by whitney on August 29, 2010
I often like to think of a wine beyond the sometimes limiting vocabulary of “the tasting note.” When I’m tasting a new wine and trying to remember what it’s like, I tend to jot down notes of colors or moods. Or clothes. I daydream about what I would wear while drinking that wine or what the physical embodiment of that wine might be. I thought it would be fun for a moment to share with you the pictures I’ve captured in my brain for some of the wines in my cellar. The following is a lookbook. A lookbook of wines. Alternately, wine through the lens of fashion… if I wanna get real serious with it.
2009 Domaine Sainte Lucie MiP Cotes du Provence Rosé
Edmunds St. John Heart of Gold (vermentino/grenache blanc), El Dorado County
2005 Hidden Ridge Sonoma County cabernet sauvignon
Model: Bianca de Blancheblanc (Agency: Winehemina). Hair and Makeup: Invisi Jones for Headless Salon. Wardrobe: Polyvore
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If you want to see some other unorthodox wine tasting notes/match-ups, you can check out my experiment in Reality TV wine pairing as well as a look at 3 women’s impressions of the same wine here.
And one last beauty shot of the punt of the MiP. Just ’cause.
by whitney on August 20, 2010
Last week, I had the pleasure of meeting a few guys whose work I’ve been admiring for a few months now.
Meet Josh McFadden and Phillip Muzzy. They are the founders and super talented brains behind Proof Wine Collective based out of San Luis Obispo. In their own words:
Proof Wine Collective is a collaboration that emerged to create an unequaled atmosphere for new ideas about wine. It exists to nurture innovation, fuse thinking with enthusiasm to develop original concepts until they become tangible creations. Proof is comprised of an eclectic group of creative individuals who want to make the wine industry better and who have built their lives around wine. They have come to this place from varied backgrounds including winemaking, print production, graphic arts, journalism, wine sales and restaurant and sommelier experience.
So, basically they’re cool and they design kick ass labels. I always think it’s so unfortunate when there’s a really great wine inside a really crappy package. Not so when Proof has anything to do with it. They realize that a lot of consumers buy wine based on label alone. Which is sad, but true; us humans are superficial. Like people, we judge our wine on outside appearance first. Sometimes never getting beyond a bad label to see the “beauty within.” It’s great when there is a marriage between the image and artistic representation of a wine and the wine itself. Proof achieves this. A few of my favorite Proof labels….
Keep up the good work boys!
All photos courtesy of Proof Wine Collective
by whitney on August 12, 2010
What’s For Sipper? returns for its 2nd installment with my dear friend and fellow Kentuckian Dean Fisher! She left sunny LA last year for the arctic circle that is Chicago (I kid…sort of) and I’ve been missing her something awful. And her ability to throw a stunning party on the fly and redecorate my entire apartment. Without further ado…
Name: Dean Fisher of My Little Apartment
Hometown: Lexington, KY. Current City: Chicago, IL
Favorite summer beverage: My first instinct is to say a Pimm’s Cup (I prefer mine mixed with champagne or sparkling lemonade- or both- then filled with sliced strawberries, cucumber, and torn mint). Then again, I’m also a big fan of shandies. And summer is probably the best time for a good rosé– We’ve been drinking a lot of the Meinklang Prosa 2009 Rosé from Austria. Oh, and have you had that sweet tea vodka? Just sayin’…
Favorite cocktail or spirit: Lately I’ve really been enjoying a classic Manhattan. My boyfriend makes them better than anyone and it’s the perfect nightcap.
Favorite place to grab a drink: Living in Chicago, there are TONS of great bars…but I can probably narrow it down to a couple of favorites. The number one spot goes to The Whistler, hands down. Paul McGee is a bartending genius and his drinks are always perfect, the atmosphere is just right, and the bar is small inside with a patio out back. I also like Big Star’s “La Paloma” (el jimador, grapefruit, lime, mexican fresca), and The Rainbo is an old standby for cheap beers. When I’m in LA it’s El Prado or Footsies and in Lexington I like Sidecar or Jonathan’s.
Favorite toast: Sourdough. (haha)
Favorite post-dinner quaff: This is really a better question for my boyfriend. He loves port wines and digestifs….After dinner I generally just want more wine. Or tequila shots.
Favorite food & beverage pairing: This is a TOUGH ONE. Seriously, I have to pick a favorite? Oh man. Um…I mean, an amazing cheese plate with unique accoutrements is kinda one of my most favorite things ever. I’ve been really digging on rosés this summer (and last…and the summer before that), and find that a great rosé/stinky cheese paring can have very interesting results. I also love weird meats with a super nose-y, spicy pinot noir or pinotage. Like oxtail or rabbit pate or beef marrow. Oh! And thanks to Whitney, I love a good Lambrusco with a thin-crust pizza. But really? I just love food. And drinks. [editor's note: word.]
and last but not least…
What’s for Sipper? I’m actually planning on taking a night off from imbibing, but last night I tried out a couple of rando bottles I picked up at Jewel. I went to my friends’ house to attempt pizza-grilling and brought along a prosecco (don’t remember the brand) and Frenchhouse 2008 Syrah. The prosecco was okay- the bubbles were nice, but it tasted a little vitamin-y to me. The Syrah was great and paired so nicely with the pizza! I’d definitely buy it again! PS: grilled pizzas are awesome.
by whitney on August 4, 2010
I wanted to take a moment to honor the fine specimens of my refrigerator, cupboard and bar; my favorite items with which I could not live without. Seriously. I would perish. So, I decided to stage a photo shoot in my kitchen…because that’s what people do on a Wednesday afternoon.
Item 1: My Ice-O-Mat, found at a thrift store in Echo Park. It takes regular old ice and crushes the crap out of it. Therefore creating my favorite kind of ice experience. The crushed kind. I don’t have a fancy schmancy in-door ice maker like some….so, this will have to do. And in my humble opinion, it’s way cooler anyway.
Item 2 (and 3): My old standby- Aperol. Good buddy old pal. When would not be a good time for an Aperol spritz? Never. Case closed. And a new love- Dolin white vermouth. It’s “sweet,” not dry and is heavenly in a gin martini but also great on it’s own as an aperitif over ice with an orange twist.
Items 4 (and 5 & 6): Bitters! An essential for any bar to add complexity and well…a bitter note to a cocktail. I happen to be in love with the Aztec chocolate (used in my coco devereaux) and the rhubarb (used in my old smashioned.)
Items 7 & 8: If you aren’t new to the blog you’ve definitely seen the bottle on the left. Many times. It may be getting old at this point, but I don’t care. Bulleit bourbon is awesome (as evidenced by the almost empty bottle.) The little guy on the right should be illegal it’s so sinfully good. These Luxardo cherries are the perfect addition to a Manhattan. I’ve even infused them into the bourbon before to excellent results.
Item 9: Light agave nectar (aka the nectar of the gods.) I adore this stuff and use it ALL the time. Not only for cooking, but to sweeten cocktails. It is super light and not cloying. It gives a fuller, more rounded feel than granulated sugar but a more delicate touch than honey or molasses. And it is wonderful when wanting to make an infused simple syrup. (Item 9a: Mister Cow the creamer- from all the way out in Charleston, SC. Thanks Mom!)
Item 10: I just might be cuckoo for coco. Vita Coco coconut water is always in my fridge and it’s surprisingly good in fruit based cocktails and punch. Highly. Recommended.
I simply remember my favorite things….And then I don’t feeeeeel so bad.
