot roast, which it complemented quite well.

Rating: 3.5 / 5

[Via http://robr21.wordpress.com]

Arrowheadlines: Chiefs News 2/13 - Arrowhead Pride

Foot pain, japanese musicals, and alcohol.

2010-02-12T23:42:00.000+02:00

Um so yeah normally these 3 things are absolutely random and have nothing to do with each other.

Except for today. In the life and times of Marguerite. However, these things were all mere coincidences, it’s not like these are 3 things that i absolutely love (or even love as a combination).

Getting to the point: well apparently i’ve been walking with a sprained foot all week and didn’t do anything about it until today. Still not sure really what the hell is wrong with my foot but thanks to a weird foot-wrap-thing it feels “better” (or am i just telling myself this?)

So it started to hurt like a mofo today after my philosophy class (which began at 9am…please kill me). I was rushing to Clignancourt (which for those who don’t know, is the absolute northernmost part of Paris before the “beltway” as i call it) from ma hood, which is in southwest Paris. Takes about 35min total to walk, take metro etc. Anyway, on my way back home (besides nodding off on the 4 and almost missing my station switch, the fucking annoying Barbès-Rochechouart) my foot felt like it was either on fire or being stabbed with a billion sharp knives. Went home and slept hoping it would stop.

Nah. It came back for a raging encore while sitting in my absolutely boring Renaissance Art class (which I left early with a friend since, well, it was so hackin’ boring). As if my life wasn’t sad enough, on my way home after getting my foot-wrap-thing, my other foot totally slipped on the cobblestoned street at rue Raymond Poincaré and i twisted my ankle. Luckily, my ankles seem to be made of rubber and it didn’t hurt. but i looked like a loser cuz i also dropped my bag o’ goodies from Monoprix. AND as if that weren’t enough, some stupid-ass pigeons who decided they refused to move from their location got their butts kicked by my foot that slipped and of course they were rather offended and made a terrible noise.

I have no idea if anyone noticed the ruckus that I caused, either way i laughed it off with my dignity intact.

Next order of business: Japanese musicals. Whaa? Yes. Now, i’m not a connoisseur of any sort in regards to musicals, especially Japanese ones. But since i wanted to keep my foot at rest, i spent my evening with my laptop and scoped YouTube. One way or another i got to a video called “Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney: The Musical (Part 1)”.

This probably means absolutely nothing to the readers that read my blog (cuz i know damn well the readers who read this haha). Phoenix Wright is a Nintendo DS game that involves a defense attorney (Phoenix Wright obviously) and he is always getting into murder mysteries and whatnot and then has to defend the person who is belived to be the murderer.

How do I know all of this? Well, I am a total nerd and I have 3 of the 4 games in the series lol.

Before you judge me (*sigh* i know people will…) let me state the pro’s about the game.

The english translation is hilarious in a good way. Not like the old NES games where the translation is absolutely dreadful to the point that its funny. Here the writer’s actually do a good job and it’s very fresh and au-courant humor.
Second, the story is addictive. I do not have the first installment of the series, but I have the 2nd and 3rd that are about Phoenix, and damn it if you get sucked into the story after just one case. There’s about 4-5 cases per game, it’s all following the same chronology and shit. Honestly, i don’t even remember how i got into playing the game or how i found out about it, i just know i was into it when i was still dating my druggie bf 3 years ago. The 3rd game i have involves a new defense attorney Appolo Justice, and it’s not as good (duh) but Phoenix is still in the game so i’m down wit dat.

So now i am rather fond of the crazy antics of Phoenix, his assistant Maya (who has the quirky ability to channel spirits…how convinient in a murder case! that is so japanese to have some random add-on thing like that haha), and the sketchy-ass prosecutors like Godot, Franziska Von Karma and Edgeworth.

Since the game started out in Japan (naturally…i mean seriously. what other country would find a way to make a video game all about lawyers and spirit channeling AND it would be a success?!), it makes sense that Japan would also be the first to make it into a musical.

The musical is actually called Gyakuten Saiban, and for some reason an all-female troupe did this musical. Umm. I decided to watch it, there’s subtitles soooo, it should be cool right? haha well it was definitely amusing, i couldn’t stop laughing. 1) women, no matter how good the actress, are just very awkward in male roles. Phoenix was played by a woman obviously, and really it just looked like a very lesbian japanese lady singing about politics. Her hair was not even Phoenix’s signature black spiky hair. (I don’t mean for that sentence to sound like a whiny super-fan lol)…so i didn’t really get who the hell she was at first cuz UM well she’s a woman and doesn’t look like the fuckin character……

Anywho, long story short, it was nothing short from bizarre. But what was cool was they kept the same music from the game, and a lot of the poses in the show were the same in the game. But still….who the hell decided to make this a musical and what the hell were they smoking when they came up with this whole idea!?!?!?!?!?!

So i ended up watching a few videos on it, it was so bizarre. I spent a whole semester on Japanese theatre, but i never got to see women actor’s, and since this is the only time i’ve seen japanese women in a theatrical performance, my view on the whole thing is, um, screwed up ruined askew something or other…

i wasn’t high on anything when i watched it and it was ridiculously entertaining. I highly recommend watching it, sober or not

Lastly: alcohol. Some reason my host dad insists i always have a full glass of wine at dinner. And full i mean when i’m done drinking the whole glass he pours another.

I’m not a big alcohol fan. My family has a history of having major issues with it so i’ve always kept it very distant from me, not just cuz of family history but i’ve seen horrible stuff due to alcohol and the whole idea kinda makes me depressed for some reason. Anywho, so i had 3 glasses of wine at dinner. Not only am i not a fan of it, but clearly my body physically doesn’t want it either. After just 2 glasses i got soooooooo sleepy. Just 2 glasses! After my third (thankfully it was the end of dinner so i could go to my room) i was quite light headed. But not tipsy. But it was annoying. Maybe my anxiety medicine is screwing up my ability to take in alcohol? cuz i know i didnt have this problem when i was younger. Hmm. But it goes away within 30min but still it’s like WTF.

So my evening was just me in bed with Gyakuten Saiban, a sprained foot, and alcohol-related drowsiness. Most unusual for me, i must say.

I feel rather nauseous, i think i’ve been eating too much junk food. Ugh.

There’s more to talk about, but that’s for another day. My next topic will probably be on one of my french ex-bf’s, since i’ve found myself on this trip having rather awful flashbacks about him and our “relationship” that are causing problems for me to this day……yay life!

[Via http://missmargueriteroberts.wordpress.com]

Karl Frisch: Fox News, Right-Wing Media Deserve a Snowball in the ...

Congrats to the Cliff House

2010-02-12T17:55:00.000+02:00

The most exquisite dinner to cross my lips last summer was enjoyed at The Cliff House Hotel in Ardmore, Co Waterford. The setting undoubtedly worked some magic: sitting in the glass-walled diningroom, you feel as if you are on the deck of an ocean liner as the last rays of sun turn the sea a glamorous, Hollywood shade of pinky-gold. But I am such a demanding eater that even the most thrilling ambience wouldn’t compensate one whit for so-so food. Here it didn’t have to try. The cooking of Dutch head chef Martin Kajuiter and his team was sublime – so it’s no surprise to hear that he has earned The Cliff House its first Michelin star.

Innovative without being silly, the food here is memorable for its pure, zingy flavours and perfect presentation. (You may find your thick slice of hot-smoked salmon still smoking enticingly under its cloche – both a visual and an aromatic treat.) Sommelier Anke Hartmann offers some delicious menu matches from the interesting wine list that she has built up. And, should you decide to stay (you should!), the bedrooms are a dream – outdone only by some astonishingly sybaritic bathrooms in which glass-walled showers offer the knockout combination of luxury ablutions with sweeping sea views.

Overseen by genial Adriaan Bartels (previously manager of Sheen Falls Lodge in Kenmare, Co Kerry), The Cliff House is one of Ireland’s most exciting hotels. Put it on your 2010 To Do list – although half of the charm, when you get there, is to do absolutely nothing.

www.thecliffhousehotel.com – tel +353 24 87800

[Via http://marydowey.wordpress.com]

Karl Frisch: Fox News, Right-Wing Media Deserve a Snowball in the ...

Why I Love San Francisco

2010-02-12T05:20:00.000+02:00

There have been songs (“I left my heart in San Francisco”) and jokes (The coldest Winter I ever spent was a Summer in San Francisco”), but there really is something special about this City by the Bay. Some complain that you trip over homeless pan-handlers every two feet (I actually saw one holding out a frying pan!), but with that you also trip over three Starbucks, a sushi restaurant, and an art museum or two. I’ll take it!

Here are a few of my favorite things:

No skyline jutting out of a grid, the buildings flow across the landscape from the hills to the sea
The Bay area cities face each other like seats in an enormous arena
The contrasts of the architecture: Ultra Modern vs. Victorian
The “dinging” of the cable cars
Gorgeous sunsets
The moderate climate: Not too hot, not too cold, it’s just right!
You can never eat too much Ghirardelli chocolate
Home of Rapleaf World Headquarters (shameless plug for my new company!)
The sushi
The Shakespeare Garden inside the Golden Gate Park
Temptingly close to Wine Country…
The awe-inspiring bridges
That tiny little chapel on the tallest hill in Tiburon (Happy Anniversary Michele and Rey!)
The music and history of Haight-Ashbury
Steep and crooked streets
The barking roars of of the sea lions
Alcatraz
The art museums, galleries, and street art…everywhere!
The aroma of sour dough bread
The sushi (Did I already list Sushi?)
The people

If you haven’t yet explored San Francisco, do it. If you have, please share some of your favorite things.

This is Day 8 (cough) of The 28 Day Blogging Challenge

Photos courtesy of Alaskan_Dude, PatrickSmithPhotography, and Flickr

[Via http://reddsmitty.wordpress.com]

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Ten things I learnt from the Italians

2010-02-10T17:23:00.000+02:00

I moved to Italy when I was 20 and left when I was 37 so I guess you could say I became an adult there. I am sure that many defining parts of my character where finely honed by the Italian culture and here are some of the best bits I brought back with me…

Food. I learnt to cook! Not that I couldn’t cook before. Mum is the best cook I know and my brother is a chef so the appreciation of good food runs in the family. However the Italians are very conscious of their food and adore telling you how their Mediterranean diet is the best in the world. I do like that they use genuine products that are in season and grown locally or at least in Italy.
Wine. Young people do not HAVE to get blindly drunk to enjoy a Friday night…sometimes it happens but it’s not a necessity. Enjoying good wine and spirits is also part of the Italian lifestyle. Booze costs a lot less and there are no age limits in bars therefore underage drinking exists on a lot lower scale than here in the UK. Kids there don’t have to get trashed to prove they’re as big as the next guy.
Art. Everywhere you go in Italy you cannot help but be in awe of the art surrounding you. Churches, town halls, villages with wall art and artists painting, sculpting or creating masterpieces in the village square for all to see. Every place in Italy, be it a tiny village or a city, has something to show.
Fashion. Some of the greatest designers in the world are Made In Italy, every Italian is enormously proud of their standing in the world’s fashion stakes and this is so visible as everyone takes pride in what they wear and the majority look like models themselves. Makes it a damn sight harder to keep up with the Rossi’s I can tell you!
Family. The Italians I had the pleasure to meet, all put family in first place. The elderly are looked after and respected by all. Italy is also VERY child friendly (almost verging on the extreme as some parents do take libertys with their kids on a day out making it hell for waiters and shop owners) but rest assured any holiday in Italy with children will be delightful as you can take them everywhere you go and people will stop to praise them.
Con calma, or Take it easy… yes, there’s no rush, don’t go stressing yourself out, take your time and get it done properly. There’s always tomorrow.
Whenever you wash your dishes by hand you MUST always rinse them off. True! You wouldn’t dream of leaving shampoo in your hair.
Money – don’t get in debt. Pay as you go and go without if you can’t afford it. This makes for easy sleeping at night.
Patriotic. They all share a deep adoration for their country, after all they’ve got it all, sea, sun, sand, mountains, skiing, lakes, beautiful cities and beautiful people. Their summer holidays for the most part are within their boundaries, Sicily, Sardegna, Puglia to name a few. Ski trips to Trentino, Courmayeur or Alto Adige, Weekend trips to Florence, Venice, Pisa…I could go on forever.
The lingo. Of course, I came away bilingual. I struggle to write in Italian as their grammar is diabolical but I can read and talk till the cows come home.

Just don’t get me on their politics….

photo by kerben at Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/14290505@N08/2389432375/

[Via http://marisworld.wordpress.com]

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Pink is the color of love and rosé

2010-02-10T11:00:00.000+02:00

With Valentines Day being this coming Sunday I thought I would do a quick blog about one of my favorite wines. Francis Coppola Sofia Rose, now I have been lucky enough to go out to Napa and visit the Coppola Vineyard and Winery, which is where I had Sofia Rose for the first time, and loved it the first time I had it. This wine has a brilliant pink rose color and a bottle that beautiful by itself (nice gift idea if you are in the market for a Valentine’s gift).

I do not want this to be a fussy or wordy wine post, just a few quick things to keep in mind about this wine. This is a rose, not a sweet white zinfandel you immediately think of when I say pink, and Sofia in particular is a refreshing, dry wine with a smell and taste that alternates between light florals and just picked strawberries. Along with strawberry, black cherry and raspberry notes share the palate with a nice acidity at the end. Its refreshing style makes it a delicious partner to all kinds of savory dishes, from tostadas and spicy grilled chicken to a nicoise salad. And although I usually look for this wine in the hot Texas summer months I think that it cannot be beat for a special Valentine’s Day treat.

Serve the wine chilled and as it warms the full flavor will open up.

Where to find Sofia in Dallas:

GoodyGoody Liquor, Centennial Fine Wine and Spirits, CostCo (West Plano), and other specialty stores throughout town.

[Via http://thesingleplate.wordpress.com]

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The Ten Bells: A Diamond in the Rough

2010-02-10T05:48:00.000+02:00

Okay, so this isn’t really a restaurant review. Technically it’s a wine bar review, but it’s always healthy to switch things up so let’s get to it. This wine bar also happens to serve food, which I’m sure tastes great. However, I wouldn’t know since I only consumed several glasses of wine. Sometimes this Hungry Girl is Thirsty.

The Ten Bells prides itself on serving organic wine in the Lower East Side in what I think is one of the most nondescript places I’ve ever been, located in a fairly barren area on Broome and Ludlow. In fact, I don’t recall seeing a sign, I just walked into what looked like it might be a wine bar and I was right! Go me.

Once inside, it’s a completely different feel from the chic grunge of the LES. The dimly lit candles, dark wood and low key reggae/trip hop music immediately puts you at ease, which then prompts you to indulge in some wine. Smart, The Ten Bells, very smart.

I joined a group of friends in trying two of the red wines available that night, a Cotes du Rhone and a second one, which I actually can’t remember. Wine bar fail. In general, I prefer rosé and white wine to red but I enjoyed the first red I tried. Not too dry, not too acidic, the goldilocks of red wine. The second, which was a hefty $30 more expensive, was actually not as good, in my opinion. Don’t get me wrong, it was good but certainly not a goldilocks. Maybe that’s why I can’t remember what it was. Also, they serve the wine in small wine glasses, perhaps to get you to buy more bottles? Not sure about this theory.

One thing to note is that this place is cash only and magnums of wine are pretty pricey so if there’s ever a time to be a baller and carry wads of cash, this is that time.

