#best napa valley wineries

[hillfamilyestate]

2023 Barrel Blend White - Hill Family Estate

This wine celebrates Aloha ‘Āina and the unique collaboration between Native Hawaiian and world class surfer Moana Jones Wong and the Hill Family, who are fourth generation California farmers. Aloha ‘Āina and Aloha Kai translates to “love of the land and sea,” and is rooted upon a sense of being connected to all living things.

[wine-porn]

Pine Derby

“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practise resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of…

[organicwine]

Wines | Grgich Hills Estate - Napa

Farmed from our five certified organic estate vineyards, our wines offer distinct elegance and notes. Explore wines like Napa Cabernet Sauvignon and Napa Chardonnay, handcrafted with a passion for artistry.

[winelimos]

Touring Napa Valley Wineries

Exploring one of the most renowned wine areas in the world in depth is possible for wine fans with a comprehensive and remarkable wine tour of Napa Valley vineyards. You'll travel through the breathtaking Napa Valley on your tour, where the expansive vineyards and undulating hills create a dreamlike setting for your travels. Every winery you visit has its personality, ranging from stately old estates with opulent architecture to state-of-the-art facilities that showcase advances in winemaking technology. These trips frequently include guided tastings where you may taste a wide variety of wines, including vibrant Merlots and rich Cabernet Sauvignons that have all been painstakingly made with care to detail. Skilled tour leaders and wine producers impart their knowledge, the importance of the unique terroir of the valley, and the background of each winery.

[rabbitcruiser]

Goats Cheese Day

I’ve always wanted to open up a brewery/goat farm. Brew some beer, make some goat cheese, but that’s kind of dreamy. - Adam Lamberg

See what goats cheeses are local to your area, and give them a try. Find a recipe, or simply taste-test a few to see what you like best and diversify your food.

Typically when we think of cheese, we imagine fields of cows and massive dairy operations or juicy hamburgers topped with delicious and flavorful cheese. What if we told you that cows are not the only animals whose milk can be used to make cheese? They are by far the most popular, in part due to their ability to produce impressive quantities, but there are other forms of milk that can be made into cheese, and many of them are surprisingly delicious… Goats Cheese Day celebrates one such cheese, and one of the secrets that modern science has hidden in the milk it’s made from.

History of Goats Cheese Day

Goat’s milk has been used to make cheese for centuries, and there are examples of it all over the world. In fact, with every new country that it springs up in new and unique varieties appear by local craftsmen and women. Goat cheese can be made from an incredibly simple process, simply allowing the milk to curdle naturally and then pressing the whey out so only the curds remain. There are certainly other techniques that can be used, such as used some form of acid to help curdle the milk or the traditional rennet that’s used in many other cheesemaking processes.

Like most cheese, goat cheese comes in both hard and soft varieties, but unlike cow’s milk cheese it doesn’t quite melt the same way when heated. Goat cheese can be served with crackers or fruit, though with the firmer cheese contained in rinds heating is often necessary, often baking in an oven, to create a texture with a rich thick texture capable of being spread.

How to celebrate Goats Cheese Day

The best way to celebrate goats cheese day is to get out there and try the cheeses that are local to your area. If you’re in a country where goats cheese is produced, it’s likely that you’ll find a goat farm near your home that produces this delicious dairy treat. You’ll likely be surprised at the sheer variety that’s available, like Chevre with lavender and wild fennel, or the Grecian mizithra cheese. Goats Cheese Day celebrates this delicious cheese and all the varieties it comes in, as well as raising awareness that cows certainly do not reign supreme as a source for delicious cheeses.

Source

[drmwinery]

Wine Pairings for your Fun-Filled Holiday Films Get-Together:

This holiday classic will always be around and deserves an equally distinguished wine to match. Our best wineries in northern California Cabernet Sauvignon is rich and bold, with dark fruit flavours and a hint of cocoa. 

