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positivexcellence · 3 years

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Bare Magazine- Gen Padalecki

The Bare Magazine: Where to start? Congratulations on your many successes! What drew you to blogging?

Gen Padalecki: I went to school [NYU] for acting, and I’ve always been really driven and work-oriented. I got a job on “Wildfire” right out of college. I’d been working and acting until I met Jared, and then we got married and had kids pretty much right away. And that was wonderful, I got to fully immerse myself into being a mother. But when I was pregnant with our third child, I wanted to have something just for myself. So I started a blog. I wasn’t even on social media at the time, so I was pretty nervous to show who I was. But then it just took off. So, that’s how I got here.

Bare: On the blog, you refer to yourself as an urban homesteader. Enlighten us, please!

GP: For me what it means is living off the land where you can. I don’t have a working farm, but I have a garden I can pull vegetables from and chickens that lay eggs I can use. Urban homesteading is about dipping your toe into the water and living as sustainably as possible.

Bare: Did quarantine allow you to do more urban homesteading?

GP: Yes, being around more let me tend more to my garden and observe its cycles. It helped me understand the seasonal aspect of food. I also jumped on the bread baking train with everyone. My friend gave me a two-year-old starter, but I just couldn’t figure it out. But I did do a lot of pickling since we had a surplus of vegetables from our garden.

Bare: And how have your kids fared in quarantine? That’s a lot of together time for a big family!

GP: Setting a strict schedule helped, especially during the summertime when they weren’t in school. We created a schedule where we woke up at a certain time, ate at a certain time and even snacked at a certain time. Children thrive knowing what’s in front of them. Of course, sometimes you need to break from the schedule. We even took a road trip. And we had “date night,” where we’d take out one kid a week for some individual time.

Bare: Any thoughts on when you’ll get back in the saddle?

GP: When quarantine started, I was riding a lot. It’s the first thing I’d like to get back into again. I grew up around horses. I even had a horse before we had our first son. It’s always an activity that has been in our family. My mom had a paper route to pay for her first horse!

Bare: Shifting gears to acting, how was it working with your husband in “Walker”?

GP: Most people look at us like we’re nuts, but we met working with each other. [The couple met and fell in love on the set of “Supernatural.”] But we are both hard-working, A-type personalities, and we do really well with feedback, so we tend not to get our feelings hurt. I mean, we’re already in love with and attracted to each other! It’s also fun to put our marriage aside when we’re working, since our roles have nothing to do with who we actually are

.Bare: Do you guys have rules about being away from each other and the kids?

GP: That is certainly challenging. When Jared was away, we had a rule that we’d never go two weeks without seeing each other. Now he’s in Austin, so it’s a bit easier, but we’re still winging it. I think the biggest thing is for one of us to always wake up with and put the kids to sleep.

Bare: Speaking of non-negotiables, what are your Bare essentials?

GP: My family. They’re, like, number one.

Outdoors. Especially the trees. I love forest bathing.

A great book. [Recent favorites include Lot Stories, Three Women and The Nightingale.]

My two boys make this insane crème brûlée that I could eat at any moment.

And I love BITE Beauty lipstick and Boyish jeans. They’re comfy, cute and sustainable.

Bare: What about pieces from the Sonoma Collection, on which you collaborated with Kohls?

GP: I wear it! It’s super-comfortable. I loved making and wearing that collection. But I like dressing up, too! I feel like when you wear something that feels good, you feel good. It gives you a little confidence even if you’re not having a great day.

#Genevieve Padalecki #bare magazine

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orbemnews · 3 years

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Candy Gets a Brand Extension When Robyn Blair Davidson, 34, was envisioning an aesthetic for her New York City apartment two years ago, her eyes wandered over to a bowl of candy on her table. “I realized then and there that I should be filling my walls with pieces that make me as happy as the bowls filled with candy do,” said Ms. Davidson, an artist. Today, Ms. Davidson’s home contains a custom-made desk with yellow, blue and pink candy dots; her walls are covered with candy-themed art; she has a massive tub of Dubble Bubble; and her display shelves contain rare vintage candy in its original packaging. She has incorporated her candy obsession into her art and also sells candy dishes, puzzles, phone cases and a series of prints featuring candy that say: “Warning Sugar High.” “At the end of the day, a sugar high lasts a moment while my artwork lasts a lifetime,” Ms. Davidson said. Slowly but surely, candy — prize of children, scourge of dentists, and already being marked down from Valentine’s and up for Easter — has been getting a brand extension. The candy retailer It’s Sugar, which was founded in 2004 and now has more than 100 locations in the United States, opened a store in mid-December at Oakbrook Center in Illinois, stuffed with Swedish Fish-shaped stuffed animals, Reese’s socks, Oreo backpacks and Sour Patch Kids candles. “Our core Gen Z consumers have really evolved from loyal shoppers to true fanatics,” said Danielle Freid, the brand manager of Sour Patch Kids. “The fandom is real: They’re dyeing their hair and painting their nails inspired by the South Patch Kids candy colors.” The merchandise is just one more way for these fans to engage with their favorite candy brand, Ms. Freid said. M&M’s World and Hershey’s have long personified their brands, with animated M&Ms and the giant squishy Kisses Chocolate Plush Toy. But the sweetness has also reached the upper ranks of luxury. Prada has cloned the scent of caramel (with a hint of musk and iris) in its Candy Eau de Parfum; Jimmy Choo created an $895 “Candy Embellished Crossbody” bag with crystals that resemble candy dots; and Irene Neuwirth’s One of a Kind Faceted Beaded Candy Necklace, made out of 18K yellow gold, is priced at $16,520 “For many people, there is an intangible magic and social currency associated with these products that rests on nostalgic experiences,” said Christopher Gindlesperger, the senior vice president of public affairs for the National Confectioners Association in Washington. “Chocolate and candy companies have built on this by meeting consumers of all ages where they want to be met: with merchandise that captures the fun and unique nature of the brands being sold in all types of retail outlets.” At the Sour Patch Kids store — the first of its kind — which opened this summer on lower Broadway, merchandise sales make up roughly 40 percent of total sales, Ms. Freid said. The most popular items are a themed pillow, plush “Stuffed Kids” that can fit inside the pillow and a Kids Funko Pop. At Dylan’s Candy Bar, which has about a dozen locations worldwide after 20 years in business, the lifestyle merchandise makes up about 9 percent of the inventory, the company said. It has worked on products with Williams Sonoma, Maclaren Baby and Hanky Panky, the underwear brand. “When we were designing the stores, we knew we wanted it to feel like you’re stepping inside a world of candy, so having those different departments of accessories, PJ’s, pillows and more within the store created another fun element to shopping,” said Dylan Lauren, the founder and C.E.O. Shoppers at Dylan’s most frequently reach for the Donut and Candy Button pillows, the Sprinkles Notebook and the Candy Spill Robe, Ms. Lauren said. Lu Ann Williams, the global insights director at Innova Market Insights, which analyzes data in the food and beverage industry, believes candy merchandise is succeeding suddenly in part because of how it pops on social media. Consider the influencer Jojo Siwa, who debuted her new Los Angeles-suburb bedroom on TikTok in February, showing off a sprinkles-decorated vanity and desk, scented candy-shaped pillows, a candy dispenser headboard and more than 4,000 pounds of candy. Nostalgia is also a factor, Ms. Williams said. Perhaps being told to effectively “stay in our room” for quarantine makes Americans feel like children? If so, It’s Sugar was prescient, beginning to create exclusive merchandise with the candy brands in early 2020. Justin Clinger, the director of design and licensing for the company, said inedibles now make up about 20 percent of the stores’ total inventory and sales are up significantly. It’s customers like the aptly named Candy Marlo who are driving these sales. Ms. Marlo, who is in her 40s, already owns three candy-shaped pillows, and her entire wardrobe is construed from candy-inspired apparel. All of her jewelry looks like candy. Ms. Marlo used to work as a corporate trainer and instructional designer, but taffy’s pull proved too strong to resist. She started a candy vlog, Ms. Candy Media, and began creating her own candy fashion in 2014 with bonbon headpieces and candy couture outfits. In 2020, Ms. Marlo began selling sprinkles-coated headbands and crowns. “Everyone loves candy, but not everyone can or wants to eat it,” Ms. Marlo said. “But everyone can consume the product by consuming the merchandise.” Source link Orbem News #Brand #Candy #Extension