Rating: Love (Despite other non-related incidents that occurred that night that made me almost want to put Like.)

http://www.thetenbells.com

[Via http://hungrygirlchronicles.wordpress.com]

News Of The Day

Lower Your Genetically High Cholesterol - Eat the Mediterranean Way

2010-02-08T17:47:00.000+02:00

As a heart healthy nutrition author, educator and consultant with a family history of heart disease (I jokingly blame it on my mother, and her mother, and her mother, but it’s really my French Canadian heritage.) I have spent my adult life trying to lower my cholesterol. Eating a vegetarian diet usually leads to a plummeting cholesterol level, but not mine. Losing weight – ditto. Some people consider statin drugs a miracle; but the ones I could take didn’t lower my cholesterol and the ones that worked caused too many side effects. I am not alone here, many of us have a genetically high cholesterol level. After several years of research I have devised a plan that works for me and hopefully will work for you too. Step One – Eat Mediterranean.

The Mediterranean Diet is based on a few simple principles; eat whole foods, enjoy your friends and family, relax with the occasional glass of wine. It is not a temporary “diet” to follow until you lose weight. It’s a lifestyle, a healthy way to live well. It consists of whole grain breads, plenty of fruits, vegetables, beans, fats in the form of olive oil or nuts, and small amounts of cheese, fish, poultry, eggs, and even less red meat. It is rich in greens and dishes are flavored with herbs and spices instead of fat, salt, and sugar.

The Mediterranean Diet is full of carbohydrates (numerous studies have shown that the healthiest people in the world eat the most carbs) so forget that whole crazy Adkins fad. The key is to eat quality carbs. Think whole grain (oats, whole wheat, cornmeal, popcorn, brown rice, quinoa, etc). Pasta, with vegetables, nuts, and olive oil is actually a healthy dinner choice. Dessert is usually fruit and people who live in the Mediterranean region eat more fruit than any place else on earth.

The Mediterranean Diet does not adhere to the “low-fat” craze that we espouse here in the US. But the main source of fat is olive oil, not the butter or hydrogenated fats that are so common here. Protein is also primarily found in the form of beans and nuts with lesser amounts of fish and poultry. Red meats are kept for special occasions.

Don’t underestimate the importance of enjoying meals with others and socializing. A healthy life (and cholesterol level) is not just based on an eating plan. Embrace the Mediterranean approach and turn off the TV while eating! Interact with your family and enjoy a glass of wine with dinner. Less stress leads to improved mental and physical health – including a lower cholesterol level.

This is just a quick over view of the Mediterranean Diet. If you are interested in more information (and in the Tri-Cities area) join my Mediterranean Diet class on Wednesday night. Sign up at Kennewick Community Education. A wonderful source of all things Mediterranean is Oldways. Check out their website here. Lots of heart healthy tips and recipes can be found in my book, The New Contented Heart Cookbook (30% off this month, only $7 per copy) or check out my coaching services.

I’ll continue sharing my “cholesterol lowering” story all this month in honor of American Heart Month and would love to hear your stories too. Do you struggle with a genetically high cholesterol level? How do you manage your level?

Here’s my favorite Hummus recipe to get you started. Hummus is a great appetizer with whole grain crackers or a delicious sandwich base with raw spinach, sliced tomatoes and chopped olives. Yummm.

In a food processor combine:

2 cups cooked, drained garbanzo beans
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp tahini
3 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt

[Via http://winebarrelgourmet.wordpress.com]

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Valentine's Day palate- Indulge in a little wine and chocolate

2010-02-08T11:50:00.000+02:00

Since the time of the Aztecs, chocolate has been said to have amorous properties. Wine, too, has long been associated with romance and it is best summed up in the words of 17th century English playwright, Ben Jonson , “Wine is the milk of Venus”.

What better way, then, to satisfy the Valentine’s Day palate than to indulge in a little of both? Pairing wine with chocolate is a culinary delight that has been gaining attention in recent years. And all it takes to make it work is a little know-how and a sense of adventure.

An US wine shop owner ,Sherry Etes, suggests that a lot of people don’t really think about pairing the two, but it can be great fun. There are actually a lot of different wines that pair well with chocolate. Generally, wines that are a little more “fruit forward” make the best partners with chocolate.

Champagnes also pair well with chocolate. Try dark chocolate with a brut champagne, and a lighter (maybe even white) chocolate with a sweeter bubbly. Be careful, though, not to go too sweet.

Balancing act

Balance is important when pairing wine with chocolate, said Julie Waterman, owner of Indulgence Chocolatiers in Waukesha.

“You want to either complement or contrast the flavors in the two,” said Waterman, who specializes in artisan, (Belgian chocolates).

Overall, dark chocolate tends to pair better with wine than milk chocolate, Waterman said.

“Milk chocolate tends to have too many tannins, which can create a clash with the wine.”

That doesn’t mean, however, that people who prefer sweeter chocolate won’t have success in pairing wine with chocolate, she said. Chocolate doesn’t have to be super dark, bitter sweet to be considered dark, Waterman explained. Lighter, very creamy varieties of dark chocolate are available.

A good general rule-of-thumb is to choose a chocolate with 50 percent, or higher, cacao content. Such semisweet chocolates usually pair well with wine, she said.

Judo Chop!

2010-02-08T05:17:00.000+02:00

Ex-rock band manager Charles Smith is making some phenomenal wines up in Washington state these days, he emphasizes value throughout his range of wines and follows a philosophy of wine making that results in wines that are ready to drink almost immediately. I’m also a big fan of his marketing the wines with edgy, interesting names and stand out labels that are guaranteed to catch the eye.

One of his wines, the Kung-Fu Girl riesling, caught my eye a couple of months ago in a magazine. I thought the name was interesting and the label design, with its creative use of negative space, was downright cool. Most appealing was its positive review in the article and its reasonable price- about $13.

More recently, The Hungry Wino and I were spending a relaxing evening at our favorite bar when he noticed the Kung-Fu Girl on their wine list and we had a short conversation about the review I read and that it was supposed to be pretty good- this served to renew my interest in the wine enough that I picked up a bottle to drink and write about.

Rieslings are predominantly grown in its native Germany, but is also grown in Alsace, France, Austria, New Zealand and the U.S.. The varietal was imported into the country by German immigrants in the mid-to-late 1800s and quickly found a home in the vineyards of New Yorks Finger Lakes region where it is still a popular vine planted to this day. Other U.S. locations that grow riesling are California, Oregon, and Washington (where the Kung-Fu Girl is from).

Riesling from this area tends to be anywhere from dry to sweet and very light, which makes for easy drinking. It also will display pronounced peach and mineral notes.

The Kung-Fu Girl noses nicely with peach, citrus, grass, and apples. Once you take a sip, the nose doesn’t disappoint with flavors of pronounced peach, and citrus notes and subtle pink grapefruit- the wine finishes clean and crisp with a light lemon tartness.

Overall, this is a can’t miss wine, it’s exceedingly honest and a very well structured riesling that doesn’t disappoint.

[Via http://outfitterslounge.wordpress.com]

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She's a Lady

2010-02-05T16:29:00.000+02:00

Recently, I had to switch delis. As a New Yorker, this is huge. You love your deli, the one that makes your bacon bagel sandwich exactly the way you like it, the one that throws in a banana with your purchase just to appreciate your patronage, and the one that employs people who don’t judge you when you add on a second box of Nilla Wafers to your purchase just so you can make the $7 credit card limit.

At my now ex-deli, Deli Sheen Bros Co., Raul makes the sandwiches and Jose mans the register. Whenever I would go in, they’d call me names like “beautiful,” “linda,” “mami,” and – after I lazily answered my phone on speaker – “Sarita.” Normally I would politely stare at the stained floor, take my animal cookies and leave, but today was different.

Raul and Jose had their short, fat friends over behind the counter for a social visit that involved eating ham and watching a foreign soccer game. When I came to Jose’s counter with my loot, the visitors clicked their tongues and said “How did you get to be so pretty, mami, eh?” They were noticeably admiring my hoodie that was over my head, strings tied under my chin to make me look like an American Apparel pilgrim.

They said they liked the way my lips were glossy (Vaseline) as Jose made the transaction. Finally, as Jose dilly-dallied in giving me my receipt, I couldn’t handle it anymore. “Good lord shut the FUCK up.” I swore as I walked out with a bottle of wine and box of Oreos (yep). I trotted off, angry that I was sexually harassed in my house clothes.

“HEY!” One of them was hanging out the deli doors and calling after me. “HEY!” Jose and Raul were outside too, laughing and egging the yeller on, he ran to catch up with me and blocked me in my trek back to my apartment. “HELLO.” He repeated, as if we were quoting lines from Clueless back to each other. He smiled and advanced on me. “Ees dat how ju treat so’one who tells ju ju are beautiful?”

Yes, he was just telling me I was pretty, but this was my block and I would treat this man with the same hospitality that I give all of the creepy street-walkers who try and court me in Alphabet City. “Cállate la boca, hijo de puta.” I said as I walked around him. He froze there on the curb. Raul and Jose continued to yell sweet nothings at me, but my follower did not refute and tell me that no, I was the puta, as some are wont to do. I tied my hoodie strings tighter and walked on to a similar encounter with the guy in the backwards Jets hat who leans against the lamp post on 5th and A.

To answer his question, yes, I do treat them all that way. All the men that hit on me are usually privileged enough to have me flip them a ladylike middle finger. I react with such anger because of experience and exhaustion. Every morning on my walk to work along Avenue A, delivery boys stop pushing their carts of Bushmills meant for the Lower East Side bars stop to greet me or simply say “Mm!”

When this happens, I am reminded that the only people that hit on me are people that one avoids in subway cars. I am pursued relentlessly, habitually, and without care by short, squat, chicano men who occupy all the manual labor jobs in this city, and I tell all of them to shut the fuck up. Every. Single. Time.

This is not a new thing for me, and I’ve learned to deal with the attention by learning rude Spanish phrases and exercising my death stare. When I was on a trip to Costa Rica with my family, a young native selling crude crack pipes that were fashioned into clay penises whistled at my sister and me. My sister was 12 and legitimately scared of this guy who was blowing us kisses. To help her with this fear, I told her to look at him like she was plotting to kill him once he fell asleep that night. Look at him like you know where he lives and where he fries his plantains, I told her. “Then he’ll be scared because he’ll think you’re on your period, and he will leave you alone.” This was logic gained from years of being whistled at from Camaros.

My friends tell me I’m incredibly rude to men who hit on me in bars and clubs. But it’s not my fault that the men who hit on me are always the ones who own Laundromats and have spurs on their shoes. If someone in a suit wearing a Rolex were to offer me a steak dinner at Outback or something, I would gladly smile and bat my eyelashes. But that has never happened.

Because of my attractiveness to those of South-of-the-border heritage, things have gotten weird in the workplace. When I worked for a man who owned hotels, his cleaning people sent me love notes and tried to kiss me goodbye at the end of their shifts. As a bartender, I got so much special attention from the busboys (my bar was spotless, the liquor had always been brought up, and lemon wedges were cut into beautiful flower shapes), that the manager had to intervene. When I was working at an office in Boston, the guy who took out the trash actually WAITED for me to finish work one day and offered to walk me home. NO.

Every burrito assembler, flower stand attendant, and guy-who-hands-porn-flyers-on-the-strip-in-Vegas has loved me at first sight. I am Aphrodite to anyone who can’t pronounce their J’s. I know that most women would say “stop flattering yourself, those guys will whistle at anyone,” but please, take a walk down Avenue C with me. I think I emit an aroma of a Mets game and double shot margarita because I get an unprecedented amount of attention for someone who barely brushes her hair in the morning.

And yet, here we are in February, the one month where we all decide to actively hate ourselves and everything around us. It’s not just because of Valentines Day that February is the most awful, awful time of year. I’m fairly certain that even if Valentine’s Day fell in the perfect month of June, all relationships would sour during the insipid, cold, dark, evil Stepmother month of February.

The logic supporting this theory is that it’s cold outside, no one wants to go out, so we stay in and watch movies. You learn a lot about someone when you watch more than a few movies with him or her. When I watch movies by myself I fast forward through the scary or sexy parts, which, when you’re in a relationship, are the moments that bring you together. Needless to say, people always discover my true colors and by St. Patrick’s Day we’re no longer snuggling under heated blankets.

After I successfully screwed up another winter-time romance this past weekend (after sitting through a painful and ironic viewing “Fatal Attraction,” mind you), I sat on my bed, contemplating love; wine bottle in one hand and Oreos in the other (I’d been craving Oreos since the scene in “Fatal Attraction” where Glenn Close consumes the treat as she’s stalking Michael Douglas. I realize how this may sound, but I also crave oranges whenever I watch The Godfather, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to sever a horse and put it in a Central Park carriage-driver’s bed, calm down).

With a lick of fresh frosting, I realized that the last person to physically say “I love you” to me was a very short, very round Hispanic man with greased back hair. He was on the subway. I was not on the subway. There was a giant pair of shiny, double-steel, bulletproof doors between us. He had his headphones in and his orange backpack on. As a lady’s jarbled Queens-raised voice blared over the loudspeaker of the 34th Street station, our eyes met and he mouthed the precious, sacred words of “I Love you.”

I had my artillery ready. I’d been practicing “ugh, as if!” in Spanish for weeks now. But today, being a day in February, I decided to try something new.

“Really? You love me?” I asked him in full volume. People turned to look at me, because I was being very loud. When they saw that I was just another girl in a flannel talking to herself they went back to their AM New Yorks.

The train was stalled. My vato didn’t look startled by my response. “Yes. Yes I do.” he nodded in earnest. I stared at him until the train rolled away, just to be creepy. He stared back, creepy by nature.

And this was the last man who told me he loved me. Sure I could have called my dad or brother to get a 1-4-3 out of them, but I didn’t. I can’t stop thinking about the poetry of it all: it’s February, it’s cold, and New York is LONELY, no matter how many friends or dates you may have. Something about the city reminds you of sordid things from your past, perhaps because it seems like everyone else is trying to forget theirs. And this guy was just like any other guy I’ve been involved with; he told me what I wanted to hear when he knew he was on his way out.

We’re all looking for passionate romances, but no one really knows what that is until its sitting right in front of them. There are certain things we all want: someone who is trustworthy, supportive, and sings your praises. We also want someone who gives us gifts and writes us love notes, like my Latino lovers. Every time one of these men hollers at me on the street, they look at me with the same sincerity as my subway romance did. They truly look like they have eyes only for me. What would they do if I stopped and indulged them? What would they do if I forced them to sit and listen about my day? That parallel universe doesn’t exist, because these men KNOW I’m going to keep walking.

Perhaps this is why I’m so mean to them. I hate that they’re playing me like that. I lash out at them, making New York an even more lonely and cruel place.

But at some point, we all have to stop feeling sorry for ourselves because we as humans have the capacity to hurt one another. Yes, I’ve engaged in and am maintaining unhealthy relationships with men, as any 22 year old should, but I am taking that anger out by YELLING AT STRANGERS ON THE STREET IN SPANISH. I am Glenn Close emerging from the bathtub (sans knife) just screaming for the fun of it. I express my rage to an undocumented immigrant who just feels like telling me I’m pretty, perhaps because he thinks I need to hear it.

The only consistent affection and love that I get in this city is from the dirty, ‘hood dudes that sell flowers, hand out flyers, and work behind deli counters. And for that I should be thankful, because in this town, it’s the only love I’m going to get.

