Art Basel

Posted on 01 January 2020 by JLusk

Photos & story by Rachel Galvin

For the 18th year, art lovers gathered at the Miami Beach Convention Center for Art Basel from Dec. 5 to 8. As always, there was plenty of walking involved. This year, they incorporated some smaller and mid-sized galleries, which led to a new mix of pieces. They also added a new section called Meridians for large scale artworks. They estimated the attendance to be 81,000 people with collectors from over 70 countries represented. In addition to a huge amount of artwork of all types of mediums, they also resumed their talk series, called Conversations, in which artists, art historians, critics, gallerists, collectors and museum directors. For those who have never attended, be aware, that there are food options in cafes there but most can be quite pricey; plus, you have to pay quite a bit to park. Across from the convention center was another show—Design Miami, a global forum for design. Missed it this year? There is always next year! For more information on Art Basel, visit www.artbasel.com.

Flowers that speak all about my heart given to the sky — Yayoi Kusama

 

Mr. Austin — Austin Lee

Shelley Duvall in Brewster McCloud–Paulina Olowska

Cleopatra–Mimmo Rotella

Looking for America–Hank Willis Thomas

 

Untitled--Devan Shimoyama

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Sprouts Farmers Market Grand Opening

Posted on 31 August 2019 by LeslieM

By Rachel Galvin

Bright and early, shoppers were eager to check out the brand new Sprouts Farmers Market which opened at 7 a.m. on Aug. 28. Danny Seo of NBC’s Naturally, Danny Seo hand stuffed bags featuring some of his favorite natural products to be given out to the first 100 people to enter the store.

Sprouts opened its first store in 2002 in Chandler, AZ and now has over 320 stores around the country. This newest location, at 930 S. Federal Hwy. in Deerfield Beach, is about 30,000 sq. ft. It makes for an intimate shopping experience but is expansive at the same time. You could easily spend hours exploring all the products.

They don’t consider themselves a specialty store, but rather an alternative to the regular grocery store. But their organic and conventional produce is at the heart of every store representing ¼ of the business. You can find fresh responsibly and sustainably caught seafood. They can even season the fish for you! They also have an in-house butcher and make their own sausages daily. Their beef, pork and chicken is fresh, never frozen with no fillers.

Don’t like to cook? Here you can find fresh pre-made meals, bento boxes, one-dish wonders ready to pop in the oven, plenty of frozen dinners, a salad bar and so much more. It is perfect for the person on-the-go who needs a quick meal. The Deerfield Beach store has the latest prototype of the expanded deli, which allows for more efficient customer service.

Hang out in the lounge area to grab a bite and use the free WiFi. Grab some wine or craft beer to take home. They also have Kombucha and cold brew on tap.

They don’t carry every brand name; but in the natural products, they carry so much more variety than the normal stores. Whether you are on the keto diet, are gluten free, paleo, whichever, they seem to have something for you. You can find a unique variety of products from plant-based yogurts to vegetable or seaweed pasta, to CBD products and more. Sprouts offers their own brand of some products at a lower cost too.

They have a wide range of sports nutritional products. You can also find vitamins, natural hair and skin products, essential oils and more. Team members go through ongoing training to understand the ins and outs of the products and trends.

The stores buy in bulk so they can pass the savings on to the customers. You can also buy items in bulk, or you can grab a bag and scoop your own trail mix, dried fruits, barley, beans and more. If you only need a pinch of spices, you can just take what you need. They even have a machine where you can push a button and grind your own peanut or almond butter.

“We have two decades of experience in making natural foods affordable and approachable. That’s what Sprouts is all about – making healthy living possible,” said Sprouts spokesperson Diego Romero.

The store has a money back guarantee. If you don’t like something, you can return it. They also offer samples of their products. They are always running different discounts. For the opening, they already were putting up BOGO signs.

“Even though it is a smaller store, when I was doing the TV show, I could find all my ingredients at Sprouts,” said Seo, who says he started talking about eating healthy and living green when no one else was doing it and now sees a cultural shift.

“Now, it isn’t [who is green] but just what shade of green are you?”

Sprouts Farmers Market is located at 930 S. Federal Hwy., in Deerfield Beach. For more information on Sprouts, visit www.sprouts.com or call 954-363-2070.

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Testing memory changes as we age — The Memory Disorder Center at Broward Health North

Posted on 31 August 2019 by LeslieM

Social Worker Jean Merget, counselor Veronica Pantuso, neurologist Hazel Wiley, DO; coordinator Milena Cedeno-Oblinger, RN, SCRN & Natasha Hall Towns, RN, of Broward Health North’s Memory Disorder Center.

