Monday, August 24, 2009
Girls Dinner and the Wine Rack Store
Last night I had a fabulous dinner with some of my girlfriends who I haven't seen in a while. We are starting up a cooking club and the first meeting was last night. The hostess sent out these creative invitation and asked us to bring different parts if the meal that would all go along with the theme: Layers. We had a smallish group for the first dinner, but the food was delicious and we were all stuffed. Next time we may have to take a walk or at least a little break before we hit dessert.
To begin with, we had a layered appetizer, a chili bean dip that we scooped up with tortilla chips. It was so good we couldn't help piling up our plates for seconds, though later on our full bellies regretted it. The salad was a layer of beautiful red lettuce, then green lettuce, shredded zucchini, some feta and an amazing creamy minty lemon dressing. We had a lasagna for the entree and a delectable pudding/whipped cream/chocolate-layered dessert on a nutty crust. We started off with a fancy blackberry-layered drink in wine glasses and the hostess was smart enough to break out her wine charms so everyone could keep track of her own glass.
Aside from the feast the company was fabulous. A number of us are taking classes in the fall, so we're getting our books and preparing for the school year to come. It was an absolutely beautiful day, so we all enjoy the tour of the garden and meeting the backyard chickens the hostess has for eggs. She also showed off her new wine table, a nice decorative addition to her living room, already filled with her favorite wines to offer guests on a moment's notice. I cannot wait for another get together with this group of fabulous and creative cooks!
Labels: cocktail wine charm, cooking club, dinner, girls night, wine rack, wine table
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Olympic Scultpture Park Tour for the Wine Rack Store
Last week when my parents were visiting we had the greatest time checking out one of the coolest spots in Seattle. After a short, easy walk from parking near the Seattle Center, we entered the spacious, larger-than-life outdoor art display called Olympic Sculpture Park I had heard about and even driven by this Seattle treasure, associated with the Seattle Art Museum, any number of times, but I had never taken the time to explore it.
We wondered around the artworks, walking through, under and around them when we could, admiring them up close and from afar and generally enjoyed the awesome view. A pathway meandered through the pieces, bringing visitors the chance to admire each sculpture within the 9-acre park. It was a wonderful walk and afterward, it was a little past lunch time so we headed inside the building on site to see what they had to offer.
The Taste Cafe turned out to be a delicious place to grabs some treats and a light lunch. To our surprise, this little cafe offered a solid selection in their wine rack. In spite of the early afternoon hour, we indulged in a nice glass of chilled white wine to round out the tasty lunch. Only after we sat down to savor our meal did we realize the Taste Cafe uses only local and sustainable ingredients for their foods and their wine racks are filled with Northwest wines. This discovery satisfied the ecologically responsible among us, and even got my folks talking about buying carbon credits to offset the heavy carbon foot print from the plane ride across the country.
Altogether, this trip into Seattle turned out to be the perfect way to spend part of a day. The artwork and good eats satisfied our souls as we set out to the rest of our Seattle adventure for the day.
Labels: carbon footprint, Olympic Sculture Park, seattle, sustainable, Taste Cafe, wine rack
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Baseball and the Wine Rack Store
Last week I was lucky enough to spend some time with my folks who were out here visiting from the east coast. We had lots of time to hear about their trip to wine country and sample the wines they were kind enough to share with us. Of course, we had to do explore the Northwest a bit, in spite of the hot spell that had taken over our part of the world.
My parents are both big sports fans, and what better way to appreciate a hot summer day than at a professional baseball game? OK, so, the Seattle Mariners are not exactly a team to brag about. But professional baseball is a spectacular event, even when the team has only won half their games. It has been since I went to a pro ball game, and I had a great time.
Did you know the Food Network has named Safeco Field (where the Mariner's play in Seattle) "the best ballpark eats in America?" There is Thai food and sushi, tacos, nachos, and of course, you can't go to a ball game without the option for a genuine hot dog. In addition to all that variety, they actually have a wine stand at the game! I couldn't help myself, in spite of the traditional beer readily available at any moment, I had to try out something from the vendor's wine rack.
Well, the game actually ended up being incredible with or without the food selection. Their best hitter, Ichiro Suzuki, pulled out a sweet hit placed just out of reach between second base and center field with two outs, two strikes and bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth. But I know if I go again, it will be worth it regardless of the outcome of the game. The food and options from the vendor's wine rack along with the ball game spirit were enough for me to have a great time.
Labels: baseball game, food, Mariner's, wine rack, wine racks
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Wine Rack Store Gardening
It has a been a beautiful summer so far and I am enjoying every minute I can outside. Last weekend I finally took the time to focus on my garden, which was slowly being taken over by weeds. Six hours of weeding surely deserves opening the bottle of wine I indulged in from my wine rack. This year we have a 50x20 foot space to grow all kinds of delicious vegetables. We've got it all streamlined with drip tape running down four wide rows, with narrow footpaths to maximize growing space. Which is way different from last year when we got everything started so late, and the summer was mild. We had a lot of green tomatoes in September.
So this year is way better, and I love this time of the summer, where everything is green and full and flowering. Getting those weeds out of the way really tidied up the place and let the veggies breathe. I cannot wait to pick tomatoes, peppers, corn, beets, squash, onions and potatoes. For now, I'll just enjoy the variety of abundant greens, including spinach, speckled lettuce, endives, arugula, and chard, or I'll even fix up a kale slaw. Our garlic is even producing wonderfully already this year. We may have planted enough to last us through the winter! It is so rewarding to walk outside my door and pick a serving of peas from the vine to go with my dinner, complete with a bottle of wine from my wine rack. Now if only this Pacific Northwest weather will stay warm enough to ripen my tomatoes.
So this year is way better, and I love this time of the summer, where everything is green and full and flowering. Getting those weeds out of the way really tidied up the place and let the veggies breathe. I cannot wait to pick tomatoes, peppers, corn, beets, squash, onions and potatoes. For now, I'll just enjoy the variety of abundant greens, including spinach, speckled lettuce, endives, arugula, and chard, or I'll even fix up a kale slaw. Our garlic is even producing wonderfully already this year. We may have planted enough to last us through the winter! It is so rewarding to walk outside my door and pick a serving of peas from the vine to go with my dinner, complete with a bottle of wine from my wine rack. Now if only this Pacific Northwest weather will stay warm enough to ripen my tomatoes.
Labels: garden, kale slaw, summer, vegetables, wine rack
Friday, July 17, 2009
Gathering supplies
Well, so far this summer has been treating me well. All of these beautiful, warm, sunshine-y days have encouraged my garden to absolutely flourish. And I just love going down to the Farmer's Market to check out all the seasonal produce and deliciously fresh fruits available. It's getting me excited for the berry picking and wine making that's right around the corner.
Right now I am working on getting all the materials I need to make a big batch of honey wine. I've gotten a carboy, a couple of five gallon buckets, some good cleaning brushes and an airlock. Now I just need to gather up 50 empty wine bottles to fill with homemade mead, since by the end of the fall I plan to have enough to fill up my wine rack to last me the year. I could buy some, but I think I'll be able to get all the bottles I need without too much trouble. My friends are definitely willing to drink as much wine as they need to help me out, and I certainly will be drinking my share of wine in order to get enough bottles! Maybe I could invite a crowd over and put my sweet new wine charms to use, in an effort to empty some of those bottle for my home-brewing adventures.
Anyway, by the time I've gotten all my materials together I'll be off to pick pounds and pounds of blackberries for a fabulous brew. Until then I'll keep soaking in this sun and pestering my friends to take their empty wine bottles out of the recycling bin and bring them to me!
Right now I am working on getting all the materials I need to make a big batch of honey wine. I've gotten a carboy, a couple of five gallon buckets, some good cleaning brushes and an airlock. Now I just need to gather up 50 empty wine bottles to fill with homemade mead, since by the end of the fall I plan to have enough to fill up my wine rack to last me the year. I could buy some, but I think I'll be able to get all the bottles I need without too much trouble. My friends are definitely willing to drink as much wine as they need to help me out, and I certainly will be drinking my share of wine in order to get enough bottles! Maybe I could invite a crowd over and put my sweet new wine charms to use, in an effort to empty some of those bottle for my home-brewing adventures.
Anyway, by the time I've gotten all my materials together I'll be off to pick pounds and pounds of blackberries for a fabulous brew. Until then I'll keep soaking in this sun and pestering my friends to take their empty wine bottles out of the recycling bin and bring them to me!
Labels: berry picking, homemade mead, wine bottles, wine rack
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Hey folks, I'm Michelle!
I am so excited to start contributing to the Wine Rack Store blog. I have been reading the blog more and more lately, getting new tips on wine tasting and checking out all the great items the store has to offer. I'm looking forward to discovering fabulous wines, filling up my wine rack and sharing all I learn with you!
Right now I am a student enjoying summer vacation by working at a native plant nursery and gardening to my heart's desire. I love cooking great meals (paired with a tasty wine, of course), reading, biking and hiking, specially in Olympic National Park. I love the summer time for all the fresh fruit and vegetables and sunshine. Living in the northwest, of course, sunshine is hard to come by in the other season. Starting this fall I'll officially be a nursing student at the local community college. I've been working on getting my pre-req's in order for the last year, and it's great to finally start the program. I've heard nursing school can be pretty stressful, which will make having a full wine rack an easy and nice treat on those super hard days.
While I always game for trying a new wine from the store, I am also a novice wine maker. For the first time last summer I focused some of my energy on picking lots of fruit to make a variety of meads in my own kitchen. We did small batches of pear, blackberry, apricot, cherry and peach wine last summer. This summer I am going for big batches with a goal to have at least fifty bottles of my own wine to fill up my wine rack.
Thanks for reading! It's going to be a fun to try new varieties of wines and meads and report on my experiments as the summer progresses and my wine rack fills up.
Labels: meads, summertime, wine rack
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Wine Rack Store Reviews Red Bicyclette Syrah
Ahhh, the quintessential red bicycle of France: it invokes images of a simpler time. It represents a life full of lingering pleasures, such as the fresh breeze accompanying you as you peddle along the quiet countryside, or a savory lamb stew served with a comforting French wine. This picture alone could sway me to purchase a bottle of 2005 Red Bicyclette Syrah Vin de Pays D’Oc.
“Like the charming lifestyle of Southern France, Red Bicyclette offers the chance to slow down and enjoy life with friend and loved ones.” It’s deep garnet color alludes to Old World passion and simplicity, and it’s bouquet of dark fruit and spice comfort and warm the senses. This full-bodied wine melts into velvet on the tongue. It would pair wonderfully with a savory steak, any red pasta dish, or even a hearty pork dinner.
This was a fun wine, from the label to the finish, Red Bicyclette Syrah is a delightful journey. Stock up your wine rack and enjoy a European holiday, without the cost of a trip to France!
Labels: france, paris, red bicycle, red bicyclette, southern france, syrah, wine rack
Friday, June 19, 2009
No Bottle Shock in My Wine Rack
“Bottle shock” describes a phase new bottled wine must survive to reach it’s prime. Although I am a bit of a wine fiend, I only recently heard this term. I spent some time in the Horse Heaven Hills, tasting wine, and talking with vintner’s, when I first learned about this stage of wine-making.
