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We started this podcast well over 300 episodes ago. When we started the title was Mulligan Stew Podcast (Music. Film. Food. Wine) Over the months the Pod became more music and film than anything else. Just the way the road leads us. Tasting Room Radio has worked its way back into the mix because of critical dynamics taking place. Cold damaged vineyards,  An agreement between BC Wine Growers and the BC Government to allow the 2024 wines to be grown and harvested in Washinton, Oregon and California. BC wine battles with political neighbours in Alberta, Tariffs from the USA and more.   All of these subjects were discussed over and over again by the wine trade and fans in attendance.   Tasting Room Radio set up the same home base they always have. Up to 6 chairs in a circle on the convention centre floor ..leaving room for the invited and the walk-ins.   We couldn't fit everyone in, so we decided to build the show around the most interesting storylines and storytellers.   With apologies to those we couldn't fit in, the podcast guests are     Co-Hosts - Jenna Brisco, Maude Renaud-Brisson & Kelcie Jones. Educators and Somms at This is Wine School.   Richard Kanazawa - winemaker at Bench 1775 (Naramata) Tracey Horneman - winemaker at Blue Grouse (Cowichan) Kailee Frasch - Winemaker Quails Gate  (West Kelowna)   Harry Hertscheg - Executive Director Van Wine Fest Evan Goldstein - Master Sommelier (SF) Tony Holler - Owner Poplar Grove (Naramata)   Wine School Team  Taylor Butterfield - White Wine  Winemaker  Chateau Ste. Michelle (Washington)

In todays episode, Shelley is unable to make it so Phil is flying solo while tasting through a delicious lineup of wines from Dineen Vineyards with Dineen General Manager, Susan Brown. This episode is a deep dive into all things at Dineen, with recently announced news, and Phil even misbehaves a little by throwing in some Dad jokes! #HappyFriday! #ItsWineTime! #Cheersing #RedVelvetCurtain *For full show notes, please visit our website.Wines this episode:2023 Dineen Vineyards Sémillon ($27 at the Winery)2022 Dineen Vineyards Heritage Blend ($47 at the Winery)2022 Dineen Vineyards Cabernet Franc ($42 at the Winery)2021 Dineen Vineyards Cabernet Franc (No Longer AvailableA HUGE thanks to our sponsors: Kestrel Vintners, Terraza Waterfront Grill and Elsom Cellars!Terraza Waterfront Grill is serving up global-inspired dishes in a vibrant atmosphere. With a focus on fresh ingredients and unmatched culinary excellence, Terraza offers something for every taste. Come experience exceptional food, cozy ambiance and top-notch service at this stunning waterfront grill. Visit https://terrazacda.com/ for more information or call 208-758-0111.Elsom Cellars: Good times are meant to be shared and so are great grapes and great wines! Since 2006, Elsom Cellars has been producing brilliant Washington wines. For more information about Elsom Wines, please visit http://www.elsomcellars.com Kestrel Vintners: Since 1999, Kestrel Vintners has crafted exceptional wines, blending old-world tradition with modern technique. Experience the unique terroir of their 126-acre estate vineyard. Kestrel Vintners: making great wines accessible to all, every day. Visit kestrelwines.com for more information.And of course, a HUGE thank you to Tod Hornby who wrote and recorded our official Wine Time Fridays theme music. Please visit https://todhornby.com to see what Tod is up to!The Cuvée App Wine Word of the Week - Petrichor Petrichor refers to the distinctive scent that occurs when rain falls on dry soil or rocks, often associated with vineyards after a spring shower. This term captures the essence of the natural environment and the impact of weather on the vineyard.Plan your Napa Valley wine trips with ease using The Cuvée App, now called Tastefuli! Book amazing activities and services with Tastefuli to experience all that Napa has to offer, from hot air balloon rides to supercar drives through the valley.Download the app in the Apple app store for your perfect Napa adventure or visit https://www.cuveecollective.com/appfor more information.Some wines we've enjoyed this week: Mommessin Cuéee Saint Pierre Chardonnay, Daryl Rex Groom Zinfandel, Rivaura Grenache, The Great Oregon Wine Company Chardonnay and Portlandia White Pinot Noir.Mentions: Cinda Allen, Paul Gregutt, Tidal Raves, Pilgrim's Market, Sara Lane, CDA Gourmet, Brenda and Matt Sparkman, Stan Tebow, Brian Mackey, Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery, Northstar Winery and John Cleese.

This is the weekly columnBy best estimate, there are some 10,000 different grape varieties in the world. If you tasted a different one every day, it would take you more than 27 years to complete the task. Thankfully, the world of wine is confined to a smaller number.About 6,000 grapes belong to the principal fine wine species Vitis vinifera. Only about 1,300 are actively used in winemaking. Only 13 varieties make up one-third of global winemaking; 33 varieties make up more than half of global use.The variety of grapes is significantly different depending on the country. Italy apparently has the most diversity, home to more than 1,300 varieties used in wine making. Sangiovese is Italy's most-planted grape, but it only accounts to around 8% of grapes grown.In contrast, New Zealand cultivates around 30 varieties, with sauvignon blanc accounting for 78% of production. Sauv blanc, pinot noir, pinot gris, and chardonnay account for more than 90% of New Zealand's wine grape production.The wine industry in the United States is so large and chaotic we do not know how many wine grape varieties are grown, and there are some native wine grapes that are not Vitis vinifera. We do have an idea about the top 10, which account for more than 80% of grape production. The numbers are rough because there are 50 different wine producing states with 50 different counting regimens. And the numbers change every year according to the vagaries of agriculture.According to the best-available numbers, there are 457,700 acres planted in the top ten varieties in the U.S. What follows are acres and percentages of the total:• Chardonnay: 106,000 (23.2%)• Cabernet sauvignon: 101,300 (22.1%)• Pinot noir: 61,800 (13.5%)• Merlot: 51,900 (11.3%)• Zinfandel: 47,000 (10.3%)• Syrah/shiraz: 22,000 (4.8%)• Pinot gris: 19,800 (4.3%)• French colombard: 19,700 (4.3%)• Sauvignon blanc: 17,300 (3.8%)• Rubired (used in bulk wine): 10,900 (2.4%)Tasting notes• Stoller Family Estate Chardonnay, Willamette Valley 2023: Presents without complications of oak or excessive malolactic fermentation. Simple, clean, pure. $19-25 Link to my review• Beringer Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma 2021: Drinks like a Napa, priced like a Sonoma. Go-to rich red wine play year after year. $25-35 Link to my review• Chateau Ste. Michelle Cabernet Sauvignon Canoe Ridge Estate, Horse Heaven Hills 2019: Consistent cab made by Washington State's largest winemaker; tasty tannins, generous fruit. $30-36 Link to my review• William Chris Vineyards Mourvèdre Reserve, Texas High Plains 2018: Solid, silky presentation of mourvèdre, a grape that found a home in Texas. Good balance of fruit, acidity; reserved, elegant tannins. $35-38 Link to my reviewLast roundI tell everyone about the benefits of eating dried grapes. It's about raisin awareness. Wine time.Email: wine@cwadv.comNewsletter: gusclemens.substack.comWebsite: Gus Clemens on Wine websiteFacebook: facebook.com/GusClemensOnWine/posts/Twitter (X): @gusclemensLong form wine stories on Vocal: Gus Clemens on VocalLinks worth exploringDiary of a Serial Hostess Ins and outs of entertaining; witty anecdotes of life in the stylish lane.As We Eat Multi-platform storytelling explores how food connects, defines, inspires. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gusclemens.substack.com/subscribe

DIY SELF CARE IS A MUST IN TURBULENT TIMES HOW TO CHOOSE RESOURCES THAT WILL will help you through troubling times. There are a few types of self care: Mental and physical are two that I will feature on this podcast.. Divorce .. I sense that divorce comes at times when chaos reigns pushing people into the ultimate action DIVORCE. IF SO THERE IS A DIVORCE COACH, TINA LYNN HUGGINS whose service not only guides you through the BEGINNING OF THIS PROCESS helping with the choice of an attorney, the legal forms, court process.. but OPTIONS~ From Tina Huggins website ABOUT, "I started my journey into divorce while working in law enforcement and teaching self-defense at a local battered women's shelter. Think of using Ms. Huggins as a ROAD MAP to your end destination: the forms you need, court dates, how to manage the emotions- not as a therapist.. but she has suggestions for that also. Her interesting background is what brought her to this important service https://divorcecoachspecialist.com     HERE IS A SPIRITUAL PRACTICE TO CALM YOUR MIND  and help you through CHAOS Kundalini yoga Getting Rid of Emotional Fatigue Fear of the FUTURE  https://youtu.be/XKkrT8TFnVE?feature=shared     Food and Wine Pairing It is soup season here in Florida. I decided to make a butternut squash soup without looking at a recipe… not a good idea.  Plus I used frozen and cubed butternut squash. Another bad idea... buy a real butternut squash. don't scrimp.  I do like to add a little canned organic pumpkin. and my homemade vegetable stock. Follow an easy recipe..Wines to pair: Bourgogne Blanc Chardonnay fro France.   Les Belles Roches Bourgogne Blanc 750ml $23   Washington State Chateau St. Michelle Riesling 2023 Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling Columbia Valley $9 MY FAVORITE THINGS Here is the link to my signature class  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kLMuJCo01RiN-rHb4OT9a708BUIIIzDB/view?usp=drivesdk   Also my website gives you lots of information about the classes. www.allinourminds.com valerie@allinourminds.com      

"Wine is bottled poetry." - Robert Louis Stevenson Guest Introduction:  Welcome to Exploring the Seasons of Life: Travel Edition! I'm Cindy MacMillan, and it's an absolute joy to share this adventure with you. Travel isn't just about where you go—it's about who you become along the way. And I'm so glad you're here, ready to start this journey together. If you love today's episode, I'd be so grateful if you shared it with your friends, spread the word on social media, or left a quick rating and review. Your support means everything—it helps us reach more travelers and dreamers just like you. Let's keep inspiring meaningful journeys together. Thanks for being part of the Exploring the Seasons of Life: Travel Edition community! Now, it's my pleasure to introduce today's guest, Karen Gregory. Karen Gregory is a lover of travel, good food, and great wine!  Her wine travel adventures have included Italy, Spain, Greece, Croatia, Canada, Argentina, Uruguay, California, Oregon, and Washington, as well as little hidden gems in Rhode Island, the Ozarks, and Door County.  Through her travels, her passion and appreciation for culture, ambiance, and wine experiences have grown and she's here to share that with us! Here's a glimpse of our conversation:  3:22   I've developed a deep appreciation for a wide variety of wines. It wasn't something I grew up around or knew much about in my twenties. Even in my thirties, I was just beginning to explore and try wines from different regions. 6:34 Five years later, most of my go-to wines are either from biofarms or biodynamic producers. They're organic, and many are even natural, which is considered the highest standard if you're looking for completely clean wines. 9:45 You've probably heard me mention Chateau Ste. Michelle many times. I'm not paid to promote them—I just genuinely love their wine. Even though they're conventional, I enjoy them, and I feel good when I drink them. 10:37 Here's the deal with Old World and New World wines. When I think of Old World, I automatically think of Europe—places like France, Italy, Spain, and naturally Portugal. Those regions just embody what we consider Old World. 16:01 Everyone loves the idea and ambiance of drinking wine in Tuscany—it sparks so much imagination. But Italy has so many incredible wine regions, and Tuscany is just one of them. That said, it does produce some truly great wines. 19:27 Here's the big takeaway for anyone listening: get out there and try some wine! If you love a good Cabernet Sauvignon, start by buying bottles from different regions. Try at least two to compare, then maybe add a third or fourth. Keep experimenting and refining your preferences, because every Cab is unique, and this process will help you discover what you truly like and don't like. 21:32 I'm probably not the best person to ask since I'm not a certified sommelier. BREAK: We're going to take a quick 30-second break—don't go anywhere! I have something truly special to share. Picture this: a magical winter wonderland where enchanting Christmas markets come alive. Join us December 3rd to 9th, 2025, for an unforgettable festive getaway to the Christmas Markets of Montreal and Quebec City with Collette. And here's a highlight you won't want to miss—on Day 6, we'll visit the breathtaking Montmorency Falls (maant·mr·en·see faalz), a true winter masterpiece. It's the perfect blend of nostalgia and holiday magic, ideal for friends and empty nesters alike. For all the details, visit PangeaWorldTravelAgency.com. Don't miss out—this is a holiday adventure you'll treasure forever! 27:00 What really clicked for me is that most people familiar with Willamette Valley, Oregon, know it's renowned for Pinot Noirs. But what stood out is that the region also produces some excellent whites, particularly Chardonnays, as well as other varieties like Syrah and Gamay. You can find Karen Gregory at: TheWinederer | Instagram Thank you for joining me on Exploring the Seasons of Life: Travel Edition! I'm Cindy MacMillan—your host, travel advisor, and transformational coach. It's been an absolute joy to share this adventure with you today. If you enjoyed today's episode, be sure to subscribe, share with your friends, and leave a review—it helps us reach more travelers just like you. Until next time, remember, life's a journey—keep exploring!

