Father and Son

My friend Ethan Lindquist and his dad, Bob Lindquist are featured in Wine & Spirits magazine. As I put on my Facebook page, that's what happens when you make great wine!

The labels are "Qupe" and "Ethan"... check them out sometime! Delicious!

Bob and Ethan Lindquist, Wine & Spirits

Happy Weekend!

CJ

Wine and the Beach

When is White Zinfandel ok to drink?

1) if you just happen to like drinking it (who are the VinoGals to tell you otherwise?)

2) when it's in something fruity and delicious like home made White Peach Sangria ....and your toes are in the sand!

(Toes provided by T)

Cheers...and thanks for following!

CJ

Folly Beach!

VinoGal baby Mac with his Daddy..Daddy's enjoying some Cakebread Sauv Blanc but Mac doesn't appear to be impressed.

We're Not in Cali Anymore..

The VinoGals and P-Mac (and little Mac) are headed to the beach this weekend! My task was to come up with a killer beach cocktail, and I have just the thing. I have to admit that I didnt create it, but got it from...wait for it...the menu at Applebee's.

Last summer I had this delicious concoction at the Applebee's in Lexington, NC after a particularly hot river rafting trip. I've been thinking I wanted to make it at home ever since. So tonight at the store I went searching for one of the key ingredients...wait for it again...White Zinfandel!

Yup...this VinoGal had to search for a nice bottle of White Zin at the store tonight. So I went looking and was getting a little worried. All I could find was one label in a very large bottle (think Gallo Jug). But then, I turned the corner in this southern grocery store aisle and this is what presented itself to me:

Ahh... I should never have doubted. You gotta love the South...where they like their tea sweet and their White Zin plentiful. And while I don't think I'll be making White Zin my vino of choice anytime soon ... when you mix it with various fruit juices, vodka and lemon lime sodas, it's about as sweet and charming as the South itself.

Cheers, and thanks for following the VinoGals!

CJ

Drink to Remember

In the Eagles "Hotel California", there is a line which goes "Some dance to remember, some dance to forget". This song was in my head recently and for some reason I had replaced the word "dance" with "drink" (maybe because personally I prefer drinking wine to dancing, who knows?). Anyway, I think in a way it still applies, and the "forgetting" part is true...because the wine that "makes the heart glad" also blocks out some of the things we should be thinking about, the things we should not be forgetting.

There is a famine right now in Somalia. We are all at the mercy of the media, and the pictures coming across on CNN and Fox are heartbreaking. Children should not be dying of starvation or lack of clean water because evil men refuse to let in aid. I have thought about this often the last 2 weeks when I don't finish what's served to me at a restaurant or spend a little more (or anything) on a bottle of wine, and it creates in me a sense of helplessness and even despair.

But there are ways we can help.

This morning, on the Today Show, I saw the story of a little girl named Rachel Beckwith from Washington State. She was 9 years old when she decided to give up having a birthday party and collect donations in order to help fund a program called Charity Water, which brings clean and safe water sources to children in developing nations; places like Somalia. Rachel was an extraordinary little girl with a heart of sacrifice - a 9 year old choosing to forego a party and presents? Rachel's goal for her birthday was to raise $300 for Charity Water, and she came very close.

Unimaginably, shortly after her birthday, Rachel was killed in a car accident.

Since her death, donations have poured into her Charity Water donations page. Local and then national media outlets picked up the story, and to date, this little girl, in her life and in her death, has raised $1,148,120. Yes, that's well over a million dollars...starting with a goal of $300.

Rachel was a beautiful little girl inside and out. She inspires me to want a spirit and a heart as clean and pure as the drinking water she sought for the small friends she would never meet. I think in the suffering we are witnessing, people have grasped onto her story like a lifeline because they want to believe in this kind of goodness.

If Rachel's story touches you, I encourage you to give what you can in her memory.

www.charitywater.org

Thanks,

CJ

Happy Birthday, Dad!

Last Wednesday night, I got to take my Dad and his wife Barbara out for a special birthday dinner just down the street from my place. If you live in Charlotte and you haven't tried Savor Cafe and Catering on West Morehead, check it out sometime.

I describe Savor as "healthy Southern food"...rich, flavorful entrees like Grilled Meatloaf, Sweet Tea Brined Pork Loin, and Sweet Chili Glazed salmon...all without the requisite frying that seems to come with most Southern food. You also CANNOT MISS the Banana Pudding. When it comes to desserts, I usually go for the chocolate (anything), but the Banana Pudding at Savor is one of the most delicious things I have ever tasted.

Anyway...Savor has a corkage fee of $10, so I brought a special bottle of 2007 Rodney Strong Cab that I had purchased in Sonoma in February. It's sourced from a single vineyard, Alden Vineyards, so I thought John Alden (Dad) would enjoy opening it up for his birthday dinner. He did!

So, a nice Cab, and a candle in the Banana Pudding made it a fun, celebratory night for all. Happy Birthday, Dad!

Cheers, and thanks for following the VinoGals!

CJ

Lesson Learned

Note to self: when a wine shop tells you the distributor was just trying to unload wine to them, and then sells it to you for 1/3 the price, there's something wrong with the wine. Bleck!!

"Cheap and Good" Alert!

Good morning Vino crowd!

I found this Trebbiano/ PG blend at Trader Joe's this week. I was not expecting anything special, but I was pleasantly surprised. It's perfect for this summer heat...light and refreshing but with just enough zing to keep it interesting.

Best part...if I recall correctly (I wasn't expecting to post about it!) it costs about 7 bucks. 2010 Vola Trebbiano Pinot Grigio...you just gotta love Trader Joe's!

Cheers...and thanks for following the VinoGals!

CJ