In the scientific sense of the word, bottle shock, also called bottle sickness, is when wine takes on peculiar, not-necessarily-good flavors. These strange flavors make the wine taste less fruity, and make the presence of the alcohol more noticeable. It almost certainly occurs after bottling, and can occasionally happen after being subjected to frequent shaking or changes in temperature and/or lighting. So, please people, when you are angry, don't take it out on your wine or it will get "shaken wine syndrome".
Luckily, “bottle shock” is usually temporary. Doctor Wine Charm’s orders are a couple weeks of rest and relaxation in any of the specially designed wine resorts available at the Wine Rack Store. Each rack is designed for optimal storage, and protection. No “bottle shock” here!
Labels: bottle shock, doctor wine charms, horse heaven hills, wine rack
Sunday, June 14, 2009
A Wine Rack That’ll Cause Allergies
Spring in my garden means blooming flowers and massive amounts weeds. Every year it is a fight to keep them under control. They are in my flower beds and my gravel drive way. Basically if there is any clear ground, weeds will grow.This year I have a better game plan. I am going to be put down weed blocking fabric and then cover it with bark. I won’t be able to do this in all my flowerbeds so I will still have to spend a lot of time pulling them out by hand. I could probably weave a wine rack from all the weeds I pulled out today.
When I finally conquer over the weeds I’ll be able to do the fun aspect of gardening, planting new plants. I have a lot of plans and have already bought a few plants in preparation. I take a lot of pride in my yard so it is going to take awhile to get it up to my high standards.
Labels: flowers, wine rack, wine rack store, work
Saturday, June 13, 2009
My Wine Rack is too Shabby for This
I am not one to spend more than $15 on a bottle of wine. But when the opportunity arises for me to try pricier bottles, I do. Last week my mother and I had lunch at a ritzy seafood restaurant in Seattle with some of her childhood friends. These people like to have a good time and spend money while vacationing. They ordered like half the menu so we could get a taste of everything. They also ordered two bottles of Veuve Clicquot Chapagne Brut at $100 a piece to wash everything down with. My jaw nearly hit the table. I have never had something so expensive at a restaurant. I am very conservative with my money so I would never order something so pricey.I enjoyed every sip of that champagne. I also enjoyed all the shrimp, salmon, clams, and calamari which I seldom have normally. I hope one day I can fill my wine rack with pricier, more exotic wines.
Labels: champagne, seafood, seattle, wine rack, wine rack store
A Limited Wine Rack Selection
Today was such a beautiful day, my father decided we should go for a ride in his classic muscle car. He, my mother, and I rode to one of my favorite locations, Port Townsend. We picnicked at Fort Worden State Park. We also had the opportunity to climb up the Point Wilson Lighthouse. In the 15 years I have been visiting the park, I had never been in the lighthouse. It is not a very tall lighthouse but the view was still good.On the way out of town we stopped at the Port Townsend Brewery. My parents had beer and I enjoyed a glass of Chardonnay. I cannot remember the name of the winery it came from. It is too bad because I would enjoy adding a bottle of it to my wine rack.
The bartender filled up my glass very full. This was probably the reason why I feel asleep in the back seat on the way home, rocked by the roar of the engine.
Labels: Port Townsend, traveling, wine rack, wine rack store
Friday, June 12, 2009
Some Good Champagne for the Wine Rack
I have been on a mission to find an appropriate champagne for my wedding. Even though we will probably only be using it for toasts, I want it to be a decent tasting champagne. While we were perusing the local whole sale retailer, I happened upon a bottle of Domain St. Michelle. It was a good buy at $8.99 for a regular bottle.
I really enjoyed drinking it. It was light and crisp with a touch of fruitiness. I shared the bottle with my mother and grandfather and they enjoyed it as well. It would be great for toasting or sipping on a warm patio with a fruit and cheese platter.
It is definitely in the running to be in the wedding. Now I just have to decide how many bottles I need to buy. I have a hard time imagining how much my guests will want to drink. Maybe if there is some leftover bottles I can stock up my wine rack.
Labels: champagne, wine rack, wine rack store
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Glad to Be Back to my Wine Rack
I finally made it back home. I said my good byes to Virginia and the Atlantic Ocean and flew home this week. Even though I complained about Virginia a lot, I did enjoy my visit and had a hard time saying good bye.I am not a good flier so the six hour flight exhausted me. I was really ready to get off the plane after the fifth hour. I was so glad to see Mt. Rainier on the descent into Seattle. It signaled I was finally back home in the Evergreen State and that I was going to be able to get off the plane soon.
When I arrived home, I was greeted by a dusty wine rack. I wanted to give it a hug but I feared it would flare up my allergies.
I am still not used to the quietness and darkness here. Our apartment in Virginia Beach was so loud I had to wear ear plugs at night.
Labels: traveling, wine rack, wine rack store
No Wine Racks in the National Archives
I have always wanted to see the document our country was founded on, the Constitution. This document resides in the National Archives in Washington DC. We were able to view this as well as some other very important documents while visiting DC.We rode the train into the city and headed to the National Archives building first so we wouldn’t get caught in a line later. There was a museum within the building explaining the role and history of the National Archives. There were also examples of what was contained within their collections. One of these items on display was the Charles Ingalls’ homesteading papers. He was the father of the famous Laura Ingalls. I read all her books when I was young so I was really excited to see this.
It seems like they have absolutely everything in the archives. I don’t recall see anything wine or wine rack related though.
Our last stop in the building was the hall that contained the Constitution, Declaration of Independence, and the Bill of Rights. It was really neat to be able to be close to and read something you have heard about your whole life. It was very dark in there for document preservation purposes. I was very surprised to see how the documents were faded. You could barely read them.
Labels: History, traveling, wine rack, wine rack store
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
No Electronic Wine Racks for Me
I have a love-hate relationship with technology at times. I love having the most up to date cell phone, video game system, and computer technology. But just because they are the newest thing, it doesn’t mean they are always going to work the way you want them to.We purchased a brand new Apple laptop for our trip to the east coast. I am well versed in Windows and have had experience with Apple so I wasn’t concerned about running it. It has been a steep learning curve. I can go about doing the normal things such as surfing the web or using office software but when it comes to installing programs, I get lost pretty fast. People try to say operating an Apple is easier but I must disagree. I can’t wait until I am united with my Windows machine.
I am glad my wooden wine rack is a nice and simple. There is no motherboard or hard drive to bust. It is so simple, it took literally no at all time to assemble it.
Labels: electronics, wine rack, wine rack store
No Historic Wine Rack In There
On our second trip to Washington DC we visited the Smithsonian American History Museum. Like the other Smithsonian’s, this place was huge. We started at the bottom floor and worked our way up.We walked through the section that showed the evolution of science in America. We saw dresses belonging to the First Ladies from Barbara Bush to Martha Washington. We also saw the flag that inspired the Star Spangled Banner. It was huge!
They also had a section devoted to television culture. We saw the infamous poufy shirt from Seinfeld, Dorothy’s ruby slippers, and Kermit the frog. We also were able to see Julia Child’s kitchen. I don’t recall seeing a wine rack stashed in there even though she was a big fan of wine.
Even though we spent a few hours there we only saw about half the museum. You practically need a full day to go through each Smithsonian. I wish we had more time to explore them all.
Labels: traveling, wine rack, wine rack store
Glad I Don’t Have a Wine Rack to Pack
My stay in Virginia is coming to an end. I have been here in Virginia Beach for two months and it is time to head back to the lovely Washington State and my wine rack. I have traveled more and seen more in these past two months than I usually see in years. It’s been a whirlwind but I am glad I decided to come.Spending time here has made me appreciate the Northwest more. The people of the Northwest are very kind and welcoming unlike many of the people I have encountered here. I’d even take Seattle traffic over the crazy of drivers here.
The Virginian countryside is nice but it can never compare to our majestic mountains and forests. How I have missed seeing Mt. Rainer in the distance on clear days. I have also learned to appreciate our relatively bug-free forests. If I don’t ever step foot in a swamp again, that will be fine with me.
Labels: traveling, wine rack, wine rack store
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Good News for Washington Wine Racks
Lake Chelan in Eastern Washington is being recognized as a designated growing region. It is the United State’s 11th American Viticulture Area. The Columbia Valley wine region originally encompassed Lake Chelan. These viticultural areas were created to provide wine consumers with information regarding the quality or special characteristics of the grapes grown in that region.The vintners of Lake Chelan have been fighting for this designation for along time. I am glad to see they have finally received it. There are currently 13 wineries operating in the area. All the ones I have visited have provided a great wine tasting experience and great wine. I look forward to traveling back there again soon and visiting new wineries.
Lake Chelan is an incredibly beautiful area. Whether your going to swim in the lake or to find some wine for your wine rack, you are bound to enjoy your visit.
Labels: Washington State Wine, wine rack, wine rack store
Friday, May 29, 2009
If Only I had 21 Wine Racks
I have many goals in life. One of these is to visit every state in the United States. I have a pretty good start so far. When I was in elementary school, my parents and I toured the Midwest in a motor home. We visited family and saw many famous landmarks. I think I added about 10 states to my list from that trip.
During my stay on the east coast I have visited 5 states: North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Delaware, and Maryland. Of these state, two I just crossed the line and got a picture with the welcome sign.
I am now up to 21 states. If I had more time here I could probably visit a few more. All the states here are so small compared to the west coast. Delaware (the state we visited last weekend) is only 2,490 square mile in area versus Washington State at 71,342 square miles.
Maybe my next goal should be to taste wine in all wine producing states in the US. I could easily fill my wine rack with American wine that way.
Labels: traveling, wine rack, wine rack store, wine tasting
No Wine Racks Under the Sea
I have always wanted to go on a whale or dolphin watching tour. Since we actually got the chance to see whales near the beach last week we decided to take a dolphin tour in hopes of continuing our wildlife spotting luck. The tour took us out into the Chesapeake Bay and towards the ocean.The weather was pretty bleak. A storm was moving in and the water was pretty choppy. I don't get sea sick easily so it did not bother me. It didn’t look like we were going to see anything until the captain spotted a fin near shore. There were a handful of dolphins occasionally coming up for air. They were pretty elusive and it was hard to keep our eyes on them. Perhaps we could have tempted them with a full wine rack. I know that always gets my attention.
The captain told us that the dolphins are usually more active during the warmer months. They are more likely to jump and play then.
Labels: traveling, wildlife, wine rack, wine rack store
Evil Stains Harboring within Red Wine (and Wine Racks)
The dreaded red wine stain has left it's mark on many people. This accident has happened to all wine drinkers. Whether it’s you favorite blouse, new couch, or white carpet, red wine takes no prisoners. Luckily if treated quickly and correctly you can save your items from damage.You can actually employ some preventive measures to avoid the red mess. Try using a wine pouring bottle attachment. This will allow you to pour without dripping on your tablecloth. Also consider setting the bottle down on a coaster so if anything does drip down, your tablecloth is safe.
