#Alder Springs vineyard
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OMG so lovely. The beautiful, crisp decadence of a ridiculously structured white Rhone. From Alder Springs, of course. Just stunningly bitter and butter and beset with all the things you look for in a wine that isn’t Chardonnay. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. A blend of gold only 12% Viognier for that pure Marsanne and Roussanne expression. A more perfect wine could not be imagined…
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#Alder Springs vineyard#Central Coast Critic#Donald PAtz#Marsanne#Mendocino Co#Rousanne#Soif Wine Blog#Stephen McConnell#Stephen McConnell Wine Blog#Steve McConnell#Steve McConnell Wine Blog#Terminim wine#wine1percent
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Fiddlehead is rife with history and local culture - where will you live?
What neighborhood your character lives is important, and each character will choose their neighborhood of residence as part of creating their profile. This informs who their neighbors are, who they might see on a daily basis, and what they encounter as they traverse the Fiddlehead scene.
ALDER’S GARDEN
The historic residential district of Fiddlehead is home to several beautiful Queen Anne style townhouses, with larger homes of the same styling capping each street with lush gardens. Homes are large, unique, beautiful, and expensive — just don’t expect to get air conditioning. The laws surrounding the historical buildings don’t allow for much in the way of modern amenities, but for those who care for these old homes, the charm of their history is worth it.
Home to: Platypus Cafe and Bookstore, The Pelican Theatre, The Manor (Vampire Haven)
SEACLIFF
The cliffsides along the Oregon Coast are sheer and rocky, but they make for incredible views. Homes in Seacliff are generally new construction, as building along the unstable cliffsides often resulted in landslides and the loss of the house itself until foundational engineering became available. The waterfront property comes with a high price tag, but incredible sunsets and the soothing lull of waves — if you don’t mind the barking of sealions nearby Otter's Gulch, of course.
Home to: Bay Street Shopping District, The Poseidon Hotel
EVERGREEN POINT
Nestled right up against the edge of Heartwood National Park, this district is home to several single-family homes perfect for all walks of life, from newlyweds just starting out to retirees looking for a place to host the grandkids. With a strong sense of community and civic spirit, this is the kind of place where everyone knows the neighbors. And likely their neighbor’s business, too.
Home to: Anchor Brewers, The Orchard (Werewolf Haven)
ASHLEIGH PARK
This neighborhood is primarily the many apartments, condos, townhouses and duplexes designed for those passing through to attend Ashleigh University, but it is also home to many of the faculty and staff that work there and other young people just getting their start on their own. While it looks like a patchwork quilt of architectural styles with buildings developed separately over the course of several years, it has benefited from the creativity of the students that call it home for the majority of the year. Murals and statues spring up with regularity, and flowerbeds and community gardens spring up from even the tiniest slivers of unused land between structures.
Home to: Ashleigh University, The Community Center
OTTER’S GULCH
While there are no truly dangerous parts of Fiddlehead, Otter’s Gulch is considered one of the less desirable places to live in the area. A collection of salt-crusted and ill-maintained properties and apartment buildings that change hands often, occupants are accustomed to fixing leaky rooves and cracked windows themselves if they want it done. If you have something to hide, this is the place to do so. People in Otter’s Gulch mind their own business, and expect their neighbors to do the same.
Home to: Goodlife Bar & Grille, Murdock General Hospital
FIDDLEHEAD ENVIRONS
The Northern side of Fiddlehead is dominated by the national park, and the Southern side is predominantly farms, ranches, orchards, and vineyards. Within these outskirt zones, many make their livelihoods working the land or protecting the forests. Country homes, log cabins, and everything in between provide Fiddleheaders who live a little further out with plenty of options to get away from the hustle and bustle of town.
Home to: Hart Dairy Farm, Beacon Vineyard, Aiguille State Park, Swallow Harbor Lighthouse, Devil's Needle
HEARTWOOD NATIONAL PARK
High above the bracken fiddlehead fern-dappled undergrowth towers an old-growth forest of the tallest trees on earth, coastal redwoods, which enjoy the rolling mist each morning from the harbor and shelter the national park under a canopy of deep evergreen.
Home to: Fern Lake, Widower Falls, Greene Cabin (Witch Haven)
To learn more about Fiddlehead and the places within, check out the setting section of our guidebook!
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Mel’s Big Fantasy Place-Name Reference
So I’ve been doing lots of D&D world-building lately and I’ve kind of been putting together lists of words to help inspire new fantasy place names. I figured I’d share. These are helpful for naming towns, regions, landforms, roads, shops, and they’re also probably useful for coming up with surnames. This is LONG. There’s plenty more under the cut including a huge list of “fantasy sounding” word-parts. Enjoy!
Towns & Kingdoms
town, borough, city, hamlet, parish, township, village, villa, domain
kingdom, empire, nation, country, county, city-state, state, province, dominion
Town Name End Words (English flavored)
-ton, -ston, -caster, -dale, -den, -field, -gate, -glen, -ham, -holm, -hurst, -bar, -boro, -by, -cross, -kirk, -meade, -moore, -ville, -wich, -bee, -burg, -cester, -don, -lea, -mer, -rose, -wall, -worth, -berg, -burgh, -chase, -ly, -lin, -mor, -mere, -pool. -port, -stead, -stow, -strath, -side, -way, -berry, -bury, -chester, -haven, -mar, -mont, -ton, -wick, -meet, -heim, -hold, -hall, -point
Buildings & Places
castle, fort, palace, fortress, garrison, lodge, estate, hold, stronghold, tower, watchtower, palace, spire, citadel, bastion, court, manor, house
altar, chapel, abbey, shrine, temple, monastery, cathedral, sanctum, crypt, catacomb, tomb
orchard, arbor, vineyard, farm, farmstead, shire, garden, ranch
plaza, district, quarter, market, courtyard, inn, stables, tavern, blacksmith, forge, mine, mill, quarry, gallows, apothecary, college, bakery, clothier, library, guild house, bath house, pleasure house, brothel, jail, prison, dungeon, cellar, basement, attic, sewer, cistern
lookout, post, tradepost, camp, outpost, hovel, hideaway, lair, nook, watch, roost, respite, retreat, hostel, holdout, redoubt, perch, refuge, haven, alcove, haunt, knell, enclave, station, caravan, exchange, conclave
port, bridge, ferry, harbor, landing, jetty, wharf, berth, footbridge, dam, beacon, lighthouse, marina, dockyard, shipyard
road, street, way, row, lane, trail, corner, crossing, gate, junction, waygate, end, wall, crossroads, barrier, bulwark, blockade, pavilion, avenue, promenade, alley, fork, route
Time & Direction
North, South, East, West, up, down, side, rise, fall, over, under
Winter, Spring, Summer, Autumn, solstice, equanox, vernal, ever, never
dusk, dawn, dawnrise, morning, night, nightfall, evening, sundown, sunbreak, sunset
lunar, solar, sun, moon, star, eclipse
Geographical Terms
Cave, cavern, cenote, precipice, crevasse, crater, maar, chasm, ravine, trench, rift, pit
Cliff, bluff, crag, scarp, outcrop, stack, tor, falls, run, eyrie, aerie
Hill, mountain, volcano, knoll, hillock, downs, barrow, plateau, mesa, butte, pike, peak, mount, summit, horn, knob, pass, ridge, terrace, gap, point, rise, rim, range, view, vista, canyon, hogback, ledge, stair, descent
Valley, gulch, gully, vale, dale, dell, glen, hollow, grotto, gorge, bottoms, basin, knoll, combe
Meadow, grassland, field, pasture, steppe, veld, sward, lea, mead, fell, moor, moorland, heath, croft, paddock, boondock, prairie, acre, strath, heights, mount, belt
Woodlands, woods, forest, bush, bower, arbor, grove, weald, timberland, thicket, bosk, copse, coppice, underbrush, hinterland, park, jungle, rainforest, wilds, frontier, outskirts
Desert, dunes, playa, arroyo, chaparral, karst, salt flats, salt pan, oasis, spring, seep, tar pit, hot springs, fissure, steam vent, geyser, waste, wasteland, badland, brushland, dustbowl, scrubland
Ocean, sea, lake, pond, spring, tarn, mere, sluice, pool, coast, gulf, bay
Lagoon, cay, key, reef, atoll, shoal, tideland, tide flat, swale, cove, sandspit, strand, beach
Snowdrift, snowbank, permafrost, floe, hoar, rime, tundra, fjord, glacier, iceberg
River, stream, creek, brook, tributary, watersmeet, headwater, ford, levee, delta, estuary, firth, strait, narrows, channel, eddy, inlet, rapids, mouth, falls
Wetland, marsh, bog, fen, moor, bayou, glade, swamp, banks, span, wash, march, shallows, mire, morass, quag, quagmire, everglade, slough, lowland, sump, reach
Island, isle, peninsula, isthmus, bight, headland, promontory, cape, pointe, cape
More under the cut including: Color words, Animal/Monster related words, Rocks/Metals/Gems list, Foliage, People groups/types, Weather/Environment/ Elemental words, Man-made Items, Body Parts, Mechanical sounding words, a huge list of both pleasant and unpleasant Atmospheric Descriptors, and a huge list of Fantasy Word-parts.
Color Descriptions
Warm: red, scarlet, crimson, rusty, cerise, carmine, cinnabar, orange, vermillion, ochre, peach, salmon, saffron, yellow, gold, lemon, amber, pink, magenta, maroon, brown, sepia, burgundy, beige, tan, fuchsia, taupe
Cool: green, beryl, jade, evergreen, chartreuse, olive, viridian, celadon, blue, azure, navy, cerulean, turquoise, teal, cyan, cobalt, periwinkle, beryl, purple, violet, indigo, mauve, plum
Neutral: gray, silver, ashy, charcoal, slate, white, pearly, alabaster, ivory, black, ebony, jet
dark, dusky, pale, bleached, blotchy, bold, dappled, lustrous, faded, drab, milky, mottled, opaque, pastel, stained, subtle, ruddy, waxen, tinted, tinged, painted
Animal / Monster-Related Words
Bear, eagle, wolf, serpent, hawk, horse, goat, sheep, bull, raven, crow, dog, stag, rat, boar, lion, hare, owl, crane, goose, swan, otter, frog, toad, moth, bee, wasp, beetle, spider, slug, snail, leech, dragonfly, fish, trout, salmon, bass, crab, shell, dolphin, whale, eel, cod, haddock
Dragon, goblin, giant, wyvern, ghast, siren, lich, hag, ogre, wyrm, kraken
Talon, scale, tusk, hoof, mane, horn, fur, feather, fang, wing, whisker, bristle, paw, tail, beak, claw, web, quill, paw, maw, pelt, haunch, gill, fin,
Hive, honey, nest, burrow, den, hole, wallow
Rocks / Metals / Minerals
Gold, silver, brass, bronze, copper, platinum, iron, steel, tin, mithril, electrum, adamantite, quicksilver, fool’s gold, titanium
Diamond, ruby, emerald, sapphire, topaz, opal, pearl, jade, jasper, onyx, citrine, aquamarine, turquoise, lapiz lazuli, amethyst, quartz, crystal, amber, jewel
Granite, shale, marble, limestone, sandstone, slate, diorite, basalt, rhyolite, obsidian, glass
Earth, stone, clay, sand, silt, salt, mote, lode, vein, ore, ingot, coal, boulder, bedrock, crust, rubble, pebble, gravel, cobble, dust, clod, peat, muck mud, slip, loam, dirt, grit, scree, shard, flint, stalactite/mite
Trees / Plants / Flowers
Tree, ash, aspen, pine, birch, alder, willow, dogwood, oak, maple, walnut, chestnut, cedar, mahogany, palm, beech, hickory, hemlock, cottonwood, hawthorn, sycamore, poplar, cypress, mangrove, elm, fir, spruce, yew
Branch, bough, bramble, gnarl, burr, tangle, thistle, briar, thorn, moss, bark, shrub, undergrowth, overgrowth, root, vine, bracken, reed, driftwood, coral, fern, berry, bamboo, nectar, petal, leaf, seed, clover, grass, grain, trunk, twig, canopy, cactus, weed, mushroom, fungus
Apple, olive, apricot, elderberry, coconut, sugar, rice, wheat, cotton, flax, barley, hops, onion, carrot, turnip, cabbage, squash, pumpkin, pepper
Flower, rose, lavender, lilac, jasmine, jonquil, marigold, carnelian, carnation, goldenrod, sage, wisteria, dahlia, nightshade, lily, daisy, daffodil, columbine, amaranth, crocus, buttercup, foxglove, iris, holly, hydrangea, orchid, snowdrop, hyacinth, tulip, yarrow, magnolia, honeysuckle, belladonna, lily pad, magnolia
People
Settler, Pilgrim, Pioneer, Merchant, Prospector, Maker, Surveyor, Mason, Overseer, Apprentice, Widow, Sailor, Miner, Blacksmith, Butcher, Baker, Brewer, Barkeep, Ferryman, Hangman, Gambler, Fisherman, Adventurer, Hero, Seeker, Hiker, Traveler, Crone
Mage, Magician, Summoner, Sorcerer, Wizard, Conjurer, Necromancer,
King, Queen, Lord, Count, Baron, Guard, Soldier, Knight, Vindicator, Merchant, Crusader, Imperator, Syndicate, Vanguard, Champion, Warden, Victor, Legionnaire, Master, Archer, Footman, Gladiator, Barbarian, Captain, Commodore,
Beggar, Hunter, Ranger, Deadman, Smuggler, Robber, Swindler, Rebel, Bootlegger, Outlaw, Pirate, Brigand, Ruffian, Highwayman, Cutpurse, Thief, Assassin
God, Goddess, Exarch, Angel, Devil, Demon, Cultist, Prophet, Hermit, Seer
council, clergy, guild, militia, choir
Climate, Environment, & The Elements
Cold, cool, brisk, frosty, chilly, icy, freezing, frozen, frigid, glacial, bitter, biting, bleak, arctic, polar, boreal, wintry, snowy, snow, blizzarding, blizzard, sleeting, sleet, chill, frost, ice, icebound, ice cap, floe, snowblind, frostbite, coldsnap, avalanche, snowflake
Hot, sunny, humid, sweltering, steaming, boiling, sizzling, blistering, scalding, smoking, caldescent, dry, parched, arid, fallow, thirsty, melting, molten, fiery, blazing, burning, charring, glowing, searing, scorching, blasted, sun, fire, heat, flame, wildfire, bonfire, inferno, coal, ash, cinder, ember, flare, pyre, tinder, kindling, aflame, alight, ablaze, lava, magma, slag,
