My Very First Podcast is Up and Running!

It took all day to create my own podcast, but I think it was well worth it. Now that I'm finally done with this project, I can finally start doing my homework….yea right. It’s Friday!

If you are currently viewing my blog, please look underneath the section that says "About Me" and click on my Podcast. It's called "Great Unknown’s Podcast". I only commented on three songs, because it took me five hours just to play those three songs. Once I get more acclimated with this program, I will create longer shows with more music for everyone to enjoy.

If you know nothing about publishing your own podcast, it can take hours of reading tutorials, reading legal contracts, not to mention the uploading the missing .dll files to fill in the holes in the mixing program. You can't just open up your recorder and pull out a mic to make your own show. There are many steps. Plus, you can’t just create a podcast with music without risk of copyright infringements. If you plan on commercializing your podcast, you are liable to pay royalty fees. I'm not here to make money.

If you would like to go to my podcast directly, here it is The Great Unknowns Podcast

The Taste and Look of Azo Vino - A Wine Bar/Art Gallery Review

I had the pleasure of spending an afternoon at a wine bar & art gallery called, Azo Vino in Covina, CA. For those who don’t know where Covina is, it’s 22.9 miles east of Los Angeles in between the I-210 and the I-10 fwy.

The Azo Vino is nestled in downtown Covina. It can be easily missed, but once you find it, you’ll be glad you did. Of all that Covina has to offer, it is one of its missing treasures that must be discovered, especially if you are an art collector and wine drinker. Like many of the store owners in Covina, Galen Metz is one of the nicest and friendliest people you’ll get to encounter in this small city.

Metz originally opened Azo Vino as an art gallery back in September of 2001 and the business thrived when people were no longer traveling due to the terrorist attacks after 9-11. “They spent vacation money on art, not travel” Metz recalls. But in 2007, when the liquidity crisis struck at its peak to the economy, Metz needed a niche to bring in customers to keep the business afloat. Azo Vino became what it is today, an art gallery/wine bar. This part of the business is what kept this place open. “When times are good, people party. When times are bad, people drink” said Metz.

Azo Vino carries custom hand-blown glass art, beautiful paintings from area artsts, and carries a wide array of wines, and offers many ways to tour their catalog of wines. Some samples of the art work is on his website, but not all pieces are displayed in the website.

During every Thursday evening, Metz will take you on a journey through areas of different wine regions. Each Thursday is called, “Flight Night” in which Metz takes you on a tour of a specific region and he chooses what you taste for that evening. One evening it might be in Napa and a tour of white wines, or it might be a tour in Monterey with a taste of reds for that region. For a beginning wine drinker, this is the perfect place to make your debut to wine. Metz has dozen’s of different wines on hand and offers a menu of sorted wines and beers for customers to experiment or order individual wines or beers by the glass. Along with elegant music and two flat screen TV’s, it’s the sort of place to lounge and hang out with your friends, or even enjoy by yourself and read a book or do homework without being disturbed.

On the first Tuesday of every month, Azo Vino will host, “Movie Night”. Movies are pre-selected and shown to the patrons to enjoy on a large projected screen. As movies are shown, you can lounge in the 4,000 square foot gallery/wine bar or sit in at a table with friends and drink a glass of your favorite beverage.

Whether you’re a novice wine drinker or a wine connoisseur, or you prefer beer, and you want a second place to call home away from home, Azo Vino is the perfect place for you to enjoy alone or with friends, and even make new ones.

What Wine Goes with What Food?

Have no idea what to wine goes with what? Wine tastes completely different by itself, but when you take a bit of something, the taste of your wine will change dramatically depending on what you’re eating. This is because wines are like spices. Some spices only go with certain foods.

Many people will say that any red wine will go with any red meat and any white wine goes good with any poultry and fish, and deserts go good with desert wine. This has truth to it, but isn’t that too broad? In a way it is, so I will illustrate a step further.

Cheeses – If you love cheese, proper wine pairing will enhance the flavor of both the cheese and your wine. As a general rule, a light wine goes well with a light flavored cheese. A more robust flavored wine will go well with the sharper cheeses. For example, a glass of Merlot will go with Brie cheese. Sharp Cheddar goes with a Cabernet or Sauvignon Blanc. Gouda will go with a Riesling or with Champagne. Monterey Jack also goes well with Riesling. There are so many different types of cheeses in the world, so I won’t go on listing them all. That would take me forever.