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phoebehalliwell · 4 years

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Do you think the next gen kids would have a familiars? What kind of non magical pets do you think they would have?

the way i like to view familiars in general is like. they come to you when you are in a situation where you need guidance, as both like an emotional support animal and as like. y’know a lil guard cat or just some sorta being that offers advice in it’s own lil way, kinda like how kit would hiss at evil, even when the charmed ones couldn’t detect it. so, as the the majority of the next gen have really grown up around magic, and are familiar and comfortable with it, i don’t think any of them have really had familiars yet bc there’s been like no need for such guidance. i think they all might end up with familiars at one point or another after they move out, maybe not like Right Away, but like when they inevitably end up hitting one point of crisis or another.

i think wyatt’s familiar would definitely be a cat, and i think wyatt would give it like a really cutesy and sorta stereotypical cat name like y’know mittens or mochi or mr. whiskers that type of thing. i think his familiar would come to him after you know he’s completed college he’s moved out he’s doing fine he’s a good witch blah blah blah everything’s chill and then like. boom. something’s triggered some sort of crisis of faith or distorted self image where wyatt is just like really scared that maybe him becoming evil is something that destiny wills and there’s no way that he can separate himself from the darkness that is inside of him and one day it’s gonna take hold and it’s gonna be more than he can bear yada yada yada he’s spiraling cat.

it think chris’s familiar would also be a cat and i think chris would give it like a really dumb name low effort like it’s probably just gonna be named cat unless bianca names the cat first (and if bianca names the cat it’s going in two possible directions either she gives the cat like a proper real quasi witchy name like sage or ostara or she names the cat chris jr and chris is like I Am Not Calling The Cat Chris Jr but then finds himself calling the cat chris jr and is just like 😡😡) i’m not sure really when chris would get a familiar clearly i’ve implied he’s with bianca in some manner at this point bc like. chris is a really good witch. like obvi he’s moody and in distress at all hours or whatever but it’s more to do with his personal relationships and less to do with his relationship to the craft, so i don’t think anything in his life really warrants a familiar. however, after he meets bianca i think there’s definitely sorta a shift in his world view bc while she’s a witch too the way she practices and just the basic way she engages w magic / magic engages w her is so distinctly different than anything chris has ever know that now he really just want to know more. like now that he knows there’s more out there he’s invested. also i think the two of them have just like a lot of grand dramatic adventures so the day to day peril level has definitely increase warranting a familiar

for melinda i would actually love to see her familiar be a bird maybe like a bluejay or something idk why i just think it’d be cute esp for a witchlighter and i love the idea of her just sorta whistling tunes and it whistling back and everyone being like lmao alright miss disney princess or whatever 🙄🙄 i think she might actually name the bird after a disney sidekick or something that could be the name of a disney sidekick i think she’s put a lot of effort and thought into the name. i’m not really sure when she would get one like obvi the transition to college would be a good time idk i may or may not write one in i just gave her a new whitelighter for this move so like i don’t think there’s an overwhelming need for a second guide but at the same time the more i think ab it the more i really like the idea of her having this bird

next on the docket i guess is tamora who i actually do have plans for giving a familiar but it wouldn’t be until she moved out bc she presently still lives at home with her parents all that blah blah blah it’s a very comfortable environment with magic sorta just like imbued in the walls all that but when she moves out she’s like what the fuck what the fuck what the fuck very taylor swift’s never grow up verse three energy and i was Also gonna give her a cat bc what can i say i feel like she’s a cat person and i think she might give the cat a person name like lilah or charlie or something

kat on the other hand would probs have a dog as her familiar maybe like a medium sized one like 45lbs if that reference helps and honestly i’m picturing like a pittie or a bull terrier one of those types of dogs bc i think kat is like really stubborn and loyal and i want a stubborn and loyal dog to match also i find those breed adorable. rn i have kat just gallivanting around the world in sorta a quest of personal discovery so while it could warrant a familiar there’s just a lot of travels rn and i feel like it’s not a good like practical situation to have a animal around y’know But she also might be moving again soon and maybe this location will be a bit more permanent so maybe it’s time to bring in a familiar?? hers might also be a shared familiar w a future roommate

okay i’m throwing in an honorary henry jr piece bc he’s not a witch so he doesn’t get a familiar but i think after he moves out he finds a stray dog and brings it in maybe like a lucky/pizza dog situation and he always jokes that the dog is his familiar and he’s probably give it a wiccan name maybe he finds the dog on beltane and names it after the holiday blah blah blah the point is when the times comes for beltane and henry to say goodbye & it’s really sad and all that when henry takes his dog collar home on the back of the nametag he finds and intricately carved triquetra and feels the presence of his dog briefly pass by

okay onto pj pj isn’t actually a horse girl but like emotionally she is if she was raised in like sonoma instead of san francisco her familiar would 100% be a horse. but she lives in the city. so she’s not getting a horse. i also really like the idea or her familiar being a doe but once again. urban living isn’t necessarily compatible with that. so like. cat dog or bird i think. i think i like dog the best but i think more like a playful goofy dog less like kat’s or henry’s and maybe more like a corgi?? and honestly pj would probably name her dog cheddar as i think she’s voted most likely to name things after tv characters

okay i wanna give parker a ferret i wanna give parker a ferret and i want her to know it like rascal or something i have no idea when this ferret would come into play again probs after she moves out but as parker is like 16 i have put little to no brain power in figuring out what her moving out looks like or entails i just like the idea of a squirmy wormy chaos ferret.

snake. look, i really want one of the kids to have a snake as their familiar, and i’ve come to the conclusion that it’s gotta be peyton. i don’t know why, i just feel it in my jellies. and i think peyton would definitely be freaked The Fuck out by the snake suddenly in her apartment but i think she’d end up growing so comfortable around it that she forgets it’s like weird and sometimes people just come over and there’s like a giant ass snake vibing on the kitchen counter and they’re like !!!! and she’s like oh yeah meet like rupert or bartholomew or some other name that just feels like really old or something

as far as non-magical pets, i think piper’s family would be mostly like to have one (i think probably a dog) as not only do they just like feel like a family that would have a pet they’re also the only ones who live in A House (i personally picture both paige and phoebe’s families living in like apartments like not Apartment Apartments but y’know it’s like a singular floor is yours and it looks like a proper house it’s just like a whole bunch of them stack on top of each other y’know the point being they don’t necessarily lend themselves to pets). i think second most likely to have pets is paige & henry’s family bc i feel like henry would be the type of guy to have always wanted a dog bc like given his whole situation growing up in the system being a foster kids bouncing around from place to place never really feeling like he had a family or home so like a sign of stability and finality and comfort and all that to him would be having a pet. and he strikes me as a dog person. phoebe and coop win least likely to have a pet if they did it’d probably be a cat just bc i feel like phoebe didn’t really grow up with pets and coop didn’t grow up at all really so it wasn’t really something that crossed their minds however if the girls brought it up and like begged for a pet i think they’d be game

also you didn’t ask but i am writing a dency story and she does have a familiar it’s a cat he lives with her & her roommate his name is bozo and he only has one eye

#wallah #next gen #margaretsminiessays #wyatt halliwell #chris halliwell #melinda halliwell #tamora mitchell #kat mitchell #henry mitchell jr #pj halliwell #parker halliwell #peyton halliwell #dency halliwell #charmed next generation

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realeyesrealizereallies4036 · 4 years

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So I used to work for Kohl's back in my college days & I used to LOVE Sonoma However that quickly declined the longer I worked there & the worse the clothes line got. But looking thru Gen's line Im gonna guess this stuff has been out a while hence the sale. Now granted everything at Kohl's is "always on sale" to a degree. I honestly don't know of anything they sale at regular price so there's that (pt 1)

(Pt 2) but looking at the clothes I'm guessing they came out early this year bc spring/summer clothes go out in like February usually and now is when summer clothes hit clearance prices to make way for Fall clothes which should be out anytime now.