[chai-berries]

all my friends support palestine and know neil druckmann is a zionist

A Kiss for The Ping Pong Champ (#22)

when manny said he was planning on throwing a party that night, he didn’t tell abby that it was gonna be at their apartment. so when she comes back home, covered in mud and twigs from a dumbass mission she willingly signed up for, it’s to a party in full swing and spilling out of their front door. the mission was a basic one and abby got pretty filthy but she’d take just about anything that means exploring zombie filled treasure troves. her side of the room is steadily filling with books and pins and little trinkets. she had her current “best find yet” in the breast pocket of her jacket.

abby first hears the party from the stairwell and she practically stalks towards the front door, tired and irritated but not surprised. manny and abby have both hosted parties in their penthouse apartment plenty of times in varying amounts of success. it’s just abby forgot about it and had made plans with you and now they’re fucked.

she smiles politely at everyone she walks to her bunk. grabbing her shower caddy and some clean clothes, she sneaks back out and into the communal showers.

twenty minutes later, abby is clean and back in the packed apartment. manny greets her with a wave and she responds with a prominent middle finger and a sarcastic smile. he cackles, startling the girls beside him.

she gets herself a drink and finds some guys from the gym that she sometimes trains with. one of them, joe, was defending his poorly made joke to abby and the others when abby sees movement from the corner of her eye.

“uh excuse me please?” abby fully turns to see you scooting awkwardly past a group of people. you meet her eye and grin, shouldering past the last person and are soon within her reach.

“hi,” you breathe

“hi,” abby echos.

you look around the party. “i didn’t know there was gonna be this many people when you asked me to come over. i thought it was just gonna be us —”

abby itches to touch you. the itch wins and she gently puts a hand on your shoulder. you stop talking.

“i honestly had no idea about the party. i’m just as surprised as you. do you wanna leave?” abby looks up to see where manny is.

“no,” you say a little too quickly. “i’m cool with staying if you are.”

you share a smile.

“ok then let’s get you a drink. nothing spectacular but they are interesting.” she leads you over to a table where people are mixing up drinks. she goes past all the mixes and shitty liquor and pulls a small bottle out of a box.

“here,” she hands it to you. “it’s wine. from 1993. you said wine ages well and you’ve been wanting some since last christmas sooo” she trails off and suddenly feels like she shouldn’t know that you like wineries and napa valley history and god she’s so weird but you’re smiling at her so that has to be good sign, right?

“abby, this is amazing! thank you,” is all you say but the relief that fills abby is embarrassing. this time it’s your turn to lead you both to abby’s little corner in the front of the penthouse. everyone is mostly in the upper stairs area, besides nora and leah who wave at you both as you pass by. you sit down on abby’s bed and she follows. a silence passes between you as the party becomes ambience. abby remembers her surprise and reaches into her jacket’s breast pocket. she closes her fist around the item and scoots back so her back leans against the wall and her feet hang off the bed. you follow her movement with your eyes. she makes eye contact with you for a brief second. you note that she looks bashful.

“i, uh, found you something while i was out.”

“yeah?” you turn to sit sideways on her bed, one leg tucked under you.

“you gotta close your eyes first.” you close your eyes and hold your hand out, a big smile on your face. what you can’t see is that abby is easily caught off by your smile and almost misses dropping the mysterious item into your hand.

“okay you can open your eyes now.” you do so.

in your hand is a necklace. a long gold chain and a pendant. you untangle the necklace and hold it up. the pendent is the letter of your first name. the necklace as a whole is in pretty good condition with only a little chip on the pendent.

“oh abby,” you look up and see the girl blushing. “this is so sweet! i love it. thank you.” regardless of how uncomfortable it will be, you lean forward to hug abby tightly. “thank you again, abs” you whisper and kiss her cheek before pulling away.

you quickly undo the clasps and ask abby to put the necklace on you. after a failed attempt of putting it on while sitting, you both stand up. you turn your back to abby and she very ceremoniously places the necklace on you. once it’s clasped you turn back around to face her. you reach up to adjust the pendant so it sits in the middle, by your sternum.

when you look up, abby is already smiling at you. she opens her mouth to say something when someone calls her name.

she rolls her eyes and answers with a reluctant “yeah?”

it’s joe again. “it’s raheem’s birthday and he wants a beer pong rematch.”

“right now? i’m busy.” she glances at you.