Red Meat – If you like a fine grilled steak, then try these combinations, because red meat is not universally combined with just any red wine. The seasoning and how the steak is cooked can change the flavors. For instance, with a medium to medium-well prepared steak, have a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, or Merlot. If like your steak rare, eat it with a glass of Chianti. Since Filet Mignon is a tender meat and usually prepared medium, a Riesling may be the perfect wine for you. For a well seasoned or black peppered steak, drink it with a glass of Shiraz, Petite Sarah, or Mouvedre. Lamb and Veil is best with Pinot Noir. Pinot Noir goes great with almost any meat including hamburgers.

Poultry, Pork, and Seafood – Typically White wines go with chicken, pork, and fish, because white wines are typically dry and so are poultry, pork, and fish, depending on how it’s prepared. Grilled salmon is usually marinated and seasoned with lemon and peppers goes well with Gewurztraminer (ga-VERTZ-trah-mee-ner). Sauvigon Blanc and Chenin Blanc both have a tangy and zesty flavors and pairs well with almost any seafood, pork, or poultry dish. Many generally prefer Chardonnay with poultry and fish over all other wines because of its “buttery” flavor.

Pizza – Many people scoff to the idea of drinking wine with pizza in America, because we’ve adopted this notion that beer is best, but wine is traditionally common with pizza especially in Italy. For wine to measure up to the heavy flavor of tomato sauce, it requires a bold red wine like, Cabernet Sauvignon, Caberenet Franc, Chianti, or Merlot.

Asian Food – Most Asian foods are commonly sweet, with mixtures of rich and spicy flavors and so, matching wines with these kinds of foods was a challenge. For a wine to be enjoyed with many Asian dishes, a high acidic, low tannin wine is favorable. Wines like Pinot Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Rieslings, and Gewurztraminers (there’s that word again) go great with Asian dishes.

Fancy a curry? - If you enjoy dishes like Tandoori Chicken, Tikka Masala, and other British and Indian curry dishes, try a glass of Cabernet Shiraz blended wine or a glass of Zinfandel. The reason these two wines go well with curry, is curry is very spicy and tends to dull the taste buds, so you need a robust flavored wine to counter that effect. Surprisingly, sake is a favored drink to go well with curry dishes. Who would have thought of that?

Wine for Vegetarians – More and more people are vegetarians and many people are drinking wine by trial and error to match with the food that they eat. Let me give you a few tips. While Chardonnay may seem to go good with anything that doesn’t include red meat, there are certain vegetables that can actually spoil the taste of your food and drink. For instance, artichokes are high in phosphorus, so it actually ruins the wine. To remedy this, you will need a wine that is low in alcohol and high in acidity, like a Pinot Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Reislings, and perhaps a Pinot Noir. With most vegetarian dishes, stay away from robust and high alcohol content wines, wines like many Zinfandel, Chardonnays, Cabernets, Syrahs, and Merlots, unless you don’t mind heartburn and you have taste buds like an ox.

What ever you fancy, there is a wine that will match with your meal. Play around and experiment if you like. You may like something different than what is recommended above.

Dining on a Student Budget

Like most students, cash in hand is very limited, especially if you are still living off of an allowance at home. Many students like myself are living off of grants and student loans, while others work part-time with limited income potential. If you are too embarrassed to take a someone to Jack in the Box, and you’re on a strict budget, but you want to go some place more intimate than a coffee house, then I have the perfect idea for you that will save you big bucks.

Go to www.restaurant.com. From here, go to "Find Restaurants” to begin your search using the location you want to search through. Once you have found a restaurant that appeals to you and you want to make a purchase, register and await your certificates. Once you're registered, you'll be able to get even more discounts and future offers.

To illustrate how it works, select the area of Los Angeles, then select the city of San Gabriel Valley/Pasadena as your location. Next, select “Find Restaurants” and search through a list of types of restaurants. For example, you can purchase a $25 Dining certificate for Pasta Roma in Los Angeles for only $10 or purchase a $50 dining certificate for only $20! Confused yet? It’s very simple.

Why are restaurants doing this? This is really a simple formula and it’s all about getting customers in the door. If the restaurant is busy and filled with customers, there is a likelihood that more will follow, so they are willing to fill in seats by selling these discounted dining certificates. There are several businesses that promote their restaurant in this manner. One way is by saving you $$$. The only drawback is that you must plan ahead, maybe 3 to 5 days in advance. You purchase the dining certificates online and it’s delivered to your home. It may take a few days to get your certificates, but this is well worth it and you can buy as many as you like.