[Via http://shanfield.wordpress.com]

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Pan-Seared Swordfish Steaks

2010-02-03T16:58:00.000+02:00

Exciting news! I have officially declared myself a pescatarian! I’ve been eating Ahi tuna for about three years, but that was basically it until this summer, when I started to try new fish. As a kid, I was always too afraid to try anything new, and now that I’m a grown up I feel like I’ve missed out — needless to say, I have a LOT of catching up to do!

Thankfully, we have a fabulous local seafood market here in North SLO County — Pier 46! These guys have a fabulous reputation for fresh fish, great customer service, and stellar social media skills; Joanne’s Twitter is locally famous, I’m not kidding.

The boy and I cooked dinner at his parent’s house this past weekend (their kitchen is amazing!!), and he had decided that swordfish was a fish that I would enjoy. Wow, he was so right. He cooked it simply in a white wine sauce, and it was so juicy — perfectly cooked and delicious! Yum…I want some more right now!

P.S. Check out all the action shots! I love cooking with others…way more fun photos!

Pan-Seared Swordfish Steaks

2 swordfish steaks, about 1 inch thick (our order came in at just over a pound)

salt and pepper

1 Tablespoon butter

1/2 Tablespoon olive oil

1/4 cup dry white wine

Wine note: We used Niner 2007 Sauvignon Blanc, which has all kinds of tropical notes. It worked very well and added some fresh flavor to round out the butter and oil.

1. Coat the fish with salt and pepper.

2. Heat butter and oil over medium-high heat until foamy, then add fish. Sautee until golden, about three minutes.

3. Turn over fish and add wine. Simmer for about three more minutes, until fish is cooked through. Transfer to plates and pour sauce over steaks.

Note: I also cooked broccoli rabe, and so we reserved some of the sauce from the fish for me to cook it in. I added a bit more wine, and salt and pepper, and sauteed it until tender but firm. Yum!

clearly, I have weak wrists...but one day I will be able to do this like Emeril!

[Via http://lauraezolnoski.com]

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Locked up again

2010-02-03T11:37:00.000+02:00

*Disclaimer: I received this wine as a sample from Big House Wines.

I already used the pun “In the Big House”……and I thought cutesy labels needed cutesy post titles. Not sure I got there this time, but hey, I tried. My first experience with the Big House Wines was the Red a couple weeks ago. I wasn’t such a big fan, so I didn’t really know what to expect from any of the other wines. I must say, I found the 2008 Big House White to be pleasantly surprising. Big House white is a blend of 56% Malvasia Bianca, 22% Muscat Canelli, 18% Viognier and 4% Rousanne. This would be a good one to cheaply knock out some Century Club grapes if you are just starting your quest! It clocked in a 13.5% alcohol by volume, had a screw cap, and retails for $7.

I thought this wine smelled a lot like Gewurztraminer. I think that was probably from the Muscat, but I’m not sure. I got flowers, lychee, tropical notes, and spice on the nose. I found it to be very perfumed. In the mouth I found sweet peach, pear, melon, and lots of white flowers. This was mostly all melon in the mouth. I found it refreshing and pretty interesting for the $7 price tag.

[Via http://wannabewino.com]

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Quiz: What diner food are you?

2010-02-03T05:02:00.000+02:00

Since I eat in diners on a regular basis, have actual credit at the Ovaltine, really should have a tag for the O for all my posts about it, and have done a diner tour of the PCH from Vancouver to San Francisco, this quiz has me written all over it. Especially in the following (perfectly accurate) result:

You Are Grilled Cheese

You are easygoing and easy to please. You don’t like change, and people can count on you to be consistent.

You don’t need or ask for much. If you have the basics satisfied, you’re happy.

You are a loyal and true friend. Your friends know to only expect the best from you.

You are a very “what you see is what you get” person and well liked for it. You are simply a delight.

What Kind of Diner Food Are You? Work is Hard. Time for Blogthings! And then we have the following. Also perfectly accurate, and the bizarre juxtaposition of which reminds me of the time we nearly had a tasting of Black Cloud Pinot Noir at the Ovaltine.

WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE!!!

You Are Wine

You may be guilty of being a snob, but at least you’re always drinking good stuff.

You can appreciate a good wine, especially when it’s expertly paired with food.

And while you have a strong preference for wine, you can appreciate any fine beverage.

You’ve even been known to drink beer on occasion, if it’s the right microbrew.

Are You Beer or Wine? Blogthings: Discover the Parts of Your Personality that Have Been Hiding

[Via http://raincoaster.com]

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Food Pairing: Green Curry

2010-02-01T17:09:00.000+02:00

Green Curry Recipe

The winemaking team at Layer Cake Wines travels the globe making great wines for the people. During our travels, we do everything possible to eat and drink as the locals do. We made a Green Curry while bottling the 2008 Layer Cake Shiraz in Australia and wanted to share the recipe with our friends.

Green Curry Preparation total time (1hr):

Ingredients:

Carrots

Onions

Garlic

Ginger

Lemongrass

Basil

Cilantro

Fruit: Mango, Papaya, Apples, Banana, Pears (Fruit provides the sweetness, use ripe fruit and whatever you have on hand, it’s going to be a part of your curry base and not garnish)

2 cans of unsweetened Coconut Milk

Chicken Stock

Green Curry Paste

Sushi Sticky Rice/Brown Rice/Uncle Bens

Versatility: Curry goes well with Shrimp, but, works with Chicken and Pork. Curry is also a perfect accompaniment for roasted vegetables and tofu for a vegan/vegetarian preparation. So it’s your choice.

Curry:

Prepare a mirepoix.

Cut up your onions, carrots, garlic, ginger and peel back a layer on your lemongrass so fresh flesh is exposed and cut in half. The best way (since this doesn’t have to be pretty) is to dice your onions, cut the carrots across the length into thick wheels and to peel cloves of garlic. The ginger should be sliced into nice chunks. The fruit should be added to this mixture, no peels. Cube mango, apples or pears and just break up a banana.

Open your can (s) of Green Curry, Coconut Milk and Chicken Stock (water can be substituted)

In a sauce pot on MEDIUM HIGH:

Heat a small pancake worth of olive oil and then add your mirepoix (vegetable/fruit mixture) and allow to cook till tender.

Slow cooking is good cooking, our goal is to allow each component to develop it’s full potential flavor wise. Ultimately, caramelization of the onions, carrots, ginger, lemongrass..is your desired result.

At this point, the green curry should be added to your caramelized mirepoix. Stir into the mixture so the curry covers all of your mirepoix.

The spice compound of the curry requires heat be applied to maximize the oils and flavors of the curry

As the smell of the curry rises to meet your nose, the oils have been released and it’s time to add your liquid.

Start with a cup of chicken broth and water mixture (50-50) is my preference.

Then add 1-2 cans of coconut milk and stir in thoroughly and simmer.

The coconut milk is going to thicken your curry rapidly; it’s also going to sweeten it some and add body. Depending on how pungent and how thick you would like your curry, it’s time to adjust and then reduce to intensify the flavors. Adding stock and water, (or just one or the other) will allow you to thin the curry. Go slowly as to not overwhelm your sauce…you can never go back, only add.

As you achieve consistency, it’s best practice to strain all of the aromatics/mirepoix from your curry through a fine sieve and then salt and pepper to taste.

The curry sauce will hold over night should you want to make it ahead.

Enjoy!!!!

[Via http://layercakewine.wordpress.com]

» Polar News & Notes: January 2010 News Roundup » Beyond Penguins ...

Chris Chameleon's show - A resounding success

2010-02-01T11:50:00.000+02:00

Chris Chameleon’s show at the Breytenbach Theater in Wellington was an amazing night.

Tall Horse was the main sponsor of this event and ,if judged by the way the crowd reacted, the night was a resounding success.

In the picture is Belinda Woolley , the Facebook competition winner and the maestro himself, Chris Chameleon.

[Via http://tallhorsewines.wordpress.com]

Fox News Breaks From Obama In Order To Criticize Obama | TV | Mediaite

$2 Wine

2010-02-01T05:25:00.000+02:00

Last night I went to Ralphs to pick up a few things for my sister. While there I took a short detour into the liquor aisle, because well I like to look. While browsing I happened upon a bottle of wine priced at $1.99. It was a Merlot and there were no other varietals by the same producer. This sighting conjured up feelings of both intrigue and skepticism. Wine for $2, really? At that moment I decided that my sister owed me a $2 fee for my services and so placed a bottle of the Bay Bridge Merlot in my basket. To be honest I expected it to be quite awful but my heart was set on attaining a pleasant buzz to get me through the evening. So upon arriving at home I hastily popped the cork and poured myself a glass. And guess what? It wasn’t awful! It was extremely light bodied and gave off aromas of only astringent “wine” but the palate was surprisingly not unpleasant. I found strawberry and other indistinct red berry flavors in my mouth. It was nothing like a Merlot should be, and if tasting it blind I probably would have guessed it a bulk Pinot Noir. Nonetheless, it was quite drinkable and I ended up nearly finishing the bottle. I know a $2 bottle of wine can seem a bit foreboding, but believe it or not I think that I possess a fairly discerning palate, and I assure you, it wasn’t half bad! I’d definitely pick up a bottle again.

[Via http://thecheapdrunk.wordpress.com]

Pink is the New Blog | Everybody's Business Is My Business » Blog ...

"Tempra Tantrum: Red Wines with Attitude from Spain" by Mary Gorman

2010-01-29T17:49:00.000+02:00

I wanted to share this wonderful article from Mary Gorman on TheKitchn.com. I met her last November in NY where we talked about Tempra Tantrum. I really enjoyed talking to her about the wines, the vineyard, the winery, the philosophy behind the wines, etc. I had a very nice time as she is very insightful, professional and wine knowledgeable!! Thanks, Mary, for this beautiful article!

You can also click here to read the article on the website.

Tempra Tantrum: Red Wines with Attitude from Spain

Tempra Tantrum – modern, confident, daring, and at $10 – great value! This is the name of a range of easy-drinking red wines from Castilla in the heart of Central Spain, the Spain of Don Quixote.

I first tasted these wines in November 2009, when I met with winemaker Rocio Osborne in New York. From the get-go I loved the look – vibrant earthy red, orange, maroon, and puce labeling gave each wine a distinctive look. The name Tempra Tantrum is derived from ‘Tempranillo’ – Spain’s most renowned grape variety. Each Tempra Tantrum wine is a blend of Tempranillo and one other variety. These are Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Shiraz.

I have to admit I was a little skeptical at first, wondering whether this was just another edgy label, masking a pretty ordinary wine. My concerns were unfounded. As I chatted to Rocio, her passion and dynamism lit up the room. She talked energetically about work in the vineyards, which are cultivated sustainably. Rocio is determined to become fully organic, which should be possible given the dry Mediterranean climate of the region. Tasting the four wines I was particularly struck by how well balanced each wine was, marrying ripe, vibrant fruit flavors with freshness, and a sense of place.

Rocio’s wines are all labeled with the appellation VT de Castilla (Vino de la Tierra de Castilla). The area of Castilla is in La Mancha, home to almost two thirds of Spain’s vineyards. For these wines Rocio has deliberately chosen to work outside the official DO system of the region because it gives her a lot more freedom and flexibility regarding which grape varieties to plant, how to cultivate the vines and how to make the wine.

La Mancha is a hot, arid region traditionally not known for high quality wine. However, over the past decade an unstoppable transformation has been happening. Forward thinking, passionate, quality conscious producers like Rocio, have stepped up the ambition level tremendously. Many are focusing on varietal wines, and international varieties. They have invested significantly in improving the vineyards, and dramatically changed the focus from quantity to quality.

Rocio pointed out as we talked “It is not one major thing that has made the difference, it is the attention to hundreds of small details that create change.” To which I would agree.

Tempra Tantrum Wines

While each of the four wines, could be sipped on its own, at home or with friends in a bar, they are also very food-friendly. As I read through the Kitchn posts last week, I particularly thought that Emily’s post on roasted almonds with orange and paprika would make a fantastic partner. Likewise, many of the nine pizzas that Emma talked about in her Friday post would be excellent to nibble on while sipping any of the four wines

Most importantly, these wines are great value at $10.00 / bottle.

• 2008 Tempranillo/ Grenache, VT de Castilla, Spain – Delicate and perfumed nose, raspberry, cranberry, cherry and sweet spices. Lively flavors and soft, juicy tannins. Real easy to drink. Great with aged Manchego or other hard cheeses, chorizo, arancini di riso, sardine toasts or simple pasta dishes

• 2008 Tempranillo / Merlot, VT de Castilla, Spain – Darker, more plummy aromas, with notes of mocha, espresso and spice. Lush tannins and ripe juicy flavors. Try with lasagna, paella, stuffed portabello mushrooms or an aged Gouda cheese.

• 2008 Tempranillo / Cabernet Sauvignon, VT de Castilla, Spain – Classic cassis and blackberry aromas, with earthy, peppery notes. Vibrant flavors, ripe but slightly firmer tannins. Would work well with a beef stew, roasted eggplant, vegetarian chili or marinated flank steak.

• 2008 Tempranillo / Shiraz, VT de Castilla, Spain – Lots of spice, pepper and black fruit aromas with leathery, spicy hints. Rich, smooth mouthfeel, yet fresh with lingering vibrant fruit. Great with lamb kebabs, beef burger & fries, pasta with a puttanesca sauce or short ribs.

Until next week enjoy!

Mary Gorman-McAdams, DWS, is a New York based wine educator, freelance writer and consultant. She hold the Diploma in Wine & Spirits from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), and is a candidate in the Master of Wine Program

Have a good weekend!!

-Rocio

[Via http://rocioosborne.wordpress.com]

News Ticker: Bruce Springsteen, Metallica, Katy Perry, Muse ...

Mexican Wine Growing Regions

2010-01-29T11:52:00.000+02:00

Ignorance is not bliss in my book. Knowledge is so much better. Did you know about the Mexican Wine Industry? Okay, fine you did but admittedly I never really thought about it. Tequila seems to overshadow all alcoholic beverages but Mexico has a long history of wine production beginning with the Spanish nearly 500 years ago. Today, Mexican wine can be found in at least 38 countries around the world. The industry is growing rapidly. Below are some interesting facts about the wine industry in Mexico.- Crystal Johnson, MCCN Editor

Excerpt From The Wine Report

“What is so fantastic about the Mexican wine growing regions is that the vineyards are easy to access on day trips from Ensenada, with time to return each evening to hone wine and food pairing skills at one of the many great restaurants,” says Al Boyce, who for the better part of three decades has visited and studied the northern Baja peninsula. Wine production in Mexico almost exclusively comes from three areas in the northern part of Baja, California, near the Mexican city of Ensenada.

Boyce notes that progress of every kind is apparent in the region. Good roads and highways, better education, improved economy and first-class hotels and restaurants exceed the demands of the most seasoned traveler. While recent improvements push back the once shoddy image of many Mexican industries, the Baja Peninsula’s heritage has not been forsaken by developers. Everything from architecture to local culture remains distinctly Mexican. But perhaps the most impressive chapter in this success story is the wine.