“yes now. he heads out on that week long mission tomorrow morning.”

abby closes her eyes and lets her head fall back. it’s raining outside and she can hear the rain above her head. she exhales heavily through her mouth. she looks back at you and you have the most understanding eyes in the world and abby both hates and loves it.

“okay,” she says to joe. “one game and he gets the bad beer and im taking that nice stuff.”

joe holds his hands up. “righto, captain.”

abby rolls her eyes again. she looks back at you. “this okay? just one game and they’ll leave me alone.”

you roll your own eyes but there’s a smile on your lips.

“abs it’s fine. i promise. now go, because i think joe is coming back over here.”

and sure enough he was. abby briefly squeezed your hand before heading up the stairs. you walk over to nora and leah, who have been joined by a happy drunk whitney. they were getting up to join you to watch abby kick reheem’s ass, all of you making up abby’s cheer squad.

the cups and sacred ping pong balls are already set up. you make sure to stand where abby can see you and you can see her. and she makes sure to wink at you before shooting the first ping pong of the game right into one of raheem’s cups. the boy groans loudly and his friends cheer on abby. abby holds her hands up, shrugging off the attention. you bite your lip to stop smiling at her antics. your eyes catch movement as she pulls up the sleeves of her henley to her forearms, making her arms look even bigger. pulling the sleeves up also shows off her bracelet collection. including one that you made her months ago. she’s never taken it off so it’s worn and faded. but the sentiment is still there and it makes your heart ache with love for her.

while raheem takes his time aiming, you continue watching abby as she stretches her arms over her head and twists her upper body back and forth. you suddenly remember that abby just came back home from an overnight mission and there were currently over twenty, mostly drunk, people shoved into her apartment. she’s probably exhausted but putting on a good show for these people that look up to her. you make a mental note to ask her if she wants to come back to your place until the party’s over. your room is smaller but ten times quieter. you continue to zone out a bit, watching abby while thinking about abby as the game continues in front of you.

unfortunately (but fortunately for you) everyone knew the end score pretty quickly. abby had four out of six cups left on her side while raheem had two left on his. the crowd was engaged in the action like it was a tennis match. manny had even moved to stand beside abby as her right hand man. your eyes stay locked on her.

it was raheem’s turn and everyone watches as his ball hits the rim of the cup but bounces away. the crowd groans for him. abby steps up and without even trying, sinks the ball into the cup closest to raheem. the crowd cheers. raheem goes again and makes it. abby downs the cup and wipes away the little bit that missed her mouth with the back of her hand. she picks up a ball and closes one eye to aim it perfectly before letting it go. the ball arches in the air and lands in its target.

the people cheering for abby lose their minds. manny starts to shake abby excitedly. joe and a few of the other boys from before surround her. you hear manny say something about getting abby “a drink fit for champions”. you watch abby smile and joke with her friend until the crowd by the alcohol table blocks her from you.

beside you, nora clears her throat. you stop searching for abby and look to nora.

she’s fighting off a smile.

your brows furrow in confusion. “what?”

nora shrugs. “i don’t know. i just wanna know when did you get thirsty? where did my innocent friend go?”

“what are you talking about?”

“c’mon. you are so obvious. you were practically undressing abby during the whole game. we are in public, girl. have some class,” nora laughs.

you look down. “i’m not undressing her with my eyes,” you mumble. nora scoffs

“i don’t know why you are so in denial. you have the girl,” nora’s eyes move over your shoulder. “and speak of the devil and she shall appear. hey abs! congrats on demolishing raheem! i just know he’s going to be sulking about this in the clinic for months.”

abby shrugs. “all in a day’s work.” she turns to you. “you okay?”

you smile at her. “yeah i’m fine. nora was just bullying me.” you pout. abby’s head swivels to nora who has the common sense to be already walking away with leah and whitney shuffling behind her. “it’s fine. it wasn’t serious.”

abby looks back towards you. “okay…do you wanna get outta here? i feel like if i stay, someone is gonna wanna challenge me again or something.”

“yeah! i was just gonna ask if you wanted to come to my place? ya know, until the party clears out.”

abby blushes. “yeah i’d love to. let me just grab my bag.” she moves to go down the stairs but stops at your hand grabbing her bicep.

