Author: theblondegrape

Good marketing is like watching your kids grow up. The effort grows and becomes stronger with unlimited possibilities. I focus on using a blend of the traditional and the daring techniques to promote a product or business. At the same time, I am going to have a little fun of my own and begin a wine blog. One with humor and a little education along the way. I won't be the first one but I promise I will have a lasting finish. I will be pairing wine with activities like hiking, travel, cycling, running and any reason I can find to raise a glass. Although, I am blonde and I may choose an entirely different topic, it is my lack of thought--I am blonde. I hope you have fun. TheBlondeGrape and have an unstoppable day ;)

Life With Water Restrictions

theblondegrapeLeave a comment

One of my favorite Bible passages is when Jesus turns water into wine. It is proof that wine is a necessity in life and a reminder that good people, work hard, play harder and celebrate the wonders of the grape. Recently, where I live one of the water tanks is now missing water. This post is not a post about anger and the fact that we can’t water our lawns or the fact that they have no idea where the water went (grumble, grumble)  but a post on what would be the best wine to quench our thirst when H2O is lacking.

Krug with rose bush

Let’s start with a refreshing chardonnay from perhaps one of the oldest vineyards in Napa Valley. Charles Krug, in particular, the 2014 Chardonnay.  It is a light and crisp chardonnay that as the sun descends upon the earth will not cause you to sink with it. Rather, you can sit back and stay cool as you go about your evening routine. I placed this bottle next to our rose-bush, for no apparent reason other than I think it is cool and although tempted to try to reverse wine into water, I am selfish and prefer it as wine. I really like the Carneros area as well and this is a good wine to have while you are standing in your yard ranting with the neighbors about how you have to water the yard by hand.

As the evening progresses and you settle in for a movie, I often like to change direction and add some color.  One of my favorite vineyards is Dry Creek Vineyard.  I have never had a bad bottle and I absolutely love the ships they use on the their labels. So, it is a dry red with a ship on the label, so I placed it on the cement and in the grass…again for no apparent rhyme or reason other than I thought it was cool and a bit ironic that it has been dry docked.

This wine is too good to spill a single drop.  It is full of flavor but again not heavy.  This zinfandel is excellent as the seasons change from summer to fall or late spring, but you really can never go wrong with this fabulous red. A side story,  I ordered this in a restaurant once and the waiter still addressed my husband saying how it was such a great choice for wine and then looked at me (the one who ordered it) and said, very pretty bottle.  Yes, that could be a rant for later.

20160622_212227_resized (2)  So, to conclude. Don’t waste water and never waste wine. To reverse the blessing and make wine into water may be divine intervention but I think He got it right the first time. Enjoy and celebrate you!

 

Doing What Dad’s Do

theblondegrapeLeave a comment

The tide is changing and that is a great thing.  For many years, most of my life, dads have been getting a bad rap. Some of the baby daddy’s that abandon the role may deserve it but truth is there are more dads that step up to the plate when they are placed in a roll that did not come with instructions.

DAds day

Truly, to increase the odds of raising happy, healthy, successful children it requires teamwork among all family. But, dads do take the brunt in many ways as they are often portrayed as goofy, clueless and lost. But, to those dads that show up, it does not go unnoticed.

I can never say that I never took my dad for granted, but I also can say that I always knew his value, his heart and his love for me. My dad taught me the importance of a sense of humor, an appreciation of the arts, courage to go after my dreams, how to navigate via the stars, respect for water and so much more.  I miss him more than words can say. Today, my husband as much as I give him a hard time, is excellent for reminding our kids the importance of play, the value of working hard so you can play harder and the power of unconditional love.  He lets our daughter put tons of pony tails in his short hair, supports my son’s desire to play tennis, my eldest daughter’s passion for travel.  It is not easy letting go of the kids but he sees their potential and protects us all from danger. We are grateful and we love him.

So, how did we spend Father’s Day. We went to see Finding Dory

Dory

 unknown credit but found in search for images with the following credit: http://www.scilogs.com

Ventured to one of our favorite local Mexican restaurants, La Hacienda.  Obligatory shot of food porn–yes, this was delicious.  Although, I recommend a little less lettuce for my California Fish Tacos next time.  Of course, the margarita made me not care about the abundance of lettuce.

He endured watching soccer. My daughter and I love it and the teams were Switzerland and France.  Click here to learn about Three Ripped Shirts and Burst Ball  from ESPNfc. But, in turn, we had to listen to him talk about the “drama” regarding a ball moving in the US Open.  Did the wind cause it to move, was it the way the Dustin Johnson was standing? I must admit, it put a bit of excitement in the game and I don’t think it fair, but I am not the one whispering in the booth to know one way or another.

The day not being over yet, we will continue the celebration with a French wine (again homage to the European Championship Soccer) but keep it very light as we had temps near 100 degrees today. Yes, I know it is a dry heat but it is still hot.

20160618_190756_resized

So dads, keep doing what you do. We may tease you but we do love you. Stay in the moment and keep us playing.  Cheers!

