September 22, 2006

Wine Diva-isms

Unbreak my heart

Mikasa's space age-y new Open Up l
line of Kwarx (almost)  unbreakable stemware  arrives in Vancouver next week. Six unique styles allow the wine to breath and you to relax when your clumsy guests knock one over. And from an industry perspective-the sharp angle in the bowl lines up a perfect  pour and will withstand up to 2000 dish washing cycles. Non-tempered and lead free these glasses are also virtually seamless. Go ahead, take a close look, no seam where stem meets bowl or base.
Wine Diva absconded with a sample from Puddifoot and is going to do some test runs and see if these babies hold up to rigorous drinking and how the clarity stands up to competitors.
Stay tuned for more...
www.mikasa.com
 

The Arrival of Urban Diner
A Vancouver based what's hot dining and industry relevant website from Waiter Blog's witty wordsmith Andrew Morrison and the very charming Paul Kamon (previously of WhyCook.ca). The two have joined forces and brought on a rag-tag group of hip young-ish writers to dish, gossip and cook up a fine selection of gastro-tainment.
Watch for the launch (around October 1st) with some curious snippits from the possy which includes; Cassandra Anderton, Jamie Boudreau, Lorna Yee, Keith Talent, Stephen Bonner, Tara Lee and yours truly...Wine Diva.
www.urbandiner.ca
 

Spoon-ula, sh-booty and EVOO...

Only one celebrity can lay claim to the abuse of these word-combo's, aka Rachael-isms.
Rachael Ray.
By sheer luck (seriously sheer luck) I happened to catch the first show of Rachel Ray's new talk show on City TV, on September 18th.
She's a firecracker with the lungs of an umpire and I'm really happy for her. I think she's a very smart cookie. Despite being mocked with Rachael Ray drinking games (whenever she says a Rachael-ism you drink) or by other chefs because of her 30-Minute Meals show on Food Network, she has found her niche and is workin' it.

She is awkward, effusive and adorable. She represents the average American woman far more than Nigella or Giada and is fearless.

During her show she showcased a 60 second snack-pepperoni slices slathered with herbed cream cheese topped with fresh basil and sun-dried tomatoes then rolled around a breadstick. Not my cuppa, but hey, I'm impressed with her speed. She also made a 7-Minute meal (as opposed to her 30-Minute meal on Food Network) and made it in under 6. Unfortunately, in true Rachael style she cut her finger during this segment.

She entertained her audience (seated on a revolving stage that brought back nauseous personal memories of a tilt-a-whirl) with details about her outfit. A grey wool wrap dress perfect for, "Expansion during eating, and contraction during digestion" leggings and her sh-booties.
I say good luck to her, she knows her target audience and isn't afraid to laugh at herself!

Spoon-ula:spoon shaped spatula
Sh-booty:Cross between a shoe and a boot (ankle boot)
EVOO: Extra virgin olive oil
 

Cover Story (What's your wine personality?)
BC Wine Reviews
International Sips (The Bordeaux are coming...)
Taste Bites (Beyond)
Wine Diva-isms (Stemware for klutzes, Urban Diner, Rachael Ray)