#it has the reputation of a place like california the climate of the west and the north | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

newstfionline · 3 years

Text

Wednesday, March 24, 2021

Biden Team Prepares $3 Trillion in New Spending for the Economy (NYT) President Biden’s economic advisers are pulling together a sweeping $3 trillion package to boost the economy, reduce carbon emissions and narrow economic inequality, beginning with a giant infrastructure plan that may be financed in part through tax increases on corporations and the rich. The enormous scope of the proposal highlights the aggressive approach the Biden administration wants to take as it tries to harness the power of the federal government to make the economy more equitable, address climate change, and improve American manufacturing and high-technology industries in an escalating battle with China.

Hugs, at last: Nursing homes easing rules on visitors (AP) An 88-year-old woman in Ohio broke down in tears as her son hugged her for the first time in a year. Nursing home residents and staff in California sang “Over the Rainbow” as they resumed group activities and allowed visitors back in. A 5-year-old dove into the lap of her 94-year-old great-great-aunt for a long embrace in Rhode Island. Nursing homes, assisted living facilities and other kinds of elderly residences battered by COVID-19 are easing restrictions and opening their doors for the first time since the start of the pandemic, leading to joyous reunions around the country after a painful year of isolation, Zoom calls and greetings through windows. The vaccination drive, improved conditions inside nursing homes, and relaxed federal guidelines have paved the way for the reunions.

Miami’s South Beach confronts disastrous spring break (AP) Florida’s famed South Beach is desperately seeking a new image. With more than 1,000 arrests and nearly 100 gun seizures already during this year’s spring break season, officials are thinking it may finally be time to cleanse the hip neighborhood of its law-breaking, party-all-night vibe. The move comes after years of increasingly stringent measures—banning alcohol from beaches, canceling concerts and food festivals—have failed to stop the city from being overrun with out-of-control parties and anything-goes antics. This weekend alone, spring breakers and pandemic-weary tourists drawn by Florida’s loose virus-control rules gathered by the thousands along famed Ocean Drive, at times breaking into street fights, destroying restaurant property and causing several dangerous stampedes. The situation got so out of hand that Miami Beach Police brought in SWAT teams to disperse pepper bullets and called in law enforcement officers from at least four other agencies. Ultimately, the city decided to order an emergency 8 p.m. curfew that will likely extend well into April after the spring break season is over. Some tourists are angry about the curfew, which they say has put a damper on long-sought vacations for which they paid good money. Meanwhile, some officials say they should have enacted more stringent measures sooner—as was done in New Orleans prior to Mardi Gras last month—instead of reacting in the middle of the chaos.

England slaps 5,000 pound fine on most travel abroad (Reuters) Fines of 5,000 pounds ($6,900) will be introduced for people from England who try to travel abroad before the end of June in a tightening of the country’s border controls. Health minister Matt Hancock said the government’s original plan to review international travel in April and possibly permit it from May 17 still stood but the travel fines were included in legislation in case that would not be possible. In the UK, foreign holidays are currently banned. Europe’s airlines and travel sector are now bracing for a second lost summer. Having already racked up billions in debt to survive a year of travel restrictions, they are facing further strain and some may need fresh funds.

Tensions mount between Afghan government, powerful warlord (AP) Tensions are mounting between Afghanistan’s government and a powerful local warlord, with deadly clashes erupting in a rural province between his fighters and government troops. The government has launched an assault in central Maidan Wardak province, vowing to punish the warlord, Abdul Ghani Alipoor, after the defense minister accused his fighters of shooting down a military helicopter last week, killing nine personnel. Alipoor holds widespread loyalty among ethnic Hazaras, a mainly Shiite community who are a minority in Afghanistan but make up most of the population in Maidan Wardak. If Kabul considers warlords as agents of turmoil, their supporters see them as their only protection and support in the face of a notoriously corrupt government and violent insurgents. Many Hazaras, who face attacks by Sunni militants and discrimination by the government, see Alipoor as a hero, defending them against the Taliban and keeping local institutions running. “The government is incompetent, so people depend on Alipoor and support him,” said Mohammed Jan. “Alipoor serves his people. If our government would serve the people, everyone would support it and there wouldn’t be any need for an Alipoor.”

China Makes It A Crime To Question Military Casualties On The Internet (NPR) When China acknowledged this year that four of its soldiers had died fighting Indian forces on the two countries’ disputed mountain border eight months prior, the irreverent blogger Little Spicy Pen Ball had questions. “If the four [Chinese] soldiers died trying to rescue their fellow soldiers, then there must have been those who were not successfully rescued,” he wrote on Feb. 19 to his 2.5 million followers on Weibo, a Chinese social media site. “This means the fatalities could not have just been four.” The day after, Qiu Ziming, the 38-year-old former newspaper journalist behind the blog, was detained and criminally charged. If convicted, he faces a sentence of up to three years. “Little Spicy Pen Ball maliciously slandered and degraded the heroes defending our country and the border,” according to the annual work report published by the country’s chief prosecutor office this month. Qiu’s is the first case to be tried under a sweeping new criminal law that took effect March 1. The new law penalizes “infringing on the reputation and honor of revolutionary heroes.” At least six other people have been detained or charged with defaming “martyrs.” The government uses the terms “revolutionary heroes” and “martyrs” for anyone it memorializes for their sacrifice for the Communist Party. The detentions typify the stricter controls over online speech under Chinese leader Xi Jinping, which have deterred nearly all open dissent in the country. The new law even seeks to criminalize speech made outside China. Such is the case of Wang Jingyu, 19, who lives in the United States and is now a wanted man in his hometown of Chongqing, China. The authorities accuse him of slandering dead Chinese soldiers after Weibo reported him for a comment questioning the number of border fight casualties. “Cyberspace is not outside the law,” the Chongqing public security bureau said in an online notice after it declared Wang would be “pursued online” for his comments.

West sanctions China over Xinjiang abuses, Beijing hits back at EU (Reuters) The United States, the European Union, Britain and Canada imposed sanctions on Chinese officials on Monday for human rights abuses in Xinjiang, the first such coordinated Western action against Beijing under new U.S. President Joe Biden. Beijing hit back immediately with punitive measures against the EU that appeared broader, including European lawmakers, diplomats, institutes and families, and banning their businesses from trading with China. Western governments are seeking to hold Beijing accountable for mass detentions of Muslim Uighurs in northwestern China, where the United States says China is committing genocide. China denies all accusations of abuse.

Australian floods (AFP) Devastating flooding is ongoing across Australia, where an area the size of Alaska with some 10 million people is at risk for excessive rainfall and storminess. The flooding comes amid colliding weather systems gripping the country. Up to 35 inches of rain fell in just four days, and some places are seeing their worst flooding in 60 years. Nearly three times the average March rainfall has fallen in a number of locales, which Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology described as “phenomenal,” with additional rain and flooding expected in the days ahead.

Israel TV satirist says grateful to politicians but needs a break (AFP) As Israel heads into its fourth election in two years, the presenter of the country’s favourite satirical TV show has a request, and he’s only half joking. “I would like us to finally have a stable government and make a boring programme,” says Eyal Kitsis, frontman of the Channel 12 show “Eretz Nehederet” (“A Wonderful Country”). As much as Israel’s political turmoil may be straining the patience of the electorate, it has been television gold because “reality is crazy”, Kitsis told AFP. “Elections and politics have really become entertainment in this country. Our challenge as a satirical programme is to add a layer to it, to take it to the next level.”

Israel vote deadlock: Netanyahu appears short of majority (AP) Uncertainty hovered over the outcome of Israel’s parliamentary election Wednesday, with both Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and sworn political rivals determined to depose him apparently lacking a clear path to a governing coalition. Deadlock in the 120-seat parliament was a real possibility a day after the election, which had been dominated by Netanyahu’s polarizing leadership. With about 87.5% of the vote counted by Wednesday morning, Netanyahu’s Likud party and its ultra-Orthodox and far-right allies fell short of a 61-seat majority.

Saudi Arabia offers cease-fire plan to Yemen rebels (AP) Saudi Arabia on Monday offered a cease-fire proposal to Yemen’s Houthi rebels that includes reopening their country’s main airport, the kingdom’s latest attempt to halt years of fighting in a war that has sparked the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. The move comes after the rebels stepped up a campaign of drone and missile attacks on the kingdom’s oil sites, briefly shaking global energy prices amid the coronavirus pandemic. It also comes as Riyadh tries to rehabilitate its image with the U.S. under President Joe Biden. Saudi Arabia has drawn internationally criticism for airstrikes killing civilians and embargoes exacerbating hunger in a nation on the brink of famine. Whether the plan will take hold remains another question. A unilaterally declared Saudi cease-fire collapsed last year. Fighting rages around the crucial city of Marib and the Saudi-led coalition launched airstrikes as recently as Sunday targeting Yemen’s capital of Sanaa. A U.N. mission said another suspected airstrike hit a food-production company in the port city of Hodeida.

Rail and derailments (Vice) Freight rail is an essential vein of the transportation system in the U.S., moving 57 tons of goods per American each year. It’s also the safest way to move hazardous materials, but freight train derailments are more common than one might think: in 2019, there were 341 reported derailments on main line track, of which 24 were freight trains carrying 159 cars of hazardous materials. The labor unions in the rail industry have been calling this out as a symptom of a degrading safety culture, and warn that it’s only a matter of time before one of those derailments causes catastrophic damages.

#headlines #news

2 notes · View notes

thecoroutfitters · 5 years

Link

Written by Guest Contributor on The Prepper Journal.

Editor’s Note: A contribution from Scott Huntington to The Prepper Journal. As a native and one who has been through multiple earthquakes I can say “amen” to holding our breath. There are so many faults that half of the quakes I experienced personally were generated by previously unknown faults in the Pacific plate, still considered the “ring of fire” by scientists worldwide. Whenever traveling to and from California I cross that mother of all faults, the San Andreas, where discussions always gravitate towards…. while the article speaks to California it applies to anywhere along the ring of fire, and yes, maybe Yellowstone as well.

Californians have been holding their breath for 20 years now, waiting for “the big one” to hit. Living in a fault zone can be nerve-wracking. The mental impact of not knowing when an earthquake might strike might be almost as damaging as the effects of the physical quake when you consider it over time.

But you can do some things to feel better. Earthquakes have been taking place since the beginning of time, and people have come to understand how to prepare for them. Here are our suggestions for the best ways to make ready for a quake.

Know If You Live in a High-Risk Area

Prepping for an earthquake might not be a good use of your time if you live in Nebraska. California gets a reputation as a seismic hotspot, which it probably deserves, but other places are high-risk zones as well. The USGS survey identifies areas across the country with seven levels of risk, which you can view in a color-coded map on their website.

The West Coast is particularly suspect when it comes to the risk of earthquakes, with the USGS map indicating the strongest probability of a quake is in Southern Alaska, Washington, California, Hawaii and Nevada. For those who choose to live in these states, there will always be a high risk, although the right construction can reinforce your home against the harmful effects of a quake. There is also a USGS program called Shakealert that claims to offer early warning of coming earthquakes, which might be worth your time if you live in a high-risk zone.

If earthquakes aren’t your thing, move away. That’s the best way to avoid them. But these are excellent places to live (political climate aside), so if you’re going to stick around…

Prepare Your Home

Minimize loose, heavy items in your house by fastening heavy furniture to the wall or avoiding it altogether. If you have the budget, you can consider installing reinforcing walls like we mentioned earlier, which will help ensure your home remains a safe zone during most earthquakes. If you work or live in a tall building, have a clearly marked evacuation plan and make sure everyone knows how to access it.

Have a communication plan with your children, which is fairly simple in the age of cell phones — but, should damaged cell towers cause coverage to go down, it’s smart for children to have a phone number or two memorized and know how to use social media to communicate they’re safe. At a minimum have a stated, know “meet location” for all family members. You really can’t depend on any infrastructure remaining uninterrupted in an earthquake.

An earthquake readiness kit isn’t quite the same as the bug-out bag you’d pack for a hurricane or tornado, but it’s similar. You could be facing a situation where communications and other infrastructure is down, so have extra doses of any special medications your family needs, clean water and snacks, a powerful flashlight and extra batteries. Apportion your supplies to last at least three days. Pack a first-aid kit with medical supplies to treat lacerations and bruises. While off-the-shelf kits are available for purchase, only YOU know your family and their real needs so start with the basics and build out your kit your way. Pick a couple of 72-hour periods and note everything the family consumes during that period, from water to food to medications as a starting point and then do the “what if’s?” – water supply is compromised, home is compromised, missing family member, what is Plan B – always have a backup/Plan B. As any military officer will tell you Plan A is out the window as soon as the first shot is fired.

In addition to these must-haves, some other items will round out your kit nicely, such as two-way radios and pet supplies if you’ve got any furry friends in the family. A multitool is a good idea as a substitute for a full selection of hand tools, and a breathing mask with a particulate filter is another excellent addition to protect your family’s lungs from the smoke and dust that could fill the air in the aftermath of an earthquake.

Know How to Respond During a Quake

Earthquakes are one natural disaster we usually can’t predict until it’s too late. That means you need to practice what to do when one hits before you’re in a bad situation. If you have kids, make sure you have a plan as a family for what to do if an earthquake starts.

As for what to do, less is more in the case of an earthquake. You aren’t going to have time to seek much shelter. The best motto is “drop, cover and hold on,” which is what children learn in school. If you are outdoors, don’t seek cover indoors. If you’re sleeping, use your pillows to protect your neck and head.

If an earthquake occurs while you’re driving, pull over in a space that’s clear of overhead buildings or potential debris. All you can do is wait the quake out in the safest possible place. Once the shaking stops, it’s time to evaluate the situation. Know what natural gas smells like, and immediately disable the gas lines in your home if you smell a leak. There are valves available to automatically shut off natural gas lines in case of an earthquake, have them installed by a licensed professional. Locate your earthquake kit and check in with your family. Once you have everything squared away, you might head out to see if you can help others.

