#enologi

[emanuelebottiroli]

Report, un'occasione persa: i veri problemi del mondo del vino italiano sono altri

Non smette di far discutere la puntata del programma d’inchiesta Report in onda su Rai3 il 17 dicembre scorso. Un servizio che ha scosso sin da subito il mondo del vino con una levata di scudi nei confronti dei produttori, in particolare, da parte dell’Unione Italiana Vini. Che il giorno dopo ha diramato un comunicato chiaro rispetto ai contenuti della puntata del programma in onda sul servizio…

[useless-catalanfacts]

This is the oldest cooper (barrel maker) shop still going on in the world, founded in 1739!

It's Boteria Torner from Vilafranca del Penedès, Catalonia. This artisan shop was founded in the year 1739 and was transmitted from parents to children until 2023, when Agustí Torner, the 8th generation of coopers from his family, was retiring. Nowadays, it's difficult for traditional jobs like this to find young people who want to continue the business, and Agustí couldn't find a successor. When he announced that the shop would have to close, the news reached a family who owns a winemaking cellar in the area, and they teamed up with other people in the sector to buy the shop and continue running it. High quality barrels are very important in the process of making wine, and the Penedès area has many people who work in making wine, since centuries ago. The shop continues and Agustí has told the news outlets how happy he is that the knowledge of this job doesn't get lost.

[things-ya-should-know]

bees are positively charged and pollen is negatively charged, which is how the pollen sticks to the bee! this adds a whole new meaning to bee positive

[avinox]

Me about to draw someone holding a glass of wine:

My boyfriend's presence appearing in front of me to remind me how we're supposed to hold wine glasses: 👁️👁️

[barok-vanzieks]

... Pray forgive the discourtesy of expressing my apallment at this flippant disregard for the fine art of viticulture. To treat natural wine—a craft steeped in the very essence of tradition and nature; an art form as hallowed as the most skilful demonstrations of theatre or poetry—as mere fodder for social ploys is to spit in the faces of the vintners who have worked so tirelessly day and night to master their art. Do you scoff in such a disrespectful manner at artists of the literary craft as well?

Wine, particularly of the natural variety, deserves far more than to be relegated to a mere conversational strategy determined by the fleeting whims of attraction. I daresay such a sentiment is as egregious as it is perplexing.

Natural wine, you see, is not—as some might deign to tell you—simply fermented grape juice. It is a symphony of organic processes, untouched by the manipulating and sordid hand of capitalistic greed. Each bottle tells a story of a year's weather; the soil's mood; the vine's trials and triumphs. It grants us a moment of clarity, a sliver of insight into the rich world of the artist who crafted their work with such effervescent passion; the vintner who toiled with such unerring respect for the raw beauty of his source material! To drink natural wine is to commune with the very grape itself; to taste the terroir as nature intended. It is a spiritual experience as much as it is a gratifying experience of the flesh itself.

And so, to your strategy of using such a profound subject as mere social leverage: it is, I assert with considerable distress, akin to using Shakespeare's sonnets to prop open a door. Yes, one might argue it serves a function; but at what cost, I ask? At what cost?

wine for idiots

WHITE WINE

if you want to make a wine person very unhappy, say that a white wine they like "is giving me a little green bell pepper?"

RED WINE

honestly the only two questions you need to start credibly talking about red wine are "does it taste like red fruits (strawberry/cherry/raspberry) or black fruits (blackberry/plum)?" and "does it taste oaky (i.e. gently sweet and earthy in a way youd associate with coffee or chocolate or warming spices)

if its a fancy dry wine (not a dessert wine, not port, manischewitz or markovic) dont say "sweet," say "juicy"

FIZZY WINE

if its red and fizzy its probably a lambrusco

if youre drinking champagne talk about the "minerality," even chalk notes if youre feeling gutsy. you dont have to taste it just say it

ORANGE WINE

this is very trendy. youre gonna want to talk about its "funkiness." if you use the term "gym socks" at the right time you will get a round of laughs or at least knowing nods. if you see shmutz in the bottom dont worry about it.

MISC

if you want a wine person to talk for a while and not ask you any questions just ask them how they feel about natural wine. theyll go on for a little and you can decide to agree or disagree based on how hot they are

[canisvesperus]

Making wine is fun but wtf do I do with this shit when it’s done

[risingscorchingsuns]

hey friends!! sorry i’ve not been around much lately!! my life has changed SO much in the last month ish and ive been so insanely fucking busy lmfao. rest assured im still batshit insane about demon slayer I’ve just had less time than id like to yap about it 🥺🥺

but anyway!!! leon life updates!!!

i’m back in school! ive moved states back to my university, and im in my junior year towards my degree in wine and enology! I’ve also got a full time internship job- grape harvest is here! I’m gonna be working five-ish days a week for the majority of the season, on top of school, so I’m… a bit busy. Lmfao. im working at a local winery doing grape crush and other winemaking work!! im super excited and its so much fun! also the pay is good which is a huge bonus

i have a boyfriend now!!! two of them, actually!!!! you guys have probably seen me being an insane gay fag towards @photographicapparitions, but i havent actually said anything official lmfao. but i love them and i want to brag about them so!! those are my boyfriends!!!!! idia shroud and tengen uzui of the arcadian butterfly collective you guys are my moon and stars!!!! i love you!!!!!! 🫶‼️‼️‼️ they are both wonderful and amazing and i am so insanely lucky 💕

