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Millions of thoughts come to mind when it comes to our better halves. And sometimes, we express them discover that it sounded better in our heads.
If this is you, worry not. We've got you covered. Below are heart touching messages just to show your bae how much she means to you.
Sweet Words to Make Her Smile and Happy
The beautiful and romantic collection of sweet words to make her smile, merry and happy for being yours.
1. Hey gorgeous, I saw you today in that dress and my heart stopped for an instant. I don't know what you've done to me to make me this hopeless. I love you.
2. I bring up a picture of you laughing at something and my day just gets better. I can't wait to see you.
3. I want to talk to you all day, baby. Make that every second. Your voice calms the deepest anxieties in my heart. Thinking about you darling.
4. It's not every day you get to be a boyfriend to a beautiful person. But it's every day you get
5. I'm in love with every freckle on your lovely face and the very thought of you makes me long for you. I miss you
6. I've been away from you way too long. I'm dying to be with you. I have a surprise for you if you come early. *wink*
7. It makes me warm all over when I think about your arms around me. I can't wait till you're home.
8. May you glide softly among the clouds, till Sunrise kisses your dainty lips. Sweet dreams love.
9. Hey heart-stopper, you're giving me goosebumps in my heart when you touch me. But I want goosebumps all the time. Come here, girl.
10. I want you. Nothing else. Just you. And your 400 pairs of shoes.
11. It's no secret that you hold the key to my heart. I will give you everything I am, to show how you mean to me.
12. One look at you and all my fears fade away. I'm drawn by the serenity I see in your eyes. I love you.
13. The stars twinkle at night and I'm reminded of the mischievous twinkle in your eyes when you're scheming. I want to stare into them again.
14. A, E, I, O, but I only want U.
15. My life was topsy turvy and very messy, but you came, with your cleaning crew and set things right. Now I can't be messy any more thanks to your thorough cleaning lessons. I love you, babe.
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16. I love you, babe. And here's why: you're the finest blend of crazy and responsible that's in the world. I'm honoured to be, honey.
17. My Queen, the very earth should be honoured to have your footprints in it. I'm still starstruck from the last time I gazed into your eyes.
18. Sometimes I pinch myself to find out if this is a dream. You're so perfect it's breathtaking.
19. It's amazing how even the brightest colours cannot look more beautiful than my darling. You're an amazing woman.
20. Eyes like the sunrise. Lips as red as the rose. A smile as bright as the sun. And all of these I get to see every day. I'm blessed to have you.
21. There's nothing like a smile from you to make my day. You're my personal sunshine honey.
22. The way you look into my eyes and see my soul gives me reason to live through the worst of times. Thanks for being a rock, my love.
23. There are many stars that fill the sky. But you're the brightest among them. I love you, sweetheart.
24. If there is anything I never want you to forget, it is that you hold a special place in my heart that nobody can take away. I love you.
25. I have trouble imagining what my life was without you. You light up my life my darling.
26. Just a spark and you've started a flame in my heart you can't quench. I'm yours, my queen.
27. Love, they say is a risk. But this is one I'd gladly take. Being with you is worth everything in the whole world.
28. To my lover, my best friend and partner-in-crime, you make my life worth living. You rock my world, love.
29. I think about you so much that if it was unhealthy, I'll probably be dead. I love you
30. I'm grateful to God for making such a wonderful creature. I love everything about you. So much.
31. No matter where life takes me, you will be my number one woman. Always. Love you baby.
32. There are some things in this life that make you fly even without wings. You're my reason. I love you dearly.
33. I'm listening to our song and I'm wishing we were dancing to it. I miss you.
34. The brilliance of the early morning sun cannot be compared to the joy that lights up your face when I look at you. You're beautiful and it's true.
35. I feel like yelling to the whole world that I've got a girl who loves me. And I love her too.
36. Your love for me makes me want to climb mountains and brace deserts. You make me invincible baby.
37. The rhythm in my heart is something you alone are responsible for. Making you smile is my topmost priority. I love you, dear.
38. Is there any way you can help me not to love you this much? You're filling every space in my heart and I'm helplessly in love with you.
39. Is there a name for the way you make me feel when you touch me? It's like everything in my stomach folds in and flies around in nervous circles. I love you, babe.
40. It's not difficult to see why everyone adores you. You're so sweet and caring. I'm part of them too.
41. I will keep you in my heart because I don't feel anywhere else in the world is good enough for my darling.
42. You're that call that triples my heart rate by a thousand percent. Your voice makes all my worries go away. I'm obviously smitten.
43. Friends come and go. But you my love, linger on and make it worthwhile.
44. I'm grinning like an idiot, reading our texts. I miss you, babe. Șaă
45. When you walk into the room, every head turns to look at the breath of fresh air that just walked in. You're definitely a showstopper, hun.
46. You do things with so much grace and poise, I'm tempted to ask if you received royal education. I love how composed you are about things.
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47. You're looking so radiant and bright in that breathtaking dress. I hope you take a picture of me.
48. There's no escaping your loveliness. You're in my eyes every minute, my heart every hour, and in my thoughts every day. I love you, hun.
49. Babe, you're more than just special to me. You're everything – lover, friend, teacher, mother, opponent, partner- all rolled up in one amazing person. I cherish you.
50. I'm so happy you're not around. It gives me the opportunity to prepare that special meal you've been craving. I hope I get it right though.
51. Time flies by whenever we're together, and it feels like moments together merge into this beautiful wonder that is our love.
52. There are a million and one reasons to love you; your beauty, your character, your intelligence. In another life, I hope that I have the honour to be yours again.
53. You have taught me what real love looks like and show me what it means to love a person. I can truly say I'm in love with you and mean it.
54. I saw a shooting star tonight and I made a wish: to have you beside me forever.
55. Babe, life with you has been brighter: the birds sing louder, the sun shines brighter, every colour is just a little livelier, all because of you!
56. I don't know what it'd have been like without your awesome sense of humour to liven everything. I'm glad you're in my life. Love you.
57. A piece of my heart aches when I'm not with you. I miss you more every day that you're away. Kisses.
58.I really want to describe just what it is I love about you, but I'm speechless because there's just too much: you're indescribable, my love.
59. My ears tingle, my face breaks into a silly smile, my heart starts pounding, my feet start dancing, all because you're around.
60. Hearing your voice every single day is important to my survival. I can't do without you hun.
61. You fill every fibre of my life with your beautiful and amazing self. my heart has no room for any other.I'm in love with all of you.
62. You are the one that I want for the rest of my life. Don't listen to everyone else, you are the only one, I swear on your pretty face.
63. You bring out the best in me with every situation we face together. You are honestly what I have been missing, my own piece of Heaven.
64. When you are with me, rainy days are not so dark, and sunny days are even brighter. You are lovely my darling.
65. No matter how horrible I'm feeling, there's nothing like a word from you to make everything better.
66. Honey, you know you can count on me whatever it is that's bothering you. I'll always be there even in the midst of the worst because I never want to see you sad.
67. There's nothing I wouldn't give just for the opportunity to see you smile all the time.
68. Before I met you, I was afraid of love. Now that I have you, the only fear I have is losing you. I never want us to be apart, baby.
69. I started talking to you because you were the hottest girl I had ever laid my eyes on. Now I have fallen in love with you because you have the most beautiful heart. I love you, baby.
70. If I were to use my kisses to make you understand my love and affection, will run short of kisses, because I love you more than my lips can show
71. The first time I saw you, I was mesmerized
The first time I talked to you, I was blown away.
Eloquence failed me, thoughts mixed themselves up in a bid to be expressed.
You swept me off my feet girl. And I haven't recovered yet.
72. I still can't believe that you are mine girl. I pinch myself from time to time to check if I'm dreaming.
I am so thankful and blessed to have you.
73. Good morning babe, the day will hold lovely things for a lovely person such as yourself. Kisses
74. Money can't buy love, but it can show just how much you mean to me. Ao, come let me spend it on you.
75. Only you make my heart warm and my blood cold at the same time. Only you make me invincible and yet malleable. I've smitten girl, I must confess.
76. For you, baby, I can rearrange the alphabets. Just so U and I can be together.
77. Everybody says I'm crazy. And I agree. I'm crazy about you.
78. I may not have gotten everything right, but as long as I've got you right now, I'm positive everything else will fall in place.
79. There's no way to avoid this. I've tried to keep it in to no avail. But I can't keep this in; I'm head over heels in love with everything about you.
80. I want to wake up next to you every morning, with my lips on yours. That's how much I want to be with you.
81. You make me work extra hard just to be better for you. I love you, dear.
82. You really are the sugar in my tea, forget how corny this sounds. There are just no adjectives for your awesomeness. All I need is you and I'm good.
83. Hey babe, just checking in to see how my angel is doing. Hope your day's a blast.
84. I just want to thank you for your support. It means a lot to me that you encourage me to be and do better. I love you, baby.
85. Are there any words to describe how you calm me down when I get upset about the most mundane things? I love you, my lady.
86. Just texting to say how much I miss you. Hope your day's going fine. Xoxoxo
87. People say happiness is not every day, but I say, with you, I have found continuous happiness. I love you.
88. Your image is imprinted in my mind, my heart whispers your name and when I close my eyes, I see your face, you are the best part of me, I love you more than usual.
89. A lot of people think that love makes people vulnerable. But for me, I'm glad to be vulnerable with you because with you I feel safe and secure. I love you my darling.
90. When we began this thing, it was like every other relationship. But you have put your everything into making us be a couple and I'm grateful to you for everything. I love you, honey.
91. The only word is capable of making my heart beat faster and it's your name. Thinking about you right now and my heart rate has tripled.
92. You're one of the rarest mixtures of intelligence and modesty in such a sexy combination. I'm blessed to have you.
93. You're the answer to my numerous prayers. It makes me happy to know that you thank God for me. I love you so much, babe
94. We've been through a lot together, seen up and downs, good times and bad times. And I'm grateful that you're still mine after all that.
95. Your eyes hold me captive every time I stare into them. So it's my prayer that I get to do that every day. I love you.
