*Napa*Sonoma*San Francisco*Carmel*Santa Barbara*Ventura*Pismo Beach*Santa Monica*Palm Springs*LA*Boston*New York* *Montreal*Greenville*Charlotte*Asheville…

60+ Days on the fly!

vintage finds, wine discoveries, dining, family, friends, fun

We know, we’ve been there.  The invitations are pouring in and you haven’t a clue what to wear–or even how to decipher the dress codes:

“Festive”, “Cocktail”, “Holiday Casual”…

Take a page from Teka’s style book and look right on, whether you decide to go swanky or casual or uptown or down.

Only one month to go in 2010, but the year is already overflowing with wonderful times, great adventures, fabulous memories.  The last eleven months have been filled with annual traditions (Daffodil Day, Nantucket Wine and Film Festivals) as well as travel, friends and new experiences.

cV continued to get a lot of press and was featured in a gorgeous 6-page spread in Cape Cod Life.  There were numerous trips…California, NYC, St John, France…and we launched our signature cV wines, including our 2008 currentVintage “Boschetti Vineyard” Pinot Noir.  There were wine tastings, photo shoots, and VIPs–the store practically  pulsated with energy and inspiration!

Most importantly:  I got engaged (!), then, currentVintage had its first store engagement (he proposed to her in cV!) and, our little Rosie (*star employee*) got married.

Here’s a look at a few highlights…

Our first proposal at cV!

She said "I do"! Congrats Brendan & Kate!

Rosie & Ivan got married!

Getting engaged at the Wauwinet...

...on our 8th anniversary!

11th Annual Lingerie Fishing Tournament

Wendy Schmidt & Co at Petticoat Row

Dominique Demarville of VCP!

Content at Caneel Bay

Stylist Julie Biondi (ctr) & friends

cV models in Cape Cod Life

MLK Jr Day at Glide in San Fran

B-52s Kate Pierson in cV

modeling Cheryl Fudge (who just opened a store in Santa Monica)

Actor Sarah Fraunfelder modeling for cV

Burgundy:)

Many a Grand Cru...

with LA Lifestyle Chef & "Food to Flowers" Author, Lulu Powers

Meursault & Margaux

NFF Party with Kim Corkran of Cape Air, Kate Brosnan & Tom Scott of Plum TV, Caterer Susan Warner

going to The Bazaar in LA, Pre-Grammys

La Superica in Santa Barbara

with Dan Kosta of Kosta Browne

cV Signature Wines launch at Nantucket Wine Fest

Michael Ragg of Mischief & Mayhem, Burgundy

Daffodil Day

at The Vanderbilt in Newport

From a humble Croque Madame to a hearty Boeuf Bourguignon to the rarefied offerings of Michelin-starred temples to Haute Cuisine, Burgundy is a gourmand’s mecca.  Here are some of our favorites…you can see why.  Connoisseur’s tip:  When doing the Michelin restaurants, think lunch, not dinner.  They’re often a remarkably good value in comparison.

If you need a bottle of Auxey-Duresses or a Puligny-Montrachet before you can get to Puligny, head to cV for a selection of white & red Burgundies to delight the senses.

Relais & Châteaux L'Abbaye de la Bussière

Grounds of L'Abbaye de la Bussière

L'Abbaye de la Bussière

Escargot at l'Abbaye de la Bussière

Hostellerie de Levernois

Michelin One-Star in Levernois

Restaurant Le Montrachet, Puligny-Montrachet

Denis at Restaurant Le Montrachet

The beloved fromage course

There are certain must-dos in Beaune:  A glass of wine at Bistrot Bourguignon, Dinner at Ma Cuisine, The Saturday market, un café at Baltard, a tasting with Alex Gambal…and for me, a visit to Marie-Pierre Vintage.  Imagine our surprise when we popped in and discovered that a friend of ours was working there!

When you get to that point when you are done with butter, cream and jambon persillé, consider the Indian-inflected cuisine of Via Mokis and a pint at Pickwick’s Pub.

I just had the most amazing week in Burgundy.  I won’t tease you with the names and nuances of every Grand Cru we savored, but here is a little photo log.  Eat your heart out.

Asst Mayor and Mayor of Beaune with two Nantucket Selectmen

Did you know that Nantucket and Beaune are twinned?