Wet, damp, dank, soggy, sodden, soaked, drenched, dripping, sopping, briny, murky, rain, storm, hail, drizzle, sprinkle, downpour, deluge, squall, water, cloud, fog, mist, dew, puddle, pool, current, whirlpool, deep, depths, tide, waves, whitewater, waterfall, tidal wave, flow, flood, leak, drain
Wind, breeze, gust, billow, gail, draft, waft, zephyr, still, airy, clear, smokey, tempest, tempestuous, windswept, aerial, lofty, torrid, turbulent, nebulous, tradewind, thunder, lightning, spark, cyclone, tornado, whirlwind, hurricane, typhoon
Man-made Item Words
Furnace, forge, anvil, vault, strap, strip, whetstone, brick, sword, blade, axe, dagger, shield, buckler, morningstar, bow, quiver, arrow, polearm, flail, staff, stave, sheath, hilt, hammer, knife, helm, mantle, banner, pauldron, chainmail, mace, dart, cutlass, canon, needle, cowl, belt, buckle, bandana, goggles, hood, boot, heel, spindle, spool, thread, sweater, skirt, bonnet, apron, leather, hide, plate, tunic, vest, satin, silk, wool, velvet, lace, corset, stocking, binding
Plow, scythe, (wheel) barrow, saddle, harrow, brand, collar, whip, leash, lead, bridle, stirrup, wheel, straw, stall, barn, hay, bale, pitchfork, well, log, saw, lumber, sod, thatch, mortar, brick, cement, concrete, pitch, pillar, window, fountain, door, cage, spoke, pole, table, bench, plank, board
Candle, torch, cradle, broom, lamp, lantern, clock, bell, lock, hook, trunk, looking glass, spyglass, bottle, vase, locket, locker, key, handle, rope, knot, sack, pocket, pouch, manacle, chain, stake, coffin, fan. cauldron, kettle, pot, bowl, pestle, oven, ladle, spoon, font, wand, potion, elixir, draught, portal, book, tome, scroll, word, manuscript, letter, message, grimoire, map, ink, quill, pen, cards, dice
Coin, coronet, crown, circlet, scepter, treasure, riches, scales, pie, tart, loaf, biscuit, custard, caramel, pudding, porridge, stew, bread, tea, gravy, gristle, spice, lute, lyre, harp, drum, rouge, powder, perfume, brush
bilge, stern, pier, sail, anchor, mast, dock, deck, flag, ship, boat, canoe, barge, wagon, sled, carriage, buggy, cart
Wine, brandy, whiskey, ale, moonshine, gin, cider, rum, grog, beer, brew, goblet, flagon, flask, cask, tankard, stein, mug, barrel, stock, wort, malt
Body Parts
Head, throat, finger, foot, hand, neck, shoulder, rib, jaw, eye, lips, bosom
Skull, spine, bone, tooth, heart, blood, tears, gut, beard
Mechanical-Sounding Words
cog, fuse, sprocket, wrench, screw, nail, bolt, lever, pulley, spanner, gear, spring, shaft, switch, button, cast, pipe, plug, dial, meter, nozzle, cord, brake, gauge, coil, oil, signal, wire, fluke, staple, clamp, bolt, nut, bulb, patch, pump, cable, socket
torque, force, sonic, spark, fizzle, thermal, beam, laser, steam, buzz, mega, mecha, electro, telsa, power, flicker, charge, current, flow, tinker
Atmospheric Words
Unpleasant, Dangerous, Threatening
(nouns) death, fury, battle, scar, shadow, razor, nightmare, wrath, bone, splinter, peril, war, riptide, strife, reckoning, sorrow, terror, deadwood, nether, venom, grime, rage, void, conquest, pain, folly, revenge, horrid, mirk, shear, fathom, frenzy, corpselight/marshlight, reaper, gloom, doom, torment, torture, spite, grizzled, sludge, refuse, spore, carrion, fear, pyre, funeral, shade, beast, witch, grip, legion, downfall, ruin, plague, woe, bane, horde, acid, fell, grief, corpse, mildew, mold, miter, dirge
(adjectives) dead, jagged, decrepit, fallen, darkened, blackened, dire, grim, feral, wild, broken, desolate, mad, lost, under, stagnant, blistered, derelict, forlorn, unbound, sunken, fallow, shriveled, wayward, bleak, low, weathered, fungal, last, brittle, sleepy, -strewn, dusky, deserted, empty, barren, vacant, forsaken, bare, bereft, stranded, solitary, abandoned, discarded, forgotten, deep, abysmal, bottomless, buried, fathomless,unfathomable, diseased, plagued, virulent, noxious, venomous, toxic, fetid, revolting, putrid, rancid, foul, squalid, sullied, vile, blighted, vicious, ferocious, dangerous, savage, cavernous, vast, yawning, chasmal, echoing, dim, dingy, gloomy, inky, lurid, shaded, shadowy, somber, sunless, tenebrous, unlit, veiled, hellish, accursed, sulfurous, damned, infernal, condemned, doomed, wicked, sinister, dread, unending, spectral, ghostly, haunted, eldritch, unknown, weary, silent, hungry, cloven, acidic
(verb/adverbs): wither (withering / withered), skulk (skulking), whisper, skitter, chitter, sting, slither, writhe, gape, screech, scream, howl, lurk, roil, twist, shift, swarm, spawn, fester, bleed, howl, shudder, shrivel, devour, swirl, maul, trip, smother, weep, shatter, ruin, curse, ravage, hush, rot, drown, sunder, blister, warp, fracture, die, shroud, fall, surge, shiver, roar, thunder, smolder, break, silt, slide, lash, mourn, crush, wail, decay, crumble, erode, decline, reek, lament, taint, corrupt, defile, poison, infect, shun, sigh, sever, crawl, starve, grind, cut, wound, bruise, maim, stab, bludgeon, rust, mutilate, tremble, stumble, fumble, clank, clang
Pleasant, Safe, Neutral
(nouns) spirit, luck, soul, oracle, song, sky, smile, rune, obelisk, cloud, timber, valor, triumph, rest, dream, thrall, might, valiance, glory, mirror, life, hope, oath, serenity, sojourn, god, hearth, crown, throne, crest, guard, rise, ascent, circle, ring, twin, vigil, breath, new, whistle, grasp, snap, fringe, threshold, arch, cleft, bend, home, fruit, wilds, echo, moonlight, sunlight, starlight, splendor, vigilance, honor, memory, fortune, aurora, paradise, caress
(adjectives) gentle, pleasant, prosperous, peaceful, sweet, good, great, mild, grand, topic, lush, wild, abundant, verdant, sylvan, vital, florid, bosky, callow, verdurous, lucious, fertile, spellbound, captivating, mystical, hidden, arcane, clandestine, esoteric, covert, cryptic, runic, otherworldly, touched, still, fair, deep, quiet, bright, sheer, tranquil, ancient, light, far, -wrought, tidal, royal, shaded, swift, true, free, high, vibrant, pure, argent, hibernal, ascendant, halcyon, silken, bountiful, gilded, colossal, massive, stout, elder, -bourne, furrowed, happy, merry, -bound, loud, lit, silk, quiet, bright, luminous, shining, burnished, glossy, brilliant, lambent, lucent, lustrous, radiant, resplendent, vivid, vibrant, illuminated, silvery, limpid, sunlit, divine, sacred, holy, eternal, celestial, spiritual, almighty, anointed, consecrated, exalted, hallowed, sanctified, ambrosial, beatific, blissful, demure, naked, bare, ample, coy, deific, godly, omnipotent, omnipresent, rapturous, sacramental, sacrosanct, blessed, majestic, iridescent, glowing, overgrown, dense, hard, timeless, sly, scatter, everlasting, full, half, first, last
(verb/adverbs) arch (arching / arched), wink (winking), sing, nestle, graze, stroll, roll, flourish, bloom, bud, burgeon, live, dawn, hide, dawn, run, pray, wake, laugh, wake, glimmer, glitter, drift, sleep, tumble, bind, arch, blush, grin, glister, beam, meander, wind, widen, charm, bewitch, enthrall, entrance, enchant, allure, beguile, glitter, shimmer, sparkle twinkle, crest, quiver, slumber, herald, shelter, leap, click, climb, scuttle, dig, barter, chant, hum, chime, kiss, flirt, tempt, tease, play, seduce
Generic “Fantasy-Sounding” Word Parts
A - D
aaz, ada, adaer, adal, adar, adbar, adir, ae, ael, aer, aern, aeron, aeryeon, agar, agis, aglar, agron, ahar, akan, akyl, al, alam, alan, alaor, ald, alea, ali, alir, allyn, alm, alon, alor, altar, altum, aluar, alys, amar, amaz, ame, ammen, amir, amol, amn, amus, anar, andor, ang, ankh, ar, ara, aram, arc, arg, arian, arkh, arla, arlith, arn, arond, arthus, arum, arvien, ary, asha, ashyr, ask, assur, aster, astra, ath, athor, athra, athryn, atol, au, auga, aum, auroch, aven, az, azar, baal, bae, bael, bak, bal, balor, ban, bar, bara, barr, batol, batar, basir, basha, batyr, bel, belph, belu, ben, beo, bere, berren, berun, besil, bezan, bhaer, bhal, blask, blis, blod, bor, boraz, bos, bran, brath, braun, breon, bri, bry, bul, bur, byl, caer, cal, calan, cara, cassa, cath, cela, cen, cenar, cerul, chalar, cham, chion, cimar, clo, coram, corel, corman, crim, crom, daar, dach, dae, dago, dagol, dahar, dala, dalar, dalin, dam, danas, daneth, dannar, dar, darian, darath, darm, darma, darro, das, dasa, dasha, dath, del, delia, delimm, dellyn, delmar, delo, den, dess, dever, dhaer, dhas, dhaz, dhed, dhin, din, dine, diar, dien, div, djer, dlyn, dol, dolan, doon, dora, doril, doun, dral, dranor, drasil, dren, drian, drien, drin, drov, druar, drud, duald, duatha, duir, dul, dulth, dun, durth, dyra, dyver,
E - H
ea, eber, eden, edluk, egan, eiel, eilean, ejen, elath, eld, eldor, eldra, elith emar, ellesar, eltar, eltaran, elth, eltur, elyth, emen, empra, emril, emvor, ena, endra, enthor, erad, erai, ere, eriel, erith, erl, eron, erre, eryn, esk, esmel, espar, estria, eta, ethel, eval, ezro, ezan, ezune, ezil, fael, faelar, faern, falk, falak, farak, faril, farla, fel, fen, fenris, fer, fet, fin, finar, forel, folgun, ful, fulk, fur, fyra, fallon, gael, gach, gabir, gadath, gal, galar, gana, gar, garth, garon, garok, garne, gath, geir, gelden, geren, geron, ghal, ghallar, ghast, ghel, ghom, ghon, gith, glae, glander, glar, glym, gol, goll, gollo, goloth, gorot, gost, goth, graeve, gran, grimm, grist, grom, grosh, grun, grym, gual, guil, guir, gulth, gulur, gur, gurnth, gwaer, haa, hael, haer, hadar, hadel, hakla, hala, hald, halana, halid, hallar, halon, halrua, halus, halvan, hamar, hanar, hanyl, haor, hara, haren, haresk, harmun, harrokh, harrow, haspur, haza, hazuth, heber, hela, helve, hem, hen, herath, hesper, heth, hethar, hind, hisari, hjaa, hlath, hlond, hluth, hoarth, holtar, horo, hotun, hrag, hrakh, hroth, hull, hyak, hyrza
I - M
iibra, ilth, ilus, ilira, iman, imar, imas, imb, imir, immer, immil, imne, impil, ingdal, innar, ir, iriae, iril, irith, irk, irul, isha, istis, isil, itala, ith, ithal, itka, jada, jae, jaeda, jahaka, jala, jarra, jaro, jath, jenda, jhaamm, jhothm, jinn, jinth, jyn, kado, kah, kal, kalif, kam, kana, kara, karg, kars, karth, kasp, katla, kaul, kazar, kazr, kela, kelem, kerym, keth, keva, kez, kezan, khaer, khal, khama, khaz, khara, khed, khel, khol, khur, kil, kor, korvan, koll, kos, kir, kra, kul, kulda, kund, kyne, lae, laen, lag, lan, lann, lanar, lantar, lapal, lar, laran, lareth, lark, lath, lauth, lav, lavur, lazar, leih, leshyr, leth, lhaza, lhuven, liad, liam, liard, lim, lin, lirn, lisk, listra, lith, liya, llair, llor, lok, lolth, loran, lorkh, lorn, loth, lothen, luen, luir, luk, lund, lur, luth, lyndus, lyra, lyth, maal, madrasm maera, maer, maerim, maes, mag, magra, mahand, mal, malar, mald, maldo, mar, mara, mark, marl, maru, maruk, meir, melish, memnon, mer, metar, methi, mhil, mina, mir, miram, mirk, mista, mith, moander, mok, modir, modan, mon, monn, mor, more, morel, moril, morn, moro, morrow, morth, mort, morum, morven, muar, mul, mydra, myr, myra, myst
N - S
naar, nadyra, naedyr, naga, najar, nal, naal, nalir, nar, naruk, narbond, narlith, narzul, nasaq, nashkel, natar, nath, natha, neir, neth, nether, nhall, nikh, nil, nilith, noan, nolvurm nonthal, norda, noro, novul, nul, nur, nus, nyan, nyth, ober, odra, oghr, okoth, olleth, olodel, omgar, ondath, onthril, ordul, orish, oroch, orgra, orlim, ormath, ornar, orntath, oroch, orth, orva, oryn, orzo, ostel, ostor, ostrav, othea, ovar, ozod, ozul, palan, palad, pae, peldan, pern, perris, perim, pele, pen, phail, phanda, phara, phen, phendra, pila, pinn, pora, puril, pur, pyra, qadim, quar, quel, ques, quil, raah, rael, ran, ranna, rassil, rak, rald, rassa, reddan, reith, relur, ren, rendril, resil, reska, reth, reven, revar, rhy, rhynn, ria, rian, rin, ris, rissian, rona, roch, rorn, rora, rotha, rual, ruar, ruhal, ruil, ruk, runn, rusk, ryn, saa, saar, saal, sabal, samar, samrin, sankh, sar, sarg, sarguth, sarin, sarlan, sel, seld, sember, semkh, sen, sendrin, septa, senta, seros, shaar, shad, shadra, shae, shaen, shaera, shak, shalan, sham, shamath, shan, shana, sharan, shayl, shemar, shere, shor, shul, shyll, shyr, sidur, sil, silvan, sim, sintar, sirem, skar, skell, skur, skyr, sokol, solan, sola, somra, sor, ssin, stel, strill, suldan, sulk, sunda, sur, surkh, suth, syl, sylph, sylune, syndra, syth
T - Z
taak, taar, taer, tah, tak, tala, talag, talar, talas, talath, tammar, tanar, tanil, tar, tara, taran, tarl, tarn, tasha, tath, tavil, telar, teld, telf, telos, tempe, tethy, tezir, thaar, thaer, thal, thalag, thalas, thalan, thalar, thamor, thander, thangol, thar, thay, thazal, theer, theim, thelon, thera, thendi, theril, thiir, thil, thild, thimir, thommar, thon, thoon, thor, thran, thrann, threl, thril, thrul, thryn, thuk, thultan, thume, thun, thy, thyn, thyr, tir, tiras, tirum, tohre, tol, tolar, tolir, tolzrin, tor, tormel, tormir, traal, triel, trith, tsath, tsur, tul, tur, turiver, turth, tymor, tyr, uder, udar, ugoth, uhr, ukh, ukir, uker, usten, ulgarth, ulgoth, ultir, ulur, umar, umath, umber, unara, undro, undu, untha, upir, ur, ursa, ursol, uron, uth, uthen, uz, van, vaar, vaelan, vaer, vaern, val valan, valash, vali, valt, vandan, vanede, vanrak, var, varyth, vassa, vastar, vaunt, vay, vel, velar, velen, velius, vell, velta, ven, veren, vern, vesper, vilar, vilhon, vintor, vir, vira, virdin, volo, volun, von, voon, vor, voro, vos, vosir, vosal, vund, war, wara, whel, wol, wynn, wyr, wyrm, xer, xul, xen, xian, yad, yag, yal, yar, yath, yeon, yhal, yir, yirar, yuir, yul, yur, zail, zala, zalhar, zan, zanda, zar, zalar, zarach, zaru, zash, zashu, zemur, zhent, zim, ziram, zindala, zindar, zoun, zul, zurr, zuth, zuu, zym
A lot of places are named after historical events, battles, and people, so keep that in mind. God/Goddess names tied to your world also work well. Places are also often named after things that the area is known for, like Georgia being known for its peaches.