For more info Read The Wine Report

[Via http://multiculturalcookingnetwork.wordpress.com]

Day 2, Non-Apple News - Bits Blog - NYTimes.com

The important work of moving the world forward does not wait to be done by perfect men.-Eliot

2010-01-29T05:17:00.000+02:00

Sorry folks! Been going through some personal drama lately…apparently, some places would rather have Section 8 than people who pay their rent on time via bank check…it seems that collecting EFT’s is easier than worrying whether those of us on the up and up will pay our rent on time. (Not that I have anything against people who need help. I have a problem with places that start off as “luxury communities” and then push out those of us they worry they might have to chase after…if you are a FB “friend” you know my story…) Needless to say, I am moving by March and that may put this blog in a place in my life where it will take back stage to the things I need to do. Pity…I like my place. But the good thing is I am moving back to the bay into a larger apartment and back by my friends! Enough about me–let’s get into some Cheap Date ideas!

When I hear music…

…it makes me dance! Yes, I am one of those fools who shakes her booty when good music is played. Doesn’t matter what it is…if I like it, I get my groove on! Tonite was Live in the Lobby meets Red Cross to raise money for the Haitian earthquake victims…lots of great bands, and I got to chat up a gentleman I am a huge fan of, James O’Malley! After giving him grief about how he doesn’t update his gigs often enough on the Web and giving him my card, let’s hope I have some info from him being emailed in soon so I can tell you all where he is playing. (BTW, what a nice guy!) James…I see the Historical Society and Last Licks…how about some smaller gigs?! (I’ll add these to the blog as the dates get closer!)

Anyhow, I’m going to update to include next week’s gigs. I admit freely that I root through other websites to find gigs, but sadly, not a lot going on for the next week. However, I am totally thrilled that Gathering Time will be playing the Patchogue Theatre along with Six Gun next Thursday! Anyone who follows the blog knows I am also a big fan of GT…do not miss this show! I’ve seen both live and can tell you these are two bands worth seeing! (And hey…what’s going on? I can’t pull links to either of the bands? I’m posting a link to the Lobby show, but if you both have new URL’s, shoot me an email and let me know! And Stu…could you play a chantey for me? I may be moving back to the bay, but I need a bay chantey NOW!)

Mmmm…beer….

Homer Simpson had it right. Beer is good. Living within walking (stumbling?) distance of Blue Point Brewery and the Brick House means I get to sample fabulous microbrews on a regular basis. However, I do like to sample other beer from time to time and for some reason, two holiday brews that would normally be sold out by now are still available: Krampus for you hop-heads, and Mad Elf for those who like warmers. Get thee to a beverage center ASAP and don’t miss out! Krampus pairs well with chicken and seafood (i.e. sushi, wings) and Mad Elf is a great brew to pair with gamey foods or as an aperitif. Note: both have high alcohol contents, so make it a night in if you are going to enjoy these!

And another brew worth sampling is Monks Blood…DO NOT even consider shotguns even though this yummy brew comes in cans! This is a sipping brew, I’m not sure if it’s technically a porter, but WOW! It reminds me of some cask aged Imperial Stouts…lots of flavors here, and a good transition beer for the people in your life who drink wine and say, Guinness, who you’d like to introduce to the world of microbrews. Again, not for light weights!

Wine me, dine me…

Get yer mind out of the gutter! You men are all alike! (And yes, I do know that most of my readers are male!) However, wine is something that appeals to both genders, and if you’ve noticed, I do like things that aren’t on the dry side…give me hearty food and a beverage that can accompany it, and I am one happy girl! Lately, I’ve been drinking whites (my stomach just can’t handle the reds after I hit the big 4-0!). I like wines that have a bit more…body? Is that the right word? Flavor? I’m not sure how to phrase it. I’ve never been a fan of anything with a lot of mineral taste to it, but Clean Slate Riesling is a sweet, yet understated wine with a strong mouth feel and clean finish that can pair with most foods and hold its own. I even pair this with steak…and thank you, Lori, for turning me on to this! (You may have to search for this one, but if you need some resources, shoot me an email.)

All for now…I’ll be back in about a week to update you on some other Cheap Date ideas, etc., and so on. Have something that should be here? Let me know at cheapdateli@gmail.com. All for now, you kooky cats!

[Via http://cheapdateli.wordpress.com]

Day 2, Non-Apple News - Bits Blog - NYTimes.com

Giroud Bourgogne Rouge 2007

2010-01-27T17:22:00.000+02:00

For my money this is unquestionably the best deal in red Burgundy at the moment. Winemaker David Croix has been nailing it as winemaker at this micro negoce from his first vintage in 2001 and the range of sub $35 Burgs he produces gives lie to the (almost) universally accepted notion that you can’t find drinkable, let alone good, red Burgundys in this price range. While there’s no comparing this fairly humble wine, actually declassifed Meursault rouge, to great Volnay or Pommard, there’s plenty of room for comparison to anything less than great Volnay or Pommard and at a fraction of the price. The transparency and purity of the 2007 vintage shines here with pretty, minty, small red fruit notes. and the slightly edgy Cote de Beaune structure. Striking density and presence from a wine of such plebeian repute. $25

[Via http://stevegoldun.wordpress.com]

GamesAid charity day is a sell out | News

Pairing wine and people

2010-01-27T11:48:00.000+02:00

Picking out the right wine for someone (like your boss) could prove as challenging as buying a present for the in-laws who have everything.

Which varietal? How much to spend? Go bold – or delicate? Is a bottle of Sherry the ultimate insult?

These questions become particularly difficult when you don’t know the recipient’s wine taste. Steer clear of giving wine to anyone who you’re not certain drinks alcohol. It could become awkward if the person is a recovering alcoholic or for religious reasons doesn’t drink.

But if they do, the trick is in the pairing. Our experts have a lot of tips, everything from matching personalities to wine to finding clues in the foods and beverages they drink.

Tim Hanni, a master of wine, has his own theories about people’s likes and dislikes based on how many taste buds they have on their tongue.

While it might be a little presumptuous, and definitely strange, to ask your boss if you could get a look inside his or her mouth, there are other hints to follow.

Coffee clues

How they drink their coffee could be a telltale sign. If they prefer their coffee black and strong, their wine preference will more than likely lean toward intense wines: Cabernet Sauvignon, old-vine Zinfandels and many Meritage wines (usually a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot grapes).

Cream-and-sugar coffee drinkers are more likely to show a preference for moderately sweet wines, such as Muscat and Riesling. Sparkling wines are also an option. Look for labels that have 2 to 6 percent residual sugar levels.

People who salt their food heavily are also likely to go for the sweeter wines. Same goes for folks who gravitate to sweet cocktails such as mojitos and pina coladas.

Manhattan, martini and classic margarita drinkers would probably appreciate Shiraz, Pinot Noir, Pinot Grigio, Viognier, Merlot and Chardonnay. For the whisky, Cognac, Tequila and Scotch crowd, try big, bold reds and oaky, expensive Chardonnays.

Don’t have a clue about what kind of cocktails the person you’re buying for likes or how he or she takes coffee? Hani suggests going with personality traits. A man with a strong personality who is good at math would probably prefer a wine that’s received a high rating from Robert Parker. If he’s more artistic and a little disorganised, go with Pinot Noir, dry Riesling and wines you would describe to your merchant as delicate and expressive.

For a strong woman, Shiraz, Pinot Blanc, Viognier and Chardonnay. For an artistic woman, go for something sweet, like a fruit wine.

If you don’t know someone well enough to judge their wine taste, get something festive that they can share with other people. Good choices are Champagne, sparkling wine, Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc – it goes great with food.

Read more of Hani’s suggestion on sfgate.com

[Via http://balancewines.wordpress.com]

Dave Winer On Reinventing Journalism - Podcasting News

Wine is fine: Le Grand Noir Chardonnay 2008

2010-01-27T05:36:00.000+02:00

Bliss: feet off of ground, in slippers, sipping chardonnay

14 hours on your feet. Don’t even think about sitting down. There are shots to be pulled. Milk to be steamed. Sandwiches and salads to assemble. The masses need their fix. The payoff? A long weekend in LA. Escape. Sunshine. Good company. The tony life. You’re battered though. You need a little medicine to numb those barking dogs. Forget Advil. You sell wine. Your fix? Le Grand Noir Chardonnay 2008 ($9.99 @Barriques). Life is good again. And about to get better.

Wine: Le Grand Noir Chardonnay 2008

Vitals: 13%abv; 85% chardonnay, 15% viognier

Region: Languedoc-Roussillon (Limoux, Minervois, Carcassone), France

Company line: “Winemaking: The grapes are harvested at optimum ripeness, cold macerated, pressed, cold settled and then fermented. 60% of the Chardonnay is barrel fermented, remaining on the lees in barrel for 6 months. The Viognier is stainless steel fermented, seeing no oak. The wines are then blended and bottled. The Viognier from Minervois is considered the finest from the region of Languedoc-Roussillon.

Characteristics: Vibrant yellow color, intense aromas of lime and mango with hints of toasted vanilla. Rich palate with lemon-lime flavors and subtle oak influences. Excellent length and finish. The addition of Viognier to the blend makes this offering very “consumer friendly”. A perfect match with hors d’oeuvres, seafood, poultry, and pork dishes. This wine also balances nicely with exotic Asian dishes. -prestigewinegroup.com”

My take: pale straw yellow in the glass. Tropical fruit dominates the nose with sticky, ripe pineapple and mango cut by acidic lime, with oaky vanilla lingering in the background. Tropical citrus characterizes the palate, with the rich vanillin and oak featured in the aroma much less forward in the mouth. Pleasant acidity and mellow alcoholic presence makes for a smooth and crisp finish and lends high drinkability. Le Grand Noir exhibits great balance throughout and pairs well with my exhaustion and general lack of energy and mental acuity at the moment. Another great value from the Barriques Wall of 100. I’m OUT.

[Via http://43north89west.wordpress.com]

Panasonic unveils DMC-ZS7 / TZ10 with built-in GPS: Digital ...

Peering in Neighbor's Windows

2010-01-25T17:42:00.000+02:00

I like strolling around at night and noticing what the lights in the living room illuminate; peeking in for a moment and imagining the lives that are acted out in that space. It’s a thin slice, but that doesn’t keep me from passing judgment.

A wall full of posters indicates the inhabitants are probably beer drinkers of the Budweiser or Pabst Blue Ribbon variety. Neatly spaced abstract art is no doubt indicative of a basement full of fine wines.

The television is flickering in lots of the homes as I pass by. The folks inside wrapped in a mega-pixel trance. There are TVs the size of a soccer field covering the walls. I’m sorry, but I don’t need to see anyone’s nostrils that enlarged.

Some homes are sparsely furnished. You wonder where any guests would sit if they happened by. Perhaps they don’t have many friends, or perhaps the economic climate has forced them to sell all their comfortable furniture just so they can put a little food on the table, even though the table is no longer there.

Every once in a while, I’ll see someone dressed in something less than his or her full pajamas. There is a great temptation to allow my gaze to linger, but my ethical sense tells me to turn away. Well, this is one instance where ethics tumbles to a distant second.

I’ll be walking the streets again this evening, learning more about the fascinating folks in my neighborhood.

[Via http://notsurewhatsnext.wordpress.com]

openSUSE News » openSUSE Weekly News, Issue 107 is out!

Step on this Stone

2010-01-25T11:48:00.000+02:00

*Disclaimer: I received this wine as a sample from Cornerstone Cellars.

I am digging the new line of wines from Cornerstone Cellars. They are reasonably priced and the varieties are interesting and fresh. Not to mention, the wines are really good. I’ve always enjoyed the flagstone (Cornerstone..teehee) Cabernet Sauvignons from the winery, so I’m pleased to report that the new introductory line is certainly living up to the reputation established by the winery. This week we tried the 2007 Stepping Stone Grenache. It retails for $20, had a real cork closure, and clocked in at 15.5% alcohol by volume.

On the nose I got bittersweet chocolate, pepper, spice, black cherry, crushed violets, flowers, anise, and strawberry. This wine had one hello of a nose…that perfumey dark fruity chocolately goodness that I like to get lost in while Matt finishes a glass before I’ve even started. In the mouth I found black cherry, raspberry, strawberry, spice, earth, and pepper. The tart fruits just popped in the mouth and slid into a juicy goodness on the back of the palate.

[Via http://wannabewino.com]

Quantum Computer Simulates Hydrogen Molecule Just Right - Science News

Sunday NYT rounds up New Jersey wine workshops.

2010-01-25T05:12:00.000+02:00

Today’s Times rounds up five of the best wine classes and workshops in New Jersey whether you’re interested in food pairings or social gatherings, novelty (like pairing wines with Girl Scout cookies) and simplicity. Closest to home is Hoboken’s Zita Keeley who operates All I Do Is Wine:

“Zita Keeley, a wine consultant, imparted those bits of wisdom and others during her mid-January winter wine dinner at the Melting Pot restaurant in Hoboken. There a diverse crowd of 23 paid $55 each plus tax and tip for a four-course meal accompanied by four wines.“

[Via http://chilltownlunch.com]

Of Arms and the Law: Internal ATF news

Silver Maiden

2010-01-22T23:25:00.000+02:00

Today was nice.

I made quite a bit of wacky looking paper, which was fun. The maths teacher admitted that he did not think that we could all hear the construction workers smashing windows just down the corridor from where we were -he thought “it was all in my head *strange grin*” And honestly, he wasn’t joking. He though that only he could hear window panes being dropped to smash against the floor… *twitch*

Went to Vinmonopolet to buy wine for a birthday party I’m attending tomorrow, and enjoyed reading the descriptive labels very much. “With a touch of rubber and liquorish,” “With a slight hint of apple.” The one I went for in the end had “Red/blue with a taste of liquorish and a hint of wild berries” I think. It sounded pretty good. I was tempted to go blindly for the one with the funniest label, but it was expensive, so I didn’t.

Watched Red Planet. Didn’t expect it to be any good, but it actually had quite a few twist and turns which I did not expect, so I did watch it through to the end. Though honestly, a film doesn’t need much for me to want to watch the end -just in case something good happens or all the characters die a brutal death.

Was going to watch Dr Who now, but I forgot to borrow the next disk from the brother, so I’ll just go to bed instead. Which will be nice. I’m looking forward to catching up on sleep. Have been all week. I also had lessons, they’re just not really worth mentioning. Off to sleep now.

[Via http://milloway.wordpress.com]

Uncharted 2 dominates AIAS Awards nominations | News

Wine Tasting 101 with Guest Poster Marissa

2010-01-22T17:15:00.000+02:00

Lovely readers, please join me in welcoming a guest poster who I hope will continue to give us her knowledge on this blog, Marissa. As we prepare for another taste testing (coming soon: wines from Trader Joe’s for under $5) I realized that I don’t know the basics of wine tasting. I turned to Marissa for guidance and she definitely came through!

Marissa is an aspiring sommelier living in Jersey City who knows her way around a bottle of wine. As I attempt to learn more about wine and tasting myself, I can certainly appreciate someone who takes the time to explain things in a way that I can understand. Marissa genuiunely loves to talk about all things vino-related and it comes through in a warm and welcoming way.

So without further ado, crack open a bottle of your favorite wine and follow along as Marissa teaches us all Wine Tasting 101!________________________________________________________________

When I was buying wine on Christmas eve in the town I grew up in, I happened to overhear a terrible conversation.

Liquor Store Employee #1: Eh, Jack! What’s a bettah white zin? Beringah awr Suttah Home?

Liquor Store Employee #2: Aaaahh…Suttah Home, definitely.

Consulting my MA accent to English translator, this was meant to inquire who made the superior White Zinfandel: Beringer or Sutter Home. The cheap-wine-aficionado that I consider myself to be, I shuddered and barely managed not to yell out loud: Neither! I wish to help dispel this terrible rumor flooding the brains of the impressionable! You don’t have to drink Beringer or Sutter Home to keep your wine tab cheap! Or Yellowtail, for that matter. And for God’s sake, don’t be afraid of a screw cap!

red or white?