AND FINALLY!! IVE GOT A SURGERY UPDATE!!!!! this December over Christmas break, i officially have my MALS corrective surgery!!! they’re gonna fix me guys!!!!!!!! its gonna be a hell of a process and i am frankly not looking forward to having to get an epidural but!!! hopefully it will be worth it, and i get a sick ass scar to boot!!!

i hope you guys are all well!!!!!!! sorry for not responding to pings or asks, i ran out of my adhd meds and theres a national shortage so I can’t get a refill so im more than a little scatterbrained rn lmfaooo

set your heart ablaze!! love yall! ❤️‍🔥🪲

[thoughts-reasons]

One year today | For K Pt 2

Nature Girl | Nature Boy

[thedansemacabres]

The Wine Industry for Dionysians: French-American Grapes

THE WINE WORLD is almost as paradoxical and complex as Dionysus himself—the industry is a constant pull of old and new, tradition against modernity, and the complexity of art and science. In the centre of this is the debate of French-American vitis hybrids, as products of science for the modern wine industry. These hybrids are a new shoot in the wine industry, as they not only possess the disease tolerance indigenous American grapes do—but also the ability to stand the brunt of frozen winters and climates inhospitable to Vitis Vinifera. Since I am almost halfway done with my degree of Viticulture and Enology, I thought I should begin to share my knowledge of the art and science with other devotees.

As Dionysians, his realm of vines and enology is ours to explore. The wine industry is always adapting and growing—developing new trends and new styles of wine. From this comes new trendy grapes and wines that may or may not last on consumer’s palettes. That is why the wine industry often is afraid to branch out—new may outcompete the old and wine-making is a risky business. 

HISTORICAL SUMMARY 

French-American hybrids are called French-American as they are usually produced in France or from French cultivars with American grape species. Many hybrids were simply named with numbers, however many now have common names that are usually French. Every year new hybrids are developed with the hopes of a grape worth gold.

In the mid 1800s, due to colonial trade with Europe, settlers brought along pests endemic to North America such as phylloxera (Daktulosphaira vitifoliae) and powdery mildew (Uncinula necator) to Europe. This devastated Europe’s wine industry as Vitis Vinifera had no resistance to the imported pests. In an attempt to save the wine industry, viticulturists began to cross North American grapes with European vines. The first hybrids of these programs created by breeders like Seibel, Couderc, Kuhlmann and Bertille Seyve were widely planted across Europe, however wine quality was considered disappointing when compared with the traditional European cultivars. Modern French-American hybrids that possess some sense of recognition these days have a flavour profile similar to V. Vinifera.

Ever since, hybrids continue to be developed and breed to produce higher quality wine grapes with the desirable traits of American and European grapes.

ABOUT FRENCH-AMERICAN HYBRIDS

In my venture to become a viticulturist, in my heart has grown a passion for these hybrid vines. My current place of residence is within the high, cold mountains that have a special peculiarity to allow grapes to grow. The harsher weathers are shielded by the even grander peaks of the greater mountains and warm-winds trail through the craigs. Yet, vitis vinifera—the European grape—still struggles to grow due to foreign climates. As one example, since my town’s last freeze, the appeal of cold-hardy French-American grapes has grown. 

For those who are unfamiliar, grapevines are under the species Vitis; possessing two subgenera, Euvitis and Muscadinia. Euvitis subgenus are the bunch grapes and Muscadinia are the muscadine loose cluster grapes. The majority of Vitis species are from North America, with others being naturalised to Europe (V. Vinifera, the most commonly used species for wine, originating within West Asia) and Eastern-Central Asia (V. Amurensis). 

Some red wine French-American hybrid grapes include:

Baco Noir, a hybrid of Folle blanche and V. Riparia., is known for low tannin content contrasted with deep pigments and good acid balance. Wine flavour is described as “Rhone-style” or “Beaujolais-style”.

Chambourcin, a hybrid with no known parentage and considered the ‘king’ of the hybrid grapes. Produces a dark fuschia red wine with strong aromatics that may be made dry or with residual sugars from fermentation. Chambourcin is a very versatile grape, as it can produce rosé, Beaujolais, or other styles, and medium-to-full-bodied, fairly complex wines, or ports.

Chancellor, a hybrid made from Seibel 5163 and Seibel 880. Chancellor is mostly used to produce a varietal wine with notes of plum and cedar, or used in red blends.

Chelois, a cross between Seibel 5163 and Seibel 5593 with mixed American grape ancestry. While it is likely best for blends, the wine possesses medium-bodied, fruity wines with notes of berry, leather, and earthy aromas.

Concord, thought to be an accidental hybrid between V. Labrusca and V. Vinifera. A common and well-beloved base to grape juice, jellies, or other ‘grape’ flavour products. Many kosher wines are made with Concord grapes, though little-used elsewhere due to most of the market considering the “foxy” flavour of American grapes to be undesirable. 

De Chaunac, a hybrid of V. labrusca, V. lincecumii, V. riparia, V. rupestris, and V. vinifera. The berries are loose and blue-black. Produces an intensely coloured wine, though the croppage continues to decrease over the years.

