The Color Purple...

It's no coincidence that thumbing through the September issue of VANITY FAIR

the first in a series of ads are all  

PURPLE

From subliminal to overt-

 the message is 

Strong and Regal

Keep an eye on the tomato red and purple combinations

If Muccia says PURPLE then purple it shall be ???

Is this really all the influence of one strong woman in the fashion world

or could it be that color trends are established and forcast by a Greater GOD ?

From cars...

...to creams

PURPLE REIGNS

Check out the Inter-Society Color Council and discover how color predictions

influence design from home and fashion to science and technology.

Isabela and HERMES

Interesting that opulence is the color of the moment 

considering the  difficult economic climates around the world.

The forcast in home interiors is for a more mysterious,

 brooding  aesthetic with a 21st century interpretation of Victorian.

 Purple fits  well with that design direction

... and there's that red and purple again

ELLE DECOR

BOTTEGA VENETA

HUGO BOSS

Mysterious and Brooding

Purple has always been the color of the Luxury Trade

ERIN LAUDER 

at home 

surrounded in red and purple

The nail enamel from Estee Lauder this season is 

Entry Level Purple 

In ancient Rome the dyes that produced a deep Tyrian Purple, resistant to fading,

were greatly prized.  It took about 12,000 Murex brandaris sea snails to dye one Roman toga

making it horrendously expensive, and  available only to emperors  and the super rich.

Roman law limited the wearing of purple to the upper classes to re-enforce social hierarchy

Failure to comply resulted in loss of property and  loss of life

PETER USTINOV as NERO

in

QUO VADIS

1951

MUREX BRANDARIS

A secretion extracted from these Mediterranean sea snails, difficult to harvest, 

produced a red color that turned to a deep purple with sunlight and weathering.

(Mother Nature is never wrong with her color combinations)

In the middle ages another costly dye was discovered -

an extraction from the bodies of insects. 

CARDINAL PURPLE 

was reserved for the pope

with a touch of red

SIR WILLIAM PERKINS

In 1856  William Perkins discovered the process to make synthetic dyes 

and  the color purple became affordable to the masses.  It made him a rich man

and earned him knighthood

Fit for a Queen

Queen Victoria took purple as her color of middle mourning

when her Prince Consort, Albert died at the age of 42

EMILY BLOUNT

as

YOUNG VICTORIA

This is a gorgeous movie I  watch over and over again. Sticking close to historical facts

((except the characters are probably a bit more  eye candy then the originals)

Produced by former royalty Sarah Ferguson, the movie has  gorgeous sets, glorious costumes and a haunting musical score. 

A delightful way to absorb history 

I am hoping for a sequel

Purple was the natural selection  for a 19th century Stamp

commemorating Queen Victoria

Queen Elizabeth's 50 year reign commemorated in purple

Selection of a "favorite color" is bound to be influenced by  the visuals

 around us but it might take some a while  to warm up to purple . 

This UNISEX  color generates tremendous love or hate reactions.

If you are in the HATE camp, it could be that by the time you learn to love it- 

it will have been replaced by a new "IN" color

COLOR IS A FASHION BUSINESS

HOWEVER...

many style setters have always loved purple

JOHN SALADINO

The dashing designer sporting one of his favorite colors

INTERIOR DESIGN-JOHN SALADINO

Lisa Newsom,  founder of  VERANDA magazine  also loves it

Even the latest covers,  under the editorship of 

Dara Caponigro, reflect her 

Lavendar Legacy

It would be hard not to fall in love with these luscious blooms

Raining purple

WISTERIA

The catalog also bears the stamp of Lisa's favorite color

Creating a neutral environment in naturals allows 

you the freedom to accent in the latest color trends without huge investments

A pale purple linen slipcover acts as a neutral

 

Nature inspires once again with perfect combinations

From silky damasks to simple duck cloths 

purple can act as an accent or a neutral

So let it reign,   let it reign,   let it reign...

In Wine Country ...

