Fall Wine Tours & Parties - Coming Up!

With Labor Day coming, it's time to be thinking about the upcoming wine season this fall. Summer is a time for outdoor parties, white wines, BBQs, and delicious snacks. But with fall getting closer, wineries are gearing up to harvest their grapes for the fall wine tours, and you should start thinking about planning as well.

To enjoy great wine doesn't mean a vacation to international wineries in France and Italy. Napa Valley, California is one of the most noted wine regions in the United States - but there are many more wine producing regions in the country worth visiting. The Finger Lakes in upstate New York is another distinguished wine region. (And on and on....)

A great way to try new wines and decide what your preferred wine will be is to take wine tours and go to wine festivals. Here are a few tips.

• For any wine aficionado, a great vacation idea is to visit wineries instead of visiting resorts. For example, on Long Island in New York there are many wineries to visit near the coast. 
• A vacation idea would be to rent a Long Island property, tour a few wineries, and enjoy anupcoming festival like the Long Island Wine Country Annual Harvest Fest Celebration.
• When planning a wine tour, make sure there's a responsible driver for all those who are drinking. 
• A lot of folks trekking to wine country prefer to order a limo or bus service. 
• Do some research on what wineries are nearby and the most popular to visit. Plan to go wine tasting at 3 to 5 wineries for the day and that should suffice. 
• Wine touring doesn't have to be expensive; as a matter of fact, most wineries offer samples of 5 to 8 wines for $5 or less!

Hosting your own wine tasting party is a great way to try new wines from a region and to spend time with family and friends. Host a theme party by either choosing one type of wine served or by choosing different wines produced by the same winery. Depending on the wines chosen, certain types of cheese and chocolates can be paired for an even greater treat. 

Share any other great ways to enjoy the upcoming wine season with us!

Thanks to guest blogger Megan Gates, who is an active blogger and handles communications on behalf of Elliman.com. She provides written work to the blogosphere pertaining to New York City Real Estate, Long Island Rentals, and the latest in architecture, design, and fashion. Follow her on Twitter @ MEGatesDesign.

Design2Share Video Pick: Here's a great basic how-to video from The Cheese Impressario on pairing wine, cheese, and condiments for your next wine tasting party at home.

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Toast the End of Summer with Premium Dark Rum

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Diageo. All opinions are 100% mine.

Irwin Weiner ASID - It's not every day that I write about cocktails, but this summer, we've been really getting into an occasional cocktail groove. If you're entertaining - and I know you are! - then be sure to look into serving something special to your late-summer guests. I recommend a cocktail made from Zacapa premium rum. The Zacapa story is amazing:

• Master distiller Ana Lorena Vasquez Ampie is only one of three female master distillers in the world.
• Zacapa rum uses first press sugar cane - called virgin sugar cane honey - while other rums use lowly molasses, a sugar-making byproduct.
• This rum is aged 2,300 meters above sea level in the Guatemalan highlands nicknamed The House Above the Clouds, and Zacapa uses a 500-year-old Spanish sherry-making process to distill and age their rum at the right pace and set of flavors.

So, back to cocktail time, everyone! The cocktail-loving folks of the Under the Influence blog are sharing some great premium dark rum recipes with readers: Improved Hawaiian Punch, The Old Virgin, A Real Daiquiri, and Amoxicillin (click the cocktail name to go to the blog's recipe page). I can attest to the merits of creating a signature or flagship drink for a summer brunch or dinner party, and building it around a solid, well-crafted starter ingredient like Zacapa. If you use quality ingredients to build your signature drink around, your guests will be able to taste the difference. I've often had parties where my signature cocktail is the first glass that is poured for guests as they arrive. Let them loosen up on one or two cocktails, then by all means shift into pre-dinner nibblies, cheese plates, and other beverages like sparkling water, beer, and wine. But start with a memorable opening - a welcome-to-my-party drink.

You'll become a true Zacapa believer, and I predict that you'll even want to join the Zacapa Society (click on the link to register your interest in this essential summer cocktail staple). Bottoms up!

Escape to Ibiza Villa Luxury

Photo: Adam Johnston

Irwin Weiner ASID - We have a humble renovated farmhouse in Bucks County, PA as our weekend getaway. It features a garden-filled yard with an old 1960s in-ground pool built in the shape of an Absolute Vodka bottle. I must say that it's a far cry from the high luxury found in resort islands like Ibiza, but today I wanted to share with you a video to show you what a brand-new luxury villa looks like in a part of the world more of-the-moment than rural Pennsylvania. The pool is killer. The architecture is solid and suitable to resort living. Swim in the ocean or pool, take a soaking bath to wash away all the sand and grit, then get ready for a night of clubs, dancing, and parties. The furnishings are safe, yet classic contemporary pieces that suit the villa and its vacation getaway purpose. The artwork is colorful - thank heavens something adds a bit of color to the place - and keeps the decor edgy and vibey. All I know is, I could hang out there for a week if I was forced.... Okay ... maybe a month or two. 

Hang out at The Ibiza Diaries blogsite to see what you'd be experiencing if you hung out at this villa, too!

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Classic Modern Recycled Plastic Outdoor Furniture

Irwin Weiner ASID - Look at the cool Topol Table in the photo above -shown in Leaf color - and the white de Luge sunbed from outdoor furniture innovators Loll Designs, Duluth, MN. You feel great about using recycled plastics, responsibly manufactured. You feel great about outdoor furniture that doesn't require sanding or repainting, the usual holdbacks in buying outdoor items. You feel great about the contemporary designs; I love the Topol Table's tiered top, designed by Eva Sobesky to resemble a topographical map. You feel great about the shipping costs saved because all materials mail flat and ready for easy assembly thanks to Loll's thoughtful industrial design. Featuring concealed screw holes that keep the lines of the furniture clean and sleek, you'll have to look hard to find a smarter outdoor line. Watch our featured video below to visit Loll's Duluth headquarters and hear the folks behind this outdoor success story discuss their inspirations.

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Update on August 15, 2011 by Design2Share

Super King Size Leather Beds: We just found a great collection of sleek leather bed designs. They add sophistication, whether your bedroom decor is traditional or modern. 

Featured Project: DIY Painted Headboard

Now is the perfect time to think about freshening up your interior space. With a splash of color here and a new piece of furniture there, it's easy to redecorate. Here's a quick, budget-conscious DIY design idea to help get you started.

Paint Your Own Headboard

Chances are if you if you purchased your bed frame as part of a bedroom set, the headboard is already included. If you don't want to put forth the extra cash, especially after paying for a pricey mattress, no problem! Painted headboards are a great way to add a pop of color to your bedroom.

Step 1: Measure the width of the head of your bed and mark it with blue painter's tape from floor to ceiling. Now, choose your color based on your desired color scheme. You obviously don't want it to be the same shade as your walls, but it should complement that color.

Step 2: Once you have your color, paint the wall, staying within the blue painters tape. Once the paint dries, if you choose to do so, you can detail with paint or with some removable wall decals from a company like Blik. For as little as $40, Blik makes easily removable wall decals in fun shapes like bookshelves, chandeliers, birds, etc. If this sounds like too much work, don't worry and leave your wall a solid color.

Step 3: Simply position your bed up against the painted wall, prop up some decorative Euro pillows in coordinating colors and patterns, and you have yourself a headboard. You might want to take this opportunity to invest in a new comforter or duvet in fun, light, spring colors. You'd be surprised at what a little bit of paint and some new bedding can do for your space!

Contemporary vanities and more at Decor Planet for your bathroom needs.