Wendy, Elisabeth of currentVintage & Alison enjoying Laurnet-Perrier rosé champagne at The Pearl 10th Anniversary Party, 12/06/09. photo Gene Mahon

To Every wine I’ve loved before…

I remember that 1990 Nuits St George at Jean George so long ago.  And there was the Corton Charlemagne in the 18^th century caves of Latour. Aged and amber white burgundies at Jadot.  A thimbleful of 1964 Lafite-Rothschild (it was a half bottle shared among 8).

While these were great vintages, it’s the circumstance I remember so vividly, because what makes a wine truly memorable is usually the setting in which it’s enjoyed…the pleasure of the table.  While I’m a little spoiled in the fine wine department, it doesn’t have to be all pomp–a backyard BBQ makes me so happy in summer.  Friends and food—they can make a good wine unforgettable.  Of course, it doesn’t hurt when the wines are from Burgundy, but the point is that wines do not always need a white tablecloth to shine.

On a wine trip last year, I had an impromptu 2004 Dierberg chardonnay with Jim Dierberg in his majestic home in Happy Canyon, outside Santa Barbara.  We thought that we would be guided around the spectacular Neverland-scale property by a winery rep, but Jim showed up, himself, and after a tour over hill and dale in his Range Rover, he invited us in to share a glass–such an unexpected treat!  We learned so much about the man, the wine, the land;  a brief, but lovely visit and memory.

Wine and food.  The exponential pleasure derived from the combo still leaves me giddy.  Just last spring, a bottle of the unusual, distinctive (and inexpensive) 07 Conti di Buscareto Lacrima di Morro d’Alba at the Little Owl in the West Village made a phenomenal meal even more so.  I bought it for the store and when I opened a bottle, it was so…different.  The wine had been but one part of the perfect tsunami that was a super-memorable evening.  It’s still interesting and intriguing, but at the Little Owl, it was sublime.  A 2003 Sea Smoke “Southing” had the same effect at Blackeyed Susan’s:  good food became outrageously so.  I’m still dreaming of the Guy Charlemagne cuvee our hosts popped for us just last month in Ireland–a perfectly lavish wine that reflected the warmth and generosity of our friends.

A 1969 Remoriquet, a Kistler chardonnay, some Puligny-Montrachet…the wines of 2009 could be the start of a great musical, or at least a nice haiku.

Top 5 Wines I’d like to find under the tree:

07 Chateau La Nerthe Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc, $60 (sale $48 at currentVintage)

Lush, round and mouthfilling decadence.  They sell this by the ($24) glass at the Waverly Inn in NYC, a restaurant known for it’s extravagances, ie $55 truffle mac-n-cheese, no telephone reservations, larger-than-life clientele, that mural of who’s whos…The food is good, but not great, and the attitude borders on Theatre of the Absurd, but somehow the experience always exceeds the sum of its parts–and a glass of this wine plays a big part!

07 Radio-Coteau “Savoy” Chardonnay, $56 (sale $45)

This wine stood out in a line-up of standouts at my birthday dinner.   Even after magnums of Pax rosé and Bouchard Batard-Montrachet and others were served, this elegant Sonoma Coast chardonnay, with hint of pear and lots of finesse, provoked head-turning, label studying reactions from most.  This also reminds me of the Radio-Coteau “Las Colinas” syrah we had at American Seasons, which reminds me of another night at AS with a Loring pinot noir…

02 Bouchard Pere et Fils “Clos St Marc”, Nuits St Georges, $90 (sale $72)

What we love about Burgundy—nuance.  Lip-smacking, yet layered with a long and lovely finish. A  savory and sophisticated pinot that is ready to drink.  A favorite of my Mark—we savored it with burgers on a warm summer night.

05 Larkin Cabernet Franc, $72 (sale $58)

Sexy & voluptuous.  It was love at first sip with this one.  Reminds me of the old Secret commercial:  Strong enough for a man, yet made for a woman!  I don’t know if this is intentional, but I can just imagine charismatic Sean Larkin crafting wines with women in mind.  A Nantucket Wine Festival favorite, check out the cute photo of Sean in our previous post on him in the May 2009 archive (above right).

