The Daily Blonde

Sure, I read the major wine bloggers, but that’s more a matter of duty than desire. Wine writing, as a rule, is too self-important for my taste. Wine bloggers are so earnest and reverent, as if every sip and swirl is a matter of holy communion.

The best mommybloggers, on the other hand, are anything but reverent. They’re irreverent, funny, sarcastic, self-deprecating and sharp. If you expect endless stories about breast pumps and “binkies,” then prepare to be pleasantly surprised. These women tackle subjects from sex to politics to psychology, with an attitude that would never make it into print in your local paper.

So if you’re looking for some really good writing with an unexpected point of view, pour yourself a glass of wine and check out these hot mamas:

• The Daily Blonde is a 40-something single mom in Rhode Island who writes about coffee, Kotex and her Tiger Woods fantasy. If that’s not variety enough, she also bestows a dreaded Ass Hat of the Week award on the person who most offends her. (Two-timing John Edwards is a two-time winner.)
• Okay, Fine, Dammit is the creative outlet of a freelance writer/full-time mom in rural Wisconsin. Instead of laugh-out-loud funny, this one is oh-my-god thoughtful and beautifully written, like a long-form poem with no rhyme or meter. Her topics are often heavy — abuse, alcoholism, disillusionment — but the language soars.
• La Jolla Mom is probably the most conventional of my favorite mommybloggers, with regular posts on topics like “Food,” “Household” and “Kids.” But LJM is also a serious wine lover, and her “Wine Wednesday” posts are not to be missed. (Full disclosure: I first discovered LJM when she blogged about our prost!cards a few weeks ago, so I’m not exactly impartial on this one!)

Any other closet mommyblogger fans out there? And any other momblogs I should add to my list?

Gaige House Inn

No. 1 would have to be the Gaige House Inn in Glen Ellen, Calif. When I was there about 10 years ago, it was a labor of love for its owners — a couple of guys from NYC, as I recall. The place had a style like nothing else I’ve ever experienced. I’m still not sure what to call it: “Country Zen” or maybe “Romantic Minimalism”? Whatever the label, it was the kind of place that reminded you how lucky you were to be in love.

No. 2 is on the other side of the world: Old St. Mary’s Convent in the Marlborough region of New Zealand. I’ll never forget waking up in the morning in our big antique bed and looking out across miles of vines — shrouded in a purplish haze — all the way to the mountains rising in the distance. I can’t understand how anyone could maintain a vow of celibacy while living in such a romantic environment — yet the place was a working convent for almost 100 years.

Old St. Mary's

And No. 3? Hard to say. Maybe I’ll come back from my Valentine’s Day trip with a clear No. 3 in mind. If you haven’t voted yet, please do. I can’t wait to get packing.

Prost!

So, I’m asking for your help — not just a suggestion but a command. In two weeks, on Jan. 27, I’m going to book two tickets wherever you tell me to go. It has to be a wine region (for tax reasons) and it has to be in North America (for economic reasons), but those are the only two stipulations. Whatever North American wine region gets the most votes, that’s where I’m headed.

Call it crowd-sourced romance. I’m trusting you to steer me in the right direction. If the trip isn’t romantic, I’ll probably end up on the sofa when we get home!

How to vote? Three options:

1. Leave your suggestion in the “Comments” area below.
2. Tweet your suggestion to @prostcards. (And please follow us, while you’re at it!)
3. Email your suggestion to mail@prostproductions.com.

I’ll write periodic updates on how the voting is going — and once the wine region has been decided, I’ll be back to ask about specific wineries, restaurants, inns, etc.

Thanks for your input. I’m sure this will be a Valentine’s Day to remember!

Prost!

Sister72 on flickr.com

There was only one register open, but only one person in front of me, so I figured I’d make my show. I was looking up at the menu board, not paying much attention, when I heard a big clatter. Glancing back down at the register, my heart sank: The guy in front of me was homeless, and he’d just dumped his entire plastic cupful of change onto the counter.

He asked again about his total. “$5.68,” came the reply, and the man started counting out a seemingly endless line of pennies and nickels.

I shifted my weight, checked my watch, rolled my eyes — everything I could think of to speed up the process, or at least show my displeasure. When he finally pushed a mountain of coins across the counter, I made a move forward to place my own order.

But no. The woman at the register painstakingly re-counted every coin, oblivious to my very important schedule. I turned to glare at the man who was ruining my day, and what I got was a figurative slap in the face. Instead of sweeping the remaining coins back into his plastic cup, he picked them up one by one and deposited them into a container in front of the register. He must have donated at least 20 of his hard-earned coins to the Ronald McDonald House before he picked up his sack of food and shuffled away.