No matter what your price point, there are a few things you’re looking for in tasting a wine. Wine, like anything else, can be enjoyed with only a basic knowledge, but an advanced knowledge will allow you to dig deeper into the wines, pick out the “notes” you see listed on labels and in store displays, and even bring you a curiosity of viticulture. Just like any foodie will expound upon the importance of knowing where your food comes from and buying local, knowing where your wine comes from and who is making it is all part of what you’re drinking. Wines are made all over the world because each human being and each individual plot of land offers something unique to the grapes that grow from it, and ultimately produces a unique bottle of wine.

Here are the most simple steps to get the most out of your wine.

First: The part where you swirl the wine around in your glass.

Swirls are typically counter-clockwise, but feel free to be a rebel and follow your heart on this one. Swirling in the glass helps to release the esters in the wine that have been trapped together tightly in the bottle. You’re allowing some air to get in the glass, which will help the wine bloom and really open up. As you swirl and give the wine a few moments to breathe, take a look at the following things:

Legs: Check out how long it takes for the wine to drip down the edges of the glass after you swirl it. A more viscous wine is said to have legs, as it sticks to the edge of the glass and runs down more slowly than a thinner wine would. This isn’t going to tell you anything about the taste of the wine, but generally the thicker the wine and, er, nicer, its legs, the more full-bodied (see exhibits A and B, below). Some people also call these tears, but personally, legs is much more amusing to me, and if I switched, I wouldn’t get ZZ Top’s “She’s got leeeegs…and she knows how to use theeemm,” stuck in my head every time I drink a glass of wine. What would I sing to annoy my husband instead? It couldn’t possibly be as awesome.

looking for some color

if you prefer white...

Color: Tilt your glass to pool the wine in one corner (without pouring it out on yourself), and look closely at where it tapers off at the one side. This is best done with only a tiny bit of wine in the glass, which lets you see through the wine most easily (and not spill). You want to hold this up to the light and really look at the wine. Do you like the color of it? Is it ruby, or rather, more like mahogany? Any muddiness? Or if it’s white, is it pale yellow, or golden yellow?

Second: This is the part where you shove your nose in the glass.

Smell that wine, and smell it good.

Nose: You can probably figure this one out. The nose of a wine is the scents picked up upon smelling it, or the bouquet. You know how a sense of smell is vital to any eating or drinking experience, so consider how important really understanding the nose of the wine is to the experience. A great way to really experiment with the nose is to take one sniff right after pouring the glass. Then, swirl it around, get some air in it, and sniff again. (Careful: Not as deep this time, because you’re going to get attacked by NOSE.)

Third: This is the part where you drink.

The crowd goes wild. Take a sip, and swirl, swirl, swirl.

Mouthfeel: Again, wine-tasting manages to seem unapproachable by making a compound word out of two that I’m sure you’re pretty darn familiar with. Allow me to break this down: How does it feel in your mouth? What’s the texture like? Is the wine thin or thick? Is it coating your tongue, or easily slipping away? If it’s a dessert wine, is it seriously syrupy or lighter? If it’s a sparkling or slightly carbonated wine, what are the bubbles like on your tongue? Big or little? Think of the difference between a glass of orange juice and a glass of apple juice. That’s what you’re looking for in the mouthfeel.

Taste: Your first sip should be focused. Swirl it around your mouth (I think you’ve gathered at this point there’s a lot of swirling going on in wine tasting), quietly drawing in some air with it, and notice what your taste buds are telling you. Do you think it was aged in an oak barrel, or a steel barrel? (Can you sense a woody flavor, or is it more crisp and clean?) Is it sweet? Or even a little sour? Acidic? Smoky? Mineral-y? Fruity? More specifically, you could detect any number of things the producer used in the process: chocolate, earth, vanilla, spices, pepper, plum, honeysuckle, pear, even green olive (and I swear it’s yummy). The possibilities are truly endless. Try not to limit your expectations to what’s described on the label and trust your gut. Later, you can compare your thoughts to what the producer tells you that you should have noticed. Comparing and learning from this should help you develop your palette, but don’t worry if they don’t match up!

Finish: After you’ve swallowed, the finish is what lingers in your mouth. Does your tongue feel dry? Are your cheeks puckered? Are you left tasting alcohol, or is it only subtle, if at all? Is it a long finish? Or is it already gone and you have no idea what I’m even talking about except, wait, now you do get what I’m talking about because you understand what a finish is and there wasn’t much of one on that wine!

Fourth: This is the part where you finish your glass and think about how much more awesome life is with wine in it.

As you drink more wines, you’ll notice more than the differences between varietals (types of grapes), and instead of comparing a Sauvignon Blanc to a Chardonnay, you’ll start comparing multiple Sauvignon Blancs from different producers and regions across the world. There are thousands of ways to treat a grape, and that’s the fun of wine-tasting. Once you start to know what you like, you can knowledgeably pick out good wines for entertaining your friends, or matching a wine to a particular meal. (The true payoff of learning about wine…pairing it with food! But that’s an entirely different blog post. Le sigh!)

But most importantly, don’t forget that the only way to “know” wine is to drink it. And further, the only way to know a “good” wine from a “bad” wine is to answer one, very simple question: Do you like it? No producer, nor wine critic, nor store employee, can tell you a good wine from a bad wine, just like no one can tell you if Pepsi or Coke is better. It’s completely, totally up to you and your personal likes and dislikes. If you don’t like slightly carbonated, tart wines, Riesling probably isn’t for you. Similarly, if you don’t like heady, flavor-packed reds, don’t grab a Petite Sirah or Zinfandel.

So pour yourself a glass or two or three, get an Edith Piaf station started on Pandora (where you thumbs-down all of the music in English), and enjoy!

[Via http://nosincererlove.wordpress.com]

The Allmusic Blog » News Roundup: 1/21/2010

Summer Road Trip to Napa Valley

2010-01-22T05:27:00.000+02:00

My wife and I are currently planning a summer road trip down to California wine country. We’re planning to drive down, spend around 5 days exploring, and then drive home.

Our big decisions for now are when to go and where to spend our time. For timing, we’re looking at May or June – better to get there early, beat the crowds (and the heat), and try to get some first tastes on new wines.

We’re considering the Calistoga region and Howell Mountain area in the Napa Valley and the Russian River area of the Sonoma Valley. However, we have been told by a few different people that stopping for a night in Mendocino is an absolute must.

While down there, we also intend to hit a couple tours, and hopefully, a wine festival.

While I’ve been to California many times, this will be my first time going north of San Francisco (or even crossing the Golden Gate Bridge at all for that matter). I don’t know a whole lot about this area or about California wines (I have my favourites, but that’s about it), so this entire process is going to be a real learning experience. I’m looking forward to expanding my wine knowledge and to exploring one of the world’s most renowned wine growing regions. And what better way to learn about something than to completely immerse yourself in it, even if it is only for a week. I can’t wait!

As we plan and learn more, I’ll be sure to post updates here.

[Via http://robr21.wordpress.com]

Shannyn Moore: Bad News, Good News: Coakley Loses

A Behind the Scenes Look at the Making of a Wine Dinner

2010-01-20T17:20:00.000+02:00

contributed by the VP of Culinary Development for The Oceanaire Seafood Room, Wade Wiestling.

If you have been fortunate enough to attend a wine dinner, you know how it all unfolds…

You decide what you are going top wear, get all dressed up to go out with friends for an exquisite evening of food and wine pairings. You arrive at the restaurant, sit down and for the the next two plus hours you are treated to course after course of food and wine. Everything is in its place when it needs to be, you never have to ask for anything throughout dinner service. It’s all an exceptional experience.

During wine dinners I like develop and challenge my guest’s understanding of wine so when they come back, they order the wines they enjoyed again and again. My advice is don’t go prepared. No,don’t do it… Let the chef and wine buyer do the geekie cork-dork research. Then expect that they will put the time into it and put it into consumer-friendly terms. You want to go to a wine dinner to be entertained. There are plenty of wine seminars to select from if you want a heavy dose of education.

Professional pairing of wine with food takes knowledge, experience and instinct. I prefer to look at pairing as finding the heart and soul of the wine. Seasoning has to match with the fish, poultry or proteins. Likewise wine has to match with the food. You can’t serve an artichoke salad with a heavy red wine, everything has to match and be well balanced. It’s all quite blissful and relaxing… in the dining room. In the kitchen, however, not so much… controlled chaos is more appropriate.

It goes a little something like this… Weeks Out: You taste the wines, you plan the menu, you write the menu and wine pairings and prepare to fill it. Days Out: Scheduling the staff, finalize the menu, ordering the products needed to produce the dinner of this magnitude, receive the wines, plan the seating charts. Prep for a wine dinner begins a few days out in some cases, depending on the dishes being prepared and served. The day of the event – it’s time to shine. Bust a move. It’s a little hectic, a little extraordinary and a lot of fun… Here is a little photo log from “behind the scenes”.

Family meal, crew chew... has to be grab and go. You eat on the fly, and chow on the move. Todays meal - Hot dogs, tater tots, fritos and salad.

Next, you've got to keep motivated, inspired, and caffeinated. Today's beverage of choice. Throwback Mountain Dew. None of that high fructose corn syrup here... REAL SUGAR is where its at!

Then you have to keep hustling. Time to keep moving along, and you have to be able to use certain pieces of equipment as it’s available. So we mark off and put a sear on our products ahead of time. Preparation is key…

Putting a char on some squid...

Searing fresh herb crust onto the Sturgeon...

Polish the silverware...

The Plate up...

Shaved vegetable salad...

Grilled Calamari & Shaved Vegetable Salad

Plate up of the 2nd course...

Herb seared California Sturgeon, Orzo Pilaf

3rd Course... Grilled Loch Duart Salmon

4th Course… “The main event” Braised 100 hills Short Ribs, Butter Poached Laughing Bird Shrimp, Skordalia

Final course... Raspberry - Chocolate Mouse Parfait... plated and ready for service.

[Via http://theoceanaireseafoodroom.wordpress.com]

Haiti: News roundup, one week after earthquake Boing Boing

Afton Mountain Vineyards

2010-01-20T06:11:00.000+02:00

Recently I had the pleasure of touring the soon to be unveiled event space at Afton Mountain Vineyards with Andrea Saathoff of Albemarle Vintage Limousine. The newest jewel in Charlottesville’s crown of wineries which allow events on site, Afton Mountain Vineyards looks forward to opening it’s doors to many couples in the year to come.

The vineyard is home to some of the most breathtaking views in all of Virginia, and your guests will be surrounded by them throughout your event. Afton Mountain offers multiple locations perfectly suited for smaller group meetings and events, larger fundraisers and parties and, of course, wedding ceremonies and receptions.

Elizabeth and Tony Smith, owners of Afton Mountain Vineyards, seem to have thought of everything with the open air terrace having preplanted holders for tent poles, picturesque location for your wedding ceremony and bridal party suite for the bride and her attendants to get prepared in, while the groom hangs out with his groomsmen in a private den on the lower floor.

Although new to the event arena, Afton Mountain Vineyards is one of Virginia’s pioneer farm wineries, with the oldest of their vines dating back to the 1970s. Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon are a must taste, with the unique Gewürztraminer and Sangiovese a surprise palette tease!

You can contact Elizabeth and Tony at Afton Mountain Vineyards at 540.456.8667.

[Via http://thebridalring.wordpress.com]

44% of Google News Visitors Don't Click Through

|Tuesday| BYO neoprene wine bags.

2010-01-20T05:40:00.000+02:00

This is the most masculine design among wine bags that we have seen thus far. The product is sold in Target.

You just can’t go wrong with neoprene, black, and a sporty look; BYO provokes the outdoor-going spirit.

[Via http://vinumvine.wordpress.com]

Apple shares jump on news of Jan. 27 event

"Take two hours of sunlight and call me in the morning"

2010-01-18T23:54:00.000+02:00

It's a gray gray world, Charlie Brown.

The above photo depicts today. Gray. Clouds. No illumination. No shadows. No sunlight.

Last winter I wrote a blog post called “I shot six holes in my freezer” referring to Jimmy Buffet’s song “Boat Drinks”. It actually alluded to a condition called Seasonal Affective Disorder which affects many sun-deprived souls here in the Northern Hemisphere. The song suggests we might want to head to the tropics for a vacation. (Although, usually, it takes until March before people get “cabin fever” really bad around here.)

Sunlight, as we dark-day-dwellers soon realize, is good for the soul.

And the two shall become one...in the sun

The above photo depicts this weekend. Yay!! We enjoyed sunlight. Suddenly the skies beamed bright blue for one of the few times this month. You could see people smiling. Gloomy eyes disappeared; bright eyes reappeared.

You can feel kind of…gray…and never realize that the lack of sun is having an affect. Until the sun returns to shine upon the snowy earth and your mood suddenly lightens and your step quickens and you’re inexplicably happy once again.

Sunlight illuminates even roof ice

Last winter I wrote an artistic piece of writing about a person suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Even though I’ve only had passing challenges with lack of sunlight, people seemed amazed at the way the words revealed the pain and suffering experienced by people in the midst of deep seasonal depression. People kept saying, “But you must have experienced depression to write this way.”

Not really. But I can imagine and feel the depression which sinks into dim recesses of our human soul, penetrating so deeply that one feels no way out into sunlight…

Prickly burdock

Some people (including my dad–HI, DAD!) swear by Vitamin D3. He suggests we all take supplements, especially those of us in sunlight-starved climates. Barry takes his pill every day. I…ahem…swallow one when I remember.

Last winter, spending so much time outdoors, I felt very little Seasonal Affective Disorder. Perhaps the time tramping in the woods, creatively looking for new photos and interesting sights, balanced the lack of sunlight. Perhaps spending time outdoors is the remedy, whether than sun shines forth or not.

Homemade chokecherry wine in sunlight

Then again, Barry brought home a bottle of homemade chokecherry wine the other night. If we have too many days of gray, we may just have to break open that bottle from Rene’s Kitchen.

I’ll just try not to write a blog after THAT evening.

In the meantime, the minute you see that sun: GET OUTSIDE! Doctor’s orders.

[Via http://upwoods.wordpress.com]

CBB Rolling News: Day 17 | The Sun |Showbiz|Big Brother

First Circuit Overturns MA Law Banning Wine Shipments into MA

2010-01-18T17:26:00.000+02:00

The First Circuit Court of Appeals, in Family Winemakers of CA, et. al. v. Jenkins, et. al., affirmed a lower court ruling that found a 2006 Massachusetts law unconstitutional because it limited winemakers from shipping wine directly to Massachusetts customers.

In 2006, the Legislature passed a law stating that winemakers that produce more than 30,000 gallons a year can either sell at retail locations through a Massachusetts wholesaler or apply for a license to ship directly to customers, but not both. All of the 35 or so wineries in Massachusetts fall below the 30,000-gallon limit. Then Governor Mitt Romney vetoed the bill, but the Legislature overrode his veto. Thereafter, a lawsuit was brought by Family Wineries of California challenging the constitutionality of the law.

