An Unmarked Bottle

Saturday, May 24, 2014 2 No tags 0

Sometimes everything decides to break at the same time. That time is right now and one of those things is my camera. It’s off to Canon for however many weeks it takes for them to figure out what’s wrong, fix it and take my money. Sometimes a winemaker leaves you an unmarked bottle of wine and a handwritten note asking you to taste it and let him know what you think. That time is right now and that winemaker is Michael Christian of Los Pilares in San Diego. Then your day feels not as bad and you go to a potluck with friends and drink that wine and take photos with your phone.

los pilares muscat

The wine? 2013 Los Pilares LaDona Sparkling Muscat. Everyone at the party was curious about this dark bottle of mystery, so we popped the top immediately. It was a hit! Delicious and drinkable and perfect for our al fresco situation with heaps of fried chicken. If you’d like to know more about the wine, this is what Michael wrote in his sweet note. Kind of sums it up better than I could’ve…

“Sustainably grown by an Italo-America-Indian family on the reservation near Valley Center in San Diego County. Foot-stomped and left to ferment naturally on the stems and skins for 72 hours. Pressed. Set aside some of the partially femented must in a refrigerator to retard fermentation. When dry in tank, blend and bottle under crown cap. Not disgorged. Superbly drinkable. Ginger, lime, orange blossom, hint of bitter/sour tannins balancing barely detectable R.S. (No SO2) 30 cases.”

in the glass

So if you thought that wine from San Diego sounds like a bad idea, think again. Mkay?

Hangover Hydration

Sunday, May 18, 2014 3 No tags 0

Monday mornings for me are all about getting my body back on track. Because we all know that on the weekends one can stray from the virtuous path of kale and coconut water. Like get lost somewhere 30 miles off the freeway kind of stray. So, at the beginning of the week I like (and need) to reset, energize and hydrate. LOTS of hydration necessary.

hangover

I don’t own a juicer. I also don’t want to buy a gazillion pounds of veggies and fruit every week to make juice. I recently discovered Aloha, which is green juice in powder form. I honestly thought it was gonna be gross, but I find it surprisingly mellow and drinkable.  I can pop one in my purse on the go and add it to any beverage I want. I prefer to just use water, but it’s a great addition to a smoothie too. I really like the company, how they operate, and the ingredients used. And I was not paid to say any of those things. I’ve also been drinking a giant glass of room temp lemon water every morning before I do anything else. I think this will remain a permanent fixture in my daily routine. It wakes me up and get things moving.

FYI – I must mention that I am obsessed with Zico chocolate coconut water. It’s the only thing I like to chug when I am super hungover. That and a liter of sparkling water and I’m golden. Wait. That and a liter of sparkling water and a cheeseburger. Thanks.

Garlic Knot

The garlic knot to end all garlic knots. I found it. I ate it. My fingers were covered in olive oil and my mouth coated in the aroma of what could have easily been a hundred roasted garlic cloves tucked inside the doughy goodness. I was an animal. I did it for the food.

GARLIC KNOT!

rosanna

brovia trio

Where did I eat this amazing creation? Milo & Olive. The staff at Domaine LA headed there for one of the handful of dinners we have each year together. It did not disappoint. Neither did the wine. Read the full post here to see what was in our glass.