Today s Memorial Day, and The Mud Island River Park Memorial Day Celebration features canoe, kayak, and bike rentals, as well as balloon artists, face painters, magicians, and more.
Categories
Month: May 2002
Categories
TOWNE’S TOWN
GRAPE SESSION
So you’re sitting around your house thirsty for something new and exciting to do, but you don’t even have enough gas money to leave the state? You don’t have to look too far, for a mere twenty minutes from Midtown Memphis, tucked into the rolling hills of West Tennessee, lies a little piece of heaven, where you can sit, relax, and delight in the earthy flavors of homegrown wine.
Old Millington Vineyard and Winery, owned and operated by Perry and Carrie Welch, is the perfect place to spend a lazy afternoon. You can enjoy some good company,a little fresh air, and a taste of some of the most unique wines in the area, all for free.
On a lazy afternoon of my own, I decided to take a trip up Highway 51 and see just what sort of winery could possibly be operating in Millington, Tennessee. After all, driving through Frayser isn’t quite the same as a trek through the Napa Valley.
Turning onto a gravel driveway and patiently waiting for some arthritic dogs to pass, I congratulated myself on the assumption that this was going to be a podunk operation complete with some grapes fermenting in the bathtub. The moment I stepped inside onto the cool tiled floor,however, I knew I was mistaken. Sidling up to the tasting bar, I was poured a glass and before I knew it, was enjoying one of the most pleasant outings I had ever experienced.
Opened in October of 2000, Old Millington Vineyards and Winery has achieved local fame as a charming and tranquil spot where you can feel free to roam sprawling vineyards, idle on the patio under a shady awning, or even catch some live music on the lawn.
And if you don’t know a blush from a beaujolais, Perry Welch will be happy to explain the difference. Once you’ve had a taste of his wine and his hospitality, you’ll feel any uneasiness dissipate into pure bliss.
Whether you consider yourself a wine connoisseur or you regularly twist off your cork, there’s a wine for you at Old Millington Winery, but don’t expect to find a cabernet or a merlot here. Welch specializes in fusing indigenous grapes from his vineyards.
You will be invited to taste grapes ranging from the vidal and catawba to the bastard cousin of the grape, the muscadine, He will gently guide you through his tasting menu and patiently answer any questions you may have. Welch offers up an impressive selection of his own blends from a dry Delta Red to sweet Muscadine Blush.
The menu changes with his whims so don’t be surprised to find even a seasonal fruit wine like blackberry or pear. Be sure to take a taste home with you. If you’ve got more than one favorite, don’t worry. Prices range from around $9 to $20 a bottle.
No sooner than I had sampled my first white, I was invited to tour the winery and discover where this potion was divined. Prepared for a long sabbatical from the tasting bar, I finished off my glass and followed Welch down a narrow hall to a back room no bigger than a garage.
Here, I learned, was where the whole process took place. Welch, a virtual renaissance man, does everything from crushing and filtering to labeling and corking every bottle. I was lucky enough to have tried a Vidal Blanc that Welch had just capped minutes before I arrived.
When you visit, don’t miss this chance to see where Welch unfolds his creative genius. You can check out his Italian wine press and oak barrels as he engages you in the art of wine making. If you like, he will take you on a tour of the vineyards right outside the door. Whatever you choose, make sure to take advantage of Welch’s extensive knowledge.
If you’re just in the mood for a little relaxation in a beautiful atmosphere, you can take a picnic with you on Sundays and enjoy live performances from local blues artists on the back lawn. June concerts will feature Memphis artists Tom Gorbea on the 16th and University of Memphis professor, David Evans on the 23rd. Performances begin at 3:00 and are free.
If you want to learn or just want to hear a few stories, Perry Welch can accomodate you any day. Once you’ve had the experience of visiting with him, you may never want to leave. But, alas, we all must go home eventually. So, after we concluded the tasting(no spitting), I stood up with my bottle of Delta Red and turned to go. An hour later, I finally did. After all, nothing goes better with wine than good conversation.
You can visit the Welch’s website at omwinery@bigriver.net or call 901-873-4114.
