Open-Minded Wine Fans Unite

I try not to be too picky about wines. That way I can venture out and still enjoy the various vintages that cross my path. But I admit to a few favorites -- both wines and winemakers. Take Vince Tofanelli (pictured here) and his Zinfandel, for instance. It's killer. Vince advises us to pair it with any tomato-based dish. Also a slice of home-made chocolate cake. Wow.


Tofanelli is a tiny Napa winery with really old Italian grapevines.
Wines cost about $35 and you have to order them. So they are a special treat -- but without a trace of snob appeal. I have no problem storing them right next to my inexpensive red table wine from the winery down the street. All enjoyed in good fun.
Cheers.

Bicycles Keep Us Young

I like to think that to stay young, it really helps to have a Bike you don't have to lock and a Dog that you do have to walk.

The "beater" bike is probably secondhand and can be replaced at the Goodwill for a the price of a bottle of wine. That means you take it anywhere at the drop of a hat and don't worry about it. Soon, it becoming easier than driving for your daily errands.

As for Dogs, well, if you have a young pup you know what I mean. You will get your exercise no matter what the weather or you will have a very, very messy house. In my case, I seem to have both. How does that work?

And now, a new dimension. Young people think riding around on a bike is cool. Better than a car. Indeed the local hipster hotel H2 offers patrons a low-tech, high-design bike to find all the best cafes and wine bars. Their parents are the ones driving around town in the pricey sport cars.

I have to digest this, but in the meantime, check out this vending machine for energy drinks that takes cycle power instead of coins.

Oh yeah, my wine/food tip for August. A deep Syrah with BBQ chicken and pulled pork. Followed with great chunks of melon......cheers

Joan

Nuts and Wine Fight Fat: Who Knew?

They say that moderation is the best approach. Well, guess what, when it comes to food and health it is not. Which is kind of a bummer when it applies to my love for potato chips and french fries.

Some people adore ice cream, but for me it's chips. And the evidence is in: they are really awful for you, in even small amounts. It figures.Potato chips and fries lead to more weight gain per serving than any other food, according to the most comprehensive and detailed study of its kind.

Yogurt, on the other hand, is the opposite. Each extra daily serving prevented 0.82 lbs. of weight. And as we expect, the more daily servings we eat of fruits, vegetables, nuts and whole grains, the less weight we gain as we get older. Here's how the Harvard Medical prof who led the study puts it: "Conventional diet wisdom recommends 'everything in moderation,' with a focus only on total calories consumed. But, in reality, the types of food and beverages that you consume is strongly linked to weight gain." Cola, for instance, is out.

Here are the details.

So it's nuts and fruit instead of chips -- which are a tastier trade anyway. And definitely wine instead of sugary lemonade or soda. My favorite for an evening on the porch with friends after a bike ride: Mixed nuts and cherries with an exotic deep-red Charbono wine from Tofanelli. We can feel decadent, while our hapless and stubborn pals are off counting calories per french fry. Tomorrow -- after they read this -- maybe they'll join us.

cheers,

Joan

My Ode to Trader Joe's

Good food has lousy shelf life. That means to cook fresh food and drink wine at home regularly means you have to go shopping a lot. Even if -- like me -- you think going to stores is not recreation, but a big pain in the butt. To cope, I think of my shopping excursions as conversations between me and the market. "Hey, this looks good," or "Here's a good deal for you," it tells me. "Whatever," I yawn.

Hence, I offer this question: If Whole Foods and Trader Joe's were people, who would you want to hang out with?

My answer is Trader Joe's, hands down. I think that place is made for non-shoppers like me who love a bargain and a story. It's the only chain in these parts that is almost as interesting as my favorite neighborhood markets.

Why? They screen what they offer me, to weed out the crap (First-rate fish, peanut butter, bananas, chocolate, etc.) And they make it easy and cheap to eat healthy -- without lecturing or scaring me about bad ingredients. Plus the wine selection gives us tons of choice for everyday Porch wine, including tasty, local brands. Pity they don't have a tasting room.

In all, Trader Joe's feels like a worldly, practical, witty pal. While Whole Foods, in contrast, seems a bit snobby, judgmental, humorless -- more of a friend to upscale nesters rather than to scrappy explorers.

