Wine – Page 2 – The Blonde Grape

We’re Screwed!

July 27, 2016July 28, 2016 theblondegrapeLeave a comment

What did the nut say to the bolt? “Screw me”

bolt-nut-cartoon-belong-together-29340890 — *Found on Google.com credit to Dreamstime.com*

I was drawn to the label, yes, I like good art. This one insinuated travel and I was going to be watching Marco Polo on Netflix and he traveled, are you following me yet? I was perusing several bottles and this caught my eye but also the fact that they had a 90 rating. I got caught in the moment, yes, I was distracted by the allure of travel, the light, yet richness of a Pinot Noir that I missed…I missed…I missed the fact that this bottle was a (gulp) screw top. I am sure I should place some sort of disappointed emoji or an empathetic one, but I am over 21 and I am not going to do so, at least not yet.

Now, to not show that I am ignorant to the trend, I recognize the monetary savings that goes on in the production of wine and using cork. But, But, But…here’s the deal. Wine is not only enjoyed because it brings pleasure to your taste-buds and warms your body or relaxes your mind after a long day. No, wine is not only about linking yourself to history, even to Biblical times when this beverage that changes day by day enlightens your soul. No, it is not only because they use wine to filter water to give your body sustenance should you be stranded in a desert or on an island and need water for life (yes, wine is a purifier to water and if you had to purify water through wine…I want to move to that island). This according to TurtleRunWinery.com fun facts about wine. [On a different note, I like their site, worth a visit while sipping.]

The fun fact states: Did you know that humans originally consumed wine for the express purpose of purifying water? Yep! Blend 10% to 25% wine with water and let it sit for 30 minutes and you can drink that creek water!

However I caution you, that just like skinny pants, just because you can doesn’t mean you should. So, DO NOT EXPERIMENT ON YOUR OWN...WAIT FOR FURTHER DOCUMENTATION, DO NOT EXPERIMENT ON YOUR OWN! Remember, you are not Bear Grylls. and he squeezes elephant dung to make water.

Bear Grylls — *To prove the point of Do Not Experiment on Your Own, He is (for the most part) a spectator sport. I will not squeeze poop to make water.*

I am a gadget girl, so I am not locked into the past. However, one of my favorite aspects of wine whether solo, couple, family/friends or grand gala…the anticipation of the bottle opening, watching it work its way to the top with a gasp for air…that adds excitement…that is Anticipation! That is why, I normally refuse the purchase of a bottle that my wrist can turn to the left and without a gasp, is open. Okay, I know your thinking, why did this blonde link to Anticipation? Because it was more than a Ketchup song…it is one of the key aspects of wine that makes us clink our glasses and celebrate the moment..yes, the moment! Click on the link, it is a really good song by Carly Simon.

So, whether you want to collect your corks to do something crafty, or not, I have to tell you that there are times when you may have to cross over and get screwed. I admit it, most times I would run, again out of principle.

Courtesy of Wine Folly and Simply the Best

Wait! I know what you are thinking! When we open a bottle of wine using a device, it is called a cork screw! Sigh, yes you are right. But, there is still satisfaction on going through the motions and determining whether any cork remains in the bottle. I will not draw a clearer picture to you other than Eric Claption’s great song for the Color of Money…It’s in the Way that You Use It.

So, what I am telling you, should you choose to accept this mission, trust your gut. If you like the story, like the grape, like the company…step outside your comfort zone and give it a try. At worst you are out a few bucks, or need a palate changer. But, you will not be short an experience.

Tonight, I chose to unscrew this:

Left Coast Cellars, Cali’s Cuvee Pinot Noir from 2013. My husband said, you are not paying attention…but, it is not bad. I mean it doesn’t suck and it is much better than expected from a pre-judgmental audience. It was good! It had a multitude of flavors, it was smooth and true to the grape. It is affordable and mostly, it forced me to step outside my comfort zone and taste. I ask you, what is life if you don’t taste it? Friends, drink what you like and celebrate you!

Every Horse Deserves at Least Once in its Life to be Loved by a Little Girl (or Big Girl)

July 25, 2016July 26, 2016 theblondegrapeLeave a comment

I am a city girl. I grew up in Miami, Florida. I wouldn’t trade any of it for the world. I grew up near Broad Causeway where the tracks to “Jive Talkin'” by the Bee Gees was inspired and created. Yes, I am one degree away from a Bee Gee, but that is another post.

