Telling Stories

I love TED talks for probably the same reason as most TED followers: story telling will never get old. People have been telling stories since the beginning of time - gathered around a fire, sharing stories with each other (a college professor told us that's why we're always drawn to the TV - we're hard-wired to its glow and its stories). This story is about how a white South African vineyard owner honored the history of the black South African workers on his farm and arranged for shared ownership of the vineyard.

Have a Nice Day

This is why New York City is awesome...pretty sure this would not work in DC:

TGIFF: Words to Live By

Busy week but I still plan to do a recap of The Epic Surprise Party and maybe a few garden updates, recipes, and photos from my quick work trip to Maine. 

Also, I've recently joined Pinterest which is an (addictive) online space filled to the brim with photographic or design-related visual inspiration. I'm still trying to figure out how it works, but for now I'll just share a few that spoke to me.

from Pinterest via http://photoshopskillz.blogspot.com/

from Pinterest via http://inspiredbythisfeeling.tumblr.com/

And I will leave you with....

From Pinterest via http://www.notyouraverageordinary.com/

Happy Weekend, Father's Day

Happy weekend to all, and happy father's day to those who hold the "Father" title!  I'm starting my weekend a day early. We're fortunate to be hosting my parents this weekend (its amazing -- they take out our dog, they clean up after meals, and they always bring lotion and other random items that you didn't realize you needed).  The weekend agenda is open but will involve the obligatory margaritas at Lauriol Plaza, the U.S. Open (brother, father), and hopefully a Drag Queen Brunch for sister, mom and me.  Not a bad weekend.

I stumbled across this photo via Pinterest via Apartment Therapy via some other site, and it brightened my day which, by that point, had filled to the brim with work stress. The photo reminded me of how, as kids, we used to slide down our stairs in a plastic laundry basket.  We felt each and every one of those steps, but the exhilaration of the ride was totally worth the bumps. 

So, cheers to fathers, cheers to child-like exhilaration, and cheers to indoor slides, which I now believe should be a staple of every home and workplace.

TGIFF!!

Yeah I lied when I said I didn't have time to post anything today.  That was before I saw this (mind: blown):





Which is what appeared after I purchased this:

which was designed by this lovely lady:

Christine "Queen" Marcelino

All of these things were set into motion, when I came across this Apartment Therapy post this morning on sleeping bags.  And their post failed to mention Alite's expertly (sexpertly?) designed "sexy hotness sleeping bag":

And of course I had to let AT know of their error by omission.  In fact, it appears I ignited a fire in the comments. Success!  So, I'm glad I had this opportunity to spotlight Alite's sexy urban camping products for AT and on this blog.  


Happy camping!

Knick Knacks n Things

Just stumbled across a great online shop, Fey Handmade Shop, and had to share.  It's like a miniature Etsy that weeds out all the shit stuff that your Grandma would buy and just has all the good stuff: affordable art prints, jewelry, housewares, etc.  I covet the following:


   
But thou shalt acknowledge the reality of one's bank account before visiting this site.  It's tempting.

Junebug / Daydreaming

If my life were a choose-your-own-adventure book, this would definitely be one of my pursuits (you know, when I grow up): http://www.marigoldandmint.com/.  

Because, seriously...what would be better than being your own boss, being a gardener extraordinaire, and being surrounded by the loveliest, liveliest flowers all day long? 


Happy June to you.

Garden Status Update

Before I get to my garden status update, can I just say: "McCain, Chambliss & Roberts: WTF?"  These guys complained to Agriculture Secretary about how the USDA Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food initiative supports small farmers and producers instead of the big guys.  Um, really?  Is bitching about farmer's markets and regional food systems really how you should be spending your time? When our kids are fat and growing fatter (despite the First Lady's best efforts)? Please.  OK, thats all I got.


Anyway, check it ooooout:

Compared with this:

Yezzirrrr, thats ma garden.  And I got the hubs to take on a little project for me to add a little pizzaz to the carport fence.  Check it:

  

Cute, right?

Some herbs.

Some succulents.

And some succulent leaves that I cut and am hoping to propogate.

I'm pretty pumped.  The end.