With exercise, the trick is to find something you love to do and do it often. Same with stores, I guess. Your favorites?

Now, if TJ's was only within bike distance from my home......

Romance in Red

I’m sorry, but I’m not really a fan of baby showers and wedding showers –although I think weddings are lovely, babies are lovable and steamy showers are great anywhere. As a result, I’m always looking for alternatives to the traditional female-only shower. For some dear friends’ impending nuptials I clearly needed a plan. It had to be at night – my favorite time — had to go with red wine, since we already had a lot of that, and had to lend itself to pictures. It was a memorable season for everyone involved, and both bride and groom love the spotlight, so photos/video seemed obvious.

This is our idea: feel free to steal all or part.
A Spanish Tapas party. Semi-dressy, for adults, with party-goers encouraged to wear red, white or black and to bring a tapa (Spanish appetizer). It was tomato season, so the food also turned out to be largely red, white and black (thanks to the olives). The food table was stunning and the men looked outstanding in black dress shirts, especially near twinkly lights and romantic candles. The women in their red lipstick and black-and-white cocktail dresses couldn’t possibly be the same pals in jeans at coffee that morning, could they?

Foodwise, the Spanish potato omelete (or ‘tortilla’) was the real score of the evening, as were the heirloom tomatoes with fresh basil, Spanish cheese, olives and capers. I link below to some simple recipes.
Some rich, energetic Pinot Noirs and Zinfandels were the backdrop for the fun. Flamenco music and tunes from the Gipsy Kings and a local duo (the Seydlers, very steamy) provided the sounds.

In all, it was a creative and unexpected shift from the Italian, Mexican and California gatherings that Wine Country is known for. Bride, groom, family and friends were feted and photographed in a striking fashion. Memories were made.
And I got out of another shower.

Here’s links for tapas:
http://spanishfood.about.com/od/tapas/a/toptapas.htm

http://www.essortment.com/all/tapasrecipes_ruym.htm

Links for music
http://www.amazon.com/Masters-Flamenco-Guitar-Various-Artists/dp/B000005HA9/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1257137111&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.com/Very-Best-Gipsy-Kings/dp/B0009U5DD0/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1257137250&sr=1-5

http://www.amazon.com/Along-Path-Steven-Seydler/dp/B000031KAA

cheers,
Joan

Voodoo Magic

I bet you assume I spend much of my time reading and writing. You’d be wrong. Mostly what I do is sweep. Actually sweep, mop and vacuum. Blame it on Voodoo-the-dog, a black dalmatian-mix who sheds like you can’t believe; Waldo-the-cat, who is huge and fuzzy; and a family fixation for renovating furniture, gadgets, barbecues, decks and whatever. My light-colored floors ALWAYS need work.

But get this—over time I’ve found the sweeping motion has become a therapy for a back and shoulders aching from the computer crouch. Plus, the Cajun jazz I play during the task (in honor of Voodoo) seems to refresh my buzzing mind. How ironic, that I used to pay a housekeeper to come every week to do the exercise that is helping me keep flexible. Now I can spend that housekeeping money on more projects and building materials that make even a bigger mess—Yikes!

But lots of projects also mean plenty of topics to hash over during leisurely suppers with wine on the refurbished porch or the new deck. (“What is the easiest way to paint that vintage medicine chest after we knock a hole in the wall to install it?”) It’s best if a sizable part of the supper comes from our raised-bed garden – another project. Swiss chard is my latest garden success. Stir-fried with garlic and strips of lean pork, (or a new local hit, Morningstar’s fake bacon.) Cook the fleshy stems first, then add the leaves at the end. Great tossed with angel hair pasta – or Asian bean threads. Sprinkle some chopped walnuts or peanuts on top as you serve it. My old fave, Cabernet is a worthy foil to the chard’s peppery flavor and the sweeter pork. Or if Cabs are too assertive, maybe a polite Pinot Noir that dances around the edges. If you are using just a little meat for flavor, try a sparking white or sparkling dry rose to balance out the chard’s strong character. Enjoy in good health.