My brain was fried by the end of this so feel free to add more!
I hope you find this reference helpful and good luck world-building!
-Mel
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A 10-pp. selection of poems
Personage The terrace offers a point. From this point a view. It's only a stop-off; it assumes the motion requisite for temporary stays will continue. The speculative friction required to stop those passing through would require planned extinction; would require war against generations of persistence across biome, suffering & misery magnified it remains threatened always. Building requires digging. Digging creates hollows to be filled. A move past botanicals—it doesn’t exist. A pulse in the web. Walk toward beyond the view: journey’s luck to close in on production. Pace picks up, dusk’s dis- appearing light invites one in: welcome. Prelude Tonight the act of naming fell through the floor. We speak permeable solids inflected by light. Skull’s grid moves units indistinctly: windshield & palette cross paths, hatch an Ovidian shift, difixiones to devotio; the faux-gorithm teases pantheon from closet, traces flotilla’s down, hot air balloons, celebrating you or prairie fair. You’ll learn to kill that hunger for thunderhead drift. I follow shapes of your speech, attend to your syntax, taste your configuration; to keep up I sketch stick figure, code hypertext script cascading in style, the result of which confirms, again: we’re lost. Plot is a plait’d plat, flatland destination & another assemblage? I want aura to invite aural meiosis, aurora splitting into rural roads, for the bassoon quartet to be forgiven for plastic bag reeds on my direction, for aria to, moody, move into a different mode & travel out through spring’s open window; I want the racket splenetic melancholy, for dynamic accompaniment fit for unfashionable passion, the like. That state of exilium you described as a quantum between. Always pain hover triangulated. Frame Matisse with me, guilty stokes both— say the magnolia blooms shall remain & not at the expense of any other but they do not. Creek diverted, river dead: suck’d dry wax & cone though still dragonflies are purple, abdomen metallic sets of curvature & husk. Nearby: field of lightning. We walk through fjords of light forking down, resisting electrocution, naturally. The taste of our nakedness waking in early in your bed, black walnut leaves catching first October light. If I leave the house or library I sit on benches in Walmart or go to the Coralville mall alone, growing frosting in my chest & English ivy in my sinuses, scribble notes with my fork-tongue alone. Walk with me this once, again, into notional forest, ash-grey landscape dotted in umber, newborn beetles radiating, cobalt blue. Skykomish in Summer In Goldbar Washington boys crossed river with driftwood staves feet slick-step between slime & rock, underbelly of serpentine but liquefied, algal nets stretch’d between toes, Like scales without edge—stiffened Cold after crossing they crawl’d up & into caverns allowing in fractions of sun but they felt cradled in a way shielded, intimacies there before they dove into round pools spun by spit current’s swirls, the bank of the cove gritty enough for a grip as they’d climb out out of sorts, alive they’d look at the congregation from which they just emerged tangle of nets, sunken conflagrations their bodies against the wake pressed a force there, quiet, endless, sound moving through medium beckoning, shape taking a form inky jar, turbine spat out from the bottom of an oil well. Grass Cuts Nyanza Street. South Tacoma—we’re on A hill & approach it, tall grass, foreclosure. Blackberry brambles thick on the lawnslope purple, thorns & stickers, irritable touch. Boss climbs roofs with too steep a pitch; Hauls mowers from mud when I mire it Good in a ditch. His daughter today works with us, we weedwhack waist-high grass, rake clippings & tufts long enough to be hay in neat quadrants. They steam mornings we make it out as early as seven. A canopy borders the two-acre lot. I stare – emptying’s substance against nothingness of total inattention’s default setting. Metal asphalt shingles, roof’s pitch steep Low ground valley & everywhere: unhinged Botany thrives. Ivy plaits helices Around five-feet in diameter firs, in follow some twenty feet up when Jamie grabs a pitchfork. See something. It skitters through raked mounds, Goes through tunnels punctured By tines or cleat-roller aerating the lawn She shanks its body up against weed- blocker & brick. A metallic pling rings fades, she scoops it somewhere— this brought up her enjoyment killing, dressing, & cooking fowl. We move more grass I looking for insects, think of meat saws yawning day & night do they Day & night, fumbling—sound like chain saws or Colorado cattle feedlots, cottonwoods standing by during a drought, the sugar factory’s honey-butter burnt hair & soccer cleats left for week in a car. Mulch, juncos, midmorning sun on, sun off, Rake, return, pile, killing rabbits once we snapped their necks wrong, twice partial Breaks, botching it, both shaking we Shared an acute horror in our optics. Then we crushed their skulls with a hammer, But that’s when we lived near the volcano, when the halcyon sensation when standing at the bottom of Nisqually glacier, the sheaves of receding rose-grey gravel in aggregate felt like meteoroid field sent to grave resting place, armatures of old growth First & hemlocks in steep fractals jagged landings in glaciated river so thick with silt it looked an ash-blue sleeve. We take HUSKY 55-gal. trash bags of grass to the organic waste dump. We smell like gasoline & two-cylinder oil & grease. When I get home my house mama says Pew-whee! You smell like Marty; you smell like something that kills. Shards What was it that came out the water in a sled a Wayward gesture young-&-stuffed Mess to common rendition Duchamp’s Pearl Neckless? In his version The sledgehammer fell square to carcass/shard/caress. You wanted/saved like anyone else wanted, A sequence of diadems, diamondic scales on A yellow python’s back. Be-figure, a mole Amongst slag pits, a slog truce from igneous slab. Bats tunnel boroughs, funnel rigmarole We keep one ray or dot of spun molybdenum— Torque at the end of the…—that glint relieves Grog, luster, a clutch lets cable go its single, slackening line. True fundament! come to the party— From up there, from below? Come beat through this bog’s Excrement, creakily swung skew joints, fallen centurions, Carve away gluttony,—an economic model Levels the field of every thistle’s purple demarcation. Remains disappear. Binary caskets Glisten polyurethane on oak grab it… If - you – get – to – the – place To – get – you – the – records: Prefabricated dirt tastes discard bottles, Skittling crevice, crick or face, collections Binding fractures. That which goes unseen. Make & model, blue castes. Signature mummies. Huffing. That kinetic thrill Pushing hammers through Masonite, Bulls snorting horns at a flag The very requiem of the horse’s eye A black so dark it blued the muscle in deafening Postures of grey fog: a way: body: yes, a shard, Blight-bit, a descending distend, steep bends— A weather system approaches Centripetally, a large unformed cat, To distillate—nothing—to pray to the grommet, One ventricle, alas—poor valve, the idea Of the river. The river. Is. Itself. Course vessel in a Losing resonance a tributary vacillation tip-toed beyond A materiality that is, is not, any old trick. Spilling the Flour Began not thrush’s stamp, nor cardinal blue whistle but The sour flack going out, the waist line spilt. Emptying cylinders combed in sheet metal corrugate, Fill another vision, the conveyor belt muscle Persuasion. Sometimes a harvest sits like pheasants Before buckshot, freeze-frame, promise cannon— What will be. Corn stalks chopped at maggot root twist Wind crowing a parade, sans confetti, sans soleil. Platoon the distant mist, forgetting it’s metal multiplied In numbers not quantity. Not fog. That’s fire But the wound continuum in ears splits hair mimics a mime Brown cerumen flax spreads flat lays down in- To a line. Elements bind fetch needle & borrow thread Stitch from denim you see the voices hear. Spiders don’t mean to. Bats garner a wick of light Against normalcy of shadow. When is not Important. Con memory commemorate ingrown toe- Nail sunk into rib-line fleshed out for sake Of sake of being. Forsaken lake: equivalent to constrictor Vine, not theorem. Carpet moves imagined Equestrians run between alder beetles the abandoned Horses heaving in the meadow along the orange Vector. The chemilume incision furcates the dark shells Guarding liquefied innards, the many legs. The Awful Cutlery Traveling by Greyhound between Dominguez- Escalante and Grand Mesa National forest, We’re full enough In the filled up four-wheel lurch on blacktop I-70 elegantly swung across Secluded Rocky Mountain scrag. “This shit’s too country” a woman remarks. You see what she means. The rosaries Of apricot, peach, cherry, and plum disintegrate Vineyard to vineyard to bottle To California, mid-stride Maybe she means. Maybe Damian The off-shore welder tells me about hanging above The water, rigged up, slung out, strapped in, Gluing thousand-degree metal to solid stack Rigs, working twelves till three months pass So he can go—“I go everywhere”—to complicate Home—“Love Alabama but I need to see it all The whole shit.” Dusk is a disk with a predictable arc. I’m here twenty years, this red land. From bottom canyon ditch combs Of bygone eon drag across mesa, leaving scar, Evidence of water, wind, shaggy coats left To bear, bear themselves, on other creatures Pitching, tent-by-tent, a story, a new story, old. The mother tells you, you & me, of Rocky Mountain Flats, the Climax Uranium Mill, A fire beginning with a crack, croaking a Groan to a glow, plutonium then, dizzied in dust, Vapored amoeba flung across the whole Front Range. Cows were the first to show up Without usual parts: eye, ear or triple-tongue. Do I believe anything I say anymore? Set that head against Plexiglas. Feel the chill— A lavender fork makes an albino tarantula Of sky, yet there’s a merge, the speech Corks off. Into each direction, asymmetry Between passengers a music nonetheless, The hiddenness behind tall sediment walls Now, this cutlery mass Stalking hungry movers, clawing at the dirt To reveal the intact pores of a distant femur. Safe/Way Courtesy Clerk In the aisles of nondescription halogen baleen Sifts shop-cart rift-racket & geriatric dances. Old/new toothpick paradigm cues a mist/turn: Old is to new as young is to old, meaning Painting the urn in synthesizer blue still undoes. The unheard chambers are sweeter. Polyethylene is a mon-on- monomer ladder of Chain-stacks, bindings, writes the blurb We’re all in this together. Savings save you From it, from it you’ll be saved the lapse: Western tanager memorizes its own memory Launched in citrus beneath the varied canopy. Really: in this Safeway a woman chutes Hundreds of one-liters into the re/cycle Machine. She leans on cart rail, no wheel. Her child helps he laughed he threw them into The bin, the coins emerged. Someone said Music moves from a fix-point fence post, studded Down into ground. He’s right—what is there to do But do, bag up a customer’s purple cabbage Dreams stuff them sweet potato mush- Room into room, sacked. They’d blister From oxygen’s lack they’d try to make it, try To survive. Wouldn’t it be courteous To curtsy before bags bulge as balloons stuffed With vision? Even in tulip & rose section I Hand out the foxtail elixir, all the loot; were they Bodies turned down, turned into what now, soup? The day is butternut squash but wouldn’t A lizard do today let’s get all the gutter newts Recalling now how Scooby returned From a long drive he threw an iguana On the chopping block on the counter top In the apartment he was making soup He sawed off its head. What was inside The eyes? Nothing much. Eye cones con, resemble The black glass of a tick’s back. You’ll try To reach in & what — find out who looks back Tell yourself that’s you looking back. A gaze. Scooby ran cool water over the head, on it. Its jaw opened and closed again & again. “This is good soup that’s what happens After the head’s cut off.” What would the body Do after, what voice would reclaim itself, Would reconvene re — gather protest against scores Settled, dust made fall silk, unnoticed? What takes when taken back, how’ll things Exactly as they are be exactly as they’d been? What music shapes the marina, the guitar Rustling out a poison ivy arpeggio to become The place and the things of things as they are? How do you bargain or take the lead For the dreaded duet? The mouth opens cilia Tongue juts out pink premonition the sky boom Nitro’s paisley maize radished in the Word-Ward. Blue pollen doesn’t exist but when the man Who looks one-hundred buys the dyed-blue orchid & says “it’s for my” I cut him off & ask but He just laughs & says “it’s just a flower it’s just An empty bag” & walks out, away, toward Automatic sensor doors, glass partitions that open Like megafauna with a belly full of a world on fire.
