Romy Raves

OK last minute shoppers, we are down to the wire here, and I wanted to give you one final tasty gift idea for the season, something yummy, festive and the perfect gift for a hostess or someone who has everything. Allow me to introduce you to Cheryl&Co, a mid-western based baked goods company, dedicated to providing the finest fresh-baked gifts and desserts flawlessly shipped directly to the consumer.

Earlier this holiday season, I was invited to a lovely Open House hosted by Cheryl’s and held at the Beverly Hills Mrs. Beasley’s location (which is now owned by Cheryl’s.) I had the opportunity to taste some of Cheryl’s and Mrs. Beasley’s yummy holiday treats (can you say buttercream frosting?!), sip an amazing and tasty bubbly cider cocktail and learn all about this brand and what they have to offer. I was especially impressed by all of Cheryl’s affordable, high quality gift sets that ship beautifully, really make a statement and can be shipped anywhere in the US. Following is one my favorite sets of the season, that will surely take care of your gift giving needs through the New Year. Enjoy!

Winter Holidays VIP Tower ($79.99)

I love this stacked blue and white boxed assortment of Cheryl’s treats because its holiday neutral, really festive and classy looking. This gift set includes an assortment of holiday cookies like pecan butternut balls, buttercream frosted snowflake cookies, chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, snickerdoodle, holiday sugar cookies, frosted hot fudge brownies, classic vanilla buttercream brownies, pretzel clusters, and moist cake slices, 67 pieces in total, whew, that’s a whole lotta yuuminess!

And as a little holiday treat for my readers, I am compelled to share the recipe for my new favorite festive drink of the season, the Holiday Cider Sip which was created by Rachel Hollis (party planning guru extraordinaire!) Its the beverage that I sipped all night at Cheryl’s Holiday Open House. It’s a delicious combo of mulled cider with brandy and a splash of bubbly to top it off, sooooo good!

Holiday Cider Sip

2 quarts apple cider

1 tsp. aromatic bitters

2 sticks cinnamon

1 tsp. whole allspice

3 Cardamum seeds

2 orange studded whole cloves

1/2 bottle of brandy

Combine all ingredients in a pot and heat on medium flame for 1 hour. Reduce flame to warm 2-6 hours. Fill a champagne flute 1/3 of the way full with wassail/spiced cider and top it off with chilled Champagne or sparkling wine. Garnish with an orange twist and fresh cranberries. Cheers!

Since Thanksgiving is only a day away and the holidays are just around the corner, my mind is filled with all things food and wine, how about you? What to eat? What to drink? What pairs well with what? You get the picture. So I was delighted to have the opportunity to interview a fabulous woman who is definitely an influencer on the wine landscape, Jessica Kogan-Hughes, wife of the well-known Cameron Hughes, owner of Cameron Hughes Wine. I will tell you more about this fab woman later, but first, I want to tell you a little bit about this impressive wine brand, then I’ll share my fun interview with Jessica and then to top it all off, I am delighted to host a fabulous Cameron Hughes sponsored giveaway to start the holiday season off right!

What is Cameron Hughes Wine all about and How is it different than other brands?

Cameron Hughes Wine is a modern international négociant, the company partners with high-end wineries to create wine they love or they buy ultra-premium wines to sell at affordable prices. CH Wine produces 100 different wines a year in varying lot sizes, so when the wine sells out, there will never be another like it. The company doesn’t own a vineyard or winery, which is how they can pass on the savings to customers. Under the Cameron Hughes Wine label, you could purchase a $75 bottle of wine for $20, so in other words, CH Wine provides luxury wine for a steep discount.

 An Interview with Jessica Kogan-Hughes, Head of Marketing for CH Wine

I am dying to know about your background in fashion PR, digital marketing and how you brought that experience to the table with Cameron Hughes Wine?
Ok – so here is the deal. My first job out of college was with Donna Karan. Amazing company to work with and gain experience at my then young age. There I learned about the industry, marketing, product positioning, licensing, you name it. To this day, even though I am technically in the wine business, I read my WWD each morning. The fashion industry to me is the pulse of the economy – it is the psychological reflection of how we feel about our lives, our world, our everything.