96. Have I told you that you mean the world to me?
97. Hurry home my darling, the night is drawing closer and I long to hold you in my arms again.
98. Every moment spent with you is special, we share our feelings and our life together and I love the wonderful feelings I have with you my darling, my dear girl.
99. If I had a choice between crying with you or smiling with someone else, I would choose you a hundred times over. You are the love of my life, baby.
100. If loving you is criminal, then I'll gladly be in prison for a lifetime. I love you so much.
101. Is there a name for that thing you do with your eyes? I want to stare into them right now and watch you do that. I miss your face, sweetheart.


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Kansas City Chiefs' Derrick Nnadi Used His Super Bowl Winnings to Pay off Adoption Fees at an Animal Shelter
After coming back from a 10-point deficit, the Kansas City Chiefs officially became the 2020 Super Bowl champions after beating the San Francisco 49ers. And while members from the team rejoiced by making snow angels in colorful confetti, defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi took the celebration a step further by donating to animals in need. According to a Facebook post from the KC Pet Project, Derek paid off all the adoption fees for dogs who are looking for their forever homes.
"KC WINS! We are so excited to announce that the Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle, Derrick Nnadi is choosing to celebrate the Super Bowl win by paying for the adoptions of all the adoptable dogs currently at KC Pet Project!" read the post. "We have had an amazing, season-long, partnership with Derrick and he couldn't have thought of a better ending."
The KC Pet Project announced its partnership with Derrick in Sept. 2019, and so far, the defensive tackle has made a difference in the community. Derrick had regularly donated money throughout the season, resulting in every animal he funded finding his or her forever home.
And given the number of pets being put up for adoption, the timing couldn't be better. "Thanks to his incredible support following this win, more than 100 available dogs in our care will have their adoption fees sponsored starting today," KC Pet Project told CBS News. "We've had an average of 20 new dogs coming into our shelter every day recently so this comes at a great time as our shelter is full of wonderful pets looking for homes."

subset: commoncrawl


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Luxury camping
Our power is still out and may be until Sunday. We are comfortable and even having fun, maybe too much fun. Dinner on the gas grill tonight. Candlelight everywhere. We are warm (and our refrigerator is cold) and our various devices are charged via our generator.
First world problems.
Aaaaaaand… Fixed the sideways pic.


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Joan Baxter Tapestry Workshop
October 21-23, 2016
Location Guild House
Cost: $175
Tapestry from Landscape Photographs
Joan Baxter has been a professional tapestry weaver for more than 35 years. She was born and raised in Edinburgh, Scotland and studied tapestry at Edinburgh College of Art and Warsaw Academy of Fine Arts, Poland during the 1970s. Following her studies, she worked for eight years in commercial tapestry studios in England and Australia, as part of a team weaving tapestries from designs by such artists as Henry Moore, John Piper and Howard Hodgkin. She has been an independent artist weaver since 1987. She lives and works on her 7 acre nature reserve in the Highlands of Scotland surrounded by the landscapes that inspire her tapestries.
We are still finalizing exact workshop content details and the supply list. This workshop is suitable to all skill levels EXCEPT complete beginners. There may be a small supply fee for this workshop.
For details on how to reserve your spot, please email Gretchen Werner at email@example.com


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Ken Zinns
is a Bay Area architect with a passion for wine. After taking
a few wine courses through UC Extension, he started becoming
more "serious" about wine in the early '90s. Ken
has been taking wine-tasting trips to the Central Coast since
early '92, and has come to love the area - not only for the
wines, which just get better year by year, but also for the
people. Ken's interest in wine is more than passive, and he's
been volunteering his help at several urban East Bay wineries
since 2001 - and in fact was recently named assistant winemaker
for both Eno Wines in Berkeley and Harrington Wine in San Francisco.
Visits in this Issue:
Martinelli Winery
Woodenhead Vintners
Hartford Family
Scherrer Winery
Kokomo Winery
Mauritson Family/Rockpile Winery
Dry Creek Vineyards
Bella Vineyards
Papapietro Perry Winery
Gary Farrel Vineyards & Winery
Lagier Meredith Vineyard
Twomey Cellars
In late December, I spent a few days in the Sonoma and Napa area. My friend Danny Tanaka and his wife Jane Naito had rented a time-share condo in Windsor, just north of Santa Rosa, for a few days up to and including New Year's, and invited a few friends to join them. Sounded like a perfect base for doing some wine-tasting! During that time, we were joined off and on by a number of friends (including a couple of Grape-Nutz veterans) – Eric Lundblad, Anders Bengtsson, Sasha Verhage, Dean Toki, Steve Higashi & Laura Takeuchi, Alan Garretson, and Tom & Nancy Case with their young daughter Janine.
Danny & Jane spent the Friday before New Year's in Napa Valley but I wasn't able to get there until late afternoon, so I missed their winery visits that day – Envy, Vincent Arroyo, Cakebread, Alpha Omega, and Venge – I'll have to get to those places another time. We did enjoy a nice dinner at Go Fish in St. Helena before making a rainy evening drive to Windsor. Saturday morning was cold and overcast but the rain had tapered off to a drizzle – not too bad. I'd only made two winery appointments for the next few days, to allow us to take it easy and do only as much as we felt like. We had one appointment near Sebastopol on Saturday afternoon, so we decided to stay in the Russian River Valley area that day.
Martinelli Winery
Tasting Notes:
'05 "Tessa Lee" Sauvignon Blanc, Martinelli Vineyard, Russian River Valley: fermented with wild yeast in small stainless steel barrels and then aged in neutral oak, this had slightly grassy citrus aromas, with lively acidity.
'05 Chardonnay, Martinelli Road, Russian River Valley: 85% new oak, apple & pear aromas with sweet vanilla oak, rich and creamy texture
'05 Chardonnay, Zio Tony Ranch, Russian River Valley: 75% new oak, ripe pear and fig aromas, with butterscotch and spice overtones, mouthfilling richness
'05 "Bella Vigna" Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley: 75% new oak, a blend from all the Martinelli's Russian River vineyards, this had a medium-light color, with very spicy cherry and plum aromas, medium-bodied
'04 "Terra Felice" Syrah, Russian River Valley: 75% new oak, smoky plum / blackberry, with overtones of herbs and savory meat, rich mouthfeel and moderate tannins, very nice
'06 Muscat Alexandria, Jackass Hill, Russian River Valley: from the famed century-old Jackass Hill Vineyard planted by Giuseppe and Luisa Martinelli, this had intense floral Muscat aromas along with honey and spice, sweet but not overly so
Our first stop was Martinelli, just south of Windsor and a few miles west of Highway 101. Arriving about 20 minutes after opening time, we were glad to step inside out of the cold. The large red century-old hop barn building, which now houses Martinelli's tasting room and gift shop, is a familiar sight along River Road. Walking past the gift area, with its particularly nice selection of locally-made gourmet foods and various gift items, we came to the long wood tasting bar. We found we were the only visitors there and the tasting room staff made us feel right at home.
The Martinelli family has been farming in Sonoma County for nearly 150 years, and their vineyards are planted in a number of spots throughout cool Russian River Valley. All of the wines are made from estate vineyards farmed by Lee Martinelli, Sr., and his sons Lee Jr., and George. The Martinellis' famed Jackass Hill Vineyard, over 100 years old, is the steepest non-terraced vineyard in Sonoma County – the slope is said to be as much as 60 degrees! Helen Turley has headed up the winemaking team since 1993. Notable winemaking techniques include fermentation with native yeasts and fairly heavy use of new oak in the Chardonnays and reds. Martinelli's wines are highly sought-after for their big, bold style.
Woodenhead Vintners
'05 Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley: blend from three vineyards, medium-light color, sweet cherry / strawberry with smoke and spice notes, medium-bodied with lively acidity
'05 Pinot Noir, Buena Tierra Vineyard, Russian River Valley: from 28-year old vines across from Rochioli Vineyard, slightly darker color and sweeter cherry / plum fruit, smooth mouthfeel and long finish
'05 Pinot Noir, Humboldt County: less fruit-forward than the Russian River bottlings, spice, earth, tart cherry / cranberry fruit with good structure, an intriguing and distinctive Pinot
'05 "Redwood Red", Mendocino County: field blend from a 70-year old vineyard, 70% Abouriou (a grape from southwestern France known in California as "Early Burgundy"), 12% Zinfandel, 8% Carignane, 2% Barbera, and……well that only adds up to 92% so the last 8% is a mystery! Pepper, tangy wild berry and cherry with hints of pine needle and earth, medium tannins
'04 Zinfandel, Martinelli Road Vineyard, Old Vine, Russian River Valley: from 100-year old vines, bright raspberry and darker fruit aromas with touches of white pepper and earth, juicy acidity, some mineral notes on the long finish, very nice!
'04 Zinfandel, Braccialini, Alexander Valley: bigger & riper, cherry liqueur aroma, some spice, nicely balanced despite higher alcohol, fairly big tannins, nice Zin for fans of the big style
A couple of miles farther west along River Road is the tasting room for Woodenhead Winery. Stepping out of the persistent cold drizzle and into the warm and inviting room, we were greeted by Rebecca at the tasting counter. A long row of windows along one side of the room framed views of the mist-shrouded forest while a crackling fire was most welcome in the nearby fireplace. Rebecca noted that this tasting room, just opened during the summer of 2007, sure beat what they had before…..which was no tasting room!
Woodenhead is the creation of Nikolai Stez. Bay Area native Stez worked with Burt Williams as assistant winemaker at Williams Selyem for 17 years before starting his own winery after Williams Selyem was sold in the late '90s. The Woodenhead name was bestowed on Stez years ago because of his stubborn nature. While Stez takes care of the winemaking, his domestic partner, Zina Bower, handles the business side of things. They mostly produce small bottlings of Pinot Noir and Zinfandel, using "hands-on" winemaking techniques.