I am going to go out on a limb and declare that most girls at some point in their lives ask for a horse. They can do so often, once in a while, or once but at some point, they put the request on their wish list. When I was growing up I was fortunate enough to go to a dude ranch in Lake Wales, Fl. It was Circle F Dude Ranch and a great place with so many fun experiences. It is a treasured experience that I now share with my niece and my youngest daughter. I, even sat in the backseat of our car as we drove from Lake Wales to Miami repeating, “I wanna horse”…or rather ” I ..Wannnnna Hhhoooorrrrssssssseeee”. How my parents didn’t throw me out, I do not know. They are much better parents, individuals, humans than I. But, my love affair with the giant steeds was born and I am so grateful my youngest has carried the torch.

My girl & Dakota with a flash of tail

Again but laughing at me cuz’ I had my hat on backwards for the pic.

Still easily amused but can you see the love between girl and horse?

Dakota saa-ying enough

Dakota agreeing your mom is a bit odd 😉

Horses are a rare breed. Not because they are uncommon, but because they are truly magical. They do not need the mythical horn from their forehead, the possess all the magic one desires by gazing at them or even better, letting them take you for a ride.

Is this a bragging moment, yes. Yes, it is. This is my daughter not having rehearsed and going over cross jumps and I am a proud mama. Yes, totally own it, I am bragging…and now I’m done.

I ran across a wine, that just looked liked it had a western element. I have had it before, but I was struck by the label seeming so leathery and that had me thinking as I was watching my daughter at her lesson today at MaeBree Ranch. This is a bright, crisp Chardonnay from the Rutherford Valley region in California. It has some citrus but also grounded and true to the new generations of Chardonnay. I couldn’t resist having some fun with this bottle around the ranch. Although, this was a full bottle…why I trusted these guys to not knock it over and lick it up for themselves, I don’t know. Again, it must be a horse/girl thing.

Arabian Photo Bomb, it’s legal and adorable

Doc so would drink this

This Chardonnay is really quite good. It is under $20 and can tie in with anything, but it is fun to harness it to a horse. Ok, so I couldn’t do that, but I did do this….

What is the wine that has me unbridled? Mossback Chardonnay, because I knew I was going to be outside and couldn’t resist the leathery , saddle type of label. It fits into the Colorado Western lifestyle we think we have here in the West.

Now, I finished the day or evening off with a Valpolicella from Allegrini Vineyards. More licorice than I normally prefer but it fits the rough riding or rather smooth riding that we have been highlighting here.

Here’s a selfie of Lola, she is telling you to try what I recommended but really she is telling you to drink what you like. I am running a 7K into Broncos Stadium in September, we are the Galloping Hot Bloods after Thunder, the Arabian Mascot for the Denver Broncos. So, cheers to finishing the race and Celebrate You!

The Blinking Cursor

July 8, 2016 theblondegrapeLeave a comment

There it stares at me, this blinking vertical line on my computer screen. This place keeper to mark what I have started but deleted and started again to finally end up here. Off, damned blinking cursor, off I say. A slight reference to Lady Macbeth. Act 5, Scene 1.

Can this be really happening to me? Do I have ‘gulp’ writer’s block? Okay, quick google search and I find “How to Overcome Writer’s Block” by Jeff Goins. There are lots of great tips here and so I bookmarked the page but, not one of the suggestions is to drink wine. I know this could be dual edged sword, but this is a wine blog and it seems to me if you want to breakthrough the block, you pour yourself a glass, take a crazy picture of it and start from there.

I do as he suggests and turn on some music. Playing now, “HARD LOVE” by NEEDTOBREATHE. As the song plays, and the wine trickles down I come to reality that we make love so much harder a choice than hate. Since, I am trying to always stay on the positive side especially for this blog, the recent events have it hard to be positive. So, I sit comatose in front of the screen.

shakespeare quote — Says it all, sort of…

When people start believing headlines before the story can even be written, that can be dangerous. It makes tragedies that much worse and incites people’s worst fears. Since negativity is being spread and we, humans want to be included we jump on the negative train. Yet, we should take the time to pause and realize that at our core, all of us regardless of sex, color, religion or any other difference are also part of one race and we are trying to learn how to be unique and the same. Perhaps, we shouldn’t try for the same, just accept the unique and marvel at all the colors that bring into this world.