No amount of preventative measures can safe us from all accidents. Don’t let the fear of stains keep you away from the wine rack because there is a solution if a spill occurs. You can treat those red wine stains with a special cleaner such as Wine Away. It is a citrus-based cleaner and can be found at wine shops. It can be used on clothing, carpet, and upholstery.
Labels: red wine, wine rack, wine rack store
Saving Money On Wine For Your Wine Rack
Most people are trying to save money right now until the economy irons itself out. I am sure many of us haven’t filled our wine racks as full as we normally like to. Today I bring you some tips to help buy good, affordable bottles of wine.First, try wine from lesser-known regions. Napa Valley may be the epicenter of American wine, but you can find the same quality in neighboring valleys for a better price. This tip also extends to foreign wines. We have all heard about French wine but how about trying some Spanish or Australian wines.
Second, don’t focus on the label. Not all prestigious wineries or growing areas create great wines all the time. The opposite is true for cheaper more obscure wines. Obscurity or cheapness doesn’t always mean it is going to taste bad.
Lastly, try attending some wine festivals. There you can participate in mass tastings. You can narrow down the wines you actually like without having to purchase bottles you are unsure about.
Many more tips can be found here. Hopefully these will help you and I fill up our wine racks with some delicious, inexpensive bottles.
Labels: saving money, wine rack, wine rack store
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Much Longer Than Any Wine Rack
This weekend we decided to head north from Virginia Beach toward Maryland and Delaware. We took a route that took us through the Eastern Shores area. To get there you have to cross the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel. This is not just an ordinary bridge. The bridge and two tunnels spans over 17 miles.It was built in the 1960’s and over 100 million cars have passed over it so far. It’s not a cheap way to travel. It cost $12 to cross one way (I equate to be about one bottle off my wine rack). If you didn’t take a bridge you would have to travel up through Washington DC and Baltimore to get out there.
There is a gift shop and viewing area located near the middle. We stopped there to take in the view. We could see both of the Cape Henry lighthouses from there. There were many people fishing in boats and off a pier nearby. I wish I had asked what they were fishing for.
Labels: traveling, virginia, wine rack, wine rack store
They Owned a Beer Rack Not a Wine Rack
During our travels up the Eastern Shores in Virginia we saw many roadside signs advertising seafood restaurants. The whole coast up there is dotted with small fishing villages. On the way to a wildlife refuge, we ended up driving straight through one of these villages. I spotted a decent looking restaurant and we stopped.It was definitely a local’s joint. The bar was gritty looking (no wine racks in sight) and the lounge was filled with a mix of tables and chairs that were probably picked up at different garage sales. We should have left but I am the type of person who doesn’t like to get up and leave after the hostess has seated me.
I ordered the fried soft shell crabs because that was the local specialty. I have never had them before so I didn’t know what to expect. There isn’t much meat to them so they just tasted like grease. My fiancé was also not impressed by his crab cake sandwich. Travel gurus usually say you can find the best local food at shabbier establishments but this did not hold true there.
Labels: food, traveling, wine rack, wine rack store
Seeing Animals Bigger Than Wine Racks
As usual, I had a hankering to go down to the beach last week and my fiancé took me after he got home from work. We found a new place to park that is in a residential area where we don’t have to pay to park. There are fewer tourists there and it has a calmer atmosphere. We walked along the beach and looked at the multi-million dollar homes bordering the beach. I wonder what kind of wine racks they have.I am constantly looking where I am stepping on the beach. I am always on the look out for cool shells or beach junk. Because of this habit, I saw a funny looking crab run into a hole. We tried to dig him out but couldn’t. We kept seeing more of these little guys but they were so fast there was no way we could catch them.
On the way back to the car, a woman playing with her dog mentioned to us she had seen some whales off to the south. I thought this was too good to be true but kept scanning the horizon for signs. I finally spotted one spouting. We were able to watch them for a while before they swam out of sight. I was really excited because I had never seen whales in the wild like that before.
Labels: wildlife, wine rack, wine rack store
Something New for the Wine Rack
I was perusing the wine racks at the local grocery store looking for some wine the other day. My eyes were constantly drawn to the sale tags and then up to the bottles. I went through the red wine section and my eyes fell about a Cabernet Sauvignon from Cycles Winery. Cabernet Sauvignon is my favorite type of red wine. I was attracted to the label (it had a bicycle and red headed woman on it) and it was a good price, so I grabbed it.We decided to open it with a steak meal we had a few days later. It was fruity and I did not feel overwhelmed by the tannins. It didn’t have that peppery taste which I have come to enjoy in Cabernet Sauvignon though. Either way, it was a good wine for the price. I will definitely buy more for my wine rack in the future.
Labels: red wine, wine rack, wine rack store
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Cheap Wine for Your Wine Rack
Since a Trader Joe's has opened nearby, we have been taking advantage of there diverse wine racks. I just had to pick up a bottle of Two Buck Chuck. It’s actually Three and a Half Buck Chuck here because of added shipping costs. I decided I wanted to try the Sauvignon Blanc because I have been enjoying that grape variety for awhile. I have only had the Charles Shaw Chardonnay and Merlot previously. The Merlot could strip paint off walls so I was a little hesitant to try something new but it’s hard to resist when you consider the price.The Sauvignon Blanc was a decent bottle of wine. It really can be hit and miss with Charles Shaw sometimes. Each bottle can be a secret surprise. Since they are so cheap I think I will experiment with making some sangria. If I mess up, I won’t be mad about wasting a bottle or two off my wine rack.
Labels: Charles Shaw, Trader Joe's, wine rack, wine rack store
Saving Money to Use on the Wine Rack
As I have mentioned before, I love to shop. I have been cutting back in an attempt to save some money. My fiancé finally let me loose at an outlet mall north of Virginia Beach this weekend. I love outlet malls and the deals you can find there. You can shop through all the stores and still have money left over to buy some wine for your wine rack.I had been to this mall before so I already had a plan of attack. First I headed for my favorite designer handbag outlet. We looked around and my fiancé purchased me a new wallet. I am too spoiled. I tried to outfit him in some new clothes but nothing seemed to fit properly. I did however find a new tank top to add my collection. It was royal purple (my favorite!) and 50% off so I couldn’t leave it behind.
I am glad we managed to get out of there without doing to much damage to our debit cards.
Labels: Shopping, wine rack, wine rack store
Won’t Find a Wine Rack in There
One great thing about living in a new area is having the opportunity to try new restaurants. As less expensive option we have been enjoying is Chick-Fil-A. They may not have a wine list or wine rack but they have great chicken. Apparently they are the second largest chicken-based fast food chain. I assume KFC beats them out.What’s great about Chick-Fil-A is that their chicken is actually good quality. Chicken strips are full chicken breasts. KFC’s chicken strips can’t even be compared to these. They are also very reasonably priced.
Chicken is definitely a better choice than burgers if you are looking to cut down on fast food calories. At this restaurant you have the option of fried or grilled entrees. I have had both and both were equally good.
I will definitely miss Chick-Fil-A when I return home. Perhaps they will expand out to the west sometime soon. I’d be a happy camper if they and In-And-Out Burger would open in my town.
Labels: Chicken, fast food, wine rack, wine rack store
No Wine Rack Recreations
In attempt to learn some more about American history, we took a trip to Yorktown. The last major battle in the American Revolutionary War took place there. We first toured the battlefield and than walked around the town where original buildings still stood. We walked through the cemetery. There we found as gravestone that was planted there in 1674. That is the oldest gravestone I have ever seen in America. You never see anything that old back home in Washington State.Next we went to the neighboring museum. It was pretty well done but it didn’t draw me in like the one at Jamestown. They also had a recreated war camp and village. They didn’t have any recreated wine racks in any of the tents. We did get to see them shoot blanks out of a mortar and cannon. It was really loud. Those soldiers must have been deaf when they returned home.
Labels: History, wine rack, wine rack store, Yorktown
Thursday, May 14, 2009
A Gift for Some One with a Wine Rack
I always have my eyes open for possible gifts for other wine lovers. Yesterday I ran into one that would be great for anyone with extra bottles lying around. Don’t worry this isn’t another do-it-yourself project. It is a candleholder that is inserted into the top of any wine bottle. You can find ones that hold between 2 to 5 candles. What’s great is that these work with any type of bottle so you can use your favorite wine bottles or ones with the most creative labels.I first saw these candleholders for sale at wine shop but they can be found on many different websites. I think they could make a nice accent piece to any wine lovers dining room. It would greatly accent the full the bottles on any full wine rack. They could also be used as a center piece for a romantic dinner.
Labels: candles, wine rack, wine rack store
Fake Lobster Doesn’t Go with an Authentic Wine Rack
Being on the east coast, I have been trying to take advantage of all the different fresh seafood available. I haven’t managed to have a lobster yet. The last time I had it I was 7 years old. I remember my mom making me eat it saying I wouldn’t get it again for along time. Now I think I am old enough to actually appreciate it. I wonder what type of wine would go best with it. I am sure a waiter will be able to suggest something off their wine rack.I have been seeing commercials for $3 lobster bite pack at a fast food restaurant. I assumed it was too good to be true and it is. These lobster bites are not made from real lobster. They are made from a squat lobster, which is more closely related to a hermit crab than a real lobster. After seeing the picture of the little creature, this really grosses me out.
Labels: lobster, seafood, wine rack, wine rack store
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
They Should Grow Fruit Not Related to Wine Rack
As I have mentioned in the past, I am not the biggest fan of Virginian wine at this point. You won’t see me filling up my wine rack at home with those wines. I am however a fan of all the plants that can grow here. Thanks to the heat and humidity it looks like you can grow just about anything here, even a hibiscus plant. It’s funny to see this Hawaiian plant for sale outside of grocery stores. You’d never see that in Washington.If I was staying here longer I would definitely consider growing some tomatoes in pots on my patio. When we lived in California we had such a huge garden we couldn’t eat all the produce. In Washington we are lucky to get a few tomatoes. There just isn’t enough sun and the acidity of the ground is too high thanks to all the surrounding trees. I will however try to grow some tomatoes and zucchini when I get home. I have a prime location at my rental that might prove to be great location for a garden.
Labels: spring, tomatoes, wine rack, wine rack store
They’d Like to Use a Wine Rack as a Perch
There are a lot of lovely birds out here in Virginia. I like to feed and watch birds at home in Washington so I have been paying attention to the ones out here too. They have the typical birds such as sparrows but they also have the famous cardinal. I hadn’t seen one of those until my trip here. When I finally spotted one in a tree it made me stop in my tracks. They have such a vibrant red coloring it is no surprise that 7 states claim it as their state bird.I enjoy being serenaded by the cardinal but I also love the sound of the mourning dove that makes it home here. It reminds me of foggy mornings in California. There is also a bird called an indigo bunting which is bright blue. I have yet to see one of those but I bet they are more of a showstopper then a cardinal.
I am sure any one of these birds would love to perch on a well-made wine rack from the Wine Rack Store.
