"Julia, where do you buy your wine?" This is a question I'm often asked. I rely heavily on my wine friends and writers who never steer me wrong. I am bookmarking wine from people I follow on Instagram too. I find like most people I can get in a rut with my wine buying. I know some wine snobs don't believe in buying wine at the grocery store, but I think if you do your due diligence you can find some winners outside of the big name brands.
Read MoreNapa Valley. Those two words make wine people very happy. Vineyards, trellis, food, grapes, hills, and don’t forget the wine. Downtown Napa is going through a revival and it is great to witness. The Napa River Inn located at the historic Napa Mill is a quaint and intimate hotel with is in walking distance of shops, restaurants, and the famous Oxbow Public Market.
Read MoreRosé. The word can add joy to your lips or make you roll your eyes. It’s almost the time of year where rosé will be everywhere. Here’s looking at you spring and summer. I know you are there. It certainly is spring in Louisiana right now.I enjoy a good rose, crisp, and has depth. It has to pair well with lighter summer foods, but doesn’t need to be so weak and lacking that it tastes like pink-colored water. I am not a rosé just to drink rosé drinker. If there is no structure or complexity you can keep it. Yeah, I’m a wine snob like that and I can admit it.
Read Morepixi + Caroline Hirons Double Cleanse. If you are a skincare junkie and not following Caroline Hirons on Instagram, do you beauty self a favor and go follow her now. She is so funny, smart, and has that lovely British accent that has me swooning over all the skincare products she writes about. I follow very few beauty blogs these days since I’m not an exclusive beauty blogger anymore, but I love everything she writes about. Although, I’m not going crazy like I used to I am still a beauty girl at art.
Read MoreI decided to showcase this month's reading list at the first of the month instead of the end. I realized I needed to put my book reading on a schedule this month. This may not work moving forward, but I will let you know. If you use the library to check out e-books you know the dilemma. You put your name on the hold list and then all of a sudden all your books come in at the same time which means you can’t turn the wi-fi on your Kindle because you still haven’t finished the other 3 you downloaded.
So here is what I plan on reading for February. I’m sure I will throw a few extra in the mix.
Read MoreChile, one of the great wine regions of the new world produces beautiful and delicious wines. My team was recently invited to meet with Valdivieso winemaker Brett Jackson and to learn more about their wines. Jai gives a beautiful story on the wines. Enjoy.
"Walking into Iron Gate takes your breath away as wrought iron, dark wood, and soft lighting greets diners as they arrive. Yet on this particular day, a select group met with Valdivieso winemaker Brett Jackson.
Read MoreThe one thing about Instagram I love is finding all the beauty girls. I fell hard for Sarah James of Whoorl years ago. My friend Erika put me on to her. She was then living in California, but now in Oklahoma City so in my mind she’s so close to Texas which makes her a Southern girl to me. Over the past few years, Whoorl has been focusing on greening her beauty routine. She posted a quick video on Instagram regarding her love of Bite Beauty and their Matte Lip Crayons.
Read MoreI get asked one question a lot. Do you enjoy all the wines you taste? The truth is no. Yes, there are bad wines. But, the wines I tend to buy to cellar and drink have been good. I like to think there are some I could drink for the rest of my life. The ones that if I had all the money in the world I would cellar as many as I possibly could. In order to taste better, you have to taste a lot. There are wines I come back to over and over again. It’s like I can’t get enough. Troon Wines are wines I often recommend and if you can get your hands on their Malbec you will be shocked it’s made in Oregon and not Argentina.
Read MoreWho knew Paris had a cocktail week? Paris Cocktail Week starts Saturday and I am so excited. Although I am not able to attend, I am so glad to not be in D.C. during the joke of a weekend. The City of Lights is known for many things and I’m excited to see what bartenders and mixologists come up with for the week. This is definitely on my radar for 2018. My favorite wine bar in Paris, Lavinia, is participating and I can’t wait to stalk their Instagram to see what they create for the occasion.
Read MoreThere are so many good books out right now and I always say I don't have enough time to read them all. I'm hoping to read a least 40 books this year and so far I have already read three and I'm currently on my fourth. With a little, less than two weeks to go in the month and I am hoping I can get through one more.
Read MoreI'm talking Tunisia for this #WineWednesday. Most people can’t find it on a map or why it should be of interest to the wine world, but it should. Tunisia is located in North Africa and is bordered by Libya, Algeria, and the Mediterranean Sea. This climate along with the sea air allows for this smallest country in North Africa to produce some exceptional wines. I had the opportunity to taste a few of Tunisian wines at the Tunisian Ambassador’s Residence and my mind was eager to understand the wine and my palette eager to taste.
Read MoreSavannah doesn’t always get its do. It’s a city that deserves repeat visits to discover the city, the culture, the food, and yourself. The city goes beyond quaint and charming. Yes, it is both of those, but it’s also hip and at times eclectic. Like many cities, the fun happiest in downtown and on my next visit I plan to explore the outskirts to see what that area has going on as well.
My home base was The Marshall House considered one of the best historic homes in the U.S. It’s part of the historic homes of Savannah and due to the location is a perfect place to stay and explore historic Savannah. The city is known for their historic bed and breakfasts homes and with the influx of new hotels from Andaz and Kimpton, the city is definitely changing.
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