Categories
FROM THE MAILROOM
“Goodday to you.” So began the letter from someone identifying himself as Barrister Jude Lewis, from Nigeria. “Now let me start by introducing myself. I am the personal secretary of the late Attorney General of Nigera, CHIEF BOLA IGE who was assasinated by gun men on the 24th of Dec. 2001. Since after his death, the Government is yet to delibrate on his successor and i am the only person who has possesion to the documents of his private Bank Accounts both here and abroad.
“I therefore appeal to you seriously and religiously for your urgent assistance to move this money into your country where I believe it will be safe. You can contact me immediatly and i shall arrange with you for a face-to-face meeting outside Nigeria in order to liaise with you towards effective completion of this transaction.
“However, arrangements have been put in place to move this money out of the country in the secret vault through a security company to any country in Europe / America and as soon as you indicate your interest, i and his family shall send you the Air Bill of the Luggage and other related vital documents so that you can help to claim the Luggage.
“Conclusively, we have agreed to offer you 15% the total sum, while 85% is to be held on trust by you until we can decide on a suitable business investment in your country subsequent to our free movement by the Nigerian Government which i believe will come in due time.”
This sounds like a perfectly legitimate, legal, and above-board transaction to us, and the Fly on the Wall savings account (current balance: $3.27) will be more than happy to hold these sums for this very worthy cause.
Categories
sunday, 26
BET s Oh Drama talk-show host Sheryl Underwood headlines tonight?s 3rd annual Laugh Yo Azz Off comedy show at The Orpheum, also featuring comedians Earthquake, Mike Washington, Pierre, and Irma Johnson. Twiztid is playing at the New Daisy tonight. There’s a big soul get-down at Young Avenue Deli with James Mathus & His Knockdown Society, The Bo-Keys, and Roscoe Gordon. And the Great Southern Food Festival winds up tonight with the Memphis In May Sunset Symphony.
Categories
sunday, 26
BET s Oh Drama talk-show host Sheryl Underwood headlines tonight’s 3rd annual Laugh Yo Azz Off comedy show at The Orpheum, also featuring comedians Earthquake, Mike Washington, Pierre, and Irma Johnson. Twiztid is playing at the New Daisy tonight. There’s a big soul get-down at Young Avenue Deli with James Mathus & His Knockdown Society, The Bo-Keys, and Roscoe Gordon. And the Great Southern Food Festival winds up tonight with the Memphis In May Sunset Symphony.
In case anybody thought Phil Bredesen‘s “repeal-an-income-tax” pledge of three weeks ago was incidental, accidental, or a sign of political foot-in-mouth disease, they should certainly know better after Wednesday.
Even as Speaker Jimmy Naifeh, surprise loser in an historic House flat-tax vote, was licking his wounds in a public press conference, the ex-Nashville mayor and current Democratic gubernatorial hopeful was having copies of his latest income-tax bashing circulated in Legislative Plaza.
Although the statement contained a grace note about the “good people” who disagreed with him, Bredesen concluded by saying, “The income tax came to a vote today, and it clearly failed. Now it’s time to move on. We need to focus on better managing state government, fixing the problems in TennCare, and growing the economy to address our long term budget problems.” GOP candidate Van Hilleary, who had made exhortatory phone calls to anti-tax legislators and called the income tax protest an example of “Americana,” had made a similar statement somewhat earlier.
Inasmuch as Naifeh even then was suggesting he might try and try again to get his 4.5-pecent package enacted, Bredesen’s newest statement was a clear shot across the bow, an even greater challenge to the Speaker than Bredesen’s previous seconding of Hilleary’s promise to repeal any such income-tax package that got passed in this session.
In the wake of that one-two punch, which had come as Naifeh first set out to build his 50-vote coalition, the Speaker had privately expressed his fury and let it be known publicly that he was not going to be taking Bredesen’s phone calls.
In such a context, Bredesen’s newest statement has to be read not only as a further repudiation of the income-tax concept, but as a purposeful distancing of himself from Naifeh and, for that matter, from the current legislative leadership of his party.
There is already speculation that the ultimate failure of the income-tax bill in this session might mean curtains for Naifeh as House leader (as it almost certainly does for Steve McDaniel, the Republicans’ leader and a flat-tax supporter); Bredesen’s posture can be interpreted as an attitude of “So-Be-It”– if not something stronger.
During the fallout from his “repeal” statement, Bredesen had explained himself by saying he did not intend to let Hilleary, his likely fall opponent, make the income tax a focal issue in the governor’s race. He seems to be saying something stronger now — that he does not intend to let the party which he hopes to lead into the future be tied to the carcass of a dead issue.