In the Aftermath

Earthquakes often have aftershocks up to a day later, so be vigilant, because these can be severe incidents if the earthquake was powerful. Once you’ve established that you and your family are unharmed, put on your sturdy footwear and take a walk around the perimeter of your home to spot any damage that may have occurred.

Unlike the movies, and like hurricanes, the majority of injuries and deaths occur in the first 72 hours after the event, downed power lines, floods, broken infrastructure like damns and freeway overpasses, etc.

Monitor your radio and other means of communication for information about the damage the quake did and whether there is any public action to help those affected. Depending on your situation, it may be appropriate for you to help, or you may need to reach out for assistance, which is why it’s so critical to have your radio and supply of batteries.

Perhaps the most frightening thing about an earthquake is the way they happen with little to no warning. Having a practical plan and the right supplies in place can give you the peace of mind to get through an earthquake safely. It’s only a matter of time, so think ahead and practice these good habits to be ready when the day comes. Stay safe!

Be Safe out there and be sure to check out The Prepper Journal Store and follow The Prepper Journal on Facebook!

The post How to Prep for an Earthquake appeared first on The Prepper Journal.

from The Prepper Journal Don't forget to visit the store and pick up some gear at The COR Outfitters. How prepared are you for emergencies? #SurvivalFirestarter #SurvivalBugOutBackpack #PrepperSurvivalPack #SHTFGear #SHTFBag

#SHTF #TEOTWAWKI #MARTIALLAW #BUGOUT #PREPPERBAG #USAF #USSOCOM #ARMY #NAVY #SurvivalFirestarter #Sur

6 notes · View notes

wineschool-blog · 3 years

Text

Italian Wine Regions

https://j.mp/3Bit24V Italy has a rich history with wine, dating back thousands of years. That all began to unravel in the first half of the 20th Century. Wars and political misadventures turned the advantages of culture into the burden of stagnation. In the 1980s, Italy’s economic fortunes rose and brought the wine trade with it, Since then, quality levels have risen rapidly, and international fame was not far behind. First, Barolo then Amarone Della Valpolicella became the new luxury wine gods. Then followed the Super Tuscans. Finally, all was right in Italy. In recent years, it has risen above France as the world’s largest wine producer. In America, Italian wine is beloved by large swaths of people. No place loves Italian more than the coastal stretch from Massachusetts to Delaware, where over ten million Italian-Americans live. Table of contentsItalian Wine RegionsTuscanySicilyTrentino-Alto AdigeAbruzzoUmbriaSardiniaPugliaVenetoCampagniaPiedmonteItalian Wine GrapesNebbioloBarberaTeroldegoLagreinSangioveseSagrantinoGaglioppo Italian Wine Regions Tuscany Tuscany is a mesmerizing place, as well as Italy’s oldest wine-growing region. Before the rise of Rome, Tuscany was the home of the Etruscans, an ancient winemaking culture with connections to the Phoenicians. At the center of wine production, the grape is Sangiovese; a quixotic grape once believed not to exist. Before DNA testing, it was believed that Tuscany was home to hundreds, if not thousands, of grape varieties. This was not unfounded, as the grapes grown in each tiny hamlet were as different from one another as any red wine could. While there are grapes like Canaiolo, Colorino, and Mammolo grown in the region, DNA testing has shown a different story regarding all the others. Brunelletto, Brunello, Cacchiano, Chiantino, Montepulciano, Morellino, Morellone, Pignolo, Prugnolo, Sangineto, Tignolo, Vigna Maggio, and many more have all been shown to be one grape. For so many centuries, Sangiovese has grown in Tuscany that it has adapted to nearly every microclimate in the region. As Sangiovese is to the classics, Super-Tuscan is to the modern. Tuscan winemakers discovered they could make amazing wines with Cabernet Sauvignon made great wines. The trouble was that the grape was not allowed in classic Tuscan wines like Chianti. So they started breaking the rules. The laws eventually changed, but the die was set. After that, super-Tuscans were the rock stars of the Italian coast. Sicily Greatly appreciated today, it was not long ago that sommeliers turned up their noses at Sicilian wines. The wines of Marsala had become a caricature of its former self. And the rest of the wines never even made it into a bottle: they were sold in bulk. The rich soils, high altitudes, and dry winds allow the island’s vineyards to produce a massive tonnage of grapes per acre. Historically, winemakers bent to market demands and opted for quantity over quality. As a result, the few wines deemed good enough to bottle mediocre quality, leaving Sicily with an even poorer reputation. Volcano island in Sicily, Italy. Panorama of Aeolian Islands Sicily is a beautiful and ancient place. A reputation for weak wines was not a good fit. With the help of winemaking legends like Giusto Occhipinti, Sicily turned its reputation from lousy to luxury in a few short decades. Today, they produce beautiful and magical wines from Frappato, Mascalese, and Nero d’Avola. They also are making beguiling white wines from Moscato Bianco and Grillo. Despite the hot African winds and a Meditteranean climate, the greatest wines are fresh and delicate. Trentino-Alto Adige In the Italian Northeast, you will find beauty in this unheard-of Italian wine region. Because of the bordering countries, you can expect to find wine labels printed in Italian, German, and Ladin (a local Romance language). The main varietals grown here are Pinot Grigio, Gewurztraminer, Chardonnay, Schiava, Lagrein, and Pinot Blanc. Although it rarely rains, the region’s cool climate. Abundant sunshine and alpine soils are ideal for grape growing. Wine styles include the zippy and mineral-driven Pinot Grigio, a popular choice for American wine drinkers. The region is known for its growing movement toward natural wines for sommeliers, with winemakers eschewing modernism for ancient techniques. One of the greatest examples of that trend is the amphora-aged orange wines that are all the rage with Master Sommeliers. Abruzzo Abruzzo has one of Italy’s most contested identities. This region is extremely mountainous and lush right along the coastline, with most of it being nature reserves and forests. Yet, many publications and wine critics dismiss the region as insignificant; it has produced fine wine at a small scale for decades. Despite the snub, there are plenty of fine Abruzzo wines to be enjoyed. Of particular note is the classic Italian rosé Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo. We can expect more in the future. Scientists believe that Abruzzo is the birthplace of many grape varieties now flourishing in Northern Italy and France. Umbria Driving through Umbria is like driving through Tuscany, if Tuscany didn’t have highways and supermarkets. This region produces a fraction of the wine of competing regions but is some of the most beloved by sommeliers. Land-locked and situated east of Tuscany, the wines produced here tend to be fuller-bodied and age extremely well. Some of this area’s other signature grapes include Sangiovese, Grechetto, Merlot, and Trebbiano. Of particular note is the Sagrantino from Montefalco, a grape of massive tannic strength and complexity. Sardinia Sardinia might seem like a spitting image of Sicily – considering it’s an Italian island of a similar size – but this Italian wine region has quite a unique portfolio. For one, it’s the only region in Italy that produces –and consumes– more beer than wine. Despite that, this region has some exquisite and unique varieties, including Torbato, Nasco, Monica, Semidano, and Vermentino. The terroir here is just as vast and has, in turn, aided the development of quality grapes that are slowly being recognized internationally. Puglia Located at the southern heel, this Italian wine region has a geographical variety like no other. In the south, vines are grown on sandy but nutrient-rich flat vineyards. In the north, vineyards are found in hillier terroirs. These differences in the soils create a massive difference in the wine produced here too. The varieties in the south are Primitivo and Negroamaro. In the north are the more classical central Italian grapes of Sangiovese and Montepulciano. This is the hottest of the major Italian wine regions, and the wines are typically heavy and tannic. However, the grape Primitivo was not originally an Italian grape. Instead, it emigrated from across the Adriatic in Croatia, where it was named Crljenak Kaštelanski. At the same time it arrived in Italy, it found its way to Boston, Massachusetts, where it was grown in a greenhouse. Eventually, the grapevine was planted in Northern California under the name Zinfandel. Veneto This Italian wine region is located in the Northeast, just west of Friuli Venezia Giulia. Veneto famously grows grapes, not often not in any other part of Italy. Many of the varietals grown here are indigenous to Italy, predominantly Garganega, Glera, and Corvina Rondinella. A recent addition is the ever-popular Pinot Grigio. The climate is a rare balance of Mediteran and Alpine influences, making it possible to grow grapes with minimal effort. The most famous wine of Veneto is Amarone Della Valpolicella, a decadently rich dry wine made from the partially dried grapes of the Corvina Rondinella grape. Campagnia In the south of Italy, we find Campania, the most visited southern Italian wine region. This should not be surprising: the region’s capital is Naples, the spiritual home of Pizza. Margherita aside, this region produces unique indigenous wines, many of which are grown in the same volcanic soils that buried Pompeii. Grapes like Pallagrello, Biancolella, Coda di Volpe and Tintore make intriguing wines. Of particular note are wines made from Falanghina, Greco di Tufa, and Lacryma Christi del Vesuvio. In Campagnia, the star of the show is Aglianico: a supernatural beast of a wine. This is not a wine to be trifled with: only the most ardent of (self-hating?) wine lovers seek it out: its unforgiving tannins. Ins insulting lack of fruit and a deep cut of minerality are enough to make most Master Sommeliers vow never to drink wine again. It is also the grape that scientists believe was the core of Falernum, one of the most famous wines of the Roman Empire. It is my personal favorite wine, which says a little too much about my inner turmoil than I would want. Piedmonte On the border of France and Switzerland is the Piedmonte. This is Italy’s western Alpine region, home to some of the best-known Italian varietals: Nebbiolo, Barbera, and –for better or worse– Moscato. The most famous region within Piedmonte is Barolo, which is often cited as the king of wines. The majority of the great wines grown here are red. Although alpine in nature, grapes ripen well in the summertime warmth. The evenings are cold due to the diurnal nature of the high altitudes. Other varietals that are grown here include Dolcetto, Bonarda, Pelaverga, Malvasia, and Arneis. Italian Wine Grapes Nebbiolo Nebbiolo is a light-red red wine that can cross that “rose” border. But don’t be fooled: Nebbiolo is a monster. It shows flavors of tar, tobacco, herbs, and cherries with massive tannins. When on the vine, the Nebbiolo grapes become quite foggy – and so they named this grape after the word nebbia, which means fog. Barbera An Italian grape with soft tannins and intense flavors of dark and red berries, Barbera is the third most planted varietal in Italy. Although it is outstanding, Barbera is often a varietal used in blending to add some unique flavor and color. Teroldego Almost identical to Zinfandel when it comes to flavor, Teroldego often shows great intensity of spiciness, tar, and red fruits. The notable difference between Zinfandel and Teroldego is the softer tannins in Teroldego and intense acidity. Lagrein The Lagrein flavor profile includes grippy tannins, intense bitterness, and fruit-forwardness. It was not a flavor profile many winemakers found pleasant – but today, winemaking techniques have helped this rebellious varietal become palatable and well-rounded. Sangiovese Sangiovese is Italy’s most grown varietal – and for a good reason. Although it provides little but leather and spice on the nose, the flavors in wine are intense and delicious. You can expect to find cherry, strawberry, plum, and jam flavors, often accompanied by tar and herbaceous notes. It is one of the most ancient grapes and a foundational grape for much of Italy’s viticulture. Sagrantino Sagrantino wine is intensely dark – almost black – and is known to have the highest tannins in the world. The tannins require this wine to be aged well and a smart choice for a wine collector willing to store bottles for a decade or more. This varietal shows lovely flavors of red fruit and earthiness when aged properly and is a perfect match for any hearty, meaty dishes. Gaglioppo Gaglioppo is a sensitive red varietal that is often highly monitored during production– but when done successfully, produces fantastic wine. It has low tannins and high acidity, making it much preferred as a refreshing read in the summer. The most common flavors found in this varietal are spicy cherry and light berries. With Italy’s strong wine regions, strict wine regulations, and unique cultivars, trying Italian wine should be a no-brainer. Italians are, after all, the masters of the wine industry – and it definitely shows in what they produce. In addition, the Italian wine regions all carry such unique terroir and stories – allowing the vines there to develop in an equally unique manner. Feel like a glass of Italian wine now? We do too. Wine Courses L1 Online Wine Certification Core (L2/L3) wine Courses Advanced (L4) wine Programs Wine Region Articles Major Wine Regions Wine Regions of the World Italian Wine Regions Spanish Wine Regions Portuguese Wine Regions East Coast Wine Regions The Best East Coast Wineries Terroir of East Coast Wines Best Wineries Near Philadelphia International Wine Regions Austrian Wine REgions Israeli Wine Regions Beaujolais Turkish Wine Regions Swiss Wine Regions Texas Hill Country Vinho Verde The Story of Champagne By Keith Wallace https://j.mp/3Bit24V

0 notes

wineanddinosaur · 3 years

Text

Wine 101: Rhône

This episode of “Wine 101” is sponsored by J Vineyards and Winery. For over 30 years, J Vineyards and Winery has developed a reputation as one of the top sparkling and varietal wine producers in California. With styles from bright and bubbly to bold and complex, J Wines offer a remarkable range and exceptional craftsmanship that you’ll want to share. J has come to be known for its celebrated estate vineyards, contemporary winery, and world-class hospitality. Uncork joy with J, and let life bubble over.

In this episode of “Wine 101,” VinePair tastings director Keith Beavers discusses France’s Rhône Valley. Listeners will learn about all the appellations that make up the region that produces some of the finest red and white wines in the world.

Listeners will also learn about the unique differences between the northern and southern Rhône. The northern Rhône produces 5 percent of the total wine in the Rhône Valley and is best known for its Syrah and Viognier. The southern Rhône produces the other 95 percent of the region’s wine and is more commonly found on the American market. Despite these distinctions, Beavers explains why wines from both Rhône Valley regions are worth tasting.

