This past month

Again, I've been too busy for regular posts, but I haven't forgotten about it! I've been collecting random things that I've been wanting to share.

First, this amazing looking documentary called SOMM about the Court of Master Sommelier Exam. If I had an abnormal talent for taste and smells, I would totally consider something like this.

Second, some really awesome and artistic iPhone cases at society6.com. Below are some of my personal faves... oh yeah, I guess that means I'm finally announcing that I got an iPhone! So amazing!!!

New Years (one week late that is)

Long time, no see friends.

I have been busy as usual with work and finals week coming up at Vanguard, but I have at least found some time to think about resolutions for the new year. I often struggle with the concept of New Years' resolutions because they are a little cliche I think. They often consist of things out of the ordinary. Sometimes they are ordinary things like "losing weight" but lower on the list of priorities, or, they are severely lacking in enjoyment but are on the resolution list anyway because we'd feel bad if it wasn't.

Then I got to thinking, how many people make resolutions that don't exactly coincide with our long term visions or goal planning? Spontaneity is great and all, but should it significantly distract us from the steps we need to take to achieve our life goals? I only say this because when I think about the resolutions I made last year, I achieved about half, all of which I am proud of. The other half, I most likely didn't persist with because they were too vague, which is another mistake most people make when creating resolutions. Number one lesson in goal setting - make it quantitatively achievable!

So this year's resolutions aren't wishful thoughts, they are my short term goals for a long term life plan I have been working to build upon. I actually wrote them all in this blog, but then I re-read them and saw how it was probably more than you all wanted to read. It was also a bit, well... personal. I love sharing my hopes and dreams with you all, but there is a point when it may seem a bit boring and even intrusive. So here is an extremely edited version of 5 from 20-some little goals "to-do" in 2012 which will help drive me toward some of my greater life goals.

1. Take a Yoga Class. Maybe not on a regular basis, but at least once or twice this year.

2. Drink 1 new wine a month and record it in my wine journal.

3. Read 8 or more books on subjects pertaining to the history classes I teach.

4. Economize my car, or in other words, sadly trade in my beloved Rover for a more frugal sedan-like vehicle with better MPG.

5. Become an official resident of Colorado! On the assumption that my contract with Vanguard will be renewed and which I have 90% confidence/unofficial discussions with administration of this happening.

So cheers to you all as you too make your goals and here's hoping that 2012 becomes a far better year than 2011 had shown itself to be!

Wino Wednesday | In Haste...

Hello dear friends. Life has been a bit busy and overwhelming lately. So in haste, today's Wino Wednesday will be rather superficial... wine movies!

Here are some movies I have enjoyed that have some sort of thematic strain about wine:

1. Bottleshock (2009)

2. Sideways (2004)

3. A Good Year (2006)

4. French Kiss (1995)

5. Notorious (1946)

6. The Earth is Mine (1959)

7. Year of the Comet (1992)

Wino Wednesday | What would you pay for an old bottle of vinegar?

Better late than never, right?

Today's post was inspired by my latest read, The Billionaire's Vinegar. What a fascinating book! A brief summary for you all... In 1985, a cache of wine was found walled up in a Paris basement. The bottles were old and engraved with "Lafitte, 1787, Th. J."

Now here's some Wine 101. The old spelling "Lafitte" refers to one of the premier crus in Bordeaux, Chateau Lafite. To give you an idea of its value on the market, recent vintages from 2009 or 2010 can go for as high as $4k. Another thing to know about some of these prestigious Bordeaux growths is that they are most often made with the intention to age. Why age a wine? Have you ever had a red that was much to big for your palate to handle. It may be overly strong on the tannins leaving a "furry" feeling on your tongue. Well, over time, the minor amount of oxygen in the bottles will temper the wine giving it a completely different taste and softening out those harsh tannins. In fact, back in the 18th and early 19th centuries, European aristocratic families would constantly be stocking their wine cellars, not for themselves, but for their progeny. The wine you drank was what Dad bought.

