GIVEAWAY #2: Blood Into Wine AND Chef In the Vineyard

This time, I’m giving away a DVD  and a fancy cookbook filled with gorgeous photos. You can win a copy of Blood Into Wine AND a copy of Chef in the Vineyard: Fresh & Simple Recipes from the Great Wine Estates by John Sarich.

What do you have to do to win this time? Well, I need some ideas.

My sister passed away in 2007 from an undiagnosed congenital heart defect. You can read all about it at the web site for the scholarship fund we’re trying to establish in her name. We have until the end of January 2011 to pull in $2500.00 more dollars, or all the money we’ve raised so far just goes into the general scholarship fund. We don’t want that – we want a memorial scholarship fund in Krystal’s memory. So, we’re $2500 short, we’re quickly running out of time, and the initial committee has burnt out and fallen apart. Assume that I’ll be trying to organize this on my own.

I’m panicking. I need ideas on how to raise that $2500 by the end of January. I can’t just have a fundraising event or silent auction. Having done that, I can tell you I would need a several months to pull that together. But if you have any other ideas on how to quickly raise this money so that all of our previous work isn’t for naught, I need you to put that into the comments section.

So, here are the rules for this go-round:

Enter a comment with an idea (a serious idea, not a joke) of how we can quickly raise $2500 for the scholarship fund.

I’ll leave the comments section open through 11:55 pm EST, Saturday, Nov 20. Any comments entered after that point (in case I’m not awake to close the comments) will not be entered in the contest. On Sunday, Nov 21, I’ll use Random.org to select the number of the winning comment. It will be totally random and is only valid if the winner meets the following conditions:

1. You leave an actual comment on this post and do NOT email me. I’m literally buried in email I haven’t answered from months ago. That’s how many emails I get. I know you folks prefer to email rather than comment, but I need you to use the comments section, okay?

2. When you fill out the comment form, please leave a valid name in the correct field, not a user name. Please don’t make me send an email to wineloverboy2506 or some such thing. I won’t do it. I’d much rather email Dear Emily, You won!

3. When you fill out the comment form, you must include a valid email address that you actually check. I’ll post the name and comment number of the winner on Sunday, but I still need to contact you to negotiate a way to get this DVD to you.

4. Just a reminder about our Comments policy – in particular, the part about being excellent to each other. If I think you’re being rude to another commenter, I will delete you.

A Neiman Marcus Holiday

Back on October 6, Neiman-Marcus released their 83rd World Renowned Christmas Book (which is a fancy way of saying catalog). Now, this is a pretty famous catalog. First published in 1926 as a 16-page booklet, the Neiman Marcus Christmas Book was initially intended as a Christmas card to the store’s best customers. Building on tradition through the years, the book has evolved into a legendary source for alluring and mystical gifts.

I was first exposed to it through a Terry Brooks novel, Magic Kingdom for Sale–Sold! I don’t think the author referred to Neiman-Marcus
specifically, but he was talking about this catalog. From within its
pages the protagonist purchased an actual magic kingdom (no worries, I
know it’s fiction).

Since I first read that book, I’ve paid attention every year to the Fantasy Gift portion of the Christmas Book. This year, it’s after my heart. There isn’t a magic kingdom, but you can pick up a custom-built Cupcake Car or His and Hers Aircraft. There are also some fantasy wine & spirits related items:

• HALL Artisan Wine and Art Experience at HALL Winery: Learn organic, artisan winemaking firsthand, tour the estates and the art collection, and have the opportunity to create your own personal vintage in a private blending session with HALL’s Winemaker and have your custom vintage bottled for you. The Napa weekend includes accommodations at Auberge (wow!) and a private dinner party with Kathryn Hall.
  Price tag: $20,000 (page 55)
• Maker’s Mark Master Distiller Experience: All-access, VIP experience with Maker’s Mark Master Distiller, Kevin Smith. Spend a day making whiskey, step by step and take home two bottles of the rarest Maker’s Mark – golden bottles etched with your likeness and dipped in gold wax with 24-kt gold flecks. Includes luxury accommodations in Louisville and a gourmet dinner hosted by Bill Samuels, the 7th generation of Maker’s Mark owners.
  Price tag: $7,500 (page 58)

Additional wine-related items in this year’s catalog include Egermann Neiman Marcus Exclusive Crystal Champagne Flute, Wine Glass, and Water Glass ($150 each), Lalique Crystal Wine Stopper ($90 each), Waterford Crystal Colored Flute ($115 each), Waterford Crystal 12 Days of Christmas Flutes ($85 each), and Ajka Crystal Glassware ($125 each). You’ll notice that those prices are all $150 and under. I was informed that this year, over 40% of the catalog is priced at less than $250. That’s a big step for Neiman-Marcus.

You can buy the catalog for only $15. This year, however, the entire catalog is online, so you can peruse (and drool) at your leisure.

Drink Pink!

I've made a pledge to myself this month. I'm going to drink wine with a cause in mind. Anything I can do to help, you know.

What it means is that I'll be reviewing two types of wine this month: wine that directly supports breast cancer research through purchases, and rosés, which are pink. Since it's Breast Cancer Awareness month, and even the NFL has gone pink, it's the least I can do. At the end of each post, I'll include a link where you can donate to the cause.

I'm one of the few people who hasn't been touched by breast cancer in any way. My family and friends have all been blissfully ignored by this particular cancer. However, that doesn't mean I don't live in fear of it a bit. I saw a statistic that other day that around 1 in 8 women will be touched by breast cancer in some way.

With that in mind, on with the cause!

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