This is the weekly columnWine is your friend, especially when sipped with friends during a convivial meal. You are obliged to protect it from its enemies.Classic factors that negatively impact wine quality:• Oxygen. Exposure to oxygen can be wine's valued friend or its mortal enemy. The key is moderation. Readers know of my advocacy of decanting—exposing wine from a freshly opened bottle to air to soften tannins, blow off odors, integrate elements. That exposure is relatively brief, measured in minutes or small number of hours. It is a common technique for red wines that also can improve some whites.But too much oxygen is the most significant threat to wine. Too much during the winemaking process can darken white wines to a brownish hue and rob red wines of vibrant color, shifting them into orange or russet shades. Too much oxygen in opened wine will flatten its flavors and aromas. Eventually it will turn the wine into vinegar.• Light. Ultraviolet light, both from the sun and artificial lighting, degrades wine's flavors and aromas. That is why many wines come in dark bottles and should be stored in a dark environment.• Heat. Higher temperatures accelerate aging and eventually spoil the wine. One telltale sign of excessive heat exposure is a cork that has lifted, also leakage of wine out of the bottle. It is best to store wine between 45 and 65 degrees F, with 55 degrees the ideal.• Vibrations. Constant movement disturbs sediment and messes with the aging process. This especially is important for wine put down for aging.• Humidity. Some humidity—70% is ideal—helps keep corks from drying out. Too much humidity will not affect the wine, but can lead to mold growth that damages labels.These are things to think about, but not to obsess over. Wine is a tough hombre. Even when abused by oxygen, light, heat, vibrations, and humidity, it usually remains drinkable. It just will not deliver the same tasty pleasure you get when you treat it right.Tasting notes• Chateau Ste. Michelle Dry Riesling, Columbia Valley 2021: Incredibly delicious. Ste. Michelle has delivered this amazing value, wonderful riesling for years. $10-14 Link to my review• Vallformosa Mistinguett Brut Rosé NV: Simple, safe, tasty sparkling that will offend almost no drinker or any pocketbook. $14 Link to my review• Trefethen Family Vineyards Estate Grown Chardonnay, Oak Knoll District, Napa Valley 2021: Mellow, well balanced, classic Napa chard, well-done oak and malo. $28-33 Link to my review• Compris Vineyard Midnight Journey Syrah, Chehalem Mountains AVA 2021: Savory, smooth delight scores all points you look for in a syrah. $50 Link to my reviewLast roundWhat kind of exercise do lazy people do? Diddly-squats. Wine time.Email: wine@cwadv.comNewsletter: gusclemens.substack.comWebsite:  Gus Clemens on Wine websiteFacebook:  facebook.com/GusClemensOnWine/posts/Twitter (X): @gusclemensLong form wine stories on Vocal: Gus Clemens on VocalLinks worth exploringDiary of a Serial Hostess Ins and outs of entertaining; witty anecdotes of life in the stylish lane.As We Eat Multi-platform storytelling explores how food connects, defines, inspires.Balanced Diet Original recipes, curated links about food systems, recipe reviews. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gusclemens.substack.com/subscribe

Exploring Washington's wine regions, history, and grapes. Trivia? Bush flattery? An old hobo ditty about cigarette trees? Yep, got that too.  Resources from this episode: Books: The Oxford Companion to Wine [5th Edition], Harding, J., Robinson, J., Thomas, T. (2023) Websites and Digital Document Files: Brittanica: Hudson's Bay Company (4 June 2024) https://www.britannica.com/money/Hudsons-Bay-Company Center for Land Use Interpretation: Northwesternmost Point on the Continental 48 United States, Washington https://clui.org/ludb/site/northwesternmost-point-continental-48-united-states Chateau Ste. Michelle: https://www.ste-michelle.com/about-us/history-and-heritage Decanter: International Riesling Day: American Style, Pursehouse, C. (13 March 2023) https://www.decanter.com/wine/grape-varieties/riesling/international-riesling-day-american-style-499237/ Falstaff: A Global Tour of Riesling, Krebiehl, A. (23 March 2022) https://www.falstaff.com/en/news/a-global-tour-of-riesling Internet Archive: The Big Rock Candy Mountains, McClintock, H. (6 September 1928) https://archive.org/details/78_the-big-rock-candy-mountains_mac-harry-mcclintock-h.-mcclintock_gbia0004598b Lake Chelan Wine Valley: About the Lake Clean AVA https://lakechelanwinevalley.com/about/lake-chelan-ava/ Spitbucket: The Legend of W.B. Bridgman, LeBeau, A. (31 March, 2018). https://spitbucket.net/2018/03/31/the-legend-of-w-b-bridgman/ Washington Wine: Washington State Wine Commission https://www.washingtonwine.org/ Wine Enthusiast: An Armchair Traveler's Guide to Washington State Wine Country, Sullivan, S. P. (8 May 2023) https://www.wineenthusiast.com/culture/wine/washington-state-wine-guide/?t Wine Industry Advisor: Marchesi Antinori Will Take Full Ownership of Col Solare (20 June 2024) https://wineindustryadvisor.com/2024/06/20/marchesi-antinori-will-take-full-ownership-of-col-solare/?utm_source=AfternoonBrief&utm_medium=newsletter Glass in Session Episodes Relevant to - or Mentioned in - This Episode: S13E3: J'Adore Amador https://glassinsession.libsyn.com/s13e3-jadore-amador S16E3: Belgian Wine & PIWI Grapes https://glassinsession.libsyn.com/belgian-wines-and-piwi-grapes-s16e3 S16E2: Oh, Canadian Wine https://glassinsession.libsyn.com/oh-canadian-wine-s16e2   Glass in Session® podcast and podcat swag mentioned in this show: https://www.teepublic.com/user/glass-in-session   Glass in Session® is a registered trademark of Vino With Val, LLC.  Music: “Write Your Story” by Joystock (Jamendo.com cc_Standard License, Jamendo S.A.)

Erin and Maureen discuss the Chardonnay Rick selected for the book Killing Floor by Lee Child and the Amazon Prime Series Reacher (Season 1).  Erin and Rick's Chardonnay is from Green Bird Cellars on the Leelenau Peninsula (https://www.greenbirdcellars.com/).  Maureen picked up a Chateau Ste. Michelle Chardonnay at the grocery store for the amazing price of $7.99.  Pick yourselves up a bottle to enjoy along with us on Friday!

This interview is with Tom Danowski of the Oregon Wine Board. In this interview, Tom speaks about his work before wine with brands like Coca-Cola, Starbucks and Kraft Foods, and his introduction to wine when he took a position with Chateau Ste. Michelle in Washington. He discusses his excitement at returning to the Northwest after growing up in Oregon, and his growing enthusiasm for learning about wine.From there, Tom talks about his role as president of the Oregon Wine Board and Oregon Winegrowers Association. He discusses the state of the OWB when he arrived and some of the projects/accomplishments he's proudest of. He also takes a look at the future for the Oregon wine industry and how the work of the OWB might support that and evolve as he prepares to step down from his position, as well as what the future holds for himself.This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Stoller Family Estate in Dayton on December 13, 2023.

In this episode, Lady Petra and SafferMaster review the movie “Milk” over a couple bottles of Rosé (2019 Barnard Griffin Rose of Sangiovese & 2018 Chateau Ste. Michelle Rose').Support the showListen on Podurama https://podurama.com

Every month, Mike Adams (@puisheen) joins Jason for a lively recap of guitar industry news. This time around, we talk all about last month's Fretboard Summit in Chicago!  Mike talks about a chance enounter with Z.Vex, Star Trek sleep sounds, some of his favorite Summit discoveries, the JHS Germanium Chef competition, and more. Jason talks about the new electric tenor guitar he received, some of his favorite Summit moments, and plans for the 2024 Summit (August 22 - 24, once again at Chicago's Old Town School). We then talk about Mike's recent surprise appearance with Glen Hansard and the Swell Season at their Chateau Ste. Michelle concert.  Watch Mike play alongside Glen here:  https://www.instagram.com/reel/CwlkBugPN4H/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== Subscribe to the Fretboard Journal: https://shop.fretboardjournal.com/products/fretboard-journal-annual-subscription Get a discounted digital subscription and get our 52nd issue immediately:  https://shop.fretboardjournal.com/collections/downloads/products/fretboard-journal-digital-subscription-offer

Columbia Crest Grand Estates Chardonnay 2021-$8 Tasty & InterestingColumbia Crest is the second label from Chateau Ste. Michelle, the largest winery in Washington State.Columbia crest is a second label, but a 2nd label with history!Check out https://cheapwinefinder.com/ for all the details and, of course, listen to the top wine PODCAST for all the details.Check us out at www.cheapwinefinder.comor email us at podcast@cheapwinefinder.com

In this episode, the Henny haters recap the Kaytranada show, discuss Zion, a little Politics, and the new Apple products coming out. They are also reunited with their old studio audience who steal the show for a moment. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/henny-haters-club/support

Frederick Spencer Stimson and Charles Douglas "C. D." Stimson, two Seattle lumber baron brothers, purchased a rural property outside Woodinville called Derby for use as a hunting camp and a country getaway.On one section, C. D. constructed the Willows lodge, while on another, Frederick constructed his "Manor Mansion" in 1910. Originally used as a weekend retreat, the ambitious businessman rapidly transformed the property, renaming it Hollywood Farm, and adding a sizable, cutting-edge dairy farm. Hollywood was given as the new name for the community of Derby, followed by the enormous Hollywood Poultry Farm and its renowned Hollywood chickens. The Hollywood Farm City Store was established in Seattle in 1916 as a consequence of the visionary Stimson's belief in direct-to-customer sales.Two years later, his wife Nellie Stimson broadened her horticultural pursuits and opened Hollywood Gardens, a storied floral store in the heart of Seattle. Frederick and Nellie Stimson's magnificent Hollywood Farm also remains part of the family's legacy: the historic estate has been the home of the Chateau Ste. Michelle winery since 1975. The larger Stimson family is best known for its substantial timber holdings, numerous sawmills around Puget Sound, and various Seattle mansions.Listen now to learn more about this forgotten farm and its interesting history!A special thank you goes out to Al Hirsch for providing the music for the podcast, check him out on YouTube.Find merchandise for the podcast now available at:     https://washington-history-by-jon-c.creator-spring.comIf you enjoy the podcast and would like to contribute, please visit: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/EvergreenpodIf you have any questions, episode ideas you'd like to see explored, or just have a general comment, please reach out at Historyoftheevergreenstatepod@gmail.comTo keep up on news for the podcast and other related announcements, please like and follow:https://www.facebook.com/HistoryoftheevergreenstatepodcastFind the podcast over on Instagram as well: @HISTORY_EVERGREENSTATEPODCASTYou can also find the podcast over on YouTube:http://www.youtube.com/@historyoftheevergreenstatepodThank you for listening to another episode of the History of the Evergreen State Podcast!

In partnership with Club Oenologique - the world through the lens of wine and spirits. David's guest is Trevor Durling, Chief Winemaker at Beaulieu Vineyard, one of the Napa Valley's most historic wineries, to hear how he went from a future Top Gun to a celebrated cellar master making sought-after Cabernet Sauvignon. Wines featured: Cellar 777 Beauzini Zinfandel 2019 (gold) Dark Horse Zinfandel 2020, Gallo (gold) Chateau Ste. Michelle Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 (gold) Chateau Ste Michelle & Dr. Loosen Eroica Riesling 2020 (silver) Quady Winery Essensia Orange Muscat 2019 (gold) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This interview is with Tim Jones of The Four Graces Winery. In this interview, Tim speaks about discovering his interest in wine while in college in Oregon, and following his interest to working harvests in California. He then talks about furthering his education at UC Davis, and being hired by Chateau Ste. Michelle in Washington.From there, Tim talks about developing his skills as a winemaker and as a leader, how he decided to come back to Oregon for his position at The Four Graces in 2018, and about how his work has gone since. He also talks about what comes next for himself and the Oregon wine industry.This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at The Four Graces Winery/Doe Ridge Vineyard on February 27, 2023.

