Not that Anybody Asked But, Where the **** Have I Been?!

Hello November. Hello friends. Long time, no chat.

I looked up recently to realize we’ve arrived at the month that means a lot to me and not only because it’s the month of my birth. November is always when we turn inward, gather friends and loved ones, take stock and pay homage to everything for which we are grateful.

If I’m being honest with you, I’ve struggled to feel grateful these past months. Ghosting you here was never my intention. While the reasons I disappeared are complicated and some too personal to share at the moment, ultimately, I became a victim of the pandemic – one of those 5.1 million American mothers who had to stop working for pay (a very critical use of language there, as the work certainly did not stop) in the midst of school closures, childcare shortages, and lockdowns. With paid work completely dried up, I could no longer call this space a job. I think when we do something consistently, but without pay, it’s called a hobby, am I right? And the pandemic certainly left me zero space for hobbies. The pandemic put me in a position that I’d never planned for – to serve as the primary caregiver in the family – and to be candid, it really sucked the life and the joy out of me (if you need background on my struggles with motherhood, head here.)

Of course I should preface by stating the obvious – I am incredibly lucky. I am beyond grateful that we have a roof over our heads, food on our table and are always able to provide for our son throughout these crazy times. Dear friends and family rallied around us when dealing with really challenging circumstances. And I realize SO many families have experienced so much more loss and deeply harrowing challenges during this whole insane experience.

Yet, my unplanned hiatus from this blog – really the unplanned hiatus from my self-determined existence – has been a palpable loss and a perpetual struggle. It zapped all my energy and narrowed my universe, leaving me adrift on a tiny island of domesticity.

Just as quickly as the sadness, frustration and loss can sweep through, I can also can easily cycle back to space of gratitude though. Turning to my insular family brought great gifts. Deeper relationships, better knowing and seeing and understanding. A closeness. Also mountains of dishes and laundry. So. many. dishes.

Now we’re hitting the official season of gratitude and I’m holding on to those brighter thoughts about what these past months have brought me, but I’m also really feeling the urge to break free. With actual gatherings possible again, could it happen?! I feel a bit like I might get to emerge from my cocoon.

But having been away from here for so long, I wasn’t sure I still had anything to share. For me, blogging has always been about uncovering beauty, craft, art, design and soulful intentional living and sharing that inspiration with you. What happens when you’re not sure you can still be inspiring?

Thankfully, I was able to partner with Wente Vineyards, a family owned winery – the oldest continuously family run winery in all of USA – and one that is female led to talk about their holiday theme, #MakeTime. I worked with Wente Vineyards to create a Thanksgiving tablescape in This Old Victorian, not only as inspiration for you, but also for myself. Because what I really want to #MakeTime for this year is rediscovering that spark of inspiration. That joy. And I still haven’t even hosted an actual Thanksgiving at my dining table yet!

I am feeling eager to come back to the reasons I began Apartment 34 nearly 13 years ago now, and determine where I want to take this space in the future. I gotta admit, to flex some creative muscle again, to collaborate again, to be in the company of amazing women creating things I admire again – I felt back in my own skin.

For this Thanksgiving table, I wanted a very simple and easy layered feel, focused on natural materials and muted earthy tones. The look was achieved by stacking ceramic dishware (from Heath Ceramics and Anthropologie) layered in two complementary colorways, with beautiful linen napkins with an embroidered edge from The House by Tracy Simmons Design. A simple linen runner, rustic wood bowls & serving boards and vintage brass candlesticks create a warm, welcoming feel down the center of the table. Rose gold flatware and stemless wine glasses feel fun and laidback.

Rather than a traditional “centerpiece,” instead a footed bowl by Leanne Ford for Crate and Barrel filled with autumnal gourds and a simple floral arrangement inspired by the wilds of nature are the only table decor. If you wanted to up the fancy factor you could create placecards or write little quotes about gratitude to set at each seat, but I’m just so thankful to be able to gather this year – I don’t think the extra bells and whistles are really necessary. A sprig of olive branches at each place setting is more than enough.

I just want to eat delicious food and drink some fantastic wine – with other people again finally! Wente Vineyards is actually going to help us do that. They’re offering two beautiful wine bundles at 25% off the usual retail price and a flat $10 shipping. They aren’t officially launching until November 5, so my dear Apartment 34 readers, you get first crack at the Thanksgiving Dinner Pairing Set and the Nth Degree Gift Set right now.

