Romy Raves

I am the first to admit that I am a totally a champagne girl, it has always been my drink of choice whenever I go out. I have always felt that my preferred drink says alot about who I am: bubbly, effervescent, noticeable, and celebratory. These attributes of champagne really resonate with me and are probably why I enjoy it so much. Well, being a girl with champagne tastes (and a lifestyle blogger), I was recently invited to a press preview luncheon to sample a new champagne cocktail called Dirty Blonde Champagne Cocktails (they had me at the name, don’t ya just love it?) Dirty Blonde Champagne Cocktails are a premium “champagne” cocktail that offer an upscale alternative for drinkers who enjoy wine and want something beyond today’s flavored beers, wine coolers, and value-priced pre-mixed drinks. These fun flirty cocktails are a delightful and tasty blend of bubbly white wine, fruit infusions, and spirits (12% alcohol by volume).

They come in yummilious, female appealing flavors like Raspberry Flirtini, Citrus Mimosa, Sparkling Mojito and Peach Passion Bellini. In Los Angeles, they are launching the Flirtini and Bellini flavors and I had a chance to sample both of these refreshing beverages. I liked the combination of the red raspberry, cassis and vanilla flavors of the Flirtini and I loved the delicious juicy combination of ripe peach and tropical passion fruit in the Bellini–DEELISH!! And the cute little bottles that come in a four pack (affordably priced) and Springy pastel colors of these beverages only add to the feminine appeal. 

These inspired girls-night-out cocktails are the brain child of Kristen Raskopf, founder of Dirty Blonde Champagne Cocktails (who coincidentally has blonde hair.)  She came up with the idea for Dirty Blonde after looking for an alternative to existing margaritas and cosmopolitans, and she wanted something upscale and effervescent. Kristen says, “I wanted a brand that would be very distinctive, something fun & flirty, but also a name that I was connected to personally.” So, is she a ‘Dirty Blonde’? “Absolutely, being a Dirty Blonde is an attitude. I created Dirty Blonde Cocktails to capture this fun, flirty personality.” This Champagne Girl is all over that!

Dirty Blonde Champagne Cocktails are currently available in select states at BevMo, Henry’s and Ralph’s and you can find them at BevMo online HERE. Cheers Girlfriend!

Many of you know that I am both a beauty maven and a foodie, so its no wonder I was super excited to attend a Blending Bash at KleanSpa in MindfulNest in Burbank (a super cute store that showcases artisanal designers). I was invited to attend this fab soiree by Jennifer AKA the Scentual Mixtress (LOVE that!) Jennifer is a goddess with beautiful energy and a NOSE (meaning that she really knows the art of smelling and combining fragrances in just the right way.) She is also the creator of KleanSpa, a beautiful line of handcrafted beauty products that are definitely worth checking out.

Jennifer recently began hosting these super fun monthly Blending Bashes at MindfulNest (usually on Sunday Evenings) where you have the  opportunity to formulate your own signature fragrance. During this inspired event, you are able to create, blend and walk away with a roll-on perfume and an extreme moisture shea lotion in a fragrance of your own creation. And to enhance the appeal of this event, KleanSpa usually partners with local restaurants and caterers so that you have the opportunity to sample yummy eats and drinks during the gathering. All this fun and creativity for a mere thirty five bucks! And as an added bonus, you can shop the unique assortment of artisanal items at MindfulNest too.  

During the bash, you  have the unique opportunity to work one on one with this Masterful Mixtress and custom blend your own signature fragrance. The process goes something like this: First you tell the Mixtress what types of fragrances you like and then you start sniffing to see what you like and what you don’t. If you get desensitized she has coffee grinds nearby too. Once you have a few fragrances you like, the Mixtress starts pairing the notes that go well together and eliminating those that don’t and then she starts combining your fragrance–making sure you have the right elements of a good base, middle/heart, and top notes. You sniff along the way to see if it smells good to you or if you want more of one scent or another until you get it just right. Jennifer expertly guides you through this process, so you feel confident and supported in creating something sophisticated and delicious.

Then you put on your apron and mix your custom scent into a luscious creamy shea lotion and give it a name. This whole experience totally appeals to both my beauty and foodie side! I created my Sultry Sassy Spring Blend with notes of  Fern, Fig, White Tea, Pomergranate, New Cucumber, Grass, and Ginger Milk—Green, fresh, slightly fruity, and the ginger adds a little spicy sultriness to the blend and I LOVE it! 

This was such a fun, scentual, creative experience and I highly rec giving it a sniff and a whirl  if you live in the LA area. And if you don’t live near by you don’t have to miss out on these fab products either, because from now through May 2010 Romy Raves Readers get 20% off all products at www.KleanSpa.com by entering the code ROMYRAVES20

And as a special treat, I am also doing a Blending Bash GIVEAWAY for you and friend ($70 Value!) , so you both can having the pleasure of creating with the Mixtress. All that you need to do for your chance to win this fabulous scentual experience is become an email subscriber of Romy Raves   AND  a Fan of the Romy Raves Facebook Page  AND post a comment on this blog post telling me what your favorite Spring/Summer fragrance is and why you love it. That’s all you need to do. I LOVE comments and want to encourage my readers to regularly post comments and share your thoughts. This contest will end at midnight PST on Monday, May 3rd, 2010. The winner will be selected using Random.org. You must live in the Los Angeles, CA area in order to take advantage of this regional prize and only one entry per person.  Good Luck!

Being an oenophile and a recessionista, I am always on the hunt for a rockin’ bottle of wine that is budget friendly and delicious all at the same time, and honestly these two qualities are usually mutually exclusive, until now.

Let me introduce you to Chariot Gypsy 2008, a delicious blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Syrah, Zinfandel and Sangiovese from great vineyards in the Napa Valley, Sonoma, San Joachin, and Monterey counties. Now I know what you must be thinking, a red wine blend from Napa is going to be spendy, right? WRONG!

This is a Trader Joe’s bargain peeps (only FIVE BUCKS!!) and I just discovered it this past weekend while shopping for yummy eatz for the President’s Day Weekend.  All of the employees were raving about this delicious bottle of wine that just arrived (exclusive to TJ’s FYI), is a cult fav among oenophiles, and blows out of TJ’s in the blink of an eye. And after reading the tasting notes, hearing all of the in store hoopla, along with the ridiculously cheap price, I bought myself a case without even tasting it!

 Just listen to these yummy tasting notes from the winemaker:  “The 2008 ‘Gypsy’ displays a dark garnet color with a clear violet edge. It shows mixed fresh berry aromas — raspberry and strawberry, with hints of white pepper and pastry. Very clean and lively with juicy berry fruit, firm acidity and a touch of smooth tannin. Excellent and versatile food wine particularly well suited for pork chops and poultry. We think it is the perfect everyday red wine!”

So what do you think? For this price, can it really be that good? Online wine bloggers and insiders are already saying it is pleasant, has some depth,would benefit from some more age in the bottle and is perfect for everyday drinking. You be the judge, and so will I. In fact, I am planning on cracking open a bottle this weekend and then we can compare tasting notes. But for $5 a bottle, what have you got to lose? Let’s get a lively discussion going by posting your comments here.

FYI–I had a chance to try the Gypsy last night and it was surprisingly yummy! Very berry, a little creamy and a little spicy, but really delicious and much more impressive given the $5 price point. I REALLY like it and think I am headed to TJ’s soon to buy another case

You can find Chariot Gypsy 2008 at your local Trader Joe’s (in states where they are allowed to sell alcohol in markets, of course).