Mondovino

Mondovino is another docu-film every wino should have on their self. Great movie! Staring:Albiera Antinori, Lodovico Antinori, Michael Broadbent, Battista Columbu, Lina Columbu

The ultimate film about wine and wine culture, Mondovino offers an unprecedented look into the conflicts, conspiracies and alliances of the wine trade. Filmed by award-winning director Jonathan Nossiter, Mondovino has sparked controversy in its theatrical run among wine producers, distributors and consumers as it shed light on the esoteric world of wine. Hailed as “Fahrenheit 9/11 for the grape” by MSNBC.

An epic exploration into the modern world of wine, Mondovino was filmed across three continents, in five languages, over a three-year period. With an insider’s access and an artist’s eye, Nossiter weaves together multiple family and multi-generational sagas, all stemming from the production, distribution and consumption of one of the oldest, most respected and still-affordable luxuries. Juxtaposing artesian wine growers with multi-national conglomerates, and peasants with billionaires, the film gives voice to those who create, critique and are involved in the commerce of wine, offering up a surprisingly prismatic, varied and sometimes controversial glimpse into something everyone enjoys but few people know much about.

Bottle Shock

Starring: Alan Rickman, Chris Pine, Bill Pullman, Rachael Taylor

Bottle shock is based on a true story, Jim and Bo Barrett and was a great movie. It was cowritten by husband-and-wife team Randall Miller and Jody Savin, who did a remarkable job given that they were working with a very small budget.

Every wino should own this DVD! Purchase Bottle Shock on Amazon.

Bottle shock describes what can happen to wine as it travels from place to place. Set in 1976, Randall Miller’s widescreen docudrama concerns the real-life showdown between California’s wineries and their French counterparts. Napa Valley’s Jim Barrett (Lost Highway’s Bill Pullman) has been plugging away for years with minimal success. A former attorney, Barrett runs Chateau Montelena with his wayward son, Bo (Chris Pine, the Star Trek prequel’s Captain Kirk), who would rather do anything than assist his stern father. Bo’s co-workers include Gustavo (Six Feet Under’s Freddy Rodríguez) and Sam (Transformers’ Rachael Taylor), who long to produce the perfect chardonnay. Naturally, the young men compete for the favors of the beautiful blonde (the movie’s least interesting angle). Across the Atlantic, Steven Spurrier (Alan Rickman) struggles to keep his Parisian wine shop going (cheapskate American Dennis Farina is his only regular customer). Then Spurrier conceives a contest to attract customers; surely, his beloved French growers will put those upstart Yanks in their place. He flies to Napa to look around, and persuades the Barretts to compete. Miller and his wife, screenwriter Jody Savin, previously worked with Pullman and Rickman on Nobel Son, but decided to release Bottle Shock first. Though comparisons to Sideways will be inevitable, the filmmakers take more of a historical look at California wine country. The “Judgment of Paris” changed the face of the business forever, and they’ve found a lively way to recount the tale. –Kathleen C. Fennessy

Women of Wine: The Rise of Women in the Global Wine Industry

Women of Wine: The Rise of Women in the Global Wine Industry is a must have book for every female wine oenophile!

Written in 2006 by Ann B. Matasar, this book is packed full of history and an eye opening perspective on how women have not only impacted wine making but the consumption of wine too. Is it any wonder that in the U.S. women make 77% of the wine purchases and consume 64% of it.

Wet your whistle with chapter 1: Women Need Not Apply

Persistent superstition compounded the problem. In some French wineries to this day, women are not allowed near fermenting wine because of the belief that if they are menstruating the wine might turn to vinegar or referment monthly. One French woman winemaker vividly remembers this biased treatment: “When I started, there wasn’t a field more sexist than vine-growing and enology! At that time, it was said that a woman shouldn’t get into a wine cellar, because if she did, her ‘petticoat’ would make the wine turn sour.”

Ironically, there is at least one physical distinction that should have worked to the benefit of women: the sense of taste, including the sense of smell. In two olfactory sensitivity studies, one conducted at the Clinical Smell and Taste Research Center of the University of Pennsylvania and the other at the Social Issues Research Centre of the University of Cardiff in Wales, women consistently outperformed men in odor identification and sensitivity on the Smell Identification Test, regardless of age, ethnicity, or cultural background.27 Additional research on taste perceptions conducted by Dr. Linda Bartoshuk, professor of neuroscience in the ear, nose, and throat section of the Yale School of Medicine’s Surgery Department, established three categories of tasters: nontasters (a projected 25 percent of the population), medium tasters (50 percent), and supertasters (25 percent). The group of supertasters, who had the most taste buds and the greatest sensitivity to taste differences, was made up predominantly of women.

A Perfect Glass of Wine

A Perfect Glass of Wine is an international guide to wine by Brian St. Pierre. This is one of my personal favorites and an easy read for the person who just wants to get more comfortable with wine. It is also loaded with some outstanding photography by Deborah Jones.

Pick it up today for your wine drinking pleasure. Click here to order.

Rioja – Tradition & Innovation At The Frontiers Of Flavor

This is an exceptional DVD series on everything Spain.

