Wine Tasting

Summer is beginning to wind down, but the events in the area are still in full force.

The next few weeks are filled with concerts, art shows and kids’ activity events. Here are five events to check out in the coming weeks:

The Way Down Wanderers concert

Aug. 21 | 7:30 – 9:30 p.m. | Thrasher Opera House

The Illinois band The Way Down Wanderers will perform at Saturday, Aug. 21 at 7:30 p.m. at Thrasher Opera House.

The Way Down Wanderers have a distinct sound made up of elements of bluegrass, classic rock, jazz and hip hop.

Tickets cost $23 and may be purchased at www.ThrasherOperaHouse.com.

Princeton’s Sip & Shop on the Fox

Aug. 14 | 3 – 6 p.m. | Downtown Princeton

Downtown Princeton will be filled with outdoor shopping, live music and wine tasting Saturday, Aug. 14 for its annual Sip & Shop on the Fox.

Wine Walk tickets include a signature tasting glass and a map that sends participants on a self-guided wine-tasting journey through downtown Princeton.

Downtown Water Street will close off for the event to give room for live music and space for participants to walk around.

Green Lake Fine Art Show

Aug. 14 -15 | Playground Park, Green Lake

Following last year’s cancellation, the Green Lake Fine Art Show is back this summer bringing more than 100 selected artists to Playground Park for the annual two-day event.

The 48th-annual event brings works of art that include oil paintings, watercolors, acrylics, drawings, photography, digital art, mixed media, sculpture, jewelry, ceramics, glass, wood and mixed media.

The event is open Saturday, Aug. 14 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, Aug. 15 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Saturday will feature a musical performance from Dan Braaksma, with musical artist Patchouli performing Sunday.

Land and Lake Family Field Day

Aug. 21 | 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. | Avalon Creek Farm, Markesan

The Green Lake Association welcomes all to Avalon Creek Farm, located at W1774 County Rd K in Markesan, for activities and demonstrations on the importance of soil conservation.

This family-friendly event will host conversations around soil health, reducing runoff and cover crops and how it can impact Big Green Lake’s water quality.

The event features a complimentary lunch, a farm tour, a rainfall simulator demonstration, kids’ activities, equipment demonstrations and book sales.

Land and Lake Family Field Day is free to attend, but registration is requested. Those interested may learn more about the event and register at www.GreenLakeAssociation.org/fieldday-2021.

Champagne Farm to Table Brunch

Aug. 22 | 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. | Town Square Mill Pond Terrace

Town Square’s Farm to Table Brunch on Sunday, Aug. 22 will feature a meal of locally sourced food and champagne.

This elegant meal will toast local farmers with food prepared by chef Kari Schleicher, owner of Bliss Catering.

Reservations to the brunch cost $40 and those interested must register by Aug. 16 at www.GreenLakeTownSquare.com.

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South Africa Wine Estate on over 200 Hectares (500 acres)

This offering presents a truly unique opportunity for savvy investors around the world, and we are honored to share it with our buyers throughout North America and beyond.

STELLENBOSCH, South Africa (PRWEB)
August 11, 2021

For nearly 30 years the estate has been owned by Anne Cointreau, whose family has produced wine, champagne and spirits in France since 1272. Her great grandfather Adolphe created the famous orange liqueur that carries the family name, and her grandfather the luxury Remy Martin brand of cognac.

According to Joff van Reenen, Director and Lead Auctioneer of High Street Auctions in Johannesburg, which is offering the property in cooperation with its U.S. marketing partner, Tranzon, LLC, the historic Morgenhof Estate spans a rambling 210 hectares (518 acres) with just over 70 hectares (172 acres) currently under vine.

“Substantially adding to the attraction of the estate itself is the fact that it will be auctioned on August 25th with considerable foreign exchange and assessed tax loss incentives that would be extremely beneficial to the eventual buyer.”

“With regards the estate itself, two luxury manor houses with exquisite finishes and furnishings, a wine tasting venue, a wedding chapel, guest cottages, function rooms, a unique architect-designed sunken octagonal skylit wine cellar and a large award-winning winery are just some of the special features of this splendid property.”

“Morgenhof is also a true pioneer of South African viticulture. Dating back to 1692, one can trace the rich wine-making history back to the original French Huguenots.”

“The vineyards are farmed as ‘dry land’, which result in smaller yields and superior concentrations in the berries. The estate comprises a variety of soil types, with the terroir further complimented by altitudes ranging from 65-400 metres (213 to 1312 feet) above sea level.”

“Morgenhof’s portfolio of wines includes a mixture of reds and whites, ranging from the fresh Sauvignon Blanc to the barrel-fermented Chenin Blanc. The red wine range offers a selection of iconic single varietal wines including a revered Merlot and a vibrant Pinotage, as well as a Bordeaux-style blend that is also the flagship of the Morgenhof range.”

Van Reenen says the built infrastructure improvements on Morgenhof include:

• The pristinely restored 450m² (4,843 sf) main manor house comprising five bedrooms, five bathrooms, a lounge, dining room and kitchen as well as a wrap-around open terrace paved in terracotta tiles and a splash pool. The manor house is used as a boutique hotel;
• The Top House, a second manor of 730m² (7,857 sf) elevated among the vineyards. The two-story Cape Dutch style dwelling has four bedrooms, attached staff quarters and its own private swimming pool;
• A 600-ton capacity wine cellar;
• Underground barrel fermentation hall;
• Wine tasting room and terrace;
• Restaurant;
• Wedding chapel;
• Conference venue with attached catering facilities;
• Bistro and coffee shop;
• Office block; and
• Staff accommodation of various types.

