Screw caps no longer for just cheep wines
Written By: Jaime Valdes-Riench, owner of Travel & Events with Style
Image credit to: With Style Designs, Locations: Gray Monk and Quail's Gate Estate Winery

We recently had the pleasure of enjoying various estate wineries in the Okanagan region. We made our way threw the area, and the two that stand out in my mind the most where Gray Monk (http://www.graymonk.com) and Quails Gate (http://www.quailsgate.com). Both are grand estates and both offer amazing wines. You can definitely taste the elegance and fine artwork. Both have lovely restaurants that I encourage people to take the time to enjoy, especially if you have taken the time to take their tours and participated in their wine tastings.

During the tour at both estates, I was very interested to hear the both estates will be moving into Stelvin® screw top bottle closers for most of their wines after this harvest season. Now their wines are far from being considered “cheep wines”. Both estates have won many medals. Gray Monk’s 2008 Gewurztraminer won Double Gold at All Canadian Wine Championships, their 2008 Latitude 50 White also won Gold, and their 2007 Odyssey White Brut won Silver. So there is something to be said when estates such as these make such a change.

From my understanding, most wineries are concerned about the damage that has occurred to the world’s cork trees and this is one of the many reasons to make this change over. As the world becomes more and more aware of our impact we have on it, this becomes just another example of making a positive change. Most wineries will continue to use the “cork” corks for the longer aged wine as they allow for the appropriate oxidation which is imperative for these wines to ferment and “age” to their full potential.

Some other wineries have experimented with synthetic corks, but what they have found is that these corks may have an inability to oxidize the wine correctly, thus have significantly shortened the wine’s life. There is also a concern of certain toxins slowly seeping into the wines since there is a significant amount of time they are in the bottles. The overall outcome has been less than desirable.

The most recent change over will be to use the Stelvin® screw caps on a regular basis (http://www.stelvin.com ). It has taken some time for the research to take place to really analyze the effects on the wines, but considering the alternatives it appears a lot of estates are ready for this change.

So please, when you are considering your next wine choice, please do not be under the assumption that the wines on the shelves are not up par just because of their choice of closure. These artisans have truly taken years and generations to accomplish their medium of art. So when in doubt, ask the store clerk or estate shop representative for guidance. It is would be such a same to miss out on something that could be truly enjoyed.

Salud!

Special thanks to all the lovely service providers at Gray Monk Estate Winery & Quail's Gate Estate Winery!

Inspiration – Where do you draw it from?

Written By: Jaime Valdes-Riench, owner of Travel & Events with Style
(photo credits: child's eye - With Style Designs; stock photos: fotolia)

Over the past few months our two companies have been equally busy with planning weddings and events and doing a lot of wedding invitations, graphic design work and photography. One of the mutual traits both have in common is that we must find inspiration to be able to do all tasks successfully and in a timely manor.

This brought me to think about how people get inspired in general. After talking to colleagues and clients, the more I hear, is it usually is by something influential such as a current media outlet or something peaceful and quiet, like walks in nature or a child’s blissful expression to our world. Now both seem like separate sides of the spectrum, but are they? The way I am able to articulate it is that it may be something small that peeks our interest, but it is the time we give the interest that makes it fully inspiring. It often takes us a few minutes (or hours/days in some case) to be in our minds to take a thought and make it something so much more. I believe that is the key! We pass so much in a day, that I am sure we could be inspired far more if we could slow down for a moment to absorb what is around us. Now, I know that is far easier to say vs. achieving, but it is something we need to take the time for in order to accomplish that creative cycle.

How does this apply to our vast types of clients? And why am I even mentioning it? Honestly, I have been asked numerous times how travel and event planning has any relation to graphic design and photography, and why run two business such as these at the same time? When I take a step back and look at all our services (and our industries in general) some how, some way, they need a creative outlet to begin from.

Now to bring it back to the subject of inspiration and how to make the most of a professional's creativity... Those who offer services in creative industries often want to hear their client’s thoughts and inspirations per say so they can learn from them and make them complete and into a reality. What I recommend is to take a moment to look carefully at the things that do catch your eye and take it one step further… figure out why they catch your eye. The “why” is usually the root of the emotion that you want to have evoked! The beauty is once we can understand what emotion or picture you want to convey.. then the true magic begins. I am continually impressed when we can connect with a client and understand their vision, even if it is a little blurry. There is no feeling like the feeling of taking a small inspiration and making it real. I love it when you create something or take a picture of a subject and it that took all the creativity from your soul. So every time you look at it, it gives you the shivers!

So my hope is that this post will inspire you (if that is not too redundant), and give you the fuel to do a little research before you make your next meeting with your wedding/event planner, graphic designer or photographer. Find those things that started your original inspiration and bring them with you to your meeting. They may be clipped pictures from magazines, a small item, or just a sketch or list. Anything and everything will help the process to assist your designer in creating your vision. But most all, be open enough to allow for the creativity to grow!