Since starting La Dolce Diva, I have acquired a lot of leopard skin patterned accessories; shoes, scarfs, handbags, glasses, etc.

Now, to be fair, animal prints have historically gotten a bad rap. I am the first to admit that if one chooses to sport some leopard, there is a fine line between tasteful & tacky. Tasteful is adding a leopard item here and there to spice an outfit up – never more than 2 pieces. Tacky is matching head-to-toe, capiche? I knew that you would.

A few months ago, I wore a pair of leopard skin shoes to visit my niece, whom, heretofore, shall be known as Dinky~Diva. As I walked into her room, her face lit up, as is per-normal for our wee-cherub. She started to look back at what she was playing with when something caught her eye…my leopard skin shoes. She dropped her toy, crawled over and started petting my feet. “Shoe”, I said. “Sue”, she said. “Prada”, my sister said.

I was delighted, my Dinky~Diva was showing the first signs of a seriously high Fashion IQ. This would only come naturally, not directly from me, my sister is a fashion plate to be reckoned with.

A couple days later, my sister sent me an email, “I think Dinky~Diva needs these.” It was a link to leopard skin shoes at  PediPeds. Of course, Dinky~Diva must have these shoes. Look! They come in pink. She must have those too! Oh, come on, when else can you wear pink leopard skin and get away with it except at the ages of 5 & under?

So the cycle begins, imprinting style and taste at a young age will help  form a well-rounded Fashion IQ. It takes a sisterhood to raise a Sweet Diva.

What style tips are you passing on to the Dinky~Divas in your life?

Part 1 Part 2

Turning onto the Stonestreet Winery Estate, you realize you are actually in a valley between the Coast Range to the west and the Mayacamas Mountains to the east. All right, I didn’t “actually realize” I was between these mountain ranges. I am not known as the Geography Diva, I looked these facts up.  I also learned that these mountains ranges and valleys were formed from a volcanic explosion. The lava flowed forming a part of the ranges, while also spreading ash and minerals throughout Napa & Sonoma. The desolate soil the fiery flow left behind millions of years ago, combined with the fog that gets trapped between these ranges and keeps the grapes cool until late in the day, causes the grapes to struggle for survival, yielding smaller grapes of intense flavor. I guess you could say each little bunch of grapes is a like box from Tiffany’s…the best things come in small packages!

The tasting room was California contemporary set within a elite “barn” aesthetic. As as a horse owner, I am naturally drawn to and comforted by the simple architecture of a barn. This simple architecture surrounded by vineyards is even more comforting. A girl can dream.

We were presented a tasting flight of 3 three vineyard-designated Chardonnays – Upper Barn Chardonnay, Broken Road Chardonnay and Red Point Chardonnay. . .Oh- maybe I forgot to mention that Angela and Michelle were actually trying to round out their wine collection- so they were also in need of Chardonnays. Evette and I were trying to “round” out or should I say “start” our wine collection, so we were in need of Chardonnays too!

The Upper Barn Chardonnay was a bit too fruity for me. More like a Sauvignon Blanc. The Red Point Chardonnay was a bit too yeasty or dry. Nothing wrong with that, I was looking for a much more buttery depth of flavor. The Broken Road Chardonnay was just right. 4 bottles please, thank-you.

These are my opinions and are certain to differ from an actual professional review. So, let’s look at  a professional review of The Broken Road Chardonnay from the Wine Advocate.

“… more minerality, broad orange blossom, nectarine, and guava notes, some hints of hazelnut and brioche… very full-bodied richness, and slightly more acidity and definition than the Red Point.” Robert M. Parker Jr., Wine Advocate, December 2007

Hmmmm, I didn’t see buttery mentioned once. Oh well, it was yummy.

Our next stop was Stryker Sonoma. This winery was the Tiger Woods of wineries: Sporty, modern, graceful, talented and it delivered.

In comparison to the other wineries I have already shared with you and the ones to come, Stryker was not the most lavish or scenic. It was not the most expensive or impressive. Even though it was the Winner of the 2002 Architectural Design Award for Northern California, it was not the most beautiful. Yet, the tasting experience here was the most comfortable and enjoyable. Funny thing to say about standing at a bar? Well, that’s just it, it felt as if you were at your favorite bar with a group of good friends, good wine and a personable bartender that treated you like a friend instead of a paying client.

Our barista presented us with a list of over 40 wines we could choose to taste. Don’t be concerned, we were responsible Wine Divas, we selected about 8-10 different wines, mixed between reds and whites. By this time, I was taking small sips and only second sips of those I really liked in order to compare and assess.

This winery happened to be one of Angela and Michelle’s fondest finds on their last trip. While they were busy discussing purchases for personal consumption and gifts, Evette and I were being indoctrinated into our next level of winehood..the purchase of  2, I said TWO cases of wine. And, drum roll please, we joined the Medley Wine Club! 3 bottles of the lastest releases 4 times a year. You also receive a discount on any other wine purchase you make throughout the year.