After Donna and few other jobs I worked with a company called Razorfish where I learned all about Website development. When I left NYC and moved to SF I was still with Razorfish. Cam and I were dating. He had a background in the wine business. I was not loving my job out in SF. Very different than NYC. So, I asked the company to lay me off! It was 2001 and this was the norm. At that point, Cam and I decided to start this wine company together. He has the sales knowledge and I had the marketing knowledge. We both felt we really had nothing to lose.

Besides sleeping with the boss, tell us about your role at CHW? What exactly do you do?
I am sure the boss would say we don’t sleep together enough! Cam buys and negotiates to make the wines and my job is to make sure everyone knows about them. Essentially, what I do at the company is oversee and help execute all of our integrated marketing. So what does that mean? It means I spread the word in many different media channels. What is the word about the company? We are all about gorgeous wine and incredible value.

What is your all time favorite type of wine to drink? Why?
Hmm..that is a good question. I find the longer I am in the business, like clothing style, your taste evolves. Right now, I am really in to crisp Rieslings. I like my wine to have a hint of sweetness. As for red, I am a Cabernet girl all the way. I just love the richness of this grape and how many ways it can be produced. For me it is like my favorite fabric transformed in to many different looks. I just love it – big, mellow, soft or intense.

What are a few of the top wine trends we will be seeing this holiday season?
Moscato – HUGE! The grape is back with a vengeance. It is sweet, bubbly, low in alcohol and goes with absolutely everything, especially a dry turkey. Riesling is hot, and Malbec continues to be an all- around, pleasing varietal women love, as most are not over-oaked or over-styled.

Can you give us 3 easy tips for selecting wine this holiday season?
Ok – this is definitely where everyone, including me even in the industry, has a moment of total anxiety and overwhelmedness when you have a 1,000 different bottles of wine to pick from. Here are the basics to get you through this anxious moment:
1)  Only buy German, Austrian or Washington state Rieslings and for Moscato only from Italy
2) For reds, when in doubt buy vintages 2007 or 2009 and appellations Napa Valley, Sonoma, or Carneros from California. The wine will be fabulous!
3)  Do not spend more than $20 unless you have done the appropriate research

Which wines will you be serving for Thanskgiving dinner? 
I will be serving Cameron Hughes Wine, of course!
-Lot 256, 2010 Napa Valley Rose – with hors d’oeuvres
-Lot 259, 2010 Columbia Valley Riesling/Chenin Blanc – with turkey
-Lot 303, 09 Stags Leap Cabernet – with turkey
-Antolino Brongo 09 Cryomalus Ice Cider – with desert – pecan pie of course!

Cameron Hughes Wine is available at local retail locations like Costco, Sam’s Club, Cost Plus World Markets, Kroger, Harris Teeter, Safeway, Vons and online at www.chwine.com

Contest Details 
-How to Enter: All that you need to do to enter this FREE giveaway is use the Rafflecopter Widget Below and click “I DID THIS” in the various boxes below for each way you choose to enter
-Options for Entering: There are (2) choices for daily entries, and (6) choices for one-time only entries and three of them are mandatory for entry.
-Prizes: Two people will each win: One (1) $50 Gift Certificate for CHwine.com & One (1) Hand built CH corkscrew from Laguiole (Retail value of each prize set: $85)
-Contest Dates: 11/23/11 to 12/03/11 at 12:01 am EST
-Please make sure to click on the ”CLICK HERE” to do each task and once you have completed the task on the “I DID THIS” button to confirm your entry. Make sure to enter your name and email for each selection, so your entries will be counted. Good Luck!