The delightful, talented and beloved Tara Bench shares her 2nd hit cookbook release. Plan your Delicious Gatherings with Tara recipes for inspired entertaining. And David Rosenthal, White Winemaker for Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery waxes poetic on the beauty of Riesling. Plus, I am all about Olive Oil Poached Fish right now and I am making a Caramel Apple Dip that you will not want to miss."

Are you ready for the best pairing party ever?! Tune in to hear how to host the best pairing party on the planet: Chicken Wings & Riesling (trust us!)  Thom Horsey, National Wine Educator for Ste Michelle Wine Estates, joins us to explain why Riesling works so well with Chicken Wings. Heat: Meet Sweet! Thom also explains why Washington State is such a good place for Riesling in general. We'll tell you exactly how to host this party: - Grab Mild, Medium, and Hot/Extra Hot wings - Pair each with a Dry Riesling, Off-Dry Riesling, or Off-Sweet/Sweet Riesling. Using Chateau Ste. Michelle Dry, Classic, and Harvest Select Riesling makes this incredibly easy. - Thank us later. This combo is insane!  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/what2drink/message

This podcast is a refresher on Merlot (it's been 12 years, so it's time!). It's one of the titans of the wine grapes, and yet it's not often that we encounter it as a varietal wine. Because it is frequently blended, Merlot can often be forgotten or not given its due.   But Merlot will not be forgotten! It is the second-most planted grape in the world, the most widely grown grape in Bordeaux, and its pedigree as part of some of the world's most prestigious and well-known Bordeaux and Bordeaux-style wines makes it royalty in the wine world.   But Merlot is not without challenges. When it's not grown on the proper soils or managed meticulously, wine made of Merlot bears little resemblance to great wines of Bordeaux or other regions that are famed for blends that use it. The reputation of Merlot as a boring, flabby, dull wine is not the fault of the grape, and although it was a convenient scapegoat, it's also not the fault of the movie “Sideways.” The fact is that Merlot is not as easy to grow as people thought, and in 1980s and 1990s, opportunistic companies used high-yielding clones on bad rootstock and in bad sites to churn out high alcohol fruit bombs, lacking all the nuance that make the grape esteemed in its homeland.     This says nothing about the grape, but much about the people who defiled it. Although it is entirely capable of making boring, cheap wine, Merlot simultaneously makes up 95% of Château Petrus, Bordeaux's most expensive wine and is used in fine wines all over the world for its ability to elevate a blend. In this show we pay homage to Merlot, and this time, shed some light on the recent past for Merlot and why, ultimately, it has done little to harm the grape's reputation among winemakers and those who take the time to know the grape.   DNA and Parentage Merlot originates from Gironde or SW France or Basque country. It's the child of Cabernet Franc and Magdeleine Noire des Charentes from Brittany Merlot Gris: Pink color mutation of Merlot Merlot Blanc: A cross of Merlot x Folle Blanche created in 1891 NOT WHITE MERLOT, which is just Merlot made like white Zinfandel   History We discuss the history of Merlot – from its first mention in Bordeaux, to its more modern history - its rise in the 1990s and its fall in the early 2000s in California, Australia, and the global consumer market.       In the Vineyard Merlot is an early budding variety, making it susceptible to spring frost – it needs good weather at flowering or it won't have a great vintage. The grape needs cooler, well-drained soils – cooler limestone and clay soils are best Because Merlot is thin skinned with loose to medium density bunches it is also susceptible to disease (downy mildew) and botrytis (bad). It is bad in drought, which raises the question: how will it do with climate change, which we discuss. Merlot ripens about 2 weeks earlier than Cabernet Sauvignon and it's the first red grape picked in Bordeaux. That makes it a great agriculture hedge – if it does well, there is less pressure to have a huge Cabernet Sauvignon harvest. The grape has milder tannins, higher sugar, and lower acidity (especially malic) than its relations Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. It can be vigorous, so yields must be managed and picking decision is important, since Merlot loses acidity quickly once ripe. Two main styles result from picking decisions (among other factors – terroir!): Bordeaux style: Merlot is harvested earlier, leading to a more acidic, medium alcohol wine (Pétrus). These wines tend to have moderate alcohol and show more red fruit flavors (cherry) along with “other” things like: green and black tea, mint, oregano, rosemary, sage, thyme, earthy, mushrooms, green pepper, green olive International style: Concentrates on physiological ripeness, with long hang time to have hardened stems and seeds (wines of Michel Rolland). These wines are often inky, purple, dark wines, with high alcohol, velvety tannins, and dark fruit character (plum, blackberry, blueberry). The wine is smooth and can seem sweet due to the high alcohol, strong fruit, and the oak used that brings flavors like caramel, chocolate, coffee, vanilla, nut, and cigar.   _____________________________________________________ Regions: the grape is planted everywhere! This is more or less a list…     FranceMerlot is France's most planted grape   Bordeaux Bordeaux is the grape's native home, and it is the most cultivated grape in the region. It contains half of all the Merlot in France. The grape does best on cooler limestone and clay soils of the Right Bank and in pockets of the Left Bank. Climate change is a challenge for Merlot – it will need to be grown exclusively in cooler spots as the climate warms Right Bank Pomerol: Can be up to 100% Merlot. Wine is luscious, soft, velvety, plummy, iron or clay-like. Famed châteaux are Pétrus, Le Pin Émilion: Usually contains 60-70% Merlot with Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon. Flavors are more like balsam, dried fruit, with tea notes, but the wines vary based on limestone, clay or sand content in the soil. Famed châteaux mentioned are Angelus and Pavie Other high quality Right Bank AOPs with Merlot based wines: Canon-Fronsac, Fronsac, St-Émilion “satellites” (Lussac St. Emilion, Montagne St. Emilion, Puisseguin St. Emilion and St. Georges St. Emilion)   Left Bank A major blending component of AOPs: Graves, Médoc, Saint-Estèphe, Listrac, Moulis, Pessac-Leognan   Other Bordeaux: all Côtes de Bordeaux (I recommend Francs and Castillon), Bordeaux and Bordeaux Superieur AOPs     Southwest France: Bergerac where it is blended with Cabernets, Cahors where it is blended with Malbec Languedoc and Loire grow Merlot     Italy: Merlot is the third most planted red in Italy and is made in a number of styles In Northern Italy: Alto-Adige, Friuli, parts of Veneto: the wines often have higher acidity, herbal notes and can be blended with other grapes. Tuscany: Super Tuscan blends in Bolgheri/Tuscan coast – producers use Merlot to soften Sangiovese or Cabernet in blends. Masseto by Antinori is 100% Merlot on clay soils (it costs more than US$1000 per bottle). Climate change is worrisome in these areas because it is getting too hot for Merlot. Other regions: Umbria, Lazio     Other Western/Central Europe: Spain: Catalonia, Castilla-La Mancha, Navarra, Aragón Portugal Switzerland: In Ticino made as a rosé Germany: Pfalz, Rheinhessen Austria: grown in all wine-growing regions in Austria, basic wines     Eastern Europe: Bulgaria: Significant plantings, varietal wines Hungary: In Bull's Blood (Egri Bikaver) with Kekfrankos, Kardarka Romania: Most widely exported red Croatia, Slovenia (near Italian border), Ukraine, Moldova, Greece,   _____________________________________________________ United States   Washington State: Excellent Merlot with strong acidity, dark color, and lots of interesting earthy, fruity flavor. The long growing season with cool nights lends the wine great structure. This is my top pick for US Merlot! Producers mentioned: Leonetti, Chateau Ste. Michelle, Andrew Will, Columbia Crest Regions mentioned: Walla Walla, Red Mountain     California In the early days of California wine, Merlot was a varietal wine. Sterling was the first to make a vintage dated Merlot. Warren Winiarski, a leader in California wine in the 1970s and owner of Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, promoted Merlot as part of a Bordeaux blend We recap a bit of the story of how it evolved in California that we discussed earlier in the show. Then we talk about some of the styles in various regions   Napa: Producers usually dedicate the best soils and sites to Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot is an afterthought. Right now there is a bit of a shortage of Merlot because no one has focused on it but demand is increasing as styles have changed. Top Producers: Duckhorn, Pride, La Jota Regions mentioned for Merlot: Carneros, Mt Veeder, Rutherford, Oakville     Other California:  Monterey (bulk), Sonoma (Alexander Valley, some Sonoma Valley)     Other US: Oregon (Rogue Valley), Virginia. Long Island (great stuff! Merlot is their best grape), Texas     Mexico, Canada (most prominent in BC for Bordeaux style blends)   _____________________________________________________ Southern Hemisphere   Chile:  Producers mistook Carménère for Merlot in the 1990s but they've slowly gotten back to real Merlot. Top areas: Colchagua (Apalta sub AVA), Maule, Curicó. I mention the famed wine writer     Argentina: Merlot is made in a ripe style, often blended in with other grapes     Australia: The grape is often used for blending with Cabernet, but had similar issues to California when demand rose in the 1990s – Merlot was overplanted in warm bulk areas like Murray Darling, Riverina, Riverland.  Today, quality Margaret River and Western Australia.     New Zealand: Merlot is the second most planted after Pinot Noir. It does especially well in blends coming out of Hawke's Bay. Merlot also does well in Auckland, Marlborough, and Martinborough     South Africa: Cooler sites in Stellenbosch, Paarl, Franschhoek       Other places: Israel, Lebanon, India, Japan, China     Suggested food pairings Cabernet style ("big wines"): Roasted, grilled food, “brown food” – hearty stews, meats, heavy dishes Soft, fruity styles with high acidity: Mushroom, salmon, spinach, greens   We end with a warning about serving temperature: NEVER SERVE MERLOT TOO WARM!! 60˚–65°F _______________________________________________________________ I could not be happier to announce my partnership with Wine Access, once again. For 2023, I will be working with this outstanding company, which is my go-to source for the best selection of interesting wines you can't find locally. Every box you get from Wine Access is meticulous -- tasting notes with food and wine pairing, serving temperature suggestions, and perfectly stored wine. It's no wonder that Wine Access was rated the best wine club by New York Times Wirecutter and is the official partner and wine provider of The MICHELIN Guide. Go to www.wineaccess.com/normal to sign up for their daily emails and get 10% your first order. Wine Access is a class act -- check them out today!      Is the podcast worth the price of a bottle or two of wine a year to you? If so, please become a member of Patreon... you'll get even more great content, live interactions and classes!  www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople   To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes  

In partnership with the International Wine and Spirit Competition www.iwsc.net - using the best in the world to judge the best in the world. Acclaimed Bordeaux expert Stephen Brook joins David to talk about his latest book, the fourth edition of ‘The Complete Bordeaux'. Wines featured: Church Road Mcdonald Series Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 (gold) Chateau Ste. Michelle Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 (gold) Hombo Shuzo Château Mars Hosaka Hinoshiro Cabernet Merlot Late Harvest 2018 (gold) Monte Xanic Edición Limitada Cabernet Franc 2020 (gold and trophy) Inniskillin Niagara Icewine Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 (gold) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chateau Ste Michelle Sauvignon Blanc 2021-Always A Good ValueThis is a ten-dollar Sauv Blanc from the Columbia Valley.Chateau Ste Michelle is the largest (by far) winery in Washington.This affordable Sauvignon Blanc is more Bordeaux than New Zealand.Which if you want a change of pace Sauv Blanc is a very good thing.For all the info check out https://www.cheapwinefinder.com/ and listen to the PODCAST!!!!!Check us out at www.cheapwinefinder.comor email us at podcast@cheapwinefinder.com

Looking for some unique, fun, festive, affordable, and fantastic Thanksgiving wines?!? We've got you covered! Selecting Thanksgiving wines can be tricky because you have to find wines that go well with the large variety of foods, will please some picky palettes, and also look festive and beautiful on the table. We'll give you everything you need to know so you can serve some amazing wines this Thanksgiving - and we have three recommendations that we think will be showstoppers AND won't break the bank! Whether you are the dinner host or a guest wanting to bring that special gift, we have the answer! In this episode, we select wines that are sure to be crowd pleasers and conversation pieces. Listen in and we'll tell you about a whole variety of wines you can choose that will be great with Thanksgiving, and we taste and review three really unique wines that we think will make you the star of the show! Wines reviewed in this episode: 2020 Chateau Ste. Michelle Gewürztraminer, 2021 Château Gigery Côtes de Provence Rosé, and Treveri Sparkling Syrah Brut.Contact The Wine Pair Podcast - we'd love to hear from you!Visit our website, leave a review, and reach out to us: www.thewinepairpodcast.comFollow and DM us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewinepairpodcast/Send us an email: joe@thewinepairpodcast.com