Frontenac, a loose-berried cross between Landot 4511 and V. riparia 89. Known for its cold hardiness, this hybrid can be made into ports, blends, and reds. As a wine, it is known for its deep-colour adorned with cherry, blackberry, black currant, and plum notes.

Marechal Foch, known for its intense deep purple hue, a light- to medium mouthfeel, and dark berry fruit flavours, Marechal Foch exhibits some Burgundian characteristics. Some tasters find that the similarities to Burgundy’s Pinot Noir develop with age.

Norton, also called Cynthiana, is an American hybrid from Virginia of V. aestivalis with small clusters of blue-black berries. The wine made from Norton grapes is very versatile, including spicy, fruity (ranging from “foxy” V. labrusca to raspberry character), black pepper, tobacco, and chocolate flavours/aromas. Wines have intense colour density and can be used in varietal wines, including port style, but is also blended with other red wines.

Some common white wine French-American hybrid grapes include:

Caguya White, a hybrid of Seyval and Schuyler with greenish-yellow berries. Cayuga White wine is versatile, as it can be made into semi-sweet wines emphasising the fruity aromas as well as dry, less fruity wine with some ageing in oak. When fruit is harvested early, it can ferment into a lovely sparkling wine with good acidity, good structure, and pleasant aromas. The wine is reminiscent of many German Vitis Vinifera grapes. 

Chardonel, a large-clustered grape hybrid of Seyval and Chardonnay. Chardonel is typically produced as a varietal wine and is finished dry to semidry. Chardonel displays characteristics of its parents, king of the whites Chardonnay and Seyval, yet may also possess a high alcohol content. Chardonel also has the potential for fine-quality, dry still wines produced with barrel fermentation and/or barrel ageing. Chardonel is also used as a base for sparkling wines. The wines made from Chardonel have the fruit aroma characteristics of both parents, making it appealing to more European wine tastes. 

Delaware, a hybrid grape that was found in the United States within a New Jersey garden and then propagated in Delaware, Ohio. The grapes of this hybrid are used as a prized sparkling or dessert wine. 

Diamond, thought to be a cross between Concord and Iona, a V. labrusca and V. vinifera hybrid. Diamond suffers a small yet prized market similar to Concord or Niagara, but it can be made into dry table wines and sparkling blends.

Niagara, essentially the white wine version of Concord. The wines produced from Niagara possess a strong American “foxy” flavour and are usually finished semi-sweet, but can also be made into dessert wines such as cream and dry sherry. Similar to Concord, it may also be used for a white non-alcoholic grape juice. 

Seyval Blanc, or known as simply Seyval, is an adaptable variety that can be finished fresh and dry, barrel-fermented with malolactic fermentation, sur lie aged (aged the spent yeast cells), or made into sparkling wines. Wine from Seyval Blanc has appealing aromas of grass, hay, and melon, though the body tends to be thin. Others describe the wine as clean and fresh, similar to Sauvignon Blanc. 

Traminette, a lovely cross of Joannes Seyve 23-416 and the German white grape Gewürztraminer. Generally, hold strong spice and floral aromas, a full structure, and long aftertaste. The wine can be made dry or sweet but is usually finished with some residual sweetness. Varietal descriptions include floral, spicy, perfume, and lavender, with some similarity to Gewürztraminer.

Vidal Blanc, a loose-clustered vine with greenish-white fruit along with pronounced, noticeable dark lenticels at fruit maturity. Vidal Blanc is a cross between Ugni blanc and Seibel 4986 and is typically grown as a varietal wine. Akin to Chardonnay, Vidal blanc is versatile and may be used to make a variety of wine styles, from off-dry Germanic-style wines similar to Rieslings, sparkling wine base wines, dry barrel-fermented table wines, and complex Burgundy-style wines. Varietal taste descriptors for vidal blanc include melon, pineapple, lead pencil (I have no clue what this means), pears, and figs. Vidal Blanc has also been used to create late-harvest-style wines and ice wines.

Vignoles, born from a cross between Siebel 6905 and Pinot de Corton. Vignoles is frequently harvested for dessert wines, especially when picked late and overripe in the growing season. The wines from ripe fruit have tropical fruit, citrus-like, and pineapple flavours. Vignoles may produce many different styles of wine, including dry, barrel-fermented, sur lie aged wine, and sparkling base wines. 

ENDING THOUGHTS

The modern wine world is dominated by almost the same 12 cultivars, which I find to not only be limiting but also horrid: thousands of cultivars and wine-making styles are under the threat of being out competed by the likes of the classic Chardonnay and Merlot. As a devotee of loud-roaring Dionysus, I find myself wishing to explore more of his realm—which means discovering new wines and strange grapes, all paradoxical just as he is. If you can drink, I would recommend adventuring off into the likes of rare cultivars and hybrids—after all, we tend to discover more when life is a bit unfamiliar. 

Bibliography

Goldammer, T. (2015). The Grape Grower’s Handbook: A Guide to Viticulture for Wine Production.

Wine Grape Production Guide for Eastern North America. (2008). Natural Resource Agriculture and Engineering Service (Nraes).

Further Reading:

Wilson, J. (2018). Godforsaken Grapes: A Slightly Tipsy Journey through the World of Strange, Obscure, and Underappreciated Wine. Abrams.