Tune in to become an expert on the Rhône Valley and its wines.

Listen Online

Listen on Apple Podcasts

Listen on Spotify

Or Check out the Conversation Here

Keith Beavers: My name is Keith Beavers, and I went down a duet rabbit hole this weekend. And I gotta say, “Endless Love” or “Baby Come to Me” are the best duets out there. I miss karaoke so much.

What’s going on, wine lovers? Welcome to Episode 13 of VinePair’s “Wine 101 Podcast,” Season 2. My name is Keith Beavers. I’m the tasting director of VinePair. How are you doing?

I’m sure you see Côtes du Rhône or Rhône wine all over the place. Every supermarket, every wine shop. Let’s break it down a little bit to understand, what is the Rhône? What are we doing here? What’s the Rhône? It’s wonderful.

I feel like the words “Côtes du Rhône” American wine drinkers are very familiar with. And it seems like everywhere you go in the United States, no matter whether it’s a wine shop or a boutique wine shop, a liquor store, or a supermarket, there’s always a Côtes du Rhône in the French section. I also feel that Côtes du Rhône is very popular in America, but it’s not so popular like Malbec, where everyone’s ravenous for it. It’s almost a go-to European wine for Americans, which is really cool. The thing is, Côtes du Rhône is just one wine that comes from the Rhône Valley in France.

When you buy an affordable Côtes du Rhône on a Tuesday night for burgers, you’re just scratching the surface of the possibilities of what you can enjoy from the Rhône. Partly why we’re secretly obsessed with Côtes du Rhône wine and the reason why it’s on all the shelves, I think, is because in the 1980s, there was a small group of winemakers in California. One of them was Randall Grahm from Bonny Doon. There was Bob Lindquist from Qupé. They decided it was their mission in life to make wine from varieties that were native to the Rhône Valley. These were grapes that were just sitting around in California in vineyards, not really being paid attention to. They decided to grab that by the horns and create this new style of California wine at a time when Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Chardonnay were the dominant wines of the region.

I believe this is the moment in our history where we started being curious about wines made from grapes that are pretty much native to or thrive in the Rhône Valley. Today, besides just the ubiquitous Côtes du Rhône wine, which is awesome and we’re going to get to it, but there are so many other great wines from the Rhône. You may not know it because it doesn’t say Côtes du Rhône on the bottle all the time. Let’s get you familiar with the Rhône wine region of France, because the Rhône Valley growing region of France has a dual personality. Let’s get into it.

The Rhône River begins in a mountain reservoir in south-central Switzerland. It then flows west through Switzerland, through the Alps. It dumps into Lake Geneva, and then continues on the other side of that lake, eventually making its way into France. Once this river gets into France, it starts to head south. As it gets further south, when it gets past the town of Lyon, it begins to cut through the Central Massif and the Alps. The Central Massif is that large piece of land we talked about in the Burgundian episode. From Lyon, it goes south and cuts through a very continental climate full of schist and granite. As it moves south, it leaves this continental granite-like land and goes into a more Mediterranean climate, where the land flattens out a little bit. It’s a lot warmer. And eventually, it dumps into the Mediterranean. This is the Rhône River.

The thing about the Rhône River is it is one of the major trade rivers throughout the history of Europe. Thus, humans have been hanging out around this river for a very long time. Wine has been around for a long time. This is Europe. This is France. We had the Greeks doing it. We had the Romans there. The dukes of Burgundy were there. Wine has been made for a long time in a lot of places in Europe. As usual, the history is deep, complex with twists and turns. I love it, and I can’t talk all about it, but just know that there’s been human activity here for a very long time. One of the reasons why we can’t get into all these really fun and cool stories is because this region is pretty huge. It spans 150 miles of the Rhône River, from Lyon down to the Mediterranean. From Lyon, going south, the first 60 or so miles of this river is what is considered the northern Rhône. It’s one section of the Rhône wine-growing region.

Then there’s about a 25-miles-or-so gap along the river between vineyards. Then, the last 60 miles or so is what is called the southern Rhône. A good way to start understanding this region is that there is the northern Rhône and then there was the southern Rhône. With that big gap between the two wine-growing regions, it’s pretty interesting why it’s all one region. It’s all in this one valley, but they are very different wine regions within this region. It’s almost as if a wine-growing region has dual personalities. The northern part of the Rhône only produces about 5 percent of the total output of the entire region. It’s here in these granite, poor soils that hug the Rhône River where Syrah shines the brightest. This is also the area where they believe the vine was first cultivated in this area when it was called Gaul back in the day before the Romans.

In the northern Rhône, Syrah is the only red variety allowed to be grown and made into wine. For white, it’s a grape called Viognier. For the northern Rhône, because it produces so much less than the south, I can get a little bit into it. The most northern appellation of the northern Rhône is an appellation called Côte-Rôtie, otherwise known as the roasted slope. It’s named that because of the way the vineyards are trained. They get a ton of sun but what you guys should know about the Côte-Rôtie region is that it is small and the majority of the wines are expensive. The unique thing about this appellation is that they often blend Syrah with the white wine Viognier. It’s an absolutely stunning result for a wine. You have this roasted, peppery, awesome Syrah blended with this very floral, aromatic Viognier, which makes these awesome, supple, smooth wines. They’re expensive, but if you get a chance, wow.

Now, this is on the left bank of the river. As we keep going south on the left bank, we hit the next appellation called Condrieu. I’m so bad at French. But this wine appellation only does Viognier. It’s a small appellation so it can be expensive but this appellation is how America fell in love with Viognier. If you see Viognier a lot in California, that is because of the popularity of this appellation. When done right, Viognier is stunning, almost dizzying with its floral notes, very aromatic. It’s a very satisfying white wine when it’s done in small quantities and this appellation does it.

Still in that bank of the river going south, you hit this large appellation called Saint-Joseph. You will see a good amount of Saint-Joseph on the market. If it’s red, it’s going to be all Syrah. It gets very close to the crazy, pure expressions I’ll talk about in a second but it’s awesome. It’s affordable, spicy, peppery, and it’s good. They also make white wine, and it’s not Viognier. There are two other white wine varieties in the Rhône that are often made and blended together with a grape by the name of Marsanne and a grape by the name of Roussanne. The wines made from these grapes are super cool. They’re almost savory, a little bit peppery, oily but not in a bad way. It has a viscosity to them, beautiful stuff. White Saint-Joseph would probably be a blend of one of those two, not Viognier. Viognier stops at Condrieu.

From the middle of Saint-Joseph, if you cross the river over to the right bank, there is a hill right on the river. That hill is full of granite, and it is its own little appellation that makes some of the best, most expressive Syrah in the world. If you follow me on Instagram @VinePairKeith, at one point I had an opportunity to taste one of these wines recently. No words, it will blow your mind. Some of the smokiest, peppery, savoriest, umami-est, concentrated, age-worthy wine in the world is grown on the Hill of Hermitage. It’s named after a knight that was in the Crusades. He came back and ended up being a hermit on that hill. It’s a legend. I don’t even know if it’s real or not, but this is it. This is the pinnacle of Syrah. It’s expensive stuff.

Wines from Hermitage will age 30 years or more. This is where Syrah is. It’s everything, but it’s expensive. It’s almost impossible to approach, only on special occasions and all that. However, what’s really awesome is there’s a larger appellation that surrounds that small little hill. It’s called Crozes-Hermitage. This area also grows primarily Syrah. It’s not just going to have that crazy concentration as you would get in Hermitage, but it’s a larger appellation, and it is an awesome expression of Syrah. Whereas Saint-Joseph is dark, smoky, easy to drink, and more depth of fruit, the Syrah from Crozes-Hermitage has this awesome bright, cinnamon orange peel feel to them, along with the pepper and along with the savory. They’re a little bit lighter, they’re a little more acidity, they’re very approachable. They do whites here as well, and it’s usually a blend of Roussanne and Marsanne. But it’s the Syrah’s in Crozes-Hermitage that I think is a great introduction to a Syrah from the northern Rhône. Then, you can move around from there, but Crozes-Hermitage is an awesome place.

Back over on the left bank just south of Saint-Joseph, is one of the smallest wine regions in France called Cornas. This place is the deep, dark, concentrated wine that Saint-Joseph can’t be. It is a nice, age-worthy alternative to the craziness of Hermitage. The Syrahs in Cornas are deep, dark, and smoky and have almost a mocha-heaviness to them. They’re just powerful wines and they can age a long time as well, but they’re approachable earlier than the wines of Hermitage. That’s basically the northern Rhône we’re going to see on the market. There are a couple of other small things going on in the northern Rhône that we don’t really see so much here. There is an estate that is literally one appellation. There’s also an area that does sparkling wine from Roussanne and Marsanne, but you’re not going to see a lot of that here.

With the northern Rhône, if you noticed when you see the wine labels, you’re going to see Saint-Joseph, you’re going to see Condrieu. You’re not going to see Côtes du Rhône. You’re just going to see those words. The northern Rhône is not something you’ll see on a label, but those appellations I just mentioned are what you will see. If you see Saint-Joseph, you know, “OK, northern Rhône, that’s only Syrah, I got it.”

Now, everything changes 25 miles south of the northern Rhône. The northern Rhône is basically 5 percent of the total output of the Rhône region. The southern Rhône is the other 95 percent. The majority of the wine from the Rhône that we see on the market, in the United States, is from the southern Rhône. It is huge! It’s very flat land. It’s not as hilly and granitic as far as the continental climate. We’re in a Mediterranean climate here. It sprawls out and is centered around this city called Orange. This is a much warmer area. It gets more sun, and Syrah doesn’t jive well in this area. It doesn’t ripen that well. Down here, there’s a whole different list of varieties that are used that are not used in the north. There’s a couple, but not much. Actually, there are well over 20 varieties of grape that are allowed to be used in the southern Rhône to make wine. It’s crazy.

This is where Châteauneuf-du-Pape is, one of the most famous noble wine regions in France, in the southern Rhône. This is the area where the blueprint for the appellation system of France, which inspired every other country, this is where it began. And part of it was in response to fraud because of the popularity of the wine in the area. Crazy cool story, I wish I could tell you all of it but what I will say, what’s important is the number of varieties that are used in this place is a result of that. It was a list of varieties that were in the area that could be used. To this day, you can still use them. The thing is, the majority of the winemakers in this area basically use two varieties, Grenache and Mourvèdre. There are other varieties like Carignan, Counoise, and Cinsault were other red varieties of grapes they used to blend into it.

Then, there are all these other varieties you can use, and that’s a general statement. Trends change because Mourvèdre is more popular today. It wasn’t always that popular, but those are the main varieties. There are all these other varieties that winemakers can use to make small amounts and blends to make the individual wines their own. There’s some white wine here, but the Rhône Valley in general, wine lovers, is a red wine region. There is white wine being made in the south, Châteauneuf-du-Pape does have white wine and in some other areas and it’s usually going to be a blend of Roussanne and Marsanne. It’s just a very, comparatively, extremely small amount.

This is how the southern Rhône shakes out for you guys to understand. It’s a three-tiered system. I want to start from the outside, and I’m going to work in. At the beginning of this episode, I talked about a wine called Côtes du Rhône. This category is almost 50 percent of the entire output of the Rhône. If the southern Rhône has 95 percent of the output, the majority of the Côtes du Rhône that you’re buying for $15 a bottle is going to be from the southern Rhône. Now, some of the grapes might be sourced from the northern Rhône. Côtes du Rhône AOC appellation from France can have wine from anywhere in the valley, north or south. That’s almost 200 villages with vines they can source from. That’s why it’s usually good, young burger wine.

Then there’s Côtes-du-Rhône Villages. You remember the village idea from the Burgundy episode. It’s basically villages. This is a category of wine in the Rhône where you’re getting a little more geographical. You’re not necessarily going to be sourcing from all over the Rhône. You’re sourcing from 48 specific villages and the vines within those villages. Those villages at some point, if they gain reputation in recognition, can be elevated to the next category. That category is Côtes-du-Rhône Villages as well, but with a geographical name. Right now, and it’ll always change, but there are 21 villages that can put their names on the label. I can’t go through all the names now and some are pretty long, but when you’re going to a wine shop you can say, “Can I get a Côtes-du-Rhône Villages with a geographical name to it?” They’ll know what you’re talking about.

The next level itself is an actual appellation. You’ve gone from Côtes-du-Rhône in general, to Côtes-du-Rhône Villages, to Côtes-du-Rhône Villages with an actual geographical name, to that geographical name becoming the actual appellation. That’s when we have Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Vacqueyras, and Gigondas. Actually, before 2009, I sold Côtes-du-Rhône Rasteau, which was a village with a geographical name. Then, after 2009, a couple of vintages later, I sold just “Rasteau” because it was elevated from a village with a geographical name to an actual appellation. It’s crazy, it’s wine. This stuff happens all the time. In all these Gigondas and Vacqueyras that I mention, when you see the bottle, it’s just going to say that. It’s not going to say Côtes-du-Rhône, it’s just going to say Vacqueyras, Gigondas, and Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

These are all wines that are blends of what is being used in the area, but because of their terroir and because of their traditions of making wine in those areas, they are different. Therefore, they can be separated out and called their own thing. It’s how wine works. If you guys have ever had Châteauneuf-du-Pape or any of the wines from the southern Rhône that are actually from these deep concentrated appellations, is they’re big, full-bodied wines. Across the river from Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône River, is one of the only primarily rosé regions in France called Tavel. Provence does a bunch of rosé, but they also do red wine and white wine.

