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CUPCAKE RED VELVET WINE Cupcake Red Velvet wine was unexpectedly excellent! From Livermore, CA the 2011 Cupcake Red Velvet is a blend of red varietals with a Zinfandel base. Released winter of 2012, it was harvested Sept. – Oct. 2011 and has an alcohol content of 13.5%. According to the winemaker, the wine has “fantastic […]

IMPROVING OUR CHILDREN’S HEALTH   Nutrition, education, and food policy affect all of our children. There are so many foods and ingredients that are being put on our grocery store shelves and served at school cafeterias that are banned in other countries. Why are we feeding our children who are growing and developing foods that […]

SUMMER BREEZE // CONNECTICUT WHITES As someone who had the opportunity to help pick grapes for Sharpe Hill Vineyard, I can tell you a lot of care goes into how they make their wine. The Sharpe Hill Vineyard Ballet of Angels wine is reflective of that care. Sharpe Hill Vineyard Ballet of Angels is a […]

MOVIE REVIEW OF ”TERMINATOR: DARK FATE” The people who made “Terminator: Dark Fate” (*** OUT OF ****) must have liked “Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens.”  Elements of the latter film appear in the former.  For example, a beloved protagonist is bid adieu, mayhap never to return, like Han Solo’s exodus from “The […]

MOVIE REVIEW OF ”BLACK AND BLUE” A rookie New Orleans cop exposes corruption within the force in “Traffik” director Deon Taylor’s white-knuckled cop versus cop thriller “Black and Blue” (*** OUT OF ****), starring Naomie Harris, Mike Colter, Frank Grillo, and Tyrese Gibson.  Most protagonists have enough time on their jobs before they bite off […]

MOVIE REVIEW OF ”GEMINI MAN” If you missed the trailers for Will Smith’s futuristic nail-biter “Gemini Man” (** OUT OF ****), then the surprise about an hour into this globe-trotting, stunt-laden saga might surprise you.  Had you seen the trailers, you’d know what was in store, so it isn’t quite the revelation it might have […]

MOVIE REVIEW OF ”THE JOKER” Joaquin Phoenix gives an unforgettable performance as the most popular of Batman’s adversaries in “Hangover” writer & director Todd Phillips’ “The Joker” (** OUT OF ****), but this brooding, violent, DC Super Villain standalone saga qualifies as largely routine and forgettable. Indeed, this ‘origins’ film shares more in common with […]

Best Music Box Sets: Top Picks  It’s been a memorable year for box sets and other special releases. Several landmark albums got deluxe reissues, and there were greatest hit sets from some all-time greats. This means there are no shortage of good gift choices this season. Here are my favorites. The Beatles: “Abbey Road” – […]

 JOE BONAMASSA ” HOW IS MUSIC AND LIFE CHANGED” No artist can promise fans they will see a perfect show when he or she steps on stage. But fans can at least feel confident that Joe Bonamassa and his band have reached a point where when they take the stage, even if it’s the worst […]

Gregory Alan Isakov Talks About Touring and Farming! There are two seasons for Gregory Alan Isakov – touring and farming. That’s why you only find the singer/songwriter on the road primarily in the fall and winter. For much of the summer, he’s got work to do on his small farm near Boulder, Colorado, starting in […]

AVETT BROTHERS TALKS ABOUT THEIR NEW RELEASE “CLOSER THAN TOGETHER” Most bands make an album, then head out on tour, bringing the new songs to the fans along with their old favorites. Not the Avett Brothers — America’s finest roots music band — who didn’t release “Closer Than Together” until Oct. 4 – well after […]