Tasting one of Woodenhead's Wiley Vineyard Pinot Noirs a few years ago really turned me on to the winery, and re-awakened my interest in Pinot from Anderson Valley as well. Woodenhead sources fruit from a number of vineyards throughout Sonoma, Mendocino, and Humboldt Counties. Wait a minute……intoxicating substances from Humboldt County?? Pinot Noir is not usually the first thing that comes to mind, but Woodenhead sources some fine Pinot fruit from Fruitland Ridge near the town of Redway. Woodenhead describes their winemaking as "Burgundian done California style", and that seems a good a description.
Hartford Family Winery
'05 Four Hearts Chardonnay, Russian River Valley: clean apple and pear aromas, moderately-rich mouthfeel with vanilla and spice notes
'05 Stone Côtes Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast: sourced from a block of the Durell Vineyard at the foot of Sonoma Mountain, the 60% new oak shows itself in bolder flavors with mouth-coating richness and a distinct butterscotch component
'05 Land's Edge Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast: from two vineyards along the "true" Sonoma Coast, bright cherry, plum, and tea leaf aromas, with a touch of smoke and coffee, very impressive
'05 Jennifer's Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley: ripe raspberry and darker berry aromas with smoky overtones, a noticeably bigger and riper style than the Land's Edge
'05 Zinfandel, Russian River Valley: a blend of old-vine fruit, jammy boysenberry aromas, fairly big and ripe style and rather tannic
'05 Highwire Vineyard Zinfandel, Russian River Valley: a more spicy, peppery style than the first Zin, intense wild berry / blackberry aromas and good acidity along with notable tannins
The light rain continued as we drove further down River Road and then turned onto Martinelli Road, passing the impossibly steep Jackass Hill Vineyard – you really do have to see it to believe it – before arriving at Hartford Family Winery near the small town of Forestville. Don Hartford & Jennifer Jackson-Hartford (her father is Kendall-Jackson founder Jess Jackson) started the winery in 1993, and their first wines were released in 1996. Hartford gained acclaim for their wines almost from the start, and they continue to receive high scores from wine publications.
Hartford specializes in cool-climate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from Green Valley and the Sonoma Coast as well as old-vine Russian River Valley Zinfandel. They produce an Anderson Valley and a Carneros Pinot as well. Most wines are small-production single-vineyard bottlings. They make no less than eight different Pinots, along with three Chards and six Zins. The current winemaker, Jeff Mangahas, has been with Hartford since 2006. Stylistically, the wines seem to straddle the line between power and elegance, using a good deal of new oak that is usually well-integrated and adds plenty of richness to the wines.
The rain had stopped by the time we finished our tasting at Hartford, and we headed south along Highway 116, named the "Gravenstein Highway" after the many apple orchards in the area (which are slowly disappearing as they are replaced by vineyards and other development). We had lunch at Underwood Bar and Bistro in the tiny village of Graton, just north of Sebastopol. Great food and atmosphere, nice wine list, a favorite stop in the area.
Scherrer Winery
'02 Chardonnay, Helfer Vineyard, Russian River Valley: The Helfer Vineyard is located across Vine Hill Road from Kistler Vineyard. Fred picked this older bottle to show us what a few years of age can do with his Chards. This had amazingly youthful fruit for an '02, with citrus, spice, a seamless wine with a distinct mineral note on the long finish – excellent.
'06 Dry Rosé, Sonoma County: made by saignée from both Pinot and Zinfandel, it was on the skins from 4-6 days before bleeding off, then put in neutral barrels with no malolactic. Light pink / salmon in color, very spicy aromas, light strawberry and citrus aromas, bright acidity, very distinctive and one of the best '06 Rosés I've tried.
'05 Pinot Noir, Sonoma County: this is the "entry-level" Pinot, and is labeled Sonoma County to distinguish itself from the Russian River Valley bottling, even though this is all from Russian River fruit. Medium ruby color, very pretty rose petal and cherry aromas, hints of tea leaf, earth, and spice. A lighter-style Pinot with nice acidity and good upside for aging.
'04 Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley: medium-dark color, a bit sweeter and darker fruit aromas than the Sonoma County bottling. Silky mouthfeel, bright acidity, with just a touch of tannin, long finish.
'03 Zinfandel, Old and Mature Vines, Alexander Valley: medium-dark color, intense brambly, spicy Zin fruit, not jammy, long tangy finish with mild tannins
'05 Zinfandel, Old and Mature Vines, Alexander Valley: slightly darker color than '03, more black pepper in aromas than '03, complex raspberry, earth, and spice in flavors, with just a touch of oak showing at this point. A knockout Zin now, given a few years this could be even better.
'05 Syrah, Bliss Vineyard, Russian River Valley: last bottling from this vineyard as it was recently sold to Lynmar Winery – Fred is now working with some other cool-climate Syrah vineyards including Timbervine. Dark color, intense aromas and flavors of olive, blackberry, and pepper, lively acidity, and not too tannic
'04 Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma County: as with the Sonoma County Pinot, the fruit for this wine is actually all from Scherrer Vineyard but is designated Sonoma County to distinguish it from other bottlings. There is no new oak in this bottling. Medium-dark color, currant / plum aromas with a touch of earth and spice – tough to beat for a $25 Cab.
'02 Cabernet Sauvignon, Scherrer Vineyard, Alexander Valley: dark color, darks fruits, cedar, tobacco, touch of oak (would not have guessed this was aged in over 65% new barrels), great structure for aging, long finish with moderate tannins.
I'd never visited Scherrer, so as we drove along the back roads of Green Valley trying to find the winery, we carefully consulted the map that Judi Scherrer had emailed me. Just a couple of miles from Graton, the winery is located on an inconspicuous unpaved lane. We spotted a faded "Scherrer" sign alongside a large, nondescript metal shed, and turned onto the driveway and around to the building entrance. Winery owner / winemaker Fred Scherrer greeted us as we stepped inside. The winery has been at its current location, in a former apple-packing shed, for ten years. Fred was able to expand from his original portion of the building to now occupy the entire facility – maybe not as much room as might be ideal for him, but enough to work with. Fortunately, he has no plans to expand much upon his current yearly production of around 4,000-5,000 cases, in order to maintain his hands-on approach to winemaking.
Fred does most things around the winery himself, though he gets help during crush and for bottling. His wife Judi takes care of the business end of things. Fred is in the third generation of his family in the grape/wine business. His father, Ed Scherrer, owns a vineyard in Alexander Valley – Zinfandel vines were planted there in 1912 by Fred's grandfather. The winery currently produces Chardonnay, Rosé, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Syrah, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Russian River Valley Pinot Noir and Old & Mature Zinfandel are highest production wines at about 800-1,000 cases each.
Fred joked about becoming interested in wine (and alcohol in general) while in high school, and after dabbling in some home winemaking, he headed to the enology program at UC Davis. Following school at Davis, he worked at Fieldstone and Greenwood Ridge wineries, then worked from 1988-98 at Dehlinger Winery, where he became the winemaker. While Fred was there, Tom Dehlinger encouraged him to make his own wine. The first vintage of Scherrer wines was in 1991, and the label has grown slowly but surely ever since. Speaking of labels, the Scherrer wine labels recently underwent a major re-design after 16 years of the same basic look. Cogito Creative Works worked with Fred to come up with a new label design that creates a stronger brand image and better represents the high quality of the wines……and on top of that, the labels are now less expensive to print!
The winemaking is simple and straightforward. Reds are 100% destemmed (not crushed), while whites are all whole-cluster pressed (not destemmed or crushed before pressing). Reds are fermented mostly in open-top stainless steel tanks and punched down by hand several times a day. Fred often lets fermentations begin with native yeast, but he then inoculates with commercial yeast strains for both Chardonnay and his reds. He also inoculates for most malolactic fermentations, but prefers to let Pinot go through a slower malolactic with no inoculation. Most reds go through an extended maceration – this can be up to 35-40 days for Zinfandel.
Once in barrel, Fred employs some batonnage (lees-stirring) for both Chardonnay and Pinot. Some larger, 300 liter hogshead barrels are used for whites in addition to the more usual size. Use of new oak ranges from 0% (no new oak for Rosé and little or none for Syrah) to as high as 80% (for Cabernet). Pinots usually see roughly 40% new oak, but this figure varies depending on the wine. Wines receive minimal racking once in barrel, and reds are usually blended late in the summer following crush. Chardonnay, Pinot, and Zin all spend about 14-17 months in barrel, with up to nearly three years of barrel age for some Cabernets. Fred admitted that having more than one vintage in barrel much of the time takes its toll both in terms of winery space and cash flow, but it allows him to barrel-age his wines the way he feels will have them showing their best.
I think my friends were happy to see another group of people come into the winery to taste with Fred……."all right, no more questions from Ken – now we can finally taste some wine"! Fred pulled out one bottle after another, carefully selecting a couple of older wines as well as current releases, and ultimately bringing out nine wines for us to taste. All were very well-balanced, elegant wines – none were notably oaky, none showed too much tannin or alcohol and all had very good acidity to balance the fruit. All the wines were distinctive and had excellent structure for aging.
Our visit was very enjoyable. Fred struck me as a low-key guy, as understated as his wines, and I think he prefers to let his wines speak for him. In fact, the wines seemed a perfect reflection of Fred himself – classic "substance over style" in both cases. Over the course of our visit, Fred seemed a bit guarded at first, but eventually he opened up and revealed a wonderfully dry sense of humor. I think that's another one of his traits that's reflected in his wines – patience will reveal much more than is evident right off the bat. His attention to every detail of winemaking was clear as he discussed how he'd worked out the precise setup of his destemmer and press, even his punchdown tools. It's no surprise that Fred's wines display their careful and thoughtful crafting, as well as the obvious love he has for what he's doing.