Van Reenen says Morgenhof is being auctioned as a going concern, with all furniture, fixtures and fittings included in the sale.

The contents of the wine cellar will also form part of the auction lot.

“This is an established and well-diversified business with multiple income streams that offers a new owner with vision, massive potential to expand.”

“The current owner wants to see that legacy continue for another three centuries, so after three decades of contributing her lineage’s 800 years of viticulture experience to this estate she is handing over the reins. Anne Cointreau will be returning to France to retire and enjoy life with her extended family, and we wish her well.”

Working together in preparation for this auction event is a rare cross-Atlantic marketing partnership between two premier auction brands. Tim Mast, CEO of Tranzon, LLC, High Street Auction’s U.S. marketing partner, said, “This offering presents a truly unique opportunity for savvy investors around the world, and we are honored to share it with our buyers throughout North America and beyond.”

Details of the estate can be found at tranzon.com/LLC210 or highstreetauctions.com. The estate can also be viewed on YouTube https://youtu.be/YikBE1noACA. The virtual auction that will be live-streamed on highstreetauctions.com as well as Facebook starts at noon sharp South Africa Time (6:00 AM Eastern Time) on August 25th.

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If you’re looking for a place to escape Monterey Car Week for a few hours early Saturday afternoon, consider driving down to Big Sur for a wine tasting at Coast, an art gallery and cafe with a pleasantly surprising collector car connection.

Walk through the main gallery (originally a huge round water tank) and before you exit into the courtyard that provides access to the boutique and the cafe, you’ll find yourself in a room dedicated to collector cars. 

Round design of building comes from prior use as water storage tanks

• Gallery and cafe entrance
• Peter and Merle Mullin | Coast photo

Why? Simple.  Since 2016, Coast has been owned — and extensively renovated — by Peter and Merle Mullin, a couple well known in the classic car community for the Mullin Automotive Museum and one of the world’s finest collections of exceptional 20th Century French cars and objects of Art Deco design. 

Peter Mullin also is past chairman of the Petersen Automotive Museum and led the effort to remodel the Los Angeles facility inside and out. Merle Mullin is an artist, and she helps stage a driving rally for women in support of various charities. On August 13, she’ll be a panelist at the Pebble Beach Concours Forum’s session on “Women Who Love Their Cars.”

The Mullins have a winery in Big Sur, are part-time residents and were customers of the Coast before purchasing the property. They brought in chef and cookbook author Nick Balla from San Francisco, whose food is served not only at the cafe but at various catered events; Coast has become a favored wedding venue, which is interesting when you consider the main building’s round shape comes from a pair of 32-foot old-growth-redwood water tanks originally used at a Naval hospital.

Dining deck has ocean viewAutomobila such as this model are featured in the car room

Big Sur was so-named due to early Spanish explorers who found it so difficult to travel along a particularly rugged section of the central California coast that they merely labeled the untraversed area el pais grande del sur, the big country to the south, and found an easier route inland. The area’s name would be contracted into Big Sur.

Instead of a 3-day wagon trip from the Monterey Peninsula, the establishment of California Highway 1 made the area more accessible and particularly attractive to artists and writers. And with scenery that includes stunning shoreline vistas and more than half a dozen state parks, Big Sur became a destination for tourists as well, typically 5 million or more each year.

In 1958, the Coast Gallery was founded and became so popular with customers that local artists nicknamed it “The Bank.” 

But the boom didn’t last very long and The Bank sort of went bust. The property was purchased in 1971 by a candlemaker from Oregon. Within six months, the building was devastated by a major storm and the flooding that resulted.

Fortunately for the candlemaker, two huge water tanks were no longer in use at a Naval hospital, and they were moved and converted into a new Coast gallery space. An upstairs dining deck opened in 1994 and the place became known as the Coast Cafe.

Again, time took its toll and the property became run down. After the  Mullins bought it, they spent many months restoring what now is known simply as COAST.

Like Chef Nick, much of the staff was recruited from top San Francisco restaurants. But the cafe menu is designed for a variety of tastes, including children’s, said general manager Tyler Rue, who added that COAST sees itself as being “like a national park, everybody wants to come.”

And thus, it tries to appeal to a wide range of visitors, from the Mom and Pop from Bakersfield out for a Sunday drive to the well-traveled tourists coming down from Monterey Bay as well as leaders in business and technology.

“We have something for everyone,” Rue said, “from pizza and ice cream for the kids to fine jewelry and art.”

Mullin wines featured

The wine tasting August 14 runs from noon to 3 p.m. and features wines from the Mullin vineyards. 

If you can’t make it this weekend but are looking for an excuse to visit, COAST also participates in the Big Sur Wine and Food Festival, scheduled this year for November 4-6. The Festival raises money for local nonprofits in health, safety, education and art.

