Proud to be a Wine Club Member

We, the wine-club members of America, are the true patriots. We're keeping small wineries in business almost single handedly. Together, we can turn this thing right around.

Of course, the real key is to drink it as soon as it comes...and then order more!

Please Donate Today to Help Alfred

I was speaking to some of you this weekend about my friend Allison's foundation that works to help women and children in Uganda. You may already know Allison as The Wine Princess. (Twittering as @TheWinePrincess, too.)

You must agree that she's absolutely adorable. But, before I filled you in, you probably didn't realize that the primary reason she opts to pour private wine tastings for a living and works for herself is to have the freedom to go to Uganda for a couple of months each year and work in support of a very small non-profit she runs, Hesed Ministries.

They do amazing, inspiring things in the villages of Uganda. Alfred (shown above) is the "boots-on-the-ground" missionary for their humanitarian work and he has been ill and running a very high fever (103 F). They've been treating him in the village without success. He really needs to be moved to a facility that can provide more modern medical care...relatively speaking, of course.

He and his wife together are raising almost 20 orphans and sending them to school. He sacrifices for the ministry and when the organization decided they needed to shut down due, in part, to the expense of his salary ($100/month), he said "We are working for the Lord, so we will work with or without pay."

A donation equivalent to his current salary (between $20 - $25 per month) from just 35 of us could raise the rest of the $1500 needed to get him to the better medical facility and will give him a better chance of recovering. In Uganda, you must pay in advance for medical care. He is currently being treated in earnest for malaria, though it's clear from the lack of results that malaria is not what's making him so sick.

Any donation can help, even $5 toward the cause. So far they've raised $625. If you can help with any size gift, please donate today!

You can donate at www.HesedInternational.org using Paypal. All donations made during this period will be earmarked for Alfred's medical care.

You can also track the progress and get updates on Alfred's condition on Facebook.

I'd like to thank the academy

I can't believe it! I won something! And I can attribute it solely to my love of wine, nerdy fascination with viticulture (though I have a black thumb, myself), and my unnatural addiction to Twitter.

The next time somebody mocks me (I'm talking about you Carrie - and YOU Michael) for Tweeting while out and about, I will point to winning VinoVerve's contest as a sign that this is not a completely vapid past time.

I can even explain that the micro-blogging habit leads me to update this blog a couple of times per year. The others remain neglected today, of course, and though I haven't had my NY guy update my "professional" site in years (stupid Dreamweaver) I somehow still get writing assignments and voice work. (hmph!) At least the wine blog now has a recent entry so people know that I'm actually still alive.

And, it's all thanks to Twitter. So there.

You're Invited!

Hey Florida peeps and tweeps! We would love to have you join us for a special event Tuesday, March 24 in Orlando, Florida. E-mail me through my WineShop site, post a comment, or otherwise contact me to be added to the guest list. I have 9 slots left.

Come learn more about what we do and try our wine!

Discover WineShop At Home, where you'll come for the Taste, stay for the Lifestyle!

At this exclusive invitation-only event, you'll sample some of our handcrafted artisan wines and get an "insiders" view of the wine industry and discover the rewards of a career in the wine business. Florida is a relatively new market for us and the field is wide open!

Whether you're interested in a unique new source for exclusive boutique wine, looking to host wine tastings for your friends in your own home, or would like to make a little extra money pouring wine tastings in your spare time, WineShop At Home may have something to offer you!

Contact Martha for more information or an invitation.

My New Favorite "Wine Bar"

It's more like a glorified wine store, with a cool Enomatic machine, but it's where I tried Norman Cellars 2006 "The Monster" Zinfandel and fell in love. Took a bottle home with me. Plan to drink it soon.

They also have a kitchen led by a hard-working chef named April. I know her name, because she also ends up delivering food, clearing glassware, etc. I suspect that's necessary because the place isn't really staffed to be a "restaurant."

Every bite of food was fantastic and I can wholeheartedly suggest the chicken satay and the citrus shrimp. YUM! Next time, we'll probably try one of the lovely cheese plates.
With the machine, you can try a taste, half glass, or full glass of any of the wines. We had fun walking around and trying to select wines that would go well with our food, based on the tasting notes posted. We were starving so food choices first. Wine selections to complement.
Tuesday nights are half-price wine night, so with all that we drank our cards still cashed in at a pretty reasonable rate. Plan to drag some friends there the next Tuesday that I'm actually in town....which will be February.

Church Street Cellars
(703) 255-0550
111 Church Street NW
Vienna, VA 22180

You're Invited!

UPDATE: 4 SLOTS LEFT. CONTACT ME IF YOU'D LIKE TO ADDED TO THE LIST.

If you read my blog and you love wine - and you're local - we would love to have you join us for a special event Tuesday evening in Pentagon City. E-mail me through my WineShop site, post a comment, or otherwise contact me to be added to the guest list. I have 7 slots left.

Come learn more about what we do and drink a bit of our wine!

Discover WineShop At Home, where you'll come for the Taste, stay for the Lifestyle!

At this exclusive invitation-only event, you'll sample some of our handcrafted artisan wines and get an "insiders" view of the wine industry and discover the rewards of a career in the wine business.

Contact Martha for more information or an invitation.

Possible Theme Song

My Twitter pal WineWoman turned me on to this tune (link to YouTube video below) saying it could be her theme song. It's fun - and it's followed by a mystery song, that I think could be a theme song for me, if my theme song could be played and crooned by Stick McGhee, and we'd dated, and he was lamenting how fickle I am.



I don't know the name of the second song (my potential theme song). If you do, let me know. I'll have a prize for you.

UPDATE: Apparently I didn't watch the "video" - only listened. So, I missed that the name of "my" song is I'd Rather Drink Muddy Water.