BTW, what is up with the odd little ads on this blog? Maybe it’s because I don’t stick to a particular genre, but Google doesn’t seem to know what to do with the “Grape”. Ads pop up for all manner of things -- from a crane accident lawyer in NY, to a broker who sells restaurants to a distributor of rabbit repellent. The funnier ones tend to be at the very bottom of the blog—scroll down. Who knows, maybe this time I’ll get a New Orleans pig farmer. Cheers.

Frugal is Cool?

Hey, did you hear alcohol in the home is a big trend for this recession? Hello Wine Country BBQs. Also big are vintage clothes and durable, non-disposable stuff (that is also more green). Sure, recessions are hell. We are all working more for less. But on another level, it’s like being young (and thrifty) again. Less shopping, more socializing. Frugal is back to being cool.

In our household we try to figure out every possible way to make travel cheaper – so we are still on the move despite the cash crunch. For gifts for our hosts we bring along some good boutique wines, with good stories. Or we ship them ahead of us, even better. A consistent winner is Davis Family wine around the corner from our home office, made by winemaker-baseball fan Guy Davis, the Dodgers foe who travels the world for wine. His Pinot and Zinfandels rock. Other friends do the same with local cheeses or microbrews. All are good beginnings for parties with faraway pals when we are on the road.

Speaking of core values (friends and food) brings to mind exercising our cores, which is modernspeak for our midsections. Walking, cycling and lifting heavy things don’t do it. Pilates does, but is a bit specialized and your need the outfits. Here’s my tip. After hours on the computer, stand up and stretch a bit. Then lay flat on the floor with your feet up on your chair and your arms outstretched. Add some jazz. After you wake up (it’s veeery relaxing), try some simple crunches. With feet still up, slowly lift your head and chest up straight and then go back down. Next, cross your legs and turn from side to side as you lift. It’s a start -- there are lots of other easy core exercises, including this one from my sister, the pro: http://www.karenvoight.com/articles/article.asp?id=372
cheers,
Joan

Rosemary and Lemons

We’re happily watching as the rain soaks our town – and floods the backyard garden patches that I’ve been diligently ignoring – and I’m wondering how my pooch and I are going to get enough exercise. But when we do manage to get out on short, soggy walks I’m struck by how well the lemon trees and rosemary are thriving in the older neighborhoods. It’s not just me. An arty couple we know from Nebraska (yes, I know it sounds like a contradiction) bought and fixed up a Healdsburg cottage as a winter respite from the snow. They planted the entire backyard with a few patches of lawn and a stunning design of lemon trees and rosemary bushes. Talk about low maintenance art.

In that spirit, I’ve been cooking a lot lately with lemon, rosemary and Savignon Blanc—soups, stews, rice. My favorite is simple roasted chicken or game hens with lemons slices and sprigs of rosemary in the cavity, tucked under the wings and legs and mixed with potatoes in the roasting pan. Splashed with wine before, during and after the cooking. Served with a generous glass of Sauv Blanc or Fume Blanc, local greens, apple slices and sourdough. Anyone could do it.

But back to the exercise problem. Here’s two tricks that help. First, I rented a documentary from NetFlix about the history of Broadway musicals. Now, it’s easy—and interesting—to get up and move to the tunes while I learn about Fanny Brice and George M. Cohan. Probably any film about music would work as well. Second, for those boring (but important) floor exercises and stretches, I go for sensual over the practical. A fluffy white sheepskin on the floor in front of a crackling fire in a dim room – makes all the difference in the world.
My pooch is on her own.
Cheers, Joan

A Merlot Kind of Week

Am I the only one who is a nervous wreck here? What with the failing banks and the cartwheeling Dow and a presidential race focused on the little people---named Sarah and Joe and George. Big ideas and steely judgement would be more helpful than fussing about plumbers I think. (I know plumbers and they are a godsend , but they're not going to fix these problems.) Does anyone notice how much the Feds look and sound just like they did during the other disaster --the one called Katrina.

But I digress. As I write this I'm enjoying a pleasant affordable Merlot, which is getting better as it breathes--and I type. Merlot is not a challenging Zin or a subtle Pinot Noir, but that's okay. I'm less in the mood for sophisticated flavors right now --and more for a calm, mellow, unexciting wine (or a stiff drink with many olives). Perhaps you feel the same.