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NouVines: A new wine experience in Manteo

By Russ Lay | Outer Banks Voice on August 9, 2021

Lori Wilkinson and Garret Cameron. (Photos by Russ Lay)

Wine tasting area. (Photos by Russ Lay)

Retail section. (Photos by Russ Lay)

NouVines exterior. (Photos by Russ Lay)

There’s a new kid in town in the Manteo waterfront district. Judging by the early consumer response, it will fill a long-vacant niche for visitors and residents on Roanoke Island in search of a new wine experience.

NouVines, a combination wine bar and wine shop, opened quietly in July and has quickly garnered a following of regulars and a steady stream of visitors during this short period.
Garret Cameron and Lori Wilkinson came to the Outer Banks by taking an unexpected turn after retiring from careers in the Washington, D.C. area. Cameron retired as a Senior Security Engineer for the U.S. Supreme Court. At the same time, Wilkinson left a career in the life sciences sector. She helped start-up technology firms spun off from university-based research concerns become viable businesses.

With their careers behind them and a desire to leave D.C. metro area for a slower-paced lifestyle, the couple found themselves in Hertford, NC. “We purchased our ‘forever home,’” Wilkinson says. “The house was beautiful; it was like living in a sanctuary.” But after two and a half years, “we were bored, and Garret and I said to ourselves, ‘We now do what?’”

Wine had been an interest of theirs. Lori relates that while in the D.C. area, “we drank our fair share of wine,” taking advantage of the region’s offerings. Cameron explains they had a friend whose family owned a vineyard in Napa, and he often took them to D.C. restaurants, exposing them to different varietals of wine and pairing techniques with food. “I’m not a sommelier,” Cameron says. But she enjoyed trying other wines and sharing that knowledge with friends.

And so the journey began to the Outer Banks. One might think that pivoting from wine lovers to owning and operating a wine bar would constitute a slow evolution. Still, Wilkinson tells us it happened in a “surprisingly short period of time — about a month, in fact.”

They had frequented a small wine shop in downtown Hertford that was owned by a husband-and-wife team. One day, they went into the store and discovered it had been sold to new owners. “That was when the thought came to us—if we had known it was for sale, we might have considered buying it.”

That thought led to a decision to pull the trigger. The couple didn’t want to compete with the new local owners in Hertford. The same situation existed in nearby Edenton, where an established wine store operated in its downtown area. Elizabeth City looked promising, but a new wine store/tasting bar opened while they were looking, and they took a pass there. But Wilkinson and Cameron watched the progress of the River City operation and were encouraged by its early success.

A phone call to Manteo, where their eldest son lived, showed promise. He told them the only place to buy wine on Roanoke Island was the grocery stores. And it would take to trip to Kill Devil Hills or Kitty Hawk to find a specialty wine store, much less a wine bar.

NouVines isn’t just a wine bar and retail shop. Cameron and Wilkinson sought to create something unique, and the wines they carry are the keys that differentiate their offerings from similar venues.

“Ninety-seven percent of our wines come from small-batch vineyards who handpick these grapes for limited production bottlings,” Cameron told us.

These small-batch wineries typically produce between 50 and 5,000 cases for each label they issue, making the wines extremely hard to find in grocery stores or other wine shops.

Small-batch production is not the only feature of NouVine’s wine selection. “Because they are small batch, the grapes are handpicked. And close to eighty percent of those wines are either certified organic or sustainably grown,” Cameron says. “They don’t require the chemicals, additives, and preservatives that mass-produced wines contain.”

On the retail side, NouVines carries 126 labels at present, with price points ranging from $16 up to $400, with the average bottle price falling into the $20 to $40 range. The typical wine styles — red, white, rose, and sparklers — are offered, as are most varietals associated with traditional wines.

The major wine-producing countries are also well-represented, such as France, the United States, Spain, Italy and Germany. You’ll also find some surprises from lesser-known wine countries such as Slovenia, Macedonia, South Africa, and the Finger Lakes region of New York.

 

The wine bar side consists of a traditional bar area, tables for larger groups, and an inviting section of sofas and comfy chairs at the front of the store where one can lounge and chat with friends in a living-room setting. There is also outdoor seating available.

Wines can be ordered by the glass or sampled with flights. Twenty-six wines are available at present — 10 red selections, 10 white, and six other types such as sparkling wine. There are also beer selections, non-alcoholic choices and some wine-based cocktails, including mimosas and margarita-flavored offerings.

Wine-by-the-glass prices run $7 to $14, and flights check in at $13 to $40 depending upon the wines chosen for the flight.

If you want an authentic wine experience, trying these hard-to-find wines with food pairings is a must.

NouVines offers two types of tasting boards to pair with your wines — a cheese board and a cheese and charcuterie board. Each board also comes with various chocolates, fruits, jams and crackers to enhance the tasting experience. Even better, the chocolates and jams come from Simply Delicious, a local company. You can also buy their products in the gift section of the store.

The interior of NouVines also tells a story, which landed the venue on the Historic Manteo Walking Tour.

The new owners sought to keep as much of the historic feel of the space as possible.

The bar where you sit began its life at the Buffalo City General Store at the turn of the last century. Buffalo City was a famous logging site and settlement in what is now the Alligator River NWR on mainland Dare County. In the 1990s, the bar was the centerpiece at the Green Dolphin Pub, one of Manteo’s most iconic, if not infamous, watering holes.

The new owners also preserved the original exposed brick and wood, going as far as to seal over a blackened section of brickwork scorched in the last major fire that consumed much of downtown Manteo around the 1950s.