But really, what is the point of this ramble, other than to say hi and how are you and oh yeah, I am still alive? I just felt compelled to show up here to let you know that I’ve been struggling. And I see all of you who have too. But I remain hopeful that we can come out of this collective trauma with a greater sense of not only purpose, but also appreciation for our own passions, gifts and desires. Of course, we all have to makes sacrifices in challenging circumstances, but I’ve learned you don’t want to lay yourself down on the altar of sacrifice. There is joy to be unearthed, even in the darkest times. You just have to #MakeTime to find it. Setting a beautiful Thanksgiving table definitely brings me great joy and I hope it does for you too.

I will always be grateful to you, dear readers, some – if you’re still out there – I know have been around since those early early days. Even when I was as far from this space as I could both physically and mentally get, I was always thinking about you. I do so hope you have weathered the COVID storm as well as you can.

And I do plan to be popping in here more frequently again. I can’t make any promises on when that will be, but there is so much amazing design out there and shining a light on people doing awe-inspiring work has always been the greatest gift of Apartment 34. I wonder if I can make professional treasure hunter a thing? Well, I guess I kinda am. I’m currently putting the finishing touches on the Hood Canal Cottage. You can see the latest behind the scenes of that project on Instagram. And major SPOILER ALERT – I will be launching design services in early 2022. If you have a project you might want to collaborate on or just want updates on the services I’ll be offering, you can sign up for my newsletter right here.

In the meantime, I’m sending you love and gratitude this November.

photography by stephanie russo, prop and food styling by kelly allen studios

This post is in partnership with Wente Vineyards. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own. Thank you for supporting collaborations that have kept Apartment 34’s doors open for more than a decade.

How to Set a Simply Chic Thanksgiving Table

Entertaining

Friend, I’m the first to admit it can be hard to feel thankful right now. As the holidays bear down and the pandemic rages, it’s very tempting to just throw in the towel. That was my first inclination – to just say f*** it and skip it all. Why go to all the trouble and effort for a little family of three?

But there is something to be said for marking special occasions, say nothing of lighting up a child’s eyes with joy – no matter how nontraditionally you’re celebrating a holiday. When my five-year-old saw me break out candles to prepare a Thanksgiving table he said “ooooh, something special must be happening.” It was the perfect reminder that even in dire circumstances, a magical moment can still be found.

It is with this sentiment that I offer an intimate Thanksgiving table inspiration for you today. I pulled this table for four together in 20 minutes which means you can too. Jumping in and creating this table made me remember how much I love doing them and how much I’d miss skipping this ritual.

When thinking about creating a mini Thanksgiving scene this year, I had three goals in mind; keep it simple, make it easy and try to have a little fun.

Now, I can’t take all the credit for this look. I was given a head start by some of my favorite San Francisco-based flower fairies, Marigold SF, who are currently offering pre-packaged floral centerpieces and as well as The Gathered Table, a collection of gourds, floral flotsam and even candles to give you a ready-made Thanksgiving table to-go. (FYI, today is the last day to put in a Thanksgiving order!!)

I used some of the foundational pieces of The Gathered Table to create my table’s centerpiece. I plucked the oversized white pumpkin from the mix to become the centerpiece’s anchor as well as the inspiration for the muted color palette. I set the pumpkin off-center in order to give the centerpiece a more organic, asymmetrical feel – I was going for a modern update on the cornucopia concept.

From there, I simply started filling in gaps both with bits from The Gathered Table and with items I foraged from my own pantry, adding everything from champagne grapes and pears to purple kale, acorn squash and heads of garlic!

Little blue glass votive holders by Hawkins New York kept the table profile low. When you’re feeding a small group, I like keeping the vibe intimate. There’s no need to have to peek around big floral bouquets or try to navigate between a sea of pillar candles. Simple votives feel low key, yet still elegant.

My subdued palate and desire for laid back elegance also informed my table setting choices. I loved the subtle sheen of this two-toned flatware from CB2. Ceramic plates with an organic edge offer a casual feel, but the modern ombre tumblers kept the look from going too rustic. While I’d originally planned on using cream linen napkins, the soft gray blue picked up the color of the votives so nicely, i just couldn’t resist.