Kokomo Winery
'06 Chardonnay, Peter's Vineyard, Sonoma Coast: from a Sebastopol-area vineyard, this wine was fermented in stainless steel, then 30% was transferred to new French barrels partway through primary fermentation, and no malolactic. Bright citrus and green apple aromas with moderately rich mouthfeel
'06 Pinot Noir, Windsor Oaks Vineyard, Russian River Valley: medium-light color, subdued cherry and spice aromas,
'06 Malbec, Windsor Oaks Vineyard, Chalk Hill: the Windsor Oaks Vineyard straddles the Russian River and Chalk Hill AVAs, and this was from the Chalk Hill section. Dark fruits, herbs, tobacco, sweet oak, moderately tannic
'05 Syrah, Dry Creek Valley: from dry-farmed vines, medium-dark color, somewhat muted black fruit aromas, nice finish but not much in the mid-palate
We drove back to Santa Rosa and spent a little time around the Railroad Square area before dinner. Spotting a winery sign, we walked into the tiny space that serves as the tasting room for Kokomo Winery. The winery was started in 2004 by Erik Miller, a native of Kokomo, Indiana, who had served as assistant winemaker at Amphora Winery in Dry Creek Valley. The tasting room manager (another Indiana native, only in California for four months) was very enthusiastic but was not yet all that knowledgeable about the wines.
In addition to the wines we tasted, Kokomo also makes Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Cabernet, and a Bordeaux-style blend – it was tough to say whether there is a specific focus yet to what they're doing. The wines were not great but not bad, and showed some promise for a winery still getting off the ground.
We had dinner at Syrah in Santa Rosa – I'd heard about this restaurant from a number of people but this was my first time there. Considering some of the rave reviews I'd heard, I was a little disappointed. The food was very good, but didn't "wow" me. And oddly, for a restaurant called "Syrah", there were only a couple of menu items that would have paired well with a big red wine (although the menu changes regularly). But the dinner was certainly good enough that I'd like to go back again.
Mauritson Family Winery / Rockpile Winery
'06 Mauritson Sauvignon Blanc, Dry Creek Valley: fermented in stainless steel, light color, aromas of grapefruit and straw, with refreshing acidity
'06 Mauritson Chardonnay, Alexander Valley: barrel-fermented in mostly neutral oak, mild apple and citrus with notes of vanilla, moderately-rich mouthfeel
'04 Mauritson Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma County: 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Malbec, from vineyards in Dry Creek Valley, Alexander Valley, and Rockpile, medium-dark color, current and blackberry aromas, light touch of sweet oak, rich and not too tannic
'05 Rockpile "Buck Pasture" Red Wine: 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Cabernet Franc, 24% Malbec, 8% Petite Verdot, aged 20 months in mostly French oak, medium-dark, less fruit-forward than the Cabernet, more earth and herb aromas, along with black cherry and darker fruits, a touch of mocha and big, chewy tannins
'05 Rockpile Zinfandel, Cemetery Vineyard: named not for a real cemetery but for some headstone-like rock outcroppings, this is one of the family's highest and steepest Rockpile vineyards. Medium color, ripe cherry and raspberry with some black pepper notes, strong dusty tannins and lingering finish, very nice
Our first stop the next day was at Mauritson – first visit there for me. The winery / tasting room is in a pretty setting near the junction of Dry Creek and Lytton Springs Roads. The family has been farming in Dry Creek Valley since the 1860s and first planted grapevines in 1884. Mauritson has a second label called Rockpile that focuses on fruit sourced from the relatively new Rockpile AVA, on the rocky slopes just north of Dry Creek Valley.
Clay & Carrie Mauritson established the winery in the mid-'90s, and their first wine was released in 1998. Shortly after that initial release, they planted 34 acres of their family's property in the Rockpile AVA. Above the fog line at elevations up to 1,500 feet, these vineyards are all dry-farmed. Overall, the family manages over 300 acres of vineyards in Dry Creek Valley, Rockpile, and Alexander Valley.
With their wine sourced from so many vineyards, it's no surprise that the wine is made in small lots (as many as 68 separate lots per vintage) before final blending takes place. In addition to the wines we tasted, Mauritson and Rockpile produce five other Zinfandels, plus a Malbec, Petite Sirah, Syrah, and Port. Known mainly for their Zinfandels, all the wines were tasty and the lone Zin we tried was a standout.
Dry Creek Vineyard
'06 Dry Chenin Blanc, Clarksburg: fermented cool in stainless steel tanks, this had concentrated red apple and stone fruit aromas, smooth mouthfeel, very refreshing
'05 Estate Fumé Blanc, DCV3 Vineyard, Dry Creek Valley: also fermented in stainless steel, complex grapefruit and melon aromas with herbal overtones, touch of spice, and a bit of minerality on the finish
'05 Old Vine Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley: from vines averaging over 80 years old, and including 10% Petite Sirah, brambly boysenberry and blackberry aromas with a touch of black pepper, medium-bodied with firm tannins and a long finish, not over-ripe or jammy, a fine Dry Creek Zin
'05 35th Anniversary Cuvée, Dry Creek Valley: 80% Zin and 20% Petite Sirah, blackberry / dark fruits with an earthy note, smoother tannins than the Old Vine Zin, nice finish
'03 Meritage, Dry Creek Valley: 52% Merlot, 41% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Malbec, 2% Cabernet Franc, 2% Peitit Verdot, aged in both French and American oak, subdued plum and dark fruit aromas, with some earth, tobacco, and herb components, a bit of vanilla, and moderate tannins
'04 "The Mariner", Dry Creek Valley: 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 6% Malbec, 5% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot, all French oak, more intense dark fruit aroma than the Meritage, lightly herbal with spice, mocha, and mineral notes, smoother, rounder feel than Meritage.
One of the earliest wineries built in the area after Prohibition, Dry Creek Vineyard was founded by David Stare in 1972, and they helped pave the way for creating the Dry Creek Valley AVA in the early '80s. They were one of the first to designate their Zin as "Old Vine", and although that term sometimes means little on wine labels, Dry Creek's version comes from vines ranging in age from 50 to over 100 years. Fruit from over 200 acres of estate vineyards forms the majority of Dry Creek's production. Head winemaker Bill Knuttel arrived in 2003 – he had previously made wine at Chalk Hill and Saintsbury. Along with the winery owners, he helped update production methods, moving toward more French and less American oak, among other things.
Perhaps it's because they're no longer the hot new winery in town or because they make a lot of wine these days (around 100,000 cases per year), but Dry Creek does not tend to generate much excitement from wine enthusiasts. But tasting through their lineup showed that they make solid wines, and their Fumé Blanc and Old Vine Zin in particular define the Dry Creek Valley style as well as any wines out there.
Bella Vineyards
Winding our way up bucolic West Dry Creek Road, we eventually reached the north end of Dry Creek Valley, and headed up the driveway to Bella Vineyards. A relative newcomer to Dry Creek Valley, Bella was started in the late '90s by Scott and Lynn Adams, who fell in love with the wine country after their wedding there. Consulting winemaker Michael Dashe heads up the winemaking team at Bella. Much of their fruit is sourced from three estate vineyards, two in Dry Creek Valley and one in nearby Alexander Valley. Wines are aged in both French and American oak.
'05 Zinfandel, Big River Ranch, Alexander Valley: with 20% Petite Sirah blended in, mostly from 100-year old vines. Boysenberry, spice, fairly big and full-bodied, very rich and smooth
'05 Syrah, Sonoma County: sourced from two Dry Creek Valley vineyards, medium-dark color, very smoky aromas with moderate dark fruit
'05 Syrah, Big River Ranch, Alexander Valley: darker color, more concentrated dark fruit than the Sonoma County bottling, lots of rich, sweet oak with an herbal note, smooth finish
'06 Estate Late Picked Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley: about 1.5% residual sugar along with 16%+ alcohol, big, ripe berry aromas with a big bittersweet chocolate component and fairly big tannins
Bella's winery and adjacent wine cave are on a hillside with a beautiful view across the valley. It's been a few years since I'd visited here, and I discovered that part of Bella's wine cave now serves as their tasting room. The caves, completed in 2003, contain over 5,000 square feet of barrel storage space in addition to the tasting room and dining & entertainment spaces. Judging from the number of people tasting inside the cave, I'd say this has become a popular destination. We squeezed our way into a spot at the crowded tasting bar to sample the four wines being poured. As Bella is mainly known for its Zinfandels, I was disappointed that they were only pouring one that day (other than a sweet Zin that finished the tasting). But it came as no surprise to learn afterwards that they were already sold out of their other '05 Zins, considering the small production of these popular wines.
We drove back south into the heart of Dry Creek Valley to one of my favorite wine country lunch stops, the historic Dry Creek General Store, dating from 1881. The deli inside the old wooden building serves up delicious sandwiches, and the tables outside are a great place to relax and enjoy the procession of cars, bikes, and motorcycles along Dry Creek Road.
Papapietro Perry Winery
'06 Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley: 30% new oak, a blend from six vineyards, this had a light color, with cherry and cranberry aromas, touch of earth, a bit of clove and other spices, and good acidity.
'06 Pinot Noir, Charles Vineyard, Anderson Valley: 50% new oak, a bit darker color than the first Pinot, this was less fruit-forward, with earthy black cherry and plum aromas, great acidity and a silky mouthfeel, with an undercurrent of sweet oak
'05 Zinfandel, Elsbree Vineyard, Russian River Valley: from a relatively young vineyard near Windsor, medium color, smoky wild berry with a touch of pepper, smooth and not very tannic
'05 Zinfandel, Pauline's Vineyard, Dry Creek Valley: medium color, spicier fruit than the Elsbree Zin, sweet cherry and plum aromas, medium-bodied with mild tannins
We decided to head a mile or so up Dry Creek Road to the tasting room for Papapietro Perry Winery. The winery was started by Ben Papapietro and Bruce Perry, who met when both worked for the company that publishes the San Francisco Chronicle newspaper. In the 1970s, Papapietro helped another co-worker and friend, Burt Williams, make Pinot Noir in his Sonoma County garage.
After Williams co-founded the renowned Williams Selyem Winery a few years later, Papapietro went back to home winemaking. Perry joined him in the '80s, and after years of making their own wine and developing contacts with a number of fine growers, they launched their label and began making wine commercially in 1998. Bruce's wife Renae handles marketing and sales.
The winery makes about nine different Pinot bottlings and three Zinfandels each year, all from purchased fruit. They don't expect to grow beyond their current 8,000 case annual production. Production of the wines uses small-scale, labor-intensive methods during fermentation – one-ton bins with punchdowns by hand. François Frères barrels are favored for all the wines. Papapietro Perry began to garner acclaim for their wines within a year or two of their launch, and that trend has continued. Their primary focus is Pinot Noir, though it was clear after tasting some of their current releases that their elegant Zinfandels should not be overlooked.