By Rachel Galvin
Memory loss is an important concern as we age. Many younger people find themselves dealing with an older parent who is starting to forget things. The question is when does forgetting something here and there turn into dementia and what do you do if you or a parent has it? These are questions best answered by the experts.
At Broward Health North, they have a Memory Disorder Center where people can turn to get some answers. The best part is that having a memory test done is free and they keep the results on file for 10 years, so you can have it retaken in later years and see the difference. The test is simple and pretty quick. The social worker or counselor asks you some questions then has you conduct some tasks that involve following basic directions. You are given a score that helps them determine your memory.
What happens if the results are not normal? Well, then they can move onto determine the next course of action, including possible other tests that need to be taken, which may include an EEG, bloodwork, imaging of the brain, etc. There are different types of memory that they can further evaluate – Executive Functioning, auditory memory, visual memory, processing speed, concentration, attention and more.
Past age 75, everyone’s process of storing and recalling information takes more time. But dementia does not happen automatically as we age.
“As we age, the brain changes,” said neurologist Hazel Wiley, DO, who said it is proteins like Amyloid-beta and Tau that damage brain tissue over time. They are still researching the reason why proteins build up.
She added, “Just because you don’t have a problem now doesn’t mean you won’t have one later. High blood pressure, diabetes, kidney problems, tobacco use for years can cause brain changes and lead to a loss of neurons.”
The most common form of memory difficulty is dementia due to Alzheimer’s. One in 10 people over 64 have Alzheimer’s disease. But there are other types of dementia – Vascular Dementia, Dementia with Lewy Bodies and others.
“I don’t think there is someone who is not affected [by dementia in some way]. For Broward County, there are 41,000 people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s alone. Dementia is a broad category. Over 80 percent of dementia is Alzheimer’s. When you have high cholesterol, blood pressure, or drink or smoke too much, it causes damage to the arteries and you can develop vascular changes,” said Wiley.
It is important to be screened early for possible changes, something that most do not do. It isn’t until the senior starts making behavioral changes that family members or friends notice, and then an assessment is made.
Melina Cedeno-Oblinger, RN, SCRN, who is a coordinator at the center, said, “Sixteen percent of seniors get assessments [routinely]. Most probably never have. Now, there’s an issue with their finances. Now, the family is noticing. The person is living alone. There is mildewed food in the refrigerator. They can’t give themselves a proper diet…”
Wiley added, “We see a lot of people in crisis. But it is a slow decline. Most are not aware or not willing [to get tested]. If a test was more routine, like a check for cholesterol, then the person would get a diagnosis earlier. They could put in place a Power of Attorney, take care of finances, and get plans in place before there is a problem. We see a lot after the fact. What we want is awareness. We want to get the person in when the problem is first starting.”
In addition to making themselves available to test people who might be experiencing memory loss, they also are there for the families who act as caregivers. They offer a free 16 hour program to provide important information. It is a four day course.
“The Care Assistance Program experts volunteer to go over information with families, including disaster planning, when they start to wander … legal and financial planning is huge, care for the caregiver (you don’t want them to be burned out), living arrangements (some will require 24 hour assistance – nursing home and/or assisted living). We run three support groups here,” said Cedeno-Oblinger.
They offer their course 10 times per year. They have day and evening classes. The next one starts on Sept. 3 in the evening. After that, they have one on Sept. 16 during the day.
“[Partcipants] can share stories and realize they are not alone. A lot of others are suffering, grieving the loss of a spouse, [or parent],” said Wiley, who can see a change in the families who attend from feeling overwhelmed to feeling more empowered with information.
“Before they felt isolated. They leave empowered and feel their parent can age with dignity. We’re trying to put away the stigma. The [patients] need to be supported and included in the community rather than isolated. It is about how to create quality of life and keep them safe,” said Cedeno-Oblinger.
“It is very gratifying. We hear the thank yous. Patients come and bring their parents and later come back when they have an issue themselves to get the same great experience,” said Wiley, who said sometimes people come back and take the class again also because they need a refresher as their parents are in later stages.
“They didn’t have to listen to the later stage information because their parents were not at that stage yet, but now they are,” said Wiley.
She said there are things they can do to benefit patients, not only medication, but things like increasing socialization and mental activities. It could be getting them to read books or work on puzzles.
“If they’re sitting and staring at a TV, it’s not going to be helpful. Depression and dementia go hand-in-hand. Socialization is a big part of improving mood. In later stages, there are other behaviors [that emerge like] agitation, paranoia, wandering. It may limit their ability to go out. We can teach caregivers how to redirect patients,” said Wiley.
The center also offers other programs, including a safe driving assessment, which measures all aspects of what goes into driving – physical and mental. It also takes them through a road test and gives them a score that measure their risk to themselves and others for being on the road. If the test comes back saying they should probably not be driving, they can let families know of alternative transportation. The test has a fee but the counseling and also the memory screening is free.
The center, which has been around since 1986, is one of 16 of its kind in Florida. For more information, call 954-786-7392 or visit www.browardhealth.org/services/neurology.