I didn’t know what to say, so of course I said nothing. But two hours later, as I emerged from my movie, I saw him sitting on the sidewalk outside the theater, a crumpled McDonald’s bag at his side. He barely acknowledged me when I stuffed a few bills into his cup, but that’s okay — he’ll be able to pay for his next meal a little faster, and I know the change will be put to good use.

Cher. Madonna. Prince. Some artists are so distinctive they only need one name. And here’s one more to add to the list: Nemo.

Both of the principals at Prost! Productions are art lovers, though one can’t even draw a smiley face while the other regrets a long-ago choice to forsake art and study law. Given our own personal frustrations, we both get excited when we find an artist with an instantly recognizable style.

Nemo is one of those artists. Since he was a kid, he’s had a bizarre gift for drawing perfect freehand circles. A lot of guys with that talent would just disappear quietly into an accounting career, doodling circles in the margins of their spreadsheets while quietly going insane.

But Nemo chose another route. He’s turned his circles into a full-time art career, transforming them into dogs, cats, bugs and other images that leap off the vellum. When you see a work from Nemo, you recognize it instantly — and we recognized the perfect artist to create our first holiday wine cards.

Keep an eye on this guy. With a pop art style as distinctive as Warhol, Britto or Rodrigue, we think Nemo is going to be huge.

Last week, a Denver family caused a media sensation when they reported their six-year-old son might be aboard a runaway helium balloon … and the Twitterverse held its breath.

This week, we learned that none of it was true — at least, not as originally presented. Security cameras in Altanta prove that Nicole White was always within a foot or two of her son during their long TSA screening, despite the fevered rant that drove up traffic at her blog.

In Denver, meanwhile, Richard and Mayumi Heene face possible criminal charges after local law enforcement determined that the entire balloon incident was likely a stunt designed to seal the deal for a reality show appearance.

What gives here? Why would seemingly normal, rational people use their children to garner a few minutes of fame?

Here’s our theory: Reality TV and social media have made it easier than ever to get noticed, and we’re beginning to get addicted to attention. We collect friends, followers, fans and contacts as if the sheer numbers somehow proved our worth. We compulsively Google our names and check our blog stats as if to reassure ourselves that others are aware of our existence.

“I tweet, therefore I am,” to paraphrase Descartes for the Digital Age.

The irony is that chasing useless metrics such as pals or pageviews can steal focus away from the things that really matter. In business, social media are supposed to be a marketing tool, not an end in themselves. Yet I know entrepreneurs who worry constantly about their “unfollow” stats on Twitter, even while they make no effort to get a handle on their lost customers.

As for the purely social side of social media, the same principle applies: Online tools should add value in real life — and real life happens offline. Virtual relationships are great if they provide an occasional smile or morale boost throughout the day, but that’s no substitute for having a real drink with real friends.

No offense to our online groupies, but we probably won’t be chatting with you this weekend. Business is business and followers are fun, but we have more important relationships to attend to.

And we’re guessing you do, as well.

Prost!

We opened a young bottle of Pinot Noir from New Zealand’s Pegasus Bay, turned down the lights, and put on Shirley’s incomparable album, Here’s to Life. It was the perfect pairing — her wise, wistful voice providing the aural translation of the lush, seductive flavors in our glass. Even after 1,000 hearings, the title track, with its mixture of longing and fulfillment, sounded  just as intoxicating as the very first time. Our favorite verse:

For there’s no yes in yesterday.
And who knows what tomorrow brings or takes away.
As long as I’m still in the game I want to play
For laughs, for life, for love.

If you’ve never heard Shirley Horn’s haunting interpretation of “Here’s to Life,” you can listen for free at lala.com. The album makes a great gift for someone special — just uncork some wine and drink in the music together. Even without words, it’s the kind of moment that can say it all.

May all your storms be weathered,
And all that’s good get better.
Here’s to life, here’s to love, here’s to you.

Not sure where to start with German wine? German Wine Estates offers a great primer, including tasting notes and tips for deciphering those scary-looking labels.

If you’re celebrating tonight with a German-American friend, add a prost!card to your bottle to help memorialize the occasion. And for heaven’s sake, don’t say “Cheers” when you clink that glass. Say it the German way: Prost!

Call me paranoid, but I always try to hide labels when shooting pics of new cards. Don’t want some winery lawyer hitting me with a cease-and-desist letter, after all!

Still, some sharp-eyed reader can probably figure out what maker produced this bottle of Pinot. Post your guess here, and we’ll send four free prost!cards to the first correct response.