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We Asked 10 Somms: What Are You Drinking in Dry January?
Whether plans to abstain completely or just drink a bit less have so far been successful this month, there’s still time left to partake in a Dry-ish January. Restaurants and bars have embraced low- and no-alcohol menu items, while an increasing number of brands now opt for creative booze alternatives. There’s never been a better time to give what remains of Dry January another shot.
To help inspire readers shake up their drinking routines, VinePair asked wine professionals which beverages entice them the most when refraining from their favorite boozy sips. From honey-based mocktails, to a non-alcoholic twist on a beloved classic cocktail, keep reading for inventive alternatives from the experts.
The Best Dry January Beverages Recommended by Sommeliers
Athletic Brewing’s Non-Alcoholic Beer
Brooklyn Brewery’s Non-Alcoholic Beer
Rambler Sparkling Water
A Honey Blackberry Mint Mocktail
Fluère Alcohol-Free Spirits
Killer Quail’s Sparkling Piquette
Seedlip Garden 108
In Pursuit of Tea Masala Chai
Ramona Dry Grapefruit
Rowdy Mermaid Alpine Lavender Kombucha
Salcombe Distilling New London Light
Homemade Honey Soda with Hector’s Honey
Seedlip Spice
Keep reading for details about all the recommended beverages!
“My wife and I have been on a big non-alcoholic beer kick recently. This used to be one of the gaping holes for spirit-free beverages; options were limited and lackluster, and most did not satisfy a true beer craving. It’s cool to see brewers really lean into this movement. We’ve tried a handful of different brews, but we tend to always have Athletic Brewing stocked in our house. They have a great IPA, as well as a lovely golden ale that I really enjoy. But I am also really looking forward to trying Brooklyn Brewery’s new non-alcoholic beer whenever we get our hands on it down here in North Carolina.” —Ashley Malinowski, general manager/beverage director, chef/owner Scott Crawford’s Jolie, Raleigh, N.C.
“Rambler sparkling water and cold-brew Thai tea for me!” —Matt Pridgen, wine director, Underbelly Hospitality, Houston
“Honey Blackberry Mint Mocktail: This has got all the feels of a refreshing Mojito, but none of the sugar and alcohol. The ingredients are simple: honey, fresh blackberries, fresh mint leaves (all muddled to a delicious pulp), lemon juice, water, and seltzer. It’ll have you resetting after the 2020 booze fest, and once you’re ready to imbibe again, skip the water and throw in a little vodka or rum.” —Nicki McTague, sommelier and president, The Infinite Monkey Theorem, Denver
“We normally participate in Dry January every year in our household, but this year is extra special because I’m pregnant! I was fortunate enough to get an early set of samples of Fluère [alcohol-free spirits] to play around with, and I was so excited to have new options to help elevate my non-alcoholic drink recipes after making the same kind of mocktails for months. I like Fluère because it is super versatile and has a great flavor profile and body, which make it comparable to mixing with a standard spirit. At all of the JK Food Group locations, we regularly include a selection of curated mocktails on our menus, and last year at Toro, we even hosted a spirit-free dinner with beverage pairings. I’m really looking forward to carrying Fluère and other products like this so we can continue to creatively expand and elevate these kinds of beverage offerings for our guests.”—Jodie Battles, beverage director, Toro/Coppa/Little Donkey, Boston
“As a proponent of a sustainable combination of both year-round indulgence and moderation, January is inevitably a time when the latter tends to weigh a little more heavily on our minds after the sustained indulgence of the holiday season. That being said, if my lucky stars align, I’m treating myself to a bottle of Killer Quail’s low-alcohol, high-impact Sparkling Piquette of Alder Springs Vineyard Chenin Blanc, which is exactly the sunshine in a bottle we all need right about now. Additionally, I often find myself reaching for a bottle of Seedlip Garden 108 to make either a low- or no-alcohol beverage (weather/mood/pandemic/political climate depending) with some citrus, some sugar, and a little something bubbly — like a splash of that Piquette, if I’m feeling frisky.” —Mary Allison Wright, owner, Yacht Club; wine director, The Proper Pour, Denver
“My go-to is Masala Chai tea in the mornings from In Pursuit of Tea (and if we are getting geeky, I love to simmer it with the A2 organic grass-fed milk from Amos Miller Farm in Pennsylvania). In the evenings, I crack open a RAMONA ‘Dry Grapefruit’ at only 5 percent ABV per serving.” —Jordan Salcito, sommelier and founder, Drink RAMONA Inc., NYC
“This Dry January, I have been enjoying kombucha-based beverages, since I started making my own kombucha in 2020. (It was a year for new hobbies, in case you didn’t hear.) Kombucha is a wonderful option for a low-ABV or no-ABV beverage, as it provides probiotics and antioxidants, plus a little caffeine to keep your day going! Kombucha also makes a great mocktail ingredient, since it lends acid and sweetness to a drink. It is also easy to flavor in whatever way you want by using an infused simple syrup. My favorite to make is lavender kombucha, but a nice local Colorado option you can use is Rowdy Mermaid Alpine Lavender. Try 4 ounces lavender kombucha, 1 ounce fresh grapefruit juice, topped with a splash of grapefruit seltzer for an easy, refreshing beverage.” —Julie Masciangelo, sommelier and general manager, Il Posto, Denver
“Even though it just hit the market, my go-to for no-ABV is now New London Light from Salcombe Distilling. It’s super aromatic and definitely achieves a spirited status, even with zero alcohol. I like to enhance its body with some simple syrup and verjus, which lets the fresh, citrusy notes of NLL speak out.” —Will Wyatt, owner, Mister Paradise and Electric Burrito, NYC
“This January, I’ve been enjoying homemade honey soda. I love the natural complexity that unadulterated honey has as a sweetener, and I’ve gone from using it simply to sweeten other drinks, to using it as the main ingredient in some of my non-alcoholic beverages. Sonoma County is rich with high-quality apiaries, and several delicious monoflower varieties can be had — from the delicate star thistle, to the complex eucalyptus. I have fallen in love with varietal honey this year. Until recently, I hadn’t fully appreciated honey’s ability to capture and express terroir. I like to make my honey soda with organic local honey, of which there are several great suppliers, but my favorite is probably Hector’s Honey, which is a third-generation producer making pure, raw varietal honey. Aside from the honey, itself, I will add a little acid to balance out the intense sweetness, making the drink refreshing and light instead of cloying. Depending on the variety of honey, I’ll sometimes add a sprig of thyme or rosemary for a little herbaceousness.” —Jon McCarthy, sommelier and director of beverage, The Matheson Healdsburg, Healdsburg, Calif.
“The Negroni is one of my all-time favorite cocktails. The bitter and herbal tones work wonders for kickstarting your palate before a great meal. For Dry January, I like to recreate those bitter tones and adapt to more winter flavors [by] using equal parts Seedlip Spice, pomegranate juice, and tonic water. Serve over a large ice cube with a lemon peel, and it also pleases the eyes.” —Darlin Kulla, beverage director and sommelier, KNEAD Hospitality + Design, Washington, D.C.
The article We Asked 10 Somms: What Are You Drinking in Dry January? appeared first on VinePair.
source https://vinepair.com/articles/10-best-dry-january-beverages-sommeliers/
0 notes
Text
We Asked 10 Somms: What Are You Drinking in Dry January?
Whether plans to abstain completely or just drink a bit less have so far been successful this month, there’s still time left to partake in a Dry-ish January. Restaurants and bars have embraced low- and no-alcohol menu items, while an increasing number of brands now opt for creative booze alternatives. There’s never been a better time to give what remains of Dry January another shot.
To help inspire readers shake up their drinking routines, VinePair asked wine professionals which beverages entice them the most when refraining from their favorite boozy sips. From honey-based mocktails, to a non-alcoholic twist on a beloved classic cocktail, keep reading for inventive alternatives from the experts.
The Best Dry January Beverages Recommended by Sommeliers
Athletic Brewing’s Non-Alcoholic Beer
Brooklyn Brewery’s Non-Alcoholic Beer
Rambler Sparkling Water
A Honey Blackberry Mint Mocktail
Fluère Alcohol-Free Spirits
Killer Quail’s Sparkling Piquette
Seedlip Garden 108
In Pursuit of Tea Masala Chai
Ramona Dry Grapefruit
Rowdy Mermaid Alpine Lavender Kombucha
Salcombe Distilling New London Light
Homemade Honey Soda with Hector’s Honey
Seedlip Spice
Keep reading for details about all the recommended beverages!
“My wife and I have been on a big non-alcoholic beer kick recently. This used to be one of the gaping holes for spirit-free beverages; options were limited and lackluster, and most did not satisfy a true beer craving. It’s cool to see brewers really lean into this movement. We’ve tried a handful of different brews, but we tend to always have Athletic Brewing stocked in our house. They have a great IPA, as well as a lovely golden ale that I really enjoy. But I am also really looking forward to trying Brooklyn Brewery’s new non-alcoholic beer whenever we get our hands on it down here in North Carolina.” —Ashley Malinowski, general manager/beverage director, chef/owner Scott Crawford’s Jolie, Raleigh, N.C.
“Rambler sparkling water and cold-brew Thai tea for me!” —Matt Pridgen, wine director, Underbelly Hospitality, Houston
“Honey Blackberry Mint Mocktail: This has got all the feels of a refreshing Mojito, but none of the sugar and alcohol. The ingredients are simple: honey, fresh blackberries, fresh mint leaves (all muddled to a delicious pulp), lemon juice, water, and seltzer. It’ll have you resetting after the 2020 booze fest, and once you’re ready to imbibe again, skip the water and throw in a little vodka or rum.” —Nicki McTague, sommelier and president, The Infinite Monkey Theorem, Denver
“We normally participate in Dry January every year in our household, but this year is extra special because I’m pregnant! I was fortunate enough to get an early set of samples of Fluère [alcohol-free spirits] to play around with, and I was so excited to have new options to help elevate my non-alcoholic drink recipes after making the same kind of mocktails for months. I like Fluère because it is super versatile and has a great flavor profile and body, which make it comparable to mixing with a standard spirit. At all of the JK Food Group locations, we regularly include a selection of curated mocktails on our menus, and last year at Toro, we even hosted a spirit-free dinner with beverage pairings. I’m really looking forward to carrying Fluère and other products like this so we can continue to creatively expand and elevate these kinds of beverage offerings for our guests.”—Jodie Battles, beverage director, Toro/Coppa/Little Donkey, Boston
“As a proponent of a sustainable combination of both year-round indulgence and moderation, January is inevitably a time when the latter tends to weigh a little more heavily on our minds after the sustained indulgence of the holiday season. That being said, if my lucky stars align, I’m treating myself to a bottle of Killer Quail’s low-alcohol, high-impact Sparkling Piquette of Alder Springs Vineyard Chenin Blanc, which is exactly the sunshine in a bottle we all need right about now. Additionally, I often find myself reaching for a bottle of Seedlip Garden 108 to make either a low- or no-alcohol beverage (weather/mood/pandemic/political climate depending) with some citrus, some sugar, and a little something bubbly — like a splash of that Piquette, if I’m feeling frisky.” —Mary Allison Wright, owner, Yacht Club; wine director, The Proper Pour, Denver
“My go-to is Masala Chai tea in the mornings from In Pursuit of Tea (and if we are getting geeky, I love to simmer it with the A2 organic grass-fed milk from Amos Miller Farm in Pennsylvania). In the evenings, I crack open a RAMONA ‘Dry Grapefruit’ at only 5 percent ABV per serving.” —Jordan Salcito, sommelier and founder, Drink RAMONA Inc., NYC
“This Dry January, I have been enjoying kombucha-based beverages, since I started making my own kombucha in 2020. (It was a year for new hobbies, in case you didn’t hear.) Kombucha is a wonderful option for a low-ABV or no-ABV beverage, as it provides probiotics and antioxidants, plus a little caffeine to keep your day going! Kombucha also makes a great mocktail ingredient, since it lends acid and sweetness to a drink. It is also easy to flavor in whatever way you want by using an infused simple syrup. My favorite to make is lavender kombucha, but a nice local Colorado option you can use is Rowdy Mermaid Alpine Lavender. Try 4 ounces lavender kombucha, 1 ounce fresh grapefruit juice, topped with a splash of grapefruit seltzer for an easy, refreshing beverage.” —Julie Masciangelo, sommelier and general manager, Il Posto, Denver
“Even though it just hit the market, my go-to for no-ABV is now New London Light from Salcombe Distilling. It’s super aromatic and definitely achieves a spirited status, even with zero alcohol. I like to enhance its body with some simple syrup and verjus, which lets the fresh, citrusy notes of NLL speak out.” —Will Wyatt, owner, Mister Paradise and Electric Burrito, NYC
“This January, I’ve been enjoying homemade honey soda. I love the natural complexity that unadulterated honey has as a sweetener, and I’ve gone from using it simply to sweeten other drinks, to using it as the main ingredient in some of my non-alcoholic beverages. Sonoma County is rich with high-quality apiaries, and several delicious monoflower varieties can be had — from the delicate star thistle, to the complex eucalyptus. I have fallen in love with varietal honey this year. Until recently, I hadn’t fully appreciated honey’s ability to capture and express terroir. I like to make my honey soda with organic local honey, of which there are several great suppliers, but my favorite is probably Hector’s Honey, which is a third-generation producer making pure, raw varietal honey. Aside from the honey, itself, I will add a little acid to balance out the intense sweetness, making the drink refreshing and light instead of cloying. Depending on the variety of honey, I’ll sometimes add a sprig of thyme or rosemary for a little herbaceousness.” —Jon McCarthy, sommelier and director of beverage, The Matheson Healdsburg, Healdsburg, Calif.
