Mexico

Hola from Cabo San Jose, Mexico. Came down for a beautiful wedding. It's hot here, but the beach is close and the beer is cold. I brought my own supply of wine, but I'm pretty much enjoying Modelo Especial and a wide range of Tequila. The seafood is fresh and service is awesome.

cooling off period

After a few days of camping in the cool mountains north of Las Vegas, I'm back in the city of sin. Haven't had much of a chance to check out the restaurants and wine lists that I was hoping to, but maybe I can do it after I return from my 11-day trip to Mexico. I leave in a couple days...

I love Rosé

Hello from Las Vegas where it is hot hot hot. I don't understand how I was born and raised here in this heat? I've spent the last few days getting acclimated and will now venture out to take in the wine scene. Before I left New York though, I met up with some wine classmates for a rosé tasting. Brian has started his own distribution company, Barterhouse, and introduced me to 2004 Jules Rosé. A blend of Grenache, Cinsault and Syrah from Provence, it's on sale at Crush wine store in midtown (I worked there for a bit last year). Good value and perfect drinking for hot weather. Barterhouse rules!

Rainy day in BK

Stormy Monday as I say goodbye to NY this morning. On my way to Vega$, wish me luck...

Jumping into the pool of opinion

I'm looking for a word to describe the people I've met in the last year, like me, who get a dreamy look in their eyes while talking about cheese.

art openings - I've been to about 4 in the past 2 weeks and loved 'em, even if the wine ran out (the Whitney Independent Study Program show had Canadian beer that was part of a piece).
iceland airlines - they need to cover the lifeboat in the overhead compartment and play happier music during boarding time.
BAM - Brooklyn Academy of Music has movie theaters and I recommend Bistro Vienna across the street before/after the flick.
slow food - check out slowfood.com. I saw a place in Florence that had a slow food sign next to another sign that said they serve hotdogs and hamburgers?
100-mile diet - I'm going to check out 100milediet.org, but keep traveling b/c cheese travels too and I want to stay in range.
ASA - I got my pin from the American Sommelier Association.
Giorgione508 - on Greenwich St. had a nice lunch there, decent wine list.
Tasting - I made it to an industry tasting this week, Today's Bordeaux http://www.bordeauxwinebureau.com
Pegu Club - http://foodandwine.com/articles/mixing-it-up-with-a-cocktail-purist Pete Wells won a James Beard award for the article on Audrey Saunders. Please visit this bar as soon as possible, particularly if you own a bar.
tennis - my winery elbow is messing with my tennis elbow. my backhand is gone.
Pequena - great mexican food in Ft. Greene.
Stonehome wine bar - Ft. Greene across from Moe's bar. Worth a visit.
Olea - on LaFayette, also in Ft. Greene. Nice space, Mediterranean-tapas-like stuff. Nice wines by the glass. Sweet waitress.
Vino I Trulli - wine store on one side of the street, enoteca on the other. Italian wines galore. Italy rocks.
IWM - Italian Wine Merchants off of Union Square. Closed for some changes now, but when they open back up visit Lisa.
Smooch - Ft. Greene again. Great coffee, some wine by the glass, and freakin' tim tams.

Does this country make my butt look big?

I'm getting some bites from my recent resume submissions...

Happy seis de Mayo

After Mexican beer on the 5th, I thought some from Argentina and the Domincan would be good on the 6th. I want my next trip to be an exploration of South American vinyards. Greetings from Brooklyn on a beautiful Saturday of spring. Getting used to being back in the US, catching up on some rest and about to put my ear to the ground as I start thinking about a job... My recent trip was a life changing experience, and I have to keep it close to me as I look for decent wine offerings in New York and Brooklyn. I'll report back what I find in the Fort Greene area starting tonight!

REHAB

Greetings from the Blue Lagoon Spa in Iceland. I'm spending 24 hours soaking in the giant geothermal sea water to see if I can save myself before returning to the US. I got a room at the Medical Center, which is a new treatment center for people with psoriasis, located next to the Lagoon itself in the middle of a lava field on the Reykjanes peninsula (40 min. drive to Reykjavik). If there is a room available, they'll rent them out to non-patients (fast internet, food and entry to the lagoon came with my straight-from-Ikea room). I might not even go to Reykjavik because soaking in the lagoon is like a spa on the moon, but I'll do my best before my evening flight to JFK. I might get roped into partying all night because it never gets dark here. They party until the sun goes down...

I had one last night night of fun in Paris before landing in Iceland. I went to Fish, but it was too late to get dinner. It was Sunday so I feasted on some bread and wine, like mass. I moved on to another bistro and girls were dancing on the bar to the song YMCA. That's where I met my new friend Norbert. One last glance at Notre Dame and the Eiffel Tower and it was au revoir to the EU.