98 Billecart Salmon “Cuvee Elisabeth”, $175 (sale $140)

Another birthday treat, this champagne is pure beauty:  Stunning bottle, gorgeous pink-amber color, lovely to savor.

While most NV champagnes are carefully calibrated to maintain a consistent “House style”, a vintage champagne offers a snapshot of a particular vineyard in a spectacular year.  The house of Billecart-Salmon, established in 1818, is known for their rosés, with the “Cuveé Elisabeth” being the pinnacle.  This sophisticated, velvety and complex champagne fascinates.  I am thrilled that a champagne of this beauty and style has my name on it:  Elisabeth!

All I want for Christmas is…any of these wines that remind me of some really wonderful times in 2009.

Alex and Elyse…sounds like a famous couple, like Jack & Diane or Peaches & Herb. They are famous, but alas, they are not a couple, although for this story I am trying to make them one…because I love them both.

Alex Gambal

Alex Gambal and his then wife moved with their kids to France in 1993.  They were looking for an experience abroad and a serendipitous meeting with famed wine importer Becky Wasserman led to that experience and then some.  What began as a stage, resulted in his enrollement in viticulture school, and voila, in 1997, Maison Alex Gambal was born.

Ray Coursen of Elyse

Ten years earlier, Ray Coursen and his wife were working on Cape Cod.  One day, Ray offhandedly asked Nancy when she’d be ready to move to California to start making wine. “Tomorrow,” she said, and off to the wild west, they went.  Ray worked his way from the tasting room to the cellar, becoming winemaker in a matter of  a few years.  In 1987, the Coursens founded Elyse, producing 286 cases of Morisoli Vineyard Zin, still one of their preferred fruit sources today.

Ray is known for Zinfandel and Rhone varietals.  His wines are extracted, rich and voluptuous.  Alex deals exclusively with chardonnay and pinot noir, and his style is typically more elegant and restrained.

Alex makes about 5000 cases of wines/year; Elyse makes nearly double.  Alex makes 18 wines, 60% white and 40% red.  Of Ray’s 20 or so bottlings, of whites there are only two.

Stylistically, the wines of Alex Gambal and Elyse don’t have so much in common, yet on many other levels they do.  Both Alex and Ray are negociants with both eyes on the vineyard.  They each hold long-term contracts with trusted growers to ensure the quality of the fruit.  They each own a few of their own vineyards.  Ray went to school to study agriculture.  Alex tends his own garden.  They are both artists, farmers and scientists, as that is what is required to own a winery and produce consistently good wine.  Elyse wines are on all the great lists in Napa.  Alex’s are on some of the best lists in Beaune.

They are both good friends to the Nantucket Wine Festival and they share a passion for wine, food and life.

These days, countless points and accolades later, Alex and Elyse continue to produce amazing wines:  Food friendly, fruit-centric, hand-crafted wines from their respective corners of the world.  They are truly living the dream.

What a nice couple!

“I came in frankly not knowing the first thing about Burgundy or how to make wine, but to have an experience with my family, trying to enrich our lives. If things turned out well, that would be great. But if it didn’t we’d go home to our former life.”—Alex Gambal

“When I first saw how small Burgundy is and how diverse it is I realized that it would take me a lifetime to begin to understand it. That’s what I love about Burgundy, because I continue to learn something new about it every day. That’s what makes it so wonderful, and also so maddening. Here we have two principal grape types and how can it be so different from one little place to the next. Burgundy isn’t a spectator sport, it’s a contact sport. You really have to be willing to get in and get your hands dirty. Otherwise, forget about it.”—Alex Gambal

“In our winemaking we let nature express each vintage uniquely, by using indigenous yeasts which are naturally on the grapes. We make our wines following Burgundian tradition : our whites are barrel fermented and both red and white wines are matured on their lies with just one racking prior to bottling.”–Alex Gambal

Re. the 2009 harvest:

“When one controls all from A-Z, and mother nature provides 6 months of glorious weather, the results are easy to see and taste.” Alex Gambal,  September 2009

“I also recommend Alex Gambal’s 2007 Bourgogne Blanc.  It’s another wine that delivers more than its appellation suggests, I suspect because it comes entirely from Cote d’Or Chardonnay (the law allows Bourgogne Blanc to be made from grapes grown throughout Burgundy, including the Côte Chalonnaise and Côte Mâconnaise).  Gambal waited to harvest the Chardonnay in 2007– and it paid off.  I guess it’s in his nature to gamble.”—Michael Apstein, www.winereviewonline.com, July 2009