The date 1787 on the bottle obviously made this Lafite extremely valuable. The question was - has it exceeded its prime time? Bottles left to age too long will start to lose their flavor. The engraving most important to this bottle was the "Th. J." Can you guess what that indicated? The wine hunters of that day had uncovered a treasure trove of bottles of Lafite, Yquem, Petrus and other prestigious vintages once belonging to Thomas Jefferson, well known for leading the American discovery of fine wine.

To make a long story short, Christies first auctioned one of the Jefferson bottles and sold it for $156,000 to a member of the Forbes family. Wallace narrates the story from there, the history around the bottle, Thomas Jefferson, the elite circles of antique wine collectors, and ultimately the dark mystery of its origins. What I loved most about this book is it takes a complete 180 halfway through - it kept me mesmerized the entire time!

Wino Wednesday | Dom Perignon at the Brown Palace Hotel

This week has truly been an adventure in wine, the most memorable being the Dom Perignon Brunch at the Brown Palace Hotel. It has been a long time since I have felt "invited" to take my time and enjoy the atmosphere, live music and friendly company at a meal - by which I mean staying longer than an hour. Sadly, gone are the days of 5 hour social dinners and multiple course affairs.

The Brown presented a beautiful spread. One particular treat that caught our fancy was the hot chocolate rum. Served in shot glasses it was like sipping traditional Italian Hot Chocolate, incredibly thick in consistency with the added twist of spiced Bacardi Rum. My dad got the recipe - I'll post it for you sometime later. Wouldn't that be a great treat by the fire at Christmas time with Peppermint Schnapps instead of rum??

Best yet were the bottomless flutes of fine champagne. I may have had three. Or was it four? Haha, nevertheless, should you find yourself looking for a high society experience in Downtown Denver you simply must stop by the Brown. The hotel's architecture is gorgeous and has a fascinating history representative of Denver as a whole. So even though this wasn't as much a feature on wine as Wednesdays are supposed to be, its an homage to one of the greatest Champagnes out there! Did you know that the Brown Palace Hotel does a champagne pyramid to celebrate the start of the holiday season? Definitely on my calendar this year!

So in the spirit of popping corks & the clink of glasses, I bid you "Cheers!", "Salut", and "Prost" and leave you with three things:

• Thou shalt not limit the beauty of Champagne to Weddings and New Year's Eve.
• Aren't these Andy Warhol designs for Dom Perignon brilliant?
• As it is mythically reported, Dom Perignon said "Come quickly, I am drinking the stars!" when he first tasted Champagne. What a perfect image that conjures!

Wino Wednesday | Are Box Wines a Sin?

To wine snobs, yes. Anything not in the traditional bottle screams poor quality. However, consumers for box wines are still a huge target market for producers, so they've come a long way lately in quality. I'm always one for second chances. Some brands that have won my respect for higher quality include: Black Box, Bota Box, and Big House Wines. I'm sorry to burst anyone's bubble but Franzia, Vella and Corbett Canyon is a sad excuse for wine. It's basically alcohol and grape juice in a box. Okay, I'm venting a bit, so here's some unbiased Pros and Cons for Box wines on shelves today...

Pros:

• Affordable. They hold 3 liters, or the equivalent of four regular 750 ml bottles of wine. And you pay around half the cost!
• Box wines last longer after opening. These typically last 4-6 weeks after opening whereas a typical bottle will spoil after 3 days.
• Box wines are more eco friendly. Less packaging = less resources used & cheaper transportation costs!

Cons:

• Quality is Low. They may be fine for everyday table wines, but they aren't anything to write home about. Let's just say you won't see a Wine Advocate or Parker rating tag on these shelves anytime soon.
• Shorter Shelf Life. Box wines don't last more than six months on the shelf.
• Hard to control temperature. As far as entertaining goes (especially for outside events this summer) its hard to control the temperature outside of a fridge. And nobody likes uber warm wine.
• No Romance. There is nothing romantic about a cardboard box with a plastic membrane in it. Where is the tradition of popping the cork?