Tavel only does rosé. This is very cool. The varieties are Grenache, Mourvèdre, and a little bit of Claret, which is a white blending variety. These rosés are deep ruby red. They’re refreshing and serve chilled, of course, but they have moderate acidity. There’s more weight on the palate, but they are savory. You sometimes get a little bit of tannin in there, and what’s cool about the rosé wines of Tavel is that they actually age. I’ve heard of them aging up to 10 years, but the norm is five years. They don’t get a lot of play on the American market, but when you find one, grab it. They’re really cool, and they’re awesome with food.

All right, guys, that is a Rhône Valley snapshot. That is the Rhône. Now, you can go out there into wine shops, go to the Rhône section and say, “I know what all of that means. Is that a Châteauneauf-du-Pape? That’s 100 percent Syrah. Syrah is really good. Oh, Gigondas? I know the blend.”

That is going to be so much fun. Enjoy!

@VinePairKeith is my Insta. Rate and review this podcast wherever you get your podcast from. It really helps get the word out there. And now, for some totally awesome credits.

“Wine 101” was produced, recorded, and edited by yours truly, Keith Beavers, at the VinePair headquarters in New York City. I want to give a big ol’ shout-out to co-founders Adam Teeter and Josh Malin for creating VinePair. And I mean, a big shout-out to Danielle Grinberg, the art director of VinePair, for creating the most awesome logo for this podcast. Also, Darbi Cicci for the theme song. Listen to this. And I want to thank the entire VinePair staff for helping me learn something new every day. See you next week.

The article Wine 101: Rhône appeared first on VinePair.

source https://vinepair.com/articles/wine-101-rhone/

0 notes

johnboothus · 3 years

Text

Wine 101: Rhône

Tune in to become an expert on the Rhône Valley and its wines.

Listen Online

Listen on Apple Podcasts

Listen on Spotify

Or Check out the Conversation Here

What’s going on, wine lovers? Welcome to Episode 13 of VinePair’s “Wine 101 Podcast,” Season 2. My name is Keith Beavers. I’m the tasting director of VinePair. How are you doing?

That is going to be so much fun. Enjoy!

@VinePairKeith is my Insta. Rate and review this podcast wherever you get your podcast from. It really helps get the word out there. And now, for some totally awesome credits.

The article Wine 101: Rhône appeared first on VinePair.

Via https://vinepair.com/articles/wine-101-rhone/

source https://vinology1.weebly.com/blog/wine-101-rhone

0 notes

randomtowns · 4 years

Text

50 Worst... Sometimes

This is going to be a long post, because I’m going to be discussing 50 towns instead of just one.

These 50 come from a USA Today clickbait article titled “America’s 50 Worst Cities to Live” (https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2020/02/29/americas-50-worst-cities-to-live/111367058/). In addition to the obvious ambiguity in “worst,” “cities” also isn’t quite right as it mostly contains unincorporated census designated places. However, it’s not without merit. I remember, as a kid, pouring over the “Places Rated Almanac.” My parents had two of these, from the 80′s, apparently to try and pick a place to live. The almanac used statistics like climate, crime, available of mass transit, team sports, schools, and other publicly-available information to create a score that determined the town’s rating. What was the best? I actually don’t remember, but I recall that, in both editions we had, Yuba City, California was dead last. But my history with this led me to actually scroll through this entire article one night, thinking of why exactly these places had been deemed so deplorable and unworthy of habitation. I’m going to go through each one on the list, and talk about my thoughts on the place, if I’d been there, or reasons as to why the area comes up, in my opinion.

Let’s get started...

Piney Woods, NC Been there? No

Piney Woods is a CDP located just east of the Jacksonville, NC city limits, and directly across the road from the main entrance to Camp Lejeune, most known as a facility for Marines when they are deployed. The area is mostly low density residential, with a mix of middle-class homes and mobile home parks. The article faults it for its poverty rate, unemployment (both slightly above the national average), and lack of public transit. Like any community adjacent to a large military, Piney Woods is going to see many ebbs and flows in its fortunes, and is not going to be a place where most people would want to live. Being a military community means it’s a largely transient area, with few interested in the improvement of the overall community due to the temporary nature of their assignments there. Those who stick around are likely mostly if not totally dependent upon the fortunes of the base.

Oskaloosa, IA Been there? No

Oskaloosa is a town about 60 miles southeast of Des Moines along Highway 163. It’s just far enough to miss out on being a Des Moines bedroom community, but maybe close enough to live within its shadow. The article cites the slightly above-average poverty and unemployment rates again, and points to the home value being half of the national median. There’s an annual regional fair held here, there’s a small liberal arts college (William Penn University), and a couple of companies located here. Originally a coal mining area, it’s possible that Oskaloosa has fell into the trap of a lot of industrial Midwestern towns, where they are unable to move on with a mostly unskilled labor pool.

West Pensacola, FL Been there? Yes

West Pensacola is a CDP with a number of unrelated neighborhoods just west of the city of Pensacola. There is a strip of retail along the major highways, including a number of hotels. It’s mostly a community of small homes in small neighborhoods with medium- to large-sized lots. However, it does include a particularly rough, poor section of Pensacola that is conveniently just outside of the city limits. Additionally, the area is just north of Pensacola Naval Air Station, and the southern boundary of the CDP is littered with strip malls, tattoo shops and low-end motels. It’s likely that a lot of the residents here work at the NAS. The article points out high unemployment, low income, and low home values, all attributable to the above. I’ve stayed here a couple of times, last in 2003, and I recall the area as being somewhat dumpy but not having an overall dangerous feel.

Greenville, MS Been there? No

It’s inevitable that a Mississippi Delta community would come up on the list. The region is notoriously poor, and with a poverty rate of 35%, the article points out that Greenville is the poorest city in the country. It’s the economic center of the area, but it being located in a particularly poor area is going to inevitably doom it to being a poor town.

Moss Point, MS Been there? Yes

Moss Point is at the eastern end of a string of towns along the Mississippi coast. Unlike the other towns though, Moss Point has no beachfront property, and sits directly north of Pascagoula. This likely leads to it having lower home values than those surrounding towns, which was exacerbated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, from which the town has never fully recovered. The article points out that it’s one of the poorest towns in the country.

Middletown, OH Been there? Yes

Middletown sits almost directly between Cincinnati and Dayton. Originally a canal town, it became a steel town in the 20th century, and has seen a similar fate as other steel towns. The article points out that the unemployment rate is just below 10%, and the poverty rate is just over 25%. Medium-sized (Middletown’s population hovers around 50,000) Ohio towns have had a rough time in the late 20th and early 21st century. If it’s not industrial exodus, it’s opioids, and Middletown is not exception to these issues. It’s pretty though, and it’s big enough that there are still nice areas in spite of the problems.

Augusta, GA Been there? No

One of the largest cities I have never been to. But can you blame me? James Brown’s beloved hometown has an awful reputation. Aside from the annual Masters golf tournament, there seems to be nothing to do here. The article points to a 10% unemployment rate and a 23% poverty rate. Like many southern cities, it’s a town of haves and have nots. The western side of town, home to the Augusta National course, features large, well-kept homes on large lots with mostly white inhabitants, but cross the tracks to the south and you’ll find many abandoned homes, or homes with bars on the windows, in a predominately black area. The consolidation of the city and county in the 90′s was meant to stem the tide of flight to the suburbs, and the resultant loss of revenue, but many middle-class residents have instead chosen to live across the river, in South Carolina. While Augusta has seen massive population decreases, North Augusta, SC saw a 20% jump between 2000 and 2010.

Bay St. Louis, MS Been there? Yes

Where Moss Point is at the eastern end of the Mississippi coast, Bay St. Louis is at its western end. You may look at a map and point out that there are communities to the west, but I’ve driven through here at night, and leaving Bay St. Louis is like leaving earth: it’s just dark, trees and bugs until New Orleans. Just like Moss Point, Bay St. Louis was heavily damaged during Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and has never fully recovered. The article points to its slightly above-average unemployment rate and its lack of recreation activities. It’s hard for me to judge that but, in looking at the map, it does seem to have few park areas that are not dedicated to sports facilities.

Lithia Springs, GA Been there? Yes

Lithia Springs is a small CDP just off I-20 west of Atlanta. Like a lot of suburban Atlanta, the area was developed with middle-class homes and little thought to zoning, only to be passed on in subsequent housing booms as the city grew. The article points out its lack of access to grocery stores. There is a Kroger at its eastern edge, but it’s strangely just outside of the CDP’s boundaries, which may explain this.

DeRidder, LA Been there? Yes

DeRidder is a small town north of Lake Charles, and is the seat of Beauregard Parish. Just across the Sabine River, in Texas, the region is known as “the pine curtain,” a reference to both its pine trees and its reputation as backward and isolated. DeRidder largely has the same reputation. It’s a logging town, and, likely due to that, it has a high unemployment and poverty rate, as the article points out. The parish’s low population is likely the cause of the lack of grocery stores and recreational options that the article laments.

Denison, IA Been there? No

Denison is a small town about 90 minutes north of Omaha. It sits in a heavily agricultural region, reliant on farming and meat production. The article points to its high unemployment rate, made higher within the last four years, a lack of an educated workforce, and low home values. Denison has emerged as a face of the new Midwest: now at 42% Hispanic. The unemployment increase can be attributed to the Tyson beef plant closing in 2015.

Atmore, AL Been there? No

Atmore sits just off of Interstate 65 north of Mobile. The article points to Atmore’s recent massive drop in employment and its current unemployment rate of nearly 20%. A new casino by the interstate, and some surrounding commercial development, are possibly the city’s plan at getting out of its rapidly declining economic state. As far as small Alabama towns though, Atmore does not seem anymore unsustainable.

Pahrump, NV Been there? Yes

Pahrump is a place you move to when you want to get away from people. Whether you’re a preper who distrusts the government, a retiree just seeking to live on your own terms, or a meth manufacturer, Nevada in general is possibly the most libertarian state, with Pahrump its possibly most libertarian community. The area is a mostly unorganized and random roads running off of just a couple of highways an hour or so west of Las Vegas. It’s close enough that you can still get what you need in the city, but far enough that you don’t have to feel closed in by the city or its housing prices. The article points to Pahrump’s drug issues as its main point of contention, but also its 10% unemployment rate. But it’s a cheap place to live, and its various qualities make it an attractive place to live while on government assistance. The town also features two of the few remaining legal brothels in the state.

Lakeland Village, CA Been there? No

On the more isolated southern shore of Lake Elsinore, against the Santa Ana Mountains, Lakeside Village did not grow the same as its Temescal Valley neighbors did. Interstate 15 has brought both steady traffic and a commuter route to Lake Elsinore, the lake’s namesake town on the other shore, but Lakeland Village seems to have been largely passed up. It has a reputation locally as both crime- and drug-ridden. The article points to its 12.9% unemployment rate, and high commute times.

Makaha, HI Been there? No

An isolated community along Oahu’s western shore, this is the only time Hawaii makes the list. The article points to its high cost of living contradicted by its below-average median income. It also points to its excessive 16.7% unemployment and 28% poverty rates. Its isolation (over an hour from Honolulu on a small, crowded highway) and reputation for having dangerous waves have kept it from being excessively developed like other parts of Oahu, but that also has meant that it has remained poorer than other areas.

Lehigh Acres, FL Been there? Yes

Lehigh Acres actually started as a stereotype: one of those large pieces of swampland where developers marked streets and plots on a map, and then speculators ate up, occasionally building homes with little or no infrastructure available. The area sat as mostly undeveloped until the 2000s real estate boom, and the subsequent crash was particularly devastating on the community, with its poor climate, lack of services, and longer distance to the beach. The article points to the community’s below-average income yet above-average cost of living. Google amazingly has nearly the entire area on StreetView.

Artesia, NM Been there? Yes

A town I actually like. Yes, despite having an oil refinery directly in its center, I’ve always found Artesia to be a charming little town, and a stark contrast to its larger, despicable Estacado neighbors to the north and south. There’s even a little brewpub here, called The Wellhead, that’s been open for many years. But the article reports an elevated poverty rate and lack of access to grocery stores. The latter may be due to the town’s only supermarket being very near to the Walmart Supercenter.

Arizona City, AZ Been there? Yes

Arizona City is a small, isolated CDP stuck between desert and cotton fields just south of Interstate 10, between Phoenix and Tucson. The article points to its above-average unemployment and poverty rates, and residents’ lack of access to both restaurants and grocery stores. But this is a snowbird town, and isolation is typical in places like this. This area just happens to be especially isolated. There is a large Hispanic population here, likely due to the surrounding agricultural industries, which may account for much of the poverty.

Bacliff, TX Been there? Yes

When I lived in Houston in the early 2000s, I would sometimes take drives to this small community along Galveston Bay, to sit by the water, and buy some quick food at one of the places along Highway 146. But it’s been a long time since I’ve been, and the article points out some changes. Bacliff’s above-average poverty may be directly related to the closure of its local chemical plant. The gang activity mentioned in the article is surprising, but it may be due to its proximity to Houston.

Earlimart, CA Been there? Yes

Yeah, okay, Earlimart sucks, I’ll give you that. There was an LA-based band in the 2000s called Earlimart, and the music led me to believe that they just got the name from the sign on the freeway, and never actually stopped here. I would say that Earlimart is the closest thing to a scummy Mexican border town I’ve seen in California. The article points out its staggering 41% poverty rate, above-average unemployment rate, and isolation from services. Despite its population, there are few restaurants here, but that’s largely because locals can’t afford to eat out. I’ve stopped here mainly for its cheap gas, but it’s a depressing little town, even for the low standards of the Central Valley.

Coatesville, PA Been there? Yes

Another steel town that has been forsaken. Meanwhile, it’s just a little bit too far from Philadelphia to be a viable bedroom community. The article points out its high unemployment and poverty rates, as well as its low home ownership rate. It’s hard to pick this as a lot worse than any of the countless similarly-sized towns throughout Pennsylvania, but I suppose the numbers are what puts this over the edge.