“The Negroni is one of my all-time favorite cocktails. The bitter and herbal tones work wonders for kickstarting your palate before a great meal. For Dry January, I like to recreate those bitter tones and adapt to more winter flavors [by] using equal parts Seedlip Spice, pomegranate juice, and tonic water. Serve over a large ice cube with a lemon peel, and it also pleases the eyes.” —Darlin Kulla, beverage director and sommelier, KNEAD Hospitality + Design, Washington, D.C.
The article We Asked 10 Somms: What Are You Drinking in Dry January? appeared first on VinePair.
Via https://vinepair.com/articles/10-best-dry-january-beverages-sommeliers/
source https://vinology1.weebly.com/blog/we-asked-10-somms-what-are-you-drinking-in-dry-january
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Here’s the American Sparkling Wine You Should Know About
Louise Palmberg
Champagne pro Ariel Arce explains what makes Champagne so distinct — but not the only bubbly worth buying
Champagne is known to pretty much everyone, and yet it’s so widely misunderstood. The basics? First off, it’s not synonymous with sparkling wine. It comes from the wine region Champagne in France, where wine production mainly uses three grapes, two of them red (pinot noir and pinot meunier) and one white (chardonnay). And it’s made via a process known as méthode champenoise, where the second of two fermentations occurs inside the bottle.
The double fermentation process contributes to Champagne’s high price tag. “Time is really expensive,” says Ariel Arce, founder of multiple wine-focused restaurants in NYC, including Air’s Champagne Parlor. “[No matter the vintage of the wine] it has to spend a minimum of one and a half years in the cellar.”
Finally, the Champagne region is characterized by the soil beneath the vineyards, made largely of chalk. “That’s what makes the wine the wine,” says Arce, referring to the chalky terroir. “After the terroir, it’s about the winemaker, and how the winemaker makes the wine.”
But the traditional style of making Champagne, via méthode champenoise, is used all over the world; it’s used elsewhere in France to make cremant — the term for sparkling French wines made outside Champagne, which Arce dedicates an entire section of her upcoming book to — and even in the US, to create enviable sparkling wines in regions across California, Oregon, and New York.
In her Bubbles 101 Eater Wine Club, part of the Eater @ Home virtual event series, while gushing about her favorite Champagne domaines and cuvees, Arce also recommended paying closer attention to sparkling wines being made in the US. Here are some of her favorites:
Macari “Horses” 2017 North Fork, New York ($26)
Caraccioli Cellars Brut 2013 California ($52)
Ultramarine Blanc De Blancs 2015 California ($199)
Cruse 2019 Ricci Sparkling California ($32)
Soter 2015 Mineral Springs Brut Rosé Oregon ($65)
Mellen Meyer Willamette Valley Brut Oregon ($30)
Under the Wire Alder Springs Vineyard 2015 California ($62)
Arce’s restaurants are selling and delivering the bottles from their lists (and more information can be found on Arce’s Instagram). To do more, there’s also a GoFundMe supporting the employees of her restaurants, which you can find here.
from Eater - All https://ift.tt/3cibrMS https://ift.tt/2yfkPlH
Louise Palmberg
Champagne pro Ariel Arce explains what makes Champagne so distinct — but not the only bubbly worth buying
Champagne is known to pretty much everyone, and yet it’s so widely misunderstood. The basics? First off, it’s not synonymous with sparkling wine. It comes from the wine region Champagne in France, where wine production mainly uses three grapes, two of them red (pinot noir and pinot meunier) and one white (chardonnay). And it’s made via a process known as méthode champenoise, where the second of two fermentations occurs inside the bottle.
The double fermentation process contributes to Champagne’s high price tag. “Time is really expensive,” says Ariel Arce, founder of multiple wine-focused restaurants in NYC, including Air’s Champagne Parlor. “[No matter the vintage of the wine] it has to spend a minimum of one and a half years in the cellar.”
Finally, the Champagne region is characterized by the soil beneath the vineyards, made largely of chalk. “That’s what makes the wine the wine,” says Arce, referring to the chalky terroir. “After the terroir, it’s about the winemaker, and how the winemaker makes the wine.”
But the traditional style of making Champagne, via méthode champenoise, is used all over the world; it’s used elsewhere in France to make cremant — the term for sparkling French wines made outside Champagne, which Arce dedicates an entire section of her upcoming book to — and even in the US, to create enviable sparkling wines in regions across California, Oregon, and New York.
In her Bubbles 101 Eater Wine Club, part of the Eater @ Home virtual event series, while gushing about her favorite Champagne domaines and cuvees, Arce also recommended paying closer attention to sparkling wines being made in the US. Here are some of her favorites:
Macari “Horses” 2017 North Fork, New York ($26)
Caraccioli Cellars Brut 2013 California ($52)
Ultramarine Blanc De Blancs 2015 California ($199)
Cruse 2019 Ricci Sparkling California ($32)
Soter 2015 Mineral Springs Brut Rosé Oregon ($65)
Mellen Meyer Willamette Valley Brut Oregon ($30)
Under the Wire Alder Springs Vineyard 2015 California ($62)
Arce’s restaurants are selling and delivering the bottles from their lists (and more information can be found on Arce’s Instagram). To do more, there’s also a GoFundMe supporting the employees of her restaurants, which you can find here.
from Eater - All https://ift.tt/3cibrMS via Blogger https://ift.tt/3elZtng
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Stringer Cellars - A Family Affair
Stringer Cellars – A Family Affair
Stringer Cellars is a family owned and operated boutique winery in Sonoma County. Their wines produce the best expressions of the finest vineyards sites throughout California.
The story goes back to the son’s(Casey Stringer) passion for wine. Casey Stringer attended college in Santa Barbara, California where he started working part time in the cellars of a local winery. Falling passionately in…
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#Alder Springs Vineyard Syrah "Spirit Rock" Syrah#Ballard Canyon#Casey Stringer#Casey Stringer Winermaker#Family Owned Winery#Family Run Winery#Harrison Clarke Vineyard Syrah Ballard Canyon#Pritchard Hill#Santa Rita Hills#Soda Canyon#Stringer Cellars#Stringer Cellars Alder Springs Vineyard Syrah "Spirit Rock" Syrah#Stringer Cellars Harrison Clarke Vineyard Syrah Ballard Canyon#Stringer Cellars Syrah
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Walla Walla isn’t just a town in Washington, it has become a world-renowned wine region and culinary destination in the United States that all wine lovers should explore.
Walla Walla is a small farming community tucked in the southeastern corner of the state that is home to 35,000 people, three colleges and miles of farm land filled with oceans of wheat fields and islands of coveted Washington vineyards. Named by Sunset Magazine as one of the “Best Towns in 2018”, as well as one of five global finalists for “Wine Region of the Year” by Wine Enthusiast magazine, Walla Walla is a hidden gem waiting to be explored.
What makes Walla Walla wine so amazing? Read one to learn more about the Walla Walla Valley and why it is one region wine loving travelers MUST sip in.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]
Geographic Makeup of Walla Walla
One of Washington’s 14 federally recognized American Viticultural Areas (AVAs), Walla Walla is a small farming community tucked in the southeastern corner of the state, sandwiched between the Cascade Mountains and Columbia River to the east and the Blue Mountains to the west. This unique situation has created an agricultural heaven and an outdoor enthusiast’s dream.
Photo by Carpe Travel, taken at Tranche in the Walla Walla Valley.
[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]While it’s the wine that draws travelers to Walla Walla, viticulture is just a fraction of what is being harvested in the Valley… As you drive into the Walla Walla, you will see small patches of bright green vineyards among swaths of golden fields of wheat, sweet onions and miles of apple orchards, some of the largest crops in this agricultural paradise.
Photo by Carpe Travel, in the Walla Walla Valley.
To understand the Walla Walla Valley AVA it is helpful to understand the geographic makeup of Washington State. Most people consider Washington to be dark and quite rainy. However, given a few unique geographic features this is only true for western portions of the state, which also happen to be the most populated (Seattle, Tacoma, Olympia). The eastern portion of Washington is actually quite sunny, dry and what some call a desert. Only six to eight inches of rainfall a year might be the reason.
The Pacific Ocean and the Olympic Mountains form the western boarders for the state, helping to protect the Puget Sound and Seattle areas from the cool, winds off the Pacific Ocean. With the Cascade Mountains to the east, a “rain shadow” is created keeping the moisture in the Puget Sound and Seattle areas, while protecting the eastern portion of the state, aka the Columbia Valley. As a result, the Columbia Valley – home to nine of the 14 AVAs in Washington, including Walla Walla – has the perfect climate for producing wine as well as the ultimate weekend getaway for those living in Portland and Seattle who miss the sun.
Map provided and created by WashingtonWine.org
While most of the Columbia Valley is quite dry, Walla Walla receives more moisture than others. With the Columbia River to its west and the Blue Mountains to its east, Walla Walla is cooler and wetter than a number of the eastern growing regions. This allows a limited number of vineyards in the eastern section of Walla Walla to dry farm, which is an extreme rarity in Washington and a technique that can result in outstanding wine. Something to note is that the Walla Walla Valley AVA straddles the states of Washington and Oregon with about two-thirds of the vineyards being on the Washington side.[/vc_column_text][ultimate_ctation ctaction_background=”#b5b5b5″ ctaction_background_hover=”#b5b5b5″ ctaction_padding_top=”10″ ctaction_padding_bottom=”10″ ctaction_padding_left=”10″ ctaction_padding_right=”10″]
Walla Walla is a Native American term meaning “place of many waters,” given the area is home to seven water tributaries. Today, however, Walla Walla is turning water to wine, and becoming the “place of many wines.”
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What’s the secret to Washington’s wine success?
The answer lies in Walla Walla’s global positioning. Wine regions around the world fall between 30-50 degrees of latitude. Walla Walla’s latitude is 46° N, the exact same as the wine regions of Bordeaux and Burgundy in France. So, both regions are exposed to the same angle of the sun and length of day, which impacts the growing conditions grapes are exposed to. Pair this with deep, well drained soils formed in loess on hills and the unique diurnal shift – day-to-night temperature variability – Walla Walla is poised for the world renowned wine region it is becoming.
Washington State has some of the most dramatic fluctuations of any wine region in the world with up to a 40 degree Fahrenheit different between day and night time temperatures. The diurnal shift ensures that wine grapes are balanced between its ripe sugars and crisp acidity.
Tip for all you wine loving travelers…PACK A LIGHT JACKET EVEN IN THE SUMMER MONTHS!
A Little Walla Walla Wine History Lesson…
Vines were first planted in the Walla Walla Valley as early 1850s by Italian immigrants. However, like everywhere else in the country, National Prohibition put a cork in wine production in the early 1900’s. It wasn’t until the 1970’s when the area saw a renaissance in its wine industry.
In 1974, Gary Figgins of Leonetti Cellar began planting grapevines. Three years later – 1977 – Leonetti Cellar became the first commercial winery in Walla Walla. Figgins along with other pioneers in the area including, Woodward Canyon Winery and L’Ecole N°41 helped kick start the Walla Walla wine region and establish it as an official AVA in 1984.
The region grew slowly with only 50 wineries operating in the Walla Walla Valley in 2002. Today the area is booming, with more than 120 wineries (2019) calling the Walla Walla wine country home.
When to Visit Walla Walla
The Walla Walla wine region has four distinct seasons so if you’re visiting for wine, the absolute best time is during the spring and fall with summer coming in at a close second.
April / May: The spring season is filled with bud break, beautiful flowers and cooler temperatures, yet warm enough to picnic outside and enjoy all the outdoor activities the Walla Walla wine region offers beyond the vines.
September / October: Fall is harvest. There really isn’t any better time to be in the Valley than when everything is happening! Temperatures are still warm, yet not boiling during the day making patios and picnics the perfect pairing with a glass of local wine. This is peak season though, so prices may be higher than other times of the year. If you can travel during the week, you’ll find lower prices paired with all the same wonderful activities but at a lower price point.
Garrison Creek Cellars assistant winemaker, Laura Detwiler letting Carpe Travel in on her twice a day “punch downs” for the 2019 vintage of Syrah fermenting in the tank.
Summer: With school out and countless outdoor activities, the Walla Walla wine region is a great summer destination. Keep in mind that temperatures during the day can be between 90-100 degrees so plan to spend some time cooling off with a nice rose’ or an afternoon paddle boarding. Better yet, pack a picnic lunch and pair the two together.
Winter: It’s cold in Walla Walla during the winter. Vines are dormant and a lot of wineries are closed since they have sold out of their wines and/or it’s just not busy enough to remain open. (This is when calling to make a reservation can REALLY help.) You may find yourself sipping in the downtown tasting rooms more than among the vines.
What to Expect from Walla Walla Wines
Grape production in the Walla Walla Valley is dominated by red varieties with Syrah being one of the areas most awarded varietal. However, Cabernet Sauvignon is the most planted and gaining ground in the areas awarded wines.
Top Grape Varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Malbec, Grenache, Petit Verdot, Sangiovese, Tempranillo, Viognier
The growing season is longer in Walla Walla than other areas of the Columbia Valley so you will see more vineyards starting to experiment with warm climate grapes such as Petit Verdot, Tempranillo, and Malbec. (I’ve been impressed with the Petit Verdot I’ve sipped!!)
Photo of Syrah grapes before harvest by Carpe Travel.
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I laughed when I heard the term, “It’s the Walla Walla Way” but there is a way in Walla Walla that’s unmatched by other popular wine regions I’ve visited. It’s rare to see the winemaker or the chef working when you’re visiting, let alone have them sit down and talk to you. Not in Walla Walla. It’s literally the way they do things…at least for now.
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Where to Stay in Walla Walla Wine Country
Carpe Travel’s Top Picks
Downtown B&B: Fat Duck Inn
Downtown Hotel: Marcus Whitman Hotel
Luxury Resort Among the Vines: Eritage Resort
Vineyard B&B: The Inn at Abeja
Click over for more Carpe Travel’s recommendations on hotels and Wall Walla Bed & Breakfasts.
