Wine around the world

September 1st…heeeeeeellllllooooo!

It’s hard to believe this weekend kicks off college football…I cut the most delicious cantaloupe and strawberries last night. What’s not to love about this time of year…the weather and produce of summer, and the comfort and fun of fall. Ahhhh..

But this weekend, fall will be in full gear with football and week 1 of the Prevention Chili Contest! I can hardly wait!

Zucchini Ricotta Flatbread Pizza from Yum Ventures & Eat, Live, Run

4 pieces of flatbread or flour tortillas
1 cup low fat ricotta cheese
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 1 large zucchinis
1 cup grated 2% mozzarella cheese, shredded
Red pepper flakes to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450° F.

In a bowl, combine the ricotta, garlic, salt and pepper. Mix until thoroughly combined.

Grate the zucchini and dry with a couple of paper towels, removing most of the released moisture.

Put the grated zucchini in a bowl and add the grated mozzarella. Combine well will a little salt and pepper.

Place flatbread on a wire rack or baking sheet. On your flatbread, spread a layer of the ricotta cheese, divided among the 4 flatbread.

Top with a layer of the zucchini, about 3/4 of an inch thick (or again, just separate between pizzas evenly)

Sprinkle zucchini with red pepper flakes.

Bake in the oven for 12 – 15 minutes, or until the edges of your flatbread are crisp and the cheese has begun to golden. Serves 4.

Nutrition Information (per serving): 301 calories; 9.5 g. fat; 35 mg. cholesterol; 829 mg. sodium; 37.5 g. carbohydrate; 1.5 g. fiber; 21.8 g. protein

Result: Delicious! And so simple! These whip together in 5 minutes and only cook for 12-15 — love it! Mr. Prevention and our friend loved them…I will be making again!

It’s my long day today…but I am meeting with 2 local dietitians tonight (over martinis ) to discuss a marketing and business plan to offer nutrition consultation to local endocrinology and nephrology offices! I’m very excited! Here goes nothing!

Question: What’s your dream job? If you were to go to school for something TODAY, what would it be?

I’ve been toying with the idea of going back to school for nursing. There’s online options and I think it’d be great…but I’m just not sure. I don’t want to be an RN in the traditional sense, but I do want to get into management at some point in my career, preferably in diabetes. I think with being an RD -and- an RN…it would be hard not to succeed! Decisions, decisions!

But first things first…squeezing in a run before work after last night’s workout turned into arm curls with a few wings and beer at Buffalo Wild Wings. The things we do for love…*eye roll* Like I said on Facebook last night…our new proximity to Buffalo Wild Wings is nothing short of dangerous!!

3 days til kickoff,

Age UK on Monday brought out a report on malnourishment amongst the elderly in hospitals, and not being fed properly when they are there. The actual press release however talked about nurses thinking that a relative of their own who was malnourished could enter hospital and without this being picked up. This is a different issue of screening on admission rather than not eating properly as an in-patient.  Both are important and highlight the need for greater accountability from nurses themselves and weight to be an outcome indicator, rather that simply ticking the box of having a ‘system’ as referenced by the DH response.

Alcohol consumption is in the headlines today, with alcohol related deaths and admissions rising by 40% (in 10 years to 2009) and 65% (in 5 years) respectively. We don’t think anything is going to improve until prevention and repercussions are taken more seriously. This would include shortening licensing hours, increasing taxes on alcohol, fining repeat offenders notified by either the police or A&E or their parents if they are under 16.

And last week Alasdair Palmer highlighted in the Telegraph that there is an urgent need to sort out the issue of co-payments because even if you have paid for a drug privately, you can only receive it in separately from NHS care, which is often impossible. We’d like to come up with a workable solution, let us know if you’d like to be involved.

The High Road Collection

Those close to e know I’m an avid wine love. Some would call me a wine snob, but alas, what can I do? Comes iwth the territory of liking the finer things. Anywho, my dad is a friend of the guy who started The High Road brand and wines. I’ve tasted the 2005 and 2006 Classique and Reserve Blends and much to my delight, the 2007 Classique arrived just the other day. Don’t you just love getting new wine bottles…nothing holds the promise of a great time like a lovely bottle of red, lol.

