The vixenry and aristry of Darkgarden.com

Dollys and Dandys, how much do I love living in the Bay Area, a treasure trove of creative swirly heads who put up their tent pole to create  a sublime subculture out  of history, a little steel, a bit of steam, a little lace and quite  possibly, a snifter of absinthe. This, my kumquats is where myself and the mister are spending our weekend: in a sliver of history that might have been. Make sure you check out the launch of Dark Gardens haunting and haute new Dollymop line at the fab fashion show on Saturday night: Alterna-bridal (and boudoir) looks to be displayed. Mon Dieu! See you there!

Event of the Season

The Nova Albion Steampunk Exhibition returns to the San Francisco Bay Area March 12-14, 2010 presenting a world of polished mahogany, leather and brass, where steam power, airships and clockwork are the cutting edge of technology; a neo-Victorian experience, spanning from the 1830s to the early 1900s and from cultivated London to the rugged coast of San Francisco. The Exhibition has moved to the Hilton Garden Inn in Emeryville, CA for 2010, preparing to host an estimated 1000+ attendees. It will offer a huge Traders’ Concourse and over 25 programs in three tracks including academic presentations, panel discussions and hands-on “Maker” workshops. Our Guests of Honor are: James Blaylock (Author of Homunculus, The Digging Leviathan, Land of Dreams), Phil and Kaja Foglio (Artists of Girl Genius), and Jon Sarriugarte (Maker of The Golden Mean, Electrobite and much more). Appearances also include “Steampunk Scholar” Mike Perschon, Tor Books Editor Liz Gorinsky and acclaimed new Steampunk author Gail Carriger (Soulless, Orbit Books).

New for 2010 is an amazing outdoor Exploratory Steam and Kinetics Enclosure, featuring The Golden Mean snail art car, Tom Sepe’s “Whirlygig Emoto” hybrid steam motorcycle, and steam vehicles, boilers, Pandemonium and Caliope from the Crew of the Neverwas Haul!

For evening entertainment, Exhibition guests can trip the gaslight fantastic at the Steampunk Ball, don their Steamy best to compete in the Costume Competition and gather for the illustrious Party-at the Center of the Earth. Special $99 room rates are available at the hotel for Nova Albion guests on a first-come, firstserved basis and can be booked at: www.steampunkexhibition.com/hotel-reservations/.

The Nova Albion Steampunk Exhibition is a celebration of all things Steampunk, from Gaslamp fantasy to clockwork mechanicals, and everything in-between. The event is a chance for fans, authors, makers, tinkerers, adventurers and folks of all stripes to gather, converge, discuss and experience the excitement and the possibilities of an alternate History-That-Might-Have-Been.
$60 Early Bird tickets are on sale now at: http://www.steampunkexhibition.com/tickets – prices will increase to $75 at the door.

Photography: Russ Young
Excerpted from www.steampunkexhibition.com

 

The inception, Steve says was because “Oscar and I decided to make some home-brew, garage-style wines and give them away to friends. Naughty started as a joke label, but our friends started to ask if they could buy it.”

The wine collection now features Racy (a cabernet sauvignon blend), Sticky (dessert wine), Inky (syrah/petite sirah blend), Syrah, and Petite Sirah. They also have available a Naughty Bubbly Brut and a Naughty Bubbly Rose. The wines are bold, luscious and very affordable, which is surprising because of their limited productions, handcrafted style and high-end taste and appeal.
Being naughty has never been so good.

2003 Racy

Tasting Note: Get Naughty tonight with Racy, a sultry blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (69%), Cabernet Franc (16%) and Zinfandel (15%).  Bing cherry and plum combine with crushed black pepper and boysenberry in this wickedly sinful wine.

All three varietals were grown on hillsides. The yields were very low as a result of multiple crop thinnings, providing concentrated fruit flavors. Vinified and aged separately for one year in 90% French oak, 10% American oak before blending.

2003 Inky

Tasting Note:  Wanna Get Naughty?  Inky is blend of Petite Sirah and Syrah. The 2003 vintage shows classic earthy flavors combined with blackberry and strawberry jam and a touch of licorice and spices. Fruit driven with beautiful tannins, Inky is long on finish and finesse.

About the Vineyard:  Juliana Vineyard is located in Pope Valley, one of seven valleys that make up the Napa Valley. This block is composed of gravelly subsoil and a sandy loam surface horizon. Row direction is East to West off a South facing slope. Less than 2 tons per acre was the intentional yield.

Naughty Bubbly Brut

Naughty Cellars claim that “Naughty Girls are playful and alluring. They tease, beguile, and enrapture…can seduce and arouse with a single hypnotic glance. They are intriguing temptresses who live for pleasure every day…and every night”.

