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Losing Myself in Bordeaux

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  It has always been my belief that just like different wine styles, there are different styles of wine drinkers. As I have mentioned before, I tend to be a wine explorer. I don’t gravitate towards one wine to drink over and over again; I search and try various styles from all over the world. Though, like so many other wine lovers out there, I do have one particular area that I actively pursue. A particular area that holds my interest above all others. For me, that place is Bordeaux.               During my early days of wine exploration, I gobbled up every Pinot Noir I could find, so it was a surprise that my region of choice didn’t end up being Burgundy or the Willamette Valley. It all came down to a workout. While doing my cardio, I was watching an episode of The Wine Show where one of the hosts participated in the Marathon du Médoc. This is a race through the Médoc of Bordeaux where runners have wine and gourme...
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Sunny Days Call for Cool Wine

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  Is there anything better than a cool glass of white wine on a summer’s day? Refreshing and tongue tantalizing, it is the perfect way to beat the heat.               I am incredibly picky when it comes to the temperature of my food and beverages. I want my hot stuff piping, and my cool stuff chilling. This is probably why I adore the VoChill my husband got me a few years back for Christmas. This device is a stemmed wine glass holder that has a detachable top that goes into the freezer. Depending on the outside temperature, it can keep a glass of wine chilled for forty-five minutes to an hour and a half. This thing has been amazing to use, especially on the patio, as it keeps my wine at that perfect crisp temp I love.               With my obsession of having everything served at its optimal degree of heat, I have always tried to be very mindful of t...
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The Winery Name Game

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  Is there anything more exciting than discovering a new winery? I love walking into a tasting room, paroozing the wine list, and wondering what gems are awaiting my taste buds.               There are very few things I will travel to Denver for. A Rob Zombie concert, the occasional Broncos game, Wine Spectator’s Grand Tour, and a winery I have yet to try. A recent trek into the city led me to Bigsby’s Folly.               Described as a craft winery and cellar door, I was intrigued by this place immediately thanks to its logo of a dog in a top hat and the fact that the tasting room is housed in an 1886 building. I also liked that they had a nice selection of wines, offered brunch on the weekends along with their regular menu, and were a short distance away from the hotel we were at. My friend and I had mulled over a couple of other options, but this...
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Steeped in Tannins

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  Easily distracted, I have the tendency to get so caught up in something that I will quite literally forget I had been in the middle of something else. This happened to me the other day while I was making a cup of tea. I placed the tea ball in my mug, noted the time so I would know when to take it out, and then I made the mistake of starting the next section of my class on the Margaret River area of Australia.               Completely enthralled by this wine region and daydreaming about its Cabernets and Chardonnays, it was forty minutes later that I realized I had not taken a single sip of my tea. Not only had I not taken a single sip, I had completely and totally forgotten to take the tea ball out. I hastily removed it, took a drink, and was greeted with a mouthful of overly tannic, almost flavorless liquid. Annoyed with myself, but also grateful it hadn’t been one of my special Scottish teas, I got to thinking a...
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The Story of Wine and Music

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  Hipster trends. I have to say, I tend to avoid them like the plague. I have personally found these kitschy novelties as something for people to blast on their social media pages or to brag on, as if they actually accomplished something monumental. Sorry, but in simple terms, I have found them rather annoying.               A recent hype that has been hitting wine publications, that I chalked up to another short-lived whimsy of the hipster-minded, has been the focus on listening bars. These establishments, also known as record bars, vinyl bars, or hi-fi bars, are exactly what they sound like. This is a place where people go to get a drink and listen to records.               Based on the jazz kissa listening rooms that were popular in Japan in the 1950s, these bars are unique in the fact that the main attraction is the music. Records are chosen in v...
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The Wines of Change

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  Change is such an interesting concept. It doesn’t matter if it is a good change or a bad, a big change or a small, most humans are hesitant to take the step for fear of the unknown.               I have experienced a lot of changes in my life lately, with the most important one being introducing a new dog into our family. All of these changes have been good, and all of them have been stressful. As I have navigated through these shifting winds, it has truly fascinated me how one little life alteration can simultaneously bring a flutter of excitement and a pang of panic, making me feel like I am on a never-ending rollercoaster. Then, as the dust settles and life flows into a new routine, I am amazed that what caused so many emotions a week ago now feels normal, like it has always been. All of this reflection weirdly got me thinking about my palate and the changes it has gone through during my journey as a wine consu...
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Wine Improvements for the New Year

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  Pet peeves. We all have them. One of mine is this thought of the new year making everything right. Year after year, I cringe at the endless “good riddance to the past year, now things will be different” rants that seem to spew out of mouths and across social media platforms. Seriously, how is the clock turning from 12 a.m. to 12:01 a.m. going to make any difference? Then, there are the New Year’s resolutions…               As someone who works out every day, this has always been one of my least favorite things about the new year. Starting at the beginning of January and continuing until Valentine’s Day, the gym is stuffed to the max with people taking up the equipment, hording in on mat space, and making sign up for classes near impossible. Then there are the endless social media pictures of healthy food, people giving a daily breakdown of all the good they are doing and just begging for praise, and this Dry Janua...
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