 

And on the walls, there is art for sale — all of it supplied by local artists showcased at the nearby Dare County Arts Council.

Presently, NouVines is open seven days a week — from 11:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 11:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Sundays. Their location is 105 Budleigh Street in Manteo, NC. You can also find them on the web at https://nouvines.com/

If you’ve been looking for a quiet, adults-only spot (no one under 21 is permitted to enter, including children) to taste wine, meet a business client, or finish off a night of dining, NouVines should fill the bill.

 

 

 

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August

Peachy Party — To benefit the Colorado Springs Philharmonic Guild. Place orders for Palisade peaches by Tuesday at cspguild.org/peachy-party.

Wine4Prevention Wine Tasting — To benefit the Becky Baker Foundation, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Wooglin’s Deli, 4750 Barnes Road. Tickets: beckybakerfoundation.org.

School Supply Drive — To benefit West Side Elementary School. Donations accepted 5-7 p.m. Thursday, Ristorante di Spora, 4 S. 28th St.; shopoldcoloradocity.com.

Peak Education’s Back-to-School Fundraiser — Breakfast, 7:30-9 a.m. or evening reception, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Aug. 19, The Mining Exchange. Reservations: peakedu.org/back-to-school-fundraiser.

An Enchanted Weekend — To benefit Goodwill of Colorado, Aug. 19-21, Garden of the Gods Resort & Club, 3320 Mesa Road. Registration: anenchantedweekend.com.

Pikes Peak Range Riders Foundation’s Cowboy Cup Golf Tournament — 8 a.m. Aug. 20, Cheyenne Shadows Golf Club, Fort Carson. Registration: pprrfoundation.wildapricot.org/events.

Happy Trails BBQ Fundraiser — 6-9 p.m. Aug. 20, Fox Run Regional Park, 2110 Stella Drive. Registration: tinyurl.com/happy-trails-event.

Western Saloon Night — To benefit the Western Museum of Mining and Industry, 6-9 p.m. Aug. 21, 225 North Gate Blvd. Tickets: 488-0880, wmmi.org.

Sons and Daughters of Italy Pikes Peak Lodge 2870 Spaghetti Dinner — To benefit the Italian Scholarship Fund, noon-4 p.m. Aug. 22, Colorado Springs Elks Lodge, 3400 N. Nevada Ave. Tickets at door or call Tony, 260-8773.

Virtual Gift of History — To benefit the Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum, 4 p.m. Aug. 26; cspm.org/giftofhistory.

2021 Dog Jog — In-person or virtual, to benefit National Mill Dog Rescue, 10 a.m. check-in, vendor fair, race starts at 11 a.m., music, food, etc. until 1 p.m., Aug. 28, 5335 JD Johnson Road, Peyton. Registration: tinyurl.com/363afh3p.

Pasta in the Park — To benefit TESSA, Aug. 28, Myron Stratton Home, 555 Gold Pass Heights. Tickets: tessacs.org.

Happy Trails — To raise funds for a new Northern El Paso County Nature Center, 6-9 p.m. Aug. 20, Fox Run Regional Park, 2110 Stella Drive; communityservices.elpasoco.com/nature-centers/special-events.

Hispanic Chamber’s La Vida — 5:30-9:30 p.m. Aug. 27, Country Club of Colorado, 125 Clubhouse Drive. Registration: tinyurl.com/3h4ewawk.

Tri-Lakes Cruisers Care Club Car Show — To benefit Tri-Lakes Cares, 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Aug. 29, Second Street, Monument; tl-cruisers.weebly.com.

September

Philanthropy on the Farm — To benefit Children’s Hospital Colorado Foundation, Sept. 10, Flying Horse Ranch, 9663 E. Palmer Divide Ave., Larkspur. Registration: tinyurl.com/y3wmq3pl.

Broadmoor Rotary Club Charity Cornhole Tournament — 9 a.m. check-in, tournament starts at 10 a.m., Sept. 11, America the Beautiful Park, 126 Cimino Drive. Registration: tinyurl.com/4mxaa78c.

Red, White & Bowl Bowl-a-thon — To benefit Special Kids Special Families, 2:30-5 p.m. Sept. 11, King Pin Lanes, 3410 N. Academy Blvd. Registration: sksfcolorado.org/event/bowlathon.

Harley’s Harvest Bazaar — To benefit Harley’s Hope Foundation, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Sept. 12, Black Forest Community Center, 12530 Black Forest Road; 495-6083, info@harleys-hopefoundation.org.

Colorado Springs Plane Pull — To benefit Special Olympics Colorado, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sept. 18, National Museum of WWII Aviation, 775 Aviation Way. Registration required: specialolympicsco.org/event/springspull.

Race Against Suicide: A Charity 5K — In-person and virtual event to benefit the Pikes Peak Suicide Prevention Partnership, Sept. 19, El Pomar Sports Park, 2212 Executive Circle. Registration: pikespeaksuicideprevention.org.

St. Francis of Assisi Charity Golf Tournament — Sept. 20, Red Hawk Ridge at Castle Rock, 2156 Red Hawk Ridge Drive, Castle Rock. Registration: tinyurl.com/37294fhy.

October

Blues on the Mesa — To benefit the Pikes Peak Blues Community, noon Oct. 2, Gold Hill Mesa, 142 Raven Mine Drive. Tickets: bluesonthemesa.com.