I did some research and there are currently 724 restaurants that promote their restaurants for the greater Los Angeles area. If your likes are for Italian food, there are 95 participating Italian restaurants. If your craving is Japanese, there are 20 participating restaurants and 22 Sushi restaurants. So where ever you live, there is something near you.

Going out to dinner doesn't always have to be from your microwave or from a fast food restaurant, so go out some place nice and have fun!

Happy dining!

Wine 101: Wine for Beginners

Wine Tasting for Beginners

For a newcomer interested in experiencing wine for the first time or even for the occasional drinker, wine may seem to cater only to a stuffy upper class-yuppie crowd, when in reality it is far from the truth. Granted, wine does attract a sophisticated like crowd, but more and more regular people often go wine tasting in groups of guys, groups of girls, and couples alike.

Wine tasting is a time for friends to get together and enjoy each others company to change up the monotony of the usual night out. Wine tasting is comparable to going out to a sports bar drinking micro brews to hang out and pass the time.

Usually, wine tasting is a full day experience, going from one winery to another. This is what makes wine tasting fun. The obvious difference is the atmosphere. While beer pubs and breweries may seem to encompass a “men’s only” atmosphere along with sporting events on large TV screens, chicken wings, burgers, and pizza, these places tend to attract the majority of males, while wine tasting rooms often attract a all sorts people from all generations and all demographics. Wine tasting is more public friendly than it has ever been and anyone is welcome.

How to Enjoy Wine

For a first-time wine drinker, wine is definitely an acquired taste and is commonly not enjoyable during your first encounter. Your very first glass of wine, you may experience a pungent sensation and probably disgust, while others adapt to it rather quickly and love it. Usually a person’s first experience with wine is typically a mixture of fruit and sugar combined together with some sort of white wine, like wine coolers, or the popular wine fusion beverages, like White Zinfandel, Boone’s Farm wines (which is malt based, not wine based as advertised). These types of drinks are not considered wines. As your taste buds mature, your tolerance changes, and so does your state of mind. At this point, wine can be quite enjoyable. As your palate develops, you can distinguish the many flavors that many will define a good wine.

The way to enjoy wine is to smell, sip, and taste. To do so, fill a long stem glass only ¼ of the way or less for tasting. Long stem glasses are designed to keep your hands from warming the temperature wine. On a flat surface, rotate the glass in a circular motion. This allows the wine to circulate around the bottom of the glass. This oxygenates and releases the tannins, which lightens the body of the wine and helps get rid of the sharp bitterness.

Next, smell the wine. Inhale the aroma of the wine and picture in your mind what you sense. A lot of time, you will smell a bouquet of rich flavors of fruit, chocolate, different spices, and other flavors. Every wine is different.

Now, take a small sip of wine into your mouth and swirl it. Do this for half a second or two to enjoy the rich flavor and allow you to discover the hidden tastes behind the wine.

Tasting Rooms

Tasting rooms are everywhere. There’s at least one in each town. Wineries will have one tasting room for the public to sample and purchase all the wines that their vineyard offers. Each one is different. Most will carry a menu for you to browse so you can decide if you want a glass, or tour the different types of wines. For instance, you can select to taste the “whites”, “reds” or the “sparkling wines (champagne)”.

The costs will vary. In some winery locations, while rare, will allow you to try their wines for free. Many will charge a tasting fee which will be from $2 per taste to $4 or more per glass. Some annual wine events will have over 30 venders or more from all over and the charge is typically $30 or more per person and they give you a glass to carry with you through the entire event. You’ll have a chance to sample every wine from each vineyard.

California Wine Tasting

Napa Valley – Napa Valley is a widely known favorite among many across the world. With a choice of 341 wineries from the Andretti Winery to ZD Wines, there are many places to choose from. Napa is also a romantic place to take a loved one on a date, for engagement, or even for a honeymoon. There are several Bed-in-Breakfast inns to make your trip a more memorable experience.
http://napavintners.com/events/list_all_events.asp

