Did you miss me? After a rather long holiday hiatus, it’s time to “Get on the Good Foot” again and get my blog on!
First up: ever wonder how in the world to participate in a Twitter event?
I know I talk about doing wine twitter tasting often on this blog because I do a few of them each month (for example #WineStudio on Tuesdays and #WineChat on Wednesdays). But what exactly are the nuts and bolts?
This has come up because an online community that I am part of “Healthy 2015” is using Dr. Mark Hyman’s book, The 10 Day Detox Diet.
Because his The Blood Sugar Solution Paperback edition came out 12/30/14, he is hosting a New Year’s discussion on health, wellness, recipes, food, nutrition and all things health TODAY at 4pm PST.
And he invites us to bring our comments and questions and to get ready to win some prizes including signed copies of the Blood Sugar Solution book to participants chosen randomly!
— Gwendolyn Alley, Art and Wine Predator (@ArtPredator) November 4, 2014
Each Tuesday in November at 6pm PST, join me and a dozen or so other wine writers on Twitter for #WineStudio where we will be exploring the “renaissance of Chardonnay” in Oregon’s Willamette Valley located just south and west of Portland.
Not everyone knows that there is more to Oregon wine than the Willamette’s famed and lovely Pinot Noir. And not everyone appreciates Continue reading →
What, you don’t know what Dia de Los Muertos is? You mean you don’t have an altar to remember those who have passed?
Wikipedia explains that Day of the Dead or in Spanish: Día de Muertos “is a Mexican holiday observed throughout Mexico and around the world in other cultures. The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died.”
“The celebration takes place on October 31, November 1 and November 2, in connection with the triduum of Allhallowtide: All Hallows’ Eve, Hallowmas, and All Souls’ Day.[2][3] Traditions connected with the holiday include building private altars called ofrendas, honoring the deceased using sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed, and visiting graves with these as gifts. They also leave possessions of the deceased.”
How will YOU celebrate the 5th annual Cabernet Day the last Thursday in August–this year August 28?
How about with a Cabaret in the Black Rock Desert, Nevada at Burning Man?
The idea behind Cabernet Day is simple—enjoy any Cabernet based wine (Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet blends) and share your experience on social media sites.
Since I will once again be at Burning Man for Cabernet Day, Jim Morris and I are hosting a Cabernet Day Cabaret Continue reading →
Getting ready for tomorrow’s Vouvray twitter tasting with Snooth.com (Weds Aug 6 2014 (5:30pm PST; we’ll be trying two dry wines and two sparkling wines and learning how Chenin Blanc thrives in the region, and the effects of that terroir) made me recall how many great wines from the Loire Valley in France I’ve had the pleasure to meet in the past year or two.
When it comes to white wines of the Loire Valley, people may think of Muscadet which grows along the river closer to the coast or Vouvray’s Chenin Blanc which is further up river.
The Loire River demarcates France’s weather between the northern climate and the south, adding a few degrees of temperature. Spring is cool with frost while during grape harvest months it may have rain. Hot summers are moderated by the Atlantic breezes.
The Loire’s Sauvignon Blanc grows in the Touraine region even further up the Loire Valley. There, under conditions too harsh for other white grapes with high winds and freezing temperatures, its late bud break and early ripening allows it to flourish in the region’s limestone soils.
Last fall, we gathered at Que Syrah Sue’s and tasted five Sauvignon Blanc from the Touraine region of the Loire Valley in France with the TasteLive crew at a twitter event, and what impressed us most about the group was the range of expression in the wines and the great value , with most of them $15 or less.
Getting ready for tomorrow’s Vouvray twitter tasting with 
wine predator.............. gwendolyn alley 