Wine Wednesday: Mystery Pinot

 

Generally, when I go out to eat, I read the wine menu first (or the beer menu, if it's that kind of place) and then choose my meal to pair with whatever wine I want to try. Yes, really. I'm just that crazy. 

This usually works out well, but sometimes there are hiccups. Last week was an example of that. I tried to order three different wines, only to find that the restaurant was out of all of them. They're undergoing rather extensive reconstruction/remodeling, atm. They didn't have the dessert we requested, either. 

Eventually, the manager sent a sample of a Pinot Noir that was available, and I gave up and said, fine. I guess I'm drinking Pinot today. 

Unfortunately, I didn't get the name, but I think it's probably Elouan out of Willamette Valley, Oregon. But I'm not really sure and I have no idea about the vintage. It was not a bad choice. It went okay with my meal--steak, salad, loaded baked potato, but probably not what I would have ordered to go with that meal. At least not if there had been any Cabernets available.

I think we've discussed my prejudice against Pinot Noirs. It's unfair, and I can't honestly say I dislike them, I just tend not to order them on principle. So, it was probably good that I was more or less forced into trying this wine. 

This is a soft, light-bodied wine. The color is dark, inky black-red. Medium legs. I thought the nose was very interesting. There were notes of juniper, strawberry jam and dark fruit...boysenberry or black current. There was also an intriguing smokiness--both to the nose and the taste. The tannins were soft, which I think is typical of a Pinot Noir, and this was particularly noticeable on the finish which was very, very soft. The taste kind of faded out--not in an unpleasant way, necessarily. But definitely noticeable to someone who tends to drink more robust Cabs and Zins.

The taste was ripe fruit--maybe plum? Along with a little minerality, and a hint of cocoa. 

I might try Elouan on purpose next time I see it, just to compare. But preferably when I'm eating something else. Like I said, it didn't go badly with the meal I had, but it didn't do it any favors, either. 

Romance Writers Weekly ~ Where do you work? ~ #LoveChatWrite

 This week, on the Romance Writers Weekly blog hop, we're asked, "Where do you write? Do you need to be in the same place all the time or do you move around? Share photos if you like."

I'm a creature of habit. I'm not neat (one of the great understatements of the millennium, unfortunately) but I don't like having my stuff messed with. So, I generally work at my desk. On my desktop computer. With everything exactly the same, other than the ever changing amount of clutter. And whenever I change something-- computers, keyboards, mouses, calendar pages, desktop screensavers, or basically ANYTHING at all within the room, it throws me off my stride. Which is unfortunate since I am currently sharing this office with my husband.Ask me how well that's not going. 

OTOH, there are times when I have to write in longhand to get my muse up and running, and I can only do that at my dining room table, because my desk is too crowded. Or at a coffee shop, or other remote location. 

And OTOH again (which is far too many hands, but who cares?) I do a fair amount of traveling and an entirely unfair amount of moving, so...I have a (now, sadly outdated) laptop for those not-rare-enough-IMO occasions when I have to be away from home but still want/have to write. Which is basically all the time.

Now, hop on over to Leslie Hachtel's page to find out where she writes. And don't forget to check out her book, Follow Me.

Harper Forbes embarks on a journey of a lifetime as she follows her friend to Scotland, only to discover that she, too, has been mysteriously transported back in time to the 1500s. In this unfamiliar and perilous world, Harper must navigate through dangers and challenges she never could have imagined. But amidst the chaos and uncertainty, she finds not only her friend but also a love that transcends time itself. What will fate have in store for her? Join Harper on an unforgettable adventure filled with romance, danger, and the timeless power of true love.

https://shorturl.at/DnYjN

Love and Espresso

https://www.amazon.com/Love-Espresso-Zakrzewski-Anthologies-Ashley-ebook/dp/B0CSKS814M

This collection features meet-cutes that take place in a bookstore/coffee shop. The heroines are looking for their HEA but never expected it to happen while picking up a cup of coffee or picking out their next book boyfriend.

Giada Mazzi is Living her Best Life

 

life is more than just the lies we try and tell ourselves about what we’ve done and who we are.

​

 I guess the truth is that I never stopped loving Ben. And I never stopped imagining how different my life might have been if he were only the person I needed him to be, instead of the person that he is. Which is silly, right? I mean, truly; it’s laughable. Because if he were someone else, he wouldn’t be him.  And the world is already full of people like that. What good is one more gonna do me?

​

Besides, if I’m honest, Ben wasn’t ever the problem. That was me. I was never the person he believed me to be. Oh, I thought I was, in the beginning. I tried hard to be, and that worked for a while. Sort of. But eventually I reached the point where I had to make a choice between living life for myself, or for everyone else.

​

And when it came right down to that…how could I not choose me?

https://www.pgforte.com/games-we-play-series-3

Musical Monday: Give Me Something to Sing About (Buffy the Musical)

 

I posted this a couple of weeks ago--the morning of November 6, to be precise--and, yeah, other than the fact that the ending is entirely more optimistic than I was feeling then...or now.  Although, "the hardest thing in this world is to live in it," kinda rings true.  

It also seems fitting to "celebrate" this moment with a song penned by someone who's been accused of abusive behavior and professional misconduct . I mean...yeah. that's  where we are now. 