In todays episode, Shelley and Phil taste through two Rosé's. Why? Because it's Summer! And there is NOTHING like a refreshing Rosé for #SummerSipping. We're tasting through a Rosé from Willamette Valley Vineyards in Oregon as well as a Jaine Ravenscliff Rosé from Washington. Both are very different but delicious in their own way. Please pick up one of these or your favorite Rosé and taste along with Shelley and Phil. #HappyFriday! #ItsWineTime! #Cheersing #EasterEggWines tasted this episode:  2018 Willamette Valley Vineyards Whole Cluster Rose of Pinot Noir ($23 at Coeur D'alene FRESH)2021 Jaine Ravenscliff Rosé ($25 at Terroir Fine Wine)For information on wines of Willamette Valley Vineyards, please visit https://www.wvv.comFor information on the Jaine Ravenscliff Rosé, please visit https://jaine.co/wines/rosé-wines/2021-ravenscliff-rosé/2021-ravenscliff-roséThanks to our sponsors: Terroir Fine Wine, Elsom Cellars and The Social Web!Terroir Fine Wine If you're looking for the most complete bottle shop in Coeur d'Alene, with quality wines from around the globe, Terroir Fine Wine is the place to go. Visit https://www.terroircda.com or simply call 208 660 9028.Elsom Cellars Good times are meant to be shared and so are great grapes and great wines! Since 2006, Elsom Cellars has been producing brilliant Washington wines. For more information about Elsom Wines, please visit http://www.elsomcellars.com or call them at 425-298-3082.The Social Web Are you a small business owner that's ready to grow your business through social media without having to hire a full time staff or a third party company? Honor your business and yourself and become educated in social media! Visit https://thesocialweb.news for more information. The Social Web AND The Social Web Inner Circle: Helping you untangle the web of social media marketing.And of course, a HUGE thank you to Tod Hornby who wrote and recorded our official Wine Time Fridays theme music, which is ANYthing but average.  Please visit https://todhornby.com or contact him at veryaveragemusic@gmail.com The Eternal Wine Wine Word of the Week - AggressiveA wine with high acidity or tannins.For more information on Eternal Wine, please visit https://eternalwine.com or simply call 509-240-6258. Eternal Wine: Drink Wine, Be Happy.Mentions: Studio 107, Matthews Winery, Trevor Treller, Snoop Dog, Chris Cochran, Gary Vaynerchuck, Nunsense, Coeur D'alene Summer Theatre, Alex Vargas, Chateau Ste. Michelle, Michael Carl and Mark Cooke.For more information on the Coeur D'alene Summer Theatre or to purchase your tickets to Nunsense, please visit http://www.cdasummertheatre.com. Wines we enjoyed this week:   Oyster Bay Chardonnay, Alexandria Nicole Destiny Ridge Vineyard Jet Black Syrah, Château Fonbadet B de Fonbadet Bordeaux. Please find us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/WineTimeFridays), Twitter (@VintageTweets) and Instagram (@WineTimeFridays). You can also “Follow” Phil on Vivino. His profile name is Phil Anderson and will probably “Follow” you back!

In todays episode, Shelley and Phil turn to an old friend, #Chardonnay. In a continued series of Old World vs New World, they taste and compare an Old World Chardonnay and New World Chardonnay. Both are quality Chardonnay's that you can pick up in Coeur D'alene. Are they different? You bet! Grab a bottle of each and taste along with them! #HappyFriday! #ItsWineTime! #Cheersing #EasterEggWines tasted this episode:  2019 Les Allées Du Vignoble Petit Chablis ($29 from Terroir Fine Wine)2020 Daou Reserve Chardonnay ($35 from Studio 107)For more information on the Daou Reserve Chardonnay, please visit https://daouvineyards.com/wines/2020-daou-reserve-chardonnayThanks to our sponsors:  Studio 107 and Cuvée Collective Studio 107 At Studio 107, in the heart of downtown Coeur D'alene, Idaho, we believe that small towns deserve great wines, too!  Come join us in our wine bar and gallery for an afternoon or evening escape. For more information, please visit https://studio107cda.comCuvée Collective: Cuvée Collective is the first members only wine NFT club. Your membership gives you access to exclusive benefits and experiences within the world of wine. For more information, visit https://www.cuveecollective.comAnd of course, a HUGE thank you to Tod Hornby who wrote and recorded our official Wine Time Fridays theme music, which is ANYthing but average.  Please visit https://todhornby.com or contact him at veryaveragemusic@gmail.com The Elsom Cellars Wine Word of the Week -  Alcohol By VolumeA measure of the alcohol levels in an alcoholic beverage, often truncated to ABV. The average glass of wine contains about 11-13% alcohol, but bottles can range from 5.5-20% ABV. For more information on Elsom Cellars, an Urban Winery, please visit https://www.elsomcellars.comMentions: Dorothy “Dottie” Gaiter and John Brecher, Gary Vaynerchuck, Grocery Outlet, Dry Farm Wines, Claudia KruschWines we enjoyed this week: Goosecross Sauvignon Blanc, Greenwing Cabernet Sauvignon, Michael David Winery Petite Petit, Chateau Ste. Michelle Rosé.Please find us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/WineTimeFridays), Twitter (@VintageTweets) and Instagram (@WineTimeFridays). You can also “Follow” Phil on Vivino. His profile name is Phil Anderson and will probably “Follow” you back!

I am a wine lover, and my wine education and favorites have grown since our kids left the nest. When our children were young, there was little time to indulge in learning about wines, so we chose as best we could and primarily drank wines from California. We lived in California until two years ago when we moved to the state of Washington. Being in close proximity to the wineries is certainly a treat,  but people from all over the world drink the delicious wines of Washington State. We are fortunate now to live close, taste more and learn a great deal! As very willing participants, Craig and I have been learning about wines from this great state of agriculture, but I think we have hit the jackpot recently. We were guests at an event hosted by Auction of Washington Wines, also known as AWW.  Sharing the love of Washington Wines Since its inception in 1988, AWW has raised nearly $55 million to benefit Seattle Children's Hospital, Washington State University Viticulture & Enology Research, and the AWW Industry Grant. AWW is listed in the top five wine charity auctions in the U.S. by Wine Spectator. Its mission is to support the growth and awareness of the Washington state wine industry through a series of celebrated events benefiting the community. At a recent event, we were introduced to winemakers from several prominent wineries here in Washington. What a privilege to talk with these experts and taste their wines! We learned so much about these wineries and their wines, made new friends, and had a wonderful conversation with Andrew Januik while we tasted wines from Novelty Hill and Januik Wineries. All of the winemakers offered us a taste of an older vintage and compared it with a newer vintage; such a fun idea! During our chat that evening, I kept thinking. I should create an episode on Washington wines! Wouldn't he be a fantastic guest on Travel Connections? Somehow he carved out some time in his busy schedule for us to dive a little deeper into wine and the joys of being a winemaker. Andrew probably has the most fabulous job ever. I think it would be dreamy! I know it's hard work, but sign me up. Let me tell you about Andrew's background. Most winemakers have spent most of their lives in the industry, and Andrew Januik is no different – except that he is only 35 years old. When he was just 13, he started working with wine on the weekends and full-time during his summers. As the son of a world-renowned winemaker, Andrew was born with winemaking in his blood, and the proof is in the pressing! Every wine that Andrew has made since starting his eponymous label in 2011 has been rated above 90 points. His passion for wine is rooted in the state of Washington but has led to nearly a decade of making wine in the Southern Hemisphere, including his own labels in both Chile and Argentina. Here are just a few of the exciting topics we covered in our interview: Why Washington Wines are special The fantastic weather (not similar to Seattle's) in the Columbia Valley provides the ability to produce a wide variety of grapes. The magic of excel spreadsheets and spending time in the vineyards Novelty Hill and Januik Wines "One cannot escape the lure of the wine cellar!" Upcoming Events for Auction of Washington Wines: Here's some information on the upcoming events in August for Auction of Washington Wines: You can enjoy more than 100 wines, global BBQ, and casual fun at the Winemaker Picnic & Barrel Auction, or dress up for the Annual Gala, both held at Chateau Ste. Michelle in Woodinville, WA.  Essential Links in this episode: Novelty Hill - Januik Wines Andrew Januik Wines Auction of Washington Wines Hear No Evil Media, Audio Production by Erik Hulslander  How to Find Adventure & Thrive in the Empty Nest – Suzanne's E-Book My Amazon Travel Store – Suzanne's Favorite Must-Haves

Washington, som er USA’s næststørste vinstat, var egentlig kendt for sine hvidvine, men er i dag hjemstavn for store røde kanonslag med mange Parker point på kontoen. Vi smager følgende vine: 2020 Kung Fu Girl riesling, Charles Smith Wines (113 kr. v 6 fl. Husted Vin)2017 King Cab, Cabernet, Horse Heaven Hills, Soos Creek (American Wine) 2017 Col Solare, Red Mountain, Chateau Ste. Michelle (739 kr. Kjær & Sommerfeldt)2017 Cabernet Sauvignon, Quilceda Creek (1.595 kr, Fine Wines)2014 Champoux Vineyard, Horse Heaven Hills, Andrew Will (439 kr., Fine Wines)2017 Syrah Armada vineyard, Cayuse (1.075 kr., KK Wine) 2016 Motor Citty Kitty Syrah, K Vintners (349 kr., Husted Vin) Alle anmeldelser af mad og vin findes på https://www.berlingske.dk/aok/gourmetSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this weeks episode, Shelley and Phil talk about the existing Bordeaux grape varietals and how the evolving climate change has prompted the French to officially add new Bordeaux grape varietals. And during this conversation they taste through a sensational White Bordeaux, Red Bordeaux and introduce the Vinloq slow decanting and wine preservation system. Let us be the first to say, #HappyFriday! #ItsWineTime! #CheersingWines tasted this episode:2020 Chateau La Graviere White Bordeaux ($10 from Fred Meyer)2019 Chateau Bourdieu Blaye Cotes De Bordeaux ($19 from The Dinner Party)For more information on the Chateau La Graviere White Bordeaux, please visit https://www.haskells.com/chateau-la-graviere-750For more information on the Chateau Bourdieu Blaye Cotes De Bordeaux, please visit https://www.wineexpress.com/chateau-bourdieu-2019-blaye-cotes-de-bordeaux?quantity=1For more information on, Vinloq, the first slow decanting and wine preservation system, please visit https://vinloq.comThanks to our sponsor:   3D Kitchens by Design and Eternal Wine3D Kitchens by Design Is your kitchen in need of a facelift? A complete overhaul? Visualize your dream kitchen and let 3D Kitchens by Design do the rest! 3D Kitchens by Design: Dream, Design, Deliver. To make your dream kitchen a reality, please visit https://www.3dkitchensbydesign.info or call 208-818-8742Eternal Wine.  Are you a Rhone Ranger or just really love Syrah? Then you need to check out Eternal Wine! Their focus is on single vineyard Rhone valley wines in Washington State. Also check out their Drink Washington State brand of approachable wines! Visit https://eternalwine.com for more information or simply call 509-240-6258. Eternal Wine: Drink Wine, Be Happy.And of course, a HUGE thank you to Tod Hornby who wrote and recorded our official Wine Time Fridays theme music (as well as The Social Web sponsorship music!) which is ANYthing but average.  Please contact him at veryaveragemusic@gmail.com Mentions: Daphne Howe, Kevin Olsenberg, Gary Vaynerchuck, Mark CookeWine Time Fridays Wine Word of the Week: AerationExposing wine to oxygen to release aromas and flavors (aka: letting the wine breath).Wines we enjoyed this week:  Waterbrook Chardonnay, Stags' Leap Petite Sirah, Durigutti Family Winemakers HD Malbec, Oyster Bay Pinot Noir, Chateau Ste. Michelle Indian Wells Chardonnay, Edna Valley Chardonnay, Zolo Signature Red, Z. Alexander Brown Uncaged Please find us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/WineTimeFridays), Twitter (@VintageTweets) and Instagram (@WineTimeFridays). You can also “Follow” Phil on Vivino. His profile name is Phil Anderson and will probably “Follow” you back!

Chateau Ste. Michelle Columbia Cabernet In this episode, Rob and Scott finish up Season 5 by welcoming the Wine Enthusiast's Best Buy Top 100 Wine of the Year, the Chateau Ste. Michelle Columbia Valley Cabernet.  Will the Chateau Ste. Michelle equally impress the show, or will they wonder how bad the 99th wine on the list must be?  We shall see...on The Wine Vault.  