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Exploring the cosmos with artist Carol Prusa

Posted on 31 August 2019 by LeslieM

Artist Carol Prusa stands in front of “Dark Light, Elegy for Rebecca Elson.”

By Rachel Galvin
Light and its absence are at the heart of Carol Prusa’s latest exhibit at the Boca Raton Museum of Art. What lies within the void is the question… what possibility lurks outside of the reach of mind’s eye? What was there before the beginning of the universe? Finding the answers to these questions certainly were within the mind of Prusa as she was creating her works with painstaking precision. Her artwork utilizes details, lines, shapes and symmetry to explore the abstract. Her “Dark Light” exhibition, which opened Aug. 20 and will be on display until Jan. 19, 2020, centers around her experiences of an eclipse.
“I got to experience the night during the day. The first was in Nebraska in 2017. It was so unsettling, so otherworldly. I had to try to grasp what I had just experienced. It knocked me backward. I had to lose my grounding. I had to try to express it the best way I could. I just went again in July 2019 to Chile. I had to see it again, to see if what I thought I saw, I saw,” said Prusa, who is now hoping to experience volcanoes. She has applied to do so at the Hawaii National Volcano Park, where they have just reopened residency.
When not creating works of art about the cosmos, she is reading about women who explored the cosmos in other ways, astronauts who have made vast discoveries, women like Maria Mitchell, who was not only the first female astronomer but the first scientist to discover a comet, among other accomplishments. Mitchell also seemed enamored with eclipses, as she led an all female expedition to Colorado in 1878 to observe one.
“I read a lot of cosmology and physics, big ideas that totally blow my mind,” said Prusa, adding that she likes to explore ideas like what was before the Big Bang, as well as string theory and more.
“It has to be that I don’t understand and then try to understand,” she said. “I need a catalyst to trigger …”
She added, “I love riding a bike at night. You think you see things. It is your mind buzzing, trying to fill the blanks. It is mind blowing. I think artists already are staring into darkness, scientists too.”
She was in Italy teaching drawing classes, and, while at the Uffizi Museum, she got to see drawings done with a process called Silverpoint, which she then began teaching her students and incorporated into her own work. She also uses graphite and acrylic working on plexiglass and wood panels. Some of her pieces in the museum exhibit are lit from within and one, called “Quintessence,” even has video, looking a bit like a kaleidoscope. The most imposing piece is a large scale work called “Dark Light, Elegy for Rebecca Elson,” who was a theoretical astrophysicist whose research focused on dark matter and who died of lymphoma.
With her “Cosmic Web (for the Harvard Observatory Computers)” piece, you feel like you are on the outside looking in.
She explained, “The perimeter is biological, a portal to the universe,” she said, adding that what looks a bit like brain matter around the edge was meant to look like “embryos before they are differentiated by gender. They are pure possibility.”
The “computers” of which she speaks are a group of female astronomers in the 1800s and 1900s who helped map the universe, including Henrietta Swan Leavitt, Annie Jump Cannon and Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin.
She also has a series of smaller copperplate etchings honoring women astronomers, including Maria Mitchell, Henrietta Swan Leavitt, Annie Jump Cannon, Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin, Vera Rubin and Jocelyn Bell Burnell. The portfolio is called “Galaxias Kyklos,” which means “Milky Path” (or Milky Way) in Greek.
Kathleen Goncharov, the Senior Curator of the Museum, curated the exhibit. If it were up to Prusa, her pieces would be logical, perhaps chronological and certainly lined up. But the curator thought about it differently, said Prusa, looking more at the visual impact experienced by the viewer.
Executive Director Irvin Lippman feels the exhibit came together in the perfect way at the perfect time, being that it deals with the cosmos just in time for the 50th anniversary of the moon landing.
“How timely … with the eclipse with the 50th anniversary of the moon landing. It is a bit of serendipity. We are also keen in the educational department to talk about the value of STEAM (science, Technology, Engineering, Art & Math). Carol makes the best argument for arts and technology coming together. She is a brilliant example of the scientific mind and creativity coming together.”
He added, “The museum was founded by artists and it’s very important to continue to have exhibits that celebrate Florida artists. Carol has been so involved for many years judging juried shows, at the museum and art school. It is important to show her work.”
While looking over the collection of her artwork, Lippman said, “When you approach it, it’s so meditative. When an eclipse happens, everything else falls by the wayside. They last only a few moments, but, during those moments, everyone focuses together. [The center point of her pieces] draw you inside. [It has] almost meditative spots.”
This is the first solo show here for Prusa, but she has been involved in group shows here in the past, as well as elsewhere. She will be shown in the Norton Sculpture Garden next fall and has a show in Taipei in a couple of weeks. She is in many galleries and is represented in Asia, Canada, Europe and the United States.
She lives here in Boca Raton, but moved here in 1999 from the midwest after reading an article written by Bernice Steinbaum, who said that South Florida was the place to be for the art world.

