Highbrow Magazine - wine tasting https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/wine-tasting en The Natural Beauty of Tuolumne County https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/20053-natural-beauty-tuolumne-county <div class="field field-name-field-cat field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/travel" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Travel</a></div></div></div><span class="submitted-by">Submitted by tara on Wed, 06/29/2022 - 10:03</span><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/largecalifornia.jpg?itok=vXtOkr2w"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/largecalifornia.jpg?itok=vXtOkr2w" width="480" height="300" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">When you think of California, images of sunshine and the Pacific coastline are likely the first to pop in your head. Between the beaches and nearby mountains and lakes, the state has even more to offer, especially in Tuolumne County.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Tuolumne County offers wide-open spaces, small crowds and plenty of activities to entertain the whole family. It’s close to destinations like San Francisco and the Bay Area. It's also a hotspot for eco-friendly tourism and adventure.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">"Tuolumne County has much to offer, and the local community is doing its part to make sure it's around for generations to come," said Lisa Mayo, president and CEO of Visit Tuolumne County. "Visitors can enjoy the county's nature and experience California’s rich history."</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/2california.jpg" style="height:400px; width:600px" typeof="foaf:Image" /></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong>Visit breathtaking nature spots</strong></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Tuolumne County is an ideal destination for folks who enjoy the outdoors. More than half of Yosemite National Park resides in Tuolumne County, and it’s the least crowded half too. If you want Instagram-worthy photos of your vacation, explore Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, a Yosemite hidden gem. Due to its low elevation, the area offers one of the longest hiking seasons in the park. Take a short hike to Tuolumne Grove and walk among the giant sequoias. During the winter, you can experience the majesty of these 3,000-year-old giants and try snowshoeing.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">But Tuolumne County is much more than just Yosemite. Take a road trip up Highway 108 and experience the beauty of the High Sierra. From trails, lakes, rivers and streams, you have incredible views to choose from. There are endless opportunities for outdoor recreation, including camping, hiking, biking, boating and rafting, fishing, horseback riding and winter sports.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong>Learn about California’s rich history</strong></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Bring history to life by visiting Columbia State Historic Park, California’s best-preserved, living gold rush town. The park features the single largest collection of existing gold-rush-era structures in the state. Take the kids to pan for gold, ride a stagecoach and take in a live performance at the historic Fallon House Theatre.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">If you have any movie buffs in the family, make sure to visit Railtown 1897 State Historic Park. The park is home to one of the few roundhouses left in the U.S. Its locomotives have been featured in several movies such as <em>High Noon, Back to the Future III </em>and Petticoat Junction.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">There are plenty of activities just for adults in Gold Country. For example, Hurst Ranch offers a unique wine tasting experience in the railroad station featured in the film <em>Unforgiven</em>. You can stop and take a drink at The Iron Door Saloon, California’s oldest continuously operating saloon. If you want to mix your alcohol with nature, visit Indigeny Reserve and taste local cider and spirits at its 160-acre nature retreat with hiking trails, picnic areas and park-like settings.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/3california.jpg" style="height:400px; width:600px" typeof="foaf:Image" /></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong>Take part in eco-conscious tourism</strong></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Often, tourism can lead to littering, pollution and other negative ecological impacts. Many of the local businesses in Tuolumne County are committed to creating a greener community and encouraging sustainable tourism.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Echo Adventure Cooperative, a worker-owned tour guide outfitter, offers several eco-friendly trips that include fly fishing, guided day hikes, backpacking trips, snowshoeing and sightseeing. The cooperative has forged and maintained stewardship efforts with the local Tuolumne community, donates to several conservation groups and puts in tremendous effort to maintain high environmental standards.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">If you’re looking for a sustainable accommodations, reserve a room at the Rush Creek Lodge. Situated just outside Yosemite National Park, the lodge hires local staff, landscapes with native plants and supports organic farms and artisans.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Tuolumne County is a year-round destination with something to offer every season. Enjoy hiking and boating in the summer, festivals and leaves changing color in the fall, skiing and snowshoeing in the winter and wildflowers and waterfalls in the spring. </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong>To learn more, see </strong><a href="https://www.visittuolumne.com/" style="color:#0563c1; text-decoration:underline"><strong>VisitTuolumne.com</strong></a><strong>.</strong></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong>Image Sources:</strong></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong><em>Photos courtesy of Brandpoint: </em></strong></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong><em>Photos by (i) BrandUSA; (ii) Arnaud Muller; (iii) Menka Belgal.</em></strong></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong><em>This article by </em></strong><em><a href="https://www.brandpointcontent.com/article/39554/ready-to-plan-your-next-outdoor-adventure-be-inspired-by-these-4-book" style="color:#0563c1; text-decoration:underline"><strong>Brandpoint</strong></a><strong> is published here with permission.