The Like List (20 Things that don?t suck)

I’m fond of a quote from comedian Patton Oswalt where he suggests, “Pointing out that stuff sucks is not edgy or dangerous anymore.  Everyone knows what sucks. What’s better is to find the stuff that’s amazing and hold it up.”  With that in mind, here is a random assortment of things that I’ve been enjoying recently because they don’t suck—some are wine-related, others not so much.

Sean Minor 2010 Vin Gris.  All of Sean Minor’s wines are a terrific value.  This Vin Gris is no exception and the perfect spring wine.

This version of Little Ole Wine Drinker Me (Dean Martin classic) by Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers

image

Enameled Good Grape soda signs from the 1930s and 40s.  A seller on eBay plucked money out of my pocket for the sign pictured above.  So far, I’ve resisted buying another one (link).

My wife went to the UK last month and brought back Chunky Kit Kat’s and Cadbury Dairy Milk Turkish Delight Bars, amongst other treats.  The Kit Kat is good, but the Turkish Delight bar was otherworldy and a match made in Heaven for a nice Port.

Terry Theise Estate Selections 2010 catalog.  If you haven’t read it yet, you do need to – the most enjoyable catalog reading you’ll do this year. Though, like a regular consumer catalog it might incent you to spend money you didn’t plan on.

Meta-irony t-shirts like this one (link).  Based on the “Mc” in McDonald’s, co-opted by a movie, licensed back from the restaurant and then sold to the consumer.  I bought mine for $10 at Target – at least I’m aware of the consumer con.
 
It’s allergy season.  God bless Zyrtec and Allegra and Claritin and Alavert and …

The live cam of an eagle’s nest in Iowa and its three just-hatched baby eagles.
 
Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution on ABC. Season two is in LA and it picks up some of the hackneyed dramatic elements from season one (Huntington, WV) and Jamie’s efforts to bring quality food into the school system.  Despite some of the overwrought production, I really admire Oliver who did create real, lasting change in the UK before coming state side for the reality show.  It’s more than lip service to Oliver and anybody that cares about food would find this show educational and entertaining.

Trader Joe’s buttermilk pancake mix – fluffy, light, and yummy.  Add real maple syrup, and a whisper of some bacon-flavored Torani syrup (cane sugar, no HFCS) and you’re all set for breakfast.

Cedar raised bed garden frames from The Farmstead.  My wife and I have four of these.  Sturdy and dead simple to set-up, these raised beds offer an inordinate amount of inexpensive joy when you pluck a tomato from your vine in August.

Tumbleweed pottery chicken roaster. A bit more refined than the beer can chicken apparatus you mind find elsewhere, using this roaster with a whole organic chicken, a little butter and herbes de Provence and an hour and ½ in a 350 degree oven and dinner is deliciously served.

Real Wine.  This is the third time I’ve read this book, first published in 2000.  It serves as a gentle grounding element for the natural wine movement that seems to be so breathlessly au courant today.  Read it while drinking a Lioco Pinot or Chardonnay or something from Donkey & Goat.

Shamanism.  I was raised Catholic and married a Jew.  While spiritually grounded, I am adrift from organized religion, and I’ve been doing a round robin exploration of religion for a couple of years, mostly eastern thought.  Shamanism has my attention now.  While the Biodynamic and Western religion connection is oft-cited, Shamanism is the one religion that believes that plants have a spirit.  Reading up on this is a fascinating punch in the gut to prevailing wisdom.

Notre Dame football. Saturday, April 16th is Notre Dame’s spring football scrimmage.  Only 4.5 months until football season!

Cooper’s Hawk Winery and Restaurant.  According to my server on a recent Wednesday, this small chain of restaurants based in the ‘burbs of Chicago with one additional location in Indianapolis is now the largest wine club in the U.S. with 25,000 members.  I’ve found the food and service to be good and the wines very uneven.  Yet, to be fair, Cooper’s Hawk is designed to be accessibly upscale and it hits a broad market that is wine interested, but not necessarily wine inclined.  On that measure, I have to give them kudos for helping build a wine culture in the Midwest.

Drinking Paisano-style.  I love to drink my wine at home with a decidedly down-to-earth bent.  Forget the Riedel.  Get some glass coffee mugs and an old-school carafe.