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Happy Wine Wednesday Oenophiles! Gotta love Wine Wednesday’s right? As you know, I am always on the hunt for exciting new products and when I discover new products that make wine taste better, look better or offer great portability options, that makes me very happy Today, I am sharing two fabulous wine related products that I have been using and enjoying since the summer time, so I figured it was about time that I shared these babies with you. Enjoy and Cheers!

Soiree Wine Aerator is an in-bottle wine aerator that fits into the top of most wine bottles and allows you to decant just the portion of wine you want to drink, whether it is a glass of wine or a full bottle. The Soiree has dimples inside the decanter which increases the surface area inside,  and not only agitates the wine, but also infuses more oxygen into it. Pouring your wine through the Soiree allows you to notice the subtleties and character of the wine immediately, rather than waiting for the wine to breathe and open up on its own.

Why do I love the Wine Soiree? Because it REALLY works and allows my wine to reach its optimal flavor much more quickly; it’s much more affordable than it’s competitors at around $20 each; and it looks really chic and cool when you pour wine from it (your friends will be impressed!) I have been using my Soiree for a while now and I just love it because it really makes a difference in how my wine tastes. I have even done side-by-side comparisons with the Soiree aeration and without, and I totally notice a difference! If you like big full bodied red wines, but hate the breathing wait times, this product is for you!

govino is a portable, chic, stemless plastic wine glass with a unique ergonomic thumb-notch which makes wine swirling and sniffing easy and effortless. These glasses are shatterproof, recyclable and perfect for a picnic or outdoor use. Govino glasses are made from a proprietary, food-safe, pharmaceutical-grade polymer that reflects a wine’s color and projects its aromatics much like a crystal glass. However, make sure to hand wash these glasses becasue the high heat in some dishwasher’s may warp them.

Why do I love govino glasses? They make wine drinking on the go super easy and chic looking without compromising the ability to maximize the wine’s character with the right glass. And trust me, I am rather picky about using the right glass to drink my wine out of because it totally adds to the appeal and romance of the experience. I really like the look and feel of these reusable glasses and am thrilled they make govino champagne flutes too! And because they are super affordable at about $13 for a set of four, they make a delightful hostess gift too.

Lookinng for more inpsired wine items? Checkout a few of my past favorite wine inspired items like Drinkwel and others HERE

Greetings My Beauties! I have been a very busy girl this summer with several domestic trips and a slew of lifestyle, foodie and beauty events, my head is spinning and it has been hard to keep up with my posts! But I LOVE and treasure every minute of it and it is my pleasure to share my adventures with you. So here’s a glimpse of what my dance card has looked like these last few of months, enjoy!

DNA EGF Renewal Spa Launch at the Four Seasons Hotel Westlake Village

Nobody loves a fabulous swanky summer party more than I do, and I was delighted to attend an evening under the stars for the launch of the DNA EGF Renewal Skincare Line at The Spa in Westlake, CA. This was a classy top notch party filled with pampering (got a FAB blowout at the Yamaguchi Salon), bubbly, tasty morsels, a gorgeous setting and most importantly the opportunity to meet brilliant and DTE Dr. Ronald L Moy (he is the current President of the American Academy of Dermatology BTW). Dr. Moy is also the creator of the DNA EFG Renewal skincare line which repairs photo damaged aging skin, targets the visible signs of aging, diminishes wrinkles, evens skin tone and improves texture. This product line dramatically makes your skin healthier, firmer, and more radiant—and I should know because I have been using the line’s Growth Factor Serum since late July, and am quite impressed with the results. My skin has never felt better!

Sheer Cover Breakfast with Leeza Gibbons

I had the absolute pleasure of being invited by Guthy-Renker to an intimate breakfast at Chateau Marmont with Sheer Cover spokeswoman Leeza Gibbons. A small group of bloggers were invited to meet Leeza and learn about the Sheer Cover Mineral Make-Up line. Leeza is an absolutely authentic, beautiful, passionate woman and it was truly delightful to get to know her better. Aside from telling us about her love for this make-up, we chatted a bit about her experience on Dancing With The Stars and how difficult and transformative it was. I also enjoyed learning about the Sheer Cover mineral makeup line which is 100% natural, infused with skin soothing botanicals, sun protection, and anti-oxidant green tea. I have been trying out these minerals all summer and am impressed by how natural it looks, yet how well it conceals flaws.