Perry, GA Been there? No

It’s strange to see a town right along a major interstate corridor be on this list as interstates often have a way of keeping a town afloat just enough with service and retail jobs. Reading over the article and the numbers, I’m not totally clear on why this one deserves such a high ranking (#29). Its unemployment rate is high, but not compared to cities surrounding this. This part of Georgia blows (the people are great though), but I don’t know why Perry gets such shade.

Bessemer, AL Been there? Yes

Another steel town, and one that has had issues with unemployment, poverty and blight for longer than most steel towns. This is partially due to early white flight, as the city was majority black by the 1950′s, and continues to be so today. A major interstate, close proximity to Alabama’s largest city, and a large water park, are not enough to boost the town out of its perpetual rut. The article points to a high unemployment rate and a very high poverty rate of 28%. However, there’s also an excessive violent crime rate (the highest of any city over 25,000 in 2019) and, it’s not just USA Today that thinks Bessemer sucks: the Wall Street Journal ranked it the worst city in Alabama in 2019.

Stockbridge, GA Been there? Yes

At one point, Stockbridge was a tiny town well outside Atlanta. As Atlanta grew though, Stockbridge became a large part of that city’s rising black suburbs, as African-Americans pushed out of the urban confines into home ownership as red lining and other racist policies were struck down. Based on the numbers provided in the article, it doesn’t seem that bad. My guess is that, like a lot of these poorer suburbs, it looks bad in terms of area housing costs versus incomes. Just like Perry though, I’m not sure why Stockbridge is getting picked on so much here.

Brooksville, FL Been there? No

The seat of Hernando County, Brooksville may be a symbolic center for the county’s issues with poverty, drugs, and crime. The article points to the town’s high unemployment and its low home value, and $49,000 median home value seems especially low for Florida. Then again, there are just not many large homes built in Hernando County in general, and Brooksville may be a more extreme example of that.

WHEW!!! That’s 50 to 26. I’m going to cover 25 to 1 tomorrow to break up the posts. Hope you enjoyed.

#worstcities #worsttowns #worstplaces

0 notes

wineschool-blog · 3 years

Text

Italian Wine Regions

0 notes

mukacorp · 4 years

Text

best areas to go back and forth in Spain in 2020

Tourism in Spain is, without a doubt, one of the suitable favorite choices in Europe with its company in all places in the world. With the wonderful seashores, mountains, ski resorts, high-quality climate, diverse and interesting nightlife, many cultural areas and historical cities, it is no wonder that Spain is probably the most frequent tourist destination in Europe for any class of shuttle.

if you're also attempting to find tourist places in Spain, then check out a listing by means of break listed under.

Madrid

source: trip consultant

Spain's first-rate capital metropolis showcases the country's staggering history. here's an ideal break vacation spot, as there are a royal palace, parade troopers, alternate guards and lots of museums to consult with.

There is no seek advice from Madrid with out a discuss with to all three foremost museums within the metropolis. The Prado museum reveals what previously the Royal Spanish artwork collection, while subsequent to the Reina Sofia Museum sees an up to date masterpiece just like the Picasso Guernica move. additionally, the local Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum combines historical Masters with the most beneficial contemporary paintings.

probably you might be drawn to THE superior CITIES TO BE AN EXPAT, RANKED

Granada

source: Jones world wide

located on the base of the Sierra Nevada mountain range in southern Spain, Granada is the capital of the province of Granada. Granada presents an ideal mix of normal cultures, animated nightlife and fantastic attractions including the realm-renowned Alhambra, the head of Moorish art wrapped in Andalusian history. This medieval complicated overlooking Granada is one in all Europe's splendid architectural attractions, with many guests to Granada to peer the Alhambra. The ultimate Moorish stronghold in Europe, the Alhambra presents appropriate décor, extraordinary and lush gardens, waterfalls and drip water, and excellent views of the metropolis under.

Valencia

supply: OFO go back and forth

right here, friends will see a lot of orange timber, but the fruit is called "Orange Valencia" is in reality planted in California. tourists who love native food as an alternative may still pay consideration to the paella. besides the fact that children the metropolis has a lot of monuments, Valencia's up to date treasures are the city of Arts and Sciences, a latest advanced of museums, cinemas, theatres, and so forth.

Barcelona

supply: Departures

Barcelona, the city, seaport, and capital of Barcelona Province (province) and of the Catalonia Autónoma Comunidad (self-sufficient group), north-Japanese Spain, lies ninety miles (150 km) south of the French border. it's the greatest of Spain's Mediterranean port and industrial middle and is prominent for its personality, cultural activity, and bodybuilding attractiveness.

The metropolis's core is observed in the Gothic quarter. founded between the Ramblas, a collection of linked boulevards, going southeast to the ocean and by means of Laietana, it's a close maze of narrow paths that are emphasized through amazing medieval structures. The church, Palace and church witness Barcelona's importance as a nonsecular middle.

might be you might be attracted to foremost locations to discuss within Europe in January 2020

Córdoba

source: Helle Hollis

A building is ample intent to take Córdoba up high on your itinerary: Mezquita. some of the optimum Islamic buildings on this planet, the Mezquita is the symbol of sophisticated lifestyle, secular construction here over a millennium before Córdoba as the capital of Muslim Spain and the largest cultural city of western Europe. but nowadays the Córdoba is greater than Mezquita. With so a great deal to peer and do, some charming lodging, and awesome eating places and bars, it's a lot more priceless than a transient seek advice from that many friends offer. The genuine charm of Córdoba opens as you discover the winding streets of the medieval city in the west, north, and east of the flashy tourist area correct across the Mezquita, wandering between the iron balconies and lights, potted flora, protruding timber.

Watch subsequent: proper 10 Tallest curler Coasters on this planet

The branch of tradition and Tourism - Abu Dhabi organizes book alternate experience with Spain's Biblioteca Islámica

Abu Dhabi, UAE: today the department of way of life and Tourism - Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) organized an ebook exchange experience all the way through which it offered its newest publications to representatives of the Biblioteca Islámica (Islamic Library) in Spain. Held this morning at DCT Abu Dhabi’s headquarters at Nation Towers in Abu Dhabi, the adventure became attended by way of Antonio Álvaraz Barthe, the Spanish Ambassador to the UAE, and aimed to promote cultural and intellectual trade between both nations.

The experience comes as a part of DCT Abu Dhabi’s efforts to increase relationships with international academic and skills-focused associations, in addition, to lift attention of Arab and Emirati culture the world over.

The adventure protected the alternate of many useful historic, literary, highbrow and scientific books, along with a collection of brief experiences. Titles covered The background of Muslims in Africa, the heritage of Arabic song in Andalusia, Bloody Blue Room, El Conde Lucanor, The Conquest of The Incas, the up to date Latin American Literature sequence, and the Poetry of Azad within the Pre-Islamic period.

Abdullah Majed Al Ali, performing govt Director, Dar Al Kutub Sector at DCT Abu Dhabi referred to: “it's a pretty good privilege to exchange and share books among diverse international locations, to advertise knowledge and give you the chance to learn more about other countries and their cultures. The Biblioteca Islámica in Spain represents a prosperous aid of abilities of the Andalusian Arab way of life, as well as the realm of science, that could benefit our readers within the UAE. Sharing and changing books can additionally contribute to bringing our Arab and Islamic culture, and the Emirati tradition, to the wider world.”

throughout the experience, Antonio Álvaraz Barthe, Ambassador of Spain to the UAE, mentioned: “This exchange will appreciably make contributions to the dissemination of our cultures in each nations. furthermore, an ambitious cooperation program between both institutions has been agreed for the following couple of years with a view to consist of joint exhibitions and routine and promotion of the translation of Spanish literature into Arabic.”

centered in 1981, Dar Al Kutub, DCT Abu Dhabi’s publishing sector, is likely one of the UAE’s greatest abilities repositories and a must-have resource for intellectuals, students and scientists. the sphere is answerable for the establishment of community, little ones’s and cell libraries. It also acts as a publishing condominium and provides translation services for many of the realm's primary literary works. considered one of its most vital roles is to advertise talented Emirati writers and researchers through publishing their books and academic works. the sphere additionally collects, preserves and displays ancient Arabic and Islamic manuscripts, overlaying loads of subject matters from literature and religion to science and humanities.

The Biblioteca Islámica in Spain is one of the most totally-respected Islamic libraries in Europe. it is home to one hundred,000 books, manuscripts, and documents, making it an important cultural aid and a beacon for Islamic subculture in Spain and Europe. It holds many useful books and documents that have been the main source of suggestions for generations of students and Arabists.

-Ends-

about the department of tradition and Tourism - Abu Dhabi:

The branch of lifestyle and Tourism conserves and promotes the heritage and subculture of Abu Dhabi emirate and leverages them in the construction of a global-class, sustainable vacation spot of distinction, which enriches the lives of visitors and residents alike. The corporation manages the emirate’s tourism sector and markets the destination internationally via a big range of activities aimed at attracting friends and investment. Its policies, plans, and classes relate to the maintenance of heritage and tradition, including keeping archaeological and ancient websites and setting up museums, including Zayed National Museum, Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, and the Louvre Abu Dhabi. DCT - Abu Dhabi helps highbrow and artistic actions and cultural pursuits to nurture a rich cultural ambiance and honor the emirate’s heritage. A key position is to create synergy within the destination’s development through shut coordination with its large-ranging stakeholder base. dctabudhabi.ae

Comida de la Calle — the highway food of Spain

if you go to the noted Mercado de San Miguel in Madrid, you are going to — neatly, you will frankly likely pay too a good deal for everything because the vicinity is reputed to be a significant vacationer trap. that you could tell, as a result of the entire indications are in English.

but if you do go there, you will be surrounded with the aid of a vast array of awesome meals.

In Spain, highway food is severe company. The country that gave the area tapas — small plates of intensely flavored food that are meant to be shared — additionally has a subculture of tapas-like street fare.

it's simply the element to retain starvation away between a big mid-day meal and a light late-nighttime supper.

notwithstanding it is a rustic of under 50 million Americans, Spain's cuisine is remarkably different. Surrounded on most aspects with the aid of water, the country fishes a whole lot of its food out of the sea. however, it additionally has mountainous areas, rural regions, and totally urbanized areas. The Roman Empire made its mark on the nation's cooking, as did the Muslim conquest of the Eighth Century that brought with it the constituents and cooking varieties of Persia and India.

And by hook or by crook, all of those influences discover their solution to the gala's, street stalls, kiosks, food trucks and markets that retain Spaniards convinced throughout the day.

I determined to discover the road meals of Spain with four representative and customarily familiar dishes. It become a grand beginning; making all four only made me wish to try many more. basically, it made me need to fly to Spain and pig out (most likely as a result of pork is so popular in Spain).

I started with the virtually iconic dish Patatas Bravas, which, if we are going to be all American about it, is simply the Spanish version of French fries with ketchup.

however, is so a good deal more. The Spanish use small, waxy potatoes (I used new purple potatoes), which have a distinct texture than the Idaho or Russet potatoes frequent for frying right here. In Spain they're also double-fried, a strategy that yields a crispy exterior and a creamy interior; it's additionally primary right here on the finer French-fry emporiums.

And the tomato sauce that makes the potatoes sing isn't in fact ketchup in any respect. it is less complex than ketchup, featuring simply the essentials: tomatoes, garlic, onion, olive oil, a tiny volume of sugar and, it being Spain, smoked Spanish paprika.

Patatas Bravas are what French fries aspire to be.

subsequent, I used equal oil to make shrimp fritters that were completely out of this world. they are tremendously simple to make, but they do require a peculiar ingredient: chickpea flour.

as it occurs, I had some chickpea flour at domestic. if you don't (and why would you?), and you may's locate it at a food market, which you could use semolina flour as an alternative of the mixture of all-intention and chickpea flours. but are trying to find the chickpea flour, as a result of I can't think about the rest that would be so gratifying.

It provides simply the right flavor to head in a batter with chopped shrimp and minced parsley and scallions. The fritters fry to, crisp golden brown and a wonderfully subtle taste of shrimp.

in case you crave extra spice, then you definitely will look to pattern the bird Pinchitos With combined Spices. These are the Spanish equal of chook kebabs (which you can also make them with pork or lamb), but the blend of spices that goes on them is all from Spain.

1. mix collectively the chicken cubes, lemon juice and spice mix in a medium bowl. Stir to coat…

Turmeric, garlic powder, oregano, caraway seeds, coriander seeds, garlic powder, anise seeds, black pepper and beaten red pepper all go into the mix, along with just the correct quantity of salt to deliver out the premiere in each and every spice. traditionally, these are grilled, but when you do not have a grill handy you could at all times pan-prepare dinner them, nevertheless on a skewer, in a big skillet.

Their flavor is intense, in a great way. In an outstanding method.

ultimately, I made Pa amb tomàquet, a dish so basic and simple I had at first now not regarded making it. however it is so universally loved in Spain that I decided to include it, and I'm blissful I did.

Pa amb Tomàquet is slices of baguette that are toasted, rubbed with garlic, rubbed with a cut clean tomato and then topped with a light drizzle of olive oil.

this is it. And it's that respectable. I'm told it's served at every café in Spain, and at each festival.

on occasion, the fundamental issues are most reliable.

throughout the year Let's eat has explored road food all through the realm. discover all of our stories and recipes beneath.

Empanadas — these familiar, golden, hand-held pies — are every day all over vital and South us, from Mexico to the southernmost tip of…

All you should find out about banana cue is that it is caramelized, fried banana, served on a stick.

simply west of Tokyo’s Shinjuku station, the busiest teach station in the world, the air is asserted to be heavy with the irresistible aroma of chic…

Some Americans declare that Singapore noodles aren’t authentic.

on reflection, it changed into the premiere meal of my life. no longer coincidentally, it become also the most desirable highway meals of my life.

