Downtown Ventura was quite the happening holiday scene last Saturday night.
As the streets cleared of vendors following the Holiday Street fair, the Main street as well as side streets stayed closed. Near California and Main, “snow” fell to the delight of many while down California at Santa Clara at the corner park, carolers sang amongst newly lit trees.
And amongst all this holiday cheer, the 1500 people who bought $40 bracelets and tickets to sell out the first Winter Wine Walk packed participating stores and swarmed sidewalks carrying plastic glasses filled with wine!
Last spring, I received a substantial scholarship to participate in a Women’s Economic Ventures 14 week Self Employment Training Class. I wrote a business plan for The Write Alley Coaching and Writing Strategies and graduated with honors; at our graduation, I was voted class speaker. Subsequently, I was selected to speak at the 2010 Women’s Conference.
Now WEV is experiencing a severe budget shortfall and has turned to its graduates asking for them to help raise funds to support other women to go into business for themselves. Among other activities including a holiday boutique on Thursday that I’m participating in, Jade Restaurant is holding a Women’s Winemaker Dinner with net proceeds going to WEV. Continue reading →
This Saturday night, celebrate winter and wine by talking a walk around Ventura’s cultural district!
The Ventura Winter Wine Walk December 4th lets you sample fine wines and delicious appetizers in Downtown Ventura’s restaurants and stores from 5-9pm.
Tickets are $40. You’ll receive a map and 12 sampling tickets; each ticket is good for a two ounce sample of wine and a food sample at select locations but you can only use 2 tickets per location (which means you can’t hang out at the same place all night and use up all your tickets there!)
MAKE IT A WEEKEND! In addition, enjoy carolers, a Christmas tree lighting at 6pm, and even “snow.” During the day, the Holiday Street Fair takes over downtown and covers the streets with plenty of gift ideas. The previous evening is First Friday where many shops, galleries, and art studios are open from 6-9pm and offer special events including music and art demonstrations. There’s even a SantaCon ArtRide–join a convoy of Santas and ride around downtown from gallery to gallery!
As a special gift, here’s a code to get 1 hour “free” parking until Jan 1: 1563297. Put it in your wallet so you’ll have it when you need it!
For more information and tickets visit www.venturawinterwinewalk.com or call 805.765.4294. WARNING! Tickets are almost sold out!
For weeks now, the wine bloggosphere has been dizzy with recommendations for wines to pair with Thanksgiving meals, especially how to find wines that will work with everything from appetizers to turkey to pecan pie!
The answer is: bring a bunch of different wines!
As you can imagine, I am the wine person in our gatherings. I usually bring Continue reading →
To celebrate Global #Zinfandel Day, I decided to open something special, something unusual–something from Australia to toast the 47th birthday of my Australian friend and fellow blogger Paul Squires who had a heart attack and died July 28, two days before my mother died of heart failure.
Paul was one of my strongest supporters as a blogger, as a writer, and as a poet. He was my online buddy with whom I could plot and scheme and strategize. We shared links and ideas and gave each other feedback on many elements of social media and writing.
To celebrate Global #Zinfandel Day Friday Nov. 19, I started in on zin on Thursday with a Four Vines 2007 Old Vine Cuvee which I picked up at The Ventura Wine Company for $11.
I admit, the Old Vine Zin Cuvee wasn’t the wine I wanted from Four Vines. Last year, I’d gone in to buy another bottle of the Biker ($20 at VWC, $28 from the Winery) which Wine Spectator placed in the Top 100 of last year’s releases. The Biker was a fantastic example of zinfandel, Continue reading →
In recognition of Global #Zinfandel Day, here’s a very zin-full post from Wine Blogging Wednesday #60 August 2009. In it I discuss the grand daddy of all zin wineries, Ridge, as well many zins from what I think may be the prime zin growing region anywhere: Dry Creek Valley Sonoma California.
Up next: A post about the wines I enjoyed for Global #Zinfandel Day: a 2003 Glaymond zin from the Barossa Valley AUS, a 2007 Bianchi, Four Vines 2007 Old Vine Cuvee, and even some Old Vine Zin that came from The Big Green Box!
For this month’s Wine Blogging Wednesday #60, host Sonadora prompts us to Zin with BBQ and reminds us that Lenn of Lenndevours started this off five years ago this month. Happy 5th Birthday, WBW! At my house, we love both zin and BBQ, and enjoy both often, so the only question around here was which zinfandel and what shall we BBQ? Both questions were answered simply. For grilling, I found a beautiful, thick porterhouse steak on sale at Vons whic … Read More
Downtown Ventura was quite the happening holiday scene last Saturday night.
wine predator.............. gwendolyn alley 