LA Film Festival with Dove Nourishing Oil Care

Dove Hair Care invited my hubby and I to attend the Los Angeles Film Festival for an insider’s screening of the poignant film Terri starring John C. Reilly. Dove Hair Care was a premiere sponsor of the festival and was celebrating the launch of their new Nourishing Oil Care Collection, which dramatically smoothes hair frizz. I was sent the collection of these new products to get red carpet ready and was very impressed with how smooth and shiny these products made my hair. In addition to the pre-event goodies, car service was also provided and we had exclusive access to the Jameson Filmmaker Lounge as well. It was a fun night and I was delighted to share the evening with two of my favorite bloggers, Amber of Beauty Junkies Unite and Andrea of Savvy Sassy Moms.

COVERGIRL Queen Collection BET Awards Beauty Lounge

Earlier this summer, my favorite budget friendly make-up brand COVERGIRL, invited me to an intimate  interactive beauty session, hosted by the very talented celebrity makeup artist, Ashunta Sheriff, and up-and-coming It girl, Tika Sumpter  (from Gossip Girl). I was privileged to get an up close and personal behind-the-scenes look at Ashunta giving Tika a full glam COVERGIRL make-over before walking the red carpet at the BET Awards.  It was amazing to watch this artiste at work and we learned some great make-up tricks along the way. After Tika was glam and gorg, the bloggers were invited to get glam ourselves with custom hair services and COVERGIRL inspired makeovers. I loved channeling my inner diva J We were given an assortment of CG products to take home and I am personally LOVING the Queen Lipstick Collection, the nude colors are totally up my alley!

California Strawberry Commission Paint Los Angeles Red Event

Sugar Jones, bloggess of Sugar in the Raw, recently invited me to this strawberry inspired event to learn all about bringing the gorgeous vibrant California strawberries from farm to table. We nibbled on variety of strawberry-inspired appetizers like a fresh Strawberry Gazpacho and Strawberry Caprese Salad (yum!) and sipped a refreshing Strawberry Basil Balsamic Mojito. While our senses were amused by all things strawberry, we learned about the nutritional benefits of this red super fruit and also about the heart that goes into growing CA strawberries. It’s was a ’berry’ good time!

Angeleno Magazine Poolside Beauty

Angeleno magazine recently invited influencers to the uber chic L’Ermitage pool in Beverly Hills for a summer Poolside Beauty Event in order to experience an assortment of summer beauty must-haves-Totally up my alley! We sipped refreshing cocktails and connected with coveted brands like LaRocca Skincare, Ipanema Flip Flops, Joico, and Votre Vu to name a few. We sampled their latest product offerings and took home a bag of impressive SWAG to keep pampering ourselves at home. Super Fun!

Yoplait Light Summer Swap Event

Last week, I was invited to the swanky SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills to attend this fun Summer Swap event with the adorable and accessible Alison Sweeney, host of The Biggest Loser. Alison has teamed up with Yoplait Light to show women that small changes can make a big difference when watching your weight and she’s encouraging people to swap one thing a day for a Yoplait yogurt. A handful of bloggers enjoyed an intimate roundtable lunch with Alison and swapped creative healthy food tips with her, and then Ali demonstrated an easy Red Velvet Parfait using Yoplait Light, berry jam and a sprinkle of crushed chocolate cookies, tasty! We also met the vivacious Jeannie Mai celebrity fashion expert, who shared her easy fashion swaps with us and even gave us some fun shoe bling.

