Kathleen Hill: McDonald's recall, Cabernet Day and great tequila
Alert: McDonald's recall
No, they have not recalled the 'Gilroy Garlic Fries.' But seriously, and importantly, this week McDonald's recalled 32.8 million Step-It Activity Bracelets that were included in its Happy Meals because the wrist bands burned or irritated the skins of some people. If you or kids around you have one, take it back or throw it away.
National Cabernet Day
In case you needed an excuse, next Thursday, Sept. 1 is National Cabernet Day according to cabernet producers Betsy and Peter Spann.
Spann will be pouring five cabernet-based wines in their new Kenwood Village tasting room, right across from Palooza Gastropub, Aug. 26 to 29, and Sept. 1 to 4. They encourage bringing a picnic or get a pizza from Palooza's wood fired oven and sit at picnic tables. $15 tasting fee refunded with any wine bottle purchase.
According to Peter and Betsy, 'cabernet franc was the original grape of Bordeaux. It had an affair with sauvignon blanc and gave birth to what is now the world's most popular wine grape, cabernet sauvignon. Cabernet franc also fooled around with two other grape varieties and gave birth to merlot and carménère. We grew up on Bordeaux wines (Betsy moved there when she was 18) and love cabernet franc and all its' children.'
'Cabernet Day was created by our good friend and social media guru Rick Bakas in 2010 as a day when people all over the world could taste cabernet franc or sauvignon and share tweets about their experience.'
St. Francis Cab too
St. Francis Winery & Vineyards launches its '30 Days of Cabernet' program with a pre-release party on Thursday, Sept. 1 celebrating the winery's 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon from Lagomasino Estate Vineyard. Winemaker Chris Louton will host with appetizers and live music. $30 non-club members, reservations required.
Your next opportunity will be a blending workshop and lunch with winemaker Louton and hands on blending session where you blend your own bottle to take home. $72 non wine club members. For more information, more events, and signups go to stfranciswinery.com.
Transcendent Transcendence weekend
The Transcendence weekend started Wednesday and Thursday of last week with hilarious Sonoma Speakeasy fundraisers at Cornerstone, staged with the help of Julie Atwood Events. Guests had to prove their secret identities and reveal an emailed password to be admitted through a guillotine like door and walk past the Sunset test garden to Fred and Amy Groth's gin cocktails in the older barn on the property.
Everywhere were Transcendence actors offering fake cocaine and generally jollying up the guests. Especially fun was the actress in a green dress acting drunk and appearing to pick wild fights and chases with other actresses who played as if they were random offended guests in the crowd.
After cocktails the crowd walked to the recently relocated tent where a band played old-timey music with lots of dancing by the cast and audience. I have to admit one especially fun moment for me was being pulled up to watch and then accompany 'Knuckles' on the piano. I got to play one sticky key several times on his cue, and then he changed my note. Great fun.
Eventually the crowd moved on to the Tyge William Cellars Barn for a dinner of Kale-Waldorf salad, grilled filet with Bordelaise sauce, buttermilk mashed potatoes, carrots and onions, followed by a white peach mousse with brandied cherry compote and pecan lace tuille, all prepared by Ramekins Culinary Center. A fabulous show by Transcendence players entertained all who were there.
Transcendence Theatre Company's Broadway Under the Stars' 'Call of the Wild' show came to a rousing 'Dance the Night Away' culmination last weekend with cheering crowds from around the Valley.
VIP guests enjoyed small tuna or chicken salad sandwiches with lots of wine, and hundreds of other people feasted on picnics or food from the Fig Rig or Tips Tri-Tips Trolley, as well as Glen Ellen Star ice creams from a cart near the theatre entrance to Jack London's winery ruins, where more wine was served.
Another remarkable point about the 'Dance the Night Away' show was the nearly tear-jerking performance of 'To Make You Feel My Love,' a love song sung in this case by two men, Bryan Bushcer-West and Nick Dalton, to each other. Only in Sonoma.
Next opportunity to join in the joy of Broadway Under the Stars will be the company's Gala Celebration from Sept. 9 through 11, blending music and dance of Broadway showstoppers, holiday favorites with modern twists and more. Get tickets and info at 546-3600 or broadwayholidayshow.com.
Ladies of Magnum Force celebration
The super cool ladies of the Magnum Force dancing group gathered at Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards last week to celebrate their years rehearsing, laughing, crying and sipping together to perform and raise money for others at the Harvest Wine Auction.
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