In this weeks episode, Shelley and Phil celebrate Christmas Eve talking about different sparkling wines you might want to try either today or next week on New Years Eve. During the episode, they taste through a delicious Cava they bought for UNDER 10 dollars. #MerryChristmas and #HappyFriday! #ItsWineTime! #CheersingWines tasted this episode:Poema Cava Brut Rosé NV ($9.98 at the Wine Exchange in Santa Ana, CA)For more information on this Poema Cava Brut Rosé NV please visit https://www.kobrandwineandspirits.com/portfolio/product/poema_cava_brut_roseThanks to our sponsor:    Coeur D'alene Fresh, 3D Kitchens by DesignCoeur D'alene FRESH: Located in downtown Coeur d'Alene, FRESH wine bar is a place to meet friends, relax and just be Coeur d'Alene. Stop by for a fun time every Wednesday around 5:30 for WINO Wednesday. Consider FRESH wine bar for your next event. Stop by or visit http://www.Coeurdalenefresh.com/3D Kitchens by Design Is your kitchen in need of a facelift? A complete overhaul? Visualize your dream kitchen and let 3D Kitchens by Design do the rest! 3D Kitchens by Design: Dream, Design, Deliver. To make your dream kitchen a reality, please visit https://www.3dkitchensbydesign.info or call 208-818-8742And of course, a HUGE thank you to Tod Hornby who wrote and recorded our official Wine Time Fridays theme music (as well as The Social Web sponsorship music!) which is ANYthing but average.  Please contact him at veryaveragemusic@gmail.com Wine Time Fridays Wine Word of the Week - RiddlingRiddling is the the gradual tilting of the bottle neck-down, meanwhile rotating it by small increments, clockwise and anti-clockwise. As the angle of tilt increases, the forces of gravity draw the sediment into the neck.Mentions: Wine Exchange, Hi-TIme Wine Cellars, Andrea Robinson, MS, Lynn and Dan Manson, Dave Adlard, Candle in the Woods, Timmy Brundige and The Blazen Divaz.Wines we enjoyed this week:   St. Francis Pinot Noir, Klinker Brick Old Vine Zinfandel, Pio Cesare Barbera d'Alba, Kestrel Vintners Lady in Red, Chateau Ste. Michelle Chardonnay, Va Piano Ox Red Cabernet Sauvignon, Mer Soleil Silver Chardonnay, Browne Heritage Chardonnay, Dunham Cellars Three legged Red, Familia Torres Pazo das Bruxas Albarino, First Drop Mother's Milk Shiraz and Elephant Seven Side EPlease find us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/WineTimeFridays), Twitter (@VintageTweets) and Instagram (@WineTimeFridays). You can also “Follow” Phil on Vivino. His profile name is Phil Anderson and will probably “Follow” you back!

The Wine Pair returns to the F that Wine series, facing down their fear of Merlot. Let's just say that one of the three wines they taste gets a 2/10 rating, proving to be a terrible wine, definitely not worth your time, and clearly deserving its entry into this series. Truly and honestly, F that Wine! Joe and Carmela briefly discuss the movie Sideways and Paul Giamatti's famous Merlot quote, try to unpack Joe's obsession with security cameras and video doorbells, and taste and review some reasonably priced and easy to find Merlots. Wines in this episode include a 2017 Chateau Ste. Michelle Indian Wells Merlot, a 2019 Bogle Vineyards Merlot, and a 2019 Dark Horse Merlot. 

The Wine Pair takes on some easy to find and affordable cabernet sauvignons to determine how good - or bad - they really are. Joe explains why he hates cabernet, and Carmela chastises him for being a snob and judgy. Wine reviewed in this episode: H3 Cabernet Sauvignon 2015, Chateau Ste. Michele Cabernet Sauvignon 2017, and Rodney Strong Cabernet Sauvignon 2018. Ratings range from a high of a 7 out of 10 all the way to a 3 out of 10, which means one of these wines may end up giving you a raging headache, and another of these wines is a great choice to serve at a party. 

In this episode, Shelley and Phil sit down and have a very lively conversation Dave Adlard, of Candle in the Woods restaurant, and his Front of House Manager, and Sommelier, Melissa Colston. You've heard Shelley and Phil talk about the amazing Candle in the Woods experience and now you can hear from the man himself and hear about how this concept came to life as the four of them taste through some very special and spectacular wines.  #HappyFriday! #ItsWineTime! #CheersingWines tasted this episode:2007 Gruet Blanc de Blancs (from New Mexico)2004 Koenig Vineyards Riesling Ice Wine1995 Wares LBV (Late Bottled Vintage) Port1975 Don PX Gran Reserva SherryFor more information on Candle in the Woods, or to book your dinner, please visit http://candleinthewoods.com or simply text, 208-664-0135. To read about our experience at Candle in the Woods, please visit Shelley's blog post at https://www.intentionalcaregiver.com/candle-in-the-woods-a-northern-idaho-culinary-experience-like-no-other/Thanks to our sponsor:  The Social Web, Elsom Cellars, Studio 107, The Greatest Song You Never Heard PodcastThe Social Web. Are you a small business owner that's ready to grow your business through social media without having to hire a full time staff or a third party company? Honor your business and yourself and become educated in social media! Visit https://thesocialweb.news for more information. The Social Web AND The Social Web Inner Circle: Helping you untangle the web of social media marketing.Elsom Cellars. Good times are meant to be shared and so are great grapes and great wines! Since 2006, Elsom Cellars has been producing brilliant Washington wines. For more information about Elsom Wines, please visit http://www.elsomcellars.com or call them at 425-298-3082.Studio 107. At Studio 107, in the heart of downtown Coeur D'alene, Idaho, we believe that small towns deserve great wines, too!  Come join us in our wine bar and gallery for an afternoon or evening escape. For more information, please visit https://studio107cda.comThe Greatest Song You Never Heard Podcast. We've all heard the main stream hits but there are so many other songs out there that deserve a listen. The Greatest Song You Never Heard serves up these songs note by note, beat by beat. Please visit https://www.thegreatestsongyouneverheard.com or listen where ever you get your podcasts.And of course, a HUGE thank you to Tod Hornby who wrote and recorded our official Wine Time Fridays theme music (as well as The Social Web sponsorship music!) which is ANYthing but average.  Please contact him at veryaveragemusic@gmail.com Mentions: Lisa Adlard, Bubbles, Andrea Robinson, MS, The One Wine Glass, Hayden Beverage Company, Coravin, Long Shadows Vintners, Terra Blanca, The Culinary Stone and Trevor Treller.Wines we enjoyed this week:  Murphy-Goode Chardonnay, Oyster Bay Pinot Noir, Chateau Ste. Michelle Merlot and a Lobo Hills Left Bank Blend Lonesome Springs Ranch.Please find us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/WineTimeFridays), Twitter (@VintageTweets) and Instagram (@WineTimeFridays). You can also “Follow” Phil on Vivino. His profile name is Phil Anderson and will probably “Follow” you back!

Chateau Ste Michelle Chardonnay 2019- A Tasty Chard For FallChateau Ste Michelle is by far the largest winery in Washington State.They make half of the wine produced there.But, even though they are best known for value-priced wine, they make top-quality wine.Check out the review on www.cheapwinefinder.com and the podcast and get to know a quality maker of inexpensive, bang-for-the-buck wine!!!

McNeil Island in Washington State is home to a sex offender commitment center that was the first of it's kind. The island houses sex offenders who have served their sentences, but have been deemed as a danger to society, so they are committed to the island. In this episode, I take a deep dive into the history of the now closed federal prison that once inhabited the island for over 100 years, and the current state of McNeil Island, also known as sex offender island. Find out if texting 911 is available in your area: https://canitext911.us/ This week's PNW wine: Chateau Ste. Michelle Rose' Thanks to this week's sponsors: Based on the Evidence on Apple Podcasts Blossom Boutique (blossomboutiquee.com) use code crime15 for 15% off your purchase Sources: https://canitext911.us/ https://doc.wa.gov/about/agency/history/micc.htm https://www.insideedition.com/455-sex-offender-island https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/oct/03/dangerous-sex-offenders-mcneil-island-commitment-center http://www.mcneilisland.net/warden-s-residence.html https://www.kxly.com/first-woman-ever-held-at-mcneil-island-facility-for-violent-sexual-predators-released-living-in-spokane/ https://lmtribune.com/northwest/an-extremely-dangerous-woman-washingtons-lone-female-sex-offender-in-confinement-seeking-better-treatment/article_fe0d3129-b648-52a0-bacc-f90d2768b0ec.html

Al's awesome contentConsolidation in the U. S. wine industry continues at an unabated pace. Most of the mergers and acquisitions are followed weeks later by layoffs and closures of production facilities. Sebastiani, Coppola and Chateau Ste. Michelle are some of the most recent buyouts. Right now is one of the best times to be looking for a job in the California wine industry. A quick look on winejobs.com will yield hundred of job offers. Terri and I finally ventured out and went wine tasting for the first time since the start of the Covid pandemic. Bill and I discuss our visit to Ledson Winery in Sonoma Valley and lament the loss of the casual drive up tasting we were able to enjoy before Covid changed our world.Climate change is wreaking havoc everywhere. Recent flooding in Belgium and Germany and in particular the Ahr Valley wine region has cost hundreds of lives and many businesses and livelihoods have been lost. James Lawrence shares the story of how Weingut Paul Schumacher was destroyed by floods.Bill and I discuss these items and more in this week's addition of VinoWeek. Thanks to everyone for listening. Cheers!

Joogisaade “Vala välja!” võtab oma järjekordses “Veinikool: viinamarjad” salvestuses lähivaatluse alla marja nimega Shiraz/Syrah. Mis marjaga on täpsemalt tegemist ja mis peitub marja erinevate nimekujude taga? Sellest kõigest räägib kahele “suurele kõrvale” – saatejuhid Martin ja Keiu – Eesti Sommeljeede Assotsiatsiooni sommeljee, koolitaja ja veinikaupmees Igor Sööt. Suur suvi on küll käes, ent me ei pelga sel puhul vahelduseks valgetele viinamarjadele rääkida ka ühest tummisest punasest. Vanas Maailmas tuntakse seda marja enamasti kui Syrah' ja Uues-Maailmas aga hoopis Shirazi nime all. Mõnikord läheb marja nimetamine ka stiilipidi. Kuidas need jaotused täpsemalt käivad, sellest räägib Igor Sööt juba saates lähemalt. Nagu ka kahes varasemas saates palusime ka Igoril tuua välja kolm lõbusat fakti meie saate peategelase kohta: 1. Shiraz, räägime siinkohal Austraaliast, on üks vähestest punastest viinamarjasortidest, millest tehakse traditsioonilisel meetodil punast vahuveini. Sparkling Shiraz tuleb Barossa Valley'st ja on saadavad ka Eestis. See on ühtlasi populaarne vein austraallaste jõululaual. 2. Kaks legendaarset Syrah' kasvatamise kohta Prantsusmaal on Rhone'i orus asuvad Côte Rôtie ja Hermitage. Kui Bordeaux's oli 18. sajandi lõpul külmem periood, kus sealsed klaretid ehk punased veinid tulid kehvakesed, hakkasid veinitegijad just Põhja-Rhone'i poole kiikama. Nii osteti Hermitage'ist Syrah veini, segati kohalikuga ja müüdi ikka Bordeaux' nime all. Seda hakati nimetama hermitažeerimiseks. Kui pättus välja tuli, oli tegemist muidugi skandaaliga, ent tegelikult armastavad garaaživeinide valmistajad taolisi segusid siiani. Lihtsalt neid veine saab nüüd müüa oluliselt ausama näoga ja Vin de France'i nime all. 3. Üks isiklikum lugu ka. Enne, kui Igor veinimaailma põhjalikumalt sukeldus, sattus ta Shiraziga kokku küll, ainult et Austraaliast pärit Yellow Tail'i ja BIN 555 kujul. Toona tundus igati kena kraam. Nüüd tundub, et alustamiseks ongi ehk hea kraam, aga tõeliselt maitsev vein tuleb ikkagi mujalt. (Võib juhtuda, et saate käigus saab selles osas lähemat selgust.) Veinid, mida saates mekkisime (iga veini kõrvale soovitab Igor saates ka sobilikke sööke): · Tardieu-Laurent Saint-Joseph Vieilles Vignes, Vallée du Rhone, Prantsusmaa, 2013 – Vins de France (https://vinsdefrance.ee/tardieu-laurent-rouge-saint-joseph-vieilles-vignes-2013-tardieup16.html) · Gabriel Meffre Côtes du Rhône Villages, Vallée du Rhone, Prantsusmaa, 2016 – Pernod Ricard Estonia (https://webshop.pernod-ricard-estonia.com/pood/gabriel-meffre-laurus-cotes-du-rhone-village-14-5-0-75l-2016-800406) · Chateau Ste. Michelle Syrah Columbia Valley, Washington State, USA, 2014 – Liviko (https://www.livikostore.ee/en/product/chateau-ste-michelle-syrah/) · Peter Lehmann Stonewell Shiraz, Barossa Valley, South Australia, 2013 – Tridens (https://tridens.ee/toode/peter-lehmann-stonewell-shiraz/) Stuudios rääkis viinamarja ajaloost ja olemusest sommeljee Igor Sööt, kuulasid veiniõppurid Keiu ja Martin. Erilised tänud lähevad saate toetajale Eesti Sommeljeede Assotsiatsioonile, kes saatis stuudiosse nii oma sommeljee kui maitsmisele tulnud veinid. Küsimuste ja ettepanekutega kirjutage meile aadressile vala@delfi.ee. Jälgige meie tegevusi ka sotsiaalmeedias: Facebookis ja Instagramis.