While I’ve yet to set my Thanksgiving Day menu, I do know what I’ll be pouring. Diora Wines from Monterey. If you’ve followed Apartment 34 for any length of time, you know my long love affair with and true passion for wine. It started when I lived in Italy as a university student and then studied wine while in Santa Barbara. A typical fall season would include multiple weekends in California wine country, looking to discover a new vintner or two, but this year has been very different.

I’m so grateful Diora reached out to introduce their wines to me. Grown on the hillsides of the Santa Lucia mountain range, they specialize in Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Rosé of Pinot Noir. After tasting their wines I was immediately smitten. While the Pinot Noir is silky and luscious, the Rosé is bright with a vibrant acidity. Both would work wonderfully for a Thanksgiving meal.

My husband and I have created a little quarantine routine of enjoying a glass of rosé at the start of a meal and ending the evening with a yummy red and Diora wines are perfect for this.

Here’s a fun little distanced Thanksgiving activity. Everyone can bring their favorite under $30 bottle to their table and share tasting notes with the group – aka why they like it. Doing a remote cheers might not feel quite the same, but you’ll be a lot happier when your friends and family are still around to cheers with you in person next year.

I also love to send wine as a gift. You can get some Diora wines here or find a Diora retailer near you by clicking RIGHT HERE.

Thanksgiving might look and feel quite different this go ’round, but right now it’s important to celebrate anything we can be grateful for. I hope you find ways to make the day feel special for you.

SHOP THIS LOOK

photography by etincelle studio

this post is in collaboration with Diora Wines. all thoughts and opinions are my own. thanks for supporting collaborations that have kept apartment 34’s doors open.

Wine Wednesday: Meet Sophie James

Entertaining

My appreciation for wine and my love of wine country has been well documented. But it’s rare to find a winery where you not only love the vino, but also get to meet and befriend the people who both grow the grapes & make the wine. It’s even rarer that their winery happens to sit atop one of the most beautiful vistas in all of Northern California wine country.

When those three things combine, you get what I call a little slice of wine country heaven otherwise known as Sophie James.

Sophie James started as a dream in 2011 when founders Sophie & her husband James (pre-marriage and babes) stumbled upon an amazing piece of property atop Sonoma Mountain. While Sophie had long day-dreamed of making wine while she worked as a biochemist, she didn’t necessarily think their dream would become a reality. But after painstakingly organically farming five acres of Pinot Noir grapes over the last six years, Sophie and James released their first vintage of rosé and pinot noir this year.

But I swear their wines taste even better when enjoyed upon the land from which they came. Sophie James has recently offered private vineyard dinners atop their mountain, catered by Michelin-star chefs, complete with the option to glamp overnight in tricked out Shelter Co tents. You can stroll their rolling hilltop property, rosé in hand, enjoying 360 degree views of the Bay Area. On a good day you can see the Pacific Ocean and all the way to San Francisco!

But what really sets Sophie James apart is the opportunity to watch a young family realize their dreams (and not just because I might harbor a similar one!). Sophie and James have not only produced delicious wines but also cultivated an amazing community – their Tribe – of passionate wine lovers, but also just really cool people that you actually want to hang out with. Bonus. Every time you visit Sophie James you can see the passion and the joy Sophie and her entire family have poured into making this place come to life.

While the Tribe is currently at capacity, Sophie James will be accepting new members soon so I strongly recommend you get your name on their waitlist right here. Perhaps I’ll see you up on the mountaintop sometime soon!

For more of my wine country favorites, CLICK HERE.

It’s Not Too Late for a Rosé Tasting Party

Entertaining

The summer entertaining season is winding down, but that doesn’t mean you can’t squeeze a few more fetes onto your social calendar. I’m the first to make an excuse to get girlfriends together for much needed mama time. You know it’s going to get sparse as we get deep into fall. So I recently gathered some of my blogger besties for a little rosé tasting party! It combined all of my loves – designing a gorgeous table, trading blogger (and mama!) tips and sipping on lots of yummy wine of course.

To set a stunning scene, I turned to Shutterfly. Long known as the go-to site for personalized cards and photos, did you know you can also flex your creative muscle personalizing your home decor too? I had a ball creating a lovely tabletop for my wine tasting soirée.