Labels: cardinals, virginia, wine rack, wine rack store
Non-Wine Rack Related Decisions are Hard
Planning for a wedding is hard. I have had my wedding colors picked for a long time. I always wanted white, silver, and pink. I am still set on the first two but am rethinking the third. This is a big deal because this color will determine what bridesmaid dresses and flowers I pick.There are pros and cons to any color. I want to pick something where I have multiple types of flowers to choose from although I will probably stick with roses or gerber daisies. Perhaps when I settle on a venue, I will be able to make up my mind. The one I am considering right now is Asian themed so I was thinking red or yellow would be most appropriate. The bridesmaids would probably like these colors better than pink.
Perhaps I should just relax with a bottle of wine off my wine rack. Maybe the wine will help clear my mind and allow me to make a decision.
Labels: flowers, wedding, wine rack, wine rack store
Don’t Want This Flavor On My Wine Rack
Wine is full of complex flavors. Wine makers always point out what flavors you are supposed to pick up within their carefully crafted concoctions on the label. We are all pretty familiar with fruit flavors, peppery flavors, and even leather. How they came up with leather, I’ll never know. As I try more and more wine I am getting better at picking out flavors from my wines on my wine rack. There is one wine I will never forget. It was described as having hints of tobacco and it literally tasted like a cigar. It was incredibly disgusting.Recently, a team of scientists in New Zealand came up with a new flavor: cat pee. Apparently New Zealanders love Sauvignon Blanc and a flavor always present in the best wines along with passion fruit, asparagus is cat pee.
I don’t think putting cat pee on a bottle’s label will make it sell very well here in the US. I think some people would be kind of grossed out by it.
Labels: New Zealand, wine flavors, wine rack, wine rack store
Losing Weight and Staying Distant from Wine Rack
Originally I started working out this spring to be in shape for summer. Now my goal is to drop a dress size or two for my wedding. I do nearly an hour of cardio five days a week. I also get a lot of exercise walking around town or along the beach. I wish I could do some strength training but my apartment’s gym is terrible. I can’t even figure out how to work half the machines. My much coveted stair-stepper is now broken too.My diet could definitely be improved. I cheat more than I should with certain foods. Lucky for me fruit is coming in season and eating fruit usually satisfies my sweet tooth. Even though wine doesn’t have too many calories, I don’t make as many trips to my wine rack anymore.
I am not sure how much weight I have lost. I haven’t been around a scale for a month and a half. It’ll be a surprise for when I get home.
Labels: diet, excersise, wine rack, wine rack store
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Good Temperature for a Wine Rack
I got my first chance this weekend to swim in the Atlantic Ocean. It was a little cold but incredibly refreshing. It was about 90 degrees so it didn’t take much encouragement to get into the water. The water is still a cool 60 degrees. A bit chilly for swimming but a great temperature to keep your wine rack at.You have to be a bit more careful swimming in the ocean here. There are a lot of stingrays that hide in the shallower water. When you walk in the water you are supposed to shuffle your feet to scare them away. There are also sea lice out breaks out here. Apparently these small creatures get caught under bathing suits and then will sting you.
We were able to enjoy the water with out any problems. We did, however, bring nearly a bucket full of sand home, stuck to our bodies. We now know it’s not a good idea to swim and then sun bathe on a sandy towel.
Labels: Atlantic ocean, temperature, wine rack, wine rack store
Stock Your Wine Rack With This
As everyone knows, I love champagne. My wine rack at home is stocked with it. Since my counter is a makeshift wine storage area, I haven’t collected too many bottles. Because of this I haven’t consumed too much wine recently, same goes for champagne. The craving finally became too much and I purchased a sparkling white wine from Yellow Tail. It was very reasonably priced at $9.It had a very fruity flavor. It was very light and crisp. After the second glass, I added a strawberry to bring out even more fruitiness. Maybe in the future I will experiment with other fruits in this sparkling wine. According to Yellow Tail, this is a great wine to pair with cheese, fruit, vegetables, seafood, and Asian foods.
I will definitely pick up some more for my wine rack in the future. It’ll be great wine to sip when I am enjoying the summer’s warmth on my porch.
Labels: champagne, wine rack, wine rack store, yellow tail
Couldn’t Tempt Me Back with a Full Wine Rack
Since all the trees and bushes are in full bloom we decided to take another hike through a local swamp. Last time we went everything looked really dead and incredibly dreary. Now it is lush and green. This time we were not able to see any turtles, however I think we may have seen a snake sunning itself on a log. We also almost stepped on a toad. I tried to get his picture but he blended in so well I couldn’t see him in my viewfinder. I didn’t want to pick him up because they tend to “pee” as a defense mechanism.I hike was going fine until we headed off the main trail in search of a lake. This took us deeper into the park and the amount of bugs grew substantially. These bugs kept flying into our faces and into my hair which makes me freak out. By the time we got to a more open trail with a breeze to keep the bugs at bay we swore off any more swamp exploration. When I got home I nursed my bug bites with some chardonnay off the wine rack.
Labels: swamps, toads, wine rack, wine rack store
Sunday, May 10, 2009
The Wine Rack Will Fill Up Quick
A Trader Joe’s has opened less than a block from my apartment. I’ve mentioned before they offer the fabled Two Buck Chuck but their stores harbor many other wonderful things. I first went into one of these stores in California. I had assumed they were a west coast phenomenon so I was surprised to find this one here.Besides having great prices on wine (very tempting to fill the wine rack), Traders Joe’s sells a lot exotic foods you won’t find elsewhere. People were so excited about the new store opening we had to wait in line outside so the store wouldn’t over crowd. I hadn’t planned on purchasing much but we ended up with a few bottles of wine, a potted plant, and some tofu.
We weren’t able to really browse because the aisles were so jammed up with shopping carts. We’ll probably go back over after the crowds have calmed down a bit.
Labels: cheap wine, Trader Joe's, wine rack, wine rack store
Pondering the Wine Rack
I am not usually one to try exotic foods but I love sushi. While I was away at college I would have terrible cravings for it. I never trusted any of the restaurants there to make it properly. There is one grocery store in particular that makes great sushi near my home. They make it fresh every day. It isn’t shipped in like many other stores do and that makes a difference.Being away from home again, I’ve been away from my sushi supply and I’ve been craving some for a while. Last night we went out to a Japanese steakhouse and I finally got to order some fresh sushi. I prefer the vegetable and cooked fish/shellfish kind. I haven’t mustered up the bravery to try raw fish yet.
Now I am left wondering about whether it is possible pair a wine with it. I don’t own the most diverse wine rack to try multiple pairings but I am guessing the lighter tasting white wines would work well.
Labels: sushi, wine rack, wine rack store
Spicing Up the Wine Rack
Spring is finally here which means fruits and vegetables are coming into season. No more over-priced produce from far way countries. It is time to chase that dreary gray winter away with some fresh fruit! I’ve been pigging out on strawberries all week. They have become absurdly cheap all of a sudden and they are a sweet treat. Since they are a fruit, they fit nicely into my diet plan and I don’t have to feel guilty eating them.I like to eat strawberries plain as well as adding them to drinks and dishes. They taste great over my healthy (and not yummy) cereal in the morning. I have also muddled them and added them to lemonade. Adding vodka to that mix is very yummy too if you want a more adult drink. They are also very good in champagne off your wine rack. I’ll probably do that tonight when I open a bottle of some Yellow Tail sparkling wine.
Labels: lemonade, strawberries, wine rack, wine rack store
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
I Could Dance On a Wine Rack, Not Wine Bottles
I found this really neat picture the other day. I could not find an accompanying article but the caption revealed it was taken in 1958 in Germany. The woman who is only 17 in the picture spent 8 hours a day perfecting her dance on the wine bottles. Apparently her performance was based on a dream. I like how the man in the background doesn’t look terribly amused with the spectacle.I don’t know how in the world she can balance like that let alone dance. Too bad they don’t have video of it. If I tried that I’d fall on my face very fast. Not that would be a surprise because I still trip over my own feet. I wonder how many injuries she endured and how many bottles she broke before she got it right. She probably broke enough bottles to fill up a 48 Bottle Classic Wine Rack.
Labels: wine bottles, wine rack, wine rack store
Maybe They Are Just Admiring my Wine Rack
Ducks have started stalking me. They stop by my apartment several times a day. They’ll look in at me through the sliding glass door. They don't leave until they realize I am not going to give in to their begging. Since moving into this apartment I have made a habit of occasionally feeding the ducks stale bread at the local pond. Then yesterday a lonely female mallard showed up and I gave her some bread because I have seen the male ducks pick on her when I tried to feed her in the past.Later on in the day she brought her mate and then three male ducks followed, who I like to call the three amigos. I fed them all a little something but I am quickly running out of stale bread. I am going to avoid feeding them now from my apartment patio because I don’t want be known as the “crazy duck lady.” I rather be known as the “crazy wine lady” with a well stocked wine rack.
Labels: wildlife, wine rack, wine rack store
Heading to the Wine Rack for Your Health
Another study has been published about how light amounts of wine and other alcohols are good for your life expectancy. This study followed nearly 1,400 men for 40 years. The researchers studied how much and what types of alcohol they drank.It was found that the men who drank light amounts of alcohol lived two extra years longer than the men who did not drink at all. The best part of the study is what they found out about wine. Men who drank less than half a glass of wine a day lived 2.5 years longer than the men who consumed beer and spirits. These men also out lived the men who didn’t drink by five years.
If this wasn’t enough to send you running to the wine rack, researchers also found drinking wine was strongly associated with a lower risk of dying from coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, and death from all causes. Awesome!
Labels: health, wine rack, wine rack store
How Many Kites Can I Tie To My Wine Rack?
This last weekend was the first full weekend we actually spent in Virginia Beach. We just wanted to stay here and relax for once. Walking along the beach is one of my favorite things to do so we headed down there on Saturday. It was a warm day so the beach was packed with tourists. It was hard to have a relaxing stroll along the beach and dodge small children at the same time.There was a kite festival going on at the time. It wasn’t too spectacular though because the wind wasn’t blowing very hard. There were, however, two huge kites flying. One was a giant octopus and the other was some unidentifiable sea creature. Both were at least as big as the 144 Bottle Premium Wine Rack. I wish the wind would have been better so they could have flown more kites.
Labels: east coast, kites, wine rack, wine rack store
Some History On Your Wine Rack
So far we have been able to try a few different wineries through out Virginia. The last one was Jefferson Vineyards. It is located near Thomas Jefferson’s estate, Monticello. Jefferson had actually grown vines on the very ground the winery sits on right now.The tasting room wasn’t as flashy as we have become accustomed too but at least it was cool compared to the 95-degree weather outside. We tasted nearly a dozen different wines. There were many whites, a few reds, and even an ice wine. They had a tasty Viognier and Chardonnay. What was interesting is that they had two different Chardonnays. One was oak barrel aged and the other was aged in metal. I most definitely preferred the oak. I guess some people find the oaks adds an overbearing flavor but I enjoy it.
We did not leave there with any bottles for the wine rack but we were able to keep out tasting glasses.