“wait abby?”

she stops a step below you. “yeah?”

she is taller and generally bigger than you because of her muscles but having her be a step down makes it easier for you to cup her face and very gently press your lips to hers.

the gentle kiss is met with abby’s own passionate response. she reaches for your waist. your hands go from her face to her neck and then down to her shoulders.

you pull away first. “and that’s a kiss for the ping pong champion”

abby opens her eyes and hums in response. she squeezes your waist and let’s go, walking down the stairs to grab her bag. when she comes back she simply takes your hand in hers and interlaces your fingers.

just like the way she arrived, abby smiles politely at people who say hi but doesn’t stop walking until the sounds of the room fade away and she can only hear you and the sounds of both of your feet along the hallway.

[hillfamilyestate]

Winter 2024 - Hill Family Estate

The 2024 harvest was a testament to consistency and patience. We enjoyed a long, steady growing season with warm days and cooling trends in between, allowing for even ripening over the course of the summer. Harvest started slowly, and as fruit continued to ripen, the warm weather held steady through the early fall, allowing the remaining crop to ripen nicely.

[d-criss-news]

Napa winery offers Broadway star Darren Criss fertile setting for intimate outdoor concert

[UHQ] Broadway star Darren Criss performs at Napa’s Carneros Resort and Spa as part of the Broadway and Vine series on Friday, July 28. (Photo by Bob McClenahan)

Broadway star and “Glee” actor Darren Criss is the latest star to make a compelling case for staging more musical theater events outdoors.

Performing against a backdrop of pink skies and rolling vineyards on Friday, July 28, the San Francisco native and Emmy-winning actor was exceptionally charismatic as he tackled classic show tunes and covered a dizzying array of artists. “Welcome to my wedding,” he joked upon taking the small outdoor stage facing several hundred folding chairs. From there, he was off, serving as a one-man jukebox as his selections veered from British alt-rockers Keane to singer-songwriter royalty Carole King. Between sets, Criss peppered in stories from his strange journey to stardom.

-------------

The intimate outdoor concert provided a perfect opportunity for Criss, best known for the five seasons he spent playing Blaine Anderson on the popular Fox series “Glee,” to formulate a set list that doubled as an autobiography of sorts. At one point, he introduced a cover of “The Luckiest” by Ben Folds by explaining that he’d originally intended for it to be his character’s last song on “Glee.” It’s hard to say Criss made the wrong choice, given the original number he ultimately wrote (“This Time”) would earn him an Emmy nomination in 2015. But his take on Folds’ lovelorn ballad, played at the piano, was a breathtaking glimpse into what might have been.

Later, he dusted off  “To Have a Home,” which a small subset of the audience may have recognized as one of the songs Criss penned for a Harry Potter parody musical he made with friends back in 2009. It was a gesture of appreciation to an audience built from many factions of fandoms. By the end of the night, Criss had done an admirable job of catering to as many of them as possible. 

Alternating between piano and guitar, he managed to imbue every note with a lively joy, be it a take on Tom Petty, his version of “Grease” torch song “Hopelessly Devoted to You,” or his spot-on Kermit the Frog impression. He even invited fans to make requests of songs his character did on “Glee,” which he then compiled into an improvised medley for his encore.

But the moment that best encapsulated the evening was watching Criss belt a faithful rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” as real birds flew past him and merrily chirped away into a backdrop of the Napa Valley sunset. 

And yet, there was another highlight that may have topped it all, this one in the form of an unexpected guest.

As part of the series, each Broadway and Vine show typically includes a duet or group performance where local students are given a chance to sing alongside their idols. On Friday night, Criss welcomed Amarech Mendez, a 17-year-old student at Burlingame’s Mercy High School, to cover Bob Dylan’s “Make You Feel My Love.”

Arranged in the style of pop singer Adele’s recent rendition, the presence of Mendez was clearly no favor but a well-earned honor as she belted out her parts with impressive conviction. It was a moment that instantly reminded Susana Gonzalez, 57, of the time her own daughter, Diana, now a student at Stanford, was invited to sing a duet with musical theater star Shoshana Bean in 2021 as part of the Broadway and Vine series’ first season.