Wine Trip 2010: Lessons Learned

1) Old World v New World Wines: I'm new to the wine world, but I've seen the "old world" and "new world" descriptors being used - to describe processes of winemaking and also on wine lists to categorize wines.  And of course - "old world" referring to traditional European methods v "new world" referring to more modern American methods.  So basically "old school" v "new school".  From our trip, this is what I gathered...

Old School: Vines are dry farmed – not irrigated (they withstand the dry California weather as they did in the old country) and also not trellised. Instead, each vine stands alone and the vines grow up and out, without the support of a trellis.  According to Vince, you may not get as many grapes, but the grapes will have a more complex aroma/flavor.  Growers don't use fertilizer or mess with the grapes in any way, so the wines are usually not as sweet and are more complementary with food.  They also have a lower alcohol content.

Tofanelli vines are not trellised.

New School: Grapevines are irrigated and trellised to get more grapes and, hence, bigger profits.  In order to get the bigger, more fruit forward flavor that has become popular, winemakers may use tactics to adjust the grapes flavors and tweak the sugar content. Due to more fermented sugars, they tend to be sweeter and higher in alcohol content (up to 16%). And with a bigger, more fruit forward flavor, the wines taste better in the tasting room but can compete with foods rather than complement them.  

Trellised vines

2) “Situational Drinking” – Pairing alcoholic beverages according to the experience. Ex) a smokey red wine for the campfire gathering, tequila at a Cinco de Mayo party, etc.  Originator: the wine pourer (uncertain of official title) at St. Supery tasting room.

3) Realization: Wine Dogs experience a higher quality of life than most humans.

Lucky dogs.

4) Based on some informal polling of locals: There’s no place like home - if “home” is Calistoga, CA.  Almost every server, bartender, bar patron, etc, we asked verified the fact that there simply is no other place they’d rather live than Calistoga.  For wine, food, natural hot springs, breathtaking scenery, proximity to ocean/mountains, weather, quality of life – Calistoga’s got it on lock-down.  If you’re looking for a laid back wine country experience with lots of local flavor, Calistoga is really where it’s at.  By comparison, we spent a short amount of time in Yountville.  And while its home to some seriously amazing restaurants, Yountville had a very suburban, ritzy feel.  However, if you’re looking to show off your Benz and tempt fate by wearing white pants, this would be the place to do it!

4) “Brambly” – adjective used to describe a wine that is complex and gnarly.  The visual of sticking your head inside a blackberry bush would be apt. Originator: for us, it was Vince Tofanelli.

5) While tasting wines at a granite countertop in an attractive tasting room is fun, nothing compares to standing on the freshly tilled soil of the vineyard that produced the wine you are tasting (as you are tasting it) while the man who tilled that soil, picked those grapes, and crafted that wine shares with you his family’s history and his passion for what he does.  Nothing compares.

6) Wine Country Coma:  A state of consciousness (or lack thereof) that begins with your first wine tasting at 10am and seeps in deeper with each decadent meal and each 3 oz pour of wine until you are thoroughly soaked to the core, like a liquor-soaked ladyfinger in a tiramisu dessert.  Words aren’t easily formed, let alone coherent and grammatically-correct sentences.  No.  All you can do is let your head hit the pillow and hope that tomorrow morning’s coffee brings intelligibility. 

Thanks, Calistoga! It's been real.

Wine Trip 2010: The Itinerary, Day 3

9:00am  One reason why Calistoga Inn will remain on my go-to list for affordable, comfortable lodging in Calistoga: their complimentary continental breakfast.  From 8 to 10am, they put out fresh OJ, coffee, water, apples, pears, bananas, homemade granola (delicious), english muffins (with toaster, peanut butter and blackberry jam), and coffee cake.  

9:30am Coffee at Calistoga Roastery. Clem and I checked out the Farmer's Market where there was an abundance of gorgeous produce (yes, gorgeous) and local crafts.  We bought a container of strawberries for later.  
And an antique car show was going on in Calistoga, so Daniel made it his goal to leave No Car Left Behind with his photography- which, much like the legislation I'm referencing, was a silly distraction from the real work that has to be done (for us, that work was wine consumption). 