“Cosmic Web (for the Harvard Observatory Computers)” by Carol Prusa. Submitted photo.

Asked if she felt that Steinbaum was correct, she said, “I felt more opportunity than in the midwest. There is more money to support art in South Florida. But it was more commercial than I understood … that was a transition. I think I have done well. I feel fortunate.”
Prusa wasn’t always an artist.
“I was the president of the math club and a chemistry major. I was happy. I met an artist at the University of Illinois. She thought in such a different way. I thought I could not become a complete person unless I studied art,” said Prusa, who received her Bachelor’s of Science from the University of Illinois and her Masters of Fine Art from Drake University.
She ended up obtaining a biomedical communications degree. She became a Medical Illustrator, which combines science and art. She was qualified to “make life masks, prosthetics, exhibition design, anatomy drawings” and more.
Her family was not so thrilled with her career path. She came from a very religious and iconoclast upbringing. Her father was a Calvinist, a head elder. She said she felt that tradition did give her “great rigor,” which she applied to her career, as she explored other ways of thinking than those she knew.
These days, Prusa does her work in her studio but it was not always the case.
“I used to work in my living room. Now, I have a 15 x 30 studio built in the backyard,” she said, saying she built the studio after winning the South Florida Cultural Consortium $15,000 top prize in 2003. She later received another consortium prize for $7500.
When working on her pieces, she likes to listen to NPR.
“It takes a piece of my mind away so my mind can be more Zen. The judgmental and critical mind drops away and is given over to NPR.”
When not working on her works of art, Prusa is a professor at the Florida Atlantic University teaching all levels of painting for undergraduate and graduate level. She has worked there for 19 years, but worked for 18 years prior teaching at Iowa State University. She has a husband and two children.
The Boca Raton Museum of Art is located within Mizner Park at 501 Plaza Real in Boca Raton. For more information on the museum, visit www.bocamuseum.org or call 561-392-2500. For more information on the artist, visit www.carolprusa.com.

Guests attend opening of the “Dark Light” exhibit on Aug. 20.

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Back to School Sales Tax Holiday 2019

Posted on 25 July 2019 by LeslieM

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Casino Night 1920s style

Posted on 03 November 2018 by LeslieM

For Pompano Historical Society

By Rachel Galvin

The soiree began at the Pompano History Museum as guys and gals dressed to the nines in 1920s attire gathered. Once there, they were given a special key to get into the secret party (which happened to be right across the street at the Woman’s Club). An antique 1926 fire truck sat in front. Ladies greeted them at the door drinking tea and it was only the key that allowed them to step into the real “secret” event just like a Prohibition era speakeasy. Inside, Shane Lamar and his crew were pumping out the music while guests played casino games and enjoyed specialty cocktails, and bid on live and silent auction items using their tickets they won during playing games. They even auctioned off one of the rarest bourbons in the world, Pappy’s Van Winkle. Another Perfect Party served up dinner, which included a meat carving station, and Shanna Benson made cakes for the event too. Proceeds for this fundraiser benefit the historical society.

The joint was jumpin’ but the coppers found out and came in and everyone had to hide their hooch. They took away the man who said he was in charge, Thomas McMahon, Pompano Historical’s president. But it was all in good fun and he returned; but it made for quite the humorous spectacle.