“This is a real gift,” Gonzalez said. “Jacob is an ambassador, not only to the community but to the kids. It allows them to dream and think about the fact that they can do anything. I mean, where else do you get a performer singing ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’ and get actual birds?”

Nic Meerholz, 40, of Napa, was also impressed with the show, which should be welcome news to Criss, who saw Meerholz’s hand go up twice early in the evening when he asked if anyone in attendance “didn’t give an eff about musical theater” and was “dragged here by their partner and has no idea what’s happening.”

Criss thanked Meerholz for his honesty and dedicated the rest of the show to making a convert of the man. 

At the conclusion of Criss’ 16-song set, Meerholz confirmed the artist accomplished his mission.

“I came into the show not knowing anything about musicals or Broadway and it was just absolutely fantastic,” he said, “ I didn’t even know who Darren was. I’ve never watched ‘Glee.’  Nothing. Magical! It was just a magical evening.”

[wine-porn]

Conn Artist

I’ve been wanting to try this for a while. This is a wine I have never had before in my life. And the Claret-style labeling is just nectar to me, of course. This is not an explosive wine, not something designed to shock and awe–like so many California wines are fabricated these days. This is mellow and delicious, relying on subtle complexities the 1% appreciate in a package the 99 can put a straw…

[myloveforhergoeson]

ash's may 2024 reading round up

find all the books and fics i read this (more like last...) month under the cut with a link to the synopsis and my reviews/ratings attached :)

this is just for fun! i'm not a professional, i just like to read <3

booklist!

Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku by Fujita

(no link to an official author website bc i couldn't find one, but i bought all six books at barnes and noble!)

• review: full disclosure, this is not my first time reading this six book manga series, nor will it be the last. it's one of my favorite stories of all time and i pick it up whenever i need some comfort or reassurance :) wotakoi is three interwoven stories about adults navigating the grown up world while still harboring a love for their favorite manga/anime/videogames and whatnot from their childhood; some are unashamed of this fact like the mmc hirotaka who is unabashedly consumed by his love of videogames, while others have had bad experiences with others after being "outed" for lack of a better term like his childhood best friend and eventual girlfriend fmc narumi who does everything to hide the fact she is a fujoshi mangaka and anime obsessed girlie! the two reconnect after many years of being apart by learning they were offered the same corporate job and rekindle their friendship --> relationship :) literally has me in tears i love childhood best friends soooooooo much. there, the two make friends with the other main couple, mmc kabakura (moderate otaku, loves anime) and fmc koyanagi (crossplayer otaku). later on in the series we also get to know hirotaka's little brother noya (non-otaku!!) strike up a friendship and eventual relationship with ko (a socially anxious videogame otaku). i think it's just such well written about adulthood and learning to be who you are without fear of judgement from others. hirotaka helps narumi work through her past fears and anxieties, discovering together they they are able to surround themselves with people who love them for who they are and share the same interests. i also really love that all three relationships are distinct from other other, one being a rekindling of an old friendship --> lovers, one being long established, and one being so fresh and brand new the two don't even realize they have feelings for each other!! i could go on and on about this series, but i always feel so warm and loved after reading it <3 literally could not recommend enough. and if you're not a big fan of manga, the story has a one season anime out too!

• rating: 5/5 times i was reminded i love my friends <3 one of my favorite manga series ever!!!

2. Unfortunately Yours by Tessa Bailey (18+!)

• review: ughghsuiohaiofaobfa tessa girl i love you soooooo much so much so much so much. but idk this one was just kind of mid. run of the mill story, not characters i was super interested it, but i enjoyed it nonetheless. if you read my april review, i read the first book in this duology, secretly yours, and i really loved it! this book was about julien's sister, natalie, and her somewhat enemies to lovers relationship with navy seal turned winemaker august. due to a series of unfortunate circumstances, natialie and august find themselves in need of lots of money very, very fast. the only issue is natalie's father is old school misogynist and won't release her trust fund until after she's married, and august can't receive a business loan until he's a well established member of the napa valley community and has at least one employee besides himself at his winery. the solution? a marriage of convenience, of course, until these two get exactly what they need from each other. the issue? they have a less than stellar past with each other and a whole boatload of assumptions about their partner they slowly learn to unravel and relearn throughout the story. now normally im a suckerrr for marriage of convenience but idk i just don't think i cared for the characters enough to super be into this one. probably my least favorite tessa bailey book honestly, out of six or seven i've read? not because the story was bad, i just don't really think enemies to lovers really works in modern settings. there were lots of good parts though! bailey is a master of 'he fell first' and it is very clear that even after their rocky start, august really cares for natalie. despite the relationship starting as a sham, he's a wonderful husband and looks out for her among the community members, and most importantly, her own family. they were pretty electric together but i think that's their only redeeming quality for me lol. so yeah, not my favorite from tessa bailey, but i had a good time reading it. worth the flip through to have read both books in the series <3