Two weeks ago, some high-ranking Democrats launched an anonymously attributed trial balloon, telling Bredesen, in effect, that he was weakening his credibility by seeming to be in a Pete-RePete relationship with Hilleary on the income tax and that there was a ceiling on how many times he could safely repeat that kind of misadventure.
Bredesen’s statement Wednesday can be taken as his answer to that message, as an affirmation that he knows what he’s doing and the consequences be damned.
Those who have talked to Bredesen in the wake of the income-tax vote and his response to it suggest that he is indeed aware that he might be, directly or indirectly, accelerating a shakeup in the legislative hierarchy, and, although the initial reaction to his Wednesday statement among Democrats — especially those in the General Assembly — was unfavorable, already some have begun to embrace — or at least consider — a newer thought: Maybe, just maybe, Bredesen is right. On the political scale, anyhow.
Categories
TOWNE’S TOWN
GRAPE SESSION
So you’re sitting around your house thirsty for something new and exciting to do, but you don’t even have enough gas money to leave the state? You don’t have to look too far, for a mere twenty minutes from Midtown Memphis, tucked into the rolling hills of West Tennessee, lies a little piece of heaven, where you can sit, relax, and delight in the earthy flavors of homegrown wine.
Old Millington Vineyard and Winery, owned and operated by Perry and Carrie Welch, is the perfect place to spend a lazy afternoon. You can enjoy some good company,a little fresh air, and a taste of some of the most unique wines in the area, all for free.
On a lazy afternoon of my own, I decided to take a trip up Highway 51 and see just what sort of winery could possibly be operating in Millington, Tennessee. After all, driving through Frayser isn’t quite the same as a trek through the Napa Valley.
Turning onto a gravel driveway and patiently waiting for some arthritic dogs to pass, I congratulated myself on the assumption that this was going to be a podunk operation complete with some grapes fermenting in the bathtub. The moment I stepped inside onto the cool tiled floor,however, I knew I was mistaken. Sidling up to the tasting bar, I was poured a glass and before I knew it, was enjoying one of the most pleasant outings I had ever experienced.
Opened in October of 2000, Old Millington Vineyards and Winery has achieved local fame as a charming and tranquil spot where you can feel free to roam sprawling vineyards, idle on the patio under a shady awning, or even catch some live music on the lawn.
And if you don’t know a blush from a beaujolais, Perry Welch will be happy to explain the difference. Once you’ve had a taste of his wine and his hospitality, you’ll feel any uneasiness dissipate into pure bliss.
Whether you consider yourself a wine connoisseur or you regularly twist off your cork, there’s a wine for you at Old Millington Winery, but don’t expect to find a cabernet or a merlot here. Welch specializes in fusing indigenous grapes from his vineyards.
You will be invited to taste grapes ranging from the vidal and catawba to the bastard cousin of the grape, the muscadine, He will gently guide you through his tasting menu and patiently answer any questions you may have. Welch offers up an impressive selection of his own blends from a dry Delta Red to sweet Muscadine Blush.
The menu changes with his whims so don’t be surprised to find even a seasonal fruit wine like blackberry or pear. Be sure to take a taste home with you. If you’ve got more than one favorite, don’t worry. Prices range from around $9 to $20 a bottle.
No sooner than I had sampled my first white, I was invited to tour the winery and discover where this potion was divined. Prepared for a long sabbatical from the tasting bar, I finished off my glass and followed Welch down a narrow hall to a back room no bigger than a garage.
Here, I learned, was where the whole process took place. Welch, a virtual renaissance man, does everything from crushing and filtering to labeling and corking every bottle. I was lucky enough to have tried a Vidal Blanc that Welch had just capped minutes before I arrived.
When you visit, don’t miss this chance to see where Welch unfolds his creative genius. You can check out his Italian wine press and oak barrels as he engages you in the art of wine making. If you like, he will take you on a tour of the vineyards right outside the door. Whatever you choose, make sure to take advantage of Welch’s extensive knowledge.
If you’re just in the mood for a little relaxation in a beautiful atmosphere, you can take a picnic with you on Sundays and enjoy live performances from local blues artists on the back lawn. June concerts will feature Memphis artists Tom Gorbea on the 16th and University of Memphis professor, David Evans on the 23rd. Performances begin at 3:00 and are free.