For your vinification information, I will list the wines we purchased. I recommend you visit the wine listings to read more about the wines and more importantly, the recommendation for food pairings. The site it very user friendly. Here are our purchases: 2006 Semillon-Chardonnay: Sonoma County, 2005 Sangiovese: Alexander Valley, 2006 Zinfandel’s Patty’s Patch:Alexander Valley, 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon: Sonoma County, 2003 Cab “3″: Sonoma County. Some of these selections are new releases and others are only available at the vineyard.

For the grand finale of the day, we visited a jewel of a vineyard, Ferrari-Carano.

Nestled in a pocket, hidden by trees, you come upon what looks like, a private Italian villa. 3 guesses why I loved it…OK…you may only need 1 guess. For me – THIS – was the most impressive winery. It’s grandeur and elegance conveyed the same sense of timelessness and beauty that you would see in private villas in Italy.

Before entering the main grounds, there is a tranquil garden with a waterfall and running streams. The garden beds were filled with vibrant flowers, lush greenery and the charming and fascinating  Cork Oak. Yes, cork trees. The bark is cork. They are mature enough to peel the cork off the trunk after 25 years and can be harvested again every 10-12 years. they live for approximately 150-250 years. I bet you never gave cork much thought, did you? Well, now you can pack that little gem of useless yet fascinating information away until the rare lull in your next dinner party.

The main building or hospitality center known as Villa Fiore, housed 2 tasting rooms. The classic wines were on the main level, the limited releases in the cellar.

I have to say that even though it was just as grand inside, it felt more like a retail shop and much more touristy than the other wineries we visited that day.

I also have to admit that by this time it was late in the afternoon and I was worn out from tasting. Yes, I said it. I was tired of tasting and thinking about wine for the day. I was happy to have Angela and Michele continue the tasting in the cellar while Evette and I sat outside in the sun, enjoying the fresh air and soaking in the beauty of the grounds.

I bought 3 bottles of 2005 Carneros Chardonnay Reserve. I made the purchase purely on Angela and Michelle’s recommendation.

Big sigh. Done with our first day in the wine country. It was a lot of fun and very educational. Angela did a fabulous job of planning and execution.

Off to Rossa’s for Pizza Magarita. I’ll just have water with mine, please.

Yes, It’s true. Today is my birthday!

I awoke in my own home, my own bed, with my fuzzy-headed kittens, Piazza and Bellini “making biscuits” on my feet. *sigh* this is La Dolce Vita.

For the last 20 years I have spent most of my birthdays in Europe. OOOOOH, poor little Diva, you say. As glamorous and che bella as that sounds, I was actually working. My job as a fashion designer took me to Europe a couple times a year, in the Spring and Fall. Several times I was with co-workers, who were friends but most of the time I was by myself. Okay, you say, you were still in Europe. True. And it was great, I won’t deny it.

There is something special about your birthday that you enjoy being home receiving the birthday phone calls. Maybe mentioning it to people a few times a day in order to hear Happy Birthday! a few extra times. Perhaps garner yourself a free latte at Starbucks (like I did this morning.) It’s funny that birthdays seem to be a universal bond that even complete strangers are happy – just for you – when they realize it is your birthday. A smile usually comes to their face and they light up a bit. “Happy Birthday!” they say, even though everyone has one, it’s YOUR day today.

Throughout my travels I have had hotel clerks reviewing my passport suddenly look up and say “It’s your birthday!” and had prosecco and kumquats sent to my room. Immigration control has even smiled and wished me a happy day. Pretty much any time I showed my passport- which is a lot in Europe- my birthday was acknowledged with genuine warm wishes. For a split second, that childhood imprint of excitement of our “own” special day seems wash over each of us and “Happy Birthday!” is automatically exclaimed.

Because of shopping hours and travel schedules, I was usually in Paris on my birthday. I spent the evening sipping Kir Royales in the beautiful lobby of  Hotel Concord St. Lazare observing the passersby bustle along the rue Saint-Lazare. Trés Parisienne! Sometimes, I was lucky enough to stay over a Sunday in Florence and wander the cobblestone streets of my adopted city. I would grab a pastry several times throughout the day as mini birthday cakes. A time or two, I have  stopped on the Ponte Vecchio to acquire a birthay bauble. Each time I would murmur to my inner Diva how lucky I was to be able to spend my birthdays in Europe.

Now, I don’t go to Europe as often. When I do go, I am able to schedule the dates as I want. Even though it seems trés chic et trés bon to have spent birthdays in Europe, I am happy to be home today. With my kittens. Planning a dinner with one of my BFF’s and my Diva Mom.

It’s my birthday, I must be home. La Dolce Vita.

One of the easiest and most inexpensive ways to look as if you just blew in from the Italian Riviera, is to tie a designer or “designer type” scarf to your bag. You will immediately attain continental insouciance with a simple slip of silk.

No need to splurge, although a good Hermés scarf will last you a lifetime, but no, it can be an inexpensive little tidbit you picked up on sale and just had to have- who needs a reason! Even if it never makes it to the prima location of being casually knotted at your neck- it can go through it’s little scarf-life being a work of art.

Try it with a pair of jeans or that little back dress, toss on a pair of smokey avaiator’s and you will be sure to turn heads. Now where did I park my Alpha Romeo?