[rabbitcruiser]

Louis M. Martini Winery, St. Helena (No. 6)

1977

Upon graduation from the wine program at the University of California, Davis, Mike Martini takes over as winemaker.

1994

The Louis P. Martini endowment for Viticulture and Enological Research is established at UC Davis.

2002

The Gallo winemaking family, close friends of the Martini family for three generations, purchases the winery and vineyards.

2003

Cellar No. 254, an artisan winery, is completed at the Louis M. Martini Winery site in St. Helena to focus on small-lot productions.

2008

Louis P. Martini is inducted into the Vintner’s Hall of Fame as a “Pioneer,” recognized for his significant contributions to the California wine industry.

2013

Michael Eddy, who spent a decade under the tutelage of Mike Martini, is named winemaker. He is the first non-Martini family member in history to hold the title.

2017

2013 Lot No. 1 Cabernet Sauvignon awarded a perfect 100-point score by Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate.

2019

A significant restoration of the original winery is completed, introducing an array of world-class tasting and culinary experiences.

Source

[useless-catalanfacts]

Sitges, Penedès, Catalonia. Vineyards in autumn.

These vineyards grow a special grape variety used to make malvasia, an aromatic sweet white wine typical from the city of Sitges.

According to legend, a Sitgetan man called Jofre brought the first vines of this variety from the Adriatic coast in the Middle Ages. He participated in the defence of Sicily under the orders of Roger de Llúria (c.1245-1305), and it was there where he first discovered how this drink was made by the friars in a Greek city-monastery called Malvasia, thought to be modern-day Monemvasia.

After centuries of cultivation in Sitges, nowadays malvasia is considered Sitges's most genuine product. It can only be purchased bottled in the town's wine cellars. The most renowned one is Sant Joan Baptista Hospital's cellar, which you can see in the photo.

Photo by Centre d'interpretació de la Malvasia.

[andfrozenswims]

you can go to school for wine???

yes!!!! you can either attend specialized schools that train you to work as a sommelier in a restaurant, or you can do what i'm doing and attend a university for viticulture (grapevine agriculture) and enology (wine making), which is a bachelors of science that primes you for winery and vineyard work. the degree is somewhat regional since its only offered in universities with nearby wine regions. cool stuff!!!!

[generalluxun]

Fanfiction: Reciprocation Chapter 7

Author's note: welcome to act 2! In which, Felix turns his attention from the magical to the mundane, and finds it no less taxing.

As usual link to the AO3 where it's also posted in the bio, full text after the break.

“Sweetings, you are brooding.” His mother’s voice was a gentle invitation.

Felix looked up from his book. In a change, he’d chosen to study out in the living room tonight. He hadn’t spent enough time thinking about the ramifications, he was experimenting. His mother was ever observant, he should have known better.

“I am studying, Mother.” he lied.

She came fully into the living room, away from the stool perch in the kitchen she normally occupied. Held between her fingers were the glossy pages of a magazine. “You’ve been at that page for the last ten minutes, Goldflower. You don’t take that long with anything.”

Verbal sparring with his mother was a losing battle. “It is simply an off day, am I not allowed to be tired, Mother?”

She sat on the couch by his chair, snugged up against the end closest to him and leaning on the armrest to be closer. “Eight at night, my Sol? If you are tired, then you are not sleeping well, and that too is cause for concern.”

Losing, perhaps already lost. Felix tried silence, it might work, if she was herself tired.

She was not. Amilie folded the magazine in her lap as she spoke in sing-song. “You’ve reclaimed the peacock. Your life is your own. You have your cousin’s ring. His life is in your hands; good hands I know. We are free from my parents. We are free from the past. You may pursue anything you wish, and I have more than enough money to back you wherever you go. Tell me then, my Tomorrow, what has put those lines in your brow?”

Defeated, twice over now, or he would not have lost this round. Felix closed the book on Enology and held it in his lap as his mother held her magazine. He opened his mouth to speak and no words came out. He closed it again. They shared a concerned look. He began a new -nothing.

His mother smiled gently. “Does it have to do with cologne?”

Felix looked away, then dropped his gaze to his lap. “It does, but also no, Mother. I remain my own, that has not changed.”

“But something has, and it troubles you. My brother in law did not trouble you in this way. I may not have birthed you, my Joy, but I am still your mother. I don’t know as many things as you, but the things I do know may surprise you still.”

She was right, she was right and Felix hated that she was right. In the fullness of time, with room to consider, he had hardened against his weakness. He could not strangle the voice though, now that it had awakened. He could bury it under logic and reason but the muffled whispers would not be silenced.

Felix thought maybe he could put her as off balance as he felt. “It’s the Bourgeois woman, Mother.”

"Audrey?" Amilie's voice rose in shock.

Felix shot his mother a look. "The other one."

"Oh." Amilie raised a hand to cover her mouth, "Oh!"

Felix could feel the smile she was hiding. "No, Mother."

She dropped her hand, the smile remained. "Of course, Light."

Felix looked back down, speaking his thoughts out loud to save himself future probings, "She seems to have dropped her obsession with my cousin, and has been… not unpleasant. She was integral to my plan to recover my autonomy. There is… a connection."

Amilié's voice was gentle. "Of course there is."

