On the Lookout...for Wine?

It always amazes me how prolific the internet can be.  My article:  Beyond Napa and Sonoma, Wine Regions of California made top feed for this Switzerland-based newspaper.  Ha!

Follow me there:

http://paper.li/winecntryguide/1295405594/~list?topic=travel

Asia Becoming a Strong Presence in Wine Sales

Grape Creek Winery, Texas

Asia has its liquors, some include Sake, Shoju, and Lao Lao.  People have enjoyed them for centuries without complaint, without a feeling of longing or need.  Asians were content.

Until now.

According to statics for 2010, the US is now exporting more wine to Asia than any other place in the world.  Things look serious.  Young, middle class professionals across Asia are looking for more variety in their libations--and are willing to spend money to get it.

In 2002, when I lived in Japan, a bottle of cheap Sutter Home table wine cost $50 and came in a 500ml bottle.  Wine was expensive and came with temple-throbbing headaches.  During my months traveling, I went without.  So much so that when I returned home after almost two years overseas, I refused to buy any wine except American.  Some people thought it was naive, resigned to beliefs that American wine was somehow inferior.   Please.  I knew what bad wine tasted like and it wasn't in any of the bottles I was getting from Mendocino County.

Now with demand on the rise, China and Hong Kong seem to be at the front of the checkout line, acquiring and consuming massive quantities.  This got me thinking about where all this wine came from.   Of course the answer is not simple.  American wine comes from a myriad of valleys, vistas, and mountain sides.  And I'm not going to lie...some surprised me.

Check out my articles about American wine regions.  

Exploring Virginia's Wine Country

Beyond Napa and Sonoma

Traveling the Texas Wine Trail

Trappist Beer

Football and beer meld together into a season of strong safeties like Troy Polamalu and strong ales like Rochefort 10.  This fall, I've developed a curiosity over Trappist beer.  The long history and strict regulations are fascinating.  To top it off, only six breweries in the world can make Trappist Beer.

Isn't there always a magnetic draw between a consumer and a product hundreds of years old and in limited supply?

My article sums it better:  What is Trappist Beer?

Traveling in Japan on a Budget

Temple View at Miyajima Island, Hiroshima, Japan

If I asked Neil how much a bowl of kishimen soup cost us at a now-closed noodle shop in the small town of Kozoji, under the train station, in 2003, he'd know the answer.  If I asked him how many hours we spent on the slow trains from Nagoya to Nagaski, he'd have the time down to the minute.  My husband is like a crazed ninja-bookkeeper of travel.  If he can't recall a name, date, or menu price, he has it written down in one of his notebooks, stowed carefully in a box on a shelf in the basement.

His mind never ceases to amaze me.  When I'm ready to give up, he says, "Wait.  Let me find my notes."

On our computer, Neil maintains a folder called <NDF> with a subfolder <Travel> and a sub-sub folder called <Japan>.  Logically organized.  In these files, he and I have compiled our memories of Japan, our adventures, mishaps, and lessons learned--sometimes painfully.  

Some files don't mean much to anyone except the two of us.  Other files we've edited and farmed out to people who needed information on Japan.

In the quest to share, the following article accounts for some of our best lessons learned in Nippon.  Click here:  Traveling in Japan on a Budget.

Happy Reading!

On the Whiskey Shelf

The Whiskey Ward, New York City
Photo: Neil Friedman

“What’ll you have?”  The bartender at the Whiskey Ward takes position at the bar, hands pressed against the wood, arms flexed and his face patient.  Behind him, the wall is covered with lovely bottles of whiskey—Bourbon, rye, Scotch, Irish, Japanese.  Like little soldiers, they sit under long menus that list single barrels and malts and batch.  The bartender is probably used to it but I’m taking my time, enjoying the sheer breadth of the options.  There are over 100 bottles alongside the usual lineup of libations.

Whiskey can be a hard sell for women.  The heat and rush of this spirit can overwhelm the senses.  In 2011, people have their choice of drink.  Fruity drinks with crushed ice.  Sparkling drinks in tall flutes.  Dark beers crafted by Belgian monks.  Wines from vineyards centuries old.  So why should anyone consider this distilled delight?

Woodford Reserve, Kentucky Bourbon Trail
Photo: Neil Friedman

Let’s talk Bourbon.  Regulated by law and location, sour mash is made from corn and aged in charred oak barrels that can only be used once.