I started with all the glassware. I decided to create wine glasses marked with ROSÉ. Too cute right? I also thought personalizing a lovely wine decanter for pouring would be fun too. To keep with my french theme, Salut seemed only fitting. I loved playing with all the fonts and styles on Shutterfly until I found the one that was picture perfect.

I’m also rather obsessed with Shutterfly’s adorable packaging!

But it’s not a proper wine party without lots of little nibbles. Shutterfly also offers gorgeous marble cheese boards and wood cutting boards so I scooped up a variety and marked them in different of ways – from noting whether a board was for fromage or charcuterie to simply designing one board with the words bon appêtit. I also couldn’t resist creating a bespoke APT34 breadboard too!

But I really had fun creating place settings and wine tasting notebooks for my ladies. I chose a palette of black, gray, navy and gold. It kept the table from feeling overly feminine but these pieces also melted my heart – because they feature watercolor art my toddler painted! Turning my son’s art into plates and notebooks on Shutterfly was so easy. All I had to do was upload a scan of his artwork and voila! I had lovely glass dishes and cute notebooks for each guest.

For the party, I decided to set the event up as a blind wine tasting. That means you don’t know anything about what you’re drinking. Being a long-time wine geek, I love the process of tasting wine, having to describe what you’re having, comparing one wine to another and really thinking about what you like or don’t like. It’s a really fun exercise and quite educational if you’re a wine novice. While rosé is often referred to as the pink water of summer, there are actually very good rosés out there. You just have to know what you’re looking for.

shop the post: glass plates / notebooks / wine glasses / marble cheese boards / wood cutting boards / glass wine decanter / table throw

Throughout lunch, we sipped on each wine, talking about the flavor profile (fruity or earthy?) how heavy or light it felt, how it paired with the food, which one we thought was the cheapest or the most expensive. Conversation may have also frequently wandered to toddler tantrums and what the heck is up with Instagram these days, but we tried to stay focused on the task at hand! Upon the final reveal, we discovered everyone actually liked the mid-tier, $16 bottle of rosé from California best.

All in all, the party was a total success. Thanks to Shutterfly, I was able to design a unique, personally meaningful way to bring friends together. The pieces I designed on Shutterfly made what could have been any old lunch feel a little more extraordinary. But in the end, the afternoon wasn’t really about the wine. It was about the company, the conversation – the bringing together of friends that we’ll all remember.

I highly recommend checking out Shutterfly to help make your next gathering a little more special.

original photography for apartment 34 by stephanie russo, florals by lambert studio

This post is in partnership with Shutterfly. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own. Thanks for supporting posts that have kept apartment 34’s doors open.

Wine Wednesday: A Hot Spot for the Cool Crowd

Food + Travel

If you live in the Bay Area, are under 35 and have ever worn a boho hat or sport a beard, then you’ve probably already heard of Scribe Winery. But there’s a reason all the cool kids go there and why Scribe is my current Wine Wednesday obsession. It’s just too dang pretty! We actually featured Scribe and their gorgeous property a few years back. But they’ve taken the cool factor to a whole new level with their recently renovated Hacienda.

One of the oldest buildings in Sonoma, the hacienda sat abandoned for more than 20 years. Even after Scribe opened it remained untouched. It was used for impromptu parties (and even I may have snuck into it for a photo shoot!), but after nearly two years the Hacienda has been reborn. It now features beautiful sitting rooms, a commercial kitchen and I hear three guest rooms that will house visiting chefs and possibly a writer in residence. Did I mention the coolness oooozes out of this place?? What I love most is that the renovation kept the original patina intact. From walls whose peeling paint revealed period wallpaper beneath to restoring original glass, built-ins, and fixtures, if you didn’t know better you might think the space hadn’t actually been renovated!

The day I visited, the property was abloom because Louesa Roebuck and Sara Londsdale were on hand to celebrate their new flower-focused tome, Foraged Flora. So gorgeous right?

You can now book wine tastings at the Hacienda that include a beautifully prepared lunch straight from that stunning kitchen. You’ll enjoy farm fresh salads (like fresh off their farm on the property), cheese boards, sandwiches – whatever the resident chef invents for that day. Food is served in bowls designed by artist and Scribe friend Jess Hirsch and you’ll dine on tables made of redwood trees that fell on the property a few years back. Again, does it get cooler? I think not. But as beautiful as the place is, the wines are also quite good too. Run by brothers Andrew and Adam Mariani, who are fourth-generation California farmers, the brothers decided it was time to breathe new life into not only into the property’s structures, but most importantly into the land for their sustainable winemaking.