In short, I still believe your average box wine is a sin. Some appellation conscious producers, however, are helping turn the box wine market around. Remember though, always choose quality over quantity my fellow winos!

Wino Wednesday | Get Frisky

Hello, dearlings. This week my wine impulse was Australia's "Frisk" Prickly Riesling - a great Riesling/Muscat blend under $10 for those of us who don't like our Rieslings too sweet.

Subtle yet appealing aromas of pineapple, grapefruit, citrus, minerals and a slight hint of baked or honey sweetness. Flavor is light and playful - perfect for a warm summer's day. The prickle part is the slight bite you'll get from the effervescence.

It came along with the cutest marketing collars. Shaped like a door hanger (as seen in hotels) one side said "Feeling Frisky" the other, "Feeling Prickly - Do Not Disturb." It is now hanging off of Thistle's cage door - she's always feeling a bit prickly!

Wino Wednesday

Oh. My. Gosh. I HAVE to go here sometime.

Les Sources de Caudalie, a wine therapy spa, located on the grounds of the Grand Cru Smith Haut Lafitte vineyard in Bordeaux. You not only drink wine (with high Parker ratings), but you soak in wine by-products and get massaged and pampered by other wine by-products. Merlot body wrap? Yes, Please! Sauvignon massage? Double yes! Oh, and the crushed Cabernet scrub sounds divine as well.

The spa is also outfitted as a premier hotel with hot tubs, pools and two great restaurants with two star chefs. Where do I sign up?

Introducing: Wino Wednesday

Hello lovelies! It's such a beautiful morning here in Denver today - a warm 75 degrees, sunny and cheerful. I'm enjoying homemade scones, clotted cream and strawberry preserves on my porch with a steaming pot of English Breakfast Tea and my beloved Blackwell's mug of course. It inspires me to take on the day and achieve everything on my to-do list. What inspires you?

One of my recent inspirations is to initiate a regular weekly post. Lately, I've just written when the muses divine, but I'd like to become a more regular blogger. Ladies and Gentlemen, I introduce "Wino Wednesdays" in which I will post something wine related every Wednesday. It could be a review of a recent tasting, a wine related vocabulary word or concept discussion. I don't know how exactly it will evolve, but its intention is to make the wide world of wine approachable and understandable to the everyday imbiber, one step at a time. I write enough about wine anyway, perhaps this will also encourage me to blog about other things more often?

So today's post is about something I learned recently: fermentation "sur lies."

Sur lies is the French term for "on the lees," typically a coarse sediment of dead yeast cells and other natural particles. One most often finds this in white wines aged in French Oak barrels. By allowing the wine to have extended contact with the yeast for a longer period of time, it creates a more complex structure to the wine. This is where some whites can gain a stronger malolactic fermentation, which is the creamy or buttery taste you find in some. You will find this method in many Burgundy Chardonnays, and most popularly in traditional Champagnes. Sur lie wines are typically bottled without racking, or filtering, the wine (though with today's technology, it is hardly necessary anymore). With some of these wines, more often Muscadets from France's Loire region, you will find on the label "mis en bouteille sur lie", which means the wine was bottled from the barrel where the lees were not drained. Go forth and enjoy!

Eat & Drink Local

Yesterday was full of new experiences!

Visited the Cherry Creek Farmer's Market on a spur of the moment side trip. Next time I go back, I'm definitely arriving at an earlier hour as it was partially packed up by noon. There was a French restaurant stand, an Austrian Baker, fresh fruit, vegetables, eggs, flowers, herbs, a Goat Cheese maker, homemade Empanadas, a cupcake stand and so much more! Oh the joys of living in a city! Perhaps next time, I'll be bold enough to take more up close character photos. The market was full of such personalities (and dogs galore!)