 

10:30am Tofanelli Vineyard tour with Vince. A bottle of wine in a DC wine bar inspired me to contact him for a tour of his small family vineyard.  I didn't know what to expect really, but that visit was hands-down my favorite part of the trip (like whoah).  First of all, Vince is a really laid back guy whose passion for his work shows.  He's the grandson of an Italian immigrant who scraped pennies to purchase some acres of land to grow grapes and sell them to winemakers.  They managed to survive the Prohibition which killed many Napa vineyards. Vince grew up working the land of the family vineyard, left to get an education, returned when his grandfather fell ill, & decided to stay on to continue cultivating his family’s land.  While many vineyards have changed their methods to increase profits, Vince uses the same tried and true methods his grandparents used - dry farming (which is also organic) - to grow the grapes.  Decades later, he decides that he can make a wine that’s just as good as the wine that other winemakers are crafting with his grapes, so he starts bottling and distributing his own wine.  

I can't describe how incredible it was to walk around this vineyard, sipping wine that was handcrafted by the man we're talking to.  It shed some light on what the wine industry looks like from the perspective of someone who is nearly singlehandedly working the land, growing the grapes, & crafting the wines.  Further, his passion for maintaining the integrity of the fruit, by following "old world" methods (despite the fact that he could bring in more money with newer methods), was really inspiring and remarkable.  On top of all that, his wine was reeeeaaaally good - so good that we called for a tour, and even better with this whole experience.  Just the smell of his Charbono makes me want to  jump in my wine glass and swim around it in.  Srsly.

12:00pm From there, we met up with Dan & Christine at the Alpha Omega Cabernet Sauvignon 07 Release Party.  On our honeymoon in October, Daniel & I had a great experience at Alpha Omega and became members of their wine club.  So when we decided we wanted to do a follow up trip, we wanted to build it around one of the Alpha Omega events to which we, as members, were invited.  So this was the release party for their 2007 Cab, and they also served up appetizers and tastings of several other wines.

The crew (Sam photo)

Napa Valley Wine Train passes through.

It was great to kick back, enjoy the great weather and beautiful scenery with the crew.  BTW, upon entering, someone asked us which band we are with - which is indicative of the fact that most other folks at this winery (and others) were much older (and whiter).  We were definitely the young people at most of the places we visited.

1:30pm Bouchon Bakery.  After all the delicious food I've described thus far, I'm kind of at a loss for more creative descriptions.  We had mushroom paninis, a pistachio macaron, iced coffee, and some of Christine/Dan's pastries.  All of it was mouth watering.  Like, I might throw down with someone if they took too big of a bite of my pistachio macaron. Without hesitation. And our farmer's market strawberries were so juicy and luscious.  What can I say?  This trip was one self-indulgent thing after another. 

 

4:00pm  Mumm Napa was our next self-indulgent visit.  Tastings of their refreshing bubblies on a patio with a view.  This was a slightly different tasting - they seat you, and you order one of their tasting flights from a friendly server. The system worked well. We ordered a bottle of Sparkling Pinot Noir for the road.

 

7:30pm  The final act of ridiculous self-indulgence came that evening: dinner at Ad Hoc, another Thomas Keller (French Laundry, Bouchon) establishment.  This restaurant offers a daily menu of one four-course meal, based on seasonal and local ingredients.  You get what you get and you don't get mad (unless you don't eat meat or pork, in which case they have alternatives).
  
It was at this restaurant where a seriously intense food/wine coma set in. As in, we could not form sentences (ex: the bread. give me it.).  The food was, of course, delicious.  Service was unpretentious and friendly.  We were without words and overstuffed.

 

We made it back to our respective hotels, and I, for one, slept like a baby. We woke up the next morning sad because we had to leave paradise. We dropped Clem and Sam in SF (lucky!!!!) and caught a flight home (went to the right airport too).  I'm still coming to terms with the fact that we are back in DC, the land of the blackberry, and not California, the land of self-indulgence.  But who can really live there with all the extraordinary scenery, weather, wine and food? I mean, really??