Thanks for the info!

#asks #anon #versace is over

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meriahdominique · 2 years

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Casino Gambling Chronicles

Brendan Riley's Solano Chronicles: Indian gambling club question centers around mostly secret boss

A $700 million Indian club plan that would significantly affect Vallejo hasn't stood out as truly newsworthy of late. In any case, advocates are as yet attempting to demonstrate in government court that they reserve an option to push forward with the task - in view of the verifiable ties of a semi-secret Pomo boss to our area. https://yhn678.com

Boss Augustine, whose Pomo name was Shuk, was brought into the world in the mid 1830s close to Clear Lake and as a youngster was brought to Mission San Francisco Solano in Sonoma. By the mid-1840s he was head vaquero for Gen. Mariano Vallejo and his sibling Salvador, crowding cows on tremendous stretches of land that incorporated the future site of the city of Vallejo. Augustine likewise lived in Napa during the 1870s, filling in as a farm hand for Cayetano Juarez.

Numerous different Pomos followed a comparative way during the 1800s, from the Clear Lake region to Sonoma, Napa and surprisingly farther south. That development is critical to the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians, whose attorneys contend it set up a huge verifiable connection to their proposed gambling club and lodging project on ancestral land on the north side of Vallejo. The lawyers likewise delivered a letter from an early-day landowner whining about Pomos living in what's presently Vallejo.

The Pomos' 128-section of land project site is on the flank of Hunters Hill sitting above Vallejo. It's on the upper east side of the bustling Interstate 80-State Route 37 trade - around 10 miles from Chief Augustine's adobe in Napa which was nearby to the as yet standing Cayetano Juarez home.

The case is forthcoming before U.S. Region Judge https://kyb7.com Amy Berman Jackson in Washington, D.C. The Scotts Valley Pomos pursued after the government Bureau of Indian Affairs rejected three years prior to permit the site to become reestablished ancestral terrains for gaming purposes. The BIA said a "critical chronicled association" needed to exist, and Augustine's "hit or miss, presence" in the Vallejo-Napa-Sonoma region doesn't cut it.

Benefactors of the BIA administering incorporate the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, which works the Cache Creek resort in Brooks, west of Woodland, and doesn't need a contending Indian gambling club - for this situation one that would be around 60 miles away.

"We sure would like a spot for us to live," Jesse Gonzalez, Scotts Valley Band bad habit executive, student of history and extraordinary incredible extraordinary grandson of Chief Augustine, said in a telephone meet. "We're a governmentally perceived clan however we're landless. We have no spot to call our home despite the fact that we are unique occupants of this area." There are around 300 individuals from the Pomo band now, with generally residing in Lake and Mendocino regions.

Whatever the result of the legitimate debate, Chief Augustine's story merits a retelling. He figured out how to get by as a Pomo chief during a period of slaughter submitted by vigilantes and U.S. Armed force troopers against large number of California Indians.

Between late 1847 and late 1849, Augustine crowded steers for Benjamin and Andrew Kelsey and Charles Stone ashore close to Clear Lake. In his honor winning 2016 book An American Genocide: The United States and the California Indian Catastrophe, writer Benjamin Madley portrayed the Kelsey siblings and Stone as merciless beasts who regularly captured and oppressed Native Americans. Madley said hostages were beaten, starved and shot at for game, and there were murders just as assaults of ladies, including Augustine's better half.

Augustine, considered the https://xyp7.comorginator of plans to kill Stone and Andrew Kelsey, said in a 1880 oral meeting that their maltreatments were deteriorating and more regrettable "and the Indians felt that they should pass on one way as another, so they chose to make the last and deadly stride." Augustine said that Stone, his throat cut, figured out how to run into the primary farm house yet drained to death. Kelsey, shot in the back with a bolt, ran however was gotten by a Pomo who hit him in the head with a stone, killing him. Madley has another rendition: Kelsey ran yet was gotten and held by two men. The mother of a Pomo he had killed then killed him by skewering him in the heart.

Madley composed that the plotters "couldn't imagine the extent of retaliatory mass homicide that killing Stone and Kelsey would incite." The most noticeably terrible response happened in mid-May 1850, as a regiment of the first Dragoons of the U.S. Mounted force, directed by Capt. Nathaniel Lyon and Lt. J.W. Davidson, showed up at Clear Lake. The warriors, joined by Benjamin Kelsey and different vigilantes, jump started a hard and fast assault on caught Pomos who had escaped to an island at the north finish of the lake. A few hundred everyone passed on in what's known as the Bloody Island Massacre. The aggressors had no setbacks.

Armed force Maj. Edwin Allen Sherman went to Clear Lake two months after the slaughter to assist with finding the missing animals of Stone and the Kelsey siblings. A long time later, he said somewhere around 400 Pomo men were killed or suffocated during the assault and an equivalent number of ladies and youngsters kicked the bucket. "Assuming that Sherman's gauge is right, the May 15, 1850, assault might rank among the most deadly of all Native American slaughters throughout the entire existence of the United States and its provincial predecessors," Madley expressed.

Augustine relative Gonzalez said his family accounts of the slaughter are like Maj. Sherman's record. He likewise said Chief Augustine was one of the overcomers of the assault. After his time in Napa during the 1870s, Augustine was back in the Clear Lake region by 1880, functioning as a worker. He stayed a significant Pomo pioneer until his demise in 1903.

- Vallejo and other Solano County people group are mother lodes of California history. The "Solano Chronicles" section, running each and every other Sunday, features different parts of that set of experiences. My source references are accessible upon demand. On the off chance that you have neighborhood stories or photographs to share, email me at [email protected]. You can likewise send any material consideration of the Times-Herald, 420 Virginia St.; or the Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum, 734 Marin St., Vallejo 94590.

MANILA - The Court of Appeals (CA) has excused a request documented by a gambling club administrator against its laborers' association over a debate on the inclusion of their Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

In a seven-page goal composed by Associate Justice Myra V. Garcia Fernandez dated December 28 and as of late distributed on the web, the redrafting court's Eleventh division said it "tracks down no excuse to go amiss from the discoveries" of the work mediator which had disallowed Melco Resorts Leisure (Phils.) Corp. which works the City of Dreams Manila resort and club.

On March 10, 2021, Labor Arbiter Renato Q. Bello requested the organization to concede the particular advantages because of its impacted workers addressed by the Kilusan ng Manggagawang Makabayan (KMM-Katipunan).

The specialists' gathering had started the work grievance for non-installment of CBA benefits asserting that a few representatives were not given advantages because of them under the CBA.

The avoided laborers were those advanced on January 29, 2020, the individuals who have resigned on February 1, 2020, and the people who paid their gaming business licenses, city wellbeing grants, and police clearances in January 2020.

The organization asserted that the CBA ought to be viewed as marked and executed uniquely on February 12, 2020, and that preceding the said date, the prohibited laborers had no vested freedoms.

The specialists' gathering had presented its proposed CBA on April 24, 2019, and the organization and the laborers' gathering finished up and marked the CBA on January 22, 2020.