Scribe is located on one of the older vineyards in Sonoma. It was shut down during prohibition, then turned into an orchard and at one time a turkey farm. But it is certainly back to life now. The brothers planted Reisling and Sylvaner (a german varietal) as that’s what had grown on the property since the turn of the last century. Scribe also produces Chardonnay, Rosés, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignons with grapes sourced from throughout the valley. Scribe uses old world, natural wine making processes like skin-fermentation and really focus on infusing the uniqueness of place into all of their wines. Having tasted at Scribe for a number of years now I think it’s fair to say that the wines vary a bit from year to year, but what they’re pouring now is particularly strong. The Rosés are exceptionally light and crisp; perfect for really hot days. The Pinot has a bit more body and structure than past years. It’s a lovely wine to sip on its own or enjoy with food. But I’m actually particularly loving their Cab right now. At over $70 a bottle, it’s certainly a special occasion wine but I’m finding it pretty special.

So the next time you’re planning a visit to wine country, make sure a visit to Scribe is on your list. Just make a point to call and book ahead. This place is cool remember, so of course, it’s nearly impossible to get in!

For more Wine Wednesday posts, CLICK HERE

For my favorite getaways, CLICK HERE

A Rosé Inspired Gathering

Entertaining

While I typically reserve Wednesday to talk about wine, there’s nothing wrong with indulging a day early – especially on Valentine’s Day! I must admit, the contrived Valentine’s romance isn’t really my jam, but an excuse to bring some of my girls together – that I can get into.

Since I haven’t seen a happy hour in I can’t remember how long, hosting a ladies lunch is a lot more mom-friendly. A few friends, a pretty table and some light bites are all you need to feed your need for girl-time.

Even though my table was Valentine-inspired, I didn’t want it to feel saccharin. With a dark gray tablecloth as a ground, all of the warm neutrals stand out. To make place settings a little more special, the secret is to layer. A charger, dinner and salad plate all stacked together create texture. I wrapped a set of printed napkins (designed by Erica Tanov – a major design crush), with a bit of rose-colored suede. Brass flatware and a little gold dish on each place add a hint of glam without getting overly girly. A floral centerpiece with creamy ranunculus, anemones, sweatpeas and jasmine soften the entire scene.

But it wouldn’t be a proper party without a little wine! While rosé is my summer staple, there’s no reason you can’t enjoy it even when there’s snow on the ground. Elouan Rosé is the perfect light, bright and delicious addition to some quality time with your girls. Elouan’s name literally means “good light.” Fitting, no?

I really quite like this wine. Created with Oregon-grown pinot noir, it has real depth of flavor and some good body. So many rosés are rather insipid. This one is lovely whether you’re enjoying a glass all on its own, or pairing it with food. It’s the perfect all-year-round wine. It also always settles the divide between those who want to drink white and those who want to drink red. Rosé always satisfies.

I also like giving my guests a little favor to take home – in this case pieces of tangerine quartz. It has properties of strength and tenacity, but is also calming and centering. Exactly what all moms need, especially in these trying times!

Since I’m often stuffing leftovers from a child’s tray into my mouth and calling it lunch, this is a refreshing respite from day-to-day mom life. Hopefully we don’t have to invent another holiday before doing this again.

For more table top and entertaining ideas CLICK HERE

Fore more Wine Wednesday posts, CLICK HERE

dishware via mrs.peasy / florals by lambert floral studio

photography for apartment 34 by delbarr moradi

This post is in partnership with Elouan wine. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own. Thanks for supporting collaborations we’re excited about and that have kept apt34’s doors open.

New Series: Wine Wednesday

Entertaining

As we begin a new year, I’ve been thinking about my passions. What do I truly love? What do I truly enjoy? It’s those things that I feel I can bring to you with the most enthusiasm and authenticity. Upon examining the world of my favorite things, one quickly bubbled to the top: wine.