The Appeals Court, in an opinion written by Chief Judge Sandra L. Lynch, stated, in relevant part, the following:

We briefly summarize the basis for the lawsuit, the issues presented, and our resolution of them before turning to the supporting analysis. Section 19F only allows “small” wineries, defined by Massachusetts as those producing 30,000 gallons or less of grape wine a year, to obtain a “small winery shipping license.” This license allows them to sell their wines in Massachusetts in three ways: by shipping directly to consumers, through wholesaler distribution, and through retail distribution. All of Massachusetts’s wineries are “small” wineries. Some out-of-state wineries also meet this definition.

Wines from “small” Massachusetts wineries compete with wines from “large” wineries, which Massachusetts has defined as those producing more than 30,000 gallons of grape wine annually. These “large” wineries must choose between relying upon wholesalers to distribute their wines in-state or applying for a “large winery shipping license” to sell directly to Massachusetts consumers. They cannot, by law, use both methods to sell their wines in Massachusetts, and they cannot sell wines directly to retailers under either option. No “large” wineries are located inside Massachusetts.

Plaintiffs, a group of California winemakers and Massachusetts residents, assert § 19F was designed with the purpose, and has the effect, of advantaging Massachusetts wineries to the detriment of those wineries that produce 98 percent of the country’s wine, in violation of the Commerce Clause. Massachusetts defends § 19F on the basis that its law has neither a discriminatory purpose nor a discriminatory effect. Massachusetts has not argued in its briefs that there are no legitimate alternative methods of regulation to serve § 19F’s asserted purposes. Massachusetts also argues that under the Twenty-first Amendment, state laws are immunized from Commerce Clause scrutiny unless the laws discriminate on their face.

The primary question before us is whether § 19F unconstitutionally discriminates against interstate commerce in light of both the Commerce Clause, art. I, § 8, cl. 3, and § 2 of the Twenty-first Amendment.

It is clear that § 2 of the Twenty-first Amendment does not protect state alcohol laws that explicitly favor in-state over out-of-state interests from invalidation under the Commerce Clause. Granholm v. Heald, 544 U.S. 460, 489 (2005). But § 19F is neutral on its face; it does not, by its terms, allow only Massachusetts wineries to distribute their wines through a combination of direct shipping, wholesaler distribution, and retail sales. Section 19F instead uses a very particular gallonage cap to confer this benefit upon “small” as opposed to “large” wineries.

We hold that § 19F violates the Commerce Clause because the effect of its particular gallonage cap is to change the competitive balance between in-state and out-of-state wineries in a way that benefits Massachusetts’s wineries and significantly burdens out-of-state competitors. Massachusetts has used its 30,000 gallon grape wine cap to expand the distribution options available to “small” wineries, including all Massachusetts wineries, but not to similarly situated “large” wineries, all of which are outside Massachusetts. The advantages afforded to “small” wineries by these expanded distribution options bear little relation to the market challenges caused by the relative sizes of the wineries. Section 19F’s statutory context, legislative history, and other factors also yield the unavoidable conclusion that this discrimination was purposeful. Nor does § 19F serve any legitimate local purpose that cannot be furthered by a non-discriminatory alternative.

We further hold that the Twenty-first Amendment cannot save § 19F from invalidation under the Commerce Clause. Section 2 of the Twenty-first Amendment does not exempt or otherwise immunize facially neutral but discriminatory state alcohol laws like § 19F from scrutiny under the Commerce Clause. We affirm the grant of injunctive relief.

While the Commonwealth could appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court, it should be noted that a 2005 Supreme Court ruling struck down New York and Michigan laws that barred out-of-state wine shipments.

[Via http://rijustice.wordpress.com]

Non-Stop News -- Political Wire

who says asians don't know how to party?

2010-01-15T17:35:00.000+02:00

knitted with love in every stitch.

mom’s 60th birthday party was last weekend and let me tell you, it was LEGEN…..wait for it…..DARY. whoever said asians don’t know how to party has obviously not met my mother and her friends. when it came to choosing the venue mom only had 1 requirement: KARAOKE. we settled on a japanese restaurant close to home and started the evening at a classy 7pm. of course add 60 asians , 12 meager bottles of wine, and $400 worth of sake aaaaaand you’ve got yourself an over 50 frat party. there was dancing in between the dining tables, someone smashed a plate, and a surplus of “asian sunburns”. all we were missing was a partygoer with a lampshade on their head. need proof? prepare yourself….

mom & dad

mom visiting the "kiddy table"

brother & sister

actual kids at the kiddy table!

a birthday poem--notice dad's "sunburn"

a birthday blanket

big trouble in karaoke town

a birthday cake!

mom & dad + mr. hsu

mom & mr. hsu (there's goes mom's eyebrow pencil...)

dad & mr. hsu (what is happening here?)

[Via http://littlejdawg.wordpress.com]

The Longtail of News: When Should Editors “Unpublish” Online News ...

Exit: Croatia - In Search of Portugieser

2010-01-15T05:01:00.000+02:00

January 15, 2010

By Cliff Rames

In all my years of traveling throughout Croatia, I have often buzzed down the Zagreb-Rijeka-Split highway (in more recent years courtesy of a 4-cylinder, manual 5-speed rent-a-car), carefully avoiding the steady swish of shiny black Mercedes and Audis streaking by me at breakneck speeds (their wind blasts rocking my little Fiat or Opel at regular intervals) on their way to weekend houses on the coast or heading back to their garages in Zagreb.

Inevitably on this journey I would zip by the exit for Jastrebarsko – a quaint, historical little town just 22 miles (35 km) to the southwest of Croatia’s capital city, Zagreb – without so much as an inkling of curiosity or desire to detour from my downwind destination and take the off-ramp to discovery. Big mistake.

The Road Up to Plešivica

This past November, all that changed. As it happened, the exit for Jastrebarsko (or “Jasko”, as the locals call it) was as far down the highway as I would push my little rental car that day. It wasn’t to explore or linger in town (apologies to the residents and business owners) that I exited the “autocesta”. My mission was to pass through town and head up into the foothills that lie beyond its north-western edges. You see, Jastrebarsko is the natural departure point for journeys into one of Croatia’s most pretty and off-the-beaten trail wine-making regions: Plešivica.

Plešivica, technically a sub-region within the larger Continental Croatia wine-growing region, has itself five sub-regions of wine production – or as they are more aptly called, Wine-Growing Hills: Krašnić, Ozalj-Vivodina, Plešivica-Okić, Samobor, and Sveta Jana. Total area under vine is approximately 3,300 hectares (8,154 acres). I was about to have my first look at some of them.

Climbing Up to Plešivica

It was a cold and rainy autumn day as I clutched into second gear and started to climb the small road leading up into the Žumberačka Gora foothills, where some of the most important vineyards in Plešivica are located. Here the hills reach as high as 1,300 feet (400 meters) above sea level, with Alpine-styled chalet houses and family farms adorning their peaks and terraces.

One of the most striking things about this region is the way the hills form a perfectly shaped amphitheater – a sort of horseshoe of hills partially surrounding a plush, green valley. The vineyards of Plešivica cling to the best positions on the hillsides within the amphitheater.

The Wine Hills of Plešivica

While the wines of Plešivica – like most of the Continental zone – are predominantly white, and most of the acreage is planted to white and blush-colored varieties (Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer, Kraljevina, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, and Sylvaner), it was ultimately a red wine that brought me to these wine-growing hills: Portugieser (or “Portugizac”, as it’s called in Croatia).

You see, it was November 10th. And everyone in Croatia knows that the following day – November 11th – is St. Martin’s Day, the traditional celebration of the day when must (grape juice) turns to wine, and the new vintage is born.

Obviously a certain part of this nice myth is not 100% accurate; as you can tell, I arrived the day before St. Martin’s Day and the Portugizac must had already turned into wine. And happily it was already flowing into glasses, ready to drink.

Portugieser Grapes

Portugizac is often referred to as the Croatian version of the seminal Beaujolais Nouveau from southern Burgundy in France. This is only partially true, as Velimir Korak, one of Plešivica’s most prominent winemakers, kindly explained to me.

Unlike Beaujolais Nouveau, Portugizac grapes are destemmed, crushed, and then fermented. And herein lies the difference: Beaujolais Nouveau grapes are not crushed: the whole clusters are put into an enclosed vat under controlled conditions that cause the grapes to ferment from the inside out – until they explode under the pressure of CO2 and release their partially fermented must into the tank (a method of winemaking called carbonic maceration).

Portugizac is an unpretentious, early-drinking, light and fruity wine meant to be consumed within 6 months. It displays fresh, clean aromas and flavors that are reminiscent of black cherries and raspberries. It is a high acid, food-friendly wine with gentle, round tannins and sometimes a slightly bitter finish. Simple and friendly, sort of like Beaujolais Nouveau.

True enough, most wine aficionados and even winemakers in Croatia do not highly regard Portugizac, and it will never achieve any fame or fortune as a serious wine or arrive to great fanfare on wine shelves around the world every November. But it is firmly part of the local winemaking tradition, and come St. Martin’s day there is no other wine that seems to suit the mood of harvest time, or tastes the way the wine cellars of autumn smell from that heavenly combination of grape must, yeast, and CO2 all cracking, whispering and giggling in tank and barrel.

By the way, if you happen to travel to Croatia in autumn and want to experience a traditional treat, look for harvest and holiday fairs held in small towns in the region. It is not uncommon to find Portugizac being poured in great volume, accompanied by a newspaper cone full of freshly roasted chestnuts. It is a Charles Dickens-meets-the-Balkans experience, and it’s a scene you will remember with fondness. I know I will.

Plešivica Vineyards in the Autumn

Equally quaint and unusual in a world full of wine regions with state-of-the-art wineries and fee-based tasting rooms is the laid-back and unpretentious manner of winemakers everywhere in Croatia (more about them in later blogs). In Plešivica I was reminded of this through an unplanned and spontaneous experience: as the evening drew near and I was driving down the rain-slicked hills toward the highway that would take me back to Zagreb, I realized that I had forgotten to buy some Portugizac for my uncle down on the coast, who had requested that I smuggle him a few bottles to serve at Christmas dinner (most Portugizac is consumed locally and never reaches the further-flung reaches of Croatia).

So I turned around and drove back to the Korak winery, which I had visited earlier in the day and where I knew there had to be a few bottles of Portugizac lurking.

I knocked and Mrs. Korak answered the door. When I explained my predicament, she shook her head; they had sold the last few bottles that morning. “Wait a minute”, she said; “come with me”. I was led into the cellar, where she proceeded to look around for some empty bottles. “I think there is some left in here”, she assured me, pointing towards a small, stainless steel tank. Next thing I knew, she was filling three bottles with a funnel and sticking labels on them by hand. “Here you go”, she smiled. I reached for my wallet but she waved me away with her hand. “Don’t be silly”, she dismissed.

Wow. At that moment I knew that never again could I mindlessly speed past the exit for Jastrebarsko and not remember – and revisit – the stunningly beautiful hills of Plešivica. In fact, taking the exit could very well become a pleasant new pastime, just like drinking Portugizac and eating chestnuts from a newspaper cone in autumn.

Ah, the things you discover and experience when you have a rare occasion to change course, stop a moment, and forget where you were going in the first place….

Those kinds of discoveries can alter your road map forever. It’s when life grows sweeter – and the must of old habits turns into the new wine of celebration.

(Next time: meet two of Plešivica’s winemakers and learn about the delicious mystery buried in the ground at one winery)

[Via http://winesofcroatia.wordpress.com]

Sarah Palin Debut On FOX News 'The O'Reilly Factor' (VIDEOS ...

Wine Tasting Notes: 16 May 2004

2010-01-13T17:00:00.000+02:00

The Saturday afternoon wine tasting at Pauli’s was fun, as always, even though nothing jumped out at me as a “have to take home” wine. The selection yesterday featured Peter Lehman wines from Australia.

We started with Eden Valley 2002 Reisling, which had a very pale straw colour and a nice nose filled with vine and sharp fruit. The mouthfeel was nice, dry, and filled with pear and green fruit that gave way to wood on the finish.

Next up was Clancy’s 2002 Red, a Bordeaux-style blend of 54% Shiraz, 29% Cabernet Saugvignon, 12% Merlot, and 5% Cabernet Franc. The nose was very nice, filled with plums, rich red fruit, chocolate, and a hint of spice. The mouthfeel, however, was medium with a slight bitterness, some fruit, and a small bit of unsweetened chocolate. It is a shame that everything went into the nose, for if it had lived up to the nose this would be a very good wine.

Following that was a 2001 Barossa Shiraz. The nose was earthy with leather, a bit different from the typical Shiraz. The mouth was nice and full, filled with old leather with hints of fruit under, and a suggestion of chocolate on the finish. Not your typical Shiraz on many levels.

The final red wine was a 2001 Barossa Cabernet Sauvignon. The nose was quite nice, filled with leather and berries. The mouthfeel was fair, with leather slowly giving way to fruit and a fair finish.

The final wine of the day was a dessert wine, a 2001 Botrytis Semillon. The strong gold colour led to a nose of hay and flowers. The mouthfeel starts sharp, then brings forth sweet flowers and fruit on a fair finish. The floral notes mean that you should pick your dessert with care, to avoid any clash.

[Via http://untourist.net]

Biggest news at CES: 152-inch Panasonic plasma | DVICE

Oh Brussel Sprouts, How I Love Thee.

2010-01-13T05:42:00.000+02:00

Brussel sprouts prior to their 45 minute long bask in 375ºF weather.

Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years have passed without so much as a single food-related quip from me. I assumed that you were all crazy busy with all the family oriented drama the emerges from that part of the year. Anyway, I figured that I should post a few entries to make up for lost time.

One of my favorite holiday dishes (well, it started as a holiday dish, but then sort of creeped its way all the way around the year) is Oven Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Caramelized Shallots and Toasted Almonds in a Honeyed Wine Sauce. I put all the capitals letter in the right place just to emphasize how delicious this number is. I know what some of you are thinking: EWWW, wtf Cho-Cho, I hate brussel sprouts–they’re nasty!! Well, I urge you to try this dish. The brussel sprouts turn buttery and mellow in the rich, rounded tangy-ness of the wine glaze, and they’re perfectly complimented by the sweet caramelized shallots and crisp almond slices. Here’s how to do it:

Preheat oven to 375ºF.

For the wine sauce, simply find a nice, cheap wine–I used a nondescript bottle from whole foods (around $5.00), and bring about 1 1/2 cups of it to a nice boil in a small saucepan. Then, stir in 1/4 cup of dark honey. Bring the mixture to a boil, again. Lower the heat and add some salt.

Wash about 1 lb of brussel sprouts thoroughly. Cut all in half. Slice 2 shallots very, very finely.

Next, lightly coat a large baking sheet with olive oil. Arrange the brussel sprouts on the pan, cut side up. Sprinkle brussel sprouts with the sliced shallots, and then top generously with raw, sliced almonds. Drizzle with the wine glaze and let sit in the oven for about 45 minutes, or until the sprouts’ outer leaves have withered. In order to keep things from burning and the glaze, optimally glazy, you may need to mix things up a bit halfway through.

[Via http://acrispycho.wordpress.com]

Twitter: CNN Breaking News …

Weekend, briefly

2010-01-11T23:36:00.000+02:00

Jan. 8-10, 2010:

Tapas and wine Friday evening at Stone Cutters Coffee. The place was a bit empty, but the rave reviews we’d heard were quite right – pretty nice little cheese plate too.

A belated birthday celebration for the boy. The family came in for a quick showering of presents and late lunch. Birthdays should always last a week in our book.

Cuddle bears. Banner and her friend Stella spent Sunday romping around the house while we did chores. So adorable when sitting still.