In Cairo, breakfast is probably going to be a plate of beans blended with a ravishing array of spices and flavors and eaten with a bit of pita.

when you are in Budapest and you occur to be on the mall simply outdoor the Örs Vezér Tere cease on the red Metro line, make sure to cease off at the…

in case you suppose about Thai meals — which is something I do with alarming regularity — the Thai meals you think about first is doubtless Pad Thai.

I spent half of one youthful summertime in the Middle East, engaged on an archaeological dig. Most weekends I went into the neighborhood city and gorged…

not ever intellect that they truly originated within the core East. The meals that are most likely essentially the most Indian of all Indian foods, the meals most people…

#madrid #antique #famus place #history #spain

0 notes

readincolour · 7 years

Text

New Books Coming Your Way, May 23, 2017

Rich People Problems by Kevin Kwan 416 p.; Fiction When Nicholas Young hears that his grandmother, Su Yi, is on her deathbed, he rushes to be by her bedside—but he’s not alone. The entire Shang-Young clan has convened from all corners of the globe to stake claim on their matriarch’s massive fortune. With each family member vying to inherit Tyersall Park—a trophy estate on 64 prime acres in the heart of Singapore—Nicholas’s childhood home turns into a hotbed of speculation and sabotage. As her relatives fight over heirlooms, Astrid Leong is at the center of her own storm, desperately in love with her old sweetheart Charlie Wu, but tormented by her ex-husband—a man hell bent on destroying Astrid’s reputation and relationship. Meanwhile Kitty Pong, married to China’s second richest man, billionaire Jack Bing, still feels second best next to her new step-daughter, famous fashionista Colette Bing. A sweeping novel that takes us from the elegantly appointed mansions of Manila to the secluded private islands in the Sulu Sea, from a kidnapping at Hong Kong’s most elite private school to a surprise marriage proposal at an Indian palace, caught on camera by the telephoto lenses of paparazzi, Kevin Kwan’s hilarious, gloriously wicked new novel reveals the long-buried secrets of Asia’s most privileged families and their rich people problems. A Good Country by Laleh Khadivi 256 p.; Fiction Laguna Beach, California, 2009. Alireza Courdee, a fourteen-year-old straight-A student and chemistry whiz, takes his first hit of pot. He inhales; exhales. In an instant he is transformed from the high-achieving son of high-achieving immigrants into a happy-go-lucky stoner. He loses his virginity, takes up surfing, and sneaks away to all-night raves in Palm Springs. Alireza becomes Rez, and starts high school as a popular kid who can still keep up his grades, lie to his father, and surf like a pro Ras Al Ayn, Syria, 2013. Rez, now Reza al Alawah, stands in a valley with two hundred ISIS fighters and prays. Reza has come a long way for this moment and now he cannot remember the words of the prayer. He has left behind his entire life—mother, father, sister—traveled across continents and oceans, and pledged himself to a god he cannot, at this instant, call down. A Good Country is a coming-of-age novel set in a world where this means choosing a side and devoting yourself. Rez transforms from the carefree American teen to a radicalized Muslim and ISIS fighter and finally, after capture by the Kurds, a defender of the land and cities his grandfather and great grandfathers sought to protect. What we are left with at the dramatic end is not an assessment of good or evil, east versus west, but a lingering question that applies to all souls: Does a person decide how to live in this world or is their life decided for them? Blackballed: The Black and White Politics of Race on America's Campuses by Lawrence Ross 288 p.; Education From Lawrence Ross, author of The Divine Nine and the leading expert on sororities and fraternities, Blackballed exposes the white fraternity and sorority system, with traditions of racist parties, songs, and assaults on black students, and the universities themselves, who name campus buildings after racist men and women. It also takes a deep dive into anti-affirmative action policies and how they effectively segregate predominately white universities, providing ample room for white privilege. A bold mix of history and the current climate, Blackballed is a call to action for universities to make radical changes to their policies and standards to foster a better legacy for all students. Chasing Space: An Astronaut's Story of Grit, Grace, and Second Chances by Leland Melvin 256 p.; Biography Leland Melvin is the only person in human history to catch a pass in the National Football League and in space. Though his path from the gridiron to the heavens was riddled with setbacks and injury, Leland persevered to reach the stars. While training with NASA, Melvin suffered a severe injury that left him deaf. Leland was relegated to earthbound assignments, but chose to remain and support his astronaut family. His loyalty paid off. Recovering partial hearing, he earned his eligibility for space travel. He served as mission specialist for two flights aboard the shuttle Atlantis, working on the International Space Station. In this inspirational memoir, the former NASA astronaut and professional athlete offers an examination of the intersecting role of community, perseverance, and grace that align to shape our opportunities and outcomes. Chasing Space is not the story of one man, but the story of many men, women, scientists, and mentors who helped him defy the odds and live out an uncommon destiny. Chemistry by Weike Wang 224 p.; Fiction Three years into her graduate studies at a demanding Boston university, the unnamed narrator of this nimbly wry, concise debut finds her one-time love for chemistry is more hypothesis than reality. She’s tormented by her failed research—and reminded of her delays by her peers, her advisor, and most of all by her Chinese parents, who have always expected nothing short of excellence from her throughout her life. But there’s another, nonscientific question looming: the marriage proposal from her devoted boyfriend, a fellow scientist, whose path through academia has been relatively free of obstacles, and with whom she can’t make a life before finding success on her own. Eventually, the pressure mounts so high that she must leave everything she thought she knew about her future, and herself, behind. And for the first time, she’s confronted with a question she won’t find the answer to in a textbook: What do I really want? Over the next two years, this winningly flawed, disarmingly insightful heroine learns the formulas and equations for a different kind of chemistry—one in which the reactions can’t be quantified, measured, and analyzed; one that can be studied only in the mysterious language of the heart. Taking us deep inside her scattered, searching mind, here is a brilliant new literary voice that astutely juxtaposes the elegance of science, the anxieties of finding a place in the world, and the sacrifices made for love and family. Augustown by Kei Miller 256 p.; Fiction 11 April 1982: a smell is coming down John Golding Road right alongside the boy-child, something attached to him, like a spirit but not quite. Ma Taffy is growing worried. She knows that something is going to happen. Something terrible is going to pour out into the world. But if she can hold it off for just a little bit longer, she will. So she asks a question that surprises herself even as she asks it, “Kaia, I ever tell you bout the flying preacherman?” Set in the backlands of Jamaica, Augustown is a magical and haunting novel of one woman’s struggle to rise above the brutal vicissitudes of history, race, class, collective memory, violence, and myth. May 19, 2017 at 11:00AM from ReadInColour.com http://ift.tt/2rAisBD

#Books #ReadInColour #WeNeedDiverseBooks A Good Country #Augustown #Blackballed #Chasing Space #Ch

1 note · View note

reyasu90-blog · 4 years

Text

Why You Should Forget About Improving Your Movers In North Hollywood

Jimmy the owner happy that the missing Persons belted out Nobody Walks in the area Los Angeles. I've now safely pack up your luggage. The practice connects Downtown LA Hollywood Westside Culver metropolis the San Fernando Valley. But even If we transfer get in touch with a specialist shift coordinator will likely help you.

Best low-priced Movers Near Hollywood

shifting day ways and make an estimate from every one of the West Hollywood nearby movers that can help. four hundred by using a plumber to the first time any where on the planet’s initial round Workplace. Hippo movers will likely be among the earth’s most talented artists Stay here. to start with let me deal with the sixty cents for each pound security valuation.

L. a. relocating

vehicle transport area by attending the University of Southern California USC, where he graduated with. Moves are completed local I'm still left to your pros attending to your requirements. I tried to explain local and he mentioned I do not wait to suggest them. Pay any deposits needed to assistance high-ability company operations for example bubble wrap tape strong containers. getting ready to move from a L. a. our seasoned team will do every thing to relocate your things.

All-inclusive costs our vans our movers are properly trained to regulate to our industrial shoppers. Weho is usually a city with us today and We're going to deliver our prospects with storage. reasonable pricing and we back again anything we do from instantly answering phone calls to taking note of. Movers adore the advantage of this web site for the totally free in-property published estimate right now.

Any tips on an awesome relocating corporation in L. a.?

— Kiara ⚡️ (@IM_UR_MANNEQUIN) September 19, 2019

youtube

At relocating Squad we’ve completed as a single could effortlessly call it a novel local weather. evaluating apples with apples is No surprise that lots of hope to make your have faith in give us. When Comparing expense and belongings you want reputable and quality award recognition from. evaluating cost and matters to The truth that we are able to form prolonged-term relations with our assist you to.

I obtained a claim form. supplying good quality household and Place of work transferring providers within the temper for the giggle. Website costs displayed are very well preserved and they are headquartered right here kinds you recognize. FYI the overwhelming majority of being the heart of Downtown retains us centrally Positioned to all.

Hollywood Moving Services

The story islooselybased about the well known Sunset Strip and revel in our good quality support. When persons are neighborhoods among Hollywood along with the Sunset Strip which can be situated With this extraordinary town. golf equipment acquire component During this exclusive technique for accomplishing points with the lunch split. los angeles moving comapny At Bestreviews we can provide you with want only the most effective going and storage services. because 2005 they weren't damaged down when it comes to expenditures as well as other.

Hollywood Moving business

We completely recognize what a local move Hollywood another way to estimate your shifting prices is. Los Angeles moving company The SMARTBOX storage furniture security relocation of significant furnishings utilizing significant lifting elements to in which you operate. Neighborhoods you’re keen on on the lease right before stepping into the city of Angels. Just get it really is far more than 50 % of La to LA Jolla. Movers in Los Angeles that the Los Angeles relocating company spot has around 30 decades.

L. a. shifting organization

get in touch with or fill out the form were in truth a 50 % hour late. In one 8 what truly the fact that you employ the correct packing elements to be able. Finale movers is a local West Hollywood movers will tutorial you might be accomplishing. For a successful transferring expertise as opposed to looking ahead to support going from North Hollywood. Our totally free app for more cost-effective digs attempt neighborhoods in Northeast L.A Kings is another.

Movers L. a. CA location houses and a lot more for making our consumers major transfer. check out Downtown LA and its architectural treasures including the artwork Deco Union station. Even though the Over-all Price tag to rent a lengthy distance you wish to perform with. Can right away get pleasure from your new Angeleno Life-style On this Local community and you need to.

inexpensive going And Storage‎

In some way you'll be able to shift your products across the nation Delta transferring methods. Indeed the avocados but my research while in the San Fernando Valley and perform. and you simply’ll have good customer service their operate ethic also signifies that mainly because it was just painted. Want to work with our Los Angeles neighborhood guide to the very best shifting companies. outline your priorities What’s vital that you learn how to enable it to be a singular local climate. Angels of Anaheim, is actually and several may perhaps say ironically based in Orange County-a number of miles away.

#movers in North Hollywood #storage North Hollywood #North Hollywood moving company #storage North Holly

0 notes

biofunmy · 5 years

Text

36 Hours in Santa Barbara County

With its Mission-style facades and showy tropical foliage, Santa Barbara could be a commercial for the California good life. It can be easy to underestimate the struggles of a place so seemingly flawless. But Santa Barbara has had a tough few years. From the devastating wildfires in 2017 and 2018 to the flooding and mudslides that followed, the county has experienced more than its share of trauma. Yet if it weren’t for the charred chaparral faintly visible on the surrounding hillsides, the average visitor might never know. This is, after all, a place that’s good at reinventing itself. That spirit is on display at the new Hotel Californian, which sits on the site of a grand beach resort that was destroyed — just weeks after opening — by the 1925 earthquake that defined modern Santa Barbara’s architecture and character. Smack in the center of Southern California’s spectacular coastline, the county is surprisingly rural. In its multigenerational ranches and farms, its remarkably undeveloped public beaches, and the expansive Los Padres National Forest, Santa Barbara County offers glimpses of California before it got crowded.

Friday

1) 3 p.m. Sweet stroll

Start your visit in the city of Santa Barbara with a cone at Rori’s, a decadent ice creamery in the Santa Barbara Public Market, which serves organic ice cream in flavors like Black Pepper Pistachio, Root Beer Float or vegan (coconut milk-based) Tropical Wild Berry. Cones start at $5.50, so take advantage of the kid’s happy hour (3 to 5 p.m. daily, when cones are two for the price of one). Then, drive up past the historic Old Mission Santa Barbara, a striking colonial structure representing a tragic history, to the 78-acre Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, established in 1926 and devoted to pre-Columbian native species. Shake off your travels with a walk along the garden’s meandering pathways, alive with the sound of bird calls and chirping insects. Find a shady spot beneath a coast live oak or coastal redwood and appreciate the plant life — species like the Russian River Coyote mint and the Canyon Prince giant wild rye — that thrived in the area’s temperate climate before the arrival of the Europeans.

2) 5 p.m. Magic Hour

Head downtown and explore the city’s paseos, plazas and parks, including Alameda and Alice Keck parks, twin parks and gardens that, combined, include a koi pond, exotic trees like Canary Island date palms and Hong Kong orchids, and Kid’s World, a community-constructed wooden play structure that overflows with shrieking children. On State Street, Santa Barbara’s main drag, stop for Apéritif Hour ($10 Sunshine Spritzes, made with Aperol alternatives like Cocchi Rosa and Cappelletti aperitif wines) at Satellite, an outer space-themed restaurant and wine bar with a menu designed by the chef Emma West of the beloved, now shuttered, Julienne Restaurant. Satellite serves sexy, distinctly California dishes like Rad Toast ($7), the Yoga Pants Salad ($16), and Smoked Shrooms ($16) in a casual, bar-like setting with a mod décor of avocado-colored bench seats, framed newspaper clippings of the moon landing, and film reels of early rocket launches and moon walks projected on the wall. While the food is meat-free and the wines lean “natural,” Satellite doesn’t take itself too seriously. Then, snag a bike at downtown’s Bikes to Go rental station ($10 per hour, $35 per day) in the open-air Paseo Nuevo mall, and cruise downhill to the pier for the ultimate pre-dinner show: a Pacific Coast sunset.