“A meal without wine is eating; a meal with wine is dining – it’s a conversation, an event. It’s what wine is about.”—Ray Coursen

“Winemaking is cooking without a flame. Great chefs search for the best ingredients and then carefully prepare them so the layers of flavors in the food all reach the table. They’re constantly searching for wonderful fruit to work with. Besides the vineyard at the winery, we’ve been fortunate to find amazing fruit from vineyards stretching from Carneros to Howell Mountain. As a fellow winemaker once said, “The best wines come from the vineyards with the most footprints in them.” –Ray Coursen (s2wines.com)

Re. C’est Si Bon:

“This was the favorite wine that we would all take a little pull from in the wine room.”—Ray Coursen

Re. winemaking:

“I like a little oak, but I don’t want it to be overpowering – I want to taste the fruit. I love wines that pair well with food…When I make a wine, my tastes and techniques will influence the process, but what’s most important is the fruit. The fruit dictates what the wine will be. We’re fortunate to work with an amazing group of growers and vineyards, whose fruit keeps taking us to wonderful places.”—Ray Coursen

Re. visiting Elyse:

“This is a MUST  for all serious wine drinkers.   It does not have a fancy tasting room, no gross monuments to oneself here, no long driveways with valet parking,  no cheese-and-figs,  no members-only library, no bubble room,  no car collection,  no tram, no tractor ride, no cablecar,  no castle, no outdoor sculpture garden,  no ponds,  not even pistachios…if you know what I mean.
This is Napa the original way.   A small tasting room  with giant, delicious wines that do all the promoting themselves.   This is THE BEST OF NAPA. “—Brenda S., NY, NY, March 2008 (www.yelp.com)

Re. Elyse Wines:

“This excellent winery continues to turn out a bevy of intriguing wines, including both Zinfandels and Rhone Ranger offerings.” -Robert Parker (June 2008)

Balloon over Napa seen from Elyse Winery

Alex Gambal Blog:

http://www.alexgambal.com/blog/

Ray Coursen video:

http://www.winetastetv.com/video/tastings/grenache/2315/article%3C!—raycoursenelysewinery—%3E

I first met Ray Coursen in Yountville in 2003 and have been fortunate to dine and lodge with him several times since.  Most day’s you can find him lunching at Redd with fellow winemakers such as John Arns and Jim Barbour.  Alex’s wines I discovered years ago at the Nantucket Wine Festival and I have also enjoyed clinking glasses with him in Beaune.  His cuvée is in an historical courtyard just inside the town wall of Beaune.  I look forward to seeing them both this winter and again at the Nantucket Wine Festival in May.  Elyse and Maison Alex Gambal wines are available at currentVintage.

Tasting of Alex & Elyse Wines

4-7, Wednesday, September 30, 2009

currentVintage, 4 Easy St, Nantucket.

Maison Alex Gambal window in Beaune

Jorge Ordonez with Ateca "Atteca" Garnacha

Pioneer. Visionary. Legend.  These words are so overused (often by me)…so what do you call someone who really is a PVL?  In this case, I’ll call him a rock star, because just as a rock star is more than a musician and the president is more than a politician, Jorge Ordonez is more than a wine importer.  He is a rock star of the wine industry, and we’re not simply talking limestone and schist.

Three words are consistently associated with Jorge:

Quality.  Influence.  Charisma.

Before Jumilla was a household word, there was Jorge Ordonez, ambassador of the Spanish wine world.  In the 1980s, Jorge recognized that the Spanish wine trade needed an intervention.  The vines were there, the wines were there, but that wasn’t what was making it into the households of the American consumer.  The good wines were often not so, by the time they were shipped across the Atlantic in un-refrigerated conditions.  Grapes from the oldest vines in the world were being lumped in with new stock, resulting in mass-production plonk.  For the winemakers who were making great wines already, Jorge organized controlled shipping and distribution so that what went into the bottle in Spain was what arrived on our shores.  Recognizing the value in Spain’s pre-phylloxera vine heritage, Jorge championed the potential for low-yield, highly concentrated wines and guided these wines into bottle and ultimately, the international marketplace.