Felix shot her another sharp look. "Mother!"

Amilie spread her hands, they very statue of maternal innocence. "You will make connections in life, and now is the perfect time to begin. Think of how you would view it happening to someone else."

Felix did. Connections made one stronger, as long as they were properly managed, but that did not sit right. Felix threw another stone in the pond. "She is a human."

"Is that the worst of her faults?"

"You don't even like the Bourgeois."

"I don't have to."

Felix was on the back foot. He had one last defense. He fixed his mother with a level gaze. "This will not result in what you want."

As soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted them. But for her earnest desire, I would not exist. That his mother pinned her own forsaken hope on a next generation was no secret. He saw his words hit home, wounding her in the most intimate of ways. She pressed her hands together, wearing a face she had worn many times for his father. "What I want is my son to be happy."

Felix looked down again, wounded too in his own haste. "I'm sorry to be a disappointment."

"Never!" She was off the couch and holding him before she finished the word. Felix endured it as a form of punishment. His mother drew back just enough to look down into his eyes. "Never, my Son. You could never disappoint me. Understand?"

Her tone brooked no argument. "Yes, Mother."

She let him go and relief poured in. Amilie stooped to pick up her magazine. "Even with our worlds so far apart, I can offer you this much at least: experiment. Your world will grow, and rapidly now. You will not be in two years who you are now. Nor the same two more after that. Some parts will be constant, I have no doubt, but do not look solely to your past to face your future."

She turned back to him, curling the magazine in her hands. Those soft eyes turned sharp and Felix knew at this moment she was being mother and not mommie.

"Be free, Felix. Do not submit to what anyone expects of you, not even yourself."

Free. The peacock pricked under his vest where Felix had pinned it. "Yes, Mother."

-----------

Felix: I hope you are well.

Chloé: pfftt! 🤣🤣🤣🙄

Felix:What on earth?

Chloé: That was so corny! Okay okay, let me answer you: I. Am. Fine. beepboop

Felix: Insufferable woman! I spent time on that!

Felix had enough time to glower at his phone, wonder where her response was, and feel cheated. He set his phone down and mentally switched gears. He had a full course assessment coming up in one of his Pre-Law classes. His phone buzzed not five minutes into the review, but Felix purposefully and pointedly ignored it for the other twenty five. Sadly he finished the review realizing he had retained almost nothing from those twenty five.

Chloé: ugh. you really did, didn’t you? Alright, sorry, I’m fine. It’s boring here lately. Almost no Hawkmoth attacks in the last week.

Felix was gobsmacked.

Felix:Excuse me, what was that you said?

Chloé:What? No Hawkmoth? Is that wrong? He can’t still be Shadowmoth now, right?

Felix:Not that triviality. I do believe I have on record the first physical proof of Chloé Bourgeois saying she is sorry.

Chloé: Oh just leave it alone! God, it’s hard enough to type to some British guy hundreds of kilometers away when he’s not being an ass about it. If you make it a thing I won’t do it again!

Felix chuckled to himself.

Felix:Then, my apologies too. I acknowledge your effort. Boring sounds like it may be a blessing in this case. You can focus on your schoolwork and extracurriculars without Hawkmoth’s interference. 

It was another few minutes before an answer came, just long enough for Felix to dwell and wonder. He did not like the experience.

Chloé: I had to look up like two of those words. Why can’t you talk normal? Why would I want to focus on schoolwork? It’s going to be enough of a problem as it is. Sabrina’s gone, so no one is doing my work. I might be able to get Lila to do it, but she’s not around that often. If this keeps up we’ll have to hire someone!

She wasn’t making sense….

Felix: Hire someone? You mean a tutor? What subjects are you feeling behind on?

This was something Felix’s talents were well suited towards. That he might be able to help caused a strange ticklish warmth to flicker within.

Chloé:Tutor? I already have a teacher who talks at me for hours a day, why would I want another one? I meant someone to do the work my teacher assigns! There’s so much of it.

Felix: Group education does place an emphasis on repetition and regurgitation. Still, you should be able to manage it on your own, you haven’t entered anything truly challenging yet.

More minutes passed. Felix reread his text and words popped out at him as troublesome. He could just imagine Chloé’s face screwed up in concentration while she typed out the words in an online dictionary. It made the time pass faster.

Chloé: Whatever, smartypants. I’m sure I could do it if I wanted to, but I don’t! I shouldn’t have to. I’m rich! Poor people work!

There were many angles of attack to such a statement. He tried her main weak point: Ego.

Felix: Look at it as a chance to prove how much better you are. I’ve found it quite satisfying, myself.

Chloé: I shouldn’t have to prove anything! I’m rich! That’s proof enough.

Felix hummed, then blinked. He’d never emitted such an unguarded admission of indecision before.

Felix: I know plenty of very useless rich people. My uncle is rich and he’s the least of creatures to crawl upon this earth as far as I am concerned. Money doesn’t make you better. All it does is open opportunities for you to improve and demonstrate your worth.

He frowned, hesitated, then hit send. Something about this conversation was turning the warmth into unease. The images of the person he held in his head and the person who he was texting were diverging.

Chloé: Worth? Worth! Ridiculous! I’m worth more than all of them put together! I’ll show you I have worth, you stupid British gremlin! You’ll see!