</strong></em></span></span></p> <p> </p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tuolumne-county" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">tuolumne county</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/california" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">California</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/yosemite" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">yosemite</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/eco-tourism" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">eco-tourism</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/visiting-california" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">visiting california</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/nature-destinations" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">nature destinations</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/hiking-trails" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">hiking trails</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/gold-rush" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">gold rush</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/hurst-ranch" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">hurst ranch</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/iron-door-saloon" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">iron door saloon</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/wine-tasting" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">wine tasting</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">BPT</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pop field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Popular:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">not popular</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-bot field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Bottom Slider:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">In Slider</div></div></div> Wed, 29 Jun 2022 14:03:36 +0000 tara 11178 at https://www.highbrowmagazine.com https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/20053-natural-beauty-tuolumne-county#comments ‘Somm’ Uncorks the Agony and the Ecstasy of the Wine Expert https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/2769-somm-uncorks-agony-and-ecstasy-wine-expert <div class="field field-name-field-cat field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/film-tv" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Film &amp; TV</a></div></div></div><span class="submitted-by">Submitted by tara on Thu, 09/05/2013 - 10:40</span><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1somm.jpg?itok=7g0-4kTT"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1somm.jpg?itok=7g0-4kTT" width="480" height="209" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>  </p> <p> If sommeliers, or “somms,” are the new rock stars of the restaurant industry, as one chef proclaims, then <em>Somm</em> is their behind-the-music rockumentary. This stylish documentary follows a group of professional sommeliers based in San Francisco as they prepare to take the Master Sommelier Exam, dreaded for its level of difficulty and, therefore, prized for the rare distinction it imparts to those who pass.</p> <p>  </p> <p> Fewer than 200 Master Sommeliers have been named since the Court of Master Sommeliers was created in the United Kingdom in 1969; the three portions (Theory, Tasting, Service) are intense, and preparation for the exam happens months—and sometimes years—ahead of time. The single-minded dedication and rigor of the test candidates is not in and of itself novel; it’s the way director Jason Wise manages to build an engaging story out of something that could easily have been as dry as an Old World Sauvignon Blanc.</p> <p>  </p> <p> We meet Ian Cauble, Dustin Wilson, Brian McClintic and DLynn Proctor three weeks before they take the exam in February of 2011. It was an easy group to follow: these fellows work, play and study together, and as the day of the exam inches closer, they spend more time together than apart (or with their significant others). While they all share a deep and abiding love of wine, their backgrounds and philosophies vary widely. McClintic is a former jock who finds parallels between the worlds of the sommelier and the athlete, particularly in the spirit of fierce competition. Wilson sees wine as a way of traveling. Proctor seems strongly driven by the prestige of his profession. And then there’s young, serious Ian, obsessed with wine since he was a child, preparing for the exam with unwavering focus and compelled by a quiet yet profound confidence.</p> <p>  </p> <p> The Theory portion of the exam requires a nearly encyclopedic knowledge of wine; every grape varietal in every major region of every wine-making country in the world is fair game, along with the history, culture and technical aspects of the winemaking industry itself. Service is a lesson in composure and resourcefulness: candidates work in a mock restaurant occupied by intentionally difficult customers. The sheer amount of information candidates need to assimilate and put to practical use is daunting, to say the least.</p> <p> <img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/3wineglasses%20%28Rogersmj%20Flickr%29.jpg" style="width: 650px; height: 451px;" /></p> <p> But it’s the blind tastings that strike the greatest fear in the hearts of the somms, and from which the film generates the greatest tension. Three reds, three whites, 25 minutes to identify the region, varietal and vintage of each one. Nuances of acidity, texture, aroma and flavor that elude an inexperienced tongue tell a story to a sommelier and serve as a roadmap to identification. No two candidates shown in <em>Somm</em> agree completely on any one wine, begging two questions: who gets it right, and just how subjective is wine tasting, even among the industry’s best and brightest? Regardless, watching these individuals describe each wine with such subtlety is a positively spine-tingling experience.</p> <p>  </p> <p> Wine enthusiasts will drink up the ample insider knowledge provided by winemakers and Master Sommeliers (including Fred Dame, who brought the Court to the United States and the serendipitously named Emily Wines, the sole female somm interviewed; this is a heavily male-dominated industry). However, thanks to decent pacing and interesting subjects, even the casual filmgoer outside of Sonoma or Napa should be well entertained for 90 minutes. You needn’t be an oenophile to wait with bated breath to see who passes the exam, but you’ll probably want to wash <em>Somm</em> down with a full glass of your favorite vintage.</p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>Author Bio:</strong></p> <p> <em>Nancy Lackey Shaffer is a contributing writer at</em> Highbrow Magazine.</p> <p>  </p> <p> <em>To purchase this film, visit </em><em><a href="http://www.firstrunfeatures.com/">www.firstrunfeatures.com</a></em></p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong><em>Photo: Rogersm (Flickr).</em></strong></p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/sommelier" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">sommelier</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/wine" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">wine</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/wine-expert" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">wine expert</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/wine-drinkers" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">wine drinkers</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/wine-industry" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">wine industry</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/wine-tasting" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">wine tasting</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/vineyards" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">vineyards</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/ordering-wine" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">ordering wine</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/drinking-wine" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">drinking wine</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Nancy Lackey Shaffer</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pop field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Popular:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">not popular</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-bot field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Bottom Slider:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Out Slider</div></div></div> Thu, 05 Sep 2013 14:40:55 +0000 tara 3450 at https://www.highbrowmagazine.com https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/2769-somm-uncorks-agony-and-ecstasy-wine-expert#comments