Joy Sterling – Iron Horse Vineyards

Discovering the scentsational world of Boadicea The Victorious

They say you find love when you’re not looking for it. For me, this couldn’t be truer. I was not looking for a new perfume. But I was seduced, smitten. What first caught my attention was the the beautiful bottles, each with a pewter medallion and cap that has a different etched design, reminding me very much of the intricate carvings at the Alhambra in Granada, Spain. It’s like a sculpture or an interesting piece of jewelry. I started going through the bottles, sniffing all, and spritzing the ones I liked. Then I found it. A mesmerizing aroma that spoke to me. I had to have it. I’d never heard of the line, but so what. Adventuress from Boadicea the Victorious is my new fragrant love. It’s a soul stirring scent.

Chance encounter with K Viognier

I love chance encounters, especially the kind that leads you to something else. That’s the case for me, from a recent dinner at Kin Shop in New York City. The restaurant’s top toque is indeed a Top Chef: Harold Dieterle, the winner from the show’s first season. The menu features Thai-inspired dishes, so the wine list offers choices that pair nicely with the food. The bottle that caught my attention was the K Vintners Viognier. I recognized the name, and that the winemaker was Food & Wine magazine’s Winemaker of the Year in 2009.

Good Viognier is hard to find, and I wasn’t completely sure about one from Washington State. But the wine was wonderful. Honeyed and floral, with stone fruits and minerality. I added it to my list of favorite wines. I also love the label, graphic and bold and distressed. Could that be a reflection of the winemaker himself?

Is Cupcake the next Yellow Tail?

A report about a list called Top 30 Momentum Table Wine Brands caught my attention yesterday. Wines & Vines ran the story on the Symphony IRI Group study, which ranks the wines with the most increase in sales in 2010 that consumers buy in places such as grocery and drug stores.

Cupcake Vineyards, a relatively new wine brand, rose to the top of the 2010 chart. It’s owned by The Wine Group and boasts a winery in California’s Monterey County. You’ve probably seen it in your grocery store’s wine aisle. Expect to see more of it.

Tell Derek Lam which dress you want him to make

Derek Lam is showing us the future of fashion. But it’s not on the runway, it’s on your computer screen. This rising star designer is teaming up with eBay on an exclusive collection that you get to vote on.

This is the future of fashion, crowd-sourced design. It’s a virtual relationship between designer and customer. By voting for your favorite dresses, Lam gets instant feedback on what designs are working and which ones aren’t. He’ll only produce the dresses that get the most votes.

EAT – A day at the Fancy Food Show

Every January, the Fancy Food Show rolls into San Francisco for a 3 day eating extravaganza. This trade show is put on by the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade. The show fills up both the north and south exhibition halls of the Moscone Center. It is a ginormous feast.

What is a “fancy food”? Think gourmet. Jams, dips, tea, popcorn, shortbread, biscotti, olives, olive oil, cured meats, cheese, cheese and more cheese. Pasta sauces, BBQ rubs and sauces. Plus a lot of chocolate. From all over the world. Samples abound, and pacing is a must. One small bite, and ditch the rest of the sample.

Out of 80,000 food and drink samples, I’ve distilled it down to these absolute favorites. (And no, I didn’t get anywhere close to trying even 1% of that.)

DRINK – Penfolds goes (RED)

Uncork change.  That’s the goal of the new collaboration between Penfolds and (RED). It’s the first time (RED) has partnered with a wine brand in the global effort to eradicate AIDS worldwide.  When I think of (RED), Gap comes to mind.  So why not wine?

I interviewed Penfolds Chief Marketing Officer Francesca Schuler, who says, “it’s exciting to be in a partnership that has global impact and saves lives.”  She approached (RED) about Penfolds joining the roster of brands in the fight against AIDS.  Schuler worked for Gap and is familiar with that (RED) campaign.

SHOP – More about the mystery perfume

I’ve had mystery perfume #346 for a few weeks now. I’m giving it a test run for the Fragrance Advisory Board. Haven’t worn it lately, although it is hard to compete with all the fragrances I have to choose from. I gave it a good go for one week.  It started growing on me, not seeming as sweet and fruity as it did from the first spray.  In fact, it reminds me of a perfume I have, called “Bendelirious” from Etat Libre D’Orange.   Bendelirious is a delicious blend of Champagne, cherry and grapefruit, followed by iris, violet, leather, musk and tonka bean. Perfume #346 has a few of these notes, especially the cherry accord.  But it has much more green to it, which I am not crazy about.  It also develops a somewhat powdery note Bendelious doesn’t have.  I even wore both fragrances at the same time, just to…

SHOP DRINK – A shoe-in for wine – my favorite holiday gift

Happy new year! Like me, I’m sure you are recovering from the holiday 2010 season, and trying to get back into the swing of things. This post is a bit overdue, but I just had to share my most favorite holiday gift. It is from my brother, and he wanted to be on the phone when I opened it. Voila, the coolest shoe ever. It’s a shoe wine bottle holder – a total wine fashionista must! Gotta love the leopard print and the rhinestone embellishment. I can’t believe I’ve never seen this; my brother gets major kudos for finding it!

SHOP – Mystery perfume arrives

I just got a box with the fragrance that I’m going to be test driving for the Fragrance Advisory Board.  The letter enclosed with it instructs me not to open it yet!  First, I have to start the online survey.  My mystery perfume is labeled “346,” and it looks like it has a pale lilac color, but that means nothing.  Ok, here we go! First, they want me to open the bottle and spray just ONCE on my wrist. Easy enough…can I sniff yet?? No, I have to click the “start exercise” button and wait 60 sec.  (Ok I cheated, the fragrance is kind of floral and fruity). Time’s up.  Now I answer a series of questions.  Do I love it or hate it?  Like it so far…but not crazy about it  yet.  A little sweet to me, some rose, and a big fruity note. Cherry? What is my initial…

SHOP – Test driving a new perfume

I am going to be a perfume tester.  No, not one of those annoying perfume spritzers spraying everyone who walks through the department store cosmetics counters (although the thought of that brings back memories of Obession). Instead, I’m actually gonna take part in a Fragrance Advisory Board program where I’ll be sent an unmarked bottle of perfume.  I’ll fill out a survey about my impressions when I first try it on, and about my impressions after wearing it for a couple of weeks.  I hope I like it!!  I’ll blog about the process as I go.  Just be aware, I may come up to you and stick my wrist out and ask you what you think of the scent. If you are a perfume fanatic (like me), check out the Fragrance Advisory Board’s website.  It’s free to become a member, and you get to take part in online surveys and…

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