3) 8 p.m. Special occasion

The 10-table, largely unadorned dining room at Yoichi’s is deceptively modest. It feels like stepping into the home of an extraordinarily gracious host. It makes sense, then, that this kaiseki-style restaurant, which specializes in multicourse meals, is a mom-and-pop establishment. Opened in 2015, the restaurant, named for its chef and co-owner Yoichi Kawabata, serves a seven-course, $125 prix fixe menu that builds on itself — from the zensai (appetizers) to owan (soups), the mukouzuke (chef’s choice sashimi) to the yakimono (grilled dish) and mushimono (steamed and simmered dish). Small plates arrive one after the next, featuring complex dishes with clean flavors, including the Jell-O-like water shield and briny snails, pickled plum in bonito broth and egg custard soup with rockfish. By the time you’re sipping a complimentary glass of yuzu sake at the end of your meal, the cumulative effect of the experience feels more like a brilliantly executed concept album than mere nourishment.

Saturday

4) 8 a.m. Burritos and books

Get an early start at Super Cucas, an out-of-the-way Mexican grocery with a meat counter, dried chiles in bulk, and 20 varieties of breakfast burrito — including an Energy Burrito stuffed with the region’s signature meat, beef tri-tip, vegetables, scrambled eggs, cheese, potatoes and housemade salsa ($7.99) — starting at 6 a.m. Alongside a Mexican Coke, they’re an ideal early morning, pre-surf session, eat-by-the-beach breakfast. Then, head to Chaucer’s Books, an independent bookstore so charming it warranted a love letter (in essay form) from the writer Pico Iyer. Pick up a beach read, a book on local history, or let the kids loose in the store’s children’s corner, which feels like a literary wonderland for little people.

5) 10 a.m. Go Go Gaviota

Drive north along a stretch of Highway 101 that includes two of California’s most stunning state park beaches, Refugio and Gaviota. For a mellow morning paddle along this spectacular, white sand and palm-tree-adorned coastline, schedule a kayak tour ($119 per person, lunch included) — at least a week in advance is recommended — with Santa Barbara Adventure Company. After a quick beginners-friendly tutorial, float over forests of kelp, the fastest-growing plant on the planet, while learning about Pacific marine ecology and watching for seals, dolphins and brown pelicans. Or, if you’re up for an arduous but rewarding hike, take the Gaviota Hot Springs-Trespass Trail ($2 parking fee), which climbs over 1,000 feet through wildflowers and blooming agave plants for a dazzling view. Or, skip the hike and head for the “hot springs” — lukewarm, crystal clear, sulphuric-smelling and shaded by a single palm.

6) 2 p.m. Wind into wine country

Cut inland across a landscape of giant boulders, chaparral and ranchland until you reach Buellton, a town that was, until recently, most famous for a nearly century-old road food institution, Pea Soup Andersen’s restaurant. In the last two decades, the Santa Ynez Valley’s wine-growing reputation has begun drawing not only wine enthusiasts, but the restaurants to feed them. For a lunch of oysters topped with fresh uni ($8), white shrimp with pancetta, chile and garlic ($13), beef tongue pastrami Reuben ($16), smoked pheasant with basil and citrus ($14), and exotic wood-fired pizzas (think skirt steak, tomatillo and queso fresco, $15), stop into Industrial Eats, which is named for its location in an industrial park surrounded by breweries, wineries and distilleries.

7) 3:30 p.m. Wine country, itself

Pence Vineyards and Winery, on Route 246, is a working cattle ranch that grows Burgundian varietals, mostly pinots and Chardonnays, on a creatively landscaped vineyard with a pond, trails and an appointment-only tasting room. If you’re not a drinker, or traveling with children, head instead to Solvang’s Ostrichland ($5 admission), where you can buy a pan of bird feed ($1) for the farm’s 100 or so ostriches and emus. The gift shop sells the bird’s oversize eggs. Then, hop over to Los Olivos, an impossibly cute town that overflows with tourists on weekends, and stop into Story of Soil, a tasting room manned by the husband of the winemaker, Jessica Gasca, who focuses on single vineyard, single varietal wines, including a standout Gamay, that have a cult following.

8) 6 p.m. Dine Outside

Drive down Route 154 from Los Olivos, past Cachuma Lake, to Cold Spring Tavern. This former creekside stagecoach stop at the top of the San Marcos Pass has been a staple of California road trip culture since 1865, before the automobile was invented. A wooden shack draped in ivy and filled with Old Western charm and tchotchkes, from taxidermy to wagon wheel chandeliers, serves the region’s famed tri-tip grilled over red oak and has live music in its backyard, where picnic tables offer extra seating. Or, for a more cosmopolitan dining experience in the city of Santa Barbara, sit beneath the strung lights on Loquita’s side patio, where quintessentially Spanish dishes like pan con tomate (pan de cristal — a ciabatta-like Spanish bread — with grated tomato, garlic and herbs, $9) and pulpo (Spanish-style octopus with black garlic aioli, lemon vinaigrette, potato purée and pickled red onion, $22) mix with the gauzy atmosphere in ways both intoxicating and magical. The restaurant, which is one of the restaurateur Sherry Villanueva’s many hits (including popular local spots like Helena Avenue Bakery, The Lark and Tyger Tyger) also offers a drink list heavy on Spanish wines, sherries, vermouths and gin and tonics. Don’t miss the Loquita Martini with an El Bulli olive ($15).

9) 7 p.m. History theater

Built in 1930, on the site of the once-grand Arlington Hotel, the Arlington Theater in the city of Santa Barbara was built in the era’s characteristic Mission Revival style. A former movie theater that still sometimes hosts films and festivals, the 2,000-seat Arlington features a Robert Morton pipe organ that rises onto the stage during musical performances. While the Arlington’s interior is painted to create the illusion of a Spanish night, its stage flanked with illustrated villas and stars overhead, the Santa Barbara Bowl sits on a hillside dotted with Southern California mansions. A venue with an ocean view, the Bowl was funded by the Works Project Administration and carved into a former quarry in the 1930s. Designed to accommodate the Arabian horses that are a staple of the annual Fiesta celebration, the venue now hosts a mix of big name acts — from the Raconteurs to Lionel Richie — and other performances and events, like the Santa Barbara Mariachi Festival, from spring into the fall.

Sunday

10) 9 a.m. Surf’s up

Carpinteria’s Esau’s Cafe is an old school breakfast diner with bright orange vinyl booths, housemade muffins cooling on the ledge of an open kitchen, hot sauce containers crowding the diner counter, and — because this is California — surf posters on the wall. A nearly 90-year-old institution, Esau’s serves heaping platters of diner classics along with some California-centric riffs, like the roasted Pasillo chile relleno omelet ($13.95) and the so-called “Basic Breakfast” with a mahi-mahi steak and eggs ($11.95) in place of the more conventional beef steak. After breakfast, head up the coast and across the train tracks to join the locals at Padaro Beach — or, as it’s known here, Santa Claus Beach.

11) 1:30 p.m. Made in Santa Barbara

The Funk Zone’s Seaside Makers Collective opened last year in response to the economic toll the city’s recent hardship was taking on the area’s artists and artisans. The shop’s handmade crafts, jewelry and body products — including a skin-care line made from the byproducts of the local wine grape industry, and jewelry made from local sea glass and abalone shells — are great gifts and souvenirs, evoking Santa Barbara’s personality while supporting its craftspeople. Around the corner, The Blue Door is a multistory emporium of vintage and antique housewares, furniture, clothes and more. Along with its eclectic used goods, the shop also carries some Santa Barbara-made products, like a line of beach-inspired candles from Santa Barbara Apothecary Company, in scents like San Isidro Lavender, Surfer’s Point, Ellwood Eucalyptus, and, amusingly, Montecito Money.

Lodging

With a look designed to reflect California surf culture nostalgia, Kimpton Goodland (5650 Calle Real, Goleta) has yoga mats and turntables in every room (starting around $250), an on-site record shop, bikes to borrow and a courtyard pool.

Part of Shelter Social Club, a small local chain of vintage motels that have been stylishly rehabbed, Agave Inn (3222 State Street, Santa Barbara) is a basic, budget-friendly option with a bit of character and 13 rooms starting at $139.

For affordable, family-friendly accommodations near the beach, look for Airbnb rentals in the Mesa neighborhoods — East, West and Alta — which have gorgeous views, attractive historic homes, and are close to the Douglas Family Preserve and Hendry’s Beach, and not far from downtown. Prices for an entire cottage or guesthouse start in the mid $100s.

52 PLACES AND MUCH, MUCH MORE Follow our 52 Places traveler, Sebastian Modak, on Instagram as he travels the world, and discover more Travel coverage by following us on Twitter and Facebook. And sign up for our Travel Dispatch newsletter: Each week you’ll receive tips on traveling smarter, stories on hot destinations and access to photos from all over the world.

Sahred From Source link Travel

from WordPress http://bit.ly/2YO5aq5 via IFTTT

#IFTTT #WordPress

0 notes

wineschool-blog · 3 years

Text

Italian Wine Regions

0 notes

wineanddinosaur · 3 years

Text

Wine 101: Sonoma

Inspired by one of VinePair’s most popular site sections, the Wine 101 Podcast takes an educational, easy-to-digest look into the world of wine. This episode of Wine 101 is sponsored by J Vineyards & Winery. For over 30 years, J Vineyards & Winery has developed a reputation as one of the top sparkling and varietal wine producers in California. With styles from bright and bubbly, to bold and complex, J wines offer remarkable range and exceptional craftsmanship that you’ll want to share. J has come to be known for its celebrated estate vineyards, contemporary winery, and world-class hospitality. Uncork joy with J, and let life bubble over.

Welcome back to Wine 101. In this week’s episode, VinePair tastings director Keith Beavers tackles the complicated region that is Sonoma County. Building on last week’s conversation about Napa Valley, Beavers dives back into American Viticultural Areas (AVAs), sub-AVAs, and why it’s so difficult to really define Sonoma County.

While Sonoma vintners are now required to print “Sonoma County” on a bottle before the specific AVA, Sonoma County itself is not an AVA. Twice the size of Napa Valley, it’s not even a region per se, but simply a county. Moreover, given the region’s diverse geography and geology, it’s impossible to assign one signature variety to the area. Instead, new vineyards are constantly popping up, new AVAs are applied for, and all industry is governed by what Beavers calls “the spirit of Sonoma.”

In this episode, Beavers traces Sonoma’s history back to the pioneering vintner Agoston Haraszthy, who emigrated from Hungary and introduced some of the first vineyards to Sonoma County. Today, Sonoma is celebrated for many different grapes, the creation of the farm-to-table movement, and an effort toward total sustainability. Beavers explains all of this and more in his effort to demystify the complicated, multi-faceted Sonoma County.

Listen Online

Listen on Apple Podcasts

Listen on Spotify

Or Check Out The Conversation Here

My name is Keith Beavers. And the soup thing: Do we do it for dinner? Or do we do it for lunch? Or is it a “both” thing?

What’s going on, wine lovers? Welcome to Episode 25 of VinePair’s Wine 101 Podcast. My name is Keith Beavers. I am the tastings director of VinePair, and how are you, and you, and you, and you? So, I think we may know that Sonoma is the neighbor of Napa, but what is Sonoma, really? You know, like, what is it? How do we understand this region? And it’s crazy, guys. It’s nuts.

One thing we have to do first, is we got to get something out of the way here. Sonoma is crazy. It’s insane in the best way possible, but we gotta start here.

OK. Are you ready? Here we go. Northern Sonoma, Sonoma Coast, Fort Ross-Seaview, Petaluma Gap, Russian River Valley, Green Valley, Chalk Hill, Los Carneros, Sonoma Valley, Bennett Valley, Sonoma Mountain, Moon Mountain, Dry Creek Valley, Rockpile, Alexander Valley, Fountain Grove, Knights Valley, Pine Mountain.

When we think about Napa Valley, what we understand is there’s a valley with a certain amount (nine) AVAS on the valley floor. We also understand that there are six AVAs in the surrounding mountains. Another thing we understand about Napa Valley is that at one time, they were going to try to emulate Bordeaux with their communes.

We know that it’s sort of a fine-wine region, and we also understand there’s Napa Valley as an AVA, and within that AVA there are 16 sub-AVAs. That’s how it works. Or you can call Rutherford an AVA, or you can call Rutherford a sub-AVA of Napa Valley. And there’s a rule there in Napa Valley where you have to put Napa Valley on your wine label, and then Rutherford. There’s a rhyme and reason to it. There’s an organization to it. I just rattled off 18 American Viticultural Areas (AVAs). Those 18 viticultural areas live in Sonoma County. But here’s the rub: There is no overarching AVA that organizes the AVAs of Sonoma. What Sonoma is, is a patchwork of 18 different American Viticultural Areas, some of them within others. So they could be called regions of certain AVAs, but it’s not a cohesive, organized unit. I mean, there is some organization, which I’ll explain. But what Sonoma really is, and this is what’s really unique and interesting about Sonoma, Sonoma is a county filled with American Viticultural Areas. It’s not like in Europe or even other parts like Napa, or other parts of the country where you have like, “OK, this is the AVA, and this is the sub-AVA, and this is how it’s organized.” That’s not what it’s about. What Sonoma is about is the land and how crazy the land is, and how jarring it can be from the coast to the Sonoma mountains, to the Mayacamas Mountains, which border Napa. It’s basically like, since the early ’80s, winemakers and wine vine growers and wine people have been finding certain areas special for certain reasons, applying for AVAs, and being awarded AVAs.

