Hello, friends…I hope you have all had a great week! I haven’t been on here too much this past week due to work travel, but will get back on schedule next week 😄 Here’s this Sunday’s seven in wine, food, lifestyle, design and travel:
You Wish Your Son was Jeff Bezos
Back in the late 90’s, Jackie and Mike Bezos saved up and put a little less than $250,000 into their son’s fledgling e-commerce website. It was a big gamble that paid off. One IPO and three stock splits later, his parents’ stake could be worth almost $30 billion today. That would make them wealthier than Microsoft Corp. co-founder Paul Allen, the 30th-richest person on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Better than buying a lottery ticket!
10 Vacation Ideas for November
Whether you want to dine in Singapore or swim in the Sea of Cortez, some top picks for November travel. In this list are suggestions for theater buffs, beach lovers, hikers, archaeologists, foodies, snow bunnies, and club junkies. The beauty of the Beijing National Center for the Performing Arts, built of glass and steel and reflected over an artificial lake, really drew me in but I pretty much would hit anywhere on this list right now!
Sonoma Wines to Buy Now and also, Napa Wines, too!
New tasting notes and ratings on a selection of great red wines from both Napa and Sonoma County, tasted by Master Sommelier Ronan Sayburn.
Sayburn’s top-scoring Cabernet from the tasting is Cain, Five 2004, closely followed by Diamond Creek, Gravelly Meadow 2016. The collection also includes big hitters like Joseph Phelps’ Insignia, as well as historic Napa names such as Beringer, which was founded in 1876 and survived the Prohibition. The collection spans older vintages from 1989 and 1993, as well as newer releases from 2016.
His top-scoring Sonoma wine was Kutch’s McDougall Ranch Pinot Noir 2015, and in second place was Radio-Coteau’s Harrison Grade Syrah 2013. Many of the top Sonoma winemakers prize a sustainable approach, the region’s winegrowers’ association once boasted it would be the nation’s first ‘100% sustainable wine region by 2019′, and all the wines below are certified organic.
Digital Art to Blow Your Mind
No, You Should Not Put Vodka in the Freezer
Ok, so I admit I definitely have some vodka in the freezer. This article claims that this is not a great idea because temperatures capable of freezing water also effectively eliminate any of the subtle flavors and aromas that set apart quality vodka from the cheap stuff. This seems to make sense now that I am hearing it. They recommend that the temperature for vodka 0-4 degrees Celsius, which is the temperature of a slight dilution with ice in a mixing glass.
People in the US Need to Use Their Vacation Time
A new study finds that workers from the United States, Japan, and Thailand took the fewest number of vacation days when compared to several other countries. The survey questioned over 11,000 employed adults from 19 countries about work-life balance. Respondents from the United States, Japan, and Thailand reported the lowest vacation usage—an average of 10 vacation days used in the past year. Countries with reports of the highest average number of vacation days were Brazil, France, Germany, and Spain, where they all took an average of 30 days. This is very sad to hear, but I do NOT have this problem for sure!
Greeks built Charlotte’s restaurant world. So where’s all the Greek food?
This last article is a personal one but I thought one worth sharing! It’s from the Charlotte Observer and all about how Charlotteans of Greek heritage have filled the food scene in the city for generations. Some people say that in the 1950s and ‘60s, every restaurant along Tryon and Trade had Greek owners. The Greeks built Charlotte’s restaurant world…but where is all the Greek food now? The article runs through a brief history of some of Charlotte’s classic Greek restaurants, including one run by my godfather, below. It also shares a Greek philosophy: Philoxenia (fil-OH-zeen-yah) meaning “friends to strangers” — and it’s more than just hospitality. In Greece, it means you have an obligation to help anyone who needs it, especially by sharing food.
I hope everyone has a wonderful and relaxing rest of your weekend!
xx—BB
Great round up! I need to make it back to Japan… might be awhile though 🙂 Also, I love this saying: Philoxenia (fil-OH-zeen-yah) meaning “friends to strangers.”
Love the saying, too 💗