Lodi - The central valley is where many of the best wineries reside. 18% of all California grapes come from Lodi. There are 24 wineries including the well known Woodbridge winery, Pasos Vineyards, and Delicato Family Winery. Held every year, Lodi holds two of the largest wine festivals during the month of March called the Lodi Spring Wine Show and the Lodi Grape Festival which is held during September every year. http://www.grapefestival.com/LodiGrapeFestival/Default.aspx

http://www.grapefestival.com/LodiSpringWineShow/Default.aspx

Murphy’s – Located in Northern California, home to the four star, Ironstone Winery. Come visit during the summer months and enjoy a full day of wine tasting, good food, and perhaps end your day with a live concert.
http://www.visitmurphys.com/

Monterey - Monterey is known for one of the largest wine festivals on the west coast. Held during the month of October, over 90 wineries congregate together for the festivities with over 400 varieties of wines for you to choose from.
http://www.montereywine.com/

Paso Robles – Famous for scenes in the movie, “Sideways” and home to the well known “Firestone” winery. Paso Robles is also home to 170 wineries. While this area is a highly concentrated of wineries, you may be inclined to take several trips to experience everything Paso Robles has to offer.

http://www.pasowine.com/wineries/profiles.php

Temecula – Come join the festivities at the Wine and Music Festival coming on May 2nd. There are 20 wineries in the Temecula area and all the wineries have tasting rooms to come visit. Plan your tasting tour: http://temecula.winecountry.com/wineries/
Wine Festival: http://www.temeculawineandmusicfestival.com/

Santa Barbara – Santa Barbara is a local hot spot for Los Angeles natives and others around the country. There are 50 wineries with tasting rooms within a 10 mile radius. During the month of June, purchase tickets in advance and taste from 70 wineries from the central coast.
http://www.santabarbara.com/goto.asp?url=http://www.sbnature.org/winefestival.

The best part of wine is enjoying it with friends, family, or enjoy with someone special, so relax and have fun and remember to drink responsibly.

Stay tuned for my next piece. I will discuss, “What wines goes with what foods?”

My American Idol, Season 8 Beef

So, tonight is the Wild Card show and last night the final 8 contestants that weren’t voted in by America were selected by the judges; Randy Jackson, Kara DioGuardi, Paula Abdul, and Simon Cowell. 3 of the 8 will go on to fill in the remaining positions to offically begin the Top 12, which begins next Wednesday.

One person that is performing on the Wild Card show tonight is Tatiana Del Torro. She is a little crazy, but she definitely deserves to be in the top 12, because she can sing. She has a beautiful voice.

When I vote, I look at talent versus personality, popularity, or demographics. I think that’s the flaw in American Idol in the way people vote. Contestants like Michael Sarver, Jorge Nunez, Anoop Desai, Scott McIntyre are just ok performers, and it seems that they are voted in because of who they represent. Another contributing factor that sways America’s votes is their personal story coming in, not solely that they deserve to be in the top 12. It’s upsetting how this has become a popularity contest over true talent. I think Scott was voted in, because of his disability and his likable personality. Don't get me wrong, he IS good, but not top 12 good. I wouldn't be surprised if one of those 3 (Michael, Jorge, and Scott) wins. If that happens, I'll still watch, but I won't be happy about it.

Thanks for reading. Stay tuned for tonights episode of American Idol, Thursday (tonight) on Fox at 6pm (Eastern) and 8pm (Pacific)

Amiss, Adjourn, Anew

Amiss for the past and adjourn from the old to the anew.

...at least it is for me.

I'd like for formally introduce myself; my name is Mikey Jayy. I am a student of Mt. Sac. in Walnut, CA. After working in the field as a freelance writer as a hobby, I realized that's all it can be - a hobby. There is almost no way to advance a career in any part of this field without a degree.

Aside from writing as a hobby, I was previously working in the Real Estate business and of course, the industry turned into what it is today - a national catastrophic mess. When I thought it could not get any worse for myself, I found myself out of work. Being the optimist that I am, I saw this as an opportunity to pursue an education in something I truly enjoyed - Journalism.

Even though I came to Mt. SAC with some back ground experience as a writer, I am still by far a novice writer. I have always believed that there is room for improvement in any field. One of my other dreams is to one day write a novel and become published. I've been working on a book for almost 2 years now, but I am perplexed on how to continue. My shortfall is my lack of creativity. My ideas are great, but putting words into a captivating manner to hold the reader into wanting to continue to read is a tougher task than I had ever imagined. I am positive that my time here at Mt. Sac will help improve my writing skills which will catapult my career into something greater.

So, please follow my articles and feel free to give me feedback. If I lack a discriptive detail in any of my writings, please let me know, and give me ideas for my next piece.

Thanks,

Mj

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