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Where to Eat in Walla Walla Wine Country
Carpe Travel’s Top Picks
Hattaway’s on Alder
TMACS
Andrea’s Kitchen
Walla Walla Steak Co.
The Marc Restaurant
Click over for more on Carpe Travel’s recommendations on Walla Walla restaurants.
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Hattaway’s on Alder
TMACS
Andrea’s Kitchen
Walla Walla Steak Co.
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Walla Walla Wineries
At the time of this posting there are about 120 Walla Walla wineries which can be found throughout the Valley. There is a high concentration of tasting rooms in downtown Walla Walla, there are currently about 30. You can literally spend an entire weekend on foot walking up and down Main Street, Rose Street and 2nd Avenue enjoying some of the finest wines produced in Walla Walla. However, I highly suggest you get out into the wine country. There’s something to be said about sipping among the vines.[/vc_column_text][ultimate_ctation ctaction_background=”#b5b5b5″ ctaction_background_hover=”#b5b5b5″ ctaction_padding_top=”10″ ctaction_padding_bottom=”10″ ctaction_padding_left=”10″ ctaction_padding_right=”10″]
Carpe Travel’s Top Picks – Downtown Tastings Rooms
Kontos, DAMA Wines, Rotie, Armstrong Family Vineyards, Henry Earl, Foundry Vineyards, Charles Smith, Bledsoe Family Wines
[/ultimate_ctation][vc_column_text]While I didn’t have the chance to explore the four tasting rooms in the Marcus Whitman Hotel, I suggest you try – Mansion Creek Cellars, Locati Cellars, Lodmell Cellars and Treo Vintners. I also had a few wineries repeatedly recommended to me by locals – including winemakers – in other words you should try, College Cellars, Cavu Cellars and Dunham Cellars. (Let us know in the comments what you think!)[/vc_column_text][ultimate_ctation ctaction_background=”#b5b5b5″ ctaction_background_hover=”#b5b5b5″ ctaction_padding_top=”10″ ctaction_padding_bottom=”10″ ctaction_padding_left=”10″ ctaction_padding_right=”10″]
Carpe Travel’s Top Tasting Picks Among the Vines
Aluve, Brook & Bull, Doubleback, Garrison Creek, Gramercy Cellars, Pepper Bridge Winery, Slight of Hands, Trenche, Valdemar Estates
[/ultimate_ctation][vc_column_text]While Eternal Wines isn’t out among the vines, it’s pretty darn close and soooo worth popping into. Not only are the wines amazing, but they have a great story to pair with them. Make sure to see Carpe Travel’s Airport District tasting ideas.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_separator][vc_column_text]
Suggested Walla Walla Wine Tasting Itineraries
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Walla Walla Wine Weekend
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Downtown Tasting Rooms
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Historic Walla Walla Wine Tasting
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Welcome to the Airport District
Brad Binko at Eternal Wines, Photo by Carpe Travel
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Getting To & Around Walla Walla
Tucked down in the southeastern corner of Washington, Walla Walls is a 4½-hour drive from Seattle and equally far from Portland, Oregon. To be honest, it’s not a convenient place to get to from just about anywhere. While Walla Walla does have its own airport, most flights are coming in and out of Seattle (a 45-minute flight), which helps BUT not always. I found it much easier, cheaper, and faster to fly into Tri-Cities (airport PSC) and then drive an hour into Walla Walla.
It literally would have taken me seven hours to fly into Walla Walla from Denver, instead it took me less than four hours to fly into Tri-Cities and drive into Walla Walla. I’m all about saving time when I only have a few days to explore.
The one caveat to doing this is that there are not an abundance of Uber or Lyft drivers, and driving services are pretty limited as well. You will be more likely to be able to grab an Uber or Lyft from Tri-Cities into Walla Walla, but don’t count on being able to use either service when you’re in Walla Walla. The number of drivers in the Valley is slim, to say the least. With that said, you will either need to rent a car (and have a DD for winetasting) or hire a service. I always opt for the latter because it’s just not worth risking it.
When it comes to Walla Walla wine tour drivers and services, there aren’t a ton so make sure to book yours early. On my trip to Walla Walla I had a miscommunication with one service that left me driverless two days before getting into town. Talk about scrambling!!!
James over at Main Street Drivers was able to help save me from an ensuing panic attack by pairing me up with one of his drivers. Note, Main Street Drivers typically only offers the “Your Car + Our Driver” concept but James was able to set me up with Will, who offered to take us in his car.
For those of you who will be driving into Walla Walla or have a rental Main Street Drivers IS THE WAY TO GO! The price point is at least 50 percent less than what you pay other Walla Walla wine tour drivers AND the guys driving know the area, can set up your tour and make recommendations on the fly. Everything you want in a wine tour, but in your car and for a lot less money.
On a side note, Will – who drove us around all weekend – also drives for Walla Walla Localites, and offers the same price point as Main Street Drivers. If you don’t have a car for Main Street Drivers, give him a ring. He’s a wealth of local information and connections. (You will need to call him to set things up – 509.629.2244.)
A few other wine tour services in Walla Walla who were booked during my visit but were extremely professional in helping direct me to others who might be able to help include the following. (They also rank well on Trip Advisor and Google Reviews and I saw them out and about during my visits.) Check them out if Main Street Drivers or Walla Walla Localites don’t work out.
Black Tie Wine Tours | d’Vine Wine Tour | imbibe winetour
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Things to do in Walla Walla Wine Country Beyond the Vines
While wine is one of the main draws for travelers to Walla Walla, there are an abundance of activities to uncork beyond the vines.
Stay tuned…we’re busy bottling this for you!!![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]
Walla Walla Wine Country Map
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More on Walla Walla and Washington Wine
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Getting to Know Walla Walla Wine Country Walla Walla isn’t just a town in Washington, it has become a world-renowned wine region and culinary destination in the United States that all wine lovers should explore.
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Alderman
From the coveted Alder Springs Vineyard comes this baby and–with the possible exception of Yorkville Highlands–nothing strikes Syrah-terror in the minds of true geeks from Mendo like this place. I’ve always found Alder a bit riper and less vegetal, and this bottle checks all those boxes. Ridiculous blue-purple in the glass, an effusive floral nose ripe and compelling after points of burnt asphalt…
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#Alder Springs vineyard#Best wine reviews#Central Coast Critic#Donald PAtz#Donald Patz Wine Group#Mendocino Co#North Coast#Rhone rangers#Rhone wines#soif#Soif Wine Blog#Stephen McConnell#Stephen McConnell Wine Blog#Steve McConnell#Steve McConnell Wine Blog#Syrah#Terminum wine#wine1percent
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Nature's Natives
“Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.” Albert Einstein
Witnessed from outer space this spring, a pageant of splendor burst into bloom on hillsides, in fields, chaparrals, and desert environs. The “super blooms” of Southern California captivated hearts and cameras. Northern California is exhibiting a bountiful season of blue lupines, orange poppies, and gardens filled with flowers, just not to the degree of our neighbors to the south.
Although weeds are described as plants growing where we don’t want them, weeds are in proliferation after our continual wet days. Wild cut leaf geranium resembles a ground cover when small with tiny pink petals, yet it is a weed that needs to be pulled before it scatters seeds. Hand removal of invasive grasses is also necessary as they create fire danger while outcompeting native flora for light, water, space, and food.
More than 18,000 plant species are native to the United States and approximately 6000 species are endemic to California. To be considered a true California native, the plants must have grown here before the late 18th century when the Europeans arrived. Our state flower, the California poppy, as well as lupines, fuchsias, and other “natives” were actually first cultivated in the gardens of Europe, yet we have adopted them as our own. We are blessed to grow numerous flora inhabitants from the Mediterranean that have acclimated to our mild four seasons and adapted to our clay soil. I have termed these friends, such as lavender and acanthus, “the new natives” as I like to include them in my garden designs.
Natives are drought tolerant after they have been established, although they will require water if the weather has been exceptionally dry. They are wildlife attractors bringing songbirds, lizards, salamanders, butterflies, frogs, hummingbirds, bees, and other pollinators into the landscape. Minimal maintenance is required without dependence on pesticides or fertilizers. Top dressing all plants with mulch to maintain a constant temperature while reducing erosion and temperature fluctuations is advantageous.
For year-round interest, select a variety of natives that bloom during each of the twelve months. Wildflowers are fussy as transplants therefore for a spring show, sow seeds in the fall to allow the winter water to promote a strong root system. Plants with tiny seeds can live dormant in the underground seed bank for 80 years or more depending on the optimum conditions to coax them above ground to flower, fruit, and set seed.
A Sampling of Favorite California Natives
Trees, Grasses Oak Western Red Bud Redwood Sequoia Pine Cypress Cedar Fir Yew Willow Alder Aspen Sycamore Blue-eyed grass Sedges Rushes Fescue Reed grass Wild Rye
Shrubs, Plants, Flowers Manzanita Ceanothus (California Lilac) Sage Currant Fern Lupine Columbine California poppy Heuchera Dicentra Brodiaeas Blue Dicks Morning glory Clarkia Wild rose Wild grape Clematis Wood Strawberry Matilija Fried Egg Plant
Native Perennials to the United States Milkweed Echinacea Black-eyed Susan Butterfly Weed Aster Creeping Phlox Bee Balm Bluebells Lobelia Hydrangea Acanthus
Gaillardia Trillium Coreopsis Bluestem Grass Honeysuckle Switchgrass Blazing Star Dogwood Iris Gaura Trumpet vine Elderberry
These are just a few of the thousands of natives you can discover at your nursery. A large variety of succulents and cacti are also available. It is important to remember that every plant is native to someplace. When choosing a species, you want to make sure it will grow well in your microclimate.
Because natives have adapted to our land, they won’t struggle for survival. They are strong players requiring less work, water, and food as they work in harmony with our ecosystem. Natives are an advantageous addition to any garden as they support bees, butterflies, and birds, bringing beneficial insects and pollinators to our landscapes.
Cynthia Brian’s Mid Month Gardening Guide
BEWARE the tick. Ticks are attacking and they are not just on the deer. Keep your lawns mowed and the brush cleared. Rid your yard of Japanese barberry as this invasive species is a haven for ticks.
KEEP deer from nibbling your new sprouts by installing a nine to twelve-foot deer fence. Unfortunately, all of the natural remedies including soap, hair, sprinklers, whirlybirds, lights, and noise are not effective long term.
RE-POT orchids in spring if they are root bound or the planting medium has broken down. Most orchids need to be repotted every two to three years. If you notice green root tips on plump white roots, it is time to divide. Re-pot in lightly packed fir bark or sphagnum moss using a container large enough to allow for two more years of growth.
DIMINISH spring allergies by always removing your shoes before entering your home. Change your clothes, shower before bedtime to keep the pollen from gathering on your sheets. Ramp up your house cleaning efforts by dusting, vacuuming, and mopping often.
SHARPEN lawnmower blades for a cleaner cut. Stay off the grass if it has been raining as walking on wet grass damages the blades and the roots.
SNIP the flowers off bolting arugula kale lettuces, and other leafy vegetables to prevent the plants from going to seed. Add the flowers to salads, soups, and sauces or decorate your plates.
MARK your calendars: April 21 is Easter. Fill baskets for garden lovers with my book, Growing with the Goddess Gardener available with extra freebies at www.cynthiabrian.com/online-store
April 22 is Earth Day April 28 is the Annual Wildlife Festival at Wagner Ranch www.fwrna.org/annual-wildlife-festival.html
May 11 is the Moraga Community Faire. Visit the Be the Star You Are!® booth to celebrate nature, books, and kids.www.bethestaryouare.org/events
Wishing you a hippity hoppity happy Bunny Day on Easter!
Happy Gardening. Happy Growing, Read more and see photos at https://www.lamorindaweekly.com/archive/issue1304/Digging-Deep-with-Cynthia-Brian-for-April-Natures-Natives.html
Cynthia Brian, The Goddess Gardener, raised in the vineyards of Napa County, is a New York Times best-selling author, actor, radio personality, speaker, media and writing coach as well as the Founder and Executive Director of Be the Star You Are1® 501 c3. Tune into Cynthia’s Radio show and order her books at www.StarStyleRadio.com.
Buy a copy of her new books, Growing with the Goddess Gardener and Be the Star You Are! Millennials to Boomers at www.cynthiabrian.com/online-store
Hire Cynthia for projects, consults, and lectures. [email protected]
www.GoddessGardener.com
Keywords: #california natives, #native plants,#gardening, #cynthia brian, #starstyle, #goddess Gardener, #growig with the goddess gardener, #lamorinda weekly
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Nature's Natives
“Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.” Albert Einstein
Witnessed from outer space this spring, a pageant of splendor burst into bloom on hillsides, in fields, chaparrals, and desert environs. The “super blooms” of Southern California captivated hearts and cameras. Northern California is exhibiting a bountiful season of blue lupines, orange poppies, and gardens filled with flowers, just not to the degree of our neighbors to the south.
Although weeds are described as plants growing where we don’t want them, weeds are in proliferation after our continual wet days. Wild cut leaf geranium resembles a ground cover when small with tiny pink petals, yet it is a weed that needs to be pulled before it scatters seeds. Hand removal of invasive grasses is also necessary as they create fire danger while outcompeting native flora for light, water, space, and food.
More than 18,000 plant species are native to the United States and approximately 6000 species are endemic to California. To be considered a true California native, the plants must have grown here before the late 18th century when the Europeans arrived. Our state flower, the California poppy, as well as lupines, fuchsias, and other “natives” were actually first cultivated in the gardens of Europe, yet we have adopted them as our own. We are blessed to grow numerous flora inhabitants from the Mediterranean that have acclimated to our mild four seasons and adapted to our clay soil. I have termed these friends, such as lavender and acanthus, “the new natives” as I like to include them in my garden designs.
Natives are drought tolerant after they have been established, although they will require water if the weather has been exceptionally dry. They are wildlife attractors bringing songbirds, lizards, salamanders, butterflies, frogs, hummingbirds, bees, and other pollinators into the landscape. Minimal maintenance is required without dependence on pesticides or fertilizers. Top dressing all plants with mulch to maintain a constant temperature while reducing erosion and temperature fluctuations is advantageous.