If you asked the foodie in me, what my favorite category of food was, I would enthusiastically say seafood! Seafood is light, bright, briny and reminds me of the ocean, the place that brings me peace and calm. I adore gorgeous, fresh, perfectly prepared seafood and I definitely have a refined enough palate that allows me to discern good and bad seafood. However, even though I take my fish seriously, I had never really given much thought to the idea of sustainable seafood and the difference it can make in the quality and flavor of your fish. However, that all changed when I was recently invited to The Sustainable Seafood Summit hosted by Bluewater Grill in Redondo Beach, California. 

First, we were educated about exactly what sustainable seafood is: “Sustainable Seafood is seafood from either fished or farmed sources that can maintain or increase production in the future without jeopardizing the ecosystems from which it was acquired.” We learned that the sustainable seafood movement has recently gained momentum as more people become aware about both overfishing and environmentally-destructive fishing methods.

As we learned more, it became obvious to me that Bluewater Grill is a truly pioneer in the sustainable seafood movement because they are making a conscious effort to offer the most sustainable and gorgeous seafood currently available. According to the wonderfully passionate co-founder of Bluewater Grill, Jim Ulcickas, “Currently Bluewater Grill’s menu is 85% certified sustainable, by Aquarium of the Pacific or the Monterey Aquarium, but we won’t be satisfied until we reach 100%.” To further support this commitment, David Anderson, a leading sustainability expert, was also invited to speak with us and he was pleased to let us know that ”Bluewater Grill is the only restaurant that offers full sourcing disclosure on its extensive selection of fish and is committed toward solutions for our oceans.”

We continued to learn about the importance of sustainability through the eyes and palate of Bluewater Grill’s executive chef, Brian Hirsty, pictured below with some of the gorgeous fish we sampled at the Summit

Brian shared some very useful tips for buying, selecting and cooking your seafood that I am delighted to share with you:

• Know Where Your Fish Comes From: Make sure you buy your fish from a trustworthy source. “It all comes back to traceability. Where is your fish coming from?”
• Fresh Fish Should Glisten: “Fresh fish should have a translucent sheen and should bounce back when you touch it.” Signs of age are when your fish is black or gray.  
• Fresh Fish Should NOT Smell Fishy! If your fish smells fishy, it is not as fresh as it should be.
• The Secret to Perfectly Cooked Fish is: An internal temperature of 130-135 degrees when measured with a food thermomater. I was truly in awe of how flawlessly cooked each and every piece of fish we ate was, it totally maximized flavor and showcased the freshness of the fish.

After our minds were filled with important information about sustainability, it was time to fill our bellies. Look at this gorgeous side-by-side salmon tasting that I had the pleasure of becoming intimately acquainted with at the Summit:

Our salmon sampler from left to right included: Wild Sockeye, Wild King, Farmed BC Atlantic and Farmed BC king salmon. And yes it tasted as good as it looks! It was so insanely fresh tasting and perfectly cooked, I couldn’t believe it! And it was quite a treat to compare the different varieties next to each other. Honestly, there was something absolutely transcendent about eating this sustainable fish, like someone had put their heart and soul into selecting some of the best fish I have ever tasted. It was truly SUBLIME!

In addition to the salmon tasting, we also sampled a variety of fresh oysters, cajun swordfish, and Chilean Seabass that was equally delicious. We were also treated to some lovely wine pairings to compliment our seafood, and I chose to sip bubbly with all of my tastings because it truly complimented all the fish nicely. We ended our culinary adventure with the debut of Bluewater Grill’s Build-Your-Own Blue Ice Bloody Mary Bar. This fun inspiration gives customers a chance to create their own customized version of the famous all-day cocktail from among 25 unique ingredients and hot sauces from around the world. Yummy! 

This was such an enlightening experience that I highly recommend trying out this type of experience yourself by attending one of Bluewater Grill’s Monthly Seafood Tastings and Wine Pairing Events which are offered the second Monday of every month in Redondo Beach and the second Tuesday in Newport, Tustin and Phoenix. 

Disclosure: Bluewater Grill provided car service, sustainability education, seafood tastings, and wine pairings, but little did I know that my perception of seafood and where it is sourced from would forever be changed.