His quality standards from the vine to the restaurant are such that he has raised the level of the entire Spanish wine industry, as others must now compete on the field he has groomed.

Mark Donato & Jorge Ordonez at Cinco restaurant, Nantucket

Jorge’s aggressive management style has influenced every aspect of Spanish wine production from the vineyard to the bottle label.  Some bemoan the modernization of old world wines, but Jorge maintains that he is merely an adviser and only intervenes when asked or needed.  Nevertheless, modern technology has come to Spanish regions that were mere backwaters 20 years ago and dozens of indigenous varietals have reached a wider audience, while outside varietals, eg chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon have been introduced.

Jorge has developed some interesting and influential projects in the last decade.  In addition to importing and consulting, he is now highly regarded producer and his collaborations as well as his own projects have proved extraordinarily successful, in case you haven’t heard…El Nido,  a joint venture with Australian wizards Chris Ringland and Dan Phillips has been called the greatest wine ever to come out of Jumilla.  The “El Nido” is generally 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Monastrell and has received 93-99 points from Robert Parker every year of it’s brief existence since 2002, with it’s cousin Clio not far behind.  That is impressive even to those who pretend they don’t care about points.  These are modern wines:  big, extracted, fruit-forward mouthfuls of wine showing their Australian influence and appealing to an American palate.

Jorge has also endeavored to celebrate the Moscatel of his native Malaga through Jorge Ordonez & Co. a joint venture winery with the late Austrian, Alois Kracher, and his son, Gerhard.  Their original and aromatic Botani Moscatel Seco (high elevation, hand-harvested, air dried) is a revelation in dry Moscatel and the sweet moscatels are superior as well.

Lastly, this leaves charisma.  Just because you can sing doesn’t mean you’re the next Madonna.  You can be the most knowledgeable wino on the planet or represent the best wine in the world, but words will fall on deaf ears without personality and passion behind them.  Jorge’s demanding and dynamic style combined with unflagging determination have brought Spain much recognition and prosperity in just twenty years.  He represents nearly 50 Spanish wineries (which could easily be doubled), holding them each to his exacting standards, regardless of price, and he continues to bring his own innovative and quality wines to the market.  Considered the Martha Stewart or Oprah of the Spanish wine world, vineyards that are not meticulous don’t make the cut and there is a long line of wineries waiting to take their place.

In a nutshell,  since 1987, Jorge Ordonez has saved the Spain’s old vines from the tractor, brought them to their true potential, and then educated the world of their value.  It is exciting to think what the next twenty may bring…!

Jorge Ordonez wine tasting at currentVintage:

5-7 Monday, September 21, 2009

508.228.5073

Nantucket Food Pantry dinner at Cinco

Featuring Jorge Ordonez and wines of Fine Estates from Spain

6:00 Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Watch Jorge Ordonez interview on The Wine Library

Bottom two photos Courtesy of Gene Mahon, www.mahonabouttown.com

top photo courtesy of www.elephantjournal.com

As I wrote about Talitha Getty in the currentVintage newsletter this week, it was apparent that given the era and her brief life, she was spared the kind of ridicule that today’s iconic fashionistas have experienced.  Why, exactly, was she so admired?  What, exactly, has she contributed to the human race besides her beauty and wealth?  The answer may be very little, but so what?  I’m not saying that teachers, nurses and Greenpeace workers don’t deserve praise, fame and fortune; only that the stylish are interesting to me and I have no issue when they are celebrated and adored for making the world a more visually interesting place.  But Talitha died young and thus permanently beautiful, albeit in a very ugly and unglamorous (heroin overdose) way.  How cliché, yet still lovely that the legacy of a single photograph continues to inspire today.

Rachel Zoe, Boho-Glamour Icon

If Talitha is the poster girl for 1960s Boho-chic, Rachel Zoe is the modern one.  I loved Rachel Zoe before she was popular.  She was on my radar for awhile and then, in 2006?, there was an article on RZ in Vogue or somewhere that featured photos of Rachel in various Halston Grecian column dresses lounging poolside in platforms and dwarfed in her awe-inspiring closet.  Her Boho-chic meets Studio 54 Glamour aesthetic was/is precisely my idea of cool and I have watched in awe as she has so successfully branded the look and made it practically Stepford in Hollywood.