Labels: thomas jefferson, wine rack, wine rack store, wine tasting
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Choosing Wines for the Wine Rack is Easier
I have started trying to plan my wedding in the fall. This may change if I can't get the venue I want. I began making a list of people to invite. This is turning out to be much harder then I had anticipated. Writing out a list is much harder than choosing just one bottle from my champagne collection on my wine rack.The family side of the list is pretty easy although I am betting most won’t attend because they live in the Midwest. The friend side leaves me wondering. Should invite people from high school even though I haven’t talked to them much in the last five years? I guess what it really comes down to is money and whether I want to spend it on people I don’t care for much anymore. Catering and champagne definitely doesn’t come cheap now a days. At least I have some time to think about it because I won’t be sending out invitations until August.
Labels: wedding, wine rack, wine rack store
Not a Good Idea to Hide Under the Wine Rack
I love big storms. I think it is because we seldom get any good ones in Western Washington. For the past few days, thunderstorm cells have been teasing me for the past few days. They were always too far to the north or south.Yesterday, the same pattern ensued. It looked promising when I walked to the store and I even thought I would get stuck in the store for a while because of rain. As usual, the dark clouds headed north. I walked back home, disappointed.
Later that evening I finally got my wish. It got really dark all of a sudden and then the thunder began. It was so loud it shook the wine bottles on my wine rack. I went outside and watched it pass. We don’t have a very good view of the sky from our porch so I couldn’t see much. I went back in after the rain started getting into our patio.
We checked the weather report online to see if there was another storm coming. We were then informed a tornado had been spotted a few miles south. I suppose this may not be an unusual occurrence for regular residents but I am definitely not used to it yet.
Labels: tornadoes, weather, wine rack, wine rack store
Thursday, April 30, 2009
The Wine Rack Store Encourages Environmental Responsibility
The Wine Rack Store strives to be an environmental friendly business and appreciates it when others try to reduce environmental impact. One such group is a bunch of students in Indonesia who have found a solution for the lack of building material for homes in developing regions. Traditionally clay and wood is used but these resources are fast running out and clay excavation ruins the landscape.This building material, known as EcoFaeBricks, are bricks made from cow dung. These bricks are 20% lighter and stronger than the normal clay bricks. Cow dung is very plentiful in these rural areas so as long as there are cows, this is a sustainable process. These bricks serve two purposes. It provides an eco-friendly, cheap building material and help remove pollutants from the surrounding environment.
The organization is looking to expand the project further within Indonesia and then through out the world. The impact of this project could turn out to be amazing and I hope it all works out.
Labels: enviromentally friendly, wine rack, wine rack store
Chilling Some Wine off the Wine Rack Fast
I hate to admit it, but I am one of those people who never plan properly what I am going to make for dinner. Because of this, I have to make constant runs to the grocery store and never have a good accompanying wine properly chilled. Well I found a quick solution to my problem.This will work for wine or any other beverage you want to cool fast. First grab a large pot from the kitchen. Fill it full up with ice and cold water. Than add 2 cups of salt. The salt is the crucial ingredient. Stick the bottle in and put it either in the freezer or refrigerator for 10 minutes. The wine will then be perfectly chilled.
With this method I won’t have to worry about warm wine off the wine rack or forgetting the bottle the freezer. There is not better way to ruin a wine than to freeze it. Good thing I only committed that offense once on a bottle of Two Buck Chuck.
Labels: ice, wine rack, wine rack store
Checking the Wine Rack for Carpenter Bees
I now understand why people have screened in porches here. The bugs are absolutely terrible. Last weekend we tried to have a picnic outside. As soon as we sat down we were swarmed by some kind of bug that would constantly fly in our faces. I spent most of the picnic walking around trying to eat my sandwich and run from the bugs at the same time. They also have cockroaches here but luckily I have yet to see one of those.Probably one of the scarier looking bugs in the carpenter bee. These bees are huge! They are quite a bit bigger than a bumble bee and hang out in swarms. You definitely would not want to find one tunneling into your wine rack. According to a park ranger we spoke to, the bees generally won’t bother you. They will how ever try to use you as a wind buffer, which can be a bit unnerving. I for one try to keep a good amount of distance from these buggers.
Labels: insects, wine rack, wine rack store
Too Hot for any Wine Rack
We got a brief taste of summer weather these past few days. This weekend it was in the mid 90’s and so far this week it’s been in the 80’s. Definitely not a good temperature to leave a wine rack in. I may be a California girl at heart but I do not handle heat well. My fair skin is just not built for constant sunshine. This weekend when we were touring the countryside I would just have to dart from shady spot to shady spot. My constant companions besides my fiancé were my hat and sunglasses.I really don’t know how people can live in that heat for 4 months out of the year. I really couldn’t venture to far from a cool place for too long. I guess I have really been spoiled by the cooler climate in Washington State. You can really utilize the outdoors in the warmers months there. Here that’s not really an option unless you are willing to be cooked by the sun.
Labels: sun burn, wine rack, wine rack store
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
A Good Temperature for Full Wine Racks
The Shenandoah “Mountains” in western Virginia are full of caves. I put mountains in quotes because compared to the Cascades in my home state of Washington; these mountains look like foothills. Underground rivers created the cave we toured. The cave was full of stalagmites, stalactites, and other wondrous formations.There are many caves to tour but we chose Endless Caverns because of the positive reviews and convenient location. The tour itself was over an hour long and went over a mile through the cave. It was a lovely 55 degrees. A perfect temperature for a full wine rack! It felt great after being out in the 85-degree sunny day.
I haven’t toured a cave this spectacular before so I was in awe most of the tour. Every bend in the path afforded a new view of the almost alien looking rock structures. I tried to take pictures but none of them revealed the beauty of cave.
I would definitely recommend this kind of cave tour to anyone. Be wary though it you are a bit claustrophobic or are afraid of bats. A few of those furry buggers flew pretty close to my face.
Labels: caves, virginia, wine rack, wine rack store
Just One Bottle for my Wine Rack
During our exploration of the Virginian countryside, we were keeping our eyes open for wineries. Since Virginia is the 4th leading state in wine production we figured we should try some of their wine. We saw a sign off the main highway and followed them until we arrived at the Cross Keys Vineyards. The land on which the winery sat was beautiful. There was a nice view of the surrounding hills.They were offering a tasting of 6 wines: 1 white, 1 rose, and 4 reds. I was also able to keep the glass as a souvenir. The white and rose were pretty good but the reds were less than amazing. Virginian wineries are known for their white wines, not their reds, and now I see why. All the reds I tasted just lacked a depth in taste. It's like drinking a flat soda, the basic flavor element is there but it just doesn't taste good. That being said, we did the purchase the Joy White for my wine rack.
Labels: virginia, wine rack, wine rack store, wine tasting
No Wine Rack Recreations
Remember how I wrote about the fabled house of Thomas Jefferson, Monticello, a few months ago? I was able to tour it this weekend. It is a pretty spectacular home. The house is fully furnished with items Jefferson had owned. He was an avid reader and his book collection was immense. The grounds on which the house was set is beautiful. The garden was in full bloom with tulips and other plants. Since the house is up on a hill you can see 50 miles in each direction.What disappointed me was that his love for wine was not elaborated on. The old wine cellar was a bare room while the beer cellar was full of props and information. I wanted to see some wine racks full of faux bottles! The only wine related thing that was pointed out was a pulley system which ran from the cellar to the dining room. A servant would put a bottle in the contraption and it could be raised up through the fireplace mantle to the dining room.
Labels: Monticello, thomas jefferson, wine rack, wine rack store
Friday, April 24, 2009
I’d Rather Buy Wine for my Wine Rack
I hate paying for dry cleaning. It always feels like I am throwing my money the second the item becomes wrinkled. I also have a sneaking suspicion that a lot of the clothes with that evil little label can probably be washed by hand. I would just hate to accidently ruin something because they are the more expensive pieces in my wardrobe.I just had to spend nearly $16 on a $35 dress. $16 for just a plain ole’ summer dress. It’s not like it was a wool coat or something. Granted it did contain a lot of pleats but I know my dry cleaner back home won’t charge that much. That $16 could have gone towards a really good bottle of wine for my nearly empty wine rack. I just couldn’t take a chance had washing this particular dress though. I think I may want to use it in the future for some important photos.
Labels: Shopping, wine rack, wine rack store
How Do I Protect a Wine Rack From a Puppy?
I must be out of my mind. I am obviously to far from my wine rack and the grief of it has made me finally lose it. I was talking to my mother this afternoon and I heard my father say that he saw a flier at work that was offering a free 7 month old chocolate lab puppy to a good home. I actually suggested that he should call and get some information for me about it. This wouldn’t be such a big deal except that I am on the opposite coast and won’t be able to care for it until the beginning of June.My boyfriend and I have wanted a dog for a very long time. We are experienced dog owners. Our families have owned dogs since we were young. I didn’t want to bother with one until we were done with this east coast adventure. We keep going back and forth about what breed we want. We have also considered adopting a dog.
If for some reason my insanity continues and we offer to adopt it, they’ll be a lot work involved. I’ll have to make the house dog-friendly, fix up the yard, and then the obedience training begins.
Labels: pets, wine rack, wine rack store
Prettier Than a Full Wine Rack
My favorite flowers have always been gerbera daisies. They come in a host of colors and they do well in a vase. I think I will try my hand at growing them in my garden this year again. I always had planned on using them as a centerpiece in my future wedding bouquets. Some roses I received yesterday may have just pushed them out of the running.I have never been a big fan of roses. They just seem so typical and boring. My mind was changed when I saw these “hot princess” roses yesterday. They are absolutely gorgeous. Even more gorgeous than a fully stocked wine rack. Their color is something I can’t even describe. They are labeled as hot pink but the color is much more rich than that.
This is bad news for the wallet though. Roses tend be quite a bit pricier than daisies. Oh well, it will be worth it.
Labels: roses, wine rack, wine rack store
Too Busy to Appreciate a Wine Rack
This past weekend we visited the Wright Brother Memorial Park in Kill Devil Hills in North Carolina. Atop the hill where they took their first glider flights is a large granite memorial. From up there you can look down and see where the first motorized flight took off.Besides climbing up to the memorial, there are many other things to do in the park. There is a sculpture of the first flight, which I was able to climb on a get a picture with. There is also a museum with a recreated model of the first motorized plane. The park rangers put on talks about the brothers through out the day. There was also a special display on NASA and the history of aviation.
Their original cabin and plane hanger were recreated out near the old landing space. Their cabin was pretty small, drafty, and definitely not a good place for a wine rack. It wasn’t a terribly comfortable existence but they definitely discovered something that changed the world forever.
Labels: air planes, North Carolina, wine rack, wine rack store
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Haven’t Seen a Wine Rack This Tall
This last Saturday we took a trip to the North Carolina coast. The Outer Banks to be more precise. It is a huge tourist destination in the summer time. Since it is still early in the season the crowds were not too large.The goal of the trip was to visit a few of the lighthouses. We first went north and visited the Currituck lighthouse in Corolla. It was built in 1875 and stands 158 feet tall. That’s as tall as stacking 44 144 Bottle Premium Wine Racks on top of each other. That would be a lot of wine! We were able to climb to the top of it and enjoy the view. That is the second lighthouse I have been able to climb out here.