That was… unexpected. Felix turned it over in his head and a very real fear struck him. Was she mad enough for the butterfly? Would she let herself be turned? He had an entire message written out before pausing then deleting it. Would asking if she was in trouble push her further?

He felt seconds ticking by as he considered new angles of attack. Was she sitting and stewing waiting on him? This form of communication left much to be desired. He tapped out a quick reply.

Felix: Chloé, you are not required to prove anything to me in particular.

More waiting, anticipation turning to dread.

Chloé: Apparently I am! And if stupid schoolwork is all you care about then I'll workschool it better than even nerdy Max! Now excuse me I need to go fix my makeup and then waste a bunch of time on an idiot!

It was as if she was speaking some peculiar dialect Felix couldn’t piece together. He itched to reply, but the phrase ‘now excuse me’ seemed to indicate she was done with the conversation. He let it go, it was past time for his workout in any event.

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

Today was plyometrics and cardio. The first portion went well. He was keenly focused on pushing his body to the limit. His drive had increased rather than ebbing in the wake of securing his freedom. One minor inconvenience: he had not yet found a comfortable way to wear the brooch on his person in exercise clothing. The little voice unhelpfully supplied, She probably knows jewelry, all about it. You could ask.

From that point on he was stuck, ruined for focus. At the end of every set his thoughts drifted to wondering when the next trip to Paris might be, seeking some excuse to make it sooner rather than later. By the time he was pulling himself from the complex’s indoor pool at the end of his cardio, his mind had betrayed him to the point there was some hallucinatory glee bubbling in his veins. I can just pop over tonight-

Reality asserted itself. No, he couldn’t. He didn’t have a reason to. Even if he did, she was in Paris. Even if she wasn’t, Why am I thinking about this?! Felix scrubbed his hair viciously with his towel then dropped it back on the pool chair, realizing as he did that his phone was vibrating under his robe.

Felix pulled it out and flipped it over just as it tripped over a missed call; 37 missed calls, all from her. He was already making his way into contacts when his phone lit up again. He stabbed pick up with his heart inexplicably in his throat.

“Hello?”

“H-H-hic-how do I do-do ma-aath?” She was sobbing.

Extreme annoyance bloomed, then thankfully, a self-correction. Felix answered in a neutral tone. “What?”

“Hic- Math! Stupid pointless, ugly, ridiculous math! s-s-sa-Sabrina always did it. It can’t be that hard, but it’s not working!”

Felix’s heart was still settling, and not from the workout. He picked up his towel and robe in one hand, exiting the pool area while still dripping. “Calm down. What math? What are you trying to do?”

“Math! What kinds are there? It’s numbers, and none of it makes sense! I’m smart, I should be able to do math! Don’t laugh at me!”

Felix hadn’t laughed, he hadn’t even thought to laugh, but her words were slurring together and flowing freely. The familiar layer of discomfort at such a display laid on him like a blanket, but this time nestled within was a nugget of a different sort. She was in pain, and he would do something.

“Chloé, calm down. I’m moving as quickly as I can.” Felix jabbed the elevator call, but seeing it on the eighth floor he pushed into the stairs and began the ascent on already burning legs.

The echoes of his feet must have carried over the phone. “Felix? Where are you? What’s going on?” At least it snapped her out of her frenzy.

“I’m moving somewhere more productive. Aquamathematics is not a field I expect to take off.” The explanation cost him a burning in his chest.

“Felix! Now is not the time for big words!” her voice was still thick, but at least it ended with a singular laugh.

"Hold on, Chloé, I'm coming."

It was ten more flights to the penthouse. There was a real possibility he would have made it faster if he had waited for the elevator. If nothing else he would not have staggered breathless into his room. But for the first time Felix was subject to the very thing he had mocked in others as foolishness. The need to be doing something. Efficiency didn't matter -unthinkable- effort did.

"Video…call…my laptop…" he panted as he dropped into a chair. A quick wipe took renewed sweat off his hands, face, and forearms before he booted it up.

The video call icon lit up almost immediately. Chloé's face started equal parts confused and pained, but rapidly morphed into surprise, followed by forced and obvious neutrality. "What is going on, Felix?"

Felix slowed his breathing, rested his elbows on his desk, and folded his hands. He set his chin atop them and said calmly. “Show me your problem.”

Chloé cycled between elation, hesitation, and renewed hope. She lifted a worksheet and turned it to face him, pointing at the problem, “It’s so stupid! They misspelled Cousin. What’s this seven doing down here? This isn’t even a number or a letter, and if the whole thing equals 3 what am I supposed to do? It’s already done!”

Felix squinted at the equation through the videofeed. “It’s a Trigonometry problem.”

Chloé flopped back in her seat. “You mean Ms. Bustier gave me the wrong work? It’s supposed to be math.”

“Chloé, it is math.”

She looked between him and the paper, something akin to fear creeping across her face. “What- no. Math doesn’t look like this. The other things didn’t look like this. See?” She jabbed another problem with a finger.

This time Felix took a moment to absorb. What was obvious was clearly not all there was. The sheet was effectively, if simply, laid out. Each problem fed into some part of the next. Felix’s eyes tracked upwards. “Chloé, number two, what are you doing there?”