Our Seattle episode is here and has us craving the PNW!! We interviewed @emmasedition today and she did not disappoint with all the best places to stay, dine, drink and play in Seattle! Where to stay: Hotel Theodore, The Fairmont Olympic Airbnbs: Capitol Hill, Freemont, Ballard, South Lake Union, Airbnb house boats, Tree Houses in Fall City (40 minutes out of the city) Where to eat: Portage Bay Cafe, Ba Bar, 45th Stop N Shop (get a poke bowl and walk down to Gas Works Park, 10 min walk) Where to drink: The Loupe Lounge in the Space Needle (reservations available on Tock and available two weeks in advance, availability is released every Monday) Olympic. Bar in Fairmont Hotel, Chateau Ste. Michelle, Chateau Lill What to do: Visit Fremont Troll, Seattle Scenic Seaplane Tour with Kenmore Air, day trip to Bainbridge Island on a ferry, water taxi from downtown to West Seattle, walk through Pike Place Market, gum wall, Amazon Books (4 star+ books sold on Amazon), Amazon 4-star, hiking in the North Cascades National Park, Mount Hyak, Museum of Pop Culture, Beneath The Streets Underground History Tour (if you're into history) Plant shops to visit: Glasswing Greenhouse on Capitol Hill (temporarily closed), Plant Shop Seattle, The Indoor Sun Shop RAPID FIRE Most instagram-able spot: Frankie & Joe's (vegan ice cream), Di Fiora (Asian fusion restaurant) & search Emma's blog for more posts on where to take pictures by neighborhood Favorite pizza spot: Willmott's Ghost Favorite Seattle event: Seattle Sounders Soccer game, Mariners, Seahawks (tickets are hard to get) Best season to visit: Favorite coffee shop: The Starbucks Reserve in Capitol Hill, Mr. West Cafe Bar, search Emma's Edition for blog post on best coffee shops Favorite wine & cheese spot: Wineries in Woodinville, Locus Wines Favorite season to visit: Summer, fall Favorite rooftop bar: The Nest Rooftop Bar (Thompson Hotel) Favorite place for dessert: Ellenos Greek Yogurt, Molly Moon's Favorite local business: Silver + Salt, most places in Pike's Place, farmer's markets in several neighborhoods (check schedule for days) Best chicken teriyaki: Anywhere! Favorite Vietnamese restaurant: Banh Town, Monsoon, Vinason Pho & Grill Tips from the locals for the tourists: 1. 2.

Mike & Paul discuss momentum as creatives while enjoying a glass of red wine.  The wine is a fantastic 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon from the masters at Chateau Ste. Michelle in Washington, the studio lighting is perfect for the episode, and the vibe is relaxed. Enjoy the show.Credits:  HostMichael Warth - http://www.michaelwarth.comCo-HostPaul Remy - https://www.facebook.com/vextonTheme Music“Mike's Bossanova”Produced, arranged, and performed byAdil Constantine - https://adilconstantine.comAs always you can learn more about the All Walks of Art show on the website at, https://allwalksofart.simplecast.comIf you'd like to be on the show, let Mike know. Send an email to TheStudio@MichaelWarth.com and put Podcast Guest in the subject line so he says it right away. Copyright © 2021 Michael Warth

First, thanks to listener and Patron Rafael C. for the podcast topic this week! It is the 45th Anniversary of the Judgment of Paris: a tasting of California and French wines, organized but the late Steve Spurrier, that opened the door for wines from the US and all over the New World to be recognized for their excellence. We should raise a glass to him, his partner Patricia Gallagher, and to journalist and author George Taber, all of whom made this event so very significant.  Here's a quick recap, all of which we cover in the podcast... In 1976, an English wine shop owner, Steven Spurrier, and the director of his adjacent wine school, Patricia Gallagher, wanted to introduce members of the French culinary elite to the wines of California. The goal was to show them the new developments happening across the world in wine (and to get publicity for Cave de la Madeleine and the Academie du Vin -- genius marketing!).   Photo: Berry Bros & Rudd Wine Blog In preparation, Spurrier and Gallagher researched, tasted, and carefully selected 6 boutique California Chardonnays and 6 boutique Cabernet Sauvignon-based wines. They brought these wines to France and on May 24, 1976 conducted a three-hour tasting that (unbeknownst to them) would change the wine world forever.   Nine French judges sat at the Intercontinental Hotel in Paris and sipped 6 California Chardonnays with a group of four high end white Burgundies (100% Chardonnay). They followed that up with 6 California Cabernet Sauvignons and four of the best Bordeaux from the Left Bank. The results were as follows:   Chardonnays 1973 Chateau Montelena, Napa Valley (family owned) 1973 Roulot Meursault Charmes, Premier Cru, Bourgogne 1974 Chalone Vineyards, Santa Cruz Mountains (owned by Diageo) 1973 Spring Mountain Vineyard, Napa Valley (owned by an investment company) 1973 Joseph Drouhin Beaune “Clos des Mouches,” Premier Cru Bourgogne 1972 Freemark Abbey, Napa Valley (owned by Jackson Family Wines/Kendall-Jackson) 1973 Ramonet-Prudhon, Bâtard-Montrachet, Grand Cru, Bourgogne 1972 Domaine Leflaive, Puligny- Montrachet, “Les Pucelles”, Premier Cru, Bourgogne 1972 Veedercrest Vineyards, Napa Valley (shut down for 20 years, resurrected in 2005 under a sole proprietor) 1972 David Bruce Winery, Santa Cruz Mountains (family owned) Photo: National Museum of American History -- Smithsonian  The Cabernets/Bordeaux 1973 Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, Napa Valley (owned by Chateau Ste. Michelle/Antinori) 1970 Château Mouton-Rothschild, Pauillac, Bordeaux 1970 Château Haut-Brion, Graves, Bordeaux 1970 Château Montrose, St-Éstephe, Bordeaux 1971 Ridge Vineyards, Monte Bello, Santa Cruz Mountains (owned since 1987 by a Japanese pharmaceutical company) 1971 Château-Leoville-Las-Cases, St. Julien, Bordeaux 1971 Mayacamas Vineyards, Napa Valley (family owned) 1972 Clos du Val, Napa Valley (family owned) 1970 Heitz Cellars, Martha’s Vineyard, Napa Valley (investor owned) 1969 Freemark Abbey, Napa Valley (owned by Jackson Family Wines/Kendall-Jackson)   Shocking and unexpected though they were, the results helped land California a seat at the table in the world of serious wine and paved the way for other regions to show that they were also capable of making excellent wines. Photo: Bella Spurrier The contest was not without objection. According to George Taber’s book (FYI -this is an affiliate link and I may earn a small commission from your purchase) the major ones were: The 20-point system was too limiting (but 20 points was standard at the time, I think any scale would have been criticized) For each category there were only four French wines to six California wines, so the odds were statistically in California’s favor (this is a very valid argument but the purpose of the tasting was for fun and learning, so we can’t really fault Spurrier for not knowing!) Spurrier didn’t choose the best French vintages (Spurrier picked French wines he thought would win, this was the best available) The French wines were too young (the tasting has been replicated and the California wines have aged better than the French wines!) Blind tastings suck – (this is very true but there was no "gotcha" here. It was just done to remove judgment, not to make people guess what wine was what Chateau!)   My additional objections: It is quite unfair to judge French wine without food. A small roll for palate cleansing isn’t enough. With a meal, the French wines would have been different. Food must be at the table for a fair judgement. The order of the wines in a tasting matters. Of course a lighter style wine tried after a heavier one will seem washed out. I don’t know what the case was here, but the “out of the hat” system was probably not the best order for the wines. We do need to realize that 1976 was a very difficult time for France. It was still rebuilding after the trauma of two World Wars in very quick succession and it took years to garner investment and get the wineries functioning and modernized. This was likely in the period of transition and that means the wines, made by traditional methods may have tasted less “clean” in comparison to the wines of California, which benefitted from cutting edge technology and scientific know-how, which was part of the culture of the reborn wine culture there.   That said, we all must raise a glass to Steve Spurrier, Patricia Gallagher, and George Taber for holding/covering this event, which improved and globalized wine for the modern times! Book cover from Amazon.com I highly recommend George Taber’s book "Judgment of Paris"  It’s a great read!   PS-- As we discussed in the show, check out my friend Tanisha Townsend's podcast, "Wine School Dropout" and her site Girl Meets Glass! ________________________________________________ Thanks to our sponsors: Thanks to YOU! The podcast supporters on Patreon, who are helping us to make the podcast possible and who we give goodies in return for their help! Check it out today: https://www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople      Wine Access   Visit: www.wineaccess.com/normal and for a limited time get $20 off your first order of $50 or more!  Wine Access is a web site that has exclusive wines that overdeliver for the price (of which they have a range). They offer top quality wines by selecting diverse, interesting, quality bottles you may not have access to at local shops. Wine Access provides extensive tasting notes, stories about the wine and a really cool bottle hanger with pairings, flavor profile, and serving temps.  

On this week's episode of Black Girls Texting the girls weigh in on the Porsha Williams situation and Glynn pulls some revealing receipts from the group. Then, the girls answer some juicy listener question and share the stories of their first serious boyfriends and the first time they knew they were too good for someone. Want even more? Bonus episodes, live events, merch and more of the group chat!! Become a Patron at Patreon.com/blackgirlstexting This episode is brought to you in partnership with Washington State Wine. https://www.washingtonwine.org/ On this episode, the BGT is sipping on a Malbec Rose from Tunnel Hill Winery (https://www.tunnelhillwinery.com/), the Indian Wells Cab from Chateau Ste. Michelle (https://www.ste-michelle.com/), the folks who are also behind Spring Valley Vineyard (https://www.springvalleyvineyard.com/), and a red from XOBC Cellars by musician Brandi Carlile (https://www.xobccellars.com/About-Us). Don't forget to rate, comment, subscribe to our Channel and our podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...) Follow our IG: @blackgirlstexting and email us at hello@blackgirlstexting.com. Shout out to WTF Media for the studio and production! https://www.wtfmediastudios.com/

Glen Yaffa is from Chateau Ste. Michelle in Washington State. Mike Coveney of Hilltop wines represents Washington wines in the UK. We hear about the region of Washington and the wines.

