Archive for June, 2009

Transform Your Legacy

Friday, June 26th, 2009

FAMILYphoto2Watching the recent Farrah Fawcett footage has made me think quite a bit about legacies. What do you want to be remembered for? Maybe it’s for being a good mother, a good son, a good cook, a good neighbor. Whatever yours may be, be sure not to miss your train — We only get one chance to do this right. Sure, you can have a few “do-overs” here and there, but for the most part a choice is a choice, and it can take your life in a dramatically different direction than if you had checked another box.

Take a few moments out of your day to look within yourself and think about what it is you’re here for; what your purpose is. What you want to be remembered for shouldn’t be difficult — It should be part of your daily life; something you’re consciously aware of.

The path, you can change, but the time, you can’t ever get back.

I’d like to be remembered for making people laugh. For making them feel as though I was there to listen when they needed to be listened to. For being a friendly, generous person. For never taking the bad times too seriously. For having a positive outlook on life, for my desire to help people, for doing what I could to make this place a bit better than how I found it.

Your turn.

Slow down for an hour or so today and think about what your list would be. Think about your past, your present, your future. Remind yourself periodically during the day tomorrow that even though you might get another chance to “do-over” your day, you’ll have to use the next minute to regain your ground. Living with meaning makes the journey more enjoyable, more lively, and much more memorable.

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2007 Evodia "Old Vine" Garnacha

Wednesday, June 17th, 2009

Evodia WineThey say not to judge a book by it’s cover, but Evodia’s wine label is certainly one to hang onto! It’s unequivocally beautiful.

If you tend to gravitate towards one of the big three reds (Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir) I would recommend this wine as the one you branch out with.

This Garnacha from the village of Atea, Spain, is hands-down my favorite Garnacha under $10, and without effort rivals those in higher price ranges. Spicy red & dark berry flavors mixed with cracked pepper gives this wine an intensely wonderful aroma (raspberry, blackberry & wild cherry). Appropriately so, “Evodia” is the Greek word for “aroma”.

The Grenache grape, made most popular by the Rhone wine region of Fance, is believed to have originated in Spain, where it is referred to as Garnacha. Typically, the grape is used to fill-out other red blends, such as Syrah, but Evodia is a 100% varietal, grown on “old vines”.

“Old Vines” is a term used to describe grape-producing vines ranging from 25-40+ years old, and are considered to produce a higher quality of fruit than younger vines.

The following was taken from the Review Journal:

Vineyard: 100% old vine Garnacha comes from high altitude vineyards (2400-3000ft) in the villiage of Atea, Spai

In the glass: Evodia is a deep crimson-red color with purplish streaks, a purple to pink rim with medium-high viscosity.

On the nose: The wine is full of pure extracted crushed peppery black fruit, ripe blueberries, boysenberry sauce and spicy vanilla extract from oak, then notes of new American oak by itself, soft jammy berry components and a touch of smoke, licorice root and earthy minerals underlying.

On the palate: Evodia is big and spicy, then juicy in the mouth with nicely complex, concentrated chewy blackberry fruit, licorice root, crushed brambleberries, pepper-laced minerals, and then soft, almost chewy, tannins going into a superbly balanced midpalate that is smooth around the mouth, although retains a sense of freshness from the relatively forward acidity. The deep fruity finish has a nice mouth-feel that lasts for 20-plus seconds, and shows why wines made from Old Vines are profound to taste, from a concentration point of view.

Odds and ends: Although garnacha is a grape varietal that is native to the Rhone Valley in France where it is called grenache, it has been in Spain for centuries. In many cases, the vines from which the fruit for this wine was made are as much as 100 years old. In addition, the dry-farmed vineyards are high up in the foothills of this mountainous region of Spain in pure slate soil. The wine’s name is the Greek word for “aroma” and there’s plenty of that in this hit-in-the-making for less than $10. Drink it now through 2011, and try it with a grilled piece of flank steak, sliced and medium-rare served with salsa

What are you waiting for! Head out this week and pickup a bottle to try it out for yourself. I assure you won’t be disappointed.