Jumelage means twinning. It is a movement started after WWII to bring together municipalities, in hope of fostering the opportunity to learn more about the daily lives of those in other places, develop a dialogue and possibly enter into joint projects.

Hospice de Beaune

Fast-forward to 2005, and, thanks to the efforts of Denis Toner, founder of the Nantucket Wine Festival, Beaune and Nantucket are sister cities.  Dismayed at the perpetuation of “Freedom Fries”, Denis approached the Mayor of Beaune with the idea of Jumelage and ceremonies on both continents soon followed.  Inspired by the common culture–an appreciation for fine dining and wine, a respect for history and architecture and a pervasive spirit, to name a few–Denis pioneered the concept and realized it in a celebration of a lifetime over a long weekend in October 2006.

Attended by nearly 50 Nantucketers, I will never forget the moving ceremony in the Hospice de Beaune and the festivities that surrounded it.  The town rolled out the red carpet and we were feted like royalty by all the big guys:  Corton Charlemagne in the caves of Latour, a toast in the ancient-modern maze of Bouchard, another lavish dinner at Jadot, La Paulée (a tented BYOW party) they are still talking about.  Let’s just say, if there’s ever an anniversary bash, you will want to be there.

On the eve of a trip to Beaune, I thought I would post a Jumelage photo album.

Mark & Elisabeth at the 2006 Jumelage of Nantucket and Beaune

Fall on Nantucket…what’s a guy up to?  Here for the weekend…mostly kicking back.  A little shopping,  a little vino.  A little coffee, a little vino.  Walking the dog, a little vino.  A little reading, a little vino.  Maybe the Boarding House, maybe the Chicken Box.

And what’s he wearing?  A handful of laid-back, effortlessly cool shirts and jackets from currentVintage.

Actress and cV Model, Sarah Fraunfelder

NOW: A late-summer glass of Rosé before going out...

LATER: Sequin Dress + Burberry Trench & Boots

The changing of the season is upon us and with it, the ambivalence of what to wear.  September in New England can mean temperatures of 75 or 45…one must be prepared for both.  Here we present several pieces that can be enjoyed in the dog days of summer and in the cold weather that is sure to come.  Versatile.  Transitional.  Packable.  September to December.  Now and Later.  Season-less Chic.

NOW: Zandra Rhodes Silk Ensemble + Metallic Accessories

LATER: Jordache & Ray Bans

LATER: Zandra Top + Suede Boot & Satchel

NOW: Italian Designer Bessi vibrant floral Rib-knit trim dress & Pink flower mule

LATER: Bessi dress + Handknit cap & scarf

Steve McGarrett

Hawaii of the late 60s & 70s–A little bit of glamour and a lot of kitsch.

Doris Duke's "Shangri-la"

The glamour bit began earlier with the eccentric heiress Doris Duke and her palace, Shangri La…

Then, the late 60s brought Pan Am 747 flights, the fab hotels of Waikiki, Malia fashions and the reign of  the iconic tv series Hawaii Five-O.  Named after the 50^th State, Five-O ran from 1968-1980 and starred Jack Lord as the dreamy Steve McGarrett.  McGarrett and his right-hand man, Danno, fought Chinese organized crime and  multiple felons each episode, with a version of cool merely aspired to by the likes of Miami Vice and CSI:  Miami.  Winner of multiple Emmys and awards, Five-O was filmed almost exclusively in Hawaii and was the longest running detective show until surpassed by Law & Order in the 1990s.

How fitting that, with the return of florals, maxis and the re-luxuriation of Waikiki hotel landmarks, comes a new version of the TV series Hawaii Five-0 this Fall?  It follows the creation of an elite police unit, led by a younger McGarrett, son of the original hunky cop–although it seems unlikely he’ll have as mod a hair-do. Aloha Danno and Five-0!

Hawaii Five-O theme song and opening sequence:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXfyhqXxf3E&feature=fvw

Watch a Five-O episode:  http://www.imdb.com/video/cbs/vi1875183385/ 5-0 episode

Trailer for the new five-O:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruKODTVxy3E

1970s Malia of Honolulu

The Royal Hawaiian Hotel, Waikiki