• review: 3/5 times i thought "really? all this for some wine?"

fic list!

fake fanfiction reader i didn't complete any of the stories i'm reading in may... but i have been really enjoying reading the assorted btr works of partiallypearl and ceruleanmusings :)) i've read far more this month than the last, so june's list will be far more coherent i promise!!

[amazingarchitecturewebsite]

Walker Warner Architects designs Quintessa Estate Winery Pavilions, #NapaValley, California Read more: Link in bio! Photography: Matthew Millman @matthewmillmanphoto. Walker Warner Architects: The pavilions are a series of independent 250-square-foot structures, each of the three pavilions is designed to provide an immersive, privately hosted wine-tasting experience in the landscape. As modest additions to an established 280-acre winery estate in Napa Valley, each pavilion reflects the founder’s desire for architecture that will harmonize with the natural surroundings of the property. Accordingly, each pavilion is carefully sited to protect visitors from the elements while also preserving the existing mature oak trees. The result is a unique wine-tasting experience that can be utilized year-round during weather extremes… #usa #california #архитектура www.amazingarchitecture.com ✔ A collection of the best contemporary architecture to inspire you. #design #architecture #amazingarchitecture #architect #arquitectura #luxury #realestate #life #cute #architettura #interiordesign #photooftheday #love #travel #construction #furniture #instagood #fashion #beautiful #archilovers #home #house ‎#amazing #picoftheday #architecturephotography ‎#معماری (at Napa Valley Wine Country) https://www.instagram.com/p/CmzT9WkLzKG/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[rabbitcruiser]

International Merlot Day

We know Merlot lovers doesn’t need a special reason to enjoy a glass of their favourite Merlot wine. But the 7th of November we are celebrating the International Day of this amazing grape, so no matter in which part of the world you are, it’s time to to raise your Merlot glass and join the celebration!

Do you know Merlot is the most planted grape in Bordeaux?

If you think about the most representative and most widely planted grape variety in Bordeaux, the majority of wine lovers would think about Cabernet Sauvignon. But that is not the case. There are far more hectares dedicated to Merlot than any other grape in Bordeaux. To give you an idea about the importance of this grape, more than 60% of all vines in Bordeaux are Merlot. In contrast, the more famous Cabernet Sauvignon occupies the second place with about 25% of all the vines. However, these grapes get along together very well. In fact, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are typically blended together, though the proportion of each depends on the geographical location of the winery in the Bordeaux region.

In Bordeaux, the Gironde estuary cuts through the centre of the region creating two banks: a left bank and a right bank. It is a winery’s location on either bank that determines the proportion of the grapes in the blend. And it is the right bank of Bordeaux the one that gives more protagonism to our beloved Merlot grape. In fact, right bank blends tend to be softer, less tannic and lower in alcohol and acidity levels.

Merlot in the World

Even if experts believe this grape offers its best expression in the soils of Bordeaux, Merlot is not all about that wine region. In fact, Merlot it’s not only the most widely planted grape in Bordeaux, but all over France! Moreover, Merlot is also broadly planted in many countries around the world such as Australia, Argentina, United States, Mexico, Italy, Chile, Switzerland and numerous other countries.

Reputation of Merlot

Although, Merlot surged in fame worldwide in the late 1980s, mostly in the New World. Unfortunately, its reputation plunged, ensuring a negative consumer response to one of the most memorable lines in the 1994 wine buddy movie Sideways, “no f*cking merlot”. However, Pomerol, the most emblematical Merlot area of Bordeaux, is home of top world-famous fine wines such as Château Petrus and its neighbour Vieux Château Certan.