                                             Purple  Reigns   as an all time favorite

Purple 

hanging heavy on the vines maturing in the autumn sun

"CAB is King"

resisting fashion trends which also affect the wine industry

Remember when MERLOT was the "it" wine ???

Then along came the movie, 

SIDEWAYS

Bye Bye Merlot

PAUL GIAMATTI & THOMAS HADEN CHURCH

Hello

PINOT NOIR 

Here in the Napa Valley a meal without wine is breakfast

The wine of choice is whatever you happen to love...

Go ahead ... red or white

Cab or Sauvignon Blanc

BACCHUS

The God of Wine and the Harvest

"Great wine is supposed to be celebrated, enjoyed and complemented with fun-loving

family and friends, not analyzed, investigated and inspected ad nauseum"

ROBIN LAIL- Vintner 

Lail Vineyards

ROBIN LAIL 

Click the Lail Vineyard link above and view the 

MOLE HILL video created by

 Faith Wheeler 

Jaded Palette Productions

They made a  mountain out of a Mole Hill -

- It made me smile :)-

Aubergine- 

                                French  for eggplant,

                                              aubergine has become a synonym for purple.

Eggplant are easy to grow 

 I also love having the gorgeous odd shaped purple 

orbs piled in a large bowl on my kitchen counter

Fried Eggplant 

is just one of the many ways we love this versatile vegetable

It's perfect paired with tomatoes .  Both vegetables produce 

abundantly at the end of summer so they are a dynamic duo

and a natural color combination- purple & red

Fried eggplant can be served as a first course or as an accompaniment vegetable 

Great wines  Great food  Great friends

An invitation to dinner Chez Harris at Harris Estate Vineyards is a guarantee of all three.  

Vintner Mike's  Grilled Wild Salmon

with

Fresh Corn, Cherry Tomato and Basil Salsa 

You can make this meal completely several hours ahead

Then spend time with your guests enjoying the fruits of the vine

Serves 4

Recipe looks long but it's not ....and it's easy- 

                                                               just don't overcook the fish

THE FISH

4 Fresh Wild Alaskan Salmon filets

Rubbed with Love  salmon rub available from Amazon (also good on chicken)

Rub each filet liberally and refrigerate in a covered glass dish until ready to grill

Heat grill to high- make sure the grills are completely clean-No need to oil  it

Brush both sides of filets with a really good extra virgin olive oil

Sear the filets for 3-4 minutes skin side down UNDISTURBED

Flip the filets and continue to cook about 2-3 minutes more to 140 degrees on 

instant -read thermometer

Remove from grill and set aside at room temperature

 Bring on the GLEASON extra virgin Tuscan Varietal Olive Oil 

THE SALSA- 

Always best with ingredients fresh from your garden.  

We plant Sun Sugar cherry tomatoes  for prolific crops of these delicious little sugar bombs

4 ears of corn shucked and microwaved for 2 minutes

2 Tblsp Olive oil-the better the oil the better the result- 

3 Tblsp olive oil in addition to the 2 above

2 Cups cherry tomatoes halved. Red and yellow mix is great

3 Tblsp finely sliced fresh basil leaves

2 Tblsp Balsamic vinegar- The thicker the vinegar the better-
                       Guiseppe Giusti  imported by Lettieri & Co. Ltd is my favorite

Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

Brush corn with the 2 Tablespoons of olive oil

Season with salt and pepper

Grill on all sides till lightly charred about 6-8 minutes

Remove from grill and allow to cool

Remove kernels from cob into a medium sized serving bowl

Add the tomatoes, basil, 3 tablespoons olive oil, Balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper to taste

Salsa can be refrigerated but must be served at room temperature for full flavor

Top each filet with salsa and serve with any color wine you prefer.

With this meal let the purple be in your glass

To inquire about GLEASON Cabernet Sauvignon and GLEASON extra virgin olive oil 

please contact  info@gleasonwines.com

Salute !

Rela