Rachel Zoe in the closet dreams are made of...

Some say her style is irrelevant now—and some have been saying that for years.  But, guess what, it’s not.  I love it when the public refuses to roll over on a style they like (Carrie Bradshaw, anyone?).  Usually by the time a trend has hit mainstream America, fashion has long moved on, but sometimes, it just keeps coming back because people like it and designers have no choice.  I skipped the Sex and the City phase alltogether, but as long as young girls are still buying crinolines, I am happy to sell them.

Where Talitha had the benefit of being a beautiful & rich heroin addict pre-internet, Rachel has laser-sharp scrutiny 24/7.  Rachel’s suntan & cigarettes look is frighteningly unhealthy, yet perversely attractive.  I met her at a party of Sienna Miller’s a couple of years ago.  It was the Twenty-Eight-Twelve Launch Party on the roof top of the Gramercy Park Hotel, and there was RZ in a terrific little leopard vintage number.  I complimented her dress, she praised my palazzo jumpsuit.  I said I owned a vintage clothing store in Nantucket, she said that she wore only vintage.  At that point, when I should have had the sense to hand her a business card, etc, I proceeded to talk about anything and everything else, then eventually mosey on, having just met the most influential stylist on the planet and being too obtuse to make something of it…

Elisabeth in RZ-worthy vintage in Gramercy Park

That’s another reason I admire Rachel.  It is great to have great style, but style plus savvy is what really counts.  I don’t really care for the idea of the made-in-elsewhere line of “affordable” looks she has developed for QVC and I have yet to see her reality show, (although I would probably love it if I watched much tv), but I don’t blame RZ for trying to milk every dime of her celebrity ride.  She’s the first to admit she’s not saving lives, just being style guru to the red carpet and now, the masses.  Even if she is effectively over tomorrow, she’s more than made her fashion mark.  Personally, as a stylish-but-sans-savvy business woman, I think that is very cool.

Rachel Zoe in Boho Maxi

Giuseppe Zanotti Boho Biker boot from The Zoe Report

RZ & disciple, Kate Hudson

Rachel in Vintage? Suede Coat w/ Mongolian Lamb cuffs

Tom Binns modern pearl necklace from The Zoe Report

August began on Sunday, the 2nd at the Triple Eight “White Party” at the Summer House Pool. Cocktails, lawn chairs and beautiful people in all white completed the ultimate setting. That might have been enough for the perfect August Sunday afternoon, but we threw in a fashion show on the lawn by currentVintage and Cheryl Fudge and it became stellar.

Beautiful People

The White Party

molly & deb 888 White Party

Cheryl Fudge & co at 888 White Party

Elisabeth of currentVintage at Triple Eight White Party

O'Neill at the White Party

The Triple Eight White Party

Chad Pierre

Is it worthIt?  That’s the question you have to ask.  You have to be discriminating.

This past week was an eventful one for me, as per summer usual.  I flew to Boston to see Rent, threw a benefit fashion show at Jetties Beach, hosted several wine tastings and dined out too many times.

Often after a busy few days, when I am starting to feel a little weary, not to mention pudgy and broke, I wonder, Would I do that over again? Was it worth it?

In the simplest terms, most things in life can be classified as either “worth it”, or “not worth it”.  Worth the time?  Worth the effort? Worth the $? Worth the calories? Worth sharing with others?

Of course, what’s “worth it” to me often differs greatly with others, and with the public at large, but here’s how I spent my time last week and what I will and will NOT be doing again…

*Seeing RENT for the 4th time:
worthIt!
Original leading men Anthony Rapp and my (heartthrob) Adam Pascal are back in the show for a limited run in Boston.  Story is a little dated, but the music is timeless and the talent was there to pull it off.  Plus, I just really, really love that show!

Virna, Elisabeth & Chad Pierre at Nantucket Tree Fund event

*Waiting in line for Adam Pascal at Colonial Theatre stage door:
NOT worthIt
He was a no show, although Anthony scribbled on my playbill.