I love my wine. It’s my probably my biggest indulgence. And not just because I’m now a mom. My passion for wine has developed over many years. A semester in Italy sparked my initial interest, living in Santa Barbara and taking wine classes in college (perks of going to UCSB) only helped it grow. And my love of wine and fascination with the entire wine making process has only intensified since moving a stone’s throw from California wine country. I visit Napa and Sonoma as often as I can, have joined more wine clubs than I’d like to admit and drink wine…pretty much every day of the week. True story. It’s good for you thought right?

In all seriousness, I’ve blogged about wine in the past (like here, here, here and here), but I thought it might be fun to start a series dedicated to what I’m drinking right now. Because I know one of the hardest things about wine is figuring out what the heck to try in the first place. Everyone wants to drink “good wine,” but what does that even mean?

Some wines are daily drinkers. Some are best savored on very special occasions. And then there are those that fall somewhere in the middle. I’m hoping to bring you options across the entire spectrum, but I’m kicking off this Wine Wednesday series with a newly discovered wine and the winery that goes with it. It always helps when I love the winery as much as I love the wine.

Turnbull Wine Cellars is just one such place.

Turnball Winery is tucked in the heart of Napa, but if you blink while driving up Hwy 29, you might miss it. Surrounded by some pretty ostentatious neighbors, Turnbull is an unassuming space that maintains a welcoming, old-school winery feel. Family owned and operated, everything happens at the original barn-like structure built in 1979. And while it may appear understated, the property actually comes with quite the design pedigree. The winery was designed by famed architect William Turnbull, Jr., whose architectural style can be spotted throughout California, the Sea Ranch community on the Northern California coast being one of his most famous. When the O’Dell family bought the winery in 1993, they kept the name Turnbull in William’s honor.

Today, Turnbull is run by daughter Zoe Johns. A former retail buyer and director of merchandising, Zoe has a great eye. She brought a cool, modern perspective to the entire Turnbull environment. I shouldn’t be surprised – you can sneak a peek at Zoe’s own San Francisco home on D*S from a few years back – it’s dang good.

Today, Turnbull’s private tasting room is modeled after Zoe’s childhood living room, the tasting gallery holds the country’s largest private collection of Ansel Adams photography and the outdoor space features beautiful gardens, a wood-fired pizza oven, bocce court and an edible pairing garden with a fire pit. It really is a beautiful place to drink away an afternoon.

But let’s get down to the important stuff – the wine! Turnbull is well known for incredibly fine wines. In fact, two wines have garnered a perfect 100 points and 14 wines have been rated at 95 points or more by Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate. But again, what does that actually mean? On our visit to Turnbull we sampled a bit everything, but what caught my attention is their 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine is smooth, silky and complex. If you read its description you’ll see phrases like bright Rainier cherries, fall spice and grain tea tannins. But again, what does that actually mean? Really it means very little. You don’t have to know esoteric descriptions to decide if you like a wine. You know if you relish every sip. You know if you intentionally take your time to enjoy your glass. I find the harder time I have describing a wine, the more I like it. Because it’s not straightforward. It’s not one note. It brought brings you back wanting more.

Now the Turnbull 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon isn’t one of those wines you bust open on any random Tuesday. This is definitely one of the bottles you want to invest in and take your time to enjoy. But it is definitely well worth it.

I hope you enjoyed our first Wine Wednesday post. If there are any wines you’re currently loving, please share in the comments! I’m always looking to add to my collection.

images kassie borreson & taylor brown

Postcards from Franciacorta

Gotta Getaway

Oh Italy. My love affair with you is longstanding. I first toured you at 17 and knew I was hooked. I had a smile on my face every day that I studied abroad in Siena. Italy made our honeymoon extra special. So whenever a trip to Italy presents itself, you say yes. Which is why I was Italia-bound last month. Upon touchdown in Milan, I was whisked an hour away to a hidden gem I had never heard of before, but to which I’m already plotting my return: Franciacorta.

Tucked against the foothills of Dolomites in the Lombardy region, Franciacorta sits on the southern edge of Lago d’Iseo (think Lake Como but smaller and less tourist packed!). Everywhere you look, things are lush with forests, rolling hills and of course covered in vineyards. Because really all of Italy seems to be wine country of some form or another, but Franciacorta is special. Kind of Italy’s best kept secret in fact. Franciacorta is home to some of the world’s finest sparkling wine – called Franciacorta of course. And you know mama likes bubbly!

