Edna Valley Vineyard 2011 Merlot Central Coast, CA This merlot’s nose has plastic overtones, but that doesn’t stop me from enjoying its raspberry and pepper notes. It’s thin to medium bodied and meatier than expected on drinking. Think nicely seasoned duck with a spicy raspberry and stewed tomato sauce. That pepper will tickle your nose!
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For eight years, I lived in Durham, NC, and for eight years, I told myself “Someday!” when I drove past the abandoned Durham Funwerks amusement park on Garrett Road, right before the 15-501 intersection. Someday, I would explore the mysterious giant castle. Someday, I would hike my way through the overgrown mini-golf course to the
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I have a pair of cocktails to share with you today. Each features the trio of pisco, orange, and a Royal Rose simple syrup. As you may recall, Royal Rose sent me a sampler of their organic, small-batch syrups a while back (meaning it was free!). I’ve been slowly sharing new cocktail recipes that feature
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2010 Fetzer Crimson Winemaker’s Favorite Red Wine Blend Mendocino County, CA I admit to reticence when trying this wine, not knowing if a big label’s wine was up to snuff at under $10. Plus, there were a lot of words on that label, which frankly can be off-putting for those not that skilled in wine-label
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It’s nearly six months later, but I’m finally finishing up my photo blogs for our Amelia Island trip last May. Because I’ve only had one short vacation since then, it doesn’t actually feel that long ago that Ben and I wandered the streets of downtown Fernandina Beach, though we live on the other coast now.
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Jasper’s Corner Tap and Kitchen is an appealing Tenderloin escape from the crowds near Union Square in downtown San Francisco, especially if you’re in a drinking mood. The walls are a sleek gray with the occasional geometric patterns and letters embellished on them in shades of blue. Booths and tables are done in dark woods
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The First Vine Red Wine Blend (Sonoma, CA) is one cheap glass of wine. But there are times when you know only a cheap wine will do. Those times are when you don’t care what you’re drinking — you just want something vaguely alcoholic in your throat and so you should not spend much money
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My husband and I celebrated the sale of our North Carolina home with a prix fixe meal at this modern, French-inflected New American restaurant on Hayward’s downtown stretch. Using an Amazon Local deal, we dined on three courses each for only $40 including a glass of champagne. It was the second time I’d been to
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