McMahon, who is also running for a District 3 commission seat in Pompano, said, “The event is a great success. We have had great success from the community. It has been a tradition. Every year has been a different theme.”

It’s fantastic,” said Jim Post, treasurer. “It brings a lot of people together to have a good time. It’s a great turnout.”

This is the best venue we have had. This is our annual fundraiser besides the Highwaymen event in March. It helps preserve Pompano history,” said board member Jerry Bowman.

The Historical Society has events yearlong, brings in speakers and gives tours in their museum and Kester cottages. For more information, visit www.pompanohistory.com.

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7th Annual Brazilian Festival

Posted on 03 November 2018 by LeslieM

By Rachel Galvin

Every year, Pompano Community Park is packed with people for the annual Brazilian Festival. This year’s event, Oct. 20-21, had the same elements as other years but seemed even bigger. Kids were riding on the zipline, hopping on a mini ferris wheel or other rides, or rock climbing and sliding down a large inflatable slide. Adults were partaking in adult beverages or snacking on plenty of the Brazilian cuisine available while mingling through vendor booths. Everyone was getting into the Brazilian beat listening to multiple bands on the stage.

The stage artwork was designed with pop art by Valter de Morais, a Brazilian artist, who has been working on his art for 38 years. Today, he lives in Pompano. This was his first time at the festival and was asked to not only create art on the stage, but also had his own booth showing off not only his pop art pieces, but also a catalog of pictures of murals and other portraits on canvas. He also brought his 1962 Renault Dolphin with some of his artwork on the side.

I came from Brazil, lived in Boston for three years and then moved to Florida,” said De Morais. “I have exhibitions all over the world. CJR Fine Arts in West Palm Beach is my agent…” he said, adding of the event, “I love it. It is beautiful … so many Brazilian people.”

The Brazilian channel CBTV streamed live from the event.

Barbara Parreiras, who was helping out the crew, said of the event, “It’s really nice. Brazil has all kinds of cultures.most think just of Samba and Carnival, but it’s not just that. The fact we can do professional [networking here], it’s a good way to support Brazilians.”

Hugo Neira, of Vista BMW & VW Pompano, who sponsored the event, added, “This is fun. We are trying to get our neighborhood to know about us.”

For more information on this annual event, visit www.brazilianfestpompano.org.

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Brightline hosts Tasting Train event

Posted on 12 October 2018 by LeslieM

By Rachel Galvin

If you have never ridden on Brightline’s high speed train before, you are in for a treat. From the beautiful architecture of its train station to its well-lit large parking structure, Brightline begins to impress before you even get aboard its train. The inside of the station is spotless with a modern seating area complete with a place to charge your phone and access to a cafe where you can buy something to eat or drink, and other items, before hopping on board. (Check out the bathroom with a high tech faucet that has water, soap and a dryer within it).

Brightline began serving passengers from Ft. Lauderdale (101 NW 2 Ave.) to West Palm Beach on Jan. 13 and from Ft. Lauderdale to Miami (600 Miami Central Ave.) on May 19, so now it is taking passengers daily tri-county. Next expansion will be from West Palm Beach to Orlando, and then extend beyond that. It is the only privately owned and maintained passenger rail system in the country.

They certainly have taken great care to maintain their trains. The inside is spotless with some seats facing each other with tables, to make it easier to do work with their onboard WiFi or eat snacks that are available for purchase. The staff is very friendly and accommodating.

They are going out of their way to come up with unique ideas to attract passengers. On Oct. 5, they had their second Tasting Train event. Passengers were greeted on board in either West Palm or Ft. Lauderdale. On the train, they were offered their choice of Antinori wines.

Family-owned, Antinori Wines is the oldest wine producer in the world. They control everything from seed to fermentation and beyond.

This reporter’s selection was the Villa Antinori Toscana Bianco 2016, which was a light and refreshing perfect first choice. They offered up a plastic container of snacks to pair with the wine consisting of crackers, cheese, brie, cheddar and walnuts. There wasn’t too much time for chit chat with fellow passengers as the train made it to Miami in about a quick half hour; time sped by and the ride was so smooth.

Once there, everyone left their seats and headed into the Miami station with a similar feel and setting, but with vibrant artistic murals by Typoe that screamed Miami with its color palette and design. Everything here was carefully thought out, down to the barely noticeable scent pumped in, which was vanilla with a hint of citrus. Guests were treated to a musical performance by Mr. Trombone and a DJ from My Party My Way while they mingled and snacked on more cheese, crackers and the like, as well as a cup with burrata topping chopped tomatoes drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette, passed hors d’ oeuvres like rice balls, stuffed mushrooms, meatballs and more.