Driving back south into Russian River Valley, we'd hoped to stop at either Arista or Belvedere along Westside Road but Arista was closed for the holidays and Belvedere was closed for some renovation work. So we decided to pull in at what was a new winery to us, Matrix. Occupying the facility that used to be Rabbit Ridge, we found that Matrix is the sister winery of Mazzoco in Dry Creek Valley. I thought the wines (Chardonnay, Zinfandel, Cabernet, and a Bordeaux-style blend) were OK but unremarkable. The tasting room and grounds were lovely, though, and I enjoyed their entertaining winery cat!
Gary Farrell Vineyards & Winery
'06 Sauvignon Blanc, Redwood Ranch, Sonoma County: made mostly in stainless steel, light color, bright grapefruit / citrus aromas, clean, crisp finish
'05 "Russian River Selection" Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley: sourced from a number of Russian River vineyards, bright cherry fruit, tea leaf, spice, medium-bodied, good acidity, a touch of oak on the finish
'05 Pinot Noir, Bien Nacido Vineyard, Santa Barbara County: mostly Pommard 4 clone, 44% new oak, very pretty floral, black cherry, tea leaf, earth, lots of spice, great complexity, silky mouthfeel and long finish, excellent!
'05 Pinot Noir, Starr Ridge Vineyard, Russian River Valley: Pommard 4, 114, 115, & 777 clones, medium color, plum, earth, smoke, a bit bigger with more sweet vanilla oak than the other Pinots
'05 Zinfandel, Collins Vineyard, Russian River Valley: this is 96% Collins Vineyard (mostly 80-90 year-old vines) along with a little Bradford Mountain Zin and tiny amounts of Pinot Noir and Merlot. Medium color, tangy wild berry with a touch of black pepper, great acidity – refreshing alternative to some bigger, heavier Zins.
Continuing down Westside Road, we managed to arrive at Gary Farrell shortly before closing time. Situated at the top of a long curving driveway, the beautiful wood and stone building that houses the winery and tasting room was completed in 2000. The spacious tasting room features a long L-shaped tasting bar, vaulted wood ceiling, and large windows opening to a view of the densely-forested hillsides beyond. Gary Farrell started his own winery in 1982 by trading winemaking services for grapes with Joe Rochioli, after working with pioneering Russian River Pinot wineries such as Dehlinger, Robert Stemmler, and Davis Bynum.
The winery has worked with many prime Pinot sources in Russian River Valley, including Rochioli and Allen Vineyards, as well as Starr Ridge Vineyard (which is owned by Gary & Debbie Farrell). They've also worked with Pinot from Santa Maria Valley's famed Bien Nacido Vineyard for over 20 years. And after a hiatus of over a decade, the winery has recently been able to once again source Zinfandel from Collins Vineyard, also the source for Limerick Lane's well-known Zin (Farrell made some of the early Limerick Lane wines). Farrell sold the winery in 2004 but stayed on as winemaker until early 2007, when he left to start a new wine venture. Susan Reed, who was Farrell's assistant winemaker for four years, is the new head winemaker.
Gary Farrell Winery is mainly known for Pinot Noir, which takes up about 50% of the 20,000 case total annual production. All wines are fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. Whites are whole-cluster pressed, and reds destemmed, and they go into 4 to 7-ton open top stainless steel tanks for a cold soak prior to fermentation. Sauvignon Blanc is fermented cool in stainless steel, then about 20% is transferred to new oak barrels partway through fermentation for added richness, and eventually blended back to stainless steel to avoid too much oak character in the finished wine. Reds are punched down, then pressed into a tank for settling before going into barrel. Pinots go into François Frères, Rousseau and Seguin Moreau barrels, ranging from new to two-year old. Pinots are racked once during barrel aging, which take from 10 to 18 months depending on the wine. The wines we tasted were distinctive and extremely well-crafted, and it was a great place to finish our winery visits for the day.
We drove to Santa Rosa, where we'd hoped to stop at Bottle Barn, the terrific wine shop on the north side of town. Unfortunately we arrived a few minutes after closing time, and with some time to kill before our dinner reservation, we decided to stop at the nearby Redwood Empire Ice Arena, built by "Peanuts" creator Charles Schulz, and the adjacent Snoopy's Gallery & Gift Shop. With a kids' hockey game going on in the arena, and loads of "Peanuts"-related stuff to look at in the gift shop, we had plenty to fill our time until dinner. We finally had to leave, though, and we made our way to dinner at Zazu, on Guerneville Road a few miles west of Santa Rosa. I had a perfectly-cooked flat-iron steak, which was served with tasty blue cheese ravioli. Outstanding food and friendly service in a cozy, low-key atmosphere – highly recommended!
Lagier Meredith Vineyard
'05 Syrah: lots of upfront bright fruit in the aromas, with blackberry predominating, and hints of pepper, earth, and spice. Great rich mouthfeel, young and fairly tannic, with a long finish. As usual with Lagier Meredith Syrahs, this has the structure to age for years.
'04 Syrah: wonderfully deep and complex aromas of blackberry and boysenberry with more black pepper, spice, and herb overtones than the '05 – the extra year of age plus the bottle aeration no doubt helped bring out all these elements. Showing a bit smoother tannins than the '05 with a very long finish.
Getting an early start to make the drive across the Mayacamas Mountains to visit Carole Meredith and Steve Lagier at their vineyard, we saw lots of frost along the roadside near the summit of Trinity Grade, but fortunately no ice on the road itself. Partway down the road on the Napa side of the mountains, we turned south for a few miles and soon made it to the group of mailboxes at the base of the private road that leads up to Lagier Meredith Vineyard. There we parked some of our cars and squeezed into two of them for the drive up to the vineyard, high on the ridgeline in the Mount Veeder AVA. The long, steep, and narrow road is shared with a number of homes on the hillside. The road was paved in 2002 – my first visit to the vineyard was shortly before that, and it was quite an adventure! Even now, it's not a drive for the faint of heart. Steve and Carole tell hair-raising tales of Steve's trips slipping and sliding down the old rutted dirt road with a truckload of grapes, with Carole following behind, watching the grape bins shift from side to side in the truck bed as Steve rounded some of the sharp bends. Amazingly the bins would always re-align themselves by the time the truck reached the bottom of the road!
Carole and Steve are two of the nicest, friendliest people I've met in a business that's known for nice people. Steve was a winemaker at Robert Mondavi Winery for a 14 years before leaving in 1999 to devote himself to Lagier Meredith. Carole retired as professor at the Viticulture and Enology Department at UC Davis in 2003. She's well-known for her work in grapevine DNA typing, particularly for solving the mystery of the true identity of Zinfandel – a Croatian grape variety called Crljenak Kastelanski – and for identifying the parent varieties of Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah.
The east-facing vineyard has a gorgeous view toward Napa Valley, and each year the Lagier Meredith label features a different photo of this scenery. On a clear day such as the one on which we visited, ywe could also see over the hills to San Pablo Bay in the distance to the southwest. Carole and Steve took some time in deciding what grape variety to plant in their vineyard land, which had already been cleared by the previous owner. They figured that their site was too cool for Cabernet and too warm for Pinot…..but just right for Syrah. And an early visit from no less an authority than Jean-Louis Chave confirmed their choice – he told them that Syrah would grow very well at their ridgetop location because "Syrah loves a view".
The vineyard currently has about 4.5 acres planted – all Syrah except the most recent planting last year when about 3/10 of an acre of Mondeuse went in. Steve and Carole purchased the land in 1986 and began planting Syrah there in 1994 – initially with Durell clone and later with various ENTAV clones including 174, 383, 525, and 877. While some vines have been afflicted with the still-mysterious "Syrah Decline" and will be replaced at some point, most are very healthy. They point out that the affliction affects only the French clones and not the Durell.
Steve does virtually all of the vineyard work himself. I asked him when he would begin pruning the vines, and he told me that he always begins shortly after the beginning of the year and that with decent weather conditions, he finishes sometime in February. At an elevation of 1,300 feet, the ridgetop vineyard is significantly cooler during the growing season than Napa Valley itself. The soil is mostly fractured sandstone and shale, allowing for excellent drainage.
Steve and Carole recently completed a new house, just up the hill from their old drafty house that was on the property when they bought it. They have permits to build a winery where the old house is now located, but construction will have to wait until they can afford it. Until then, they continue to make their wine at the Monticello Vineyards facility near Yountville. They allow the vineyard character of their fruit show clearly in their wine since they use no new oak in their winemaking – they buy three-year old barrels and estimate the average age of their barrels is nearly seven years. Lagier Meredith produces only one wine each year, their estate Syrah. Their first commercial vintage was 1998 (less than 100 cases), and with less than five acres of vines to work with, they still produce less than 1,000 cases per year.
As we stood on the deck of their house overlooking the vineyard, Carole brought out wonderful olives from their own trees, and tasty almonds from Steve's family farm in the Central Valley. A couple of their friendly and amusing cats wandered about, walking along the deck railings. Carole showed us several books on olives that she's consulting to try to learn just what type of olives they have, although she still has not nailed down their identity. Sounds like some olive DNA testing may be in order! Carole and Steve opened a bottle of their new '05 release (which has already received outstanding reviews), and brought out a bottle of the '04 that had been opened the previous day. These two wines demonstrated once again that Lagier Meredith's Syrah is one of the most consistent and outstanding Syrahs in California.
After saying goodbye to Carole and Steve, we piled into our cars and carefully made our way back down the hill, stopping briefly at the bottom of the road to choose a lunch destination. We decided on Taylor's Refresher, the classic burger stand along Highway 29 in St. Helena that's served tasty food since 1949. Now co-owned by winemaker Joel Gott, Taylor's Refresher won a prestigious James Beard Foundation "America's Classics" restaurant award in 2006. I had the blue cheese burger and sweet potato fries – yum!
