Darlene Myers

My apologies for not writing in a while.  Since the last time I wrote, I have started taking the Level 1 Wine Fundamentals Course, working towards my Sommelier certification.  Boy, am I learning about wine.  And loving the course.   I love learning about the history and the different wine making techniques and vintages and so on.  But I digress.  The personalities of wine and people continue.

One of the best things to come out of this course for me was that I am discovering white wines like never before.  I used to drink Reds, and only Reds.  Now I drink 60% Reds and 40% White, and I want to share one of my favorite white wine discoveries.

This is my new favorite white wine to date.  Stoneleigh Sauvignon Blanc – it reminds me of young love.  It’s new, it’s fresh, it’s exciting each and every visit.  What I love about this wine is that the last sip tastes as great as the first sip.  Drink it young, the younger the better.  (Guess that might make me a cougar, lol!)  In our course, one of the things we have learned is that ‘salad is a wine killer’!  There aren’t too many wines that can go with salads that have a vinaigrette dressing.  This is it!  Crisp, vibrant and aromatic is what comes to mind every time I pour a glass.   And not just salad…. chicken, fish and a stir fry.  Oh and goat cheese and a Sauvignon Blanc – heaven!

Stoneleigh is a great deal at $18.98 a bottle in our liquor stores.  It is in the New Zealand section and is from the Marlborough region, which is in the Northeast tip of the South Island.  The Marlborough region is known for its Sauvignon Blanc and many great vineyards are producing many great Sauvignon Blancs.   Another great one for me is Matua Valley, from the same Marlborough region of New Zealand.  About $1.50 more than the Stoneleigh, it has the same fun and flirty nose and palate.

Want to have that ‘young love’ feeling again.  Go grab a bottle of Stoneleigh  or Matua Valley Sauvignon Blanc.

Everyone who knows me, knows I drink and enjoy wine.  Mostly Reds.  Full bodied lots of personality Reds.   Recently I was describing the personality of a new favorite wine, when I realized I could have been talking about a dear friend.  I do cherish the friend a lot more, but the two of them together makes for a great evening.

Wine is a lot like people.   We, as human beings, are not going to like every single person we meet.  Likewise, we are not going to like every single wine we drink.   As a matter of fact, I like the differences all my friends bring to the table.  And I enjoy the differences a different bottle of wine tends to provide.

Over the coming months I am going to do a blog on the personality of different wines.  Today’s blog is going to be about one of my new favorite wines and what I think is one of the best deals on the shelf.

If the bottle looks familiar, you have probably tried the La Fiole Chateauneuf du Pape.  It’s spectacular, but believe me, it’s the wealthy cousin.  From the same family, the La Fiole Cotes du Rhones sells for $14.57 a bottle in Newfoundland Liquor Stores and I keep scratching my head as to how this vineyard managed to produce such a great wine for $14.57.

Mostly Syrah and Grenache, very fruity for such a young wine, and also very intense.   But then again Syrah (or Shiraz) is a powerful grape.   Known for being very full-bodied,  this one doesn’t disappoint.  Yet the added Grenache softens it out for an awesome combination.

You know someone like that?  Powerful with a soft side?  Not as rich as the wealthy cousin but easier to be around at that price.    You could spend every weekend with this one!!  I have friends like that.

Till next time!  Enjoy a glass!

Darlene

Can you feel it?  Yep, it’s there.  I can feel it in the air.  Yes, all the clichés are coming to mind.  Spring is just around the corner, Spring is in the air… Yes, I can feel it starting to rear its pretty head.  And it’s that same warm and fuzzy feeling when you’re just about to step in a bubble bath with a glass of wine and a book.

I don’t quite know what’s causing the bounce in my step.  Whether it’s the longer days or the fact I just booked a trip to the Turks & Caicos Islands.  Yeah, that will do it.  With my sister no less, can you say ‘fun times’!

But still, I get all warm and fuzzy inside when I see the snow on my patio melting… Now keep in mind that could be a hot flash, but still, I’ll take it.  I’m like a Rebel with the Pause  as my flashes have decided to make another visit.  Being Spring and all.  I used to have Saturday Night Fever, now I have Saturday Night hot flashes, but at least with the Weather warming up, people won’t look at me so funny when I start taking my clothes off!

Take care, I’ll write again soon

Darlene

Well here we are, over halfway through the 2nd month of 2012.  And I have been browsing through some of my past blogs, and came across the one I wrote on December 31st on ‘What Will The New Year Bring.”  I realize Resolutions can put a lot of pressure on people, but I don’t think that’s why we should make them.  We all need something to work toward, and I decided a long time ago to look at Resolutions as goals and inspiration, that can be worked on year after year, rather than insane pressure cookers, that make us feel like failures if we slide at all during the year.  Thus the title of the blog.

Two weeks in to the year I wrote a blog asking people how the year was going to date.  Two weeks into Resolution Time is when they start to slide and I was proud that I was doing pretty good.

So I looked back at what my 2012 will bring and where I wanted the journey to take me.  I have done very well with the smoking, even though I fell off the band-wagon once over the holidays.  Let me re-phrase that, I didn’t fall off the band-wagon, I dove off it, head first, with a crash helmet on.  I have since re-grouped.

I also wanted to shed those unwanted ‘stopped smoking’ pounds and so far have managed to take off 10 pounds, eating more plant based food and less animal fat.  (Another one of my goals).  I wanted to educate myself more and to date I have read 2 business books and now I’m reading ‘My Week With Marilyn’ by Colin Clark, a guilty pleasure of a book that I’m reading just for fun.

One of my other goals was to improve my public speaking.  I have had one opportunity to give a speech so far this year, and to be honest, I haven’t been pushing this one hard.  I have to get past the fear, and Just Do It!  (As the t-shirt says)   There have been a few other struggles to date in 2012, but I try to work through them with a smile on my face and not hear the voices of the toxic negative people that are in my head sometimes and other times behind my back.

All in all, I am proud of how my 2012 is going.  Feeling a bit at a crossroads right now, but hey, I’m ready to embrace change if it comes my way.

How is your 2012 coming along?

Darlene

As I was getting ready to leave work yesterday, all everyone could talk about was the impending blizzard today.   And I couldn’t help but smile as I heard many of my colleagues talk about what they were going to do on their snow day.  And I realized, not since we were kids, have we looked forward to a snow day as much.  Unless you’re a teenager, or in your early 20′s, when its near catastrophic to have a snow storm on a Saturday and heaven forbid be stuck inside the house, I realize as we get older it’s a day in heaven!

What a treat to hear parents talk about the fun snow day they were going to have with their kids.  A pajama day that involved movies, popcorn and laughter.  Or those of us with no kids, a day still involving pajamas, but books, movies and maybe a glass of wine.

You see as adults, if there is a snow storm on a weekday, most of us still have to go to work.  And for those with children, when schools and daycare are closed, it involves finding someone to take care of the children.  Let’s face it, a snowstorm on a weekday, can mean an extra headache to a parent.  But a snowstorm on a weekend, can mean a fun-filled day with your family.

And although the ‘blizzard’ was a little disappointing, not a lot of snow, just  a lot of wind.  For those of you that stocked up like the Apocalypse was coming, I hope you enjoy your snow day anyway.  I am still in my pajamas wondering what wonderful concoction I am going to cook up for supper.  Probably something that goes well with wine.

Enjoy

Darlene