Cameron Memorial Golf Tourney — To benefit Ronald McDonald House Charites, Oct. 4. Perry Park Country Club, 7047 Perry Park Blvd., Larkspur. Registration: rmhcsoutherncolorado.org.

Cheyenne Mountain Run — To benefit Friends of Cheyenne Mountain State Park, 9 a.m. Oct. 9, Cheyenne Mountain State Park, 410 JL Ranch Heights, Registration: friendsofcmsp.org.

Miracles in Motion — To benefit StableStrides, 5-10 p.m. Oct. 9, Boot Barn Hall at Bourbon Brothers, 13071 Bass Pro Drive. Reservations: stablestrides.org/miraclesinmotion.

Night of Comedy — Headliner Josh Blue, to benefit Special Kids Special Families, 6-9 p.m. Oct. 16, Hotel Elegante, 2886 S. Circle Drive. Registration: sksfcolorado.org/event/noc.

#Golf4Prevention — To benefit Becky Baker Foundation, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Oct. 20, Broadmoor East and West courses, 1 Lake Ave. Registration: birdease.com/broadmoortourney.

100+ Women Who Care Colorado Springs — 5:30 p.m. Oct. 20, The Warehouse, 25 W. Cimarron St.; 100wwccs.com.

Koats 4 Kids — 5:30-9:30 p.m. Oct. 22, The Pinery on the Hill, 775 W. Bijou St.; koats4kids.org.

Email event details at least two weeks in advance to listings@ gazette.com with Community Calendar in the subject line.

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One of the area’s best-loved wine shops is located where you’d least expect it: inside an AM/PM convenience store on Sheldon Road near Highway 99 in Elk Grove. “It’s extremely unconventional,” admits Lori Alaniz, manager of Sheldon Wine Shop, which is situated just steps from a car wash and a frozen yogurt shop. “I think it’s just about the most unpretentious premium wine tasting you can ever experience.”

Alaniz isn’t exaggerating. “You can sit here and eat some McDonald’s fries from next door and drink a bottle of Cristal if you want,” she says. “We’ve even paired a Subway sandwich with a Kathryn Hall cabernet, which is a $200 bottle.” Join the store’s wine club and you get a car wash.

With more than 11,000 bottles in stock (the vast majority of them with ratings of 90 points or higher), the shop has a little something for everyone. “We carry wines priced from $5.99 to $1,000,” says Alaniz, “but the higher-end wines are the biggest draw. We stock a lot of small-production stuff that you just can’t get at your big-box stores. Napa cabs are probably our specialty; we carry around 100 of them.”

Tastings, which happen five days a week, attract scores of regulars. “This has literally become Cheers for many, many people,” says Alaniz. “We have several customers who come two or three times a week. People have become best friends in here. It’s just an amazing family of people who enjoy this place.”

For Alaniz, who formerly worked in marketing and event planning and is active in the local nonprofit scene, the unassuming little gem is integral to the community—and vice versa. “I know Elk Grove, I’ve drank with Elk Grove, so I have a good sense of what our clientele want. This is an amazing place that draws everybody.”

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SASKATOON —
A woman from Lloydminster, Sask. and her partner from Vancouver are preparing to hit the road on Monday for a 40-day trip exploring campsites across Canada.

“We’re beyond excited. We both really never explored outside of B.C. and Alberta so getting to see what Ontario and Quebec have to offer is going to be a huge deal for us,” Brodie Younger said.

Younger, who now lives in Vancouver, and her boyfriend, Andrew Santos, were selected as the winners of Hipcamp’s national contest for the “Best Summer Job in Canada.”

Hipcamp, based in the U.S., bills itself as the world’s largest provider of outdoor stays. It recently launched in Canada and has over 850 locations all over the country, including several in Saskatchewan.

The job will see Younger and Santos travel to 20 camping and glamping sites in B.C., Alberta, Ontario and Quebec, creating vlogs and taking photos along the way.

“There’s a few cool places like a luxury teepee that I’m really excited about,” Younger said. “It’s a mixture between actual tenting on properties to cabins, yurts, tree houses.”

Santos added, “We’re going to be staying in a barrel as well, a bunk bed in a barrel, which is exciting. But yeah I don’t have too many expectations and I’m going in just to be surprised.”

Younger said one of the things she is looking forward to most is getting to connect with the hosts of the campsites, some of whom also offer experiences like horseback riding, strawberry and blueberry picking, wine tasting among other things.

“Seeing what the hosts have to offer, hearing their story about how they got the land and why they want it to be on Hipcamp is what we’re really excited for,” she said.

Younger and Santos will be staying at each campsite for two days, and while they say it may be a challenge as they’re moving at such a fast pace, they’re prepared.

Santos said he has done a lot of international travel and has been shooting video for 10 years.

Younger does freelance marketing and has a passion for sustainability and the outdoors.

 

The pair had to submit a video to be considered for the role — something that stood out to Hipcamp Canada’s general manager, Tegh Singh Bedi.

“I think it was a combination of their compelling application, which was very, very hilarious and also just shows how good of storytellers they are, and combining that with their true passion for the outdoors and the passion towards camping,” he said.

The contest was created to help launch Hipcamp Canada and show Canadians what other camping options are available.