WHAT'S POPPIN' MOSCATHOES We're back and better than ever for our first non-launch-episode episode! Tune in to find out what happened to us when we had some questionable out-of-state men visiting us in our college apartments (definitely not what we were expecting). We also give you some tips and tricks to deal with online dating. TAKE NOTES MFS. Today's wine of the episode is a 2018 Chateau Ste. Michelle Sweet Riesling. It's sweet, fruit-forward, and it's just what we need for what we have in store for you in this week's episode. OKAY LOVE YOU GUYS

In this episode, Lyric and her guest, Gema, will discuss celebrity news, the recent lost of two icons, their previous job experiences, illegal jobs, micromanagement, and will rate the wine, Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling White Wine

The Columbia Crest H3 Les Chevaux Red 2016 is a blend of Merlot, Syrah, and Malbec, (along with other Red varietals) sourced from vineyards in the Horse Heaven Hills AVA (also known as H3) inside the Columbia Valley AVA of Washington State.The Horse Heaven Hills AVA is located east of Vancouver and west of the Walla Walla AVA and situated along the northern banks of the Columbia River. Like the name suggests early settlers found herds of wild horses in the area.Columbia Crest is the second label for Chateau Ste. Michelle. I have read that the Chateau Ste. Michelle's family of wines accounts for 50% of the wines produced in Washington. The Columbia Crest label was started in the early 1980s.Do not let Columbia Crest's 2nd label designation fool you, their wines have been featured in many "Best Of' lists and in 2009 one of their reserve wines, a Cabernet Sauvignon, was Wine Spectators Wine of the Year. Their wines may not be expensive, but they have a history of quality.This review is for the 2016 vintage, the 2017 vintage is also available. They changed the label completely for 2017, it went from a dark label to mostly white.The name Les Chevaux translates to "the Horse" in French. Columbia Crest does not go into great detail on the making of the Columbia Crest H3 Les Chevaux Red 2016. But they do mention a couple of important things.One thing that stood out is this Red Blend was aged in French and American oak barrels for twenty-two months. That is an impressive amount of oak conditioning for a wine I found on sale for under twelve bucks and I think is even cheaper at Costco.Most Red wines in the general $10 range are intentionally made to come together quickly. That typically means less oak barrel aging or maybe no oak aging at all. The rule of thumb with oak barrel aging and there are variables, is that the wine needs to age one month in the bottle of each month of aging in the barrel. This is not a hard, fast rule, but it gives you an idea of much aging a wine had, by how soon after harvest it was released for sale.Wines that can be released sooner are often less expensive than wines that need more time to develop. So a wine that has extensive (for the price point) oak aging is an excellent surprise.Winemakers have learned to do a commendable job of adding oak flavoring to wines that do not have a great deal of oak contact. But the one thing that they can not replicate is what happens to the wine it has been in barrel for almost two years. The melding of flavors can only come with time.The 2nd production detail that caught my eye is they only could name tree of the grapes in the blend, they simply said "along with other grape varietals", how do they not know what grapes they used? You would figure they would know something like that. It actually occurs fairly often in Red blends. There must be a reason for the uncertainty, some legalese, some state labeling requirements, who knows? The alcohol content is 14.5%.Columbia Crest H3 Les Chevaux Red 2016 Tasting NotesThe color is barelt see-thru black cherry red. The nose is rich, intense blackberry, black pepper, spice, black cherry, dark chocolate, a hint of vanilla, and raspberry. This is a rich, mostly smooth Red blend that has a rich spice counter-point to the smooth ripe flavors. It starts with blackberry, tea, exotic spice, licorice, and a touch of cream. The mid-palate shows tart cranberry, black pepper, a nutty, salty sensation, and dried strawberry bits.The tannins are smooth and the acidity allows the flavors to unfold.The SummaryThe Columbia Crest H3 Les Chevaux Red 2016 is a solid red blend, full of flavor and detail that sells for a bargain price.The 2017 vintage is available now and I am sure it is ready to go and drinks great, but if 2016 is also available alongside 2017 I think I might grab 2016.When you have an affordable wine with a nice bit of oak barrel aging an extra year in the bottle wi..

John Barzizza, longtime Board Member with SRVS in Memphis and Chairman of The 22nd Annual Sparkling Nights fundraising event that will be taking place virtually on August 20, 2020, discusses the history and mission of SRVS, the growth of the organization, programs and services, and why he personally has served for so many years. He also highlights the annual fundraising event that will be taking place virtually, for the first time, this year, and how everyone can support and participate.Since 1962, SRVS (pronounced serves) has been a leader in empowering lives. Our mission is provide the services that people with disabilities need to live meaningful lives as members of their communities.Programs:SRVS Kids & FamiliesSRVS Community Based Services SRVS Community LivingSRVS Family SupportSRVS Employment ServicesSRVS Elder & Adult CareEmployment and Community First (ECF)Sparkling Nights August 20th - A Virtual Wine & Food Tasting Experience! Join us from the comfort of your own home. We'll host a virtual party including a wine tasting from Chateau Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, exciting giveaways, music and entertainment.Learn more:  https://www.srvs.org. 

Never have we gone deeper into an athlete's mentality than we did in this episode with former Sounders stalwart, Patrick Ianni. As the author of On Frame and The Coaching Revolution—two books dedicated to shifting youth soccer culture—Ianni outlines how ego, anxiety, and the desire to be loved can mix in dangerous ways for many young athletes, and also how parents and coaches can provide a better path forward. He further delves into his own struggles with anxiety and depression shaping much of his career. Episode guide below. 0-8:50: Finding soccer inspiration in older brother | Moving from holding mid to center back under Sigi Schmid 8:50-16:50: Danger of kids conflating soccer with love | Intensifying anxiety throughout youth career 16:50-20:30: Walking the runway at high school fashion show to a Nelly song | Difference between internal and external confidence 20:30-29:40: Ego creating "stories" for self | Fighting for self-created identity at UCLA | Early MLS struggles and online gambling addiction in Houston 29:40-34:00: Love for Carrie Underwood and discovery of country music 34:00-41:30: Settling down in Seattle and concerts at Chateau Ste. Michelle | Friendship and footy with Seahawks kicker, Steve Hauschka 41:30-45:00: Learning from Pete Vagenas and Steve Zakuani in Seattle | Anxiety of starting or not-starting week to week 45:00-57:00: Transition to retirement | Learning from fatherhood | Danger of parents attaching their ego to their kids 57:00-65:00: How the U.S. can win a World Cup | Importance of street soccer and freedom to express | Separating personal identity from sports identity for kids 64:00-End: Ego getting in the way of center back partnership with Jhon Kennedy Hurtado | The need for youth coaches to heal and self-reflect Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Chateau Ste. Michelle Canoe Ridge Estate Merlot In this episode, Rob, Scott, and Becky follow up their enjoyment of Rutherford Hill Napa Valley Merlot with one from Horse Heaven Hills in Washington, the Chateau Ste. Michelle Canoe Ridge Estate Merlot.  Will Napa prove to be the better of the two, or can Scott not control his rampant bias/obsession/irrational love for Horse Heave Hills and provide an idiotic review?  We shall see... on The Wine Vault.

Eroica Columbia Valley Riesling In this episode, Rob, Scott, and Becky all try a Washington wine made by a joint venture between Chateau Ste. Michelle and Dr. Loosen in Eroica Riesling.  Will the collective efforts of these American and German wine makers payoff, or will the value of that collective effort be challenged by the show?  We shall see... on The Wine Vault.

John Waid is the Founder and CEO of C3 Corporate Culture Consulting, a firm that specializes in aligning organizational culture with strategic goals. John is a globally recognized expert on corporate culture with an extensive background in sales and marketing. He has worked with national and international brands including Pfizer, Pepsi, Nestlé, and Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery among many others. John is an author, speaker, facilitator, and thought leader who is deeply passionate about the positive impact culture can have on people and companies. What you will learn in this episode: How John, as a child, learned his people skills from his mother and his business leadership skills from his father How John coped with being separated from his parents at just twelve years old after losing his mother to alcoholism and then being sent away to boarding school Why John initially went into a career in sales and marketing, and how he first got involved in business consulting What values traits thriving companies almost universally hold, and why the question “What are your values?” is a powerful one to answer Why Delta Airlines is a culture-driven powerhouse company, and what John believes makes their culture unique and powerful What John looks for in the ideal client to do the culture work he teaches, and why it is crucial to have a unified, shared company culture How the Founding Fathers of the United States founded the country on three clear values: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness What steps John takes to help his clients define their values and build a strong and lasting culture Why many companies don't invest enough money into culture and values work, and why defining values is the most important foundational step in culture work Why John's work is motivated by helping people and businesses do better, and why he focuses on people first Resources: Website: www.c3culture.com Phone: (404) 915-3051 Email: john@waid.com Email: jwaid@corporatecultureconsulting.com LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/johnwaid/ Additional Resources: Website: sharonspano.com Book: thetimemoneybook.com Events: sharonspano.com/workshops Contact: sharon@sharonspano.com Twitter: @SharonSpano

About the episode:      John Waid is the founder and CEO of C3 – Corporate Culture Consulting, a firm specializing in aligning an organization's culture with its strategic goals.  John has worked in sales and marketing at Pfizer, PepsiCo, Nestle and Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery. During these experiences he developed a heightened awareness of the indispensable role people's attitudes play in implementing effective processes and procedures.  This interest led him to study behavior in corporate settings and working as a behavior consultant. Because behaviors don't exist in a vacuum, John examined and analyzed the effects of corporate culture on behavior and found his real purpose in life, as a pioneering expert on that subject.  He understands the direct link between a company's culture and its performance. As a globally recognized expert on corporate culture, he leads companies to clearly define their values and then build positive and purposeful behaviors focused on results. He is a passionate advocate for developing business leaders who can attract superior talent, and then retain that talent. John's background in marketing and sales is evident in his focus on using culture to grow businesses and their profits. He does this by teaching managers how to value their talent in ways that get desired results.  John is an author, speaker, facilitator and thought leader in the area of corporate culture and its positive impact on people and companies.  He was born in Mexico City, has lived in five countries and speaks fluent Spanish, Portuguese and English. He is an author, keynote speaker and blogger.     In the episode:     2:49 – John describes how is career started by delivering chips for Frito-Lay before going to Furman University. He has also born in Mexico city and has lived in Latin America, learning to speak Spanish and Portuguese.   6:46 – Nancy guesses John's answer to her question about what he would do differently over the course of his career.   8:39 – John wishes he had discovered his passion earlier in his career.   09:16 – John shares how important PR is for his career, including the ability to connect with others.   10:25 – John askes Nancy what makes PR special and how she would define it.   12:58 – Nancy suggests LinkedIn is a good place to start on social media and John asks if there is anything that competes with LinkedIn.   15:00 – John asks Nancy how to turn exposure into business.   18:07 – John finds that he gets plenty of exposure but wants to know how it turns into sales.   21:20 – John shares his main obstacles to success. John's idea of success includes making society better and making yourself better.   30:02 – John shares how measuring success has changed since his started measuring success, transitioning from exposure the engagement.   35:39 – John says that building his network has been a conscious goal, especially in his field of work creating company cultures.   38:44 – John defines corporate culture using Southwest Airlines as an examples.   45:22 – John shares that KISS (keep it short and simple) tools and stories are resources that he uses.   47:19 – John leaves a piece of advice for someone starting their career.    Quote:       "It's about the employees first and then the customers and then the money. If we can change that mindset, what would be wonderful for the business owners is that the employees will love the company. The customers will love the company. And you'll love the profits. — John Waid, Founder and CEO of C3 – Corporate Culture Consulting      Links:      Reinventing Ralph by John Waid  The Goal by Eliyahu M. Goldratt and Jeff Cox  Good to Great by Jim Collins  The One Minute Manager by Kenneth Blanchard     Looking to connect:       Email: jwaid@corporatecultureconsulting.com   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnwaid/   Website: https://corporatecultureconsulting.com/  

The rain could not stop the TBTL Summer Picnic. But it could send it indoors. Hundreds of Tens packed into the Chateau Ste. Michelle wine tasting room for some good food, great wine, and average-to-slightly-above-average podcasting by Luke, Andrew, Jen and Sean. Plus: The crowning of the official 2016 Song of the Summer!

Luke, Andrew, Carey and PodDog record the show en route to the TBTL Summer Picnic at Chateau Ste. Michelle. They discuss their rain plan for the picnic, why it matters what we say to dogs, and a pretty good spoof that Luke spent 22 minutes constructing.

TBTL celebrates 2000 episodes with a live show at the Neptune Theater in Seattle, Washington (The Bay City)! Luke, Sean and Andrew look back at 8 years of questionable broadcasting with special guest Jen Andrews and live music by Prom Queen. (A very, very, very special thank you to Chateau Ste. Michelle for sponsoring the 2000th episode of TBTL!)

Luke, Andrew and Tens of listeners gather at Chateau Ste. Michelle winery for the annual TBTL Summer Picnic! Phyllis "Phyl Donahue" Fletcher helps field questions from the audience, covering such topics as "danger pants", Luke's '90s haircut, live goats, and a very special proposal. Plus, the 2015 Song of the Summer is revealed! Special Thanks to Rachael Mcclinton and John Morton for supporting today's show!

It's TBTL on-the-go! Luke and Andrew record today's show from the road, as they drive to the TBTL Summer Picnic at Chateau Ste. Michelle. They discuss childhood road trips, young romance, and an explosive situation Luke found himself in last night. Special thanks to Angie Gundersson and Charles Holt for supporting today's episode!