So, decided to open the sucker up and I was pleasantly surprised. The 2005 and 2006 were great (the vineyard even got the Investec Winemaker’s Choice Diamond award for their 2006 Reserve) but this was even better..so smooth and so many great discoveries on the palate.. It is a Bordeaux style blend (which means Cab Sauv/Merlot blend – Google further for more info, lol) and so worth the penny for this premium wine. Check them out at The High Road website.

Last week I was invited by my friend to his house to taste a wine I do not have access to, as it is only available to Herzog Wine Club members. The wine is the 2008 Eagles Landing Sauvignon Blanc. Please DO NOT confuse Herzog’s Eagles Landing wines with the Iowan Eagle’s Landing Winery – that is NOT kosher!

Disclaimer – I do NOT work for Herzog, but this question keeps coming up on Daniel Rogov’s forum.

So start of tangent.

What are the Eagles Landing and Waterford Lismore Reserve wines that are popping up here and there? They are wines crafted by Herzog and Joe Hurliman to showcase the winery and give the wine club an air of exclusiveness, as these wines are not available in any other way, other than through the wine club.  The wines are made in limited supply, and according to Jay Buchsbaum of Royal Wines/Herzog:

“Eagles landing is similar to Herzog reserve and Weinstocks cellar select (reserve) wines. Meaning same winemaking (and attention to grape selection) care with perhaps a slight difference and oak treatments etc than the Herzog reserve, without the ‘kosher’ recognizable brand labels. It was created as a direct request of one of our largest distributors, who recognized the, ‘Herzog reserve quality but wanted something that was not recognized as kosher, for non kosher restaurants’ (paraphrasing their words not ours). Voila, Eagles landing was born”.

In full disclosure, the Sauvignon Blanc bottle I tasted had a clear and present OU certification on the back label. I admit this is a bit different from all other Herzog bottles, which have the OU on the front and back. However, the Chardonnay bottle that my friend also received from the wine club, had ZERO kosher certification on the labels, but one was added to the bottle after the labeling was complete. A friend that I respect told me that the most recent Eagles Landing Cabernet Sauvignon was less than exciting, while the Chardonnay was nice. I tasted the Sauvignon Blanc and that was OK, but a bit funky. It is an interesting marketing idea and one that I hope gains some sea legs, as it is about time for Kosher to lose its stigma. The Waterford Lismore Reserve wines were received with a far more warm reception from my friends. I hope to taste these wines one day. Till then I will rely on my friends to keep you all up to date.

End of tangent

We were invited for Friday night to a different friend’s house, so no recipes or other designs. That said, we brought a fun bottle of ELVI Wines Classico from Spain to our friends and they shared an interesting bottle with us as well. Finally (one more), some friends of mine swung by the house and I cracked open a wonderful bottle of the 2004 Yatir Blend. We had this bottle for a fleeting moment at the Carlebach Shabbaton. This time I had more time with the wine. There is no change to report about the initial blush of this wine, but some more data about how it acts after a few more hours. So, it was a nice wine filled weekend and one that I am happy to share with you all.

The wine notes follow below in order they were tasted:

2008 Eagles Landing Sauvignon Blanc – Score: B++
The nose on this straw colored wine starts off with a nasty damp and almost petrol smelling “aroma” that dominates the nose and takes forever to blow off. Once the nose clears up, it has displays kiwi, tart lemon, slight oak, nice butterscotch (from the oak), and a balancing orange peel.  The mouth on this medium bodied wine starts off tart and acidic but rounds out over time. This is not a crisp Sauvignon Blanc, and is not a bottle that will ever travel there. The mouth starts with lemon and kiwi. The mid palate flows into a round-like acidic core with orange peel peeking out from under the acid haze. The finish is long, spicy, and tart with orange peel and slight custard notes. As this wine opens, it shows far more oak extraction. The wine fleshes out with a nice bright, round, spicy, and butterscotch persona. This is not your classic Sauvignon Blanc, but then, this is not a wine that everyone gets to taste, so why not shake it up a bit. Cool.