Delegate and approved signatories of the organization's head working official Kevin Benning met with the specialists' agents on February 12, 2020 to sign the CBA.

The CA maintained the work authority's choice that while the CBA was marked and executed in 2020, the expectation of the gatherings was to give a retroactive impact to its arrangements and that figuring out who are the representatives qualified for its advantages ought to be figured from July 1, 2019, the date of the effectivity of the CBA. The organization then, at that point, took the case to the CA.

In disallowing the organization, the redrafting court said the last option "neglected to set up a reasonable and unquestionable ideal for the issuance of a writ" to stop the authority adding that such a writ would be able "be allowed uniquely notwithstanding genuine and existing considerable privileges". (PNA)

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gigslist · 2 years

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Volunteers Wanted for Emerald Cup Cannabis Festival

Light up the welcome wagon for the longest running longest running cannabis festival in the world. 500 entrants compete for the top title in a variety of categories while festies enjoy the event with music from Snoop Dogg, Santigold, and Steel Pulse.

Rooted in the rugged mountains of the world-famous Emerald Triangle in Northern California, the Emerald Cup proudly continues an 18-year tradition of celebrating the cannabis plant, the culture surrounding it, and the farmers who bring it to harvest each year with the iconic Emerald Cup Awards and now the Emerald Cup Harvest Ball.

The California cannabis market is the largest and most diverse on the planet and the Emerald Cup has long stood as the premier competition, celebration, and direct-to-consumer marketplace for the best that Cali has to offer.

In response to years of valued feedback from Emerald Cup participants, 2021 will offer the first of its kind Emerald Cup Harvest Ball in Santa Rosa on December 11th & 12th at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds.

The Emerald Cup Harvest Ball will have the same welcoming, grassroots vibe from past Emerald Cup events including two stages of chart-topping musical acts, in-depth ‘Emerald Sessions’ panel discussions with cultural thought leaders, delicious health-conscious food and beverage vendors, indoor and outdoor consumption lounges, VIP experiences, and of course, our full spectrum marketplace that provides full access to the fall’s fresh cannabis harvest, a wide array of top-shelf genetics, an unrivaled collection of heritage and new-gen products, and face-to-face interaction with the folks behind the most highly sought-after cannabis brands in California.

A 2-day post-harvest “afterparty”, the Emerald Cup Harvest Ball also serves as the first stop on the road to the Emerald Cup Awards which will take place in 2022 in Southern California.

Apply https://theemeraldcup.com/contact

https://theemeraldcup.com

#volunteer in the music industry #volunteer in entertainment #volunteer gigs bay area #volunteer in show biz

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freenewstoday · 3 years

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New Post has been published on https://freenews.today/2021/02/22/candy-gets-a-brand-extension/

Candy Gets a Brand Extension

When Robyn Blair Davidson, 34, was envisioning an aesthetic for her New York City apartment two years ago, her eyes wandered over to a bowl of candy on her table.

“I realized then and there that I should be filling my walls with pieces that make me as happy as the bowls filled with candy do,” said Ms. Davidson, an artist.

Today, Ms. Davidson’s home contains a custom-made desk with yellow, blue and pink candy dots; her walls are covered with candy-themed art; she has a massive tub of Dubble Bubble; and her display shelves contain rare vintage candy in its original packaging.

She has incorporated her candy obsession into her art and also sells candy dishes, puzzles, phone cases and a series of prints featuring candy that say: “Warning Sugar High.”

“At the end of the day, a sugar high lasts a moment while my artwork lasts a lifetime,” Ms. Davidson said.

Slowly but surely, candy — prize of children, scourge of dentists, and already being marked down from Valentine’s and up for Easter — has been getting a brand extension.

The candy retailer It’s Sugar, which was founded in 2004 and now has more than 100 locations in the United States, opened a store in mid-December at Oakbrook Center in Illinois, stuffed with Swedish Fish-shaped stuffed animals, Reese’s socks, Oreo backpacks and Sour Patch Kids candles.

“Our core Gen Z consumers have really evolved from loyal shoppers to true fanatics,” said Danielle Freid, the brand manager of Sour Patch Kids. “The fandom is real: They’re dyeing their hair and painting their nails inspired by the South Patch Kids candy colors.”

The merchandise is just one more way for these fans to engage with their favorite candy brand, Ms. Freid said.

M&M’s World and Hershey’s have long personified their brands, with animated M&Ms and the giant squishy Kisses Chocolate Plush Toy.

But the sweetness has also reached the upper ranks of luxury. Prada has cloned the scent of caramel (with a hint of musk and iris) in its Candy Eau de Parfum; Jimmy Choo created an $895 “Candy Embellished Crossbody” bag with crystals that resemble candy dots; and Irene Neuwirth’s One of a Kind Faceted Beaded Candy Necklace, made out of 18K yellow gold, is priced at $16,520

“For many people, there is an intangible magic and social currency associated with these products that rests on nostalgic experiences,” said Christopher Gindlesperger, the senior vice president of public affairs for the National Confectioners Association in Washington. “Chocolate and candy companies have built on this by meeting consumers of all ages where they want to be met: with merchandise that captures the fun and unique nature of the brands being sold in all types of retail outlets.”

At the Sour Patch Kids store — the first of its kind — which opened this summer on lower Broadway, merchandise sales make up roughly 40 percent of total sales, Ms. Freid said. The most popular items are a themed pillow, plush “Stuffed Kids” that can fit inside the pillow and a Kids Funko Pop.

At Dylan’s Candy Bar, which has about a dozen locations worldwide after 20 years in business, the lifestyle merchandise makes up about 9 percent of the inventory, the company said. It has worked on products with Williams Sonoma, Maclaren Baby and Hanky Panky, the underwear brand.

“When we were designing the stores, we knew we wanted it to feel like you’re stepping inside a world of candy, so having those different departments of accessories, PJ’s, pillows and more within the store created another fun element to shopping,” said Dylan Lauren, the founder and C.E.O. Shoppers at Dylan’s most frequently reach for the Donut and Candy Button pillows, the Sprinkles Notebook and the Candy Spill Robe, Ms. Lauren said.

Lu Ann Williams, the global insights director at Innova Market Insights, which analyzes data in the food and beverage industry, believes candy merchandise is succeeding suddenly in part because of how it pops on social media.

Consider the influencer Jojo Siwa, who debuted her new Los Angeles-suburb bedroom on TikTok in February, showing off a sprinkles-decorated vanity and desk, scented candy-shaped pillows, a candy dispenser headboard and more than 4,000 pounds of candy.

Nostalgia is also a factor, Ms. Williams said. Perhaps being told to effectively “stay in our room” for quarantine makes Americans feel like children?

If so, It’s Sugar was prescient, beginning to create exclusive merchandise with the candy brands in early 2020. Justin Clinger, the director of design and licensing for the company, said inedibles now make up about 20 percent of the stores’ total inventory and sales are up significantly.

It’s customers like the aptly named Candy Marlo who are driving these sales. Ms. Marlo, who is in her 40s, already owns three candy-shaped pillows, and her entire wardrobe is construed from candy-inspired apparel. All of her jewelry looks like candy.

Ms. Marlo used to work as a corporate trainer and instructional designer, but taffy’s pull proved too strong to resist. She started a candy vlog, Ms. Candy Media, and began creating her own candy fashion in 2014 with bonbon headpieces and candy couture outfits. In 2020, Ms. Marlo began selling sprinkles-coated headbands and crowns.

“Everyone loves candy, but not everyone can or wants to eat it,” Ms. Marlo said. “But everyone can consume the product by consuming the merchandise.”

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positivexcellence · 3 years

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Introducing Sonoma Goods for Life + Now & Gen, a new collaboration with Now & Gen’s Genevieve Padalecki

The collection offers busy women easy outfitting solutions that simplify her life, which is more important than ever given what the year has brought. How are these pieces perfect for the casual at-home looks our shoppers have been loving lately?