She turned the sheet back to look at it. Then spoke in the sort of perfect enunciation people have when they are both very certain and worried they are suddenly very wrong. “It’s multiplying, Felix. That’s eleven times seven.”

She’d written out 11+11, added it, then 22+11, and repeat. Suspicion began to take root. Felix scanned some of her other -wrong- work. He grabbed a pen and paper and scribbled a quick basic equation. “Here, can you do this?”

She frowned at the paper. “That’s a fraction, Felix. Twenty Fourths.”

“Right, can you simplify it?”

“It’s one fraction. How much simpler can it be?”

“Chloé, you divide it out. Divide twenty by 4. You can do that, right?”

Chloé snatched her own sheet back to her chest. “Of course I can!” She turned and began scribbling on the back of the paper.

Felix could hear her penstrokes. He knew when it had begun to take far too long, even for showing work. She worked diligently though and when she turned the paper back to him she announced proudly, “Five!”

On the paper was the real story though. She had written it out:

4+4=8 II

8+4=12 I

12+4=16 |

16+4=20 |

IIIII 5

She wasn’t wrong, but… “Chloé- how- that’s how you learned to do division?”

She wilted under his disbelief. “Why was I ever going to need division anyway? Who wants to have less of something?”

Disbelief crumbled in the face of evidence. “Chloé, how long was Sabrina doing your homework?”

She wilted further, turning the page back to herself. “It’s right… it’s right, isn’t it? I did it right!” her voice rose to a panic. “I’m not stupid!”

Felix dropped his head into one hand. “The term is uneducated, and apparently so. Although a deficiency this egregious being overlooked is clearly not entirely your own fault. It is a failure on a shocking number of levels.”

“I did it!” her voice rose in sudden shriek. Felix heard the sound of paper tearing. “I did your stupid homework, and all you do is make fun of me with big words. If you want to call me stupid you should just say it! I can’t believe- I should have known better with your stupid Adrien game all the time!”

Felix looked up just in time to see the camera’s view swirl and bounce crazily. “No wait, Chloé don’t!”

The scream that came from the speakers made him fear for the worst, but one last swirl of motion before the camera showed a brief arc of the ceiling then the image almost blacked out. Almost-but not quite. Felix could make out the edge of a keyboard, a red patterned comforter. Wedged up under her pillows…

Felix could make out faint sounds. Distant and with a lousy built-in microphone. He still had a hunch what they were. He didn’t like them, for more than one reason now.  Felix picked up his phone. His call was answered surprisingly fast, but only blubbering greeted him on the other end. He waited for it to abate.

When it failed to, he said simply, “You are not stupid.”

A powerful unladylike sniffle, some coughing, and more horrid sounds were his answer.

“You’re foolish, naive, gullible, short-tempered, ignorant, unreasonably cruel at times, and apparently uneducated, but you are not stupid.”

That got a bitter laugh, “Fuck you, Felix. You suck at this.”

He returned the laugh. “I do. You are also surprising, observant, and unexpectedly loyal.” He hesitated. The voice had words, but he hadn’t parsed them and they were… alarming.  He spoke them anyway. “There is likely more to that list. I haven’t had time to study those aspects much. I- would like to.”

“Really? I mean-” A large sniffle and her affected tone returned, “Of course you would, after all I-” A sigh and it dropped, “No, I can’t do it right now. I- Really?”

“Apparently.”

The picture on his laptop shifted and spun again, opening up into a messy-faced Chloé, “You really suck at this.”

Felix hung up his phone and addressed the screen. “Let us be clear, I am not even sure what this is. My personal tastes…”

“Yeah, I know. I figured that part out, didn’t I?” She was still wiping at her makeup with her hands, not improving matters. “A girl can dream though, can’t she?”

There was too much built up. Felix had been running through the conversation without his usual buffer for emotions. He needed to unpack and analyze. He tried shifting to a different topic. “I could help you with your studies. I will not do your work, but I can organize some kind of a lesson plan you have clearly lacked.”

Chloé flopped on her bed on screen. A muffled, “Oh, so dreamy,” came back to him.

“Do you want my help or not?”

She raised up on her elbows and stared at him through the screen for a long moment, then looked back down at her comforter. “I’ll get sick of it and stop if I have to do it on my own.”

“Then I will see to it. I’ll have to come back to ask you more about what you have and haven’t actually learned. It will… probably not be pleasant for you.”

Her voice was desperately small when she asked, “Let me take you to dinner?”

A thousand warning bells went off. He tried to placate them. “Nothing… cozy.”

“It’s a deal.”

Felix felt like he had just made it through the narrows under the mansion for the first time, all over again. He sat back, glad her eyes were not on the screen. “Until then. I suppose we could start with multiplication and division.”

Her head came up fast. “Start with?”

“Memorization. Let’s see what you can do without paper and work from there. This is an assessment, not a test. We are here to stretch your mind. You take Ballet. Stretch your body at the same time if you like, combining mental and physical stimulation can aid in retention.”

She flopped back down again, but pulled herself up. “I’m going to hate this.”

“Probably.”

“If I’m going to stretch, can I use my phone?”

“Of course.”

The next two hours passed… uniquely. Running someone his age through basic math exercises was never something Felix expected to do. Chloé was dismal, there was no denying that. She was easily distracted, woefully unpracticed, and he could sense the simmering urge to shout her way through it all lurking just beneath the surface.