*Late Night dining at Sonsie, Newbury St:
Food: NOT worthIt
Pizza awful, salad fine
Experience:  worthtIt
Handsome Bartender Andy set up a blind tasting with 3 flights of wine…too bad wine list is pretty mediocre
Highlights were Tariquet rosé; 07 unknown Pinot Noir, 05 Charles Krug Merlot, 06 Two Hands “Gnarly Dudes” Shiraz

*Nantucket Tree Fund Benefit at Jetties:
worthIt!
Toes in the sand, beautiful models in currentVintage fashions, dancing to the AWESOME Third Bay Project all for $85.  No one will miss this party next year.

Brooke in currentVintage Pucci

*Judith Ivey in “The Lady with all the answers”:
Double worthIt!
Tony-award winner previews her one-woman Off-Broadway show about Ann Landers for the Nantucket Comedy Festival—how lucky are we?  So proud currentVintage was a sponsor.

*Dinner at Town:
worthIt
Outdoor patio with comfy, loungy cushions.  Pear margarita = yum.  Papaya shrimp salad, chicken vindaloo, butter-soft steak, Nan & Papadums

*Dinner at Corazon del Mar:
worthIt
Another great margarita.  Sea scallop ceviche is orgasmic!  Also tasty are fluke ceviche, savory arepitas, short rib tacos, yucca “fries”.  Great music, rocking setting upstairs.

The happening bar at Corazon del Mar, Nantucket

*Dinner at 21 Federal patio:
worthIt
Gruet sparkling rosé, portabello mushroom pudding, fried oysters & cherry soufflé for dessert!

*Sauvignon Republic Wine Tasting at currentVintage:
worthIt!
(Perhaps we’re a little biased here)
One grape, One producer, Three continents = an excellent opportunity in terroir tasting.  The knowledgeable and charismatic Carolyn Walsh shared insights, suggested pairings and offered guidance in nuance one would likely miss otherwise.  This was so good we will repeat it in August and possibly September.

*Various 6-8 Cocktail Parties:
NOT worthIt
It’s one thing if you live a summer of leisure, but the 6:00 time slot just doesn’t work for us working stiffs.  I would much prefer a dinner w/ friends than mingling, especially if said dinner reservation is after 8:00.

*Morning run on Washington St Beach:
worthIt!
Ok, it’s not very far, but running from the creeks to town along the harbor is unbelievably beautiful…and pretty easy.  20 minutes of cardio rewarded with a Juice Guys smoothie and a walk home = the perfect way to start the day and reminds me why I live on Nantucket.

View from my morning run

currentVintage Fashion Show for A Safe Place

Having just attended or hosted or participated in or donated to 20 or so non-profits in the last month, I think I could be diagnosed with the debilitating condition we shall call “benefit burnout”.

Symptons are emotional and physical and include, but are not limited to:

*Confusion over what day it is
*Large drycleaning bills
*A drawer full of gift certificates for random services purchased under duress at silent auctions
*Alcohol poisoning
*Empty checking account

Seriously, I bet Nantucket is rivaled only by New York and Palm Beach in its volume of fundraising and charities, and I say this in the most complimentary way.  It is amazing how many non-profits are supported by this tiny island and its year-round and summer communities.  And a community it is, in no small part due to to the prevalent non-profits!

In the last few weeks, there have been benefits small and large for literally dozens of cultural, health and service organizations. The Nantucket AIDS Network celebrated its 20th Anniversary in Roaring 20s Style.  The Nantucket Artist’s Association hosted a “Surreal” Evening.  The Maria Mitchell Association held “An Evening with the Stars” at their observatory.
And on and on…One fete is more lavish and inventive than the next.

currentVintage is presently involved with THREE non-profit events in 8 days!  The “Flora & Fashion”  Show we did in the garden at Marilyn Whitney’s last Friday was a lovely evening;  instead of just another cocktail party, there was the added pageantry of a fashion show of summer looks on the lawn—everyone there was completely enchanted—something different and a wonderful way to raise funds for A Safe Place!

This week, we’re throwing a party for the Nantucket Tree Fund!
In memory of Martha Walters, a Boston and Nantucket legend and tireless tree advocate, we are staging a rock-n-roll fashion show with Cheryl Fudge and Blu.  There will be hearty apps & beverages and live music—at the beach! How do you beat that for $85?