Twomey Cellars
'05 Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley: from a mix of Dijon, Pommard, and Martini clones, medium-light color, bright red fruits with touches of spice and tea leaf, and a bit of sweet, toasty oak on the long, smooth finish – a very fine Pinot from a winemaker known for Cab and Merlot!
'00 Merlot, Napa Valley: 95% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, color showing a little bricking around the edges, herbs, coffee, smoke are prominent in the aromas, followed by black cherry & plum, medium-full mouthfeel
'03 Merlot, Napa Valley: 96% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, medium ruby color, much more fruit-forward than '00, ripe plum with hints of flowers, herbs, and mocha, fine mouth-coating tannins and a long finish
'04 Merlot, Napa Valley: 94% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, slightly darker color, tart black cherry and darker fruits, bittersweet chocolate, the youthful tannins are a bit rougher than in the '03
We headed north through St. Helena and drove though the northern part of Napa Valley, finally arriving at Twomey Cellars just outside of Calistoga. Twomey (pronounced "too-me") is owned by the Duncan family. Ray Twomey Duncan, who co-founded Silver Oak Cellars with Justin Meyer in the early '70s, began the Twomey label in 1999, with a goal of making world-class Merlot. In addition to Merlot from their Soda Canyon Ranch in southeastern Napa Valley, they also make Sauvignon Blanc from their estate vineyard near Calistoga and Pinot Noir from their West Pin Vineyard in Russian River Valley.
Winemaker Daniel Baron (also the winemaker at Silver Oak) uses some techniques he learned while working in Pomerol and St. Emilion in Bordeaux but rarely seen in California. Chief among these is the "soutirage traditional" method of racking, which allows a gentle gravity-flow of wine from barrel to barrel. This technique is slow and labor-intensive and requires special barrels. The Merlot is racked every three months using this method, the aim of which is to preserve the wine's aromatics while helping to create a smoother mouthfeel. For the Pinot, some whole clusters are added to the open-top fermenters before the beginning of the cold soak, then the must is punched down four times a day and finally pressed using a small basket press. All of Twomey's wines are aged in French oak (unlike the American oak barrels used Silver Oak), with up to 80% new barrels for the Merlot.
I was impressed at how seamless all of Twomey's wines were. In particular, while the oak was clearly present, it was very well-integrated into the overall aromatics and flavors and never detracted from the central core of fruit flavors. That's always a tough outcome to achieve, and Twomey's wines do it very well.
It was mid-afternoon by the time we left Twomey, and we found that other wineries were already closed for the New Year's holiday, so we headed back to Windsor. We'd decided to stay in for New Year's Eve, so a quick trip to the supermarket was in order on our way to the condo. Appetizers included deep-fried olives, and bruschetta with Italian tapenade, while dinner featured porcini mushroom risotto, steak, and roasted veggies. And of course we had no shortage of good wines to ring in the New Year!
Although I had stopped at most of the wineries on this trip in previous years, in many cases it had been quite a while since my last visits so it was almost like going to some of them for the first time. And although I'd tasted their wines before, other wineries such as Scherrer, Mauritson, Papapietro Perry, and Twomey were new visits for me. Big or small, well-established or relative newcomers, there are still a lot of wineries waiting to be discovered – and re-discovered – in Sonoma and Napa. And I enjoyed a lot of good places to eat, both familiar and new to me, throughout the wine country. It was a pleasure being with my traveling companions, and as always, thanks to everyone that we visited for being so generous with their time and their wine!


text:
Kirsten Newkirk
The Weight of Light: A Collection of Solar Futures
A collection of science fiction stories, art, and essays exploring human futures powered by solar energy, with an upbeat, solarpunk twist. What will it be like to live in the photon societies of tomorrow? How will a transition to clean, plentiful energy transform our values, markets, and politics?Get the book


text:
By Michael Hoexter
In an industrial or post-industrial society, a civilization with a complex division of labor dispersed throughout a network of metropolitan regions connected with each other and with smaller cities and rural areas, a class of connecting goods and services is required to keep the society and economy cohesive and functioning. Unlike the goods bought and sold on markets, these mediating or connecting goods are not themselves often objects of desire for purchase by those who use or otherwise benefit from them. In the hypotheses of social theorists and politicians influenced by neoclassical economic ideals, these goods, they think, ought to be delivered via markets and people ought to pay directly for them in market-like cash transactions. As it has turned out in reality, without a social and political commitment and social pressure to fund these goods and services, individuals in isolation and businesses as a group tend to want to "free ride" and not pay for connective goods and services that are usually the frame but not the focus of everyday consciousness in a modern society. Despite the lack of consistent private markets for most connective goods and services, these "in-between" goods and services are vital and fundamental to the existence and maintenance of something like a civilization, a livable complex society with a strong economy.
As it turns out, government is by far the largest supplier and/or funder of these goods and services, functions that make it possible for large-scale local, regional and national communities to come into existence in the first place; they enable a post-tribal society, as noted above, a civilization and a complex economy. While lately the growth and successes of various social entrepreneurs and voluntary non-profit leaders have been celebrated, the work of these voluntary groups is tied to the changeable desires and attentional economy of private citizens and investors to invent and donate to these ventures: less glamorous mediating functions still fall through the cracks in societies increasingly starved of the public goods and public financing provided by government. Social entrepreneurs and voluntary non-profits are for the most part focused on the more telegenic, "marketable" connective services from which they can raise funds from philanthropies or a newer class of social investors/philanthropists rather than the mundane connective services provided by government. If these services were funded largely or entirely by philanthropies or social venture capitalists, we would find ourselves completely in a neo-feudal order, where public services would be directly subject to the whims and interests of a wealthy elite. A neofeudal outcome is unfortunately not an impossibility given the current state of affairs in our society.
Most obvious among these connective functions, various social assets are built and/or maintained by government that form physical connections between the components of the society and enable people to physically interact with each other and come into possession of or experience goods and services they desire. Sometimes this means creating or maintaining "central places", like town squares, central marketplaces, parks or community centers in cities, though some of these central hubs are now formed by privately developed and owned shopping malls. As societies expand their reach and engage in trade with distant trading partners, infrastructure like roads and bridges are required, and more recently in many countries there is an assumption that an adequate public transportation system is necessary that is affordable for a majority of the people.
If such connections were owned and controlled entirely by profit-minded corporations as has been flirted with over the past few decades, they could easily strangle the economy via the exertion of monopoly power and pricing. The resulting "tollbooth economy" would be a neofeudal outcome, with owners of infrastructure exacting tolls on commerce and on society as a whole as did the feudal lords a millennium ago. This is why government has been, in the successful mixed economy model that emerged during the 20th Century, the most common supplier, owner and operator of critical portions of the society's infrastructure, the "in-between" places that connect people's and corporations' private properties. The strong mixed economy model, typified by the European social democracies, Australia, the mid-20th Century US, and Canada, with a government regulating the private sector and providing many vital services, is actually the only successful model of a complex industrial or post-industrial society and economy. Departures from a strong mixed-economy model are in the developed world necessarily speculative social experiments on a grand scale, even though these departures from what has worked in the past are almost never announced as such.
The still much-celebrated market forces in complex societies also happen to produce interpersonal relationships with a degree of anonymity which are characteristically "modern" and therefore removed from some of the dependencies and mutual aid associated with village and extended family life. Market relationships are necessarily contingent on variable prices and, consequently, the time-bound desires of the buyer for the product or service on offer are by definition inconstant: the potential buyer moves on to another potential seller if they see no prospect of satisfying their wishes at the desired price point with the first potential seller. When the service offered for sale is the labor of an individual, that individual must often move to find employment or take advantage of the potential for better employment, often removing themselves physically from the traditional support network in which they grew up. Because of the anomie and physical displacement produced by market relationships, we have seen a trend toward the growth of bureaucracies and civil servants, who are funded to deliver various connective services which are viewed by most people who use them as either a "good" or a "necessary evil" to supplement the functions of families and spontaneously-arising communities and relationships.
The current struggle in the US over benefit levels and accounting mechanisms of the Social Security retirement income system is just one poignant and central example of the role of government in providing a connective service (as well as provide adequate liquidity in demand-starved social sectors) in a market economy. A market economy tends to attenuate the support networks of the extended family for many of those who sell their labor for a living as well as for small business owners that do not earn enough income from their property or business to employ or support their extended family via the family business. The labor market in an advanced or internationalized market economy requires individuals to be more mobile than the physical support networks that many families can provide. Younger people move away from their families in search of opportunity or to increase personal fulfillment, sometimes across national boundaries.
In this context, older people into their years of infirmity must often pay for goods and services which previously were supplied by younger relatives or not supplied at all, the latter result leading to "Dickensian" levels of abject misery and squalor. A public elder pension system is an accommodation to a number of realities related to the lifetime earnings and saving potential of the average worker as well as the increased real demand for monetary income in a context where older people must buy goods and services rather than live entirely within the non-monetary reciprocity network of an extended family. One cannot have a market economy without labor mobility and attenuated extended family networks; ultimately a secure elder pension system that covers the basic expenses of the old is a compassionate, civilized solution that does not rely upon extraordinary good fortune, wealth, or familial cohesion in every family.
Inspired by the schematic social and economic theory of neoclassical economics laced with "Austrian" economics, the neoliberal political trend of the last 40 years has idealized the market and demonized government leading now during the current post-financial crisis austerity, to a hollowing out of government's role in society and the economy. Attacking the connecting functions of government in society both through propaganda and also through changes in government policy, neoliberals in combination with their more idealistic libertarian faction have acted as agents of a chronic "wasting disease" that "eats" the connective functions of government and society more generally. We are now seeing the results of these attacks, as physical and social infrastructure crumbles under the false pretense that there are not enough financial resources to bring to bear on these vital social needs.
There is. in the current organized political attack upon the costs of supplying these connective goods and services, the assumption of an extraordinary social order, a utopia, which is often not openly and frankly discussed by its advocates or, for that matter, its critics. This fantasied social order would have the dynamism and mobility of a market economy with the traditional family cohesion of a tribal society, a physical impossibility and an historical novelty.