After we climbed down we headed south, stopping at the Wright Brother Memorial, and then on to the Bodie lighthouse. We were not able to go into this one. Besides being painted, it was an exact replica of the one we had seen earlier. After checking out the surrounding marsh we embarked on a 3-hour drive back to Virginia.
Labels: lighthouse, North Carolina, wine rack, wine rack store
Wine Rack Can’t Replace Everything
In an attempt to get in shape for summer, I have been dieting and working out religiously. I have definitely been more successful going to the gym everyday than cutting bad things out of my diet. That being said, I have kicked my soda habit that I have been struggling with for years. That extra 150 of liquid calories a day does make a difference when it is added. If you have just one soda a day you could be gaining nearly 15 pounds (55,000 calories) of weight a year. Now, I do let myself have one when we go out for lunch or dinner on the weekends. It’s funny, after you stop drinking it regularly it doesn’t taste as good as it used too.As a substitute, I drink water with lemon and cucumber pieces in it during the day. It helps me rehydrate because the humidity on the east coasts makes me sweat like crazy. It’s much more satisfying than plain water and doesn’t contain any calories.
Although I have cut out high calories drinks I still make the occasional trip to the wine rack. I do work out so I can enjoy the occasional treat, right?
Labels: diet, soda, wine rack, wine rack store
Keep the Wine Rack Out of the Rain
When it rains in Virginia, it’s serious. There is no drizzle, which is what you usually experience in Seattle. It just pours. It pours so hard the streets become small rivers. Deep puddles spring up every where. The storms leave as quickly as they come. It can go from sunny to thunderstorm and then back again in a few minutes. What is also strange is that the rain is warm because it is coming from the south. In Washington it is usually colder when it rains.Today I needed to walk to a store nearby to pick up some chocolate chips and champagne. I wanted to make chocolate covered strawberries as a treat for my boyfriend. It was raining when I left but I figured it would pass and left with my umbrella and flip-flops. Big mistake. It began to rain harder. By the time I made it to the store I was soaked. I grabbed what I needed except the champagne because I didn’t want to carry it. I will use a substitute off my wine rack instead. And of course it poured all the way home.
Labels: rain, weather, wine rack, wine rack store
Monday, April 20, 2009
Overwhelmed by Their Wine Racks
To try to fight off boredom I like to walk around the neighborhood my apartment is located in. I have yet to ride the bus so I haven’t be able to explore too far yet. Within a mile there are 4 different shopping centers. Within one is a wine and beer store. I decided to check it out last week.They have a huge selection. Probably the biggest I have ever seen in one store. I just walked down the aisles with glossy eyes. The wine racks were packed full and extended to the ceiling. I was completely over whelmed. There were so many bottles and signs vying for my attention I couldn't concentrate on just one thing.
This always seems to happen to me when I go into wine shops. I am never looking for anything in particular so I end up going into sensory-shock from all the different bottles. There is so much to choose from, I end up not picking out anything. I guess next time I go into a store like this I will have a game plan and attack it one wine section at a time.
Labels: wine rack, wine rack store, wine selection
From Williamsburg to Your Wine Rack
We decided to try another Virginian wine this weekend and we finally hit the jackpot. I was browsing through the local wine section and came upon a bottle I had seen a few times before. It was from the Williamsburg Winery located north west of Virginia Beach. It was called Governor’s White. It was on sale for $6 and looked good so I purchased it.We decided to have it with relatively light pasta meal. It was very fruity just like the bottle advised. It went well with dinner and was so good we finished off the bottle which we do not do too often.
There is no information about which variety of grapes it is made from or what vintage it was. I really hate when that isn’t added! Nonetheless, I am sure we will be purchasing it again for the wine rack. The mix of price and quality is to good to pass up.
Labels: virginia, wine rack, wine rack store
Life is Good (With a Full Wine Rack)
My boyfriend and I are big fan of the Life is Good brand. Their items usually feature a stick man and his yellow canine companion. My boyfriend really likes it because the dog reminds him of his old dog. I like it because the clothes are comfy and its "life is good" theme fits well with our hippy-ish life style.I’ve mostly run into the line of items here and there with out much selection. This weekend in North Carolina, we went into a large store where half of the space was dedicated to Life is Good merchandise. They had about 30 different t-shirts to choose from. They also had many hats, dog accessories, and child/baby size items. I picked up a water bottle with the mascot man on a bicycle printed on it. My boyfriend got a hat with the man and the dog in a boat fishing.
They didn’t have any wine themed items. I think a great t-shirt idea would have the man holding a wine glass and underneath him have “Life is Good with a Full Wine Rack” printed.
Labels: life is good, wine rack, wine rack store
Sunday, April 19, 2009
No Wine Rack Plate
A big trend going out here is vanity license plates. It seems like just about every car has some personal message. Many are cryptic and take some time to work out. Some we can’t even figure out. That kind of defeats the point, right?When we were on the Outer Banks in North Carolina this weekend, everyone wanted to let you know they lived there via their license plate. The abbreviation for the area is OBX and if it wasn’t on their license plates they probably had a bumper sticker instead. It was a nice area but I don’t think I’d feel the need to brag about living there.
I have not seen any wine or wine rack vanity plates. Maybe I will see some when we head up to Virginian wine country sometime this month.
I am not the biggest fan of vanity plates. I don’t like the idea of having to pay the extra fee. The regular yearly fee is painful enough.
Labels: North Carolina, wine rack, wine rack store
Time to Fill Up the Wine Rack
Here is a good excuse to visit the wine store: fine wine prices have dropped again. So go out and fill that dwindling wine rack! There are many factors that led up to this price drop. There has been a surplus in many wines so the market is flooded. Some also saw the high prices as unsustainable because of the downturn in the economy. Now the prices are “back to normal.”I suppose this price change shouldn’t come as a surprise. People aren’t spending as much on luxuries such as wine so the prices are lowered to make the wines more attractive to more people.
I haven’t been taking much advantage of these lowered prices in any of the retail sectors. I haven’t even done much clothes shopping. This would probably be a different story though if I was within walking distance of a decent mall. I don’t like dragging my boyfriend around with me because I know he gets bored.
Labels: fine wine, wine rack, wine rack store
Can’t Fit This on the Wine Rack
Tired of serving wine out of boring, old-fashioned bottles? Don’t worry, it is classier than box wine. It’s a mini barrel. It looks pretty cool but it definitely won’t be able to fit on your wine rack. It is also 100% recyclable like traditional bottles.This little wine barrel is made by Red Truck Wines out of Sonoma, California. The barrel contains 4 standard bottles or 20 glasses of wine. The wine is a non-vintage red wine and is a mixture of Syrah, Petite Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Mourvedre
It’s well priced at $30. I can’t really vouch for how the wine tastes since I haven’t tried it myself. I did always want to try another one of their wines, Pink Truck, but I haven’t seen it for sale much in the Northwest. This barrel is a little informal so I probably wouldn’t suggest it for a cocktail party but I think it would fit in real well at picnic.
Labels: silly packaging, wine rack, wine rack store
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Definitely No Wine Racks In the Hold
When you think of the ships that the original English colonists traveled to America on you imagine they are pretty big right? Wrong. This weekend we were able to tour and go into 3 different recreated ships. They were incredibly small. I can’t believe they could stuff the amount of people they did on there. I also can’t imagine weathering a big storm in one of those. It’s amazing they even made it all the way here at all.The inner rooms of the ships were very small. I couldn’t even stand up with out hitting my head. They probably had casks of wine because there definitely was no room for a full size wine rack. We were told that the holds were so full you had to basically crawl around on top of all the supplies. You’d also have to be very comfortable with your fellow riders because the sleeping areas were very small and you had very little space to share.
If I was alive at the time I don’t think they could ever convince me to get on a ship like that for a 4 month ride.
Labels: History, virginia, wine rack, wine rack store
The Colonists Did Have Wine Racks
This weekend we explored the Jamestown Settlement museum in nearby Williamsburg. Here in Virginia Beach we saw where the colonists landed initially so we wanted to complete the story by seeing their final landing place. The museum was incredibly well done. Probably one of the best I have ever been too. That had many informative displays and items from that time.It traced the histories of the English, Africans, and American Indians affected by these colonies. You were able to see how all the different groups lived, worked, and suffered.
England wanted the colonies to be prosperous and export materials. The most lucrative exports were tobacco and furs. The colonists also tried to grow grapes to make wine. Although they were able to fill up many wine racks because it wasn’t as successful as the tobacco industry.
It was a bit pricy but I would suggest this museum to anyone looking to learn about the roots of American history.
Labels: History, virginia, wine rack, wine rack store
Wine Racks and Chinese Food
Some foods just seem impossible to pair with wine. For example, no matter how well stocked your wine rack is, you probably won’t find a good match for potato chips. I suppose those probably fall into beer-pairing territory. I always kind of felt like Chinese food and wine just don’t mix. This article from the New York Times begs to differ.Traditionally Chinese pair their meals with a type of grain alcohol called baijiu. Now that wine is gaining popularity in China, restaurants there are starting to offer wines.
Chinese food is hard to pair wine with because of its complex flavors. You never want to over shadow a dish with a flavorful wine or have the wine muted by the dish.
In an attempt to find some good pairing, the author of the article proved a group of food enthusiasts with Chinese food and 8 different wines. Out of the 8, the Riesling worked well as did a Pinot Noir.
Labels: chinese food, wine rack, wine rack store
Wine Rack Store Blogger in Washington DC Part 3
Why is it that free maps full of advertisements always lie? I wasn’t exactly prepared when we arrived in Washington DC so I had to rely on a map I found at a visitor center. When I looked at the National Mall, I thought it looked fairly small. I was very wrong. It turned out to be 2 miles long.Since I thought the monuments were much closer than they turned out to be, I over estimated how much we could see. After finishing one end of the Mall we headed towards the Capitol Building at the other end. After some stops on the way there, we finally made it to the steps of the Capitol but were sorely disappointed when we learned you couldn’t actually enter the building. This last stop was the beginning of the end of our strength.
We still managed to drag ourselves through another museum and than set our sights on the Thomas Jefferson memorial. We figured we could catch the Metro home at the Arlington Cemetery. I under estimated both the of distance and the size of the crowds. The sidewalks were so crowded we were moving at a snail’s pace. By the time we made it to the Jefferson memorial we were completing exhausted. After seeing the memorial we headed towards the Metro. It was pretty much a death march to the train.
We traveled an immense distance in one day. According to a pedometer we walked 17 miles. I believe this is the most I walked in one day. All I wanted to do when I got back to where I was staying was collapse on the couch. I didn’t even have enough energy to cap the day off with a bottle of wine off my hostesses' wine rack.
Labels: Washington DC, wine rack, wine rack store
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Some Decent Chardonnay for Your Wine Rack
I have been pretty wine deprived out here in Virginia Beach. My wine rack is sitting at home in Washington and we haven’t purchased many bottles here yet. I couldn’t stand it anymore the other day so we picked up a bottle from an Australian winery, Yellow Tail. We were having something light for dinner so I opted for their chardonnay.It was very reasonably priced at $6 a bottle. It was on sale at the particular grocery store but I am sure you can find this deal elsewhere. I found it quite enjoyable. It was very fruity. I would definitely consider is a “summer wine.” Praise aside, I would suggest drinking it all at once because it wasn’t as good a few days later.
