Wine On-The-Go: Canned Wine and Wine Accessories

Our (semi-secret) love affair with canned wines began about 5 years ago. It was probably some mid-summer weekend when we were shopping at our local Safeway and came across a cute little pink hexagonal shaped box in the sparkling wine section. Intrigued, we picked up the box and found it was a four pack of cans of Sofia sparkling wine. Perfect for poolside sipping, and with straws attached like they are on kids juice boxes, we were instantly hooked. Ever since we have been on the lookout for new canned wines to try and in the past year, canned wines have really stepped up their game! Here is a list of some of our favorites. We promise there's a canned wine for everyone!

xxx Ivy & Eve

For the eternal wanderer: Nomadica Wines

This California company was created for the nomads, a place to sip wine before resuming their travels. We totally love that! Nomadica cans are also special because each label is different with art designed by various artists. The pink river rosé is bright and crisp. The sparkling white (our favorite) is fresh, citrusy, with a hint of green apple.  The chenin blanc smells and tastes of white peaches is light and refreshing. The red wine blend tastes of chokecherry, plum and slight tannins with a long smooth finish. The Oregon white blend (love the label) is lightly bubbly, dry, and minerally. Pop the top, start the playlist, sit back, and sip...you'll feel like you're away on an adventure even from your couch.

For the anti-canned wine friend: Alloy Wine Works

Alloy canned wines will impress and most likely change the views of all canned wine haters. These wines taste the most like a wine that is produced/bottled in a glass bottle. Honestly, if someone brought us a glass without the can we probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference. This Paso Robles winery has a variety of high-quality canned wines and also does a canned wine club! Their wine club #yeswecan is $30 a month and includes 4 shipments a year, 6 wines per shipment.  We tried their 12 oz tallboy rosé it was delicious. Strawberry, citrus on the nose followed by a crisp, dry rosé that tastes like strawberries, sour patch kids, guava, grapefruit, and rose petals. Their chardonnay smells like it's out of a bottle (none of that tin can smell) tastes of vanilla, citrus, and pears and pie crust (nom). The pinot noir is also delicious with hints of cherry and vanilla, and tastes of those and some earthy mushroom, tree bark, and cola. Our local indie cinema Osio Theater carries them as well which makes us SO happy!

For the health conscious drinker: Social Sparkling Sake Wine

Social is slightly different in that it is a sparkling sake wine (wine made from rice). There are four versatile flavors to choose from toasted coconut almond, pink grapefruit ginger, hibiscus cucumber, and elderflower apple. The great thing about SOCIAL is that they are organic, superfood infused, gluten and sulfite free, have 1 gram of sugar, and ONLY 88 calories!! These cans are ALL about fun without the guilt! 

We teamed up with them to create a cocktail with one of their flavors so stay tuned for that recipe coming soon!

For the party girl: Fiesta Winery

Fiesta Winery located in Texas just recently started dipping their toes in the canned industry. We loved trying this wine since we rarely venture from California wines and the can design is super cute! The Tex Way Rosé is perfect for any summer activity. It smells of pink starburst, rose, and raspberry and tastes of raspberry and rose with a light creaminess to the finish. We recommend it served very chilled with a side of bright sunshine!

For all the bubbly babes: Wine House Rosé Bubbles

House Wines' Rosé Bubbles is a party in a can. Crisp, with notes of citrus, tastes of strawberries and is lightly carbonated, this is an upgrade from the Sofia bubbles in flavor and size! ;) It's perfect to pack for a picnic or a day at the beach. The size is large enough to share (or not) and we LOVE the millennial pink can design.  

For the serious sipper: West Side Wine Co.

The West Side Wine Co. from California is another great option for real wine lovers. The chardonnay had a slightly carbonated taste with hints of toasted vanilla, grapefruit, and green apple. The cabernet sauvignon is jammy with hints of boysenberry, fig, and has light tannins. 

For the cocktail enthusiast: Pampelonne Sparkling Wine Cocktails

One look at these insta-worthy cans and you're transported to the striped umbrella dotted beaches of the French Riviera! These three newly released flavors are perfect for your casual backyard, beach bonfire setting. Since they are "wine cocktails" they taste less of wine and more like a cocktail. We thought they were great straight out of the can but add a little fruit and a tall glass with ice - sangria style - and you've instantly got a vacation in a glass! The Black Cherry Bicicletta is the most flavorful with a nice citrus kick while the Negroni Sbagliato is perfect for the classic cocktail lover (Eve's pick). The Watermelon Americano is the lightest and driest in flavor and tastes the most like wine (Ivy's pick).