Sacre Bleu wine.  Owner Galen Struwe could write a Harvard case study on the challenges of the wine business, particularly for those coming from outside of the industry.  Yet, after a couple of years of progress and experimentation, his Chilean juice is selling like hotcakes at Central Market in Texas and he’s poised to expand in a big way.  Galen is a good guy and I always like to see the good guys succeed.

Online wine-related videos:  Paso Wine Man’s newest video.  Jordan online videos—always incredibly well-done from Lisa Mattson.

Wine retailers who place the responsibility of receipt of wine packages on consumers and ship nearly everywhere, including Indiana which is technically a no-ship state.  I’m not tattling on whom, specifically, but I’m grateful that this occurs; at least that’s what my neighbor told me.  Ahem.

Source: http://goodgrape.com/index.php/site/the_like_list_20_things_that_dont_suck/

Clint Bowyer Zaxby s Chevrolet Brad Keselowski Ruby Tuesday Dodge Carl Edwards

Competition Winners Announced

The winners of the 70th annual Los Angeles International Wine & Spirits Competition were announced today and the list is an impressive one! A box wine, a Scotch whisky, repeat winners (Armida Winery and baseball legend Tommy Lasorda) and so much more! Take a look at the winners here then check out the buzz on [...]

Source: http://blogs.fairplex.com/blog/wine/?p=78

Mark Anthony Martin Jeremy Allan Mayfield James Christopher McMurray Casey James Mears Juan Pablo Montoya

Take your little ones to one of the most luxurious villas of the world

Elounda Villa is located on the shores of Mediterranean Sea and has a private beach. It is only 2 km away from Elounda Fishing Village and 12 km from the town of Aghios Nikolas. The villa is wrapped in luxury at both levels. On the ground level are one master bedroom with a walk-in closet [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/vagablond/ysSN/~3/aZdxf9cpTSk/

Mike Hailwood Mika Häkkinen Bruce Halford Jim Hall Duncan Hamilton

From bottle to box and back to bottle: Inglenook [Coppola]

Francis Ford Coppola is pulling a daring business move: renaming his wine estate after a box wine. Of course, for Inglenook, it wasn’t always that way. The property is one of the oldest in Napa Valley, founded in 1879, and its image was burnished in the middle of the twentieth century by John Daniel who [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/GuSC/~3/llT6KUa6PbY/

Bob Gerard Gerino Gerini Peter Gethin Piercarlo Ghinzani Bruno Giacomelli

25% Off and Grand Tasting at Upper Falls and Post Road Liquors

Upper Falls Liquors in Newton and their sister stores Post Road Liquors in Wayland and Auburndale Wine & Spirits in Newton are offering 25% of 6 or more bottles this weekend (Friday through Sunday March 4 - 6 2011).

On Saturday from 1-4pm at each location is their Grand Tasting. Here?s some High End/Interesting wines that will be open:

  • 2007 Darioush Cab
  • 2006 Frescobaldi Mormoretto
  • 2008 ?Expression? Amity Hills Pinot Noir
  • 2009 Bordeaux
  • 2007 Antica Cab
  • 2007 Li Veli ?Masseria? (Negromaro/Cab)
  • 2007 Montes ?Purple Angel? Carmenere
  • 2007 BV Tapestry
  • 2007 Querciabella Mongrana
  • 2007 Rosenblum ?Rockpile? Zin
Along with like 50 other wines, and food.

Check 'em out:
http://thepostscript.com


Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WellesleyWinePress/~3/CT6oBbfZlbE/25-off-and-grand-tasting-at-upper-falls.html

Piercarlo Ghinzani Bruno Giacomelli Dick Gibson Gimax Richie Ginther

Vintage Class A

For the first time this season, the NASCAR iRacing.com Class A Series went road course racing, in wine country, USA, aka Sonoma.  The ten turn, 1.99 mile Cup configuration of Infinion Raceway challenged online racers in ways they never thought possible, and brought new names to the front. Michael Conti led 50 of the 55 laps en route to winning the top split of the week, setting fast time in the process. Conti is known more as an oval racer, but showed his capabilities on road as he took the dominating win by 55 seconds over Neil Pearson. Kenny Humpe was on the grid, and as always a favorite to win, but was unable to connect and failed to complete a lap. PJ Stergios, Marcus Lindsey and Brad Wright were [...]

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/iracing-news/vintage-class-a/

Mike Hailwood Mika Häkkinen Bruce Halford Jim Hall Duncan Hamilton