Hours and hours (and hours) of lazy TV watching. Mostly football and basketball – with an occasional reprieve for “House Hunters” or “Sarah’s House.” So stereotypical in our preferences.

Also: Making jambalaya, vacuuming (very rare), purchasing new appliances, hosting friends, good conversations.

Hope you had a wonderful weekend as well!

[Via http://tooyoungforthis.wordpress.com]

Dallas Cowboys Blog | Sports News | News for Dallas, Texas ...

And the winners are...

2010-01-11T17:15:00.000+02:00

Congratulations to Tyler Hagan, Stacy Mello and Lori Reifschneider for winning 4-packs of tickets to the El Dorado Wineries Bring Out the Barrel weekend!

On January 30th and 31st, more than 20 El Dorado wineries will open their cellars giving wine lovers the unique opportunity to talk with local vintners and learn about the winemaking process from vine to barrel to bottle.

The event will take place from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. both days and will feature wine tasting, light food pairings and the opportunity to purchase “futures” of limited quantity wines. There’s still time to purchase your tickets! For prices and more information visit the El Dorado Winery Association Web site.

[Via http://sacfoodies.com]

News From Across The Pond: Lily Allen does interiors, Kate ...

A Bloodletting

2010-01-11T11:00:00.000+02:00

The scene of the original crime?

This was going to be a Saturday Photo entry, but I decided it’s too good of a story for that. So, onward:

Last Tuesday evening, I worked out on my elliptical for an hour, got in the shower and soaped up. Before I had a chance to rinse off the suds, Emma came into the bathroom in a panic.

“Lily’s bleeding from her head and her back and there’s blood all over the living room!” she told me.

I rinsed off, grabbed a towel and ran downstairs. Emma was holding Lily, holding a towel to the wounds. And then there was the blood. Apparently, Lily thought my living room would look much better with red walls and carpet because she used what turned out to just be a scratch on her ear to paint the living room. Red droplets covered the entire carpet and a few spots on the off-white flat painted walls.

One of the "painted" walls.

Chris was out, so I called and asked him to pick up some OxyClean spot carpet cleaner — at least three bottles, please. Not to brag, but I know the stuff works. This, you see, was not my first time having to scrub blood out of my living room carpet. Although, last time, there was a lot less of it. That’s a story for another time and involves a large black cat rather than a small, obnoxious dog.

Although, for all I know, this incident also involved the same large black cat. Or a small white one. Or a small Siamese mix. I’m not sure — and will probably never know — which cat inflicted the mortal wound. It doesn’t matter. Lily hasn’t learned to stop chasing them, even after this particular incident.

I couldn’t do much until Chris got home, so I went back upstairs, finished my shower and then proceeded to clean what I could with the tiny bit of OxyClean I had in the house. Chris showed up shortly after with three bottles of OxyClean … laundry stain remover.

This, my friends, is probably a godsend if you have several loads of blood-stained laundry. It does not, however, work on carpet. Chris thought since it said it removed blood, it would be just fine.

Off to the store, which was ridiculously busy considering the time of night, but I guess it was just my luck. Three bottles of the correct cleaner later, I changed into shorts and a T-shirt, threw my hair up in a scrunchie and set to work with the carpet cleaner and what eventually turned out to be two old towels.

A trail leading to the victim? Or culprit?

It took a total of four and a half hours, but the carpet no longer shows a single sign that it was once the scene of an attempted murder. I tried to clean the walls, but only managed to fade the spots. Someone suggested I try the Mr. Clean eraser. I’ll let you know if that works. It is flat paint, after all. Did I mention that? Nothing cleans flat paint.

And for those readers who like to drink, I’ll add that the Oxy stuff works on red wine, too. I learned that when a poor dinner guest spilled hers on my carpet. She panicked. I reached for the bottle. Everything turned out fine.

Splatter

[Via http://lifeissweet16.wordpress.com]

As Stephanopoulos Leaves 'This Week,' News of a Booster Seat in ...

One Week In

2010-01-08T23:42:00.000+02:00

And I already feel behind! Wow, Friday already?! Time flies.

Most of my courses are the usual run of mill sciences courses, but there’s one I’m excited for. Can you guess what it might be?

Let me give you a clue…

Still not sure? ok ok, here’s one more clue…

Think you got it?

Yep, I’m definitely in an Intro to Wine Science. aka, wine tasting for labs.

Guess the alcoholic foodie in me is coming out. I wasn’t originally in this class, but the elective I did have didn’t count as a restricted elective. Instead of fighting it I decided to just find a different course (if one interested me) that would let me in. This one did, and I got in! yay!

My weekend is looking pretty busy… with HOMEWORK. EGAHDS?! is this term starting quickly or is it just me?

I am going out tonight, but just for dinner, and maybe I’ll study up on my wine tasting.

Hope you guys all have more exciting weekend plans then I do.

[Via http://workforpeanutbutter.wordpress.com]

Sanyo latest Xacti VPC-CS1 is world slimmest and lightest Full HD ...

Veramonte - 2008 Ritual Pinot Noir

2010-01-08T17:16:00.000+02:00

There’s something about Pinot Noir that can be downright inspirational when it’s made right. When the fruit is allowed to shine and enhanced rather than burdened by oak and its purely Pinot it can be quite magical. At least I know that’s how I feel about Pinot. While I rarely turn down the opportunity to sample one, my expectations are tempered with the knowledge that it takes a lot to impress my palate when it comes to this grape. Today I’m going to look at a brand new release from Veramonte in Chile. Their varietal wines, particularly the Sauvignon Blanc have been consistent values and Primus, their proprietary blend is often a category stand out.

The Veramonte 2008 Ritual Pinot Noir is produced using fruit sourced in the Casablanca Valley of Chile. This selection is 100% Pinot Noir. Barrel aging occurred over 12 months in exclusively French oak; 40% of the barrels were new. Highly regarded winemaker Paul Hobbs was a consultant on this project. The suggested retail price for this wine is $17.99.

Ripe wild strawberry, cherry, and fleshy plum aromas waft enticingly from the nose of this South American Pinot Noir. These are joined by hints of rhubarb. Black cherry and strawberry flavors intermingle throughout the gentle but full flavored palate of this wine. A terrific spice component kicks in around mid-palate and continues through the finish which features hints of cocoa, light cherry cola, white pepper, mushroom and emerging earth notes. This wine has silky tannins, excellent acidity and terrific length. It drinks marvelously on its own and will also pair with a wide array of foods. Roast Pork Loin and Mushroom Risotto are the first to spring to mind.

As I mentioned I think good Pinot Noir can be tricky to find. That’s particularly true in the under $20 category. That said, Ritual from Veramonte is one of the best under $20 Pinot’s I’ve had in ages. The price says $17.99 but when you taste it you’ll find it compares favorably to many Pinots in the $30 price range. If you’re a Pinot Noir fan, this is worth making a special effort to seek out.

Please take a moment to vote for my blog.

[Via http://gabesview.com]

News Anchor Can't Stop Laughing During Report On Ridiculous ...

WINE Trials and Errors

2010-01-08T05:49:00.000+02:00

I have mostly come up with errors using WINE to run PC emulators. I did get PCSX to run although couldn’t configure the emulator. Setting up the graphics plugins and the sound might take more time then I am willing to put in and I’m sure the average user won’t even bother. ePSXe, PCSX2, NullDC, PSXeven, Psx, and AndriPSX all don’t work. No errors, but no GUI loads either. There might be a work around for a terminal buff but alas, I am no terminal buff. Bleem! came up with an interesting error though. It said that this emulator requires Windows 95 or 98. Too funny if you ask me. I tried all the Playstation emulators and a Playstation 2 emulator with only some dumb luck with one as I stated earlier. I even tried the 64 bit version of Dolphin but came up short. My advice for newer emulators is boot camp or trying Virtual box or another program like it. I will keep trying with several emulators and different configurations and will let you all know. Sorry folks.

The above screen shot is running PCSX using WINE. Remember folks, Wine Is Not An Emulator.

[Via http://macemulators.wordpress.com]

Fox News Scrubs 'Honest Injun' From Steele Transcript

Cacio e Pepe (Pasta with Pecorino Romano and Black Pepper)

2010-01-06T17:32:00.000+02:00

Another one of The Two Guys’ New Year’s Resolutions is to cook more using recipes from the various magazines to which they subscribe. Today, we chose “Cacio e Pepe” (Pasta with Pecorino Romano and Black Pepper) from the January/February 2010 edition of Cook’s Illustrated. At first blush, we had flashbacks of clumped Pecorino Romano and thought, “Why bother?” But as we read the article, it became apparent that the genesis of the article was to make a pasta with Pecorino Romano sauce that did not clump. We were intrigued. So we grated up three cups of

Romano cheese.

Grating Cheese

Not the cheap, knock-off store-bought domestic stuff. We mean the real imported Pecorino Romano cheese – hard, aged sheep’s milk cheese with the distinctively pungent and salty flavor that is found nowhere else.

The recipe called for two cups of finely grated (for the sauce):

Grating Cheese

and one cup coarse (for the garnish).

To the finely-grated cheese, we added about one teaspoon medium-coarse ground pepper:

Medium Coarse Pepper

The recipe called for finely-ground black pepper, but The Two Guys like the bite and flavor of chunks of black pepper.

We sliced a baguette in half:

Fresh Bread

Then put some sun dried tomatoes, garlic, basil and olive oil into a food processor:

Sun Dried Tomatoes, Garlic, Basil and Olive Oil

Pureed:

Pureed

And spread on the bread:

Use Your Clean Hand to Spread

Before it went into a hot oven, we sprinkled on a bit of the Romano and parsley:

Romano and parsley

After we cooked a pound of angel hair pasta in only eight cups of water, we drained it and reserved the (starchy) water:

Al Dente Angel Hair Pasta

Then we whisked together the finely-grated cheese and one cup of the reserved water:

Whisk the Water & Cheese

Then we added just a tiny bit of olive oil, heavy cream, water, and whisked some more:

Whisk More

Then we poured it on the pasta:

Mixing with the Pasta

And tossed it all together:

Tossing with Angel Hair

Then plated up and garnished with the coarsely-grated Romano.

Enjoy!

We ended up trying three different bottles of wine – a Pinotage, a Chianti, and a 2006 Foxen Pinot. We ultimately chose the Foxen to drink with the dish. Why? Because the wine’s woodsy flavor which overlayed blackberries and raspberries, was the best match to the musty cheese and spicy pepper. The berries in the wine cut through the fat in the sauce.

True to the article’s promise, the sauce did not clump – even after sitting on the plate for ten minutes. Kudos to Cook’s Illustrated.

The Two Guys have found another favorite dish.

Until next time . . .

P.S. Here’s the recipe as it appears in Cook’s Illustrated:

6 ounces Pecorino Romano – 4 ounces finely grated (about 2 cups) and 2 ounces coarsely grated (about 1 cup)

1 pound spaghetti

2 tablespoons heavy cream

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 ½ teaspoons finely ground black pepper

1. Place finely grated Pecorino in a medium bowl.

2. Bring 2 quarts of water to boil in large pot. Add pasta and 1 ½ teaspoons salt. Cook until al dente. Drain pasta into colander set in bowl, reserving cooking water. Pour 1 ½ cups of cooking water into measuring cup.

3. Slowly whisk 1 cup reserved pasta water into finely grated Pecorino until smooth. Whisk in cream, oil and black pepper. Gradually pour cheese mixture over pasta, tossing to coat. Let pasta rest one to two minutes, tossing frequently, adjusting consistency with remaining ½ cup of pasta water. Serve with grated Pecorino.

Click here for a link to the recipe.

[Via http://twoguyswithanappetite.com]

Bookninja » Blog Archive » News roundup

Why I don't like white wine - It's bad for teeth

2010-01-06T11:21:00.000+02:00

We all know how red wine could be unpleasant to your mouth and cavity, coloring your teeth and demanding an extra whitening .

But, did you know that white wine is even worse? It could not only color your teeth, but also damage them.

White wine erodes enamel far more than red wine, attacking calcium and phosphorus in the enamel surface to depths of up to 60 micrometers, which is significant, according to the researchers.

What’s even worse, brushing your teeth after drinking, might make matters worse and lead to further loss of enamel.

But, there is a solution. Drink beer instead.

Source

[Via http://livingjuice.wordpress.com]

The 40 Most Obnoxious Quotes Of 2009 | Right Wing News

Rosemount - Show Reserve

2010-01-06T05:45:00.000+02:00

Producer: Rosemount

Name: Show Reserve Varietal: Grenache, Shiraz, Mourvedre Vintage: 2006 Region: McLaren Vale, Australia

So Leibovitz is $25M in debt and she’s got some old photos of Tiger taken a while ago… sounds like perfect timing Annie…

Over the holidays my aunt gave me a few bottles of wine to try. Which is great because she was diagnosed with stage three cervical cancer that moved into her liver and she was not expected to be with us. Fortunately, against the odds, she responded to the treatment and was able to join us for the holidays! Things are looking better each day and she’s on her way to full recovery. Very frickin’ happy!

Anyway, the wine that she gave me was a Rosemount that I haven’t tried before. It has a velvety thick texture and a dark rich purple colour. The bouquet smells of rich cassis, black currants and cherries with an intense brown sugar aroma. The palate tastes of dark fruit and subtle spice and oak with a surprising complexity and good integration of the varietals. Wasn’t expecting this to be decent because there are so many crappy Australian wines out now, but I mean, for the price it’s fairly good.

Posted via email from Wino Blogger

[Via http://winoblogger.wordpress.com]

Hot Air » Blog Archive » Great news: CIA watching the ice melt

Twenty-Ten. Food and everything else.

2010-01-04T23:23:00.000+02:00

So the New Year has arrived. Happy Happy to you all.

I don’t really do resolutions as it makes me feel worse when I don’t actually achieve any of them. Instead I give my self a big pat on the back when I do anything of any worth, a pat and usually something sweet.

I would like to try and vaguely, maybe get a few things done in the coming year:

I am going to curb my expanding waistline. Of late I have seemed to have stopped doing all those other things that kept me naturally lithe and so will have to either cut down on the intake of large bits of quivering fat - or just do some exercise.

There will hopefully be some cooking lessons for the Mrs. I constantly get in trouble because I don’t let her cook at home. The kitchen is most definitely my domain. The Mrs is a very capable cook – pre Mr and Mrs Garlic Confit she knocked up an amazing curry and had an Honourable mention on WNC – apparently it is intimidating to cook for me, piffle. It is only a little confidence with a knife that is needed and after that she will be top class.

Talking of WNC there will be a lot more. It has been a bit of a crazy year and both of the Alter Egos took a bit of a pasting. I will keep everything spinning as well as I can.

The only other thing that I really need to get sorted is this site. As I may have said before I am collating older blogs and writing into one place – tryityoumightlikeit.com is now gone and pointing here.

playingwithyourfood.com will still be teaching children around london how to eat and cook, but this year (our 5th) it will hopefully have the long awaited funding. The new branding site and so forth should be up and running by the start of Feb. In the meantime if you want to nominate a school near you or help us out with food supplies/ sponsorship or anything you can think of just drop me a line

So. That is actually a lot of stuff that I am going to try and do. hmm. lets hope for something sweet.

[Via http://mnaahs.wordpress.com]

AMERICAblog News: US shuts embassy in Yemen after concerns about ...

