January 2014 – WineFashionista

Chateau Coutet’s Cameo on Downton Abbey

Wine

I’ve never paid much attention to the wine on the Crawley family’s dinner table on Downton Abbey. All that changed Sunday night in episode two of the new season, when one of my favorite wines made a cameo appearance. I said to my husband “Stop! We have to go back and see that again.” In a wonderful scene Lord Crawley goes over the wines to be poured with Carson for the evening’s dinner service. There it was, in between the Cheval Blanc and Haut-Brion, a bottle of Chateau Coutet Sauternes, vintage 1919. This happens 19 minutes into the program. Yes, I took pictures of the TV screen. “What surprised me with Downton Abbey is how often Sauternes is served.” That’s Aline Baly, co-owner of Chateau Coutet. “In almost every single episode where there’s a dinner scene there’s a Sauternes, which was referred to as pudding wine.” Sauternes is the sweet…

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DVF: The Iconic Wrap Dress at 40

Fashionista

My first encounter with Diane von Furstenberg was in 1977, through her first book, Diane von Furstenberg’s Book of Beauty. I read that book at least 50 times. It was my style bible. I was just beginning my love affair with fashion, and thought Diane’s wrap dress was the most amazing piece of clothing ever, even if I didn’t even own one at the time. I was in awe of this young, hip princess and her glamorous life. What was so revolutionary about the wrap dress? The style flattered just about anyone, no matter their dress size or height. The silk jersey never wrinkled, making it the perfect dress to wear to work and out to dinner. The wrap dress traveled well, was easy to care for and relatively affordable (around $75 in 1970s pricing). It made women feel special and sexy. Diane’s motto “Feel like a woman, wear a…

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A New Start With a First Crush at Continuum Estate

Wine

“This is from the first day of our first harvest in the winery,” says Tim Mondavi, holding a glass filled with a dark purple liquid. “This was one week ago today, Cabernet Sauvignon that’s just down the hill from here. It’s an early harvest for the vintage and it shows great promise.” Tim is speaking to the folks he and his family have invited to the blessing of the grapes for the 2013 first crush at the new Continuum Estate winery. It’s a family effort by Tim, his sister Marcia Mondavi Borger and Tim’s four children Carissa, Carlo, Dante and Chiara. This blessing of the grapes is not only a celebration of harvest, it is a milestone for Tim and Marcia’s family. The 2013 vintage is the 100th year anniversary of Robert Mondavi’s birth, the family patriarch. Thanks to Robert’s belief that his and other Napa Valley wineries could…

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