Category Archives: Life Experiences & Activities

Holyland Exhibition with Villa Dora Vesuvio Rosso

On a lovely Sunday afternoon June and I decided to have an adventure.  With the guidance of this amazing website described as “the definitive guide to the world’s wondrous and curious places” called Atlas Obscura, we found a place that was right in our neighborhood and a seemingly perfect match with a bottle of Vesuvio Rosso that I picked up from Lou’s Wine & Provisions.

Holyland Exhibition

First, the wine.  Villa Dora makes wine in Campania, a Southern Italian region known for its wines that are grown on the soils of Mount Vesuvius.  Volcanic soils are capable of doing some amazing things for the quality of a wine.  Having a truly unique landscape lends itself to making a truly unique drink.  I was made aware of this fact first in the wines of Sicily though have recently been finding gems in the wines of Campania.  This Vesuvio Rosso is a blend of grapes typical for the region, Piedirosso (80%) and Aglianico (20%).

Second, the place.  The Holyland Exhibition sparked my interest years ago at a music show I went to.  A friend explained how he went to this house which holds the collection of a man who inspired the character of Indiana Jones.  He was going to take me to see it and like most promises made late at night, it did not happen.

Holyland Exhibition Outside

The day came where June and I embarked on a whirlwind of history, artifacts, and a lot of mystique.  We left The Holyland Exhibition enriched and ready for a drink.  It was a perfect LA day.  Description below courtesy of Atlas Obscura.

“To understand what makes this small museum so special, you first must understand the man behind its inception. Antonia F. Futterer is often compared to Indiana Jones (perhaps unfairly, as it’s rumored that the character is actually based on him; not the other way around).

In the early 1900s, Futterer was struck ill with severe appendicitis. His prayers for a recovery were answered soon after, leading to a strong belief in the Bible. In 1926, his new-found relationship with religion led to a number of expeditions to the Holy Land, culminating in a personal quest for the Golden Ark of the Covenant.  Unlike the film hero, Futterer never found the Ark, but he did amass quite a collection of artifacts from Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Cyprus, and Palestine. With a large collection and nowhere to store it, Futterer founded a five-room museum in Los Angeles to house his goods, and they remain there to this day.”

Holyland Light

Considering the rich history this little home holds, a wine with a rich history is the perfect companion. The most famous wine of the region is one that is called Lacryma Christi which made our Vesuvio Rosso seemed even more appropriate. This is a wine said to be most equivalent to the wines that ancient Romans would drink and translates to “the tears of Christ”.  If that doesn’t make you thirsty, I don’t know what will.

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*Pictured with the wine is our lovely tour guide.  She taught us the Old Testament in just under an hour and also said that wine is an important part of history which, further instilled in us that we are truly doing God’s work by drinking obscene amounts of wine.

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Mother’s Day and J. Lassalle Champagne

Champagne and mother's day

It’s Mother’s Day ya’ll.

One day in the year where you can try to appease the deeply ingrained guilt you feel over putting your lovely, patient mama through the hell and idiocy of your teenage years.  Champagne, anyone?

J. Lassalle Champagne

As I was looking at my vivacious mother today with the smiley wrinkles around her eyes, I hoped to be as much of a beautiful soul as she is one day. I’m sure you feel the same about your mother, which is why we should all get along and drink some bubbly already.

A while back, I wrote about J. Lassalle champagne for New Year’s because I wanted to showcase a wine created by strong women. I think this wine is perfect for Mother’s Day as well. Jules Lassalle created the label in 1942, and when he passed away in 1982, he gave the reigns over to his wife Olga and his daughters.

I’m wishing strong mothers everywhere a very happy and hopefully bubbly day today. My sister and I decided to treat our special lady of the day to a mani pedi, while my dad got the flowers and card.

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Rosé Garden

Rose GardenIt’s the most wonderful time of the year…rosé season. As the clock ticks closer to summer, you find yourself putting down the red and picking up the pink. From pale to dark, minerally to fruity, Provence to California, there is a rose to tickle anyone’s fancy.

Rosé has gotten a bad rep in recent times, but I am here to stand behind it. You may have remembered our Madonna Inn White Zinfandel pairing a while back and let’s get some shit straight. Most rosé, is not that sweet and bright pink drink you think of.

When I first started working at a wine shop, it was right around the start of rosé season.  I, like many others, didn’t know too much about it and didn’t “like” it because of its stigma. Grandmas, bad receptions, and hot pink, sickly sweet wine are a few thoughts that initially came to mind.

After trying our lineup of rosés (I know, the hardest job right?), I was able to experience it in its true delicate form. From then on, I was a believer.

As an ode to the glory that is rosé, we decided to “plant” our very own rosé garden over the weekend in Pasadena, just to show our readers how much we love this stuff. Plans for the week? I hope it involves some rose.

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