I believe that clothing should be comfortable, but that shouldn’t mean compromising style. This year has changed the way that people dress, and I believe that putting on something that makes you feel good is important. I like to find comfortable clothing that will look good throughout the day and makes me feel stylish, because I know that when I have on a great outfit, I feel more confident. I also wanted to create staples that were fun, yet completely timeless so that Kohl’s shoppers can wear them throughout the seasons and interchange them in their wardrobe over time.

Each piece from the collection feels very timeless, yet trendy. Where did your inspiration come from?

Inspiration came from my home and my busy life. I am a mom, wife, friend, outdoor-enthusiast and a long-time lover of fashion. For me and my lifestyle, that means finding clothing that is durable, comfortable and unique, with the ability to layer and add my own flavor. The collection has these elements of comfort, durability, timelessness and style, and the pieces are made to be worn from working from home when you need to look put together to strolling the neighborhood and catching up with friends (at a social distance of course) or even a date night at home.

How would you describe your personal style, and how does that come to life in the collection? I am a classic style kind of gal with ruffled edges; I like classic staples, but also love attention to detail. A lot of the pieces contain “inner beauty,” where the stitching has a different color or the patterns look hand-stamped. I wanted everything to look and feel like it was artisan-made, and every detail was a thoughtful choice.

If you had to pick one piece from the collection as your favorite, what would it be and why? My personal favorite is the denim dress because it really speaks to my style. It's relaxed, yet fitted; the stitching stands out just enough to give it a personal flair and structure; and the skirt offers just the right amount of femininity. I love that it can be casually worn with flats or dressed up.

How important was it to you to consider size inclusivity when designing the collection? Very! Apparel shouldn’t be made for only one body type. It should be made for everyone to enjoy. By extending the range of sizing, I hope there is something for everyone and any style.

We’ve loved working with your team to bring Sonoma Goods for Life + Now & Gen to life. Why was Kohl’s the perfect fit for this collection? Kohl’s is the perfect marriage between great apparel and affordability. A great outfit can add a boost of confidence or spark some joy. It should be an expression of who we are and who we want to be. And that shouldn't be inaccessible or break the bank.

To get a behind-the-scenes peek at the collaboration’s design process, watch the video below. And be sure to check out the entire Sonoma Goods for Life + Now & Gen available now on Kohls.com.

#Genevieve Padalecki #genxkohls

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wineanddinosaur · 3 years

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Wine 101: Central Coast, California

Inspired by one of VinePair’s most popular site sections, the Wine 101 Podcast takes an educational, easy-to-digest look into the world of wine. This episode of Wine 101 is sponsored by Talbott Vineyards. At Talbott Vineyards, we focus on crafting estate-grown Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in Monterey County, Santa Lucia Highlands. Our Sleepy Hollow vineyard is located in one of the coldest grape-growing climates in California, ideal for these two varieties. Here, the brisk wind and fog rolling off Monterey Bay create a long growing season, producing fruit-forward wines with spectacular acidity. We listen to Wine 101, we know what acidity is all about, right? Building on a nearly 40 year legacy of meticulous craftsmanship, Talbott continues to produce highly acclaimed wines of distinction.

In this episode of Wine 101, VinePair tastings director Keith Beavers tackles the sprawling Central Coast AVA and narrows in on a particularly exciting region: Paso Robles. Within the Central Coast, there are 28 AVAs that produce more than just Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. That said, these varieties thrive in a special way along the 280-mile coastline, with unique ways of securing high acidities.

Part of what helps Central Coast grapes is the steady stream of Pacific wind and fog that is pulled inland through “wind gaps.” These wind tunnels entail a mixture of moist temperatures that help vines retain acidity in their roots, no matter the soil.

With a vast range of climates, soils, and plenty of limestone, the Central Coast is one of the most varied AVAs in the U.S. Paso Robles is perhaps the best example of this, with winemakers growing niche grapes like Picpoul de Pinet and Falanghina. With 666,000 acres to its name, Paso is defined by a Wild West attitude, and refuses to be known as a single-grape wine region.

Listen Online:

Listen on Apple Podcasts

Listen on Spotify

Or check out the conversation here:

My name is Keith Beavers and I’m Gen X, which is so Gen X. Just the term Gen X is so “Gen X” of the Gen X generation.

What’s going on wine lovers? Welcome to episode 26 of VinePair’s Wine 101 Podcast. My name is Keith Beavers, I am the tastings director of VinePair, and hi! Napa, Sonoma, they get a lot of love, and they deserve all the love they get. But there’s this one place, it’s huge, that we don’t talk about enough. It’s the Central Coast of California. The Central Coast is its own viticultural area. There’s so much going on in there. We’ve got to talk about it, break it down a little bit, figure it out.

When we think about American wine, I mean, we can admit this, right? We think about California first. It’s just what we do. And then when we think California, we’re basically thinking about Northern California. Right? And we can admit that. And then within Northern California, we think of Napa first, then we think of Sonoma. And then what else do we think about when we think about California? That’s actually what we associate California wine with. But there is so much more going on in California, just north and south of those two famous wine regions.

In the north, we also have the Mendocino American Viticultural Area, which is great. And we have the Clarksburg AVA. And they make great wine. We don’t get to talk about them enough, and at some point, I’d like to talk about them. But it’s south of San Francisco, guys. Something’s going on there, and we have to talk about it. It’s been going on for a long time. It’s the Central Coast American Viticultural Area, the Central Coast AVA. It stretches from south of San Francisco, down to just south of Santa Barbara. It’s 280 miles north to south, along the California coastline, and goes from the coastline inland about 60 miles It’s this huge, huge American Viticultural Area. And then inside this huge AVA are 28 AVAs that live within three counties and three mountain ranges and a bunch of valleys. And the climate, and the soil, and the geography is so diverse, it’s very hard to generalize, because you have a Pacific mountain range just south of San Francisco actually forming the ridge of San Francisco’s peninsula called the Santa Cruz Mountains.

And then south of that, you have another mountain range, Pacific mountain range called the Santa Lucia Mountains. That’s where Big Sur is. Then east of that across the Salinas Valley, which is literally the salad bowl of America, it’s where all the produce is grown, you have the Gabilan Mountain Range, which is an inland mountain range, and it’s kind of hot there.

So you’ve got a desert, Pacific wetland. You’ve got elevation, you’ve got valleys, but on such a large scale. And grapes have been growing here for quite some time. Earlier than the northern part of California, because this is the path of the Franciscan monks. They started in what is now Mexico and worked their way up all the way up to Sonoma.

So throughout the Central Coast, vines were grown, and yes, it was mostly the Mission grape, but because of the proof of that pudding means that there’s always been a focus of humans making wine in this area. And just like most wine-growing regions in California and the United States, everything was going well until Prohibition happened, and then everything went bad, and then it had to be rebuilt, and all this stuff.

It’s a very familiar story, but what’s really great about the Central Coast is what’s happening right now. And they’ve worked very hard in certain wine regions to get to this place. And this is the most exciting time for wine regions in this area.

Now, there are 28 of them and I again will not go through all 28 of them, but there are certain ones that are very specific that you’re going to see on wine shelves. And within this huge AVA is the largest AVA in California, because Central Coast AVA is an AVA, but it’s so big it’s hard to be like, “OK, it’s an AVA.” But there are more concentrated regions there. And one of the big ones is called Paso Robles. And we have to talk about that. So I’m going to run around a little bit and talk to you about the Central Coast, then we’re going to end on Paso Robles and give you a sense of this very exciting, very big, not very new wine growing region.

