Not so much! Flies have been creating quite a buzz in the White House recently…and as caught on camera President Obama has been fatally slapping these little critters on the back of his hand generating a huge buzz on youtube.com. Measures have been taken to get rid of these giant flies…PETA even announced that it would send over one of its Katcha Bug Humane Bug Catchers after witnessing Obama “get the sucker” on air. Dana Perino, a spokesman for former President George W. Bush commented: “We probably inherited the problems from the last administration.”

Its fruit season….time for afternoons in the sun enjoying deliciously ripe and juicy strawberries, watermelons, and mangoes. Arguably some of the best mangoes come from India, where they have over 1,500 varieties! Thankfully the king of all Indian mangoes, the Alphonso, can now be found here in the US. Just two years ago the FDA lifted their ban on this varietal of Indian mangoes and now these wonderful sweet lovely fruits are making their appearance known. Mmmmm…..delicious!

Okay, so what?… Your probably asking yourself….And what is Cachaca anyway? Cachaca, pronounced kah-SHAH-sah, is the national spirit of Brazil. They produce roughly two billion liters of Cachaca annually and keep about 1.6 billion liters for themselves! And Cachaca imported into the US is labeled as “Brazilian Rum” simply because we do not have a Cachaca category. But labeling Cachaca as Rum is misleading for many reasons—for starters it is distilled from fermented sugarcane juice, whereas most Rums are distillates of fermented molasses. It really should have a category of its own. This mysterious Brazilian white spirit has become an overnight success story- just four centuries in the making. In 2008 Cachaca won the “Best of Show, white spirit” at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Try a caiprinha made with just lime, sugar (or simple syrup), and Cachaca served on ice! Delicious!

http://www.bevx.com/articles/cachaca

Here are some of the top wine trends for 2009, according to beverage marketing guru Kimberly Charles, founder of the San Francisco-based PR agency, Charles Communications:

Going Green “Organic, biodynamic, fair trade and sustainable offerings are continuing their upswing. It’s becoming more of a standard than a specialty but it still has a ways to go.”

Alternative Packaging “Tasty, affordable wines are showing up in trendy, modern-designed boxes, tetra paks, aluminum bottles and lightweight glass.”

Small is Beautiful “Sample sizes are not just for beauty products anymore. Many wines are being offered more often in half-bottles now for those watching their intake or who are being savvy shoppers.”

It’s a Small World After All “As the Internet has brought us closer, and as people who enjoy beverages travel and seek value, we are seeing more exotic wines showing up on wine lists from places such as Croatia, Uruguay, Turkey, India and China.”

Raise the Wine Bar “It has been said that ‘Wine Bars are the Coffee Bars of the 2000s.’ Wine Bar concepts are exploding around the country…”

Here Come the Millennials “This of the most influential groups to affect the world of beverages… Many are price resistant, well-traveled, internet-savvy…”

http://quaffwine.blogspot.com/2008/12/top-wine-trends-for-2009.html

Colebrook, New Hampshire. I came across a great story today in the “National” section of The New York Times that reminded me of the quote: “ Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has”- Margaret Mead. This article was not about changing the world… however, it was about changing the world for two French immigrants who had seen their American dream come true—leaving their medical careers behind in Paris and opening a bakery where they could bake fresh bread, croissants, and tarts daily… and just after a few years in business they were on the verge of shutting down their bakery because of a denied renewal Visa to stay in business. Their modest bakery had become a sort of arts center, a community hangout, an economic engine, and a source of pride featured in guidebooks….and when the town heard the news they came together and made some noise—thousands signed petitions, hundreds wrote to regional and national officials, from Washington to France. The good news? The Ounis’ are still in business!