Somehow, that last observation took on a different meaning as time wore on.

She got better, slightly. Feiix caught her cheating when he shifted to things she couldn’t use her fingers to count on, but he didn’t bother to expose the subterfuge. He moved around his room, waved off his mother’s curious inquiry from his door, and ended up laying on his bed until a glance at the time reminded him just how long this had gone on.

“I need to be going.”

Chloé let out a small grunt of effort then a sigh of relaxation. “Good, I was running out of stretches.”

There was a curious hindbrain response to that statement. Something else for him to sort through. “You kept going longer than I expected.”

“Maybe I just never had a good teacher before.”

“I would not doubt that, but thank you.”

“So… mind turning the camera on for a minute before you go?”

Confusion was answered with ‘Seems harmless’ by the voice. Felix turned on the video call feature and held the phone at arm’s length while he lay on his back.

Chloé’s face appeared. She leaned in close to the camera, one large blue eye filling his screen. “I thought so.”

“Thought so?”

“Just a little reward to myself for being good.”

Felix raised a brow. “What are you talking about, woman?”

She held her phone further back and raised a hand to circle a finger at him. “Nothing, nothing, just… wear something different to dinner, okay? Good night Felix!”

With that the call ended, and Felix looked down at himself. Oh of all the-

He was still wearing only his swimming trunks from the pool.

[sabriyekaplan]

'Little girl gone, got a gun from a gangsta'

Basic info:

Name: Sabriye Kaplan (pronounced "Sahbree-yah")

Age: 31

Astrological sign: Libra sun, Capricorn moon, Libra rising

Pets: Black Morgan mare named Sable

Education level: Masters in Viticulture and Enology (winemaking)

Previous occupation: Partial winery owner

Sexuality: bisexual/biromantic (tragically leans more towards men)

Positive traits: caring, hardworking, honest

Negative traits: withdrawn, tactless, neurotic

Bio:

Sabriye Kaplan was born one humid October night to Emir and Sanem Kaplan after years of struggling to conceive in Ithaca, NY. They lived a considerably comfortable life together on Sanem's Cornell professor salary along with Emir's data analyst salary. Where they couldn't give Sabriye any siblings, she lived in a house full of love nonetheless, albeit a lonely one. Emir and Sanem's solution was giving her pets to keep her company, including access to a barn for horses. 

Despite their busy schedules, they had a strong emphasis on education. Sabriye was expected to make top grades while every second of her time was filled with clubs. After all, Emir and Sanem could feel better about their schedules if Sabriye was equally busy. She graduated top of her class a year early and was expected to attend Cornell that fall like her mother before her. 

Upon her graduation from Cornell with a degree in Viticulture and Enology, Sabriye said goodbye to Ithaca and moved to Virginia to open a winery with a friend. "In Vino Veritas" was born. While it wasn't the most lucrative career, she found she settled in well. When they decided to open a barn for vineyard tours, her focus shifted to that aspect of the business and she was reminded of her lifelong love for animals. 

The news of the outbreak had reached the winery and Sabriye was left scrambling. Her parents weren't answering their phones and it was likely she lost them. Most places were being looted, if not being taken over outright. Within a few days, the city was taken over by infected and looters. Sabriye was forced to leave with her horse and her car with whatever she could fit. She found a home in the Roanoke commune for a few years, even establishing relationships. When the head of the Roanoke council was bitten, the entire system fell apart and Sabriye was one of the few lucky to get out alive. 

Redwood was the next closest area, though it was nearly a full day's ride. Sabriye made it shortly before nightfall. It was only meant to be someplace to stay long enough to get supplies to make it to Ithaca, yet she ended up staying longer. It very quickly became her new home.

Connection ideas:

Someone she knew from her other compounds

A neighbor

Someone she helps at the farm

Friends

A FWB she has simply for human contact. Not necessarily romantic, but purely because they both need touch.

Friends she had from her other compounds

[yachtchartergal]

The Cuisine Aboard 62' Yacht Charter Catamaran Selene in Greece

Our compliments to the Chef! Featuring: Chef George Kazantzis aboard 62’ Catamaran Selene! We wanted to honor his fantastic work in the galley while we were onboard the yacht with this special video. Gathering friends at the table with laughter and bountiful family-style meals that are perfectly seasoned with a deft hand via years of experience is Chef's goal. George is DELTA’S head of the culinary arts department and was born in Toronto, Canada. He started his career at the Ossawippi Express Train fine dining restaurant. He has instructed a number of seminars such as fish filleting, and modern Greek cuisine, managed as a chef kitchens around the city of Athens and attended a number of seminars furthering his knowledge such as enology, bartending, HACCP applying, and Sous Vide technics. Chef George is part of a well-oiled team including Capt. Theo Giannisis and the very capable Deckhand/ Steward-George Kourtoglou. They have a few weeks available from now until October! To see a live booking calendar, visit the “Rates” link below! Sleeps 10 Guests in 5 Ensuite Queen CabinsOnline brochure and Rates: https://bit.ly/SailSelene#yachtcharter #yachtchartershow #catamarancharter #greece #yachting #vacation #sailing #greekcuisine #chef #Cheflife