OK, let me see if I can explain this. In the morning, on the coast of California, a fog rolls in with some wind. And throughout the coastline of California are what are called wind gaps. And those wind gaps are funnels, and warm air draws the cool air from the Pacific into these areas, into these valleys, and cools the areas in these valleys. And that is really what defines a lot of what goes on in this part of California. And if it’s not that, it’s the elevation of the mountains that these vineyards are in. And if it’s not that, it’s the cool nights in the warm areas that don’t get the fog. It’s just a very unique place.

If you were to look at a satellite image, time-lapsed, of the morning fog that rolls into the entire 280=mile coastline of the Central Coast, you’ll notice the fog coming in from the Pacific, and it just rolls in through these wind gaps, and it gets as far as it can inland, which is probably about 60 miles. And then at some point, it sucks itself back out during the afternoon. And that cloud cover, that fog, defines all the vineyards in this part of California. In the northern part of the Central Coast, it’s mostly coastal, Pacific-influenced wine-growing regions. And as you get south, the wine-growing regions move a little bit more inland to the more warmer regions, and those warmer regions are benefiting mostly from these fog tunnels, these wind gaps that are coming in. All the way down to Santa Barbara, which is a very unique place, because Santa Barbara is just naturally perfect. It’s hard to explain how beautiful and perfect Santa Barbara is. Oprah knows, right? But what’s really unique is in these warmer southern inland wine-growing regions, when the fog dissipates, it gets hot. I’m talking a hundred degrees, 95, like, boom, boom. It is immediately really hot.

And then right when you’re like, man, this is too hot, it immediately cools down. And then before you know it, you’re at 50 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s desert nights. So it’s this very crazy place. We have fog in the morning that dissipates, it gets very hot and cools down, and that’s right, vines do very well in these situations. And not only that, this wine region has limestone in its soils going all the way up the coast, which is very unique to this area. And limestone is this amazing “gold” for vine growers. It really helps soil composition with draining and retaining. It’s the perfect catch and release.

And what that does is these soils, even though there are some warm, inland hot regions but cool nights, that soil helps these vines retain their acidity. So whether you’re benefiting from the fog and retaining acidity that way with good fruit, or whether you’re at a good elevation, or you’re near next to the Pacific Ocean, or whether you’re inland, even if you have a full-bodied red wine, let’s say an inland red wine, even though it’s going to be a big wine, it’s going to have this beautiful acidity. There’s a reason why, in 1981, when Napa became an AVA, so too did the Santa Cruz mountain AVA, just south of San Francisco. Because in those mountains, two wines came out of those mountains that were also in the judgment of Paris in 1976: the Ridge Winery, which their Cabernet Sauvignon, placed fifth in the competition, the Montebello Cabernet Sauvignon it was called, and then the David Bruce Winery had a Chardonnay that came in 10th. And the reason the French dug those wines, in my opinion, is because of the acidity. It was balanced. Just south of the Santa Cruz mountains is Monterey County, and I’m sure you’ve heard of Monterey, right? Monterey wine. And when people talk about the Central Coast, they often talk about two varieties: Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay. There’s much more happening than those two varieties in the Central Coast, but Monterey Bay has defined its own style of not necessarily Chardonnay, but definitely Pinot Noir.

This is one of those “wind and fog suppliers” as a source of the Monterey Bay, and within Monterey County, which is an AVA, the Monterey County AVA, there are four AVAs within it. There’s Arroyo Seco, Carmel Valley, Chalone, and Santa Lucia Highlands in the foothills of the Santa Lucia Mountain Range.

But the thing about Monterey County Pinot Noir is that it is its own style of Pinot Noir. It’s big and juicy and cherries and cinnamon, and it wants to be big and bold and full-bodied, but the acidity will not let it. It is one of the fleshier, high-tone, deep Pinot Noir styles we have in the United States. And they’re beautiful. They’re awesome. The Chardonnay coming out of there is excellent as well. High acid. If they put oak on it, it’s usually this big, bold Chardonnay, but with this clean, salty acidity in it. They’re beautiful. And then all the way down south in the southern point of the Central Coast AVA is Santa Barbara County, which is another county that is influenced by the Pacific Ocean. I see a lot of the vineyards in Santa Barbara County hug the Pacific Coast, and here you have the Santa Maria Valley AVA, the Santa Ynez Valley AVA, and the Santa Rita Hills AVA. There are others, but these are the ones you’re going to see on wine shelves. Mostly, it’s going to say Santa Barbara County, then it’s going to have one of these AVAS.

And this is another area that is influenced by the Pacific. A lot of the vineyards are very close to the Pacific Ocean, and this is a very heavy Chardonnay, Pinot Noir place as well. And what’s unique about this area is sometimes this place can get cooler than the foggy Russian River Valley or Los Carneros and the northern part of California because of the Pacific Ocean influence, which is cool.

This area is still being explored. It’s actually where “Sideways” was filmed. It’s beautiful there. It might be some of the most perfect weather in America, this area. It’s between Monterey County to the north and Santa Barbara County to the south. Right in the middle, there is a county called San Luis Obispo. In this county there’s this kind of a new-ish AVA called York Mountain towards the coast. And then there’s another one called Edna Valley, which you’ll see Chardonnays say Edna Valley on them. And then there’s one called Arroyo Grande Valley, which you don’t see a lot of. But in this county, the largest AVA in California is just sitting there, and it’s awesome. And it doesn’t get all the attention that I think it deserves. So let’s talk about Paso Robles. In my view, Paso Robles benefits from all of the climatic and geologic stuff that this Central Coast thing has to offer. It is the one region that has extreme coastal influence, but then it goes so far inland, that it also has that inland “hot-day, cool-night” advantage. And within the 666,000 acres of this area — 26,000 acres of that with land under vine — all different kinds of grapes can be grown in this place. So in the morning, fog forms in the Monterey Bay, and then it’s pulled through the Salinas Valley south towards Paso Robles, and that fog and that wind is protected on the west by the Santa Lucia Mountain range. So all this fog and all this wind rushes down into Paso. Now the thing is, this is the one AVA that has some very inland vineyards as well. So what’s unique about this place is half of this AVA enjoys the fog and wind, because the fog or wind comes down into Paso and it starts rushing through these different passes called the Templeton Gap. And then throughout these areas, different vineyards are planted to take advantage of this wind and fog. And then when you go over the Salinas River to the east, that fog does not influence these areas as much.

But what’s unique about these areas, like I said in the beginning of this episode, is that warm hot days, cold desert nights, great soil, awesome acidity. So you get acidity on both sides, but with different varieties. And that’s what makes this place very unique. They actually did some land and climate and soil studies, and they proposed 11 sub-AVAs within Paso alone. So Paso Robles is a sub-AVA of the Central Valley AVA, but within Paso Robles, there are 11 other AVAs. And I wish I could do a whole thing on those and I can’t, but what’s unique about them is it’s based on the Templeton Gap and all these different climatic and soil variations within Paso itself.

And because of this, even though 39 percent or more of this area under vine is Cabernet Sauvignon, and there’s some beautiful Cabernet Sauvignon coming out of Paso. Because of that sun, you get plush, huge, full body Cabs, but with great acidity, and they’re not too heavy. They kind of define the weather and the soil of that area.

But what also thrives here are white wine grapes that are usually found in the Rhône Valley of France. Like Marsanne, Roussanne, Grenache Blanc, and red grapes from that area like Syrah and Grenache. And they’re all these big, beautiful, bold, balanced, spicy wines for the reds, and the floral, honeyed wines for the whites. But they have such great acidity, they’re not that heavy on the palate. It’s very cool. And the thing about Paso, which I find very unique, more so than other AVAs in California, is that it’s not just those lists of grapes that I talked to you about. They do everything there. There are people experimenting with grapes that have never really been played around with here in the United States.

