I had a few friends over the other day for a small Sex and the City Marathon and wanted to make something cute and fun for them. I came across a recipe for Cosmo Cupcakes on Hostess Blog……they were perfect! What could be better for a girly party than bright pink cupcakes!?
Check out the recipe at: http://www.hostessblog.com/2010/05/cosmo-cupcakes-sex-and-the-city-style/
I recently had the chance to attend a Wine Law Masters Class at Berkeley School of Law that was taught by Richard Mendelson. Mendelson is arguably the foremost authority on wine law in the United States, and his class on the subject at Berkeley Law was a first in the United States. And as a winemaker himself, Mendelson possesses an intimate knowledge of the ins-and-outs of the wine world.
His class was quick and full of information, but extremely interesting. If you happen to be a student at Berkeley I highly recommend taking his class, which happens to include a tasting of the wines he produces on his vineyard.
I’m also in the process of reading his recently published book From Demon to Darling. It is a comprehensive history of wine law in the United States. I think you’ll be surprised right away at the deep connections this country, and the people that founded it, have to wine.
You can check out Mendelson Wines at www.mendelsonvineyard.com.
And you can get From Demon to Darling at Amazon.
The Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America spent $300,000 in the first quarter of 2009 lobbying the federal government on food safety and labor issues. The organization, whose members represent wine and spirit distributors across the U.S., lobbied on bills that would boost consumer product safety standards, budget and appropriation matters, as well as labor and workplace issues.
In December 2008 Copia, the $78 million wine, food and art center founded by the late Robert Mondavi, filed for bankruptcy after closing its doors a month before. The question that remains is, what will happen to the 12-acre complex now?
Several groups have submitted plans to reopen the center, but now it’s up to creditors and bankruptcy court Judge Alan Jaroslovsky which plan will win out.
Decanter.com had an interesting post recently on “intelligent wine barrels.”
An intelligent barrel is apparently one that has a special band around it that can tell winemakers things like when their wine has finished aging and how often to top off. Barrel makers are now claiming that their barrels could enhance specific wine flavors and characteristics like red fruit, spices, tobacco leaf, and tannin levels.