Empathy and Human Solidarity
The connectivity offered by government-provided or –funded goods and services is not just, as described above, an economic function alone but an outgrowth of human sociality, in which both cooperation and competition are necessary components. Conventional neoclassical economic theory assumes away human sociality and cooperation, seeing them, if recognized at all, as encrustations upon a fundamentally isolated and competitive being, upon which all explanations of human social and economic phenomena must be based or refer back to.
Against the assumptions of neoclassical, mainstream economics, the human capacity for empathy and the resulting social solidarity that comes from this capacity are fundamental to understanding the complex societies and economies that we build. Government's contribution to the economy is not just the imposition of laws from above upon a supposed unruly and asocial individual nature but also the expression of human bonds and connectivity, transformed for an age of more impersonal interaction and a society that necessarily involves relationships between people who do not know each other personally. In precincts of the Left and the Right, some view government as necessarily always an imposition on some organic pre-governmental community, which suggests that government's functions are always optional or the pure expression of the will of rulers and not commingled with the desires of the ruled. Contrary to anarchistic strains in contemporary thinking on the Left and Right, the historical record does not show large scale civilizations without some form of governmental structures, even if very few of these civilizations look utopian or ideal.
Contemporary political disputes about the nature of government and its role in the economy can, in part, be boiled down to whether the parties involved believe that empathy is at all important to the functioning of society and, for that matter, is even worthy of attention. The traditional Right sees empathy, except in certain extraordinary circumstances, as a sign of weakness or as a phenomenon of the "private sphere", traditionally organized around the household and considered to be "feminized", linked to the (misogynistic) notion of the feminine as being inferior in value to the masculine. Movements identified with the Left have tended to fight for the role of a generalized empathy with basic human needs and human solidarity within the public sphere, focusing for the most part on equal rights and "treating others as you would want to be treated". By contrast, the Right has often celebrated cruelty as a sign of toughness or loyalty to a cause, making room for empathy only in the context of mystical bonding rituals between for the most part men or between a leader and his followers.
Despite an attractive set of ideals, a problem for the Left in claiming virtue as opposed to the anti-empathic, cruelty-obsessed Right has been that there have been here some disastrous perversions of its ideals over the years particularly in societies where left revolutionaries have overthrown a corrupt ancien regime. The lack of an effective theory of how government works in the Left's theoretical toolbox (and the Right has no answers here either) has contributed to among other things the Terror after the French Revolution as well as the failures of many Communist regimes that emerged in the 20th Century to forge a "good society" which had political and economic legitimacy among the governed. The Right has held up the repressive and occasionally disastrous political outcomes of some Left-identified revolutions as a "Medusa's head" to scare politicians and the public from ever again imagining that empathy and human solidarity should be values in the public sphere. The Right has tended to glamorize old aristocratic and oligarchic regimes as against the efforts of the Left in both its reformist and revolutionary tendencies to change society for the better; the message of the Right: "better leave well enough alone".
While in Western democracies, the Left oriented towards reform has had little to do with the formation of totalitarian regimes under Communism, the contemporary Left has not decisively countered this fear-mongering with a new but realistic vision of how a just society and government would function. This has led to 40 years of various efforts to form a "Third Way" or post-partisan theory of governance and regulation of the economy that supposedly overcomes the Left-Right division. The "third way" tactic has mostly involved a triangulation or "mix and match" intellectual strategy of increasingly mindless "centrism".
The Hidden Utopia of Neoliberalism
In the late 1970's, there emerged a right-wing reaction to the generally left-of-center movements for social change from the 1960's and 70's, a reaction that many have come to call "neoliberalism". Shorn at least superficially of some of the negative image of the old racist or xenophobic right, neoliberalism put itself forward as the defender of individual liberty against the tendencies of both the still-existing Communist states as well as against Western social welfare states. Neoliberalism became the first "internationalist" right-wing movement since the Second World War and the Axis/fascist alliance in the 1930's and 1940's.
Over a period of about two decades, neoliberalism won dominance as an ideology among the policy elite because of a number of factors both ongoing and historically specific to that era. In the 1970's, the "liberal" Keynesian consensus had become morally and politically compromised on both the national and international levels. The moral and political legitimacy of leaders of the US "welfare-warfare State", the leader of the Western military alliance, was undermined by the Vietnam War. A series of post-colonial wars of national liberation and guerilla wars against regimes installed by the US or former colonial powers pointed to an insufficient place given to the strivings for political and economic self-determination of peoples from outside the West within the post-War Keynesian model. The 1973 OPEC oil embargo, rising oil prices, and declining yields from oilfields in the United States were key causes of a period of economic stagnation plus inflation, called "stagflation". The role of energy was overlooked as old political-economic antagonisms from the 1930's between Keynesians and anti-Keynesians were revived against the backdrop of the world in the 1970's.
The supposedly Keynesian remedies for stagflation and imperial decline, attempted by a series of leaders who no longer clearly remembered the great financial crises of the 1920's and 1930's, did not seem to work or were dismissed out of hand by those who always were philosophically opposed to Keynes's solution of government activism during economic downturns. In the United States, "liberalism" and radicals of the left turned away from a focus on an economic program and the vision of an economically qualitatively "better" society. The moderate and radical Left in the West became increasingly focused on a strategy of simply redistributing more equally existing political, social and economic resources among new political actors (women, people of color, less developed nations, gay people) and the dominant Euro-American white male elite, assuming that an already existing "affluent society" could be enlarged or its benefits more justly distributed. Among the liberal left, the development of a political program for the society as a whole regarding the economy and politics became a secondary concern. What came to characterize the established American "liberal" Left was that concern and policy would focus on sets of "others" who were downtrodden and not focus on either self interest as a generalized concept or more specifically as applied to Euro-American "white" males.
As a consequence, a discourse of "self-interest" for swaths of the population in the developed countries of the metropolitan center was not addressed politically by the moderate Left, while a small radicalized New Left splintered off, reviving the notion of a radical or revolutionary working class, within which most in developed societies, particularly in the United States, could not recognize themselves. Thus the political-economic field was left open for a re-definition of socially-acceptable self-interest nominally independent of race, ethnicity or gender, into which the Right stepped with neoliberal ideology.
There emerged various economic theories, which formed the "business end" of neoliberal policy recommendations that suggested that cutting taxes on the wealthy and loosening regulations would spur economic growth and also, in the wishful thinking of early supply-side theory, paradoxically increase tax collections because of that growth. The model-individual within neoliberal political and economic theory was the entrepreneur or investor who needed to be given the maximal "freedom" from government intervention or influence to make judicious business or investing decisions. The institution that should rule society according to neoliberalism was "the market", the social area in which self-interested economic actors interacted, which should be likewise "freed" from government support or intervention.
Neoliberal politicians also sought alliances with more traditional conservatives with whom they shared a common political enemy, the remains of the old and new lefts that were identified for the most part as either social democratic or Western Marxist in Europe or various flavors of "liberal" in the United States. Traditional or "social" conservatives in the United States were based in areas of the South, Midwest and West where fundamentalist Christianity was experiencing a resurgence, itself in part a reaction to the social upheavals of the 1960's and 1970's. While not as interested in economic issues as neoliberals, both social conservatives and neoliberals shared a distaste for and opposition to the rapid changes in cultural norms regarding individual self-expression, sexuality, forms of recreation and dress which were the most profound and lasting outcome of the social and political upheavals of the 1960's and 70's.
The resulting neoliberal synthesis was best expressed by Margaret Thatcher, now recently deceased, when she declared in a 1987 interview that "there is no such thing as society. There are individual men and women, and there are families". While at the time, Thatcher's statement was viewed as a political effort to push society in a right-ward direction, it also stands as a statement of neoliberal philosophy. Viewed as a worldview and a psychology rather than simply a polemic, belief in this statement would lead to selective misperception of the world and in particular a willful blindness to the connective activities of government and other social institutions. In Thatcher's comment, which she later attempted to back down from, a utopian idea was expressed: that the activities of government do not exist or should not exist yet, implied or stated as the goal of neoliberalism, complex societies should go on and prosper as they have in the past or go on to still greater prosperity. Alternatively a "limited government", a much "smaller" government than common in all advanced industrialized societies, would provide the same or better quality of life while commanding fewer resources for its own operations and services to the public.
Neoliberalism's worldview is utopian in this regard because neoliberals, as well as the extreme libertarian version of neoliberalism, have for the most part assumed as "givens" the already-existing benefits (to them) offered by a very substantial government and generated by the complex internetworked society it enables, yet wishing government itself would disappear or diminish, leaving its effects behind. Thus in a form of magical thinking or "splitting", neoliberals have come to believe as if it were accomplished fact that they can create a society that is "purified" of government but leaves what they value from government, its products and services or their positive effects, behind, very much like Lewis Carroll's Cheshire Cat. Neoliberals and libertarians do not for the most part want to return to a society that is composed entirely of extended family networks, a tribal society in fact, or at least most of the Right's mainstream does not have a taste for the likely emergence of a Mad Max style world.
Neoliberalism, like traditional reactionary conservatism, also shuns the role of empathy in the public sphere, seeing in it a weakness or a trap, from which the "clean" purity of the market and competition would free us. In the neoliberal worldview, everybody is almost entirely self-interested and no one, including political leaders, is doing anything out of a sense of human solidarity or obligation to humanity as a whole but rather out of a self-interested calculus. The ultimate neoliberal theory of politics, James Buchanan's public choice theory, marginalizes or rules out the role of altruistic or public-spirited motivation in the actions of political leaders. One wonders whether or when this theory based on neoclassical economics becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, once the assumption of self-interest as a sole motivation in politics is made. More altruistically minded people are certainly discouraged from entering government service within the current system of legalized corruption in American government.


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I have to admit, after much reading across the YA genre, I think the books that deal with the rough issues- the dark, edgy, raw and emotional ones- are the ones I prefer. If I had to only choose one subsection and never go out of it, this would be it. The reason? When done well, it makes me feel something. It grips me, tugs me in a ton of directions and mostly importantly, throws me into someone else's position and changes the way I think about things. There are two authors who immediately spring to mind when I think of these kind of books- the ones that take a hard situation, put someone in it, and it's the reader that comes out changed. This is an incredibly hard skill to master and a likely harder mindset to get into for the actual writing process.