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iPhone Wine App: WineSnob

Monday, June 15th, 2009

Wine SnobThere are many things in life I’m infatuated with — Working out, healthy eating, laughing, enjoying friends & family, Federal Hill Italian restaurants, vacations, graphic design, film –  The list is lengthy. So for today’s purpose let’s stay on one road, and focus on just two in the collection: My iPhone and Wine.

I often keep track of wine on-the-go to remember the varietal, year, region, and price for a later date. It’s not always easy to jot this information down on a napkin, especially when at an upscale restaurant, nor is it appealing to those around you. He hem. Solution: Since I always have my iPhone on me what better way than to use it for this?! I’m getting excited already. Thanks to some great iPhone wine applications this becomes an easy task.

So how do you know which one to download? It can be tough. But after trying out a few, I recommend WineSnob. To date it’s served me well. Here’s a bit about it. Enjoy!

WineSnob

- Your free WineSnob account syncs your data with their servers for ensured backup
- Save pictures of labels or bottles with each entry
- Tag tasting keywords for convenient recall
- Search for wines by name or tasting tag
- Enter very detailed notes on wines tasted
- View home page stats on average price, average rating, and number of wines you have tasted
- Have quick access to your last recorded wine
- Lookup varietal and pairing info in the updated guides
- Browse wines by name, type, price, varietal, region

Happy Wine Documenting!

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Set Yourself Financially Free

Friday, June 5th, 2009

590birdsI’ve splurged on $200 jeans or $50 bottles of wine, but at the end of the day those are luxuries I’m grateful for, not everyday occurrences I crave.

Whether you have a three- or seven-figure bank account, being able to separate yourself from material objects will ultimately improve your quality of life. You’ll begin to enjoy the simple pleasures, and focus on what you have or need, instead of what you want or wish you did.

Before we get in to deep.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with seeing something in a store and wanting to buy it. The issue comes when the urge-to-splurge consumes you. Saying, “I wish I had ::insert product here::” more often than not is a common warning sign, and if you’re experiencing it, please seek medical assistance as soon as possible.

So, where do we start?

Back to the basics.
You need shelter, but not a mansion. You need clothing, but not True Religion. You need food, but not fillet mignon. There’s a big difference between “need” and “want”, and Americans have blurred those lines rather well over the years. If you are in a position where you can afford those things, be proud of that, but don’t feel as though you need them to project your success; that becomes a very tricky avenue.

Don’t make a wish-list.
Who needs to focus on a list of items they can’t yet afford? It will just leave you feeling worse about your situation. You may by default become less-stressed by eliminating these, as you’ll be focussed in the present moment instead of the future.

Live withing your means.
If obtaining something will put you in financial stress, stay away. You shouldn’t purchase a home or car and then be so strapped for cash you can’t even enjoy it. Who wants to spend every day stressing about What If’s? ‘What if something breaks and I have to replace it’ or ‘What if I can’t afford the monthly $2k mortgage’, etc.

Retail therapy is not the answer.
Spending money you don’t have is not therapeutic. Charging up your credit cards in moments of stress is a bad, bad idea; you’ll just end up being even more stressed afterwards. If you must buy something (which I’m not condoning, but hey, we’re only human) go for something inexpensive and small you can enjoy for an extended period of time – Plants for the garden or a new set of wine glasses. Think smaller during these shopaholic moments.

Detach yourself from careless spending.
This is important at every income level. You don’t really need 10 different bottles of lotion so don’t allow your mind trick you into thinking you do. At $40,000/year you might want to buy a Range Rover. At $1,000,000/year you might want to purchase a $10 million home – Neither is sensible.

Turn to nature.
Instead of going on a shopping-spree with a friend go on a nice walk or run, and plan to grab lunch or dinner together later on to reward yourselves for not blowing $500 on items you really don’t need.

The point of controlling your mindset regarding money is not to limit yourself to buying what you can afford, but instead to start thinking about other things before you think about whipping out your wallet. Try to begin focusing on what you have — Life becomes a much happier and less-stressful place when you do.

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