Since we had such good results with this Chardonnay, we will have to try some of Yellow Tails other wines. I hope their other wines prove to be such a bargain too.
Labels: wine rack, wine rack store, yellow tail
Happy Easter from the Wine Rack Store
I’d like to wish everyone a Happy Easter. Today is the day to enjoy those Cadbury Eggs without guilt! Have that champagne you’ve been saving on the wine rack! It is also a day to spend with family. Sadly, I won’t be spending it with mine this year. I’ll even miss out on the ham dinner but that’s okay because I am not a big fan of ham anyway. However I am going to miss dyeing eggs. I always liked mixing colors and coming up with some less than traditional designs.I have a lot of fond memories associated with Easter. As a child I always loved hunting down the Easter baskets. If I were home my mother would probably still hide some now even though I am 22 years old. This week I did receive a package from her, which I wasn’t allowed to open until today. It was filled with candy and other treats. There goes my diet!
Labels: bunnies, Easter, wine rack, wine rack store
More Dismal Than an Empty Wine Rack
This weekend we wanted tour more of the countryside so we headed down to a wildlife refuge known as the Great Dismal Swamp. It was dismal indeed. Much more dismal than an empty wine rack. We got lost trying to get to one of the trail heads. To get to the parking area we had to drive down a long, gravel road through the swamp. It was really creepy so we decided not to hike around.It was still early so we decided to drive around the swamp and into North Carolina. The countryside was dotted with farms but the swamp always loomed in the distance. I don’t think I would feel terribly comfortable living next to it. We briefly got lost in North Carolina but managed to make our way to a state park contained within the refuge. Here we went through a visitor center and were able to tour a bit of the swamp via a boardwalk. We didn’t see much wildlife except for some birds flying high in the trees.
A canal flowed around the edge of the park. This canal was built before 1800 by slave’s hands. It was quite a marvel. It was built to connect North Carolina and Virginia for shipping.
Labels: swamps, virginia, wine rack, wine rack store
Not Ideal for my Wine Rack
I have been on the look out for some Virginian wine. I found some reasonably priced bottles at a local liquor store. I didn’t not buy any there because I didn’t want to carry in all the way back to my apartment.I didn’t have another run in with Virginian wine until a few days ago. While I was getting a hair cut, my boyfriend walked around a local strip mall. One of the stores he found was a privately owned wine shop. He brought me in there after I was done with my appointment.
It’s a pretty nice little shop. They were even having a beer tasting while we were shopping around. I looked around to see if anything stuck out at me. I finally happened upon the Virginia section and picked out something. Not asking for assistance, which would have been gladly given, was a mistake.
I picked out a Sauvignon Blanc from a winery in Salem, Virginia. We opened it the next day and were pretty disappointed. It was overly sweet. This sweetness tried to cover up the less than tasty flavors of the wine. Needless to say, we won’t be purchasing that wine for our wine rack again.
Labels: virginia, wine, wine rack, wine rack store
Thursday, April 9, 2009
The Reason For a Wine Rack
We talk a lot about wine and wine racks but we seldom talk about the critical item you need to make the wine, the grape. I love grapes. I am on a health-kick right now and grapes are one of my favorite snacks. They are nice and sweet and manage to satisfy my sweet tooth cravings.The growing of grapes started in ancient history. There are Egyptian hieroglyphics showing grape cultivation. The ancient Greeks and Romans continued this practice for eating and wine making. Because of this long history, there are many different kinds of grapes. My favorites to eat are the purple seedless type although my favorite wine comes from white grapes.
The majority of the world’s grapes are grown in Spain. The United States is the 5th largest producer. The majority of these grapes, 71% is dedicated to wine, 27% is for fresh fruit, and 2% is made into dried fruit.
Labels: diet, fruit, wine rack, wine rack store
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Something a Little More Exotic Off the Wine Rack
I was first introduced to sangria back in college (when my wine rack was the top of my refrigerator). There was a restaurant in a neighboring town that was well known because of their delicious sangria and other wine related cocktails. In Idaho it is hard to get a liquor license so restaurants are forced to get creative with wine and beer.Sangria is a mixture of red or white wine, fruit, fruit juice, club soda and sometimes brandy. I have never made my own but I have enjoyed it at a few different restaurants. Last night we went out to a pizza joint and I treated myself to a white wine sangria with orange and pineapple. It was pretty good although I think the wine taste was a bit too watered down.
I think next time I will try to make one myself. The recipes online make it look pretty simple and it will definitely cost a lot less.
Labels: fruit, sangria, wine rack, wine rack store
Wine Rack Store Bloggers Visits DC Part 2
I think we visited more stuff in Washington DC than most tourists do. After touring the Lincoln Memorial and war memorials, we set our sights on the Capitol building. Our goal for the day was to see the outdoor memorials and than come back for the Smithsonian museums on another weekend. We couldn’t resist going into a few of them though.The first one we went into was the Aero and Space Museum. I had a little bit of interest in it but most of the displays were only interesting to my boyfriend. We saw displays about the history of astronomy and space exploration. They had some of the original space suits used on the moon. They also had recreations of space vehicles and satellites.
The other museum I wanted to see was the Natural History Museum. My goal was to see the dinosaurs and the Hope diamond. The building was incredibly crowded. It was hard to navigate around the people and strollers. I did briefly get to enjoy the T-Rex skeleton. It was very big, much bigger than any wine rack I could ever dream of owning.
The Hope diamond was spectacular but smaller than I imagined. It was hard to see because there was a crowd 6 people deep around it. Good thing I am tall so I could see over everyone. We left after that. I wanted to see the other exhibits but the crowds were to frustrating to deal with.
Labels: History, Washington DC, wine rack, wine rack store
They Must Have a Haunted Wine Rack
After seeing the bloodiest battlefield in American history, we toured the local area. I wanted to visit the local cemetery where many of the soldier’s remains have been buried. The cemetery was a military one so it didn’t contain the unique head stones I enjoy reading.Across the street from this cemetery was an old plantation house. This plantation house served as a field hospital for both sides during the battle of Cold Harbor. As we walked towards it to read the informational sign and I commented on how the residents must of run away during the battle. To my dismay, the sign informed us that the residents were forced to live in the basement during the battle. They had to witness blood drip down through the floorboards from the surgeries going on above.
We have all heard how barbaric these field hospitals were and how they didn’t have good survival rates. I don’t really believe in ghosts but I have to imagine between the hospital history and the battlefield this house must be haunted. Funny thing is, the house is currently being lived in. You couldn’t pay me to live in a house with a history like that. I bet my wine rack would shake from ghostly energy every night.
Labels: civil war, virginia, wine rack, wine rack store
Time to Dust Off the Wine Rack
Spring is here and so it’s time for some spring-cleaning. Open up those windows, grab that broom and get to work! It feels so good to be able to air out the house. I hate the stuffiness of my house in the winter. I have to open the window in my bedroom before I go to bed at night for some fresh air.I know we all hate dusting especially the wine rack full of nook sand crannies but think of how shiny the bottles will be when you are done. Dusting makes all your furniture look newer and brighter. It will also help with allergies.
If you just can’t get rid off that strange musty odor, try cleaning the carpet. You can hire professionals, which is a bit expensive, or do it yourself. You can easily and cheaply rent a carpet cleaner at many grocery stores. You can get surprisingly good results if you take your time with it.
Labels: cleaning, spring, wine rack, wine rack store
No Wine Rack There
I am not well educated on American history so in an attempt to rectify this, we have been visiting a lot of historic sites in Virginia. This weekend we stopped at a civil war battlefield near Richmond.The Battle of Cold Harbor was fought at the particular battlefield. It was the site of one of America’s bloodiest battles. 180,000 soldiers fought and nearly 16,000 died in less than two weeks. The Union saw the heaviest losses at 13,000 dead.
What was interesting about this battle was the use of trenches called earthworks. This was the first time this type of warfare had been utilized. The Union suffered so much loss because they would charge the hunkered down Confederate army and would just be mowed down. These trenches can still be seen today.
What’s great about the historic sites here is that they are well taken care of and are full of informational signs. They are easy to read and provide a lot of information. If only wine on our wine racks were labeled as well. Perhaps than we could choose bottles easier.
Labels: civil war, virginia, wine rack, wine rack store
Monday, April 6, 2009
Wine Rack Store Blogger Visits DC Part 1
I been to a lot of places in America, but I have never been to our capitol, Washington DC. Since I was young, I had always wanted to go explore all the monuments and memorials I had seen in textbooks. This weekend, I finally got that opportunity.I really wanted to go this particular weekend because all of the famed cherry trees were in bloom. This probably wasn’t the best plan because a lot of other people had the same idea. I had never seen so many people in one place in my life. It made me feel terribly claustrophobic at times.
We took the train into the city so we wouldn’t have to worry about parking. Our first stop was the White House. I kept my eyes open for President Obama but of course saw nothing. We then headed toward the tallest monument on the Mall, the Washington Monument. It was a lot taller than I had imagined it. I wonder if a wine rack was built that tall, how many bottles could fit in it.
We than headed towards the Lincoln Memorial, passing the WWII memorial and reflecting pool. The reflecting pool was really gross because it was bright green. I hope next time we go that’s cleaned up. A lot of things there seemed in disrepair. I found this disappointing since the city is representing America and America’s rich history.
Labels: cherry trees, Washington DC, wine rack, wine rack store
Missing my Home (and Wine Rack)
I’ve come to learn in the last few weeks there are some stark differences between the east and west coasts. One I have experience with on a day-to-day basis is littering. There is trash everywhere here. It’s in parking lots, in parks, and piled in ditches. It is absolutely disgusting. I can’t believe people are so lazy here and disrespectful of their community.Don’t get me wrong, Washington is not perfectly trash-free but it is nothing like this place. I think people in Washington feel more invested in their environment and actually want to take care of it. I think Washington litters also may face more fines if caught in the act.
What’s even worse than the litter is people throwing lit cigarettes out of their cars. Every time we go somewhere I see at least one driver do it. On the highway home yesterday I saw at least three people do it and I was enraged every time. Do these people not understand that these don’t degrade well and can spark fires?
This ghastly behavior makes me miss my home state and full wine rack even more.
Labels: littering, virginia, wine rack, wine rack store
Thunder Shaking my Wine Rack
Being from Western Washington, I haven’t seen much wild weather. We are lucky to get two thunderstorms a year. They are usually quick and since the trees are so tall around my home, I am unable to see any lightning. Because they are such a rarity, I really enjoy them when they do happen. I just find the storm’s power and Mother Nature’s fury to be exhilarating.Here in Virginia, big storms are the norm. We’re talking thunder so loud it shakes the wine rack. This morning when I turned on the news, they were broadcasting a tornado watch for Virginia Beach and the surrounding areas. Although I know a tornado is pretty unlikely the thought of it is pretty unnerving. They don’t have basements here so I guess I’d have to hide in the bathroom if one came by.