For the instafamous (or almost): Ramona Ruby Grapefruit Wine Spritz

We've been seeing these cans all over Instagram lately so when we found them stocked at our local Whole Foods, we decided to test them out. This sparkling wine spritzer is dangerously delicious and perfect for a hot summer day. We wouldn't say it tastes like wine, more like a grapefruit sanpellegrino, but who doesn't love those! We will definitely be stocking up on these all summer long.

For the wine adventurer: Goverre Modern To-Go Cups

We discovered these gems recently and are obsessed. They are perfect for all types of on-the-go wine activities. These glasses are spill-proof with their locking drink-through-lid (also great for keeping sand out of your wine - yuck). These glasses are made of glass (yay!) but have a protective silicon sleeve. They have tons of trendy colors to choose from as well so you won't get confused with what glass is yours!

For the beach babe: Porto Vino Wine Bag

We saw these bags on Instagram a few months back and HAD to test it out. Porto Vino Wine Bags come in a variety of colors and styles. Inside is roomy with an insulated zipper compartment and a wine bladder attached to a spout that discreetly pops out the side for easy pouring. You just chill your favorite wine (or not if its red) fill the bladder, and go! This is the classy way to carry around wine to sporting events, BBQs and beach parties. We love how much room there is for your beach towel, glasses, and snacks while filled up with your favorite rosé.

For the party hostess with the mostest: Wine Glass Writer

We ran a fabulous giveaway with Wine Glass Writer a few months ago and have used these markers for all sorts of parties. Simply pick a color and write on your glass, let it dry for a minute before touching (or filling it with cold wine) and your design will stay on till you wash it off with soap and water. These have been a great addition to our parties, we ask our friends to write their name (or draw something fun) so they know which glass is theirs. It has cut down the number of glasses we have to wash by a dozen or so! These pens are also great for writing on mirrors (wedding seat assignment) and serving plates.

Use our discount code everyonewins10 for a 10% discount on your order!!

10 Things We Learned At The 2018 Pebble Beach Food & Wine

The 2018 Pebble Beach Food and Wine has come and gone and we are SO sad. We had so much fun tasting and nibbling on all the food and wine sent from heaven under one giant white tent.  If you are a lover of food, or wine, or both like us, we highly recommend attending. It is seriously so amazing! 

We learned so many new things during the weekend, we wanted to put together a list of 10 things we learned at this year's event.

Here they are:

1. The Year of Foie Gras - We are calling this years event "The Year of Foie Gras" because so many of the chefs under the big tent on Saturday and Sunday were serving up delicious bites of foie gras. Eve has always adored Foie gras but Ivy, on the other hand, tends to steer away from these dishes because of the earthy liver taste. This year Ivy couldnt help but fall in love with Foie gras though. This year's chefs foie gras dishes all had such distinct tastes- some were fresh like Hudson Valley's brown butter foie gras crumble & strawberry...or the English pea panna cotta with spring vegetables, Meyer lemon and foie gras by Chef Blom. Foie gras can be made in so many ways it really can be delightful to all pallets!

Hudson Valley's brown butter crumble & strawberry foie gras

English pea panna cotta with spring vegetables, meyer lemon and foie gras by Chef Blom

2. Eat Your Invasives - Chef Lofaro had one of our favorite dishes of the weekend. Why? Because it was delicious, the presentation was beautiful, and the concept behind it was so awesome. Lafaro had made his dish out of kiawe bean flour and strawberry and guava plants which are all invasive plants in his home state of Hawaii. He decided to use these invasives for good - eating! As he removes the plants from the landscape, he uses it to create this delicious dish. No waste for the bettering of the ecosystem. SO COOL!

Eat Your Invasives! kiawe, walawf, and white bread poke by Chef Lofaro

3. Time For Vegas - We were invited to the Venetian Hotel happy hour on Saturday evening. This event was held at the fire pits at the Inn at Spanish Bay. The happy hour included a few signature cocktails that were tasty and unique and Chef Lorena Garcia was serving up delicious tacos! Ivy has only been to Vegas overnight on her way back from college and Eve has NEVER been! From what The Venetian did with this event, we know where we're headed next! Vegas Baby! We're planning to go to Vegas in the next several months to get the FULL Vegas experience!

4. There really is no substitute for bubbles - This year we were lucky to catch up with our "spirit sommelier" Kim Beto and attend his Sunday Bubbles Seminar, which is similar to the Big Bottle Bubbles seminar we attended in 2016. If you love champagne like us, you MUST attend this seminar. At 10 am on a Sunday you are greeted with a tasting flight of 9 different champagnes/sparkling wines to taste along with your new best friends (the five champagne experts on the panel).  

This year our favorite quotes from the seminar were:

• Magnums are the perfect size for two if only one is drinking.