My vote for the most creative goes to the Nantucket Arts Council.  They’re hosting a “Blind Wine Tasting” in a private home this Saturday, 07/25, and the winner wins a case of wine—6 bottles from the tasting and 6 collectible bottles from currentVintage.  The 50 people who get to participate will have an amazing experience and the NAC will raise $5000 in a few hours.

I am sympathetic of Benefit-Burnout, but that’s no excuse!  These organizations depend on summer fundraisers for a huge chunk (if not all) of their budget.  Only through generosity will the non-profits continue to provide their various services.  When you think about Nantucket without its gorgeous Elm trees, behavioral services or flourishing arts, it looks like a very different place.  I for one, don’t want to go there, so buy tix, show up, have fun and  SUPPORT LOCAL NON-PROFITS!!!

This morning, I attended an annual breakfast with some of the most amazing women alive, let alone on Nantucket.  I so enjoy this opportunity each summer–it beyond stimulating hearing about all the incredible projects and life achievements that these extraordinary ladies share.  The one drawback of attending the event is that I have to say something about myself.  Even if it wasn’t about myself, I am sure I would stumble, but talking about ones “achievements” in this company is so humbling I could throw up.

The very first guest mentioned that she had just published another book on soldiers with head injuries and was starting her own TV network.  Not TV show, but TV network.  wow.  The second guest has made some major motion pictures and written a few off-Broadway shows.  Down the line we went, including many authors of many books, others in film and TV, and a few involved in curing cancer…and I say this all without the slightest exaggeration.

And so it came to be my turn.  And instead of seizing the moment and sharing about my store, currentVintage, and the vision behind it, and what makes it special, and how much we do for nonprofits on a weekly basis, and so on, I think I merely muttered that I had a store in town somewhere and then passed the baton to the next wonder woman…thanks goodness the hostess likes me or I surely would not be invited back.

Instead, however, of going on about my feelings of inadequacy, I will now move on to the point of this experience:  women are wonderful.

Our hostess opened by declaring, “I love women” and I concur.  Women can be so supportive and what’s more important than support?!  Words of encouragement and consolation?  A vote of confidence?  One story shared was of a moment in one woman’s life when she called a friend for advice, and, in that moment, she could have been tamped down or encouraged.  That friend chose to encourage her in her aspiration and that led to a new career in her 40s in which she excelled—as a comedian.

There were recurring themes of support and motivation, courage and parenting.  There was the heartbreaking–and warming–intimacy of one who had lost her husband last year;  she said that without the strength and love of the women in her life she would never have gotten through it, and it was clear by the intensity of her emotion that she meant it.

I ran a marathon a few years ago, which was a pretty big deal to me, since I wasn’t much of a runner.  I never would have gone through with it if wasn’t for the unanimously positive encouragement I received from every single woman I consulted.  I asked a dozen or more if they thought I could do it, and they all answered (without even knowing me very well) emphatically yes.  I later understood they just wanted me to have the same experience of running a marathon that they did.  The power of a support group cannot be overrated.

I wish I was a better public speaker and so I will work on it.  I’m pretty good at social media–I write a dynamic newsletter each week, I get our message out on facebook, I tweet, I blog.  For now, I just take pride in the fact that I showed up, because only by showing up do you get to have the experience.

Anyway,  what I REALLY Meant to say to the girls was that my store is a big part of my life and through it, hopefully, we affect a lot of people & organizations in many small, personal and sometimes meaningful ways…

Click here:  Elisabeth English talks about currentVintage on Plum TV

Last night (bratty as it sounds), I tweeted that I was forced to choose between a sunset cruise on a Hinckley picnic boat and a catered moonlit dinner on our deck.