If you want to learn or just want to hear a few stories, Perry Welch can accomodate you any day. Once you’ve had the experience of visiting with him, you may never want to leave. But, alas, we all must go home eventually. So, after we concluded the tasting(no spitting), I stood up with my bottle of Delta Red and turned to go. An hour later, I finally did. After all, nothing goes better with wine than good conversation.
You can visit the Welch’s website at omwinery@bigriver.net or call 901-873-4114.
Categories
OTHER PEOPLE’S PROBLEMS
SAMPLING THE GOODS
Listen to this:
I am 36 and just met the love of my life a few months ago. It all happened when I returned to the church IÕve belonged to ever since I was little. He was an usher and very involved in church activities. I thought he was handsome so I became very involved in the church, too.
We started dating and he was great. Things progressed a little too slowly for me, but all my friends said that if it was real, there was no reason to rush. They were right. We held hands like teenagers, kissed for the first time on our third date, and I fell in love. One night after we got back to his place, I jumped him. I tore off his clothes with my teeth, whispered seductively, and I assumed I was spending the night. ThatÕs when he told me that he had never known a woman, biblically. HeÕs 34.
IÕm not sure what to do. IÕve been dating for 20 years now and sleeping with men for about that long. My magic number is in the double digits while his is nonexistent. I think heÕs going to ask me to marry him and that he will insist we wait until the honeymoon (although I might be able to sway him once weÕre engaged). IÕm not sure I can wait. I donÕt want to marry him without sampling the goods.
Signed,
A Tramp From Way Back
Okay:
So your odometer is about to turn over and his is still on 0. I think the last thing you want to do is pressure him for a test drive.
I understand you wanting to take one. We try on clothes before we buy them. We test samples at the grocery store. But there are plenty of things you buy without using them first like … wallpaper. And with houses, you may go inside them before you buy them, but you donÕt live in them. You just look at them — and thatÕs what IÕd suggest in this case.
IÕm discouraging the test drive for a couple of reasons. The first of which is that you want to respect his decision. I donÕt think he can fault you for what you did before you met him (okay, he can, but you can say youÕre a changed woman or some other crap), but pressuring him to change his mind would be sort of, well, trampy. I mean, you can wait a few months, right? He waited 34 years.
Second, IÕm not sure — how shall I put this — that the handling youÕll experience during the test drive is going to live up to your expectations. I could be wrong. He might be some wonderstud, but no one knows that yet, do they? And itÕs not as if heÕs been out the last 34 years working on his game.
But thatÕs exactly why you want to take the test drive, you say. The physical may not be the cornerstone of any relationship, but itÕs still important. Yes, I say, but … we wouldnÕt want you scared off because it isnÕt the smoothest experience youÕve ever had (IÕm trying to keep this clean, but IÕm afraid itÕs not very easy).
LetÕs try something else. For instance, if you sampled raw brussel sprouts at the grocery before you bought them, you might be less likely to buy them (IÕm assuming that brussel sprouts arenÕt your fave). But, in the long run, you need brussel sprouts; theyÕre good for you. And once you figure out how you like them cooked … well, I think youÕre experienced enough to see where IÕm going with this. So wait until the wedding night. If itÕs good, youÕll be pleasantly surprised. If itÕs bad, youÕll have all your life to work on the recipe.
Listen to this:
Several weeks ago, I had what can only be called a one-night stand although I didnÕt know it at the time. I was on a blind date with someone a friend of a friend of a friend knew and we instantly clicked. I donÕt shy away from sex, so I had no reservations about going home with him, but IÕm not the type of woman who jumps into bed with everyone she meets. I guess you could say IÕm liberated but discriminating.
I havenÕt regretted my decision. The sex was phenomenal and we exchanged numbers when I left the next morning. Days later, the warm fuzzy feeling was wearing off and I was wondering why he hadnÕt called yet. I was also wondering when I became a woman who would wonder why he hasnÕt called.
With my patience running thin and two tickets to a local charity event in my hand, I went ahead and called him. He didnÕt sound overjoyed to hear from me, but he didnÕt sound upset to hear from me, either. And when I asked him to the event, he basically told me he was busy and wouldnÕt be available for several weeks.
