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How To Choose The Perfect White Wine

May 21, 2013 By 17 Comments

white wine 2I am about as far from a “wine connoisseur” as you can get.  I may love wine – Moscato to be exact – but I have no idea about what-wine-tastes-best-with-what or how to “test” a wine by how it rolls around in a glass.  If you ask me – Moscato goes with everything.

However, I know some people are more wine-inclined than I am, and want to actually know wine and food pairings.   And for those people, Bordeaux has created the perfect way to find the perfect wine – right on their website.   A few months ago I shared with you the Bordeaux Wine Tool for how to choose red wine - and I am excited to share that they now have the same awesome tool for how to choose the best white wine:

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Emerald Coast MudRun for Orphans

May 20, 2013 By 20 Comments

Goal #4 – DONE! (but just barely)

This weekend I had the pleasure of trudging through the mud with some of my favorite ladies for the Emerald Coast MudRun for Orphans. Now, we have all done a Dirty Girl MudRun before, and were not real impressed (it was FREEZING), so we were looking for this race to redeem our opinion of MudRuns…. AND BOY DID IT EVER.

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My Summer Bucket List 2013

May 17, 2013 By 21 Comments

destin harborWith Summer just eight days away (yes, I am counting down… I think I am more excited than the girls are) I have already started thinking about everything that I want to do this year.   This Summer is a pretty big deal – as The Teen heads off to high school in the Fall, meaning this will probably be our last completely “free” Summer before all of the extra curriculars kick in…. and I fully expect to take advantage of that!

  1. Take Mike Snuba diving.  This was totally the highlight of my Brandcation weekend – besides getting to see all of my friends of course.
  2. Take the family to Big Kahunas.  I am so excited to have the opportunity to show you all Big Kahunas.  I have been going there every Summer for what seems like a hundred years – we even had our “Project Graduation” there many moons ago.   There are few things better than spending a day floating around the Lazy River.
  3. Go Tubing.  I absolutely love going tubing.  Pack up a cooler, take your waterproof camera, slather on some sunscreen and you are ready to go.   Trisha and Mike and I went a few times before Phoenyx was born, and it was the highlight of that Summer.
  4. Spend a weekend at the Cabin with the family.  I absolutely love it up there and we do not go near enough.   In fact I am not sure we made it up there one single weekend last Summer.  Sad.  Going to remedy that this year. [Read more...]

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Best Moscato Wines – Part Deux

May 16, 2013 By 15 Comments

A few months ago I did a post on what I think are the best Moscato wines – and to date is has been the highest viewed post of mine so far.  And as much as I think that list is still totally relevant, I have had the opportunity to check out a few more brands and now have a few more “favorites” to share with you!    Though my #1 favorite is still the same – Bartenura Moscato di Asti – a few others are now making the list of what *I* think are the Best Moscato Wines:

1. Bartenura Moscato

Since the very first sip I took of Bartenura Moscato back in 2008 at Skopelo’s Restaurant I have loved this wine.   It is a very light, sweet wine with only 5% alcohol – low for many wines.   It is a bit effervescent giving it almost a champagne-like feel… perfect for any little celebration.

Bartenura Moscato pairs best with fruits, desserts, and cheeses – but to be honest, I drink it with just about anything.

When I first discovered this wine I could only find it at Four Winds – a local specialty food and wine store, but I am happy to say that Publix carries it now as well!

2. Cupcake Moscato

Cupcake MoscatoThis one was highly recommended on my other post, so I was excited when I found it while in Tennessee for Brandcation.  We picked up a couple bottles and all were big fans.    Cupcake Moscato is also a Moscato di Asti, meaning its comes from the city of Asti, a key wine town in Northwestern Italy.

“Crafted with a passion for celebrating the good and genuine things in life – from food and drink to family and friends – Cupcake Vineyards wines make any occasion delicious.”

3. Fish Eye Moscato

fish eye moscatoI discovered Fish Eye Moscato this year at Mardi Gras when I was searching for a bottle of Moscato that I could take to the parades – meaning not in a glass bottle.  Sure, they also have bottles, but I was delighted to find a “Cardboardeaux” – wine in a box!

The Fish Eye Moscato ”Cardboardeaux” holds the equivalent of four bottles of wine – perfect for glass-free events like Mardi Gras parades – but I also took a box to the beach during Brandcation and enjoyed sharing with everyone while enjoying the beach… although I wish I had taken two.

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Get Your Snuba On

May 16, 2013 By 27 Comments

Last weekend while at Brandcation: DESTINation … I fell in love.    Growing up on the Gulf Coast has given me the opportunity to do a LOT of water sports – from skiing to surfing to parasailing.  But this weekend I found what I truly want to do – scuba dive.

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Now, Snuba Diving is a little bit different than SCUBA diving.  When you Snuba, instead of carrying your own tank on your back, you are actually attached to a raft which carries two tanks – enough air for you and up to three of your friends.   Your airline is about 20 feet long – so plenty long to let you get to the bottom of the inlet, with the security of knowing you can not drift too far away from safety.  And, since you have a certified diving instructor going with you, you do not have to be certified yourself to dive.

snuba diving destin florida

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