There’s an awesome white wine grape from the southern part of France called Picpoul de Pinet that makes very amazing, easy, quaffable white wines that go great with oysters. They’re making great versions of that in Paso. There’s an indigenous native ancient variety in Campania in Italy called Falanghina, it’s a beautiful white wine. They’re making that in Paso. They’re making Barbera, they’re making Nebbiolo there. There is a lot going on in Paso. And what Paso Robles really says to me is, it’s one of those places where we can go there or we can drink wine from there because of its diversity. It’s not a wine region that we go to for one grape. It’s a place that we go to enjoy the wines being made there that are awesome. And if you go to Paso, the community there is very cool. It’s an old-school town, man. The town was founded by two brothers called the Blackburn brothers and Jesse James’ uncle. Isn’t that crazy?

And I don’t want to say it was always an outlaw place, it has this Wild West, outlaw feel to it. And actually, James Dean was speeding around here. Actually, this was around the area where he crashed his car. But there’s this rebellious heart and spirit to Paso in that it’s like, this is the wine we want to make, and I hope you like it. And I really find that to be an awesome way of doing things. And I know other wine regions all across the country do this, but Paso is a big place. It’s a significant wine-growing region, and it just so happens that it has such varied terroir that it really is something that we should, as American wine drinkers, focus on, because it is another one of these wine regions that makes wine in America and does something different and unique.

At one point, Napa wasn’t known for Cabernet Sauvignon. It was known for Zinfandel. So was Sonoma. But when Cabernet got there, they realized that these are the spots where it does well, and sure enough, Cabernet Sauvignon became the popular thing. With Paso, it’s not just one grape, but a celebration of different kinds of varietals that work. Because in America, every grape we grow is from somewhere else. But when a grape falls in love with a place, something special happens. And when a human makes that happen, we see the result of that. Napa and Sonoma were big deals with that. I think Paso is one of those as well, but the only thing about Paso is this: It’s not one variety. It’s a bunch of varieties and a lot of great winemakers. You go downtown to Paso, you go have lunch, you see a bunch of winemakers hanging out together, talking about their harvest, talking about their ferment, all this stuff. It’s a very cool place.

So I went on a rant there. I wanted to focus on Paso because it is the largest AVA in the Central Coast. But again, there’s a lot of great wine coming from all of these places in the Central Coast. And I think we should all focus a little bit and say, “Hey, let’s check out these places.”

I want to give a shout-out to winemaker on the Central Coast Kamee Knutsun. We had an awesome conversation to get even more in-depth information about this ridiculously cool AVA.

If you’re digging what I’m doing, picking up what I’m putting down, go ahead and give me a rating on iTunes or tell your friends to subscribe. You can subscribe. If you like to type, go ahead and send a review or something like that, but let’s get this wine podcast out so that everybody can learn about wine.

Check me out on Instagram. It’s @vinepairkeith. I do all my stuff in stories. And also, you got to follow VinePair on Instagram, which is @vinepair. And don’t forget to listen to the VinePair Podcast, which is hosted by Adam and Zach. It’s a great deep dive into drinks culture every week.

Now, for some credits. How about that? Wine 101 is recorded and produced by yours truly, Keith Beavers, at the VinePair headquarters in New York City. I want to give a big shout-out to co-founders Adam Teeter and Josh Malin. I also want to thank Danielle Grinberg for making the most legit Wine 101 logo.

And I got to thank Darby Cicci for making this amazing song: Listen to this epic stuff. And finally, I want to thank the VinePair staff for helping me learn more every day. Thanks for listening. I’ll see you next week.

Ed. note: This episode has been edited for length and clarity.

The article Wine 101: Central Coast, California appeared first on VinePair.

source https://vinepair.com/articles/wine-101-central-coast-california/

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johnboothus · 3 years

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Wine 101: Central Coast California

Listen Online:

Listen on Apple Podcasts

Listen on Spotify

Or check out the conversation here:

My name is Keith Beavers and I’m Gen X, which is so Gen X. Just the term Gen X is so “Gen X” of the Gen X generation.

I want to give a shout-out to winemaker on the Central Coast Kamee Knutsun. We had an awesome conversation to get even more in-depth information about this ridiculously cool AVA.

Ed. note: This episode has been edited for length and clarity.

The article Wine 101: Central Coast, California appeared first on VinePair.

Via https://vinepair.com/articles/wine-101-central-coast-california/

source https://vinology1.weebly.com/blog/wine-101-central-coast-california

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ackleserendipity · 4 years

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@realGpad : RT @Kohls: Meet Now + Gen by Sonoma Goods For Life®—a new, limited-time collection with lifestyle creator Genevieve Padalecki. The effortless pieces offer easy solutions to simplify your life, without sacrificing style. 💙 Find your new favorites today: https://t.co/JtGqZxKjtm #NowGenxKohls https://t.co/m9XvnVQzzo [x]

#IFTTT #genevive padalecki #tweet

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brandonnatali · 4 years

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2019 Porsche 911 Speedster Second Drive

Nobody is perfect, especially me. An odd way to begin a car review, sure, but hear me out: A couple of months ago I wrote up a list of The Best 991-Gen Porsche 911s I’ve ever driven. Sitting in fifth place on that list is the Porsche 911 Speedster. Fifth out of 12 is fine, but I want to state right here, right now, that I made a mistake.

See, back in December I got to drive this very same Guards Red Speedster up in Sonoma County. Thing is, I drove it the same day that I drove the 1953 Porsche America Roadster, and that little white bathtub of a sports car shattered my brain. I couldn’t even process the new Speedster. I knew the final iteration of Porsche’s 991 platform was good, superlative even, but any impression I had of it was cudgeled away by the America Roadster. Yes, I made a mistake. I’m a big guy, and I admit it. I gave a short shrift to the 2019 Porsche 911 Speedster. It should have been second place on my list, if not first. Not kidding. Keep reading.

What Makes a Speedster?

For those of you who want all the facts, my colleague, and MotorTrend’s technical guru, Frank Markus wrote an excellent First Drive story about the Speedster, which gets deep into both the nitty and the gritty.

For my version of things, know that the Speedster features the third iteration of the all-singing, all-dancing 4.0-liter flat-six that we first sampled in the 991.2 GT3. You’ll remember that engine was slightly goosed for GT3 RS duty (horsepower went from 493 to 514), and here on the Speedster it’s been revised again to make 502 horsepower and 346 lb-ft of torque. How? Individual throttle bodies, 25 percent higher fuel injection pressure, and a 22-pound lighter exhaust system. We’re still not certain if this exact engine will be showing up in the 992 GT3, but if it isn’t, that means that Porsche engineered a special engine for only 1,948 cars worldwide. (Even though it was a year late, the Speedster was developed to celebrate the brand’s 70th birthday.) Perhaps that’s a big part of why each Speedster costs $275,750 before a single option is selected. And if you’re like most Speedster owners, you’ll be going for options.

Contrary to what you might have heard at the local car show, the Speedster isn’t just a GT3 with the top lopped off. In fact, the body begins life as a Carrera 4S Cabriolet. Then it’s massively stiffened, the windshield is lowered by 50mm, and a manual folding top is located beneath a 22-pound carbon-fiber lid. All Speedsters are six-speed manuals (that’s the good 911 manual transmission, not the meh seven-speed) and all come standard with carbon-fiber buckets, though you can opt for 18-way adjustables. I vote to stick with the buckets. To save your lower back a bit, the racing Bilstein dampers have been tuned for maximum comfort, even in Sport mode. Be honest, you’re not tracking it. If you did, Porsche says it’ll hit 60 mph in 3.8 seconds and a top speed of 192 mph—both of which are likely conservative. All that said—and I’ve poured over the press release, Frank’s review, other written Speedster accounts—and found that no one is willing to say just how much magic Porsche stuffed into this car.

What’s It Like to Drive?