Did I mention that my most extravagant spendthrift friends are hiring someone to teach them how to grow vegetables in their new garden patch? They don't cook, they didn't even have a garden patch 'til last week, but they are growing their own food, for god's sake. Times must be tough. Anyway, a friendly Merlot may not be trendy, but it's pretty good with garden veggies tossed on the grill with a bit of olive oil and garlic. Also, that puts me in a mood for soups with late harvest tomatoes, white Italian beans, seasoned with bay leaves from the local Laurel trees. All of which goes beautifully with delightfully boring Merlot.

And, as you know, sitting does not help stress. So go look at the moon on a walk after dinner and do some restful stretches when you turn off the laptop. Some of the best moves are stretching your arms high and behind your back and bending your neck back and forth (do it now!) Even better is putting each leg up on a chair and slowly bending over --to get at that tight hamstring. Do it a few times after you've had a shower or been moving around. It releases some serious tension.
Just like a bit of inexpensive Merlot.
Cheers.

Is it Coffee or Is It Wine?

The election news is swirling around us and the coffeehouse is one of the better places to get out of the fray and try to make sense of America's fascination with the latest new shiny object, er political figure, er puppet. And coffee can be almost as controversial as politics in our town--and maybe in yours. The issues here are: does pressed coffee preserve the flavor of the beans better than the old way of brewing, and are blends of beans secondrate compared to using only one type of bean. In other words, should we start treating coffee like wine?
It seems like a 50-50 split here, with about half the locals in favor of blended, traditionally brewed java and the others preferring their presses. As for me, I want robust dark coffee that is easy to get and costs less than $2 a mug, because I buy a lot and I'm not very patient in the morning. Pressed is fine, but make it strong and do it quickly. Please.
If coffee cafes want to be like wine bars, then I say go all the way--offer a selection and let people taste and pick what they want. And have an express line for the grumpy folks.
Oh yeah...the fitness tip this week: Take care of your feet because sore feet (like sore backs) can stop you cold. Handy trick from "Runner's World" magazine is to gently pull your toes back toward your shin with your hands. It feels really good after a brisk walk and you can do it a few times every day. Reward yourself with a bit of Port before bed.

Tomato Central

The garden tomatoes have hit town. Folks are eating as many of the homegrown beauties as they can--and now are giving away bagfuls at coffee. When you want to use a lot of tomatoes while preserving their vineripe flavor, here's a local trick:
Chop up a bunch of tomatoes, garlic and fresh basil. Put tomatoes in three equal piles, with the sweetest tomatoes in pile #3.
Saute the first pile of toms and most of the garlic in a skillet with a little pre-heated olive oil.
After a few moments (garlic is browned) add second pile of toms. Cook for about a minute.
Turn OFF the heat. Add pile #3 of toms, the basil and the rest of garlic. Toss and wait for a few minutes. Add salt, red pepper flakes, grated hard cheese if you wish.
So some toms are cooked and some are raw. Tastes like heaven. Can put on pasta, sourdough bread, polenta or anything.
Enjoy it with some Pinot Grigio, or my preference, Sauvignon Blanc.

This week's fitness tip comes from my sister Karen. Do your hips sometimes hurt? Yeah, I thought so.
Whenever you can, sit cross-legged on the floor. Even better, put your hands on the floor, palms down, right behind you. That's it. So simple even Dave could do it.
It stretches out the tightness from walking, biking, sitting on a chair and just living.
Cheers.

Welcome to Harvest

The wine pros in our world are getting ready for harvest and a nervous buzz is in the air. Towns with music in the park are planning their last performance of the year next week and some kids are already in school. And it's hot, hot, hot. Dry rose wines are suddenly in demand to go with all the fruit, nuts and light meals full of greens and slices of succulent pork.
Our exercise of choice: the second-hand, three-speed bike you can use for errands (and to save gas). No need to lock them up--who would steal 'em? Plus hiking in hilly areas at sunset is a must.
The vegetable gardens are also coming in and I'll report on that soon......How about your August favorites?