Wine and Olives in Mendoza

2010-01-04T17:49:00.000+02:00

On Saturday we went on a half day outing to visit some of the local wine and olive farms in the Mendoza area. Mendoza is famous for its wines, most particularly its Malbec wine. Mendoza has a very interesting geography which enables it to produce some very good wines. Technically the Mendoza region is a desert, approximately 3 – 5% of its land is arable and a lot of this land is used to produce wine or olives. The area only receives about 200mm of rain per year, so it really is dry in that sense. The interesting thing is that, whilst there is little rainfall, there is a fair amount of water because of the run off from the surrounding mountains and some of the water comes in from the Andes which are not far away. The city is surrounded by the gigantic mountains, and their snow capped peaks can be easily seen, even though the actual mountain is 150km away. So we began our tour at a small family run wine farm, the vineyards were about 40 years old and the farm produced red wines and only 1 white wine. We tasted both, the white wine was really very good, slightly dry, but a little sweet and very refreshing. The red wine was good too.

White Wine

American Oak Barrel

We then moved onto an olive farm. This farm produces 1 million litres of Olive Oil per annum and that means that they harvest 8 million kilograms of olives in a year. We were quite taken aback at these stats, the farm certainly didn’t look that big, but that was their production. Most of the process now is automated, but we were shown the old way of pressing olives to extract the oil, quite laborious to say the least. At this farm they produced extra virgin olive oil and we were given some to sample and it was really good.

Laur Olive Oil

Olive Tree

Our next visit was to another wine farm, they had produced and international award winning Malbec wine. This wine was made from a batch of grapes harvested in 1999 and the reserve made only 4200 bottles of which 166 bottles are left at the estate. The price for a bottle of this wine in Argentina would be the equivalent of R 580.00 and in the USA well over R 700.00 or R 800.00, needless to say we never got to have a taste of this. We did sample some of their red wine and Rose wine and both were really good especially the red.

Red Wine at the Granatas Farm

Wine Cellar

Our last stop was at a church in Mendoza called the “Church of the Vine” This church is mostly frequented by local farmers from the area and hence they pray that their harvests will be plentiful and so Mary is depicted on a wagon with the farmers offering her grapes as an offering. The interesting aside here is that in 1861 Mendoza was struck by a huge earthquake and 60% of its inhabitants were killed. Almost the whole city was flattened by this quake, but miraculously (according to locals) the Church remained standing and was unharmed. The Church has become somewhat of an icon in the area and so we stopped to look in.

Church of the Vine Courtyard

Church of the Vine

[Via http://lightimage.wordpress.com]

Fox News Satellite Cuts Off Dem Rep. Sestak's 'Final Word' (VIDEO)

An introduction to the Phenomenon’s totally non-condescending, yet humorous and incredibly thoughtful series of wine-related postings

2010-01-04T05:22:00.000+02:00

As you have probably already figured out based on the title of this post, I plan on starting a semi-regular series of wine-related posts on this blog. Before I start out, however, I thought that it would be polite to lay out the answers to the interrogatories Who, What, and Why, as they pertain to this series of posts.

Why: As in, “Why are you blathering on about wine on this website?” Well, to be honest, mostly because McHead keeps nagging me to post more on this blog.

But, why wine? Well, it’s the one area from the world of “food and drink” where I feel that I could contribute the most to this blog.

Although I still consider myself a novice with respect to wine, I have spent some time trying to learn about wine and hope that I can write something interesting. About a year ago, I decided to make a coordinated effort to learn more about wine. Since that time, I’ve read several books on wine and attended and/or hosted about two dozen tastings.

Who: As in, “Who is the intended audience for this series of posts?” Basically, whoever comes to this blog, which I assume, for the most part, will be the friends and family of the blog’s authors.

To extent that anyone comes here looking for in-depth analysis or information for expert tasters, they’ll be disappointed. I’m just a novice trying to share some of the admittedly limited information that he’s acquired about wine.

What: As in, “What are you going to write about anyway?”

I plan on starting by doing some posts about white wine varietals — specifically, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, and Chardonnay. I’m going to taste one example of these three varietals with each of the other gourmands, and then I’ll write a post about each example and my tasting with the gourmand.

For each varietal, I intend to select examples that retail for $60 or less and that should be reasonably accessible without too much effort.

Once we have finished with the abovementioned white varietals, I hope to continue with a series of postings that focus on various red varietals or, perhaps, specific wine regions.

To conclude, I hope someone winds up reading these posts and enjoying them. If anyone does read this and has questions, feel free to comment below.

[Via http://metrogourmand.wordpress.com]

Stabroek News - Predictions 2010

iPhone Pics of the Day - Put a Cork In It

2010-01-01T23:08:00.000+02:00

Happy New Year All! I’m posting these later than usual…but I think they are well worth the wait

How lucky are you…there are THREE pics today!!

This is what’s left from New Years…

[Via http://mpouliotphoto.wordpress.com]

Lots of News Tonight - Rich Lowry - The Corner on National Review ...

Julia Child inspired lentil-kidney bourguignon

2010-01-01T17:00:00.000+02:00

Neither of us have ever eaten boeuf bourguignon, but it sounds cozy and we love stew and Julie & Julia, and so on. The Cinnamon Quill came up with an amazing adaptation for boeuf bourguignon, sans boeuf, which I was about to make until I realized how many steps were involved, and now many ingredients I didn’t have (dates, pearl onions, lots of wine). In true Beans, Figs and Katz fashion, I put this LARGE stew together.

1/2 TBL Earth balance

1/2 TBL olive oil

2 onions, sliced thinly

3 carrots, sliced

5 garlic cloves, minced

2 sweet potatoes, chopped into bite sized piececs

2 bay leaves

1 TBL tomato paste

1/2 TBL molasses

1 TBL balsamic vinegar

1 tsp turbinado sugar

2 bouillion cubes

1/2 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp rosemary

2 tsp paprika

1 tsp parsley

2 cups red wine (that’s all I had in a leftover container in the fridge. You could add more)

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

1.5 cups lentils

1 15oz. can kidney beans (with liquid)

1 TBL tamari

water to cover

salt and pepper to taste

Mushroom Sauce–to be added later

1 pound mushrooms, sliced

another 1 TBL tamari

additional 3 garlic cloves, minced or garlic powder

1 cup water

Yes, this is a ridiculous number of ingredients. In a stock pot, heat olive oil and Earth Balance, then saute oninions, garlic, and carrots on medium heat until the onions turn slightly mushy, about 15-20 minutes. Stir occasionally, and work on your other prep in the mean time. Add the remaining ingredients, except the mushroom sauce. Add water to cover and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to simmer. Stir occasionally and cook 20 minutes. (Add a little more water if needed.)

Meanwhile, in a small pot, saute mushrooms in a small amount of Earth Balance until they release their juices, about 5-7 minutes. Add tamari and garlic. Cook another 5 minutes or so. Add water to cover (approximately 1 cup), bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer for another 5 minutes.

Pour the mushroom sauce into the large pot and stir. Bring to a boil and then cover to simmer again, about 10 minutes.

Pour stew into a dutch oven (or two smaller baking dishes with covers), and bake at 325 for an hour or so. Add more wine or broth if needed.

[Via http://beansfigsandkatz.wordpress.com]

Congratulations to Fox News Channel « Gretawire

New Year, New Decade

2010-01-01T11:09:00.000+02:00

Happy New Year! I hope this one will be soooooooooooo much better than last– for everyone.

I hope that the new year will be a cancer-free one, spent with a good TSH range, and minimal health problems!

This commencement of a decade rises in my mind, something that will happen within this decade, something momentous and life changing (hopefully not just for me), and that is, that by the end of this decade, I’ll be a doctor. I’ll be able to help fellow thyroid patients and give them the care they deserve… not the poor current standard.

Well, last night’s festivities left me with a couch and a computer that have a pretty strong wine smell and some empty bowls- I’m off to bring the apartment back into shape.

[Via http://hungryfortsh.wordpress.com]

Taylor Swift & Taylor Lautner Call It Quits - OK! Magazine - The ...

New Year's Eve at Michael's Santa Monica

2009-12-30T23:50:00.000+02:00

Just got this message from Michael’s Santa Monica, one of my favorite places for super delicious and romantic dinners. The perfect, candle-lit spot for couples to ring in the New York–or to give her a ring….

Come celebrate New Year’s Eve 2009 with an awesome party at Michael’s Santa Monica. The joint will be jumping, looking more beautiful than ever. The drinks will be flowing, with Champagne included with your meal.

And the kitchen, led by executive chef Mikey Stern, will be humming, producing special menus featuring our renowned fresh, seasonal, regional California cuisine. General manager Mike Nicol and sommelier Andrew Turner will provide great service and wine advice about our award-winning wine list.

Take your pick of two separate seatings:

First Seating (reservations available between 5:30 pm and 7:30 pm): 5 courses, $95 per person

(exclusive of tax and gratuity), including one glass of Champagne. (Click Here To View Menu)

Second Seating (reservations available starting at 8 pm): 6 courses, $175 per person

(exclusive of tax and gratuity), including free-flowing Champagne and dancing past

midnight to music from renowned jazz musician Don Allen and his band. (Click Here To View Menu)

For reservations, please phone Michael’s Santa Monica at 310-451-0843.

Or make your reservations through .

Tables are limited, so please book quickly.

We hope to see you here for a great New Year’s Eve Party!

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Michael’s Santa Monica | 1147 3rd Street | santa Monica | CA | 9043

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Gosselin Break-In a Publicity Stunt? | Fancast News

The New Wine Map 2010 - By John Szabo

2009-12-30T17:03:00.000+02:00

John Szabo

Every new vintage changes the world’s winescape. Winners and losers are fashioned by weather, wine trends and market whims. New regions distinguish themselves, classics are re-established or plummet in popularity. What was new becomes old and what was unknown becomes hot. It’s my job to track those changes, and here’s a short list of next year’s countries, regions and wines to watch.

Canada

Loyal readers are already tuned in to great Canadian wine, but this year saw some major upheavals that will change things for the better still. First there was the CIC debacle. In case you missed it, the ball got rolling when the story was broken that Vincor, our largest wine company and official sponsor for the Vancouver Olympics, would be passing off non-Canadian wine to unsuspecting consumers using the perfectly legal but devilishly misleading “Cellared in Canada” designation for their Olympic wine, Esprit. These wines can contain up to 70% foreign grapes and still qualify as “Cellared in Canada”, which appears to all but the seriously pedantic as “Canadian” wine. Major embarrassment for Vincor, Olympic organizers, and Canada. They’ve since agreed to put only VQA (100% local) wine into Esprit.

But the PR fiasco, along with irreconcilable differences with 100% VQA producers, have led Vincor and the 6 other major companies dependent on CIC revenues to withdraw from the Wine Council of Ontario, the industry’s promotional organization. With them goes 20% of the WCO’s promotional budget. But the WCO may finally be cured of its split personality disorder, the mutually exclusive agendas of satisfying both the gods of CIC (more powerful) and VQA (only demi-gods, financially). Now the WCO can get down to promoting local juice exclusively. Labeling and signage in provincial monopoly stores will also be tidied up (a clear separation between VQA and ‘international blends’), and consumers will finally no longer (we hope) be duped. Now we can focus on our great Canadian wines; check out wineaccess.ca for the results of the 2009 Canadian Wine Awards.

South Africa

FIFA World Cup fever hits South Africa next June, when the world’s attention will be squarely focused on the Cape. Local wine producers know that this is their 15 minutes, so expect dozens of over-delivering values from the bottom to the top shelf. If you’re traveling to see the Cup, you can have wines matched up with the Big 5 game animals. Yes, that’s right. Wines of South Africa has undertaken to train 2010 front line servers by 2010 to deliver the message of SA wine to football fans, a tall order, considering that few locals have any wine knowledge. But WOSA has devised a clever training program in which the major grapes are compared with African animals to make wine more accessible, a way of teaching that makes sense to the African wine un-educated. Doesn’t cabernet sauvignon remind you of elephants? Huge, thick hide, lives for a long-time, long backbone, king of animals… Or Shiraz, the rhino of the wine world, the feisty, spicy one with the horn…

South Africa is already known as a source of hot values, from the traditional areas of Stellenbosch and Franshhoek to more cutting edge regions like the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, Elgin, and the dry-farmed vineyards of Swartland. I’m betting on crisp sauvignon blanc, characterful chenin Blanc and innovative Rhône-style red and white blends to win the crowds over.

Portugal

Dog stranglers, fly droppings, little rats, sheep’s tails and bastards are just a few of the over 350 evocatively-named grapes from this sliver of the Iberian Peninsula to try out. Remember that Portugal pretty much checked out of the 20th century politically speaking, and thus thankfully avoided the industrialization and globalization that took place in the rest of post-war Europe. Chard, cab and co. are thankfully just footnotes in vineyard registers here, and indigenous grapes have pride of place. Some of the vineyards in traditional areas like the Douro Valley and Dão look as though they haven’t changed in a century. Maybe that’s because they haven’t. Ancient vines in mixed plantations, the way grandpa used to do it, means that distinctive, uniquely flavoured and densely concentrated wines are commonplace, and sold at no-name (or at least, what-the-hell-is-that?) pricing. Look to Vinho Verde for vibrant, sashimi and ceviche-friendly whites, Dão for finely etched, elegant reds, The Douro Valley for massively concentrated beauties (and of course port), and Alentejo and the Sétubal Peninsula for pocket-friendly, internationally appealing red and whites. And stop worrying about which bloody grapes and their precise percentages are in each blend. Many producers don’t know, and don’t care. All I care about is whether it tastes good and if it’s worth the money (yes is the answer to both generally).

John’s Essential Vintages Essentials:

2007 Hillebrand Trius Red, Niagara Peninsula, $21.95

2007 Malivoire Chardonnay Estate, Beamsville Bench, $19.95

2006 Cave Spring Indian Summer Select Late Harvest Riesling, Niagara Peninsula, $24.95/375ml

2007 Goats do Roam Red, Costal Region, South Africa, $12.95

2008 Crasto Vinho Tinto, Douro Valley, Portugal $14.95

2006 Quinta dos Carvalhais Duque de Viseu Dão Tinto, Portugal, $13.95

2006 Esporão Tinto Reserva, Alentejo, Portugal, $24.95

[Via http://blog.winealign.com]

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Spiced Pears and Persimmons Amity Style

2009-12-28T17:30:00.000+02:00

Valerie Came home from Christmas Eve Dinner at Bistro Maison in McMinnville,smelling like Duck Confit and spiced pears. I’m looking forward to a taste of the duck but I love when the house continues to smell Christmassy. And what is better than cloves, ginger and cinnamon filling the air. Today she tried her version of pears poached in Amity Vineyards pinot blanc. She also added some Fuyu persimmons.

Here’s her recipe:

3 ripe pears

2 fuyu persimmons (the hard apple type)

1 lemon

3/4 cup sugar

5 slices of ginger root

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon cloves

Slice three pieces of rind off lemon. Fill a bowl with cold water and squeeze some lemon juice into the water. Slice pears and persimmons and put into water.

Pour wine into a large heavy frying pan, add sugar, lemon rind and spices. Heat on medium until sugar dissolves. Add fruit and gentle simmer until pears and persimmons are tender and translucent, about 15 to 30 minutes. Remove fruit and reduce syrup in half, pour over fruit and refrigerate.

The Chef at Le Bistro Maison used his pears in a cranberry goat cheese and toasted walnut salad with roasted shallot dressing, but they’re good as dessert with some vanilla ice cream, or on top of breakfast cereal.

[Via http://winedogreview.wordpress.com]

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