Bourbon Barrels, Kentucky Bourbon Trail
Photo: Neil Friedman

At the risk of being called vain, I also like whiskey because it's weight friendly: 40 calories. 

It mingles well with others.  Makers and ginger ale is a year round favorite.  Mint Juleps are nice too, extra mint please.  During winter, hot toddies are perfect with lemon and a shot of Blantons.  The citrus tickles my nose.  The tea feathers across my eyelashes.  And the whiskey takes all the warmth straight to my toes.

Maker's Mark, Kentucky Bourbon Trail

It’s indigenous.  Bourbon is American.  Scottish distillers immigrated to America in search of the Great Dream.  They moved to Kentucky for good water to make their libations and bad roads to keep authorities out.

Aging Process, Bourbon Distillery
Photo: Neil Friedman

Kentucky summers make Bourbon unique.  Stored in warehouses, the barrels expand and pull the liquor into its charred staves.  As winter comes, the wood contracts and squeezes the whiskey back into the cask.  The years pass and the process continues until the Bourbon is ready with its caramel spicy flavors and smooth finish. 

So when the bartender asks what I’ll have the first thought is everything.  My answer: How about a flight?

Wands at the Ready

Ollivander's Wand Shop
Wizarding World of Harry Potter

The door creaks open and the witch standing next to it ushers 20 people off the line and into Ollivander’s wandshop.  Inside, a small lantern flickers in a dark room.  Cabinets and shelves reach to the ceiling, filled with long dusty boxes each holding a wand.  Pressed into a corner, I peer through through the solemn shadows to see cupboards half opened and an old bell high up the wall.  When Mr. Ollivander looks at us from over his spectacles, everyone—even the adults—come to full attention, hoping that somehow a wand will choose one of us as its mate.

Hogwarts Castle, Harry Potter Theme Park

Harry Potter purists will grumble that the designers of the Wizarding World spliced Rowling’s magical geography in the name of commercial sensibility.  The newest section of Universal’s theme park, the Wizarding World is organized into Hogwarts and Hogsmeade with the iconic red train, idling at the gates.  The castle stands prominently against the treeline, as it should.  But Hogsmeade holds some shops that belong only in Diagon Alley though I admittedly didn’t realize at first, completely overwhelmed as I was by the feeling of stepping into one of my favorite stories.  As soon as you pass through the gates, the jolly conductor from the Hogwarts Express welcomes you.  Don’t ask him to take a picture with your muggle camera.  He has no idea what it is and managed to take a nice shot of his own nose on ours.  He’s so silly—you just want to hug him.

Hogsmeade Shops, Harry Potter Theme Park

There’s Honeydukes, Zonkos, and the Owl Post.  The Three Broomsticks is a high traffic stop for refreshments.  Seating and service is well organized; and while the menu does not include muggle sodas, you can choose between pumpkin juice, butterbeer, or my favorite, Hogshead Ale.  I got an order of fish and chips to accompany my pint and enjoyed them on the outdoor patio.

Eating in Wizarding World of Harry Potter

But it doesn’t matter what you eat or see or ride in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.  Like everyone else, you’re there for the wands. 

Inside Ollivander's Wand Shop

Inside the wandshop, Ollivander chose one little girl to be tested for a wand and the rest of us deflated, stifling our petty jealousies as she picked up a wand made of holly, causing the cupboards and draws to slap open and shut.  We laughed as she then waved one made of oak, causing the bells to chime and echo throughout the store.  Then,  she held the last, made of heather, flexible, 10 ¼ inches.  A breeze kicked up, a light switched on, and I shook my head at the cheesy cheekiness of it.  But the little girl stood where she was, quietly holding the wand that had chosen her.  A small grin pulled at her lips, the satisfied smile of a Harry Potter purist.

Early Morning, Harry Potter Theme Park

Opulence in an NYC Home

The simple wood entry understates the opulence within.  It's almost like a magical door that hides a treasure  trove.  At One East 70th Street, the Frick House is a portal back in time.  Everything remains as if Henry Clay Frick still walks through the halls on his way out to a steel-tycoon meeting.  