One of my favorite quotes and I use it often as I am in marketing. I apologize in advance, but, I think you will smile at its honesty. It is a line Tommy Lee Jones says in Men In Black. “A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it. Fifteen hundred years ago everybody knew the Earth was the center of the universe. Five hundred years ago, everybody knew the Earth was flat, and fifteen minutes ago, you knew that humans were alone on this planet. Imagine what you’ll know tomorrow.” Since beliefs are based off of the choice to believe, I believe we are better than our recent behavior and although I do not know the tipping point to make us all realize that, I pray it comes soon. We people everywhere still have much to learn.

So, how did I get around the writer’s block? Well, I took silly pictures of the bottle with the bard’s photo on it. I positioned it with several books of no particular style, because I read everything.

Noticing that I like what I read and it is all very different, I even read the labels from the wine. Now, something else different about this particular wine, by the name of Writer’s Block is that it is a Cabernet Franc. Yes, again different but I was willing to give it a try hoping that it would be a little lighter in texture because of the warm weather we have been having lately. It was light, and to a pleasant surprise not sweet but rather more on the peppery side. A very smooth drink that invites you back for more as you continue to sip. I will be looking for other vineyards that produce a Cabernet Franc wine so I can expand the horizons of my taste buds.

Now, I leave you with the quote from one of the great poets of all time and was influenced by William Shakespeare: “Wine, one sip of this will bathe the drooping spirits in delight beyond the bliss of dreams. Be wise and taste.”
John Milton, English poet, (1608-1674)

So, I listened to music, I sipped some wine, I took silly photos and I celebrated the differences. I hope you take the time to celebrate you!

Tending to the Constant Craving

June 30, 2016 theblondegrapeLeave a comment

It varies from person to person but when it comes to having a craving that will fester and grow until it has been tended to, it is often sushi. Yes, there is chocolate, and nothing compares to it. But, when one mentions, let go for sushi, there is almost always a guttural moan in unified agreement that seems to be saying, “yes, yes give me sushi now”. So, for those of you who are reading this thinking this is not me, I will simply say this. You either haven’t tried it or you have something against food porn. Sushi by the names on the menu and in presentation is food erotica and no matter whether we are prude or not, you can’t help but be intrigued by the look of it. Now, if that doesn’t start you craving the wonders of the sea, maybe a little help through song about Constant Craving by K.D. Lang. Play the song and it will be in your head for a long time. Look at the pics while the song is playing, my guess is your next stop is sushi. You should play it, it is a great song.

Recently while visiting family, my brother (a non-seafood of any kind guy) asked would you guys like to have sushi? Cue the guttural moan. He suggested Osaka Sushi and Grill a place where we can BYOB and he can order food that doesn’t swim. The portions were extremely generous and delicious. Among the food we ordered were the Sexy Lady Roll, Flying Sea Bass Roll, King of the Ocean Roll, White Hot Roll. All were very good but my least favorite was the Sexy Lady Roll and I think it was a texture thing because the flavor was great.

My brother is well-known for his passion and knowledge for wine. So, we brought along a really fun and playful Cabernet Sauvignon.

I am a sucker for fun labels and wines that can entice you with a story. My first dog was a poodle, and this 2013 Old Poodle Dog wine could match my dog Fifi (we called her killer) in spirit and personality. I suggest you look it up as you will definitely start a conversation and the story on the back about a French restaurant is also worthy of discussion.

Remember, the name alone will make a big splash but when you pour your reds, you should make them splash a bit to get the oxygen circulating. So, we brought our own little tool to help this out as well.

See the tiny bubbles are not just for Champagne/Sparkling Wines anymore. But, these will settle down and your taste buds will love you for it. Now, after writing this, I am going to have to figure out how I am going to get sushi again today. This cab is great for Japanese food as well as some Indian fare as I have paired it with that in the past and loved it. Yummy stuff and cheers until next time.