• Drink Champagne right out of the bottle! "great on buses when you don't have glasses" - Kim Beto

• Sabering party "If you haven't had one you're not living" - Kim Beto

• England is the new "up and coming" producer of sparkling wines. Two of the nine wines we tasted were from Jolly Old England and we were shocked at how delicious they were! We honestly didn't think good wine could come from such a wet, mild climate. Boy, were we wrong!

Us with "spirit sommelier" Kim Beto at Sunday Bubbles

5. Good bread and butter is one of life's greatest simple pleasures - We are always down to eat fresh bread and homemade butter, but it's not something you are expecting to eat at the Pebble Beach Food and Wine. A day full of foie gras and delectable cheeses is more the norm. However, this year we stumbled upon the Kerrygold butter booth and were pleasantly surprised and instantly comforted by the simplicity of quality bread and butter. After hours of trying new wines and rich bites, the bread and butter was a welcomed change! Such a simple food really can be delicious.

6. Lanson Champagne is still our favorite! - We are always looking for new champagnes to try but we honestly still adore Lanson Champagne the most. #sorrynotsorry

8.  Berries by themselves - Driscoll always makes an appearance at the PBFW event. The berries are served as is and are always one of our favorite snacks in between the richer bites chefs prepare. The acidity and sweetness wake up our pallet so they are ready to try the next thing! We also loved the tasty berry popsicles they handed out as we all left the tent. 

9. Sake for wellness sake - This year we sampled TYKU sake which has a variety of flavors. Tyku is a clean alternative to wine because it has lower acidity, no sulfites which sometimes irritate people, and has no tannins. You can literally "unwine" with TYKU. Our favorite flavor was the refreshing cucumber. We think it may be time to explore the world of sake soon. 

10. There really is NOTHING like PBFW - We haven't been able to attend any of the other Food and Wine events around the world but we have been told by many who have that the Pebble Beach Food and Wine is the BEST. And jousting by the location, the chef and winemakers who attend, and our experience, we can't see how anywhere else can compare!

Avacado, mint and cucumber shooter topped with créme fraîche and wild flowers

Bone marrow, butterscotch, panna cotta with blueberry and bacon relish by Chef Jin from Paws Up Resort

It was our Mom's birthday on Sunday we were so happy to be able to spend the day sipping and tasting with her!

Kona kampachi tartar with shallots, chives, avacado puree, radish, lemon aioli and honey crumble.

Marinated salt spring mussels

Food & Wine Event Tips & Attire

Over the years, some of our favorite food memories together have been at Food and Wine festivals around California and the world. For one price, you get to experience a multitude of different flavors and sample amazing wines from around the world. Our favorite event hands down have always been the Pebble Beach Food & Wine in our hometown (see more HERE, HERE, and HERE). We always start the day with a game plan and want to share with you some tips for you to keep in mind as you prepare to attend all of this year's Food and Wine events. 

xoxo Ivy & Eve

• Make sure you are FULLY hydrated before the event and drink water between each taste. 

• Eat something before the event! Otherwise the alcohol will affect you sooner!

• Make sure you have your designated driver/transportation home figured out before you get to the event. We all want to be responsible imbibers!!!

• Wear darker colors, or patterned clothes. During these types of events, you are walking and standing in tight quarters so spills are very common (at least for clumsy people like us!), Wearing patterned or dark colors will hide spills so you can keep looking flawless. #goals

• Comfy, chic, closed toe shoes are best for such events since there are lots of people and the possibility of being stomped on is high. We recommend wearing shoes you are comfortable in since these events are hours long and you'll be standing/walking around the the whole time.  

• A small yet roomy bag to carry all your personal items (camera, tickets, business cards collected from vendors, etc.). We love using cross body bags because they leave both hands free for carrying our wine glass and small bites. :)

• Wear layers that can be easily carried (you'll need both hands for food/drinks). The weather in Pebble Beach can go from chilly 50's to sunny 75 in a matter on minutes, so layering up is always a good idea. That being said, make sure whatever layers you wear can be either tied around your shoulders/waist or stuffed in your bag.

• Long lasting lip color/no lip color (greasy foods and lots of wine will make it rub off easily). We recommend Lipsense (our favorite brand!) but if you don't have time to get some...our second favorite is Maybelline Super Stay 24 Color. 

• Start with bubbles! Sparkling wine excites your palate and gets you ready for what is to come!

• Go from light to dark wines. Since you wont be guided through the hundreds of wines this guide comes in handy: White before Red, Dry before Sweet. 

• Use the 5 S's - See, Swirl, Smell, Sip,  Savor!

• Bring your sense of adventure! At all food & wine events, we highly recommend keeping away from your favorites and trying something new that you never thought you would like! Last time, we tried Chef Todd Fischer's Bacon Chocolate Covered Chicharrones which Eve was actually addicted to for weeks (we asked the Chef Todd for several take-home bags!!).