“We really wanted to use this as an opportunity to help more and more Canadians understand that private land camping is another really large opportunity for them to go out and experience nature and be outdoors and recreate responsibility.”

Younger and Santos said their hope is to share their love of camping with the rest of Canada and inspire others to explore the outdoors.

“We just want to inspire everybody to get outside of your house right now. It’s a really good time to do it and explore your own backyard. Like, we are used to doing international travel, but you don’t need to do that, there’s so much to see [in Canada],” Santos said.

Younger added camping is a good way to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

“Turning off your phone and turning off all electronics and just being with the Earth is so important and you need to do it. Humans were made to do that, we weren’t made to be on laptops all the time. And as far as if you’re not familiar with camping, you can work your way into it, do some of the glamping ones,” she said.

Along with scoring a cross-Canada camping trip, Younger and Santos got a cash prize of $20,000 that they will be splitting and using to prepare for the trip.

Younger and Santos will start their 40-day adventure on Monday in B.C. and will end in Quebec on Sept. 16.

The pair said they will be posting videos and photos on their personal Instagram accounts and on Hipcamp Canada’s Instagram.

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Once known almost exclusively as the zinfandel capital of the world, Lodi is inviting wine lovers to explore its nuance and wine diversity. To that end, visitors can participate in the Lodi Tour of Albariño, Aug. 7–8, 2021.

Albariño is a white wine grape that originally hails from the Iberian Peninsula in southwestern Europe. It is most famously produced in both Portugal (over 14,000 acres) and Spain (over 30,000 acres), and has been grown successfully in Lodi since 1999. It produces light, zippy, aromatic wines with citrus and stone fruit notes, and is an ideal choice for sipping in the hot Sacramento summer.

Eight wineries are participating in the Lodi Tour of Albariño. Attendees can design their own route and have the opportunity to taste up to 12 different albariños. This event is open to the public, and there are no tickets or reservations required.

Here are a few examples of what you’ll find along the trail:

Bokisch Vineyards, 18921 Atkins Road, Lodi

“Escape and experience albariño four different ways at Bokisch Vineyards, the original pioneers of albariño in Lodi! We will be releasing our first ever sparkling albariño, which you can taste next to our three other vineyard designated bottlings. Celebrate this exclusive release and discover the true definition of terroir. Saturday we will have the delicious Brunch in a Box food truck serving up all your favorite brunch dishes and more, 11 a.m.–5 p.m. Sunday we will have a live fusion flamenco musician, noon–3 p.m.”

Klinker Brick Winery, 15887 Alpine Road, Lodi

“(Taste) our beautiful albariño and (if you like bubbles) Klinker Brick’s Sparkling Ultra Brut Albariño. These wines will be poured with the rest of Klinker Brick’s white wine flight. A variety of cheese and meats are available for purchase. There will be live music both days in the afternoon and if you want to see the vineyard you can take a walk to it directly behind our tasting room. Looking forward to sharing Klinker Brick Albariño with you. Salud!”

Guidebooks for the tour—which include a winery map of participating wineries and their offerings, a section for tasting notes, and an overview of Lodi and albariño—will be available at each stop or can be downloaded at Lodi Spanish Wine Tour.

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One of the Yakima Valley’s little-known gems may not be so little-known for long.

Yakima Valley Vintners, the fully functional Yakima Valley College teaching winery that has been going for about a decade and a half on the YVC Grandview campus, just opened a tasting room in Yakima. The new location, which complements the tasting room and production facility in Grandview, is right next to the new Larson Gallery on the expanded YVC Yakima campus along Nob Hill Boulevard. That means a lot more people are about to learn about the student-produced wines that consistently win awards in competition with professional wineries. A lot more people are going to being saying things like, “The students made this? Really? Hmm. This is good wine.”

That’s been the reaction pretty much from the beginning, said Trent Ball, the YVC faculty member who’s been in charge of the program since its first harvest in 2007. Students started selling wine from that harvest via the Yakima Valley Vintners Grandview tasting room during the Yakima Valley wine industry’s annual Spring Barrel Tasting weekend in 2008. The reviews have been consistently positive ever since.

“If you walk in with an open mind, you’re going to be pleasantly surprised by the quality of the wine that you’ll taste and the diversity of wines, both red and white,” Ball said. 

Perhaps you’re inclined to think, “Well, he runs the program; of course he’ll say it’s good wine.” Fair enough. But you need only look at the winery’s resume to verify its bona fides. Yakima Valley Vintners wines have won 167 awards in the winery’s first 13 vintages, including three platinum awards, two double-golds and a gold at this year’s Wine Press Northwest Platinum Competition.

Those are the results of a passionate group of students and a very collaborative relationship with the local wine industry. Yakima Valley Vintners has its own small vineyard, but it also gets donated grapes from local winery partners.

“We got to sit down with Trent in class, and he said, ‘What do you guys want to make this year?'” said YVC wine program star student Samantha Mallery. “And I said, ‘Well this would be cool, this would be really neat to process, we’d really like to play with this.’ And he went to these vineyards, and they donated what we wanted to do. People are eager to donate a couple of tons of grapes for the students.”

Mallery, who scored a job with the prestigious Owen Roe Winery in Wapato before even finishing the program, is a good example of the symbiotic relationship between YVC and local wineries. Barbara Glover, executive director of the industry group Wine Yakima Valley, described how that relationship worked in a guest column for this paper earlier this year.