For year-round interest, select a variety of natives that bloom during each of the twelve months. Wildflowers are fussy as transplants therefore for a spring show, sow seeds in the fall to allow the winter water to promote a strong root system. Plants with tiny seeds can live dormant in the underground seed bank for 80 years or more depending on the optimum conditions to coax them above ground to flower, fruit, and set seed.
A Sampling of Favorite California Natives
Trees, Grasses Oak Western Red Bud Redwood Sequoia Pine Cypress Cedar Fir Yew Willow Alder Aspen Sycamore Blue-eyed grass Sedges Rushes Fescue Reed grass Wild Rye
Shrubs, Plants, Flowers Manzanita Ceanothus (California Lilac) Sage Currant Fern Lupine Columbine California poppy Heuchera Dicentra Brodiaeas Blue Dicks Morning glory Clarkia Wild rose Wild grape Clematis Wood Strawberry Matilija Fried Egg Plant
Native Perennials to the United States Milkweed Echinacea Black-eyed Susan Butterfly Weed Aster Creeping Phlox Bee Balm Bluebells Lobelia Hydrangea Acanthus
Gaillardia Trillium Coreopsis Bluestem Grass Honeysuckle Switchgrass Blazing Star Dogwood Iris Gaura Trumpet vine Elderberry
These are just a few of the thousands of natives you can discover at your nursery. A large variety of succulents and cacti are also available. It is important to remember that every plant is native to someplace. When choosing a species, you want to make sure it will grow well in your microclimate.
Because natives have adapted to our land, they won’t struggle for survival. They are strong players requiring less work, water, and food as they work in harmony with our ecosystem. Natives are an advantageous addition to any garden as they support bees, butterflies, and birds, bringing beneficial insects and pollinators to our landscapes.
Cynthia Brian’s Mid Month Gardening Guide
BEWARE the tick. Ticks are attacking and they are not just on the deer. Keep your lawns mowed and the brush cleared. Rid your yard of Japanese barberry as this invasive species is a haven for ticks.
KEEP deer from nibbling your new sprouts by installing a nine to twelve-foot deer fence. Unfortunately, all of the natural remedies including soap, hair, sprinklers, whirlybirds, lights, and noise are not effective long term.
RE-POT orchids in spring if they are root bound or the planting medium has broken down. Most orchids need to be repotted every two to three years. If you notice green root tips on plump white roots, it is time to divide. Re-pot in lightly packed fir bark or sphagnum moss using a container large enough to allow for two more years of growth.
DIMINISH spring allergies by always removing your shoes before entering your home. Change your clothes, shower before bedtime to keep the pollen from gathering on your sheets. Ramp up your house cleaning efforts by dusting, vacuuming, and mopping often.
SHARPEN lawnmower blades for a cleaner cut. Stay off the grass if it has been raining as walking on wet grass damages the blades and the roots.
SNIP the flowers off bolting arugula kale lettuces, and other leafy vegetables to prevent the plants from going to seed. Add the flowers to salads, soups, and sauces or decorate your plates.
MARK your calendars: April 21 is Easter. Fill baskets for garden lovers with my book, Growing with the Goddess Gardener available with extra freebies at www.cynthiabrian.com/online-store
April 22 is Earth Day April 28 is the Annual Wildlife Festival at Wagner Ranch www.fwrna.org/annual-wildlife-festival.html
May 11 is the Moraga Community Faire. Visit the Be the Star You Are!® booth to celebrate nature, books, and kids.www.bethestaryouare.org/events
Wishing you a hippity hoppity happy Bunny Day on Easter!
Happy Gardening. Happy Growing, Read more and see photos at https://www.lamorindaweekly.com/archive/issue1304/Digging-Deep-with-Cynthia-Brian-for-April-Natures-Natives.html
Cynthia Brian, The Goddess Gardener, raised in the vineyards of Napa County, is a New York Times best-selling author, actor, radio personality, speaker, media and writing coach as well as the Founder and Executive Director of Be the Star You Are1® 501 c3. Tune into Cynthia’s Radio show and order her books at www.StarStyleRadio.com.
Buy a copy of her new books, Growing with the Goddess Gardener and Be the Star You Are! Millennials to Boomers at www.cynthiabrian.com/online-store
Hire Cynthia for projects, consults, and lectures. [email protected]
www.GoddessGardener.com
Keywords: #california natives, #native plants,#gardening, #cynthia brian, #starstyle, #goddess Gardener, #growig with the goddess gardener, #lamorinda weekly
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Jorge Miroslav Jara Salas: Spring Mountain Harvest Tasting: November 18, San Francisco
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11.06.2018
When most people think of Napa, they likely think of broad swaths of vineyards sweeping back from the edges of Highway 29 towards beautifully manicured lawns and pretty architecture. Certainly, many of the most famous spots in Napa fit this description. Some of their names — Rutherford, Oakville, St. Helena — have begun to be recognized by consumers.
But there is another side (or more accurately, sides) to Napa, less trodden, less visible, but arguably more interesting from the standpoint of wine. Those sides, of course, are the hillsides — the mountain terroirs of Napa, where altitude and slope, temperature gradients and well draining soils, shady pockets and hillside breezes make for fresh, powerful wines that can really turn your head.
There are a few such hillside and mountaintop areas of Napa, but perhaps the most significant is the Spring Mountain District, home to some of Napa’s most distinctive (and some would argue, undervalued) wines. It’s a part of Napa that receives far less traffic and attention than elsewhere in the valley, in part because of the winding mountain roads that must be navigated to reach it.
But not on the weekend of November 18th. Because the mountain is coming to Muhammed. Or, rather to San Francisco.
On Sunday November 18th, a whole bunch of producers from Spring Mountain are showing up to pour their wines to anyone who wants to taste. There will be copious and diverse appetizers on offer as well.
This is a great opportunity to taste your way through a set of producers that aren’t often accessible to consumers in a single spot. And a number of them are among my favorites in Napa.
Wineries pouring include Barnett Vineyards, Behrens Family Vineyard, Castellucci Napa Valley, Frias Family Vineyards, Keenan Winery, Luscher-Ballard Vineyard, Paloma Vineyard, Pride Mountain Vineyard, Schweiger Vineyards, Sherwin Vineyards, Smith-Madrone, Spring Mountain Vineyard, Stony Hill Vineyard, Terra Valentine, and Vineyard 7 & 8.
If you’re not doing anything the Sunday before Thanksgiving and you love great wine, you’d be hard pressed to find a more interesting place to be than at this tasting.
2018 Spring Mountain Harvest Tasting Sunday, November 18 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM Presidio Golden Gate Club 135 Fisher Loop San Francisco, CA 94129 (map)
Tickets for this event may well sell out, so you should purchase yours in advance online. They’ll run you $100 per person.
Posted by: Alder on November 6, 2018 8:05 PM
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We Asked 15 Wine Pros: Which Bordeaux Offers the Best Bang for Your Buck?
As one of the world’s premier wine regions, Bordeaux’s main focus is Cabernet Sauvignon- and Merlot-driven blends. While Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot make regular appearances, the region is also known for producing small amounts of white Bordeaux, as well as the lusciously sweet wine known as Sauternes.
Bordeaux is divided into three regions — the rival Left Bank and Right Bank, and Entre-Deux-Mers — each with its own distinct terroir. As a result, deciphering Bordeaux’s many variations can be tricky. Add Bordeaux’s often intimidating prices, and it’s not hard to understand why oenophiles on a budget often shy away from its wines. However, a great bottle of Bordeaux doesn’t have to break the bank.
To ensure that approachable Bordeaux is on the radar for every drinker, VinePair asked wine professionals around the country which bottles of Bordeaux present the very best value.
As bars and restaurants continue to navigate the coronavirus pandemic and reopening phases, VinePair asked the bartenders and drinks professionals below to provide a virtual tip jar or fund of their choice. More resources for helping hospitality professionals are available here.
“Château d’Armailhac, Pauillac, Bordeaux, France 2016. One of the great values, especially when great older vintages can be found. An elegant Bordeaux with the technical expertise of the team behind Château Mouton Rothschild.” — Jhonel Faelnar, Wine Director, Atomix, NYC
“I think the wines of Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste have been getting increasingly better without huge jumps in the price for some time.” — Rusty Rastello, Wine Director, SingleThread, Healdsburg, Calif.
Donate: NAACP; The United Sommeliers Foundation
“This is an easy one… if you are looking for well-known, high-end Bordeaux — best bang I’d suggest [is] Brane Cantenac. If you want lesser-known Bordeaux at a more accessible price point, Chateau Biac or Haut Bailly.” — Carrie Lyn Strong, Wine Director/Sommelier, Casa Lever, NYC
Donate: Carrie Lyn Strong Venmo
“If you are a fan of Bordeaux, I recommend looking to Southwest France for value wines. Buzet, a small appellation known for its Merlot and Cabernet blends, offers really great wine for a fraction of the cost that you would pay for great Bordeaux. [The] 2016 Mary Taylor Wines Buzet punches above its weight. You get those wonderful aromas of tobacco, black fruit, and leather that invoke Right Bank comparisons. It retails around $18.” — Etinosa Emokpae, Wine Director, Friday Saturday Sunday, Philadelphia
“Château Beauséjour ‘Pentimento,’ Montagne-Saint-Émilion. This wine tells a story. It’s made by the first American female making wine in Bordeaux. I had the pleasure of working with the winemaker, Michelle D’ Aprix, at Bin 14 wine bar when she was traveling to France several times in the year to produce her first vintage. It is named Pentimento after one of her favorite books, “Pentimento,” by playwright Lillian Hellman. Just like the memoir muses on the people and experiences that have had a profound influence on her life, Michelle felt the same with her first wine label. The wine is farmed and made using little to no intervention for each vintage. [It’s] a wine that can be enjoyed upon release — no aging required — while pleasing Old World and New World palates alike.” — Madeline Maldonado, Beverage Director, da Toscano, NYC
“Château Haut-Segottes Saint Emilion Grand Cru (Cabernet Franc, Merlot). [Chateau Haut-Segottes is] owned and operated by Danielle Meunier. Smoked cherries, cigar, and peppercorn make it feel distinctly Bordeaux. Great with rich and rustic food but still light enough for other cuisines.” — Emmanuelle Massicot, Assistant General Manager, Kata Robata, Houston
“White Bordeaux. Probably not what you were expecting, I know. But if you haven’t spent time drinking the white blends of Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, and Muscadelle from Bordeaux, you’re missing out. Graville-Lacoste Graves Blanc is a delicious blend of mostly Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc, with just a touch of Muscadelle.” — Theo Lieberman, Beverage Director, 232 Bleecker, NYC
Donate: 232 Bleecker Gift Cards
“This is a little tricky because the casual wine drinker tends to equate Bordeaux with unrivaled decadence and sophistication, which isn’t entirely untrue, but it’s certainly not the case across the board. The Cabernet-driven wines of Margaux aren’t the cheapest, but they’re consistent in texture, intensity, and quality.” — Kyle Pate, Sommelier, Tinker Street, Indianapolis
“2019 Château Le Bergey, Bordeaux, France ($12). Biodynamic and Bordeaux aren’t two words you often hear in the same sentence, unless you’re talking about this wine. It has everything you could want from a classic Cabernet-dominant blend and tastes like it should cost three times the amount — but doesn’t, which is great.” — Luke Sullivan, Head Sommelier, Gran Tivoli & Peppi’s Cellar, NYC
“Château Larruau, Margaux 2015 is an elegant and sophisticated Bordeaux that offers exceptional value. [The] estate is located next to Chateau Margaux, but the Larruau is a fraction of the price.” — Marsella Charron, Sommelier, The Harbor House Inn, Elk, Calif.
Donate: Alder Springs Vineyard “A Case for a Cause”
“Château La Garde from Pessac-Léognan in Bordeaux. Roughly equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, this wine explodes from the glass with violet, blackberry, and smoky notes. It’s structured and full with great minerality and firm tannins. Retails around $25.” — Matthew Pridgen, Wine Director, Underbelly Hospitality, Houston
“For value Bordeaux, I often go to the Côtes, but customers in the restaurant are often more familiar with Medoc, so I generally steer people to Château Castera. I’m fascinated by its history, dating from the Middle Ages, and I think being Merlot-predominant, it’s much more versatile [than] many Cab-based Bordeaux wines for pairing with multiple dishes. I generally can find this wine with a few more years on it than the current release of other wines, which customers appreciate.” — Jeff Harding, Wine Director, Waverly Inn & Garden, NYC
Donate: Jeff Harding Venmo
“Clos du Jaugueyron (any bottling). Bordeaux is big business. Dealing in large quantities can lead houses to make choices that sacrifice long-term vineyard health for short-term financial assurance. However, there are some winemakers who are doing things in a more old-school way, focusing on sustainability and rejecting chemical use — perhaps none better than winemaker Michel Théron of Clos du Jaugueyron. His entry level Haut-Medoc can be found for under $50 most places, while his top-of-the-line Margaux bottling will run you just shy of $100.” — Andrew Pattison, Beverage Director, Sushi Note, Los Angeles
“Château Biac is located in Cadillac, in the Entre-Deux-Mers. When the Asseily family acquired and revived the estate in 2006, the vineyards were rethought and now have dedicated old-vine blocks for Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc. The wines are full-bodied and juicy! The structure and complexity definitely rival the growths of the Left Bank. For more bang for the buck, go for the Felix de Biac, the little sister to the flagship.” — Stefanie Schwartz, Sommelier, Portale, NYC
Donate: Stefanie Schwartz Venmo
“Best Bordeaux for the price — Château Potensac or Château Ormes de Pez.” — Zac Adcox, Advanced Somm, indo, St. Louis
Donate: The United Sommeliers Foundation
The article We Asked 15 Wine Pros: Which Bordeaux Offers the Best Bang for Your Buck? appeared first on VinePair.
source https://vinepair.com/articles/15-best-quality-bordeaux-brands-price/
0 notes
Text
We Asked 15 Wine Pros: Which Bordeaux Offers the Best Bang for Your Buck?