And it’s still happening. The most recent AVA awarded to Sonoma was in 2017. It’s called the Petaluma Gap. So it’s ongoing. This is just because there’s so much potential, even though there’s awesome wine there already, there’s so much more potential in Sonoma that it could get, I don’t know, 15 more AVAs? I mean, that’s an exaggeration. Or is it? I don’t even know. So I really can’t in one episode of Wine 101 talk about all the AVAs in Sonoma County, because we’d talk about the AVAs and the individual-ness of them, but we wouldn’t understand Sonoma in general. So that would take about 45 minutes or a couple episodes.

So let me just give you a sense of Sonoma first, and then we’ll go from there. Sonoma County is 1,500 square miles. Napa Valley is 789 square miles. Kind of gives you a sense of that. If you look at the two of them side by side on the map, because they are side by side, Sonoma County is massive as a wine-growing region compared to Napa. The majority of the western border of Sonoma County is 50 miles of coastline of the Pacific Ocean. And this Pacific ocean influence is a huge factor in the wine-growing in Sonoma County. The southern border of Sonoma County is basically Marin County, but also the northwestern shore of the San Pablo Bay because it neighbors Napa to the west. And of course the San Pablo Bay does have an influence on some parts of Sonoma as well in the south. And the northern border is basically Mendocino County — by the way, Mendocino County makes great wine as well, it’s just not part of Sonoma. And the extreme western border of Sonoma County is the Mayacamas Mountains, which basically has a couple Napa AVAs in it and two Sonoma AVAs.

But the thing about Sonoma is, it’s massive. But even within its massive land, it has an extremely diverse geography and geology. It has mountains, it has valleys, it has what’s called “benchland,” like escarpments. It has amazing slopes in the hills of the mountains. The elevation goes from actual sea level on the coast, and as you go inland, it can get up to 2,600 feet above sea level, and then everywhere in between. It’s crazy. And because of all the tectonic activity in the past, the soil compositions throughout Sonoma are mind-boggling. And this is one of the reasons why people are always exploring different areas of Sonoma and finding like, “Hey, let’s turn this into an AVA.”

OK. This can get a little science-y, but just bear with me for a second. You have soil, right? And then you have other layers of soil that can form on top of that soil. That original layer of soil is called the parent material. And then the other layers of soil are called the topography, and everything that happens in that soil, from the influence of climate to the organisms, the organisms that live in that soil, to the time that soil has been around, affects the formation of that soil. It’s called a formation type. And Sonoma has 11 of them. And among these soil formations — what winemakers and vine growers really love — are these things called soil series. It’s soils that are similar to each other within formations, that grow together, that help the winemaker understand how the vine is going to grow in that soil.

I know it’s really insane, but what’s crazy is, of the 11 formation types in Sonoma, there are 31 different kinds of soil series. And within those soil series, there are innumerable amounts of differences within that. I mean, it’s kind of mind-boggling. And among all of that, among those 1,500 square miles and coastline and all of these different soil compositions and elevations, over 425 wineries grow 60 different kinds of varieties of grape.

But all of that is only 6 percent of the county’s “land under vine.” I mean, I say 60 varieties, but it’s really just Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Merlot, and Sauvignon Blanc. These are just the list that you get in California a lot, especially in Northern California. This is just what they grow.

But the thing is, in every AVA in America, you can do whatever you want. If someone wanted to grow Grüner Veltliner in Sonoma, they could do it if they wanted to. But these are the grapes that work best in the area, according to the people that grow grapes and make wine there. And among the 18 AVAs in this region, this county, AVAs are designated for their soil types, their elevation, but also, “What does well there?” And yes, there are just AVAs that are known for Pinot Noir or Chardonnay. Alexander Valley is known for Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Zinfandel. Bennett Valley is known for Merlot, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir. Dry Creek Valley is known for Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvigon Blanc. And Knights Valley is known for Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot. But that doesn’t mean that’s the only thing they can grow and make there. They can do whatever they want. And that’s where the 60 varieties come from.

Because also something to know about Sonoma: This place is one of the first areas where vines were really grown for wine in Northern California. This area has such a rich history of not only vine-growing and winemaking, but even before that is agriculture. My gosh, I mean, Petaluma is the chicken capital of the world. There is sustainable farming going on all over this Sonoma area. Actually in the 1960s, during the formation of the farm-to-table movement, Alice Waters of Chez Panisse in Berkeley, she basically sourced everything from the Sonoma Valley. So it’s kind of like the whole farm-to-table thing began in the Sonoma County area. It’s crazy.

Then when you’re driving around Sonoma — I have family in Petaluma, so I’ve been to Sonoma a few times and I got to say, when you’re driving around, you don’t really know where you are half the time because there’s no cellphone signal half the time when you’re driving around Sonoma. It’s not rugged, but it’s that deep into elevations where you’re just going through valleys and hills and valleys and “Oh, there’s a vineyard.” It’s crazy. “Well, here’s a farm.” It’s really beautiful and awesome and spectacular.

And the wine that comes out of here is just all over the place. I mean, there are Pinot Noirs that are big and huge and fleshy in the Russian River Valley. There are lighter Pinot Noirs made in the south in Los Carneros, which is a region that’s shared with Napa Valley. Cabernet Sauvignon, grown in Rockpile all the way north toward Mendocino County, is big and structured and beautiful, very different from the Cabernet Sauvignon grown in Sonoma Valley all the way to the south, which is warmer and just softer and supple.

It’s just all over the place. And when you drive into Sonoma, the downtown area, it’s like this little Sonoma square, you’re just scratching the surface. You’re in the southeastern part of Sonoma. And if you just sit in the middle of the square of Sonoma and you look north to northwest, that is the vast land I’m talking about. And it’s just crazy. Agriculture has been a huge part of Sonoma for a very long time. Back in the day in 1812, when the Russians were here in this area and they settled at something called Fort Ross, which is near where Fort Ross AVA is, they’re credited with sort of starting the whole agricultural thing around here.

They’re known for planting these apple trees that are very famous in this area — the Gravenstein apple trees. But as Sonoma became more and more settled, dairy, poultry, vegetables, oats, rye, apples, cattle, you name it. This place has all this stuff. And just to this day, wine is like a $500 million business. It’s insane. But just behind that is milk, then there’s poultry and cattle. I mean the milk industry is like $146 million a year, and it’s sustainable. And what’s really wild about Sonoma is, whether it’s wine or milk or poultry, they’re trying to go 100 percent sustainable. And that is where with the wine, we have a little bit of organization going on here. Because the wine AVAs are so scattered throughout.

And it’s really just about the land and about the terroir, if you will. But there is this idea where we have “Sonoma County.” So now, as of 2011, you have to put Sonoma County on your wine label and then you put the appellation. But the thing is, Sonoma County is not an AVA. Sonoma County is just the county. I mean, there are sub-AVAs in Sonoma, but they are sub-AVAs of some of the other AVAs. So for example, the Northern Sonoma AVA has six AVAs within it: Dry Creek Valley, Alexander Valley, Knights Valley, Chalk Hill, Russia River Valley, and Green Valley. Within the Russian River Valley, we have the sub-AVA of the Green Valley, which is actually called the Green Valley of the Russian River Valley. And Fort Ross-Seaview is a sub-AVA of Sonoma Coast. And it goes on, and on, and on.

And I know you’re like, OK, this is really cool and all, but like, how do we understand Sonoma? And that’s the thing, guys. I think we have to explore Sonoma piece by piece. When you go to the wine shop, if you’re going online, or if I have another opportunity to go digging into each of these AVAs, just explore the AVAs. Get a sense of them. Some of the areas are warmer. Some of them are cooler. Some have higher elevations. There’s higher acidity, like I said, it’s kind of all over the place. But the beauty of it is that it’s all great wine. These winemakers are geeking out on all these areas, and we get to enjoy their geekiness. It’s just a really unique place in America where wine is made.

And there are a lot of pioneering winemakers in Sonoma. Sonoma is really what began the rebirth of the wine culture and the winemaking culture in California. And there’s a lot of people that contributed to this, but there’s this one guy, this one dude from Hungary that did a lot of work in wine in America.

And he made his way from Hungary to Wisconsin, from Wisconsin all the way to California, Southern California, and then to San Francisco. And then eventually up into what is now Sonoma County. This man’s name was Agoston Haraszthy. He was not just a winemaker. He was a businessman, a pioneer, you name it. This guy was a horticulturist. He was all over the place, but he was a big business guy. And when he left Hungary and came to the United States, he ended up first in Wisconsin. And he loves wine. He actually built a town in Wisconsin, he started a ferry business, but wine was a big deal for Agoston Haraszthy.

This is around the early 1800s. This guy’s story is incredible, and it’s really long, but it’s so cool. Some highlights here. One of the things he did is he brought a lot of wine knowledge from Europe to the United States. And the idea when you go to Sonoma or any wine region really now in the United States, and there is somebody when you walk into a hill and that’s where people are aging their wine, that was Agoston Haraszthy’s idea. He just brought that idea. He started it in Wisconsin, actually; there are wineries in Wisconsin where he was boring holes into hills. And by the time he made it to California, he continued that sort of thing. Actually, he landscaped Sonoma so much, it actually got a little bit out of hand. But he was the first to really open a commercial winery in Sonoma, calling it Buena Vista.

It was an old winery that he bought and converted it. And he’s also the guy who hired Charles Krug as a consultant to help make wine and got his career started. He set up his own viticultural society. He also became the president of California’s Agricultural Society. And at some point, he went back to Europe and came back with well over a hundred vines and brought them to Sonoma. And the spirit of Agoston Haraszthy is exploration, experimentation, and trying new things. It’s all Agoston ever did. The poor guy at some point went bankrupt, went down to South America, disappeared, and was never seen again. It’s an awesome story. But what he brought to this place was this sort of rebel spirit, that sort of exploratory spirit.

I think that’s what Sonoma has to this day. It’s constantly exploring its very diverse geology, topography, and elevations and trying to find new places to plant vines. ‘Cause it’s almost like Sonoma is the ultimate vine-growing American experiment. There’s other places in California and the United States that do this. Absolutely. But Sonoma, it’s mostly wine these days, but there’s also still that other agriculture and livestock and farming going on. It’s just all of it at once. And in addition to that, in the areas that agriculture doesn’t work, vines do, and that’s the spirit of Sonoma.

And I know this episode is a little bit different, right? Usually I explain everything to you so you understand it, but that’s what’s so cool about Sonoma is you kind of have to just play around. ‘Cause that’s what they’re doing. They’re playing around. I mean, they’re smart, but they’re playing around. They’re making really cool stuff. This is great Pinot Noir. Great Chardonnay. Great Sauvignon Blanc. Great Merlot. Great Cabernet Sauvignon. There’s great Syrah going on there. There’s amazing Zinfandel happening there.

And with each of those varieties, there’s different styles within Sonoma County alone. And yes, I did say those other 60 varieties are happening. Those are being experimented with, so at some point down the road, we might have a Grüner Veltliner that does really well in a certain new rocky region, somewhere in the northern part of Sonoma County, who knows? And the other great thing about Sonoma is that it’s easier for us to understand “this variety does well here, so we fall in love with it.” You know, Riesling for New York, Cabernet Sauvignon for Napa, Pinot Noir in Willamette, Ore. But you know, there are certain AVAs that are very popular from Sonoma — for example, the Russian River Valley is really known for its Pinot Noir — but there’s other stuff going on in Sonoma that’s not just one grape.

So Sonoma is not known for one grape. It’s known for many different regions that make a short list of grapes, but experiment with all kinds of stuff. I think it’s really great. So even though this episode was a little meandering at times, I hope you get a sense of Sonoma and really get a chance to fall in love with it, whether you’re buying it online, or if you go into a wine shop.

If you’re digging what I’m doing, picking up what I’m putting down, go ahead and give me a rating on iTunes or tell your friends to subscribe. You can subscribe. If you like to type, go ahead and send a review or something like that, but let’s get this wine podcast out so that everybody can learn about wine.

Check me out on Instagram. It’s @vinepairkeith. I do all my stuff in stories. And also, you got to follow VinePair on Instagram, which is @vinepair. And don’t forget to listen to the VinePair Podcast, which is hosted by Adam and Zach. It’s a great deep dive into drinks culture every week.

Now, for some credits. How about that? Wine 101 is recorded and produced by yours truly, Keith Beavers, at the VinePair headquarters in New York City. I want to give a big shout-out to co-founders Adam Teeter and Josh Malin. I also want to thank Danielle Grinberg for making the most legit Wine 101 logo.

And I got to thank Darby Cicci for making this amazing song: Listen to this epic stuff. And finally, I want to thank the VinePair staff for helping me learn more every day. Thanks for listening. I’ll see you next week.

Ed. note: This episode has been edited for length and clarity.

The article Wine 101: Sonoma appeared first on VinePair.

source https://vinepair.com/articles/wine-101-sonoma/

0 notes

johnboothus · 3 years

Text

Wine 101: Sonoma

Listen Online

Listen on Apple Podcasts

Listen on Spotify

Or Check Out The Conversation Here

My name is Keith Beavers. And the soup thing: Do we do it for dinner? Or do we do it for lunch? Or is it a “both” thing?

One thing we have to do first, is we got to get something out of the way here. Sonoma is crazy. It’s insane in the best way possible, but we gotta start here.

Ed. note: This episode has been edited for length and clarity.

The article Wine 101: Sonoma appeared first on VinePair.

Via https://vinepair.com/articles/wine-101-sonoma/

source https://vinology1.weebly.com/blog/wine-101-sonoma

0 notes