As it turned out, I didn’t get to do either, but I did drop by a friend’s boat on Old South Wharf and have a glass of Ferrari Carano chardonnay before heading back to work.  Plan C was not half bad; in fact, it was great!  It’s a charmed life on Nantucket.
Just looking back at my calendar the last week or so makes me smile with wonder and exhaustion…
Attended Kathie Lee and Frank’s Spiritual Heritage luncheon at the Sconset Casino and met them after at the Chanticleer…dinner at 21 and American Seasons…photo shoot singing at the Club Car piano…filmed a currentVintage wine tasting with the Travel Channel’s Samantha Brown at Cheryl Fudge…a Burgundy dinner with summer friends on Old North Wharf…watched the 4th of July fireworks from the gorgeous yacht “Snowgoose”…

Elisabeth & Mark on Old North Wharf

Of course, this scenario of a life of leisure belies the fact that I also worked 80 hours in 8 days, hosted two in-store wine tastings, restyled the store three times for events and trunk shows, and rang up wine and dresses like mad during what can only be described as “the first-four-consecutive-days-of-summer-sun-4th-of-July frenzy”.  Not that I’m complaining…How wonderful to have a deluge of $ instead of the deluge of raindrops!

It’s a charmed life in a charming place.
Granted, Nantucket is a very special island of cultural history and natural beauty and that is what attracts the visitors and the media, but what is so wonderful is how many interesting and talented people adopt Nantucket as home or second home.  I don’t really know the Giffords, but I do know they have given generously of their time and money to many local causes and community events, not the least of which was the spiritual weekend I attended.  It takes real devotion to wear your religion on your sleeve and I found them to be genuinely inspiring and not the least dogmatic.
And how wonderful it was that the Travel Channel chose to focus on Cheryl Fudge instead of the usual Topper’s, celebrities and Gulf Streams?  Cheryl is my friend and a designer who fashions one-of-a-kind pieces out of recycled fabrics.  Her ‘Fashion Camp” is an inspired idea that brings out the creative best in kids and grown-ups.  The Travel Channel was here for two days, filming Samantha Brown on various adventures, including a ‘Sconset bike tour with my darling, Mark Donato.  The Fashion Camp shoot involved Samantha designing her very own preppy Nantucket tank while enjoying a rosé wine tasting by currentVintage.  What a wonderful example of the talent and creativity Nantucket’s artist’s and merchants have to offer?

currentVintage Fashion Camp wine tasting for Travel Channel

4th of July Brant Point sunset

Of course, it’s not a walk in the park for everyone here, and with population growth and economic recession come a host of issues the island has not had to face in the past…but I prefer to accentuate the positive. Sorry to rub it in, but I have to say that I am just so blessed to live in such a beautiful place with such an amazing community. Na-nah, na-nah, naa-nah.

Travel Channel's Samantha Brown & Plum TV's Mark Donato

Meursault "Les Genevrieres" & friends on Old North Wharf

Farrah 1976

There is no more awkward age than 7th grade.  The though of it still makes me squirm a little, more than 30 years later. I was that age in 1976 when Farrah was the pinnacle of pop culture.  Every boy in my class had the iconic Farrah pin-up poster and most of the girls had some sort of hair homage to her signature look.  Charlie’s Angels was the height of beauty cool and replaced The Mod Squad as my ideal for good-looking detectives with great outfits.
At 12 years old, it was impossible for me to imagine growing up at all, let alone becoming a sexy creature like Farrah.  It never occurred to me that she was ever in 7th grade; I just assumed that she had been born in a slinky red maillot.

There are young 12 yr-olds, completely unprepared for teendom,  and worldly 12 yr-olds, going on 20.  I was the former, still shopping in the kids dept, and fascinated by the 8th graders in their tight bootcut jeans and wing-back hair.  One year later, I would come into my own and start developing my personal style, which would include the ubiquitous Calvin Klein jeans, but in 1976-77, Calvin was not yet a household name, and Farrah was.

It is remarkable how a Tri-Delt from Corpus Christi could move to Hollywood, like so many aspiring actors, and hit it so big.  Farrah had her share of talent and success in tv and film early on, but it was the swimsuit poster of 1976 that cemented her fame.  And she wasn’t just the pretty face—Farrah selected that photo from 40 rolls of film (film!) shot that day and it was her taste and prescience that sealed her fate.

One thing I was right about in 7th grade is that I would not grow up to look like Farrah, although I finally, just last month, got my hair cut in “wings”.

for beautiful photos of Farrah:

http://tinyurl.com/l6×3sc

awesome YouTube tribute:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRtNeSOGkvI

Noxema commercial with Joe Namath:

http://tinyurl.com/pl7t2k