“Having observed her work as a harvest intern, Owen Roe was not about to let her slip through its fingers,” Glover wrote of Mallery. “The right hand to Jackie Evans and the fellas in the cellar, Sam has become their go-to Yakima-born enologist.”

Mallery was prepared for that because of her work with Yakima Valley Vintners, where students do “everything you would do in a winery,” she said.

“It’s so hands-on,” Mallery said. “There’s classroom work, but it prepares you thoroughly for working in a winery — for working in the wine industry, whether that be marketing, tasting room, in production. Whatever you want to do, there is a program for it in the agriculture department at YVC.”

The program, because its focus is on education rather than profit, also fosters experimentation that might not happen at a large, corporate winery. 

“Trent is really great at doing what people want to do,” said Annette Wattenbarger, coordinator of the new Yakima tasting room. “Like we have a sweet malbec coming up. That’s not heard of. And it’s good.”

That was one of Mallery’s experiments.

“Trent had suggested, ‘Hey, why don’t we play around with some sweet wines,'” she said. “I was like, ‘Eh, I don’t know how I feel about sweet wines.’ And he said, ‘Challenge yourself.’ I said, ‘OK, sure, whatever. I don’t think I’ll like it.’ But it’s awesome. And it was really fun.”

Ball trusts the students to take wild chances on wines like that — another recent mad-scientist wine that worked really well was a primitivo made with a carbonic maceration, for a slightly bubbly, very fruity, wholly unexpected flavor — because he knows they’re invested in the results.

“By the time they get into the second year of the program, which is when they get into being the winemakers at Yakima Valley Vintners, they’re deeply engaged and passionate about what they’re doing,” he said. “The vast majority of them graduate with full-time jobs.”

As of July 2, with the tasting room at 1606 W. Nob Hill Blvd. open to the public from noon to 5 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, the idea is to bring their wine to a wider audience.

“We feel like we’re a hidden gem,” Ball said. “A lot of people, even in Yakima County, still don’t know we even have a grape and wine program. This is going to give us more visibility.”

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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 4

NYSSS Statue of Liberty and Shine Again: The afternoon’s card will feature the 19th edition of the $150,000 New York Stallion Stakes Series Statue of Liberty for eligible New York-sired 3-year-old fillies at one mile on the turf. The NYSSS Statue of Liberty is slated as Race 5 on the 10-race card that will also feature the $120,000 Shine Again for fillies and mares 4-years-old and up going seven furlongs on the main track. First post is 1:05 p.m. Eastern.

Volcan Tequila Summer Music Stage: The Volcan Tequila Summer Music Stage will host live music from Alta Havana.

NYRA Bets Gift Cards: NYRA Bets Gift Cards are available for purchase at more than 150 Stewart’s Shops and can be used to deposit funds automatically into a NYRA Bets account to bet Saratoga online in addition to hundreds of racetracks nationwide.

Saratoga Live: Saratoga Live will present daily television coverage of the 40-day summer meet on FOX Sports. For the complete Saratoga Live broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit NYRA.com/SaratogaLive.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 5

Birdstone: The day’s feature is the $120,000 Birdstone, a 1 3/4-mile main-track marathon, for 4-year-olds and up.

Fabulous Fillies Day: NYRA will honor local breast cancer survivors during Fabulous Fillies Day at Saratoga Race Course. All fans are encouraged to wear pink during their visit to Saratoga Race Course. NYRA will welcome local breast cancer survivors to the winner’s circle for the day’s third race, which will be named in their honor in partnership with To Life!, a Capital Region non-profit organization that provides support services to breast cancer patients and their families.

The day will also feature the return of the “Best in Pink” fashion contest, which encourages fans to wear their most fashionable outfit – prominently featuring pink – for the chance to win a special prize package. Fans can enter by having their photo taken at the Jockey Silks Room Porch from 1 to 3 p.m. Participants will receive a keepsake magnet photo with a suggested donation of $5 to support To Life! The featured drink will be the Ketel One Pink Lemonade available exclusively for Fabulous Fillies Day at bars and restaurants throughout the track.

Low Roller Challenge Handicapping Contest: Every Thursday features the Low Roller Challenge Handicapping Contest, available exclusively on-track with a buy-in of $40. Registration begins at 11 a.m. near the Fourstardave Sports Bar.

Volcan Tequila Summer Music Stage: The Volcan Tequila Summer Music Stage will host live music from The Lustre Kings.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 6

National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame, Troy Stakes and Alydar: Friday’s Grade 2, $200,000 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame, a one-mile inner-turf test for sophomores at Saratoga Race Course, commemorates the induction ceremonies that will take place across Union Avenue earlier in the day. The 37th edition of the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame is part of a loaded card that includes the $120,000 Alydar, a nine-furlong test for older horses, and the Grade 3, $200,000 Troy, presented by Horse Racing Ireland, a 5 1/2-furlong Mellon turf sprint for older horses.

NYRA Hometown Hero, presented by CDPHP: NYRA will announce the next honoree in its Hometown Hero program, presented by CDPHP, which recognizes local essential workers for their service and dedication to the community during the pandemic. Each honoree receives the opportunity to present a trophy in the winner’s circle. Nominations are being accepted through August 15 at CDPHP.com/Heroes.