Experience Vibrant Rioja … Online! In this first-of-its-kind Web initiative, Spain’s most famous wine region comes directly to you. Experience Rioja as if you were there, as you watch interviews with its leading winemakers and chefs and tour the vineyards, wineries and restaurant kitchens that make this region among the most talked-about in Spain.

Discover a land of breathtaking beauty and cutting-edge architecture, whose people live for wine. America’s leading sommeliers and the professional chefs at the Culinary Institute of America weigh in with their guidance on matching Rioja’s expressive red and white wines with food. All in all, it’s a delightful immersion in the rich history, culture and flavors of this storied wine region.

Narrated by Jonathan Coleman. Jonathan Coleman is a nationally recognized narrator of documentaries and audio books and does voiceovers for many other mediums. He is a New York Times bestselling author of narrative nonfiction, and a former producer and correspondent for CBS News.

Three Ways to Watch:
1. Click here to order your FREE DVD online.
2. Download this series as a Video Podcast from iTunes.
3. Or, view the Flash videos; divided into chapters for your convenience.

Alpana Pours

Alpana Pours – About Being a Woman, Loving Wine, and Having Great Relationships. Alpana Pours is one of my favorite books. It is an easy read and for every beginner who wants to get a grasp on such an intimidating topic. She takes an otherwise subject and makes it very formal and friendly. It is a fun read and you will be ordering your own wine with confidence in no time at all!

Purchase Alpana Pours by Alpana Singh (Author), Robert Scarola (Collaborator)

The Relationship Handbook

My favorite author and friend Dr. George Pransky has written a book that is in my mind a paradigm shift. It is filled with a simple thought provoking philosophy that people might pass it off as to Polyandrous, but each time my level of well-being goes up and I re-read The Relationship Handbook the more I hang on every word,  knowing that what he writes is so true.

George points out that innocently it is our ego’s along with a dose of negative, fearful, distracting thoughts that cause us to become incredibly insecure and this insecurity ultimately tears apart not only are marriages but our relationships too. This book gives us a glimpse into our mind’s eye and pulls back the curtain as to how our thoughts are killing our relationships and keeping us at bay from experiencing the intimacy and satisfaction that we truly desire.

I realized I had been caught up in a vicious circle: my dissatisfaction had motivated me to search for greener pastures and that search was the source of my dissatisfaction.

These insights opened my mind to a different view of life. I couldn’t believe how much mental energy I had spent on considering options, planning, second guessing, regretting and doubting. I had never before noticed my extraneous thinking. Now, it was all I saw; it grabbed my attention constantly, and I wondered how I had ever gotten anything done with all that distraction. -George on his own relationship

If you want to fall in love, stay in love and deepen your love over the years I encourage you to purchase this fantastic book The Relationship Handbook.

Leveraging the Human Dimension in Business

In this Cd series Leveraging the Human Dimension in Business, Dr. George Pransky discusses the importance of your mental well-being, your staff’s mental well-being and how it links to your bottom line. Dr. Pransky explains how healthy psychological functioning such as thought, moods, mind-sets, feelings, and emotions play a significant role in your staff’s ability to perform at optimum levels and how it directly hinders them and the company’s goals if they are operating from a low mental frame of mind. In this series you will learn about leadership, team work and creating a corporate climate that empowers your staff from the mail room to the leaders. People learn better and listen better when they are in a good place than they will otherwise.

To purchase this Cd set or to make an appointment to visit Pransky and Associates, contact Trish  360-466-5200 or visit their site at PranskyAndAssociates.com. Make sure to tell them you are a Friend of Freda’s!

Commonsense Parenting

Every parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, and anyone who works with children of all ages should listen to Dr. George Pransky’s Cd set on Commonsense Parenting. These Cd’s will not only change the way you look and think about your children but yourself too. They will change the way you relate to your children and life in general. You will understand how mental well-being, both yours and your child’s, impact behavior. You will understand the difference between being a reactive parent and a responsive parent and the far reaching implications of each parenting state. You will learn the difference between a fear based, insecure environment and a creative, loving environment where children and parents are close. You will learn how to send your kids off into the world as emotionally stable, happy and satisfied adults. You will learn how to create respect, appreciate and rapport with your children and others.

Do you operate out of strength or weakness? These Cd’s have changed the way I look at parenting and my son. These Cd’s potentially can change parenting from a difficult, challenging task to a very rewarding, fun and enjoyable experience.

To purchase Dr. Pransky’s cd’s or to find out more information contact Trish at Pransky & Associates 1-360-466-5200 and visit them on the web at PranskyAndAssociates.com. Make sure to tell them you’re a friend of Freda’s!

We’ve Got To Start Meeting Like This!

Stop wasting time in unproductive meetings. Wouldn’t you like to hold meetings that people love to attend because they get results and leave feelings inspired? If you’ve ever wondered if there aren’t effective, simple ways to craft and guide more productive meetings, you have found the right book! We’ve Got to Start Meeting Like This! by Robert C. Kausen is brimming with practical, yet eye-opening insight. You’ll find this book worth reading many times.

To find out more about Robert C. Kausen visit his website LifeEducation.com