2007 Elvi Wines Classico, Ribera del Jucar – Score: B+
The nose on this garnet colored wine, which is a blended wine of 87% Tempranillo and 13% Merlot, is ripe with plum, cherry, raspberry, and spice.  The mouth of this medium bodied wine is soft with raspberry, cherry, and plum.  The mid palate is bright with core acidity and a hint of coffee.  The finish is medium long and spicy with more acid, soft tannins, coffee, and pepper/spice. This winery keeps delivering.

PLEASE NOTE – This is the ONLY Mevushal wine from the Elvi Wines group. All other wines from them are not Mevushal.

2003 Kiddush Hashem Syrah – Score: B to B+
This wine has a fair amount of lore, much of it not true. That said, it was a lovely wine some time ago. It is also a wine that the wine maker was still selling on his web site a few months ago. Recently he starting liquidating his stock, and it was a good idea. The bottles are hit and miss. I tasted this wine years ago and it was OK. Three weeks ago I tasted it again, while visiting a friend of mine, and it was felshy, black with ripe blackberry, nice tar, pepper, and licorice. This past week, it was not as good, though the fruit, tar and licorice were present. Still, the wine was unbalanced, off kilter, and trying too hard to make me like it.

2004 Yatir Blend (40% Cabernet, 40% Merlot, 20% Shiraz) – Score: A-
The nose on this dark purple to black colored wine is hopping with coffee to start, mint, dates, crushed herbs, rich oak, blackberry, ripe black plums, and tobacco. The mouth on this full bodied wine is concentrated with fruit that follows the nose, blackberry, ripe black plum, rich oak, along with nicely integrated tannins. The mid palate flows off the mouth with bracing acid, oak, tannin, rich tobacco, and licorice. The finish is long and spicy with ripe plum, oak, and a cloud of tobacco. This is a nice full bodied wine.

"Franky Italy brings classy to hip-hop"

Franky Italy is a young, brilliant, talented rising star who brings brighter lights to the city of Las Vegas.  Franky adds a new color and flavor to hip hop music through striking lyrics and a unforgettable flow and rhythm. He has an old school way of doing new things with a style that’s fresh, hip and new,  yet elegant, nostalgic and classy.

Franky is a very dedicated artist who has created a style all his own. Capturing the essence of the past with a classic style and bringing it up to date with a sound that’s sure to hit the charts.

Franky’s dedication to his music and his work as a filmmaker, speaks for itself in his finished projects. Not only does Franky write and produce his own music and lyrics but he also writes, produces, directs and edits his own music videos and films. Below there is a link to Franky’s debut music video entitled “Lonely”.  Cinematic, captivating and sharp are only a few words to describe Franky’s style of filmmaking. Franky Italy is quickly and stylishly making his way to the top!

WARNING: EXPLICIT LYRICS!

Music video by Franky Italy performing Lonely. (C) 2010 Franky Italy, LLC

For more updates and current news on Franky Italy check out:
frankyitaly.com
myspace.com/frankyitaly
facebook.com/frankyitaly
twitter.com/frankyitaly

Chronic Cellars

My first experience with Chronic Cellars happened many miles from the sprawling vineyards of Paso Robles.  We were up in Mammoth Mountain enjoying a tasty apres snowboarding dinner at a restaurant called Petras Wine Bar & Bistro.  I noticed a white wine on the menu called La Muneca (meaning “the doll”) from Chronic Cellars that was described as having clean acidity with just the right amount of sweetness and notes of tropical fruit, pineapple and peach.  I decided to try a sample and ended up ordering a couple of glasses with my meal.