I only stopped on my way to the Colorado Winefest. It was a feast for the palate and incredibly educational on the flavor of Colorado wines. I didn't really know what to expect, but I found that most Palisades wineries made excellent Rieslings, Meads, and particularly soft and drinkable Cabernet Sauvignons and Merlots. I apologize for my sad excuse for pictures I had promised. Looks like I only was able to divert my attention for one snapshot. A few of the wineries that stood out from the 56 represented include:

Two Rivers Winery - excellent Merlot and Syrah

Graystone Winery - fine Ports

Maison La Belle Vie Winery - particularly good Riesling. On my "to buy" list!

Hermosa Vineyards - fine whites; makes a unique wine with the rare Rkatsiteli grape from Georgia

Meadery of the Rockies - fine Meads with a unique twist; try this for great dessert wines

As for other things, I stumbled upon this charming necklace on Etsy. I'm all for shout outs to the things and places you love. I'd have a hard time choosing between my loyalty to Michigan or California. Decisions, decisions...

Almost finished outfitting my porch for summer. The string patio lights definitely give it so much character. All that's left is seat cushions, a table for the mini BBQ and fresh cut flowers. I think tomorrow I will take my coffee out on the porch with my book! Hooray for mornings off! (for this short while that is...) I'll post a picture when it's more complete.

Anniversary

Today is the 67th anniversary of D-Day; a day that is sadly often forgotten by the general public. I never cease to be amazed by the humility, patience and bravery these men showed the world. Seven years ago, I traveled to Normandy, visiting many of the beaches, battle sites and museums. Here are a couple of pictures from my trip those many years ago...

But if you can't fly away to France anytime soon, you can always take an imaginary trip with a great WWII movie. Some of my top picks are listed below for your viewing pleasure:

1. The Gathering Storm (2002) - A BBC drama about Winston Churchill and the political upheaval in Britain leading to WWII

2. Enemy at the Gates (2001) - A fairly accurate portrayal of the Battle of Stalingrad between the Russians and Nazis. A stellar cast including Jude Law, Rachel Weiz, Joseph Fiennes, Ed Harris, Bob Hoskins and Ron Perlman make this even more engaging.

3. Patton (1970) - George C. Scott gives a tantalizing performance as the great but controversial American General Patton

4. Band of Brothers (2001) - My favorite out of this entire list. This HBO miniseries gives you a gripping and realistic portrayal of men in the 101st Easy Company on the front lines in Europe, from the D-Day paratrooper landings to the conquest of Germany.

5. Saving Private Ryan (1998) - The first 20 minutes of this movie is one of the most detailed and realistic portrayals of Omaha Beach, the most disastrous of the allied landing points.

6. The Longest Day (1962) - My number two pick. With a great cast including John Wayne, Robert Ryan, Richard Burton and a young Sean Connery, this is a long and detailed movie but it gives you a good idea of all the pieces of the puzzle needed for this allied victory. It has great moments of humor as well to alleviate the gravity of the whole story.

7. The Pacific (2010) - The counterpart to Band of Brothers, this miniseries presents the stories of our heroic Marines fighting in the worst conditions possible in the Pacific Theater, against the most relentless enemy imaginable. I would highly suggest reading either A Helmet for My Pillow or With the Old Breed if you can before watching. It will help you understand the inhumanity of it so much more.

8. Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) - The inspiring story of a determined British colonel and his men in a Japanese POW camp who must cooperate in building a bridge to stay alive.

9. U-571 (2000) - This movie brings to life the little known history of U-boat warfare in the Atlantic. One can only imagine the different fears and expectations these sailors faced compared to the rest of the navy and our men fighting on land. Plus, who doesn't like seeing Matthew McConaughey in navy whites?

- - -

On the lighter side, I decided to ditch the Swordfish recipe. I'd love to try it out but a) there was none in regular grocery stores, only specialty ones and b) way too expensive for my small budget right now. So I picked up a cedar plank and will grill some Ahi Tuna and veggies to go with the Muscadet wine. Guess I'm going to do it on the fly with soy sauce, pantry spices and a little creativity - wish me luck!