I was fine with the fact that it was a one-night stand, after I realized it was a one-night stand. I wonÕt lie, that realization smarted, but these things happen. HereÕs the twist. I was telling my friend about the whole thing and she indicated that she thought it was a bad idea I called him at all.
IÕve been calling men, so to speak, since I was in middle school. IÕm not married (neither is she) so I canÕt say my success rate is 100 percent, but I donÕt think the technique has ever screwed me over either. Now IÕm not sure. I really liked this man and I thought he liked me so IÕm a little confused. Do I need to dig my copy of The Rules out of the waste bin and set forth to reading it immediately?
Okay:
No worries, The Rules can stay right where you left them. One of those women is divorced anyway, so her success rate isnÕt exactly 100 percent. IÕm going to sound like a candy commercial here, but thereÕs no one right way to begin a relationship. Or end one. You can only do whatÕs comfortable for you, whether thatÕs walking up and down Front Street wearing a sign saying, ÒIÕM SINGLE!Ó or sitting quietly at your neighborhood bar.
But thatÕs the end of the after-school special segment of our show. It sounds like your phone call didnÕt make much difference one way or another and that he was never planning on calling. Probably he was banking on the fact that you would never call him. Sometimes we just have to face the fact that weÕve been used, whether it was intentional or not. It sounds like you know this, so here is my callous advice: Suck it up. Get over it.
Actually I was watching a rerun of ÒKate & AllyÓ the other day on Oxygen and the plot was this: they both liked the same guy, they had set a trap to figure out which one of them he liked best but it meant he had to call one of them and he didnÕt. They moped around the set for a while waiting until finally, the two teenage daughters (and remember, this was in the Ô80s when the hair stood two feet taller than the people) told the moms to call him. Oh, we can do that now, both Kate and Ally said, weÕre liberated. Or something to that effect. What IÕm trying to do here is reassure you that if calling guys didnÕt make you a pushy, desperate slut in the Ô80s, it definitely doesnÕt now.
My take on this has always been: Why wait for a muffin to come to you — one you may not like — when you can just belly up to the bakery case and pick one out yourself? Perhaps an oversimplification, but all the muffin can do is say no and then you get on with your life. Simple. My advice is, if you still have those tickets, head on out to the bakery. Or you can sit at home, feeling sorry for yourself and watching the Oxygen channel.
Categories
saturday, 25
More blues celebrations today, this time for the kiddies, at the Handy Weekend Children’s Festival, with storytelling, face painting, arts and crafts, and live performances. Today’s big Memphis In May event is The Great Southern Food Festival at Tom Lee Park, a two-day affair with food from area restaurants, a catfish cooking contest, celebrity chef demonstrations, and live entertainment by Wilson Pickett, Cowboy Mouth, Clarence Carter, O’Landa Draper’s Associates, and others. There’s a Music Maker Benefit Concert tonight to benefit older musicians in need. And The Subteens with The Mediums are at Murphy?s.
Categories
FROM THE MAILROOM
“Goodday to you.” So began the letter from someone identifying himself as Barrister Jude Lewis, from Nigeria. “Now let me start by introducing myself. I am the personal secretary of the late Attorney General of Nigera, CHIEF BOLA IGE who was assasinated by gun men on the 24th of Dec. 2001. Since after his death, the Government is yet to delibrate on his successor and i am the only person who has possesion to the documents of his private Bank Accounts both here and abroad.
“I therefore appeal to you seriously and religiously for your urgent assistance to move this money into your country where I believe it will be safe. You can contact me immediatly and i shall arrange with you for a face-to-face meeting outside Nigeria in order to liaise with you towards effective completion of this transaction.
“However, arrangements have been put in place to move this money out of the country in the secret vault through a security company to any country in Europe / America and as soon as you indicate your interest, i and his family shall send you the Air Bill of the Luggage and other related vital documents so that you can help to claim the Luggage.
“Conclusively, we have agreed to offer you 15% the total sum, while 85% is to be held on trust by you until we can decide on a suitable business investment in your country subsequent to our free movement by the Nigerian Government which i believe will come in due time.”
This sounds like a perfectly legitimate, legal, and above-board transaction to us, and the Fly on the Wall savings account (current balance: $3.27) will be more than happy to hold these sums for this very worthy cause.