My aunt’s birthday called for a celebratory wine; I was lucky enough to enjoy the 2003 30th Anniversary Joseph Phelps Insignia while out to dinner at Farm in Carneros. First produced in 1974, Insignia was the first proprietary Bordeaux-style blend produced in California. A blend of primarily Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Merlot, and Malbec, this wine was smooth and rich, a beautiful dark ruby color,…
Wine Wednesdays – The Art of Blending
Of course we all know there’s quite a bit of science that goes into winemaking….but I’ll admit my knowledge extends about as far as the basic equation of fermentation (I much prefer the consumption side of things). While home I got to unleash my inner vintner and experiment with blending percentages of our 2013 Cabernet and Syrah. It all starts with a little handy-dandy…
Autumn Bucket List
As promised I’ve put together a bucket list for things to do this fall. I must admit I’m a bit more inspired by summer, but hopefully this will encourage exploration and new finds! 1. Find new inspiration at the Greenmarket; goodbye stone fruit and cherries, hello apples and beets! 2. Visit the Jeff Koons exhibit at the Whitney and the Killer Heels exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum 3. Bake…
Bucket List Recap – Summer 2014
So summer sure did fly by! This was the first year that I’ve ever made a summer bucket list, and I really think that by writing it down and putting it out there I was that much more aware of taking advantage of all that summer has to offer. Overall I did pretty well! 1. Cross a few beach reads off my list (Starting with this, this,…
Wine Wednesdays – Harvest 2014
I popped home last weekend to attend a family friend’s 60th birthday party (more to come on that). I was lucky enough to coincide with the height of harvest. There’s nothing better than driving up and down the valley, the smell of fresh grape must in the air, trailers hauling grapes everywhere you look. My brother picked me up and we drove straight to…
Wine Wednesdays – Tasting at Tank
I’m heading back home tomorrow but realized I never shared a fun tasting experience from my time home in July! We headed up to Calistoga to check out the farmer’s market as well as a new antique store and stumbled upon Tank Garage Winery. The tasting room is a converted 1930’s gas station right on Highway 29 just before you enter town. The wines are…
Migis Lodge AKA Adult Summer Camp
The highlight of our trip to Maine was the two days we spent at Migis Lodge in South Casco. About 25 miles inland from Portland, we were trasnported to a different world and thrown back in time to the era of dinner jackets, relish plates, and the “American Plan” way of life. We decided to stay in a lodge room vs. a private cabin,…
Wine Wednesdays – Four Vines Naked 2012 Chardonnay
A highlight from our trip was a stop at the Langsford Road Lobster Pound in Kennebunkport. A shop clerk in Ogunquit recommended it as his favorite place “off the beaten path” for fresh lobster literally pulled out of the water and cooked before your eyes. And boy was he right! We stopped by on Labor Day afternoon. Truth be told it was our second “lunch”…
Maine Recap
I’m still coming down from such an epic adventure through Southern Maine. Maine has been on my bucket list for quite a while now so I was so happy to explore, and obviously eat my weight in lobster, blueberries, and homemade ice cream. We left early Saturday morning and we were having lobster in Kittery by early afternoon. We spent two nights in Ogunquit,…
Wine Wednesdays – Haras Estate 2008 Chardonnay
Last week we picked up a bottle of wine to enjoy on the porch of our B&B. I couldn’t pass by this shop without going in, with a name like “Corks and Curds” it sounded right up my alley! Unfortunately the recommendation was a bit off. The 2008 Haras Estate Chardonnay was overly oakey, the one thing we told the clerk that we did…