Interesting facts about Merlot grape:

Did you know that the word ‘Merlot’ comes ‘young blackbird’ in French? It is believed that French winemakers either gave Merlot its name because of the beautiful blue-black colour of the Merlot grape or because the blackbird likes grapes.

Merlot wine is popular worldwide because of its capacity to please all palates.

Despite its lack of tannins, Merlot ages excellently.

Blended Merlot, when aged, usually softens the tannic boldness of grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon, mellowing out the wine.

Because of its low acidity and high sugar content, Merlot is one of the best wine for being paired with food.

Some experts believe Merlot grape is cousin of both Carmenere and Cabernet Sauvignon.

In 1990s, the Chilean wine industry sold a large amount of wine made from Carmenere grape as Merlot.

Source

Miles Raymond: No, if anyone orders Merlot, I’m leaving. I am NOT drinking any fucking Merlot!

[steddieficrecs]

Best of Steddie

9/?

previous / next

All That You Ever Wanted From Me Was Sweet Nothing by t1red_gay

“'I’m in love with you,' Eddie says, so casual, like it isn’t 3PM on a Tuesday in the middle of a Family Video in Bumfuck, Indiana. Like they’re somewhere else, like he’s someone else. Like it’s nothing extraordinary."

Or:

Five times Eddie tells Steve he loves him, and one time Steve lets himself say it back.

Steve Harrington Has Anxiety | The Mortifying Ordeal of Being Known | 5+1

too good to be true by Ayes

When Eddie sees Steve in a gay bar, he decides to seduce him and break his heart as revenge for what an asshole Steve was in high school. Steve, who was only at the bar to support Robin, is taken aback by the attention but finds himself under Eddie’s spell. And Eddie, to his growing unease, discovers that Steve Harrington is actually everything he’s ever wanted.

10 Things I Hate About You AU | Fake Dating | Getting Together

Not Exactly Napa Valley by twiceasfar

The fake relationship AU that literally no one asked for. Featuring Steve and Robin as platonic soulmates, a destination wedding to a winery, and a thrilling quest to piss off Steve’s parents.

Robin lets out an exasperated sigh. “Eddie would be the perfect date for the wedding!”

Steve freezes.

“Whose wedding?” Eddie asks.

Fake/Pretend Relationship | Friends to Lovers

The Man That I Could Be by ohstars

"Steve Harrington isn't straight. It's been a few weeks since he sat on that bathroom floor at Starcourt with Robin, where she shared her biggest secret with him and unintentionally unlocked an entirely new side of Steve. Since he’s had to come to terms with being open to exploring that side of him, but he's finally acknowledged that he's most likely, definitely, without a doubt into guys."

--

After coming to terms that he may be queer, Steve Harrington does a little exploration on his own and meets the one and only Eddie Munson. Just as things are going well and accepted the fact he's falling for Eddie in their own little bubble, Steve's world is shaken by a tragedy he can't quite talk about. And when the dust settles and he's nearly ready to put the pieces back together, his worlds collide when he realizes his Eddie is the same Eddie playing D&D with the kids. The same Eddie who's now wanted for murder thanks to another upside down monster. How will he save the day when he can barely focus watching his ex mingle with his monster fighting team?

AU - Canon Divergence | Post S3 | Fix-It | Secret Relationship

Perfect Place to Start by GrasshopperKatie

Eddie nudges Steve’s good arm gently and nods in Mike’s direction. “Hey, who’s the kid with baby Wheeler?” He has an idea about who it is, but wants confirmation. They missed out on a lot of introductions before the battle and on the mad dash to the hospital afterwards.

Steve lifts his head and looks over at where Eddie is gesturing. “Oh, that’s Will. Will Byers. Maybe you know his older brother, Jonathan?”

“Huh, so that’s the guy Wheeler never shuts up about during our campaigns. I was starting to think he was delusional until Henderson backed him up. They seem…close.”

Fic Series | Protective Eddie Munson and Steve Harrington | Background Byler