Wine Wednesday: Becker Vineyards RVM

This wine from Becker features Roussanne, Viognier, and Marsanne--hence the RVM. I'm only really familiar with the Viognier, which might explain the trouble I'm having describing it. 

The nose is candied bacon--all smoke and sugar--with maybe some overblown roses. It's a full-bodied wine, with a creamy mouthfeel. This is one of those biscuity wines--where biscuit is used in the British sense. IE, it tastes like a cookie, dry, buttery, with a hint of sweetness. 

I taste honey, melon and grapefruit. And more of those sweet and smoky burnt sugar notes. Toasted oak. Like a night in a ski lodge, soft doeskin gloves drying in front of a fire. A glass of cider, a plate of s'mores. I'm not sure what I'd pair this with--other than the aforementioned s'mores. Brunch, perhaps? Summer fruit pies, or tea sandwiches?

 

Romance Writers Weekly ~ The Importance of Happy Endings ~ #LoveChatWrite

Sooooo...this week, on the Romance Writers Weekly blog hop, we're asked to, "Discuss why happy endings matter in romance fiction." Which, I gotta admit, feels ironic AF, atm. So, I'm gonna start with this quote from The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel:

"Everything will be all right in the end... if it's not all right then it's not yet the end."

Now, to be honest, I'm not sure how much I believe that's true in real life. Especially right now. But when it comes to Romance, the happy ever after--the HEA--is one of the absolute non-negotiables. Even more important than, "don't kill the dog" which is something that I've also done, but that's a story for a different day. 

I also think it's one of the genre's strengths. It's one of the things that make these stories so valuable--comforting, healing, hopeful. I believe the world--and maybe women in particular--need that right now. To borrow a phrase from another movie (Romancing the Stone) I am, as most romance authors are, a hopeful romantic. 

Now, hop on over to Brenda Margriet's page to find out how she feels about HEAs in fiction. And don't forget to check out her book, The Promise of Frost: 

The Promise of Frost 

 

An adventurous kitten, a curious dog, and a matchmaking eight-year-old guarantee this will be a holiday to remember.

 

Luca Tannon’s new neighbour is a sexy but surly single dad. Which is all for the best since she’s intent on reclaiming her life after a toxic long-term relationship.

 

Caleb Frost won’t let anything distract him from ensuring his son’s first Christmas as the child of divorced parents is perfect. And that includes the irritatingly intriguing woman living next door.

 

Everything is going as planned…until it’s not.

https://books2read.com/PromiseOfFrost

Dream Under the Hill

Oberon, Book 8.0

https://books2read.com/DreamHill

The Spring Equinox falls in the month that nearly all Native Traditions recognize as being one of Big Winds--big changes.  And big changes have certainly come to Oberon this spring, along with an ancient evil that must finally be laid to rest.

​

 Cara Matthews is a girl with a troubled past and a very troubling present.  The teenage girlfriend of Oberon's newest guru has always looked for love in all the worst places.  And it doesn't get much worse than the Church of Truth, Light and Vision.

 

 Former cop Liam McKnight could have told her that, but he's infiltrated the cult in hopes of discovering some clue to the whereabouts of his missing family members, and he can't jeopardize his mission--not even for her.

 

 In a month marked by birth, death and marriage, the inhabitants of Oberon must all come to terms with what's really important to each of them--important enough to die for. Only one thing is certain; when the winds of change finally stop blowing nothing, and no one, will be the same.

Musical Monday: Camelot (reprise)

 So, when I was a child, my parents saw Camelot on Broadway in New York City. They subsequently bought the album, which then became part of the soundtrack of my childhood--back when JFK was president and his White House was often referred to as Camelot. When I grew up and moved to California, I was convinced the description of the weather (in the full song, which is not posted here) sounded a lot like SoCal.  Oberon--whose eighth and ninth  books are releasing this month--is my Camelot. Beautiful, with a perfect climate, and existing mostly in my memory now. 

I'm posting this song for everyone who feels like they've lost somewhere precious. Somewhere that existed more as an idea, an aspiration, than a concrete reality. Something that belonged to us all, but only if we could keep it. We couldn't. We didn't. It's gone now. 

The main song appears early in the play--you can find that online, if you care to look. In it a joyful young king sings with pride and passion about his magical-seeming kingdom. But this reprise, which takes place at the end, and features a dying and defeated Arthur looking back and reminiscing on all that he's lost. 

It doesn't matter if it was never real--it was real to him. Anyway, this is my mood. 

Oberon Book 8.0: Dream Under the Hill

DREAM UNDER THE HILL

Oberon Book 8.0

PG Forte

https://books2read.com/DreamHill

The Spring Equinox falls in the month that nearly all Native Traditions recognize as being one of Big Winds--big changes. And big changes have certainly come to Oberon this spring, along with an ancient evil that must finally be laid to rest.

Cara Matthews is a girl with a troubled past and a very uncertain future. The teenage girlfriend of Oberon's newest guru has always looked for love in all the worst places. And it doesn't get much worse than the Church of Truth, Light and Vision.

Former cop Liam McKnight could have told her that, but he's infiltrated the cult in hopes of discovering some clue to the whereabouts of his own missing family members, and he can't jeopardize his mission--not even for her.

In a month marked by birth, death and marriage, the inhabitants of Oberon must all come to terms with what's really important to each of them--important enough to die for. Only one thing is certain; when the winds of change finally stop blowing nothing, and no one, will be the same.