Babe Wines and Cooperstown Distillery Tastings: Fans will be invited to enjoy two complimentary tasting events at Saratoga: Babe Rosé wine outside The Cutwater Stretch from 1 to 3 p.m. and the Cooperstown Select Bourbon Old Fashioned from Cooperstown Distillery at the Jim Dandy Bar from noon to 4 p.m. Must be at least 21 years old; while supplies last.

Ford Mustang Mach-E Display: Fans will have their first of two opportunities to check out the new all-electric 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E, which will be on display near the Clubhouse escalator throughout the afternoon, courtesy of Upstate Ford Dealer Group.

Volcan Tequila Summer Music Stage: The Volcan Tequila Summer Music Stage will host live music from The Stony Creek Band.

Piazza Italia: The Piazza Italia, located in the Saratoga Events Pavilion, near Gate A, will host live music featuring Franklin Micare from noon to 4 p.m. Fans may enjoy authentic Italian food and beverages at the Piazza Italia every day of the Saratoga meet, including paninis with Italian meats and cheeses, Fratelli Beretta cold cuts, Monti Trentini cheeses, Italian Bindi Gelato, Tiramisu and Peroni Beer.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 7

Whitney Day: Three-time Grade 1 winner Swiss Skydiver is set headline Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Whitney which offers an automatic berth to the Breeders’ Cup Classic. The filly, victorious in last year’s Preakness Stakes and Alabama, will try to become the first female to capture the Whitney since Personal Ensign in 1988. To do so, she will have to defeat Maxfield, considered the top older horse in training, and Knicks Go, the Pegasus World Cup winner. The blockbuster Whitney Day card will also include the Grade 1, $500,000 Longines Test for sophomore fillies and the $1 million Saratoga Derby Invitational, the second jewel of the Turf Triple series for sophomore males in its first running with Grade 1 status. Whitney Day will also feature the Grade 2, $250,000 Glens Falls for fillies and mares on turf, and the $120,000 Fasig-Tipton Lure.

Bruce Johnstone Best Turned-Out Horse Award: NYRA will honor the legacy of the late horseman Bruce Johnstone by bestowing the “Bruce Johnstone Best Turned Out Horse Award” to the groom of the horse deemed by NYRA racing officials to be best presented in the paddock ahead of the Grade 1, $500,000 Longines Test. Johnstone, who succumbed last year to a lengthy battle against cancer, transitioned from a successful career as a trainer to management at NYRA, where he spent the last 13 years of his career as Manager of Racing Operations.

Handicapping Seminar: Popular handicapper Pete Fornatale will host a 30-minute seminar to discuss his picks for Whitney Day. The event begins at 9:15 a.m. at the New York Thoroughbred Breeders booth near the Dunkin’ concession. Attendance is free.

Wine Tasting Trifecta for Whitney Day: Fans will be invited to enjoy several complimentary tasting events on Whitney Day, starting with La Crema from Jackson Family Wines at the La Crema Sonoma Coast Experience pop-up bar located across from the Clubhouse exchange from noon to 4 p.m. Wine lovers will also enjoy samples of Whispering Angel Rosé near the Travers Bar from 1 to 3 p.m. as well as Babe Rosé outside The Cutwater Stretch also from 1 to 3 p.m. Rounding out the afternoon will be a sampling of Ketel One Botanicals from award-winning Ketel One family made vodka at the Ketel One Longshots Bar located on the ground floor of the Grandstand from 3 to 5 p.m. Must be at least 21 years old; while supplies last.

Ford Mustang Mach-E Display: Fans will once again have the opportunity to check out the new all-electric 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E, which will be on display near the Clubhouse escalator throughout the afternoon, courtesy of Upstate Ford Dealer Group.

Volcan Tequila Tasting and Summer Music Stage: The Volcan Tequila Summer Music Stage will host live music from The Bluz House Rockers.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 8

Saratoga Oaks Invitational: Sunday of Whitney weekend concludes with three graded stakes highlighted by the upgraded Grade 3, $700,000 Saratoga Oaks Invitational, the second leg of the Turf Triple series for sophomore fillies. The card will also include the Grade 3, $300,000 Fasig-Tipton De La Rose for turf fillies and mares, and the Grade 2, $200,000 Adirondack, a 6 1/2-furlong sprint for juvenile fillies.

Brunch at The Rail at the 1863 Club: Fans are invited to enjoy a brunch buffet while experiencing The Rail at the 1863 Club, the first-floor banquet space at the 1863 Club. Tickets are $85 and include the buffet, soft drinks and Post Parade program book. Reservations are available by calling the NYRA Box Office at 844-NYRA-TIX or online at NYRA.com/1863Club.

Berkshire Bank Family Sundays: The popular kid-oriented weekly event will feature a wide variety of free family-friendly activities, games, attractions and educational activities each Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Berkshire Bank Family Zone, located inside Gate A near the Saratoga Race Course Box Office.

Low Roller Challenge Handicapping Contest: Every Sunday features the Low Roller Challenge Handicapping Contest, available exclusively on-track with a buy-in of $40. Registration begins at 11 a.m. near the Fourstardave Sports Bar.

Volcan Tequila Summer Music Stage: The Volcan Tequila Summer Music Stage will host live music from Captain Squeeze and the Zydeco Moshers.

All events and activities are subject to change at the discretion of NYRA.

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