As one of the world’s premier wine regions, Bordeaux’s main focus is Cabernet Sauvignon- and Merlot-driven blends. While Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot make regular appearances, the region is also known for producing small amounts of white Bordeaux, as well as the lusciously sweet wine known as Sauternes.
Bordeaux is divided into three regions — the rival Left Bank and Right Bank, and Entre-Deux-Mers — each with its own distinct terroir. As a result, deciphering Bordeaux’s many variations can be tricky. Add Bordeaux’s often intimidating prices, and it’s not hard to understand why oenophiles on a budget often shy away from its wines. However, a great bottle of Bordeaux doesn’t have to break the bank.
To ensure that approachable Bordeaux is on the radar for every drinker, VinePair asked wine professionals around the country which bottles of Bordeaux present the very best value.
As bars and restaurants continue to navigate the coronavirus pandemic and reopening phases, VinePair asked the bartenders and drinks professionals below to provide a virtual tip jar or fund of their choice. More resources for helping hospitality professionals are available here.
“Château d’Armailhac, Pauillac, Bordeaux, France 2016. One of the great values, especially when great older vintages can be found. An elegant Bordeaux with the technical expertise of the team behind Château Mouton Rothschild.” — Jhonel Faelnar, Wine Director, Atomix, NYC
“I think the wines of Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste have been getting increasingly better without huge jumps in the price for some time.” — Rusty Rastello, Wine Director, SingleThread, Healdsburg, Calif.
Donate: NAACP; The United Sommeliers Foundation
“This is an easy one… if you are looking for well-known, high-end Bordeaux — best bang I’d suggest [is] Brane Cantenac. If you want lesser-known Bordeaux at a more accessible price point, Chateau Biac or Haut Bailly.” — Carrie Lyn Strong, Wine Director/Sommelier, Casa Lever, NYC
Donate: Carrie Lyn Strong Venmo
“If you are a fan of Bordeaux, I recommend looking to Southwest France for value wines. Buzet, a small appellation known for its Merlot and Cabernet blends, offers really great wine for a fraction of the cost that you would pay for great Bordeaux. [The] 2016 Mary Taylor Wines Buzet punches above its weight. You get those wonderful aromas of tobacco, black fruit, and leather that invoke Right Bank comparisons. It retails around $18.” — Etinosa Emokpae, Wine Director, Friday Saturday Sunday, Philadelphia
“Château Beauséjour ‘Pentimento,’ Montagne-Saint-Émilion. This wine tells a story. It’s made by the first American female making wine in Bordeaux. I had the pleasure of working with the winemaker, Michelle D’ Aprix, at Bin 14 wine bar when she was traveling to France several times in the year to produce her first vintage. It is named Pentimento after one of her favorite books, “Pentimento,” by playwright Lillian Hellman. Just like the memoir muses on the people and experiences that have had a profound influence on her life, Michelle felt the same with her first wine label. The wine is farmed and made using little to no intervention for each vintage. [It’s] a wine that can be enjoyed upon release — no aging required — while pleasing Old World and New World palates alike.” — Madeline Maldonado, Beverage Director, da Toscano, NYC
“Château Haut-Segottes Saint Emilion Grand Cru (Cabernet Franc, Merlot). [Chateau Haut-Segottes is] owned and operated by Danielle Meunier. Smoked cherries, cigar, and peppercorn make it feel distinctly Bordeaux. Great with rich and rustic food but still light enough for other cuisines.” — Emmanuelle Massicot, Assistant General Manager, Kata Robata, Houston
“White Bordeaux. Probably not what you were expecting, I know. But if you haven’t spent time drinking the white blends of Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, and Muscadelle from Bordeaux, you’re missing out. Graville-Lacoste Graves Blanc is a delicious blend of mostly Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc, with just a touch of Muscadelle.” — Theo Lieberman, Beverage Director, 232 Bleecker, NYC
Donate: 232 Bleecker Gift Cards
“This is a little tricky because the casual wine drinker tends to equate Bordeaux with unrivaled decadence and sophistication, which isn’t entirely untrue, but it’s certainly not the case across the board. The Cabernet-driven wines of Margaux aren’t the cheapest, but they’re consistent in texture, intensity, and quality.” — Kyle Pate, Sommelier, Tinker Street, Indianapolis
“2019 Château Le Bergey, Bordeaux, France ($12). Biodynamic and Bordeaux aren’t two words you often hear in the same sentence, unless you’re talking about this wine. It has everything you could want from a classic Cabernet-dominant blend and tastes like it should cost three times the amount — but doesn’t, which is great.” — Luke Sullivan, Head Sommelier, Gran Tivoli & Peppi’s Cellar, NYC
“Château Larruau, Margaux 2015 is an elegant and sophisticated Bordeaux that offers exceptional value. [The] estate is located next to Chateau Margaux, but the Larruau is a fraction of the price.” — Marsella Charron, Sommelier, The Harbor House Inn, Elk, Calif.
Donate: Alder Springs Vineyard “A Case for a Cause”
“Château La Garde from Pessac-Léognan in Bordeaux. Roughly equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, this wine explodes from the glass with violet, blackberry, and smoky notes. It’s structured and full with great minerality and firm tannins. Retails around $25.” — Matthew Pridgen, Wine Director, Underbelly Hospitality, Houston
“For value Bordeaux, I often go to the Côtes, but customers in the restaurant are often more familiar with Medoc, so I generally steer people to Château Castera. I’m fascinated by its history, dating from the Middle Ages, and I think being Merlot-predominant, it’s much more versatile [than] many Cab-based Bordeaux wines for pairing with multiple dishes. I generally can find this wine with a few more years on it than the current release of other wines, which customers appreciate.” — Jeff Harding, Wine Director, Waverly Inn & Garden, NYC
Donate: Jeff Harding Venmo
“Clos du Jaugueyron (any bottling). Bordeaux is big business. Dealing in large quantities can lead houses to make choices that sacrifice long-term vineyard health for short-term financial assurance. However, there are some winemakers who are doing things in a more old-school way, focusing on sustainability and rejecting chemical use — perhaps none better than winemaker Michel Théron of Clos du Jaugueyron. His entry level Haut-Medoc can be found for under $50 most places, while his top-of-the-line Margaux bottling will run you just shy of $100.” — Andrew Pattison, Beverage Director, Sushi Note, Los Angeles
“Château Biac is located in Cadillac, in the Entre-Deux-Mers. When the Asseily family acquired and revived the estate in 2006, the vineyards were rethought and now have dedicated old-vine blocks for Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc. The wines are full-bodied and juicy! The structure and complexity definitely rival the growths of the Left Bank. For more bang for the buck, go for the Felix de Biac, the little sister to the flagship.” — Stefanie Schwartz, Sommelier, Portale, NYC
Donate: Stefanie Schwartz Venmo
“Best Bordeaux for the price — Château Potensac or Château Ormes de Pez.” — Zac Adcox, Advanced Somm, indo, St. Louis
Donate: The United Sommeliers Foundation
The article We Asked 15 Wine Pros: Which Bordeaux Offers the Best Bang for Your Buck? appeared first on VinePair.
Via https://vinepair.com/articles/15-best-quality-bordeaux-brands-price/
source https://vinology1.weebly.com/blog/we-asked-15-wine-pros-which-bordeaux-offers-the-best-bang-for-your-buck
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We Asked 15 Wine Pros: Which Bordeaux Offers the Best Bang for Your Buck?
As one of the world’s premier wine regions, Bordeaux’s main focus is Cabernet Sauvignon- and Merlot-driven blends. While Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot make regular appearances, the region is also known for producing small amounts of white Bordeaux, as well as the lusciously sweet wine known as Sauternes.
Bordeaux is divided into three regions — the rival Left Bank and Right Bank, and Entre-Deux-Mers — each with its own distinct terroir. As a result, deciphering Bordeaux’s many variations can be tricky. Add Bordeaux’s often intimidating prices, and it’s not hard to understand why oenophiles on a budget often shy away from its wines. However, a great bottle of Bordeaux doesn’t have to break the bank.
To ensure that approachable Bordeaux is on the radar for every drinker, VinePair asked wine professionals around the country which bottles of Bordeaux present the very best value.
As bars and restaurants continue to navigate the coronavirus pandemic and reopening phases, VinePair asked the bartenders and drinks professionals below to provide a virtual tip jar or fund of their choice. More resources for helping hospitality professionals are available here.
“Château d’Armailhac, Pauillac, Bordeaux, France 2016. One of the great values, especially when great older vintages can be found. An elegant Bordeaux with the technical expertise of the team behind Château Mouton Rothschild.” — Jhonel Faelnar, Wine Director, Atomix, NYC
“I think the wines of Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste have been getting increasingly better without huge jumps in the price for some time.” — Rusty Rastello, Wine Director, SingleThread, Healdsburg, Calif.
Donate: NAACP; The United Sommeliers Foundation
“This is an easy one… if you are looking for well-known, high-end Bordeaux — best bang I’d suggest [is] Brane Cantenac. If you want lesser-known Bordeaux at a more accessible price point, Chateau Biac or Haut Bailly.” — Carrie Lyn Strong, Wine Director/Sommelier, Casa Lever, NYC
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“If you are a fan of Bordeaux, I recommend looking to Southwest France for value wines. Buzet, a small appellation known for its Merlot and Cabernet blends, offers really great wine for a fraction of the cost that you would pay for great Bordeaux. [The] 2016 Mary Taylor Wines Buzet punches above its weight. You get those wonderful aromas of tobacco, black fruit, and leather that invoke Right Bank comparisons. It retails around $18.” — Etinosa Emokpae, Wine Director, Friday Saturday Sunday, Philadelphia
“Château Beauséjour ‘Pentimento,’ Montagne-Saint-Émilion. This wine tells a story. It’s made by the first American female making wine in Bordeaux. I had the pleasure of working with the winemaker, Michelle D’ Aprix, at Bin 14 wine bar when she was traveling to France several times in the year to produce her first vintage. It is named Pentimento after one of her favorite books, “Pentimento,” by playwright Lillian Hellman. Just like the memoir muses on the people and experiences that have had a profound influence on her life, Michelle felt the same with her first wine label. The wine is farmed and made using little to no intervention for each vintage. [It’s] a wine that can be enjoyed upon release — no aging required — while pleasing Old World and New World palates alike.” — Madeline Maldonado, Beverage Director, da Toscano, NYC
“Château Haut-Segottes Saint Emilion Grand Cru (Cabernet Franc, Merlot). [Chateau Haut-Segottes is] owned and operated by Danielle Meunier. Smoked cherries, cigar, and peppercorn make it feel distinctly Bordeaux. Great with rich and rustic food but still light enough for other cuisines.” — Emmanuelle Massicot, Assistant General Manager, Kata Robata, Houston
“White Bordeaux. Probably not what you were expecting, I know. But if you haven’t spent time drinking the white blends of Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, and Muscadelle from Bordeaux, you’re missing out. Graville-Lacoste Graves Blanc is a delicious blend of mostly Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc, with just a touch of Muscadelle.” — Theo Lieberman, Beverage Director, 232 Bleecker, NYC
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“This is a little tricky because the casual wine drinker tends to equate Bordeaux with unrivaled decadence and sophistication, which isn’t entirely untrue, but it’s certainly not the case across the board. The Cabernet-driven wines of Margaux aren’t the cheapest, but they’re consistent in texture, intensity, and quality.” — Kyle Pate, Sommelier, Tinker Street, Indianapolis
“2019 Château Le Bergey, Bordeaux, France ($12). Biodynamic and Bordeaux aren’t two words you often hear in the same sentence, unless you’re talking about this wine. It has everything you could want from a classic Cabernet-dominant blend and tastes like it should cost three times the amount — but doesn’t, which is great.” — Luke Sullivan, Head Sommelier, Gran Tivoli & Peppi’s Cellar, NYC
“Château Larruau, Margaux 2015 is an elegant and sophisticated Bordeaux that offers exceptional value. [The] estate is located next to Chateau Margaux, but the Larruau is a fraction of the price.” — Marsella Charron, Sommelier, The Harbor House Inn, Elk, Calif.
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“Château La Garde from Pessac-Léognan in Bordeaux. Roughly equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, this wine explodes from the glass with violet, blackberry, and smoky notes. It’s structured and full with great minerality and firm tannins. Retails around $25.” — Matthew Pridgen, Wine Director, Underbelly Hospitality, Houston
“For value Bordeaux, I often go to the Côtes, but customers in the restaurant are often more familiar with Medoc, so I generally steer people to Château Castera. I’m fascinated by its history, dating from the Middle Ages, and I think being Merlot-predominant, it’s much more versatile [than] many Cab-based Bordeaux wines for pairing with multiple dishes. I generally can find this wine with a few more years on it than the current release of other wines, which customers appreciate.” — Jeff Harding, Wine Director, Waverly Inn & Garden, NYC
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“Clos du Jaugueyron (any bottling). Bordeaux is big business. Dealing in large quantities can lead houses to make choices that sacrifice long-term vineyard health for short-term financial assurance. However, there are some winemakers who are doing things in a more old-school way, focusing on sustainability and rejecting chemical use — perhaps none better than winemaker Michel Théron of Clos du Jaugueyron. His entry level Haut-Medoc can be found for under $50 most places, while his top-of-the-line Margaux bottling will run you just shy of $100.” — Andrew Pattison, Beverage Director, Sushi Note, Los Angeles
“Château Biac is located in Cadillac, in the Entre-Deux-Mers. When the Asseily family acquired and revived the estate in 2006, the vineyards were rethought and now have dedicated old-vine blocks for Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc. The wines are full-bodied and juicy! The structure and complexity definitely rival the growths of the Left Bank. For more bang for the buck, go for the Felix de Biac, the little sister to the flagship.” — Stefanie Schwartz, Sommelier, Portale, NYC
Donate: Stefanie Schwartz Venmo
“Best Bordeaux for the price — Château Potensac or Château Ormes de Pez.” — Zac Adcox, Advanced Somm, indo, St. Louis
Donate: The United Sommeliers Foundation
The article We Asked 15 Wine Pros: Which Bordeaux Offers the Best Bang for Your Buck? appeared first on VinePair.
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