All posts by Katie Vonderheide

The Madonna Inn with their very own White Zinfandel

Life Experiences & Activities, Places & Events, , , ,

Madonna Inn

You should force yourself to get out of town every once in awhile. When you live in a city that’s a bubble like Los Angeles it seems mandatory.  We gathered a fun group of girls, travelled up to San Luis Obispo, and stayed at a place that has long been on my wish list: The Madonna Inn.  It is as weird as the pictures you find of it and being there to experience this coastline gem filled me with wonder and astonishment.

 Though we never leave town unprepared, we discovered the Madonna Inn has their own “private label” of wine that they sell at their Gourmet and Wine shop.  We thought, “what the hell, let’s give it a try.”  When most people say that they don’t like rosé, they are thinking of pink wine that is sweet, comes from California, and is called White Zinfandel.  Madonna Inn might be the only ones still proudly selling this saccharine shit, so our fate was obvious: pink place with pink drink.

Madonna Inn Wine

In retrospect, I learned a lesson.  Do as the Romans do, but only if the act does not fill you with regret and give you a pounding headache the next day.  Oh, and do try their cake, it is delicious. Til next time Madonna Inn.
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Grapejuice Events: Backdoor Cocktail Club

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The memories of this event are still fresh in our mind though it took place way back in September.  Backdoor Cocktail Club takes place in the Arts District Downtown Los Angeles at the showroom and residence of an amazing designer/artist, Stephen Kenn, and his equally amazing partner and wife, Beks.  Here, this couple hosts very unique cocktail parties where they and sometimes special guests of theirs serve up tasty treats and delicious drinks. We were so excited to be invited to stand behind their bar for a night and do what we love, pour and talk about wine.

image courtesy of BDCC
image courtesy of BDCC

We thought it would be fun to try a concept where we paired wines with the interior of their space.  First, we had to ask ourselves, how do we define space? Initial thoughts were rustic wines to match the interior.  It’s not only objects that shape and fill a room, we also considered the people, those which give a home its heart.

BDCC wines

So, we started off with the always-pleasing, Hofer Grüner Veltliner from Austria. This wine is organic, biodynamic, and made by a couple that mirrored our hosts craft and creativity, Hermann and Maria Hofer. Next, we poured Underwood Pinot Noir made from grapes sourced all over Oregon.  Owner and winemaker, Ryan Harms, makes wine that is affordable, delicious, and fresh.  He is the first winemaker to release wine in a can. I’m equally horrified and intrigued by this. Stephen designs furniture that utilizes recycled military fabric, making something new out of a material that possesses a rich history. We saw a correlation between these innovative creators. We ended the night with a Cab Franc from Bourgueil called “Jour de Soif”. Gauthier is a father and son produced organic and unfiltered interesting red.  This is where the rustic interior comes into play.  The natural earthy and dirty qualities coming out of this wine match the interior’s earth-inspired palette.  And so, the flight was complete.

We had a blast conceiving and executing this Grapejuice event.  Please join us for the next one, wherever that might be!  Also, keep in mind, unlike most DJ’s, we take requests.
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Holiday Shopping at Home with Pleiades XXIII

Life Experiences & Activities, , , , ,

IMG_6059(1)pleiades

While the weather outside is not particularly frightening I would say, however, that the holiday shopping crowd is.  Forecast called for a cyclonic flurry of people searching for the perfect gifts, one that I did not wish to find myself in this year.  I opted to stay in the comfort of my home with a little wine to match my digital search for perfect gifts.

Sean Thackrey’s Pleiades XXIII is an old vine blend that may as well have a question mark on the label.  The blend changes every year and drinkability never wavers.  It’s fun to put some faith in this unusual winemaker.

Shopping seems like an endless task sans alcoholic beverage but with this interesting, vibrant and earthy red wine I didn’t mind it so much. A note to the good folks I was shopping for three glasses in: it’s the thought that counts. Happy holidays!
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