Depends where. World class canyon road? Literally incredible. My dropping jaw bruised my sternum as I took my first flat-out corner. Other cars just don’t go around bends as well, full stop. The Speedster attacks turns with the same confidence and stability that most cars tackle straights. As if it was first engineered with the steering wheel turned. The car felt at home on a tire-screeching, ultra-tight, increasing radius, double black diamond of a corner. As if it were built for that moment. There are moments in my improbable, enviable car writing career I’ll never forget. Driving the one millionth Land Rover Discovery onto Red Square leaps to mind, as does hitting Spa, the Nürburging, and 201 miles per hour on the Autobahn in a 28-hour period, as well as competing in the Mille Miglia for four days inside a 1956 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL. Add that first corner in this Speedster to that list. Like seriously, it was that memorable. Were subsequent corners as sweet? Almost, but the shock of that first real turn is still hanging on me like a fog.

I’ve had countless discussions/arguments about the 991 R, the ultimate expression of the 991.1 range of 911s. I’ve driven it, loved it (lightweight flywheel for the win!), and while it’s wonderful, I always say the R is the ultimate 911 for the street. Whereas the 991.2 GT3 with a manual is the ultimate all around 911. It just is. I’m able to say that because I was lucky enough to drive a 911 R back-to-back with a GT3. No such luck with the Speedster, but I’m going to state for the record that the 911 R has been knocked from its top street-911 perch. The Speedster’s the better street car, if not the best 911 ever built. Whoa, hold on a second partner? Didn’t I drive this exact car and largely dismiss it in favor of a 70 hp anachronism? Yes. Two excuses. The first one is that I drove both cars on a tight, single lane road at a winery that was ideal for the America Roadster, but way too small for the Speedster. Two, no one’s perfect. Especially me.

The quickest, fastest car I’ve ever driven? Hardly. When I’m running Angeles Crest, there are a few spots where I know it’s safe to glance down and check my speed. The Speedster was perhaps 20 mph slower than some of the big dog cars I’ve been running up there recently (Porsche Turbos and leather-wrapped McLarens, for instance). Did I care? Not in the slightest because I was enjoying myself more in the Speedster. Before you go thinking I’m one of those “it’s better to drive a slow car fast” weirdos (I’m firmly in the “fast car fast” camp), the Speedster was moving at license-shredding speeds. Remember, no turbos and it “only” makes 502 horsepower.

What Makes it so Magic?

The 991 Speedster is a feast of a car. A special—and exclusive—meal with several courses, and it takes time to discover all of them. The engine is as close to a sacred object as exists in 2020. And, it’s tied to perhaps the best transmission that’s ever been. One could (correctly) argue that the Ferrari 812 Superfast’s V-12 is a finer engine, but as good as that Italian dual-clutch transmission is, it ain’t as satisfying as this engine and this stick. That mix of sound, of quick, lag-free revs, the deep reserves of power, that surprising well of torque, all of it stirred by your right wrist and left foot. We’re talking about a perfect pairing—a harmony. Chocolate and peanut butter/Krug and caviar.

Then there’s that magic rear end. I don’t know how, or why, or even what, but I do know that I’ve simply never experienced a car with such a settled butt. Like other modern 911s, the Speedster is less tail-happy (prone to oversteer) than the old days. However, the 991.2 GT3 manuals brought some rear end swagger back (mostly due to the mechanical locking diff, as opposed to the PDK’s electro-hydraulic locker), and the Speedster just improves upon where that car left off. The rear of this thing skis, it shakes its hips, it grooves, it’s a skilled tango partner—I’m going to run out of cheesy metaphors, but I hope you smell what I’m cooking. The Speedster just charmed me in a way that I wasn’t expecting. Wizardry, you might call it, and having the roof down only added to the alchemy.

It Can Calm Down

Here’s where the Speedster outshines not only the 911 R, but every other high-performance 911 I’ve ever driven. My buddy Jeff has a Speedster, and a hangar full of other Porsches, including a 911 R. He knows what he’s saying, and he asserts that the Speedster is the perfect California car. I took “my” Speedster to hang with Jeff’s Oak Green example at the car dork hotspot Malibu Country Mart. While drinking coffee and (shockingly) talking about Porsches, Jeff says, “Is that another Speedster?” I turn and look and see a silver 911 with no top parked on the far side of the two Speedsters. I tell Jeff the odds of that are zero—Porsche only built 1,948 of these things—but Jeff’s already on his feet and walking over to the new arrival. As it turns out, yup it’s another 991 Speedster. I guess these things happen in Malibu. Oak Green, Guards Red, and GT Silver—a nice Christmas palette, but somehow not at all.

Time to go home, and Jeff and I head out over Malibu Canyon Road. We got stuck behind a Cadillac Escalade EXT (the pickup truck) hauling a huge chunk of a huge pipe. When the Caddy finally pulled into a turnout the other four cars in front of us didn’t bother speeding up. We’re talking 34 mph in a 45-mph zone. Put another way, much, much slower than Jeff and I would be going. Normally in that situation, I’d get very upset. Sports cars infused with supercar characteristics need to be pounded on, especially when on twisting canyon roads. I got stuck behind a F-150 doing 37 mph on Topanga Canyon in a Porsche GT4, and my moods were flipping back and forth from suicidal to homicidal. That hot rod Cayman ceases to have a point if it’s just creeping along.

Thing is, in the Speedster, I was at peace. The weather was bang-on perfect, 75 degrees and sunny with just a mild breeze. My roof was down (as always), and I found myself simply enjoying the sights and scents of an arroyo I’ve been racing through for most of my life. I noticed a pocket canyon with sharply folded rock walls that nearly touched. Again, I’ve driven on this road countless times for 4 1/2 decades, and I’d never seen that before. I was, in a word, content. Had I been in almost any other car from Porsche’s famed GT division, I would have been miserable. This is just another angle that makes the Speedster such an intriguing, beguiling, fascinating masterpiece.

Conclusion

So, there you have it. Porsche, and specifically the virtuoso car builders in Weissach, have done the seemingly impossible. The Speedster is a true dual-threat sports car that offers supercar humbling driving thrills as well as the ability to simply kick its feet up, relax, and enjoy a nice drive. That combo is the crazy part, the hard part, the tricky part, the magic part that makes the Speedster so very, incredibly special. I’m a bit humbled that it took me two goes to realize this, and I’m smart enough to realize that I’m more than lucky to get two bites at the apple. Like I said up top, nobody’s perfect. Some cars, however, they come real close.

A Note About the Photos

Due to the long running MotorTrend tradition of “Because We Can,” I decided to shoot the red Porsche Speedster at my friend Jeff Cherun’s “Hotel Porsche,” an airplane hangar where he keeps his impressive and growing collection of Stuttgart’s finest. Jeff also happens to own the gorgeous (and previously mentioned) Oak Green Metallic Speedster with the Cohiba leather interior. I also asked noted Porsche collector and former Seinfeld writer Spike Feresten to bring out his 1958 Porsche 356A Speedster. Mostly because it’s such a pretty car, but also because I wanted to visually show where the new Speedster came from. Why Porsche chops the windshield, why the bustled top, and things like that. Hope you like ‘em!

2019 Porsche 911 Speedster BASE PRICE $275,750 LAYOUT Rear-engine, RWD, 2-pass, 2-door convertible ENGINE 4.0L/502-hp/346-lb-ft DOHC 24-valve flat-6 TRANSMISSION 6-speed manual CURB WEIGHT 3,250 lb (mfr) WHEELBASE 96.7 in L x W x H 179.6 x 77.9 x 49.3 in 0-60 MPH 3.5 sec (MT est) EPA FUEL ECON 14/19/16 mpg ENERGY CONSUMPTION, CITY/HWY 241/177 kW-hrs/100 miles CO2 EMISSIONS, COMB 1.22 lb/mile ON SALE Currently

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