They also have hurricanes here in the late summer. Thank goodness I’ll be long gone before any of those storms hit.
Labels: thunder storm, virginia, weather, wine rack, wine rack store
Friday, April 3, 2009
Don’t Torture Your Wine Rack Anymore!
Thanks to our less than rosy economy, a lot of people are cutting back on frivolous expenses. Sadly the fullness of our wine racks may be one of these frivolous expenses. For me, it is my closet that is suffering. I am trying to get as many miles out of my clothes as possible.A lot of people may toss that blouse because it is missing a button or that pair of jeans because of a hole. It is incredibly easy to save a lot of money by doing some simple repair on your clothes. These fixes cost just about nothing. Try a patch kit on those pricey jeans. If you do it right, they’ll look like new. Remember those extra buttons that came with that blouse? I keep all those extra buttons in a bag I can easily access to do repairs. If you don’t have that extra button, go to a craft store. They have a large selection buttons and you’ll probably be able to find one similar enough to sew back on. For 50 cents you can save a $30 blouse.
A little bit of thread, patience, and time can save you a lot of money.
Labels: saving money, wine rack, wine rack store
More Popular Here Than Wine Racks
Being from Washington, I am used to Starbucks being on every corner. Here in Virginia Beach you have to look a little bit harder. There aren’t Starbucks across from Starbucks here like there are in Seattle. Instead the convenience store, 7-Eleven, is everywhere. You can drive down a road and see one on nearly every block.I love 7-Eleven because I love Slurpees. The icy, fruity concoction is one of my favorite drinks. They are great in the summer to beat the heat and feel great on sore throats. If I could set up a Slurpee machine next to my wine rack at home I’d be in heaven.
Back at home the closest 7-Eleven is located in Bremerton, about 8 miles away. My friends and I have been known to make the occasional pilgrimage there just for the Slurpees. Some would say it is a waste of gas but I need to have my Slurpee fix. Now that there are so many around here, I’ll be having them all the time.
Labels: slurpee, wine rack, wine rack store
Free Information For Your Wine Rack
Wikipedia has always been my go-to information source since it became popular a few years ago. Whenever I want to learn about wine that I put on my wine rack I head to Wikipedia. Because of Wikipedia’s popularity I am not surprised to hear that Microsoft is closing down it’s rival Encarta.I think the main reason Encarta couldn’t keep up is because of its cost to join. I can remember doing research papers in high school and ending up on the Encarta website. They’d give you the first few paragraphs of the article of interest and then ask you to pay to see the rest. I always steered away from it because I refuse to pay for some information that I can find for free elsewhere.
Now don’t get the wrong idea, Wikipedia isn’t always the best resource. It is inherently flawed because any anonymous user can edit the entries. They can put whatever they want up there and it will stay until someone else edits it out. Because of this, in college I never used it as a primary resource. I would, however, see the primary sources used in the article and than use them.
Labels: wikipedia, wine rack, wine rack store
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Recycling and Your Wine Rack
We’ve talked about recycling wine bottles off your wine rack many times on this blog. I haven’t really mentioned the other important part of wine storage, the cork. Corks are mostly made from the Cork Oak tree. Wineries are no longer limited to these wooden corks. They also use plastic and some even use special glass ones. Although wine corks can not be reused on fresh bottle of wine, they do have other uses. Corks can be ground up and used in flooring and wall products. Because of this, recycling companies are experimenting with collecting them along with the glass bottles.
Collecting these corks is not easy. It is costly and time consuming. It takes 300,000 corks to make one ton. That is a heck of a lot of corks. I am a big fan of recycling but I am not sure how I feel about this. I am glad people keep trying to recycle more and more things but sometimes I think it costs more energy (and time and money) to reuse these materials than responsibly making new ones.
Labels: corks, enviromentally friendly, wine rack, wine rack store
Some Barefoot for Your Wine Rack
I have a hard time spending a lot of money on wine. If the bottle costs more than $15 I am hesitant about buying it. Lucky for me (and the other money-misers) there are plenty of wines that are cheap and taste good. I just located another one of these cheap wonders, a Cabernet Sauvignon by Barefoot.As I have stated before, I am not the biggest fan of red wine. I do, however, have a soft spot for Cabernets. I am not sure why. I think I just enjoy the tannins and the strong, bold flavor of it. I am always excited when I am able to try them at winery tastings.
For a bottle under $10, this Barefoot wine is really good. The flavor is smooth and fruity. It paired well with a vegetable heavy soup I made. I would definitely purchase it again for my wine rack in the future.
Labels: Barefoot, wine rack, wine rack store
Do You Put Sake on a Wine Rack?
Craving something besides wine tonight? Is nothing looking good on your wine rack? Go get some sake to try. Better yet, try some at an authentic Hibachi Japanese steakhouse. The dining experience may seem a little intimidating at first but it is really fun.In a Hibachi style restaurant, diners are sat around a large grill. You are seated with your group and other diners. Chefs will come and make your food right in front of you. They will put on a show as they work. The one we went to started off cooking the meal by lighting a pile of hot grease on fire. This ensuing fireball made some people scoot back, including myself.
I ordered the teriyaki chicken and my boyfriend got the steak so we could try both. The meal also included a shrimp appetizer, vegetables, and fried rice made fresh in front of you. The food was delicious and the cooking of the fun was fun to watch. I definitely consider going to that restaurant again.
Labels: japanese food, wine rack, wine rack store
Where is the Oldest Wine Rack?
Living on the west coast, you don’t usually run into anything much older than 150 years. Over here on the east coast, 100 years is nothing. Just this weekend we visited the oldest federally commissioned lighthouse in the United States. It was built back in 1791.The Old Cape Henry lighthouse is located on an active military base called Fort Story. There is also a neighboring lighthouse called the New Cape Henry lighthouse. To get onto the base we had to have our IDs examined and car searched. This caught us off guard a bit since we weren’t expecting it.
We were able to tour the older lighthouse. We climbed the spiraling stair to the top, which gave us a nice view of the surroundings. It was really neat to see the inside of the lighthouse. There were no internal supports so the walls were incredibly thick, at least 5 feet.
Being able to see these older American landmarks is really neat. It almost makes up for me having to leave my wine rack at home.
Labels: lighthouse, virginia, wine rack, wine rack store
Monday, March 30, 2009
Shaking the Wine Racks
The apartment I am now staying in may be incredibly close to Virginia Beach but it has its downfalls. One of these is the proximity to a busy air force base. It’s quiet on the weekend and usually at night but during the day there is a lot of air traffic right over our apartment. These air crafts will circle around and around the area. I assume they must be doing practice missions.These are big fighter jets and helicopter so they are very loud. So loud that it nearly makes my wine bottles rattle. Good thing the Wine Rack Store makes such strong wine racks so I don’t have to worry about it shaking apart. I wonder if it is this loud from far away, how loud is it in the cockpit?
I like to watch them go by. It’s so cool to see them speeding by and going upside down. These planes are such a marvel of engineering. Soon enough, though, they will probably become a nuisance.
Labels: air force, virginia, wine rack, wine rack store
The Beach: Better Than a Trip to Your Wine Rack
The day after I arrived here in Virginia Beach, I had to see the beach. The problem was that it rained all day so it wasn’t a great day for sightseeing. I was given a brief tour of the surrounding town and than we headed to the beachfront. It was deserted thanks to the dreary weather. We briefly got out of the car so I could enjoy the salty air and than headed back home. I was disappointed I wasn’t able to stick my feet into the Atlantic Ocean for the first time.Yesterday we went down to the beach again. This time it was sunny but incredibly windy. The sand lashed our bodies and it really hurt. I also was lacking sunscreen so I didn’t want to stay out there for to long. Again I wasn’t able to get to the ocean. But to make me feel better, we stopped and got a bottle of wine from the store for my small temporary wine rack. Maybe I will have better luck this next week with the weather.
Labels: virginia beach, wine rack, wine rack store
Virginia Wines on Your Wine Rack
Thanks to the hot and humid climate here, wine grapes do not grow very well in Virginia. That being said, European colonists began growing grapes in the 1700’s. Currently the most produced grape variety is Chardonnay. Cabernet Sauvignon, Viognier, and Cabernet Franc is also produced.In 2007, the state hosted nearly 2,500 acres of grapes. In comparison, California contains 480,000 acres. As of this year, 130 wineries are located in this state. In 2007 the crop was valued at $7,800,000. Even though this may not sound like a lot, Virginia ranks eighth in the nation for both bearing acreage and grape production
There are no wineries down here in Virginia Beach so I won’t be doing much wine tasting this summer. Perhaps when we travel to the more northern parts of the state we will find some wineries to stop at. It would be cool to add some Virginian wine to my wine rack at home.
Labels: virginia, wine rack, wine rack store
Wine Racks in 3D!
I have a list of places to visit here in Virginia Beach. One of these places that I was able to go to this weekend was the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center. We started the visit with a trip to their Imax Theater. We watched Under the Sea 3D which is the first 3D movie I have seen. It was pretty cool having all the fish swim right in front of you. Maybe they should make a 3D movie about wine making. Think of how pretty the full wine racks would look in 3D.After the movie we looked through the main exhibits. They had a stinger-less stingray touch tank that I stayed away from because I didn’t want to get any saltwater on me. They had a sea turtle tank with multiple turtles swimming in it. I love seeing the large sea turtles but this exhibit kind of depressed me because the turtles didn’t look too entertained or happy. They also had a large shark tank.
Over all it wasn’t one of the best aquariums I've been too. It was pretty expensive for what they offered. It was also pretty packed and uncomfortably stuffy.
Labels: virginia beach, wine rack, wine rack store
Wood Not Suitable for Wine Racks
For the past few days we have been exploring the countryside around Virginia Beach. The landscape here is much different than what we are used to back at home in Washington State. First off, there are no stunning mountains in the distance. The closest thing they have to a mountain here is something called Mt. Trashmore. I believe it is a pile of garbage covered with dirt next to the high way.The flora and fauna is very different too. Today we explored a swampy state park. The only animals I saw were some turtles basking in the sun. No birds were seen or heard which is the opposite of the noisy forests in Washington. The swamps are made up of skinny, warped pine trees (definitely not good building materials for wine racks), spiky shrubs, and Spanish moss.
I definitely feel very far from home right now. I am a bit homesick but the more activities I do here, the better I feel.
Labels: swamps, virginia, wine rack, wine rack store
Friday, March 27, 2009
Humidity: The Enemy of Wine Racks and People
Since I lived most of my life in Washington State, I haven’t really had to deal with humidity. This seems counter intuitive though because you’d think such a wet state would have higher levels of humidity especially in the summer.
My first experience with high humidity was in Hawaii. It just felt like my skin was constantly damp. Since the weather is such a perfect temperature you don’t really notice it after while. It has the same feeling here as well. As soon as I stepped off the airplane last night I noticed the difference. It doesn’t feel bad since it is still cool here but I am afraid of what it will be like during the intense summer.
I hope I don’t come to hate the humidity even though I know it’s going to destroy my once frizz-less hair like it would destroy a nice bottle of wine on a wine rack.
Labels: hawaii, humidity, virginia, wine rack, wine rack store
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