Chronic Cellars

I knew Chronic Cellars was in Paso Robles.  In fact, we had driven past it many times making funny remarks about the name, never thinking the wine could actually be good.  But after trying La Muneca in Mammoth, I put Chronic on the top of my list for our next wine trip and I’m very glad I did.

Chronic Cellars tasting room

Chronic Cellars rebels against every wine tasting stereotype in the book.  At the tasting room, you’ll find no pretension, no overpriced wines, no corporate-looking decor, and no stuffy tasting room staff.  Brothers and co-owners Jake and Josh Beckett focus on making great wine that is fun, causal and accessible.

Chronic Cellars tasting room

The Beckett brothers came up with the concept of Chronic Cellars in the midst of harvest in 2004.  They had used the term “The Chronic” to describe likable objects before, but had never considered it a suitable descriptor for wine.  They sat alongside the crush pad one evening in wine stained clothes and wet boots laughing about the idea of a wine that targeted a casual lifestyle.

Jake and Josh were raised in the heart of Paso Robles wine country and have always had a deep connection to the art of wine making.  After graduating from college, they joined the team at Peachy Canyon Winery and spent a decade each immersing themselves in all aspects of the wine industry.

Chronic Cellars tasting room

After their time at Peachy Canyon, they decided it was time to try something new and use all the knowledge and tools they gathered over the years to work on their own dream.  They had an undeniable vision and desire to make a statement in the wine industry and took their first step toward Chronic Cellars.  Their dream became reality when their first wines went public in 2008 and they’ve been going strong ever since.

I’ve actually visited Chronic Cellars a few times now and am currently a member of the Connoisseurs wine club.  My most recent visit was a club event to celebrate the release of their summer shipment.  The Chronic Cellars Connoisseurs Club is one of the best wine clubs I’ve seen – 2 shipments of 6 bottles per year with a 30% discount on each shipment plus 30% off all other purchases of wine and merchandise.  It ends up being around $100 for 6 great bottles of wine which really can’t be beat.

Artwork on the walls at Chronic Cellars

Artwork at Chronic Cellars

I decided to pick up my summer shipment at the tasting room and enjoy the little party.  Immediately upon entering, my senses were overwhelmed by the colorful hand-painted Dia De Los Muertos inspired artwork that covered the walls.  Bluegrass music played in the background and I noticed an ever so subtle hint of incense in the air.  Both Beckett brothers were in attendance – 1 pouring wine and 1 manning the grill outside.  It felt a bit more like walking into a comfy living room than your average tasting room.

Wine & cheese at the Connoisseurs' Club summer event

Next we decided to taste the 6 wines they were pouring, each paired with a locally made cheese.  One thing you notice immediately about Chronic Cellars wines are the fantastic wine labels and clever wine names.  The bright-colored labels are drawn by Joe Kalionzes, an amazing artist and good friend of the owners.

While La Muneca was no longer on the tasting list, I was excited to try 2 new whites that took her place.  The first was ’09 Stone Fox (55% Grenache Blanc/28% Roussanne/17% Viognier, $20) which was light, mildly acidic, and full of peach, pear, pineapple, and citrus fruit on the nose and the palate – perfect for a hot day.

Stone Fox was followed by ’09 Sofa King Suite (54% Viognier/46% Albarino, $13.99) which was well-balanced and a bit sweeter with flavors of gummy fruits, candied orange rind and freshly cut peaches.

Wine & cheese at the Connoisseurs' Club summer event

Next was a series of reds.  ’07 Purple Paradise (95% Zinfandel/5% Petit Sirah, $13.99) was full of raspberries, strawberries, white pepper and vanilla.  It was smooth on the palate and great for everyday drinking.  ’06 Dead Nuts Zinfandel (100% Zinfandel, $20) had concentrated flavors of dark fruits and peppery spices.  ’08 Sofa King Bueno (65% Syrah/12% Petit Sirah/11% Grenache/11% Mourvedre, $20) was my favorite with lots of juicy fruits, bing cherries and toasted vanilla.  Finally, ’08 Suite Petit (100% Petit Sirah, $30) was full of concentrated blueberry, blackberry and sweet oak flavors.

