Being Unlost in Paris/ Google Maps Got Nothing On Me!/ Can We PLEASE Kill Open Container Laws? I did say please!

One evening, while in Paris, I decided to venture forth on my own.  I had been there over a week and was always with my friends who lived there.  They are dear friends and I wanted to spend all the time I could with them while I was there.  That night, though, I needed to get out and explore!  I used my trusty offline Google Maps I had downloaded earlier and put the name of the gay club I wanted go check out.  I arrived and had a delicious Aperol Spritz and then danced my face off!

I ended up befriending a group of 15-20 guys from all over the world who were in Paris for Pride which was two days away.  (I didn’t do my research before I booked my flight and didn’t realize I was leaving the day Pride started.  I made a poor life choice, I am very sorry, and I learned my lesson.)  We danced and talked and had drinks and were having a fantastic time!

The group wanted to head to another venue and they invited me to go along.  Off I went on an unknown adventure!  What an adventure it was!  After I left the venue I decided to challenge myself and see if I could get back to my friends’ apartment without using Google Maps.  I headed in, what I thought was the right direction and….IT WAS!

The buildings and landmarks began to look more and more familiar to me.  My friends live in the Belleville neighborhood of Paris which is up on a hill.  It is a slow and steady incline and is kind of brutal.  I knew that I was going to need some nourishment to make it the hill.  After hours of dancing my thighs were already chastising me.  I stopped and got a gyro and then decided I needed an adult beverage.  Climbing this hill was a daunting task and I needed some liquid courage.

I stopped at a little shop, grabbed a beer, and the shopkeeper opened it for me.  I was merrily on my trekking up the hill.  My gyro in one hand and beer in the other.  I started thinking about all the great picnics my friends and I had in the various parks in Paris where we enjoyed a bottle of wine.  I also thought about the fact that there seemed to be very few people who were drunk even at the time the bars were closing.

I wish we could have a responsible enough relationship with alcohol in the U.S.A. that there would be no need for open container laws.

May your adventures lead you to a safe and happy place.

Cheers,

Mykha’el

When in Paris, Celebrate Spain/ I DO WHAT I WANT!/ Micah did my hair.

Since I was 10, I have wanted to visit the Eiffel Tower.  This was inspired by the Madeline books that I simply adored.  My friend was going to visit me from Rome where she was studying abroad and I wanted to be sure she could experience the tower as well.

A few days prior to her arrival my friend Jordan (I was staying with he and his wife) took me to a small restaurant that made empanadas.  They made four types and that was all that they made.  They created Sweet Potato, Chicken, Ham and Cheese, and Carne empanadas.  These were the best empanadas of my life!  Each type was delicious and scrumptious!

I decided that we should do an Empanada picnic at the Eiffel Tower and that I should find a Spanish wine to enjoy with them.  It wasn’t so hot that we absolutely had to have a chilled wine so I picked up a bottle of Rioja and off we went!  I hopped into a shop (Ha!  I’m a wine bunny!) and found a fun Rioja.  The Tempranillo based blend was going to make the empanada experience even better!

We arrived at the park in front of the Tower and enjoyed a splendid afternoon with delectable food and tasty wine.  I still think about those empanadas.  How funny that I had to go to Paris to have the best empanadas of my life?  I have had multiple dreams about them since I have been back from Paris.

May you find joy and delight in unexpected places!

Cheers,

Mykha’el

Santa Rosa Meets Paris/ Where am I???

Craft Beer is HUGE in Paris!  I was shocked by how many fantastic beers there were.  I was also over the moon when I saw Beer Bars that had signs/growlers from Russian River Brewing Company.  I used to live within walking distance of this Temple of Great Beer and miss worshipping there.  My favorite beer they have is The Consecration.  See!  I was worshipping because I left consecrated every single time!

Though the signs were all purely decorative and a shout out to the amazing Beer Craft that takes place there.  It was just so fun to see it.  It made me think of all the great fun I had in Santa Rosa.

One of my favorite watering holes in Paris was a Wine Bar called Willi’s Wine Bar.  It was like my favorite pieces in Santa Rosa snuck into Paris just for me.  There were few places that I went to multiple times when I was in Paris and Willi’s was one of them.  They had wine from all over and they specialized in wines from the Rhone.  These Santa Rosa in Paris moments highlighted how small and delightful our world can be.

May you find pleasant and positive surprises at every turn.

Cheers,

Mykha’el

Internationally International/ China by way of Paris/I LOVE YOU DRAGON!

I haven’t found any Chines wine while living in New York and have been very interested in discovering it.  While I was in Paris I saw a bottle of rosé that was from China!  The bottle looked very “touristy” with a dragon on the label and it was named Dragon Seal.  It was pretty dark in color and I was praying to Bacchus that it wasn’t sweet as the label didn’t say the level of dryness (It was not sweet).  I fell in love with the Dragon!

It smelled like cherry pits, boysenberry, and dust.  It had flavors of cherry and dried herbs.  The acidity was like a gentle kiss.  It was noticeable while not being overwhelming.  As a first foray into Chinese wine, I was quite pleased.

I must now chase the dragon and see if I can find this near where I live.

May every wine be an exploration and an adventure!

