Wine Garden? What is a Wine Garden? And why would it grow in Vegas?

We’ve been fortunate this summer.  We didn’t see triple digits until the middle of June which (I guess) meant that the garden I try to grow each year actually grew! Coupled with an unusually high humidity, my perpetually brown and wilted thumb has actually been green!

“Great, Irene. You’ve got a tomato. So?”

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Ah. The day job.  That job that does silly things like put a roof over your head, food on the table, keeps the taxman and utilities folks happy, blah blah blah.  It’s also the one that sucks all the time and energy out of your life.  My day job does all of the above. And more!

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And Barnyard. And even, sometimes, Horse Sweat.

Some of the words used to describe wine’s varied characteristics are crazy, to say the least. But as I sit here this evening in my Muse sipping a wonderful Paso Robles Sauvignon Blanc, I understand why that is so.

Now don’t get me wrong. I’m not a “cat person.” I am most definitely a dog person. My two roomies love me without reservation and without the hidden snoot that’s in every feline. And the fact that I like – even *expect* – the aroma of cat pee in my Sauvignon Blanc in no way indicates that I have a fetish for sniffing cat boxes. Absolutely not. I avoid them whenever possible. Otherwise, I’d probably actually own a cat.

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Geez, Irene!  Why do you have to disappear all the time?  Can’t you hang out for a while even once?!?

When I started this several weeks ago – I’m embarrassed – there was a lot going on. I just added a word here and there and didn’t get to finish the most important posting of the year – the first one.

I’m going to go over a few events in 2010 that affected me, Vegas Wineaux, and the local wine scene in general.

First, the Vegas Wineaux Wine Club has absolutely exploded. New members, assistant organizers (I can’t do it by myself), a variety of events, both in home and public, have seen incredible participation and enthusiasm.  The club purchased a barrel from the Grape Expectations Nevada School of Winemaking, and we’re very excited about bottling our own wine this year!  We are also tentatively planning a meetup in May at the Paso Robles Wine Festival, and I can hardly wait!

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Here’s another “Blast” from the past! This was the interview I did in 2008 with John Curtas, our own intrepid restaurant critic who has gone on to bigger and better things, including Iron Chef America judge, author, and separated-at-birth celebrity!  Since he is now in the rarefied realm of the autograph giver, I thought I’d rerun it.  The photo is from the day we talked, and while we’re both a little more road weary, you wouldn’t mistake us for anybody else.  Well, me, anyway.

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Technically, this interview should appear on MirePoix Vegas, but I just had to present it here because John is a Wineaux as well as a Foodie. So here we go!

If you’ve ever seen John Curtas on Channel 8 or listened to him on KNPR radio, you already know that he’s a high-energy, dynamic, and animated person. I can tell you from my brief, in-person experience that this is not an act. What you see on TV is exactly what you get in person. He and his long-suffering lovely girlfriend, Alexandra, met me at Starbucks, and the hour or so that we spent there flew by in camaraderie, laughter, and fun.

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