Ladies and Gentlemen, Start Your Engines

theblondegrapeLeave a comment

What a treat, tonight I was able to work late at a networking event. I am not married to my work, the event was for the Colorado Springs Convention and Visitors Bureau and they held it at the Pikes Peak International Raceway.  So, yes I was able to mingle with some great people and schmooze but I got to get into a race car, drive really fast and have a “shake and bake” moment.  Yes, yes I did. If you visit the Pikes Peak Region, check out both of the above, you will be guaranteed high altitude fun!

My good friend and adrenaline junkie Amanda Finch Madison.  Master of the hairpin turns.

We cranked the music up but they were not playing any of the songs on the Top 25 Racing Car Songs.  They weren’t even playing songs by The Cars .  But, the song in my head that was coaxing me into the driver’s seat was an oldie I owned on a 45. Commander Cody and “Hot Rod Lincoln”  ” My pappy said son you gonna drive me to drinkin’ if you don’t stop driving that hot rod lincoln” which begs the question, what beverage do you pair with racing?

 Most of the time it would be beer.  Hunter S. Thompson said “Good people drink good beer” and he was right.  One of the evenings sponsors was one of my favorite local breweries, Colorado Mountain Brewery. But, I say accelerate your taste buds and have a beverage of true effervescence, one that is known to celebrate bravery, victory and strength…yes, drink sparkling wine (or Champagne but only if you dare or you are right. Learn how to be right by clicking here)

A vignette of sparkling wine. Domaine Carneros is the domestic Taittinger from the Carneros Valley of California.
A vignette of sparkling wine. Domaine Carneros is the domestic Taittinger from the Carneros Valley of California.

You really can never go wrong with bubbles in your flute.  For the record, I did not choose this particular vineyard Domaine Carneros because it had car in the name.  Okay, perhaps I did, but it is the USA domestic version of Taittinger.  It is a bit drier, smokier and one of my favorites. Carneros is a great region to explore, Napa is too, but why do what everyone else does.   I hope you raise a glass and enjoy. Celebrate You and your drive in life!

Cheers!

Long Day at Work…What to Drink?

theblondegrape2 Comments

Sometimes 8 hours Seems Like Forever

Well, I hate to break it to you.  There are jobs you hate and jobs you love and the hard part is finding which one you can truly love.  They say follow your passion and sometimes that is difficult to do but we should never stop trying.  This means we may have to share that pursuit with life, but we should continuously pursue as it is part of our inalienable rights to pursue happiness.  Now, for me to follow my own advice too…wait a minute, I started this blog, so I am taking some of my first steps. Thanks for indulging me in this venture.

Tonight, both my husband and I had a long day. So as we began to unwind from the day and start a new Netflix series, (we chose Sherlock) we also turned to one of my favorite vineyards.  Cline Cellars,  I love their zinfandels, whether old vine, regular and this new red blend…Cashmere.  What!!!! Yes, although summer is coming, I knew this red would wrap me up with a smoothness that would enable me to sit back and watch Benedict Cumberbatch unravel the latest mystery with amazing style.

Now,  if you are like me, when you heard the name, you instantly thought of Led Zeppelin.  You may have thought of sweaters, but I am betting you heard Robert Plant in your head and if you didn’t, you probably do now.  I will admit, I heard classic pulsating, rhythmic blend when I saw it on the shelf at the wine shop.  It called me to give it a try and I am very glad I did.  It fits my personality to a tee.   Now, I am not going to deprive you of actually listening to a classic, so here is your link:  Kashmir.  I know the spelling is different, but I can have creative license.

Enjoy this fabulous wine after a long day’s work.  You will smile and the blood will be pulsing through your veins, reminding you to work hard, play hard and celebrate you!

Try Cashmere…I post it twice because of the name.  You can never experience it just one time.  Enjoy, and like Austin Powers said, be responsible but still be groovy baby 😉

Pairing Wine with Rain

theblondegrape1 Comment

When Hiking, One Must Set the Priorities

A recent hike to Eleven Mile Reservoir in Lake George, we were visited by afternoon rainstorms.  These downpours would time themselves perfectly so that grilling would be difficult. It was a routine as it rained upon arrival, which was around dinner time and the second day after a full day of hiking and kayaking. Two nights in a row without dinner but as you can see by the image below, as the rain tried multiple times to permeate the tent, the wine stood strong and was unaffected.

Tent and wine
Happy Feet, A Clos du Bois Chardonnay
Happy Feet in Color
It was a long storm, this wine was fantastic. Bodegas Breca 2013

Now, some of you may be thinking the movie with Penguins when one says Happy Feet. If you are more like me, you think back to Steve Martin and his Happy Feet Routine. This is not revealing my age as I have older brothers but getting old is relevant, considering if we do it right, we age like wine and improve over time. So, my dancing may suffer but after a great day in the outdoors, it is great whether rain or shine, to sit back and drink wine.

Cheers!