Cheers,

Mykha’el

Rosé all Day/ From Paris, with LOVE

There were two specific things I absolutely loved about Paris.

1. Delicious Rosé was ABSURDLY inexpensive!
2. There are no open container laws so you can drink in parks, on a walk, or wherever else you may fancy.  (I fancy drinking all over, so I did!)
3. Can we abolish our open container laws….PLEASE?!?!

The majority of my trip saw temperatures in the mid to upper 90’s, so a cool rosé made life bearable!  It was the midday choice almost everyday.  The rosé provided refreshingly crisp acidity that had dance parties on my tongue.

I cannot imagine living in a world where Rosé does not exist.  She’s my Summer lover!

May every Rosé cause a raucous dance party on your tongue!

Cheers,

Mykha’el

A New Law/ The Silly Innerworkings of my Gemini Self/ Roditis / Rhoditis

Purveyor Of Happiness

I made a new law for my life.  I don’t like to make rules, they are too breakable for my Gemini self.  One side will implement a new rule and the other side will immediately justify breaking it in such a fun and logical manner that the side that came up with the rule quickly becomes a co-conspirator in breaking said new rule.  Both of my Gemini sides love this process.

My new law is this:  “Whenever Mykha’el Joseph Wilson goes into a wine shop for the sole purpose of buying wine, He must, in addition to his intentional purchase, accidentally find, buy, and write about a wine he is not familiar with and otherwise would not have purchased.”  The new law was passed in both Houses of Congress, signed into law by the President and only one part of the new law was declared unconstitutional.  “As the blog is…

View original post 394 more words

Pinot Blanc/ Your Other Side

This Pinot Blanc was delightfully refreshing!  The mouthfeel was crisp and it possessed mouthwatering acidity!  I have only had exposure to Pinot Blanc a few times before and it was the same Pinot Blanc.  It was made at one of the wineries I used to work for and the mouthfeel on theirs was lush and creamy, with no hint of acidity whatsoever.  It was fun to experience the other side of Pinot Blanc, it’s racy side!

Now, let’s talk about all of this wine’s deliciousness!  It had strong aromas and flavors of Gooseberry and Granny Smith Apple.  These flavors had the underlying support of Limestone. The aromas and flavors lined up almost perfectly, with the exception that there were no mineral aromas.

The finish added Lychee, Golden Rasperry, and the slightest hint of hard cider.

May your wine adventures bring you to all the different expressions of varietals.

Cheers,

Mykha’el

The Saratoga Winery 2012 Chardonnay

I live near Saratoga Springs, New York and whenever I head into Saratoga I pass this winery.  One day, on a whim, I decided to stop in and see what they had to offer.

I am not the biggest of Chardonnay fans, and I was pleasantly surprised by theirs!  The mouthfeel was light and crisp and I knew this would be a perfect wine for those hot and humid summer days.  Thank Bacchus this Chardonnay only had exposure to steel (which is why I liked it).  Any exposure to oak would have obliterated the more delicate aromas and flavors of this wine.

The aromas were subtle and tropical.  A little mango here, a touch of guava there, and pineapple scattered about.  Granny Smith Apple and Golden Delicious Apple were the predominant flavors.  There was a hint of Mutsu Apple, too and that was a real treat!

The mid-palate was appleless and the aromas seemed to become all of the flavors.  It was a detonation of flavors!  Pineapple, Guava, and Lychee were just bursting forth! Like an explosion, the flavors came and went very quickly and they also left a mark. A delicious mark.  At $15 a bottle, this wine is all of the happy and all the delicious.

May you find adventure!

Cheers,

Mykha’el

Moet and Chandon Imperial/ Music to my taste buds

This wine was a bit of a splurge as a poor college student and it was worth every penny!  This Champagne was yeasty in the most delicious way possible!

Other than the glorious yeast flavors, this wine had crisp green apple and Anjou Pear flavors!  It was brisk, clear, and stimulating.  The fruit and yeast flavors were incredibly well harmonized.  They played well off of each other with each flavor playing lead at certain times and supporting the other flavors when they weren’t in the leading role.

It was music and reminded me of a symphony.  It also reminded me of a glorious vintage Champagne I once experienced at Foreign Cinema with a very handsome man.

May your memories and wine be happy and symphonic!

Cheers,

Mykha’el

2012 Decoy Cabernet Sauvignon/ Hello Sonoma County Cabernet!

I don’t get homesick for California as much as I get homesick for all of the great wines!  Sometimes I just need a Sonoma County wine.  The label on this wine said ,”The everyday wine for the well-informed”  I could not disagree.  On a college budget though, this could not be my everyday wine.

It had a nice level of complexity in its aromas.  Bramble, stewed Red Plum, and slightly overripe Black Cherry.  On the mid-palate the Black Cherry became Bing Cherry and then it took a break at the middle of the finish.  Right when it disappear, Blackberry took its place.  It was there briefly, yet boldly!

Cedar flavors started arriving at the beginning of the finish and became a nice underlying favor supporting the fruit flavors as they came and went.  The tannins were still nice and tight providing solid structural elements in the wine.

This wine was playful in its ever evolving flavors!

May you evolve into something more delicious and beautiful!

Cheers,

Mykha’el