The RunRunLive 4.0 Podcast Episode 4-309 – Anne – Laura and 50 states by age 25 (Audio: link) [audio:http://www.RunRunLive.com/PodcastEpisodes/epi439.mp3] Link epi4309.mp3 Intro Bumper: https://www.crowdrise.com/TeamHoytBoston2015/fundraiser/christopherrussell Man, what a week!  I'm tired.  I raced the Eastern States 20 miler on Sunday.  It was the 20th anniversary race and they were back to the original course which starts in Kittery Maine, crosses over into Portsmouth, runs the entire coastline of New Hampshire and ends in Massachusetts.  You get 3 states in one race.   I didn't really know how to manage the race going in.  I have been logging 40ish miles a week for a while and have done several 3 hour long runs but I've done almost no tempo or speed.  The summary would be that I'm in really good aerobic shape but lacking the sharp edge of racing.   And, for those of you not paying attention, the reason I can't do the tempo and speed is that I have a heart condition, ‘exercise induced' A-fib that I've developed over the last couple years where later in a workout, under load my heartbeat becomes irregular.  I'm going in to get that fixed in May but I have to drag my old self through the Boston Marathon course first! And, for those of you really not paying attention, this is Chris, your host, and this is the RunRunLive Podcast where we consider the transformational power of endurance sport.  From now on, try to pay attention.   There were 5 of us from my club at the race but we weren't running together because we were at different goal levels.  I planned to just sort of hang back and let the race come to me and keep a watchful eye on the heart rate.  But, any of you who have raced with me know how that usually goes.   I'm an excitable boy, and, as usual I struggled to stay slow and knocked off the early miles 45 – 50 seconds a mile faster than my ‘safe' goal.  I was worried I'd fall apart at the end but I felt great.  The A-fib did kick in for the last few miles but I never crashed and my legs were solid and I wasn't sore at all on Monday. We got a great day for racing.  It was sunny and mid-30's.  There was a bit of a head wind, but nothing that was unmanageable.  This course is nice and flat.  I've probably run this race a dozen times.  All-in-all it was an excellent outing.  I had a blast.  I have to be careful with my exuberance.  Even though it was a good 20 mile run, that only gets you to the base of Heartbreak Hill and for the last 10k my heart was whacking around in my chest like a deranged hamster.  While I was sorting through the race photos this week I actually paid for one it was so good.  I usually don't bother with race photos.  The camera isn't that kind to me in general and I'm too cheap to pay the exorbitant prices, but this was a great picture that captured how much fun I was having and was only $10 for the digital.  We have a great show for you today. In the first section I'm going to look at how road races have changed over the 25 years I've been running them and what that may or may not mean for us.   In the interview we have the final guest interview that was recorded for me at the end of last summer (sorry Anne and Laura for the delay in getting it out!)  Anne interviews Laura who set the record as the youngest person to run all 50 US states.  She did it by the age of 25. She recounts how she started as an adamant ‘non-runner' just trying to get to one mile and some of the wonderful, transformative life lessons she learned along the way.  The final section is a super interesting (and maybe creepy) social experiment that I was running on strangers while traveling this week using the tools of the Pick Up Artists.   Props to my coach, Jeff from PRSFit.  I told him in January that I couldn't so any speedwork but I still wanted to race Boston and we figured out how to work with what we had.  All long, slow, build, aerobic training.  I can feel the results in my runs over the last 3 weeks and I can see the strength in my body.   Just goes to show you folks, where there is a will there's a way.   On with the Show!  Section one - Running Tips 7 ways road races have changed in a generation http://runrunlive.com/7-ways-road-races-have-changed-in-one-generation Voices of reason – the interviews Laura @50by25 Management consultant who became the youngest woman to run a marathon in all 50 states, while still enjoying her margaritas. Sometimes simultaneously. I began writing this blog in December 2007 under the title “Absolut(ly) Fit.” I chose the name to reflect a belief that I had then (and still have today): the best way to live a healthy and happy lifestyle is to maintain balance. Of course it's good for your body to work out and eat healthy food most of the time, but it's also good for your spirit to eat the foods you enjoy. Perhaps you want to set an ambitious goal like training for a marathon – but in the pursuit of that, you don't need to give up everything else in order to succeed.   Case in point – heading straight from my 2nd marathon to visit my favorite winery, Chateau Ste. Michelle I didn't always have this philosophy of balance. Growing up, I preferred musical theater to sports, and never understood how someone could do both. In my mind, you were either artsy or sporty – but never both. I began to challenge this and other assumptions while doing a college internship in Sarasota, Florida. Finding it difficult to make friends in a strange place, I told myself that I could either be miserable and have a terrible summer, or I could make the best of it and spend the time trying to improve myself in some way. I decided that I was going to do two things I had previously thought impossible: learn to cook and learn to run.   Lounging and drinking in the ocean? Don't worry, I still made time for that! The cooking was easy; the running was a bit harder. I had defined my goal as being able to run one mile without stopping, and lacking any better running equipment, I drove my car in a loop around the neighborhood until the odometer read one mile – that was how far I needed to go. For two months I pounded the pavement, working my way up to running more and walking less of that distance. By the end of the summer I had not only been able to run my one mile “course ” without stopping, but I also completed a 5K race (though that was with plenty of walk breaks)! I was so proud of myself, and told everyone I knew. But after running one mile, I wondered – could I run two miles? How about three? I gradually increased my distance, completing a 5 mile race, then a 10K (6.2 miles), and eventually a 10 miler. In December 2007, shortly after starting “Absolut(ly) Fit”, I decided it would be my New Year's resolution to complete a half marathon by the end of the year. I smashed that resolution before the end of the month when I ran theManhattan Half Marathon in Central Park. I was shocked that I had been able to complete it – I thought for sure I was pushing my limits further than I could go. But I did it, and now I wondered – could I somehow complete a full marathon? I started adding more miles on to my “training sessions” (which were actually just early Saturday morning attempts to burn off the calories of the alcohol and late-night pizza/tacos/etc I had consumed with my friends the night before). I didn't follow a real training plan, but typically tried to add five to ten minutes onto whatever I had done the last time I went for a run, and that gradual increase helped me to progress injury-free. I didn't worry about how fast I was going, and instead focused on enjoying the gorgeous views and surprisingly quiet calm of Manhattan on a weekend morning. But while it wasn't too hard to do just another five to ten minutes than I had done the week before, the extra mileage was adding up – until one weekend morning, I ran 22 miles! Although I hadn't been following a formal training plan, I had read enough to know that most marathon training plans stopped around 22 miles… so it seemed that I was ready to go the full distance. I signed up for the Vermont City Marathon a few weeks later, selecting it in large part because it was sponsored by Ben and Jerry's and promised free ice cream at the finish. If anything was going to get me to run 26.2 miles, it was ice cream! My mom and my best friend came to cheer me on, holding signs that said “run to the ice cream, Laura!” That motivation certainly helped – whenever I saw their signs, you can bet that I ran a little faster! Of course I had some soul-searching, “why did I sign up for this” moments in the last few miles (what first-time marathoner doesn't?), but within a few minutes after the finish line, the memories of the tough times were completely replaced by pride of accomplishment. I did it!   Proud marathoner with ice cream in hand! In fact, I was so elated that instead of wanting to stop there, I decided to run another marathon. And another after that. To this day, no matter how many marathons I've run, there is nothing like that feeling of conquering the impossible I get when I cross a marathon finish line. It never gets old! I set a new ambitious goal for myself – to run a marathon in each U.S. state by my 25th birthday – and completed it on June 6, 2010, just two years and one week after I completed my first marathon. In doing so, I broke the world record as the youngest woman to run a marathon in all 50 states. I didn't stop there, though – in November 2013, I ran my 100th marathon to become the youngest member of the 100 Marathon Club. As of this writing (December 2014), I've run 105 marathons in 50 US states, one US territory, and six countries.   Seconds after achieving my 50by25 goal, I'm in disbelief. While I was working toward my “50 marathons by my 25th birthday” challenge, I picked up the 50by25 moniker – and now that I'm a bit older and perhaps not quite so focused on college drinking games and the NYC bar scene, I thought rebranding my blog to 50by25 would make more sense. Yes, I've already completed the 50by25 goal and want to move onto new challenges. However, I think the short-and-sweet 50by25 phrase is a great example of how to set a goal, break it up into manageable chunks, and achieve it. It's quantifiable, it's timebound, and for me, it provided something inspiring enough to work toward that I didn't give up even when things got tough. 50by25 is a huge part of who I am today, and a reminder that I can do the “impossible.” Of course I hope to accomplish more in my life and not just rest on my laurels from here on out, but 50by25 was really the perfect quest and serves as a great template for future endeavors. Though I still run marathons (and write about them on the blog), you'll find that my blog now focuses a lot on goal setting, productivity, and travel in addition to the usual health and fitness topics. I think mastering these activities is the best way to enjoy life and attain true happiness, and I'm eager to learn and share as much as I can about those topics! If you're not sure where to start, check out my top posts page that I put together for new visitors. Thanks for coming by, and if you have any questions, always feel free to leave a comment on a post or contact me anytime :) Section Two – Life Lessons Make them smile - http://runrunlive.com/one-powerful-easy-small-habit Outro Oi! Oi! Oi! Come on! Let's have some energy!  Pick it up buttercup!  Mmmmm… Got a little bit of rumbly in my tumbly today.  Had to make not one, but two pit stops in the woods on my run.  Feeling a bit jet lagged.  I've got a funky playlist going now and I'm tapping out this semi-screed for you.  Or, I guess for us.   I had a funny idea for a short story based in the not-so-distant future where the people who come in last in the race get all the prizes and praise.  No one wants to win because the winners get tied to a post and stoned for being un-feeling bastards.   I forgot to tell you folks that I've been steadily upgrading my hardware.  I got the new iPhone 6 and I really like it.  Not the super big one the ‘just a little bigger' one.  And I replaced my laptop with a Surface Pro 3 a couple months ago and I've grown to like it, especially for travel.  And finally, I lost those Bluetooth headphones that Hilton sent me, ironically by leaving them in a Marriott.   I like the no-strings attached option though and I've bought another pair.  These are called an Mpow Cheetah Sport Bluetooth 4.1 Headphone.  They are good but they go all the way into the ear canal which can be uncomfortable and dangerous because you really can't hear anything else.  So far my toxic body juices haven't killed them but the battery life seems to be maybe 4 hours.  And of course the microphone sucks if you wanted to use them to talk on the phone.   When I was up at the start I had a great chat with Team Hoyt.  Rick and Dick were there as well as Bryan Lyons who is pushing Rick in the longer races now.  I was talking to Dick, who still pushes Rick in the shorter races.  Dick was telling me how he was having back pain and now that he was retired he's got a physio coach and has been doing core work every day and he feels great.   Does it ever feel to you like everyone is having the same conversations at the same time?  Dick was telling me about how great having a strong core is.  He's 75 years old!  I wanted to thank all of you who helped me make my goal for fund raising for Team Hoyt for Boston. I hope to get Bryan on before the race, in the next show.  He was nervous, telling me he's not good with ‘media' – makes me laugh – like I'm Geraldo or something.  Did some math and figured out that I've got somewhere around 5-600 miles on these Hokas.  They still feel fine but I can feel them getting a little ‘loose'.  Time to start looking for a new pair of something.  I'm not going to change horses before Boston.   But, as a lesson, don't do what I do, which is to run in a pair of shoes until your knees start hurting.  You should always have a couple pair in rotation and switch back and forth so you don't get ‘repetitive' injuries.  Well my lovelies I have to let you go.  I'm so far behind in my work that I may never dig out and it's Friday afternoon.  My motivation and energy flows from me and spreads like a dark puddle across the hardwood floor.  The warmth of a comforting bed, the friendly embrace of the couch and the warm dopamine drip of procrastination are sucking at my mind.   Last week I played hooky one weekday afternoon and went into China town with my daughter. We had a blast knocking around the Chinese shops and eating at a Shabu Shabu place.  We didn't roll back home until around 8:00 PM.  I had still had to get my run in.   The weather had taken a turn from the better.  It wasn't snowing and the hulking drifts had retreated from the roads a bit.  There was not a cloud in the sky.  There was not a breath of wind.  There was a 1/4 moon and a sky full of stars.  It was about 28 degrees – warm enough to allow some freedom from the atrocious and common winter bulk of accoutrements of the past 3 months.  A soundless night.   I made my way over through the old neighborhood where I bought my first little house and settled with my new bride in 1985 at the age of 22.  I remember struggling to run a 2 mile loop there as I started my fitful return to fitness in my late 20's.   I ran down the sidewalks of my life and looked in the windows of my memories and felt at peace and full of joy. I remembered the nights like this when all is effortless and joyful are the reason I train and race and strive.  It's the quiet and beautiful moments that sneak up on you while you are busy living that teach you how precious living is.  I'll see you out there.  https://www.crowdrise.com/TeamHoytBoston2015/fundraiser/christopherrussell http://www.grotonroadrace.com/ Closing comments http://runrunlive.com/my-books