We are focusing on creating a unique experience and re-imagining the way people think about trains. Where else can you have wine tasting with the oldest family-owned wines?” said Ali Soule, director of Public Affairs and Media Relations, who said the next Tasting Train will be scheduled sometime in December, but may not necessarily be centered around wines. Stay tuned…

On the way back to Ft. Lauderdale, another plastic box of treats awaited passengers, including dried fruits and nuts, and pretzels, and a bottle of water.

To find out more about Brightline, visit www.gobrightline.com.

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PBHS Class of 1968 Visits Hillsboro Lighthouse

Posted on 06 October 2018 by LeslieM

By Rachel Galvin

From Sept. 28 to 30, the Pompano Beach Senior High School Class of 1968 held its 50th reunion, including a school spirit night ice breaker and dinner dance with music from 1965 to 1968. Mr. & Mrs. 50th Reunion were recognized – George Gardner and Sue (Colton) Franklin, said Cherryl Cook, one of the organizers of the event. Some of those attending the reunion also made a Sunday trip to the Hillsboro Lighthouse, leaving their home base of the Pompano Beach Marriott and heading by trolley over to see the landmark and take a tour happily provided by Ben, who portrays the Barefoot Mailman.

Visitors could also climb the 175 stairs up to the top to get a great view on a perfectly beautiful day.

The group who had assembled posed on the stairs to the entrance of the lighthouse, which have new railings that were just put in to match the original design (based on old blueprints, etc) from 1906, with materials donated by Skyline Steel. This was one such renovation recently made to the lighthouse. Among other things, they just replaced 48 tie rods and turnbuckles that were devastated by last year’s Hurricane Irma. They fixed it using a brand new process, said President of the Hillsboro Lighthouse Preservation Society Ken Herman.

The lighthouse is the most powerful continuous public lighthouse in the world, according to Herman. Want to visit the lighthouse? Their next event is on Barefoot Mailman Remembrance Day, Oct. 13. Find out more at www.hillsborolighthouse.org.

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Crown Fine Wine & Spirits Wine Tasting

Posted on 04 October 2018 by LeslieM

By Lois Crockett

Three “Moscatoteers” and a Beer Drinker walked into the brightly lit, clean Crown Fine Wine & Spirits store in Ft. Lauderdale (1030 NE 15 Ave.) to attend a wine tasting and have some fun.

Upon first walking in, the two gents at the cash registers were there to sign you in, give you a wine list and tiny golf pencil along with a wine glass and send you on your way to explore the wonderful world of wines.

Crown wine tastings are set up with several numbered stations throughout the store. On Friday night, Sept. 28, there were six. Each station has several wines and the sommeliers are knowledgeable and generous pourers.

Wines are discounted 15 percent, which can be quite a windfall if you’re considering a $79.99 bottle of wine. Being the Three “Muscatoteers” (Wine for All and All for Wine), the first thing we did was scope out the priciest bottle and make a beeline for a taste of Rodney Strong’s Crown Cabernet Sauvignon. There aren’t enough oh’s in smooth to describe the taste.

We clicked with the sommelier, Keith Hill at Station No. 2. We enjoyed the Etude Pinot Noir and a couple of other samples. Treated to small slices of bread to cleanse our palate (and glass, if you’re that picky), we were treated to cheeses, jams and myriad treats carried by the store for gift items or go-togethers for get-togethers.

The Three “Moscatoteers” and the Beer Drinker tripped lightly onto the station featuring Moscato wines …. light, fizzy, exceptionally pleasant and refreshing; we enjoyed imbibing such delightfully lovely wines. Across the way was “The Big Gun:” the $79.99 bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon. The Cab is the preferred choice for sophisticates, although blends merit a taste and can be interesting as well. We learned red wines can and should be aged, white wines new, within a year or two for best taste.

Finally, we tried the Frosé, think 7-11 slurpy tricked out as a rose wine. Sweet, light, and bracing — this was the highlight of my pink night and even my red wine loving companions were encouraged to take a taste — and loved it!

In all, we sipped, swilled, shrilled and thrilled our way through the tasting and brought home delicious delights to be enjoyed at home. The Beer Drinker is starting to love wine. See you next time!

[To find a Crown Wine Tasting near you, see ad below.]

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