Outdoor patio at Chronic Cellars

We left the winery with 6 great bottles of wine and, as usual, smiles on our faces.  Chronic Cellars is truly one of a kind with a unique personality, a casual and welcoming vibe, and a great portfolio of tasty wines that can be enjoyed without feeling like you’ve broken the bank.  I’m already looking forward to picking up my winter shipment…

Click here to visit the Chronic Cellars website.

Am I the only person who has felt like giving up when life gets really tough and you go through these tremendously horrible patches that seem endless…these patches that are so painful and full of suffering, confusion, and frustration that it just makes you doubt everything you have been taught as a child: that God is love; that His love will never leave or forsake us; that His eye is on us every second of every day; does He even know I exist? I know I am not – I know that there are many many of you who will read this and agree that you have experienced the same sadness, sorrow, and loneliness that I am talking about, and yet you have gotten through it and hopefully come out on the other side a more complete, caring, understanding, and believing person that God really IS all those things I mentioned above…that life really does have a way of teaching us lessons, even when they are painful and seemingly take forever to get through.

So the answer is NOT to give up. The great basketball coach Jim Valvano said it best as he struggled with the cancer that consumed his body and eventually took him: “Never give up! Never EVER give up!” Life I suppose is really too short to lay down and say ‘I’m done’ and God certainly doesn’t want us to do that. I still believe that God has a will and a way for every life on this planet - that He has a plan mapped out for each of us, including me, and that we just have to be patient to hold on long enough to wait for Him to show it to us. I’ve been going through one of those times over the last several years and the struggles continue every day for me as I open my eyes and say to myself, ‘Oh no, another day’ when I SHOULD be saying ‘Thank you God for another day to wait upon your promise for me.’ It’s not easy and I’m not alone in this struggle I’m certain.

I wrote last about Nichole Nordeman’s struggle with her own failing marriage and the time she had to take to rebuild it back to where it needed to be. Another of her songs speaks of where I find myself these days. In her comments on this song she says, “I’ve walked into some dark places with some very dear people, and then back into the sunlight. And they, with me. This has been a real honor…Anyway, God really took this time – these big fields of space to show me through all these stories of pain and promise that His love is not at all passive. It is so relentless in its pursuit of our terrified hearts. The love of God will hunt you down until you finally spin around in exasperation and admit how cherished you are. It gives us confidence when comfort is MIA. It gives our stories context and hope when somebody else recklessly rips out a chapter. It fills in the blanks. The love of God hoists us up on the shoulders of Jesus and hollers out the promise of St. Paul, ‘I can do all things through Christ, who gives me strength!’ It scoops us up and makes us brave.” This song is for each of you who also find yourself where I am and have been for some time now. May it encourage, strengthen, and remind you and I that God is ever-present and His love WILL find you, no matter what your circumstances.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89I-g1lbHMs

HOLD ON

It will find you at the bottom of a bottle,

It will find you at the needle’s end;

It will find you when you beg and steal and borrow,

It will follow you into a strangers bed.

It will find you when they serve you with the papers,

It will find you when the locks have changed again;

It will find you when you’ve called in all your favors,

It will  meet you at the bridge’s highest ledge.

So baby don’t look down, it’s a long way,

The sun will come around to a new day.

So hold on, Love will find you,

Hold on, He’s right behind you now,

Just turn around and love will find you.

It will find you when the doctor’s head is shaking,

It will find you in a boardroom, mostly dead;

It will crawl into the foxhole where you’re praying,

It will curl up in your halfway empty bed.

So baby don’t believe that it’s over,

Maybe you can’t see ’round the corner (chorus).

To hang between two thieves in the darkness,

Love must believe you are worth it. You’re worth It!

May your days be filled with the presence of the Lord in all that you do…His love will find you wherever you find yourself in this life. He’s truly right behind you…right there beside you! Believe! blessings, j