Winemaker’s Notes:
Lively, bright and balanced, this wine exhibits all the hallmarks of a classic Brut. A rich and yeasty nose is contrasted with a full, round palate saturated with citrus zest, candied ginger and minerals. Full through the middle palate, the finish is clean and refreshing.

For more on Autumn Millhouse and her book Romantic Napa Valley, An Insider’s Guide for Couples, click here.

All About Autumn

Autumn Millhouse is an award-winning travel writer who specializes in wine, food and romantic getaways. She is also an international trekker who has wined and dined across the globe from Barcelona to Beijingbu. A self-proclaimed “hopeless-romantic” and author of Romantic Napa Valley: An Insider’s Guide for Couples, Autumn also has a bi-monthly column called Love Vines published in Napa Valley Life Magazine. She resides in Napa Valley where she cultivates her wine and food relationships with top chefs, winemakers and a slew of other foodies. Besides, sniffing, swirling and sipping wine daily, Autumn is currently working on her next travel book Romantic Sonoma Valley: An Insider’s Guide for Couples.

 

Tiny pink bubbles for your holiday desto wedding.

The holidays are upon us – decorating, shopping and celebrating is in full swing. Celebrating being the key word; Christmas parties, family dinners and old friend reunions, in actuality, is what makes the holidays festive. Hence, the best way to celebrate is by commemorating the moment with a bottle of bubbles.

Below are my favorite bubbles for holiday celebrations (or any celebration, especially a destination wedding). And these beautiful delicious bottles make perfect hostess gifts too. Cheers!

Domaine Carneros

The regal Domaine Carneros chateau looms high above the rolling hills in the center of the Carneros Appellation. Reminiscent of the18th Century Louis XV style and designed after the Chateau de la Marquetterie in Epernay, France, the winery exemplifies majestic wine making from the inside out, fulfilling the founder’s vision to achieve the crème de la crème of sparkling wine. Opened in 1987 by Champagne Tattinger, a well-known champagne producer, Domaine Carneros adheres strictly to the age-old signature wine making methods from France, striving for “elegant, yet intense style” sparkling wines and pinot noirs.
Best-Loved Bubbles: Le Rêve Blanc de Blancs, Domaine Carneros Brut Rosé and Domaine Carneros Brut Cuvée

Schramsberg

Created in 1965 by Jack and Jamie Davies, Schramsberg houses their world-class sparkling wine in the first hand dug wine caves in Napa Valley estimated to be built in the 1870s and runs two miles long. They handcraft nine different sparkling wines using the time honored method champenoise process. Tucked away on Highway 29, Schramsberg is a historical property that Robert Louis Stevenson visited and devoted a chapter of his well-known Silverado Squatters book. History continues to be made by Shcramsberg when in 1972 when President Richard Nixon and Premier Chou Enlai enjoyed a “Toast to Peace” in Beijing with the 1969 Blanc de Blancs.
Best-Loved Bubbles: Schramsberg Crémant Demi-sec, Schramsberg 2006 Blanc de Blancs (white from white) and Schramsberg 2004 Brut Anderson Valley.

Domaine Chandon

One of the most popular sparkling tasting rooms in the valley, Domaine Chandon boasts a proud history of being the first French-owned sparkling wine venture in the United States. They were also the first to bring four-star dining to Napa Valley in 1977. Etoile, the four-star restaurant on-site, is the only recognized fine-dining establishment at any winery in the Valley. Named Winery of the Year in 2005 by the California Travel Industry Association, Domaine Chandon offers stylish wine tasting that goes way beyond routine sipping and spitting. In a modern design, complete with a sophisticated tasting room and comfortable adjoining patio seating, the winery offers a variety of tastings and a menu of delectable eats. Best-Loved Bubbles: Domaine Chandon Sparkling Red, Domaine Chandon Rose and Domaine Chandon Chardonnay Brut

For more on Autumn Millhouse and her book Romantic Napa Valley, An Insider’s Guide for Couples, click here.

All About Autumn

Autumn Millhouse is an award-winning travel writer who specializes in wine, food and romantic getaways. She is also an international trekker who has wined and dined across the globe from Barcelona to Beijingbu. A self-proclaimed “hopeless-romantic” and author of Romantic Napa Valley: An Insider’s Guide for Couples, Autumn also has a bi-monthly column called Love Vines published in Napa Valley Life Magazine. She resides in Napa Valley where she cultivates her wine and food relationships with top chefs, winemakers and a slew of other foodies. Besides, sniffing, swirling and sipping wine daily, Autumn is currently working on her next travel book Romantic Sonoma Valley: An Insider’s Guide for Couples.