Franciacorta is particularly special because of the way the wine is made. Like its bubbly cousin from France (which shall not be named), Franciacorta gets its bubbles from the “classic” wine making process. For the wine geeks out there (like me – I love this stuff!), that means Franciacorta doesn’t do its secondary fermentation (sitting on yeast and sugar called the tirage) en masse in giant steel tanks like Prosecco or Spumante. Instead, Franciacorta gets its delightful little bubbles after it ferments first in either steel or oak barrels and then goes through its second round of fermentation in the individual bottle. The entire wine-making process in Franciacorta is actually highly regulated to maintain the highest levels of quality. Wines must be aged for a minimum of 18 months, while some of the finest are aged for up to 60 months or even longer. That’s a very long time in wine years. Wine makers in Franciacorta take painstaking care of their wines – many using age-old traditional processes like riddling bottles by hand. Also, of the 115 producers in the region, more than half use organic farming practices. Color me impressed.

But back to our trip. In 72 jam packed hours, we were given the ultimate Franciacorta tour. We tasted Franciacorta upon Franciacorta upon Franciacorta, dined al fresco on five course lunches, learned to make homemade pasta, rode horseback through vineyards, took a sunset boat cruise, enjoyed a nature walk, toured a 1,000 year old monastery, sat pool-side with more Franciacorta and then had more amazing food and then more food and more Franciacorta. Aka, it was 72 hours of heaven. But there’s so much to do in this lovely region that even if you aren’t into wine, you can still have an amazing time.

We were only able to visit a small sampling of the region’s wineries, but whether we were trying Blanc de Blanc, a very dry light bubbly, Satén with a finer carbonation and satin like quality on the palette, or sipping on the sparkling rosés, I loved them all. The wineries themselves were also gorgeous. Every one was completely different from the next. Corte Bianca featured stunning modern design (more coming in an entirely separate post – it was so good). Others, like the sprawling Mosnel were over 250 years old with wine cellars housing over 100,000 bottles. I was simultaneously in awe over the wine making process and all the amazing spaces.

An evening on Lago d’Iseo – the lake with largest inhabited lake island in the world – was a little slice of magic.

I’ll spare you a picture of me actually on the horse.

This was my first major trip since becoming a mama and it was the perfect way to satisfy my wanderlust. Well, not really. Because now all I want to do is go back!

WHERE TO STAY: Le Quattro Terre – a lovely agriturismo, with simple chic rooms, delicious breakfasts and sprawling grounds

WHERE TO WINE TASTE: You really can’t go wrong with any Franciacorta winery you try, but I loved La Valle, Corte Bianca, Enrico Gatti and Cavalleri

WHERE TO EAT: We had amazing meals at Locanda al Lago on Lake Iseo as well as at a stunning historic villa, Villa Calini

THINGS TO DO: Boat tours of Lago d’ Iseo, visit the Monastero S. Pietro in Lamosa, take a nature walk in the preserve Le Torbiere, horseback ride through vineyards with Scuderia Crazy Horse, or take a cooking class before you wine taste at Mosnel

For more of my favorite travel adventures, CLICK HERE

Tasty Tuesday; Yes Way, Frosé!

Entertaining

We may have missed National Rosé Day over the weekend, but that only means we have some catching up to do! With the temps heating up, I’m in the mood to take my favorite rosé to the next level. Have you heard of frosé? Yeah, I hadn’t either, but I’m immediately sold.

Just look how purdy this drink is.

RECIPE: FROSÉ

makes 4 cocktails

Ingredients
1 750 ml bottle dry rosé
3 oz simple syrup
3 oz fresh lemon juice
4 lemon twists, to garnish
Vergano Americano Chinato (you can substitute in Campari if you can’t find it)

Directions
1. Freeze the rosé into cubes overnight.
2. Blend rosé cubes with simple syrup and lemon juice just until smooth.
3. Pour into glasses, garnish with lemon twists, splash the chinato over the top and serve.

This seems like the perfect light, refreshing drink. Perfect for a hot afternoon by a pool, a mimosa alternative for Sunday brunch or a fun signature cocktail for a summer wedding. Or a Tuesday. Just sayin’.

If this has wet your whistle, there are a few more frosé recipe options here, here and here.

PS – more of my fave summer cocktails are right here.

images and recipe via W&P Design, inventors of the carry on cocktail kit

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