Apparently, lots of people can. I polled them. They grow up there and they don't leave because its that awesome.  I want to hate those people, but I can't. I want to be them. The end. 


Upcoming: Lessons Learned post.

Wine Trip 2010: The Itinerary, Day 2

Photo: Sam Vasfi

9:00am  We met for breakfast and coffee at Calisoga Roastery, a great local coffee shop with big communal tables where locals camp out to read the Calistoga newspaper.  They put a lot of love into the food they prepare - breakfast sandwiches, waffles, etc. Good coffee too.

 

10:00am  We headed to nearby Graeser Winery  where owner/winemaker Dick Graeser served us up our first tasting of the trip.  To say that he is a character would be an understatement.  While we tasted his Semillon, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignons, Cabernet Franc, and dessert wine (with his spicy chocolate - yum), he talked to us about how the world would be better if we all were nicer to each other, which local restaurants he's had bad experiences with, how he and his friend like to finish each other's sentences with completely ridiculous ideas, and politics.  Not a mention of wine.  But he directed us to hike up the hill of his vineyard for great views.  And that we did, followed by his Great Danes Jill and Jolie.   

 

11:30am  From there, we drove south on 29 to Oakville Grocery to pick up some ingredients for our picnic lunch later.  This local version of Dean & Deluca was small with most of its space crammed with local products - jams, cheese, sauces, dips, bread, pastries - and all leftover space was packed with people.  Crowded, but great place to pick up lunch!

12:30pm  The visit to Yountville winery St. Supery was arranged by Marvin's wine rep.  Upon arrival, we happened upon this sign:

We were like "Whoah, this really is VIP!" They waived our tasting fee, which was great, but we didn't get a guided tour of the winery.  Oh well.  The wines were good - I liked their Semillon-Chardonnay blend and their Moscato was really refreshing - not syrupy like some tend to be.  And at the counter, the group of girls next to us were all from DC - kind of funny.  It was entertaining watching the wine person (pourer? expert?) flirt with them.  And then he schooled us on "situational drinking" and we proceeded to make some "The Situation" jokes.

 

2:00pm  Sequoia Grove to picnic, with a bottle of white. Delightful.

4:00pm  Prager Ports. Simply put, this was a man cave. A bunch of dudes standing around, drinking port and pouring port tastings for some other folks who were standing around.  There was no counter separating us and no formality - other than paying for the tasting. We were all in this low-light room with US and international dollar bills covering the walls and dust accumulating on the windowsills.  The ports were fantastic - caramel-y, nutty, buttery, delicious, and the dudes were exactly what you'd imagine California port-making dudes to be like. Plus you get to keep your tasting glass! Highly recommended.

 

7:30pm Drinks at sundown at Auberge du Soleil. It came highly recommended by Clem's friend, and it would've been really awesome had we been there while the sun was still above the horizon.  But we just missed it.  However, it was still a gorgeous view, and we enjoyed complimentary valet for our Hyundai, alongside the Benzes and the Escalades. Seriously ritzy place, that Auberge du Soleil. 

 

9:00pm  Lowkey pizza dinner at Bosko’s Trattoria. After a day and a half of luxurious meals, we wanted to tone it down for dinner. Bosko's was kind of forgettable, but perhaps thats a result of all the wine. Decent pizza, ginormous tiramisu (not sure if that was a good thing). But friendly service and had the lowkey vibe (and price) we were looking for.

10:30pm It's a small miracle that we made it anywhere after Bosko's after a long, wine-filled, food-filled day.  But we wanted to experience the Calistoga nightlife (tongue rather firmly in cheek), so we headed to me and Daniel's hotel - Calistoga Inn, Restaurant & Brewery for hip hop night. And our glimpse into the Calistoga nightlife scene was rewarding.  It was a strange scene.  I sent the following text to my sister/friend: "Deb and Beth are at our bar in Calistoga except they're in their 40s.  Big tall highlighted bangs and bedazzled jeans.  Trying to get back what they once had, on the dancefloor." 


Calistoga Inn has a microbrewery and we enjoyed their beers. We closed the place down. And we loved every minute of it. I think there's video evidence, but I don't have it. End of Day 2.