Being appreciated today is Laura Wiess, author of Such A Pretty Girl, Leftovers, and How It Ends, and Courtney Summers, author of Cracked Up To Be and Some Girls Are. Both women know how to write characters you just might want to hate but in the end, you side with them and that is a fantastic feat. The books mentioned above are the kind that stay with you, that you use to compare other books to, that set a certain standard. While it may be their books that are brought up, it's their work regardless.
You can find Laura on her website and Courtney on her website and on twitter.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Author Appreciation Week: Post 2
Posted by Kari Olson at 6:11 PM
4 comments:
I love both these authors...and author appreciation week! :)ReplyDelete
Nice post, I really gotta read Courtney Summers books.ReplyDelete
Great picks, Kari! I love Courtney Summers's books, and I definitely agree that they stay with you. As for Lara Weiss, I'll have to catch up on her books sometime; they sound amazing as well. :)ReplyDelete
Love Laura Weiss :) but i have yet to read something from SummersReplyDelete
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Harlequin / Mills & Boon
Seducing His Convenient Innocent
Hired to Wear the Sheikh's Ring
Married For the Italian's Heir
New Year at the Boss's Bidding
A Shocking Proposal in Sicily
I love a marriage of convenience story. Especially when the hero and heroine have already given into an instant and powerful attraction and that is what came to my mind when Rafe and Kaliana slipped into my imagination.
Rafe Casella needs to marry and produce the next Casella generation, something he'd always assumed his twin brother would do, but circumstances mean that duty now falls to him. Rafe is not the marrying kind, much less the type of man who wants to be a father and settle down and mulling his future over one evening, he meets a beautiful woman, Ana, who instantly takes his mind off the situation.
Princess Kaliana knows she must marry for her kingdom's sake, but with her heart broken after the tragic death of her fiancé, her father's choice of husband is not hers. Determined to forget the pressing need to find a husband, she indulges in an uncharacteristic night of pleasure with a handsome Sicilian, who confides in her that he too is being forced to marry for family duty.
Several months later, with time running out, Kaliana tracks Rafe down in Sicily and finally reveals her identity and her proposal of a marriage of convenience. Rafe is stunned to find out the woman he shared one passionate night with is not only a princess, but the key to securing his family's fortune. He accepts her deal, but very soon the convenience of the proposed marriage becomes exactly the opposite when he realises his icy heart has fallen in love, but can he convince Kaliana of his love?
Seducing His Convenient Innocent
Seducing His Convenient Innocent is a story of a fledgling romance, torn apart by the selfish actions of someone else, then fate intervenes bringing Lysandros and Rio back together, enabling their romance to rekindle into a true and lasting happy ever after.
Rio Armstrong, a concert pianist, falls for Lysandros Drakakis, the sexy, powerful brother of her best friend, Xena. But Rio runs scared from this powerful man and that attraction, until Xena has an accident, which brings Lysandros well and truly back into her life – and her heart.
Lysandros hasn't stopped thinking about Rio. Or wanting her. When his sister needs her friend's company at her Greek island home, to recover from the accident, he takes the opportunity to find out why Rio had run out on him. Their romance blossoms into something real and Rio's revelations strengthen that, leaving Lysandros knowing she is the only woman for him.
Hired to Wear the Sheikh's Ring
Every story starts with a small nugget of an idea and this one came from a friend, who mentioned that there were women who ran professional bridesmaid services. My friend's words were 'there is a story in there somewhere!' Sure enough there was and Hired to Wear the Sheikh's Ring is my story from that nugget of an idea.
Tiffany is desperate to help her sister whose husband has left her not only with a young daughter but debts that threaten the home they live in. Tiffany's savings don't come anywhere near covering the debt. Then she meets Jafar, at his best friend's wedding where she has been the bridesmaid and he puts a deal to her that would mean her sister can live worry free.
Jafar needs a wife in order to remain the ruler of his kingdom, but has no intention of entering into the romantic side of a marriage, so when he discovers Tiffany and the business she runs, he strikes a deal with her to be his bride and remain in his kingdom for several months afterwards.
What neither of them expect is the passion which burns on their wedding night, brighter than the desert sun or that the marriage is now much more than just a deal.
A Ring to Claim His Legacy
Imogen Fraser arrives on a luxury island to sample the kind of lifestyle she could only dream about. As a representative of a bespoke luxury holiday company, she needs to recommend such lavish destinations to her clients and sampling them first-hand gives her an opportunity to escape the reality of her life.
What she didn't expect to find while sampling the luxury island resort, was to find a man who would complete the fantasy of her week-long escape from reality. Knowing she must return to that reality, Imogen didn't want to know anything more than his first name. Marco is so far out of her league and believes she is a pampered socialite which only adds to the romantic escape of her time on the island.
Marco Silviano is the not only the owner of the island, but of a multimillion dollar global business of luxury hotels and resorts. With his father's health failing, his family are pressuring him to marry and so he arrives on his island undercover to see first-hand how his guests are treated as well as have a timely escape from his family and the secrets being revealed.
Imogen adds Marco's need to stay in the paradise escape he has created, but their final night together has lasting consequences. Almost five months later, Imogen is confronted with reality of Marco Silviano, the man whose baby she now carries.
Martinez's Pregnant Wife
Martinez's Pregnant Wife is the second book in my Convenient Christmas Brides Duet. Maximiliano Martinez has recently discovered he has a half-brother and on the very day he is to meet him is told by his estranged wife Lisa that their one night of passion has had a lasting legacy. He is to be a father.
Lisa should have walked away from Max and their marriage but something brought her back and now they will forever be linked by the child they created. The secrets from Max's past mean he insists they remain married for the sake of their baby and as these secrets unfold, so the barriers around his heart finally crumble. But is it too late to save his marriage?


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For four-year-old Lucas Carlson, using a walker or crutches was a part of his daily routine. That is, until he met his service dog, Balto.
Lucas has cerebral palsy, and he has previously relied on walkers and crutches to help him balance while he walks. His mother, Michelle Carlson, said Lucas would walk too fast and improperly with his walker and crutches, which is why she was interested in finding an alternative method for Lucas to learn to take independent steps.
Carlson began looking into service dog organizations, but most required that Lucas be at least five years old, and the waiting list exceeded three years. Then Carlson received an e-mail from a fellow member of Parent to Parent, a group for parents of disabled children, which told her about an organization in Aurora, Colorado, called Bighorn Assistance Dogs. Carlson decided to give Bighorn a call.
Bighorn Assistance Dogs is a nonprofit organization which places service dogs free of charge. Minnette Topham founded the organization, which she operates out of her home, in 2003. She began training service dogs eight years ago after she had a mild stroke and realized the need for service dogs.
"It really gives the person a sense of independence," said Topham of the service dogs. "People feel independent enough to be able to go places on their own without relying on someone else."
Service Dog Shortage
Despite the need for service dogs, there is quite a shortage, according to Jorjan Powers, spokeswoman for the Assistance Dog Institute, Santa Rosa, California. Her organization is a college that offers master of science and associate of science degrees in assistance dog education and human-canine life science. Through these programs, the Assistance Dog Institute aims to increase the number of qualified dog trainers so that more dogs may be placed. Current waiting times for service dogs run from three to five years.
Powers says that the value of a service dog goes far beyond just having an animal to pick up dropped objects.
"We've all heard the saying 'dogs are a man's best friend,' but for service dogs, it's just light years above that," said Powers. "Besides the physical tasks these dogs help their owners with, often the emotional help they give is the most important."
In order to provide more service dogs, the Assistance Dog Institute has its own breeding program.
However, unlike the Assistance Dog Institute, Bighorn Assistance Dogs does not breed its dogs. All its dogs are adopted from shelters, rescue organizations, and people who can no longer keep their pets. Topham looks for dogs that are large enough to turn on lights and pull wheelchairs, but which also have mild temperaments and can adjust to various situations. At press time, Topham had placed three dogs, including Balto.
Lucas Gets Help
|Lucas practices walking with his new friend Balto.
Topham first learned of the Carlsons when Michelle Carlson called to inquire about Bighorn's dogs and when she would be able to apply for one. Like most organizations, Topham required that children be at least five years old in order to be considered for a dog. However, Balto, a three-year-old greyhound, had been trained, but had nowhere to go. Since Lucas badly needed a counter-balance dog, and Topham had one ready, she agreed to meet with the Carlsons. When they met at the zoo just two months after the initial phone call, Lucas and Balto hit it off, and a match was made.
Balto now helps Lucas to balance when he walks, and he helps Lucas with difficult walking situations, such as stepping down from curbs. He is used for bracing when Lucas falls; Balto has been fitted with a harness that Lucas grabs onto, which makes it easier for Lucas to get up. Now instead of crawling to the wall to pull himself up, Lucas braces against Balto to get back on his feet.
The addition of Balto has also helped Lucas's confidence in social situations.
"He does notice that people look at the dog instead of staring at him using a walker," Carlson explained.
Carlson also points out that a counter-balance dog gives people the chance to see service dogs used in a less traditional manner. "Everyone is used to dogs that retrieve and dogs that pull wheelchairs. With Balto, people get to see a different way that service dogs can be useful."
Dogs, Trainers Benefit
|Lucas practices walking with his new friend Balto.
While Lucas obviously derives benefits from his relationship with Balto, Topham thinks that the dogs feel a certain appreciation for their owners as well.
"It's much nicer to rely on a dog, and the dogs are happy to do it," said Topham. "It saves the life of the dog, and I think they're equally as grateful."
Topham, an animal lover, also benefits from this type of work. Though she grows attached to the dogs she trains and has a hard time letting them go, she is consoled by the knowledge that she has a hand in saving the lives of dogs that may not otherwise have a chance.
"In my lifetime, I have had maybe a dozen pets," explained
Topham, "but through this work, I can save maybe a hundred. That
makes it all worth it."