An All Season Table Setting: Teal & Silver

Be ready for a dinner party any day of the week, any season of the year!

This simple table setting is not only pretty but great for everyday use. Basic colors also allow for this setting to go from winter to spring and summer to fall.

Simplistic white plates with white cloth napkins, silver napkin rings, silver placemats, silver-rimmed, lacey wine glasses, silver bowl and tall silver votives can easily match any color runner. I chose a teal and white patterned runner for a pop of color. Change the entire look by switching out a new runner. Make it your own!

(Runner, placemats, votives and bowl were all finds from a recent trip to HomeGoods)

Getting Crafty with a Homemade Initial Wreath

Maybe I'm more crafty than I thought!

I attempted to make an initial wreath for a friend as a gift. I browsed pictures of others and roamed around Michael's to find everything I needed. Here's what I got:

1 grapevine medium wreath
1 wooden letter
1 large colorful flower
3 small ivory roses
1 piece of greenery
1 small can of spray paint for the letter
1 spool of florist wire
1 spool of ivory ribbon
1 wreath hanger
(will also need hot glue gun and hot glue)

Step 1:
Spray paint the letter, outside, on each side. Let dry.

Step 2:
Cut the flower stems off, leaving a few inches to attach to the wreath. Also, save some of the leaves for decoration.

Step 3:
Assemble the flowers, leaves and greenery on one side of the wreath, sticking the stems into the wreath. Use the florist wire to ensure they stay put.

Step 4:
Once the letter is completely dry on both sides, find the appropriate position so you can begin to hot glue the letter to the wreath. Hold in place until it dries.

Step 5:
Cut a large piece of ribbon. Use this to hang from the wreath hanger. Tie in a simple bow.

Step 6:
Hang the wreath hanger on a door and hang the wreath!

VintoVino - A New Social Network for Wine Lovers

Another day, another social network.

This time it's one focused on wine lovers, VintoVino. You set up a profile, like you do on so many others, and you can connect with other wine lovers and even the wineries themselves.

You also have the option to sell wine on the website. This is ideal for small wineries who have yet to distribute and want to sell to a captivate audience.

It's a great concept but still has a long way to go before it will be useful. There are only a handful of wineries to "like". It's very similar to Facebook but does add the value of purchasing/selling from the same site.

I've signed up and we'll see how it grows!

Favorite Eats of 2013

It's no secret that I love to dine out and try as many new dishes as possible. Here is a highlight of my favorite eats of 2013:

Little Goat Diner in Chicago, IL

Chicago is a foodie town and we had some fantastic meals while visiting. One of the most eclectic was at Little Goat Diner where I ordered "Kimchee & Bacon & Eggs & Pancakes Asian Style Breakfast Tasty Thing". And it was just as bizarre as it sounds! Honorary mention: brunch at Wishbone. Read more about our full trip here.

Fiola in Washington, DC

We celebrated my birthday this year at Fiola in DC, a well-recognized Italian restaurant that had been on my "must-visit" list for a while. We ordered bison tartare and tortellini of baby lamb with seared fois gras. Absolutely amazing! Also, sushi and sparkling at The Source beforehand was a great way to start off a birthday celebration!

Blue Smoke in NYC

For our 1st wedding anniversary, we took a trip to NYC and of course there were numerous fantastic eats during that trip! We were caught by surprise when we visited Blue Smoke for some southern BBQ. And man, was it delicious. 

Ai Fiori in NYC

Our anniversary dinner was celebrated at Ai Fiori where we received fantastic service and complimentary sparkling and dessert! Always the way to my heart. I enjoyed the lobster risotto.

Trummers on Main in Clifton, VA

Trummer's has been on my "must-visit" list for a long time too. We finally went for an impromptu date night. I've had rabbit a few times before but the rabbit ragu dish at Trummer's tops them all. For my entree, I enjoyed the short ribs. Definitely a must visit in NoVa.

And what's Favorite Eats without Favorite Drinks?!

Ripple in Washington, DC

Craft Spirit of Poe was an event held on the anniversary of Poe's death and numerous bars in the DC area crafted original cocktails to match with a Poe reading. Ripple did it best with a cocktail including a chicken foot! It was aptly named "Raven". Surprisingly, it was delicious!

And it's not a great year without Grand Cru Burgundy from the Ritz-Carlton!

Here's to many more experiences in 2014...

Cheers!

New Year, New URL

In efforts to streamline my online presence, I've changed my blog address to www.jesshagadorn.com starting this year!

Managing multiple social media accounts (personal, wine blog, YoungWinos, etc), I've decided to downsize and use my name as the one alias. Don't fret, there will still be wine! It'll just be much easier to keep up with the conversation.

Follow me and join in the conversation:
Twitter
Facebook
Instagram
Pinterest

Best of 2013

So earlier this year, I recapped my amazing year of 2012 and at the end asked, "ok 2013, what do ya got?!"

So here's how 2013 went:

• Continuing my experience at Boxwood, I learned about the bottling process. With their own state-of-the-art bottling line, I watched and assisted in bottling the popular 2012 Rosé! Working for a winery really taught me the behind the scenes of how the juice gets into the bottle and on the shelf.

• We took our first trip to Chicago over Memorial Day weekend and had a great time drinking and dining all over the city, complete with Veuve!

• At the end of the summer, I took another career jump into the sales side. I took a full-time job as a wine sales rep in the DC/Arlington region and am loving this side of the business.

• We had a fantastic staycation at the Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner where we had a great experience at their Entyse Wine Bar, the Bistro and of course a plush, cozy room.

Overall, 2013 has been a great year! However, not as eventful as 2012 but I planned that! Life has been too crazy the past couple of years so 2013 was just what I wanted. Who knows what 2014 will bring!

Carménere, the Forgotten Grape

Carménere has recently been rediscovered in Chilé and now you can find it on just about any retail shelf. But what is it and how did it gain it's comeback?

Carménere originated in the Medoc region of Bordeaux and is thought to be one of the original six red grapes. However, it's not rarely found in Bordeaux but rather in Chilé. When the vines were transferred to Chilé, they were planted with the Merlot grapes and was thought to be Merlot for decades. Since it was really another varietal mixed in with the Merlot, Chilean Merlot was unlike any other. It wasn't until 1994, when a researcher found that some of those grapes were actually Carménere. Since then it's be labeled as such and gaining popularity.

I opened a bottle of Casa Rivas Gran Reserva Carménere recently and truly enjoyed it. Very easy to drink on its own but easily paired with many foods. Big, bright fruit with a medium finish, this wine was a perfect sipper to enjoy in front of the tv. This wine comes from the Chilean region of Maipo, closest region to Santiago.

Curious? Pick up a bottle of Carménere and taste for yourself!