The Garden Court has a frosted glass ceiling that filters natural sunlight into a ethereal glow, roman pillars surround the space, and stone benches sit around a long fountain with frogs streaming water from their mouths.  And this is just one room.  The music room, dining room, oval room, and west and east galleries are adorned with priceless works of art--objects that Frick and his wife collected with (you know) their spare millions.  Inside, there are works by Goya and Degas and three (3!) Vermeers.

My favorites:

The Fragonard Room has regal wall paintings, framed in gold.   Sculptures, bronze works, and gilded pieces decorate the fireplace, totaling $5 million at the time of purchase.  This is a showcase room, a place where Frick had to have smirked, thinking: it's good to be the king...

The Boucher Room is feminine and lavish.  Everything preserved as it was meant to be: a lady's drawing room where Mrs. Frick could spend her evenings among chairs, desks, and paintings all crafted in France during the 1700's.  Maybe it was good to be queen too...

Sometimes Students make the Best Teachers

Photo Courtesy of WikiMedia Commons

Four years ago, one of my most timid students stood up in front of his class, cued the slideshow and said:  "Aung San Suu Kyi: Freedom Fighter!"

After three long days of presentations, I'd that glazed look of passive observation stapled to my face.  When this presentation began, I snapped out of my haze and sat at the edge of my seat.  Minutes passed like seconds as I listened to my soft-voiced student unravel the tale of Aung San Suu Kyi's life.

Her father was a Burmese politician who helped free Burma from British control by leading the National League for Democracy.  His dedication to Myanmar made him a national hero.

In 1988, after years of studying abroad, Aung San Suu Kyi returned home to help her ailing mother when violent demonstrations broke out against the 25 year reign of the military junta.  Raised on her father's beliefs, Aung San Suu Kyi would not turn away and vaulted into a position of leadership, becoming the voice of democracy and hope.  She stood up for freedom of speech and privacy.  For her efforts, the government has had her imprisoned or under house arrest for 15 of the past 21 years.

Released today, Aung San Suu Kyi walks in the sun once more.  But many are skeptical about what her future holds.  Perhaps imprisonment again.

When I listened to my student's presentation, I heard Aung San Suu Kyi's strength come through in his voice.   Having captivated the entire class, he spoke out about a woman he'd never met and shared her struggles in a militant world he'd never visited.  As he spoke, he became something bigger and better than a middle school suburban kid.

The only shame was that I couldn't give him more than an A+.

Tour Guide to NYC-written, submitted, done!

The best part about researching the Bar Tour of the Upper Westside was realizing how helpful people can be.  On my first day, I met a very-seasoned travel writer named Dave who's publishing his 3rd book on the Caribbean.  He looked happy, healthy, and sane enough for me to realize maybe this could work.  Maybe everything I've done has led me to this moment when I can work for myself, travel, and write articles that are fun!  Dave gave me some good advice: know what the industry is about--the long hours, the research, the publishing.  So far, it's been great especially with Neil's editing and creative ideas.

So my top pick...B. Cafe.  A Belgian Brasserie. I know, it's not technically a bar.  Semantics.

Food is so amazing (mussels--be still my heart!) and the manager is extremely informed about traditional brewing regulations.  For example, Abbey Ales are commercially available beers that are brewed according to traditional methods in Belgium.  However, since they are not brewed by non-profit (requisite 1) monks (requisite 2), they are not allowed the coveted title: Trappist Beer.

Travel Writing

A few weeks ago, I went to a writing workshop that I had no intention of attending.  But Manhattanville holds such affordable workshops that--come on--I can't pass it over.  Plus Neil was really interested in going.  And I'm glad we went.

The focus was about Practical Writing: blogging, freelancing, advertising, and a super morning workshop on genre writing.

So a month later, I'm in a whole new world of writing:  nonfiction.  Something I never even saw myself doing but was immediately drawn to once I started researching all different job listings.  I've done some petty articles--so insignificant and low pay that my name didn't even get printed on the by-line.  

After a week, I realized that I wouldn't even consider a job unless it had something to do with travel.  Then,  things began to evolve.  Now, I'm working on travel guides with a new company in Vegas that works with Iphone.  Very high tech, very travel oriented.  The two together make a perfect match with all the bells and whistles....like a by-line and--yes--a payrate! 

I'm looking at NYC in a whole new light.  Not as a monolith of cement but as a source for the beginning of something very exciting!!