Two weeks ago, I participated in my first ever American Cancer Society Making Strides against breast cancer walk.  It was something I had always wanted to do, and after walking the walk, I know it will be something I do each and every year.  To say it was powerful, emotional, up-lifting…that would be an understatement.  In fact, I’m not sure there are enough words to even capture how I felt that day.

Like many of us, I’ve had friends and loved ones diagnosed with breast cancer.  Many of them under the age of 30! Did you know about 1 in 8 women get diagnosed with invasive breast cancer?   That is such a scary statistic.  But right now, there are also 3.1 million breast cancer survivors in the U.S. thanks to more early detection, increased prevention and better treatment. We have The American Cancer Society to thank for that, as it leads the good fight by raising awareness in communities across the country and investing in ground-breaking research to ensure that we keep those statistics moving in the right direction. 

So on the day of the race, you could find me in a pink tutu, pink knee socks, and pink bandana.  And as I drove up to the event that day, I was overcome with emotion (and plenty of tears—which, if you follow along on Snapchat—you saw) at the amount of people, family members and Pink Warriors that were there.  Many of them with shirts and signs sharing who they were walking for, many of them with an RIP or pink wings accompanying those names.

I proudly walked the three miles with some of our closet friends on my team, but really walked with thousands of new friends.  I was humbled and moved by the sheer numbers and stories of hope I heard, knowing that I was only scraping the surface of the countless stories of inspiration and courage that were told that day.  I didn’t want to leave once I hit the finish line, and the three miles went by in a heartbeat…I could have walked thirty! 

Making Strides welcomes all of us to honor breast cancer survivors, remember those we have lost, raise breast cancer awareness, and support breast cancer fundraising…and have fun doing it. I left the race knowing that I had helped save lives, but I’d also felt absolutely moved by the positive impact that so many people were doing in our community. Search for an event in your community, and consider donating to the cause today.  Together, we can fight breast cancer and kick it to the curb!  I’d love to know: have you walked in your community?  Who will you honor at the next Making Strides walk? Truly, MKR

Food and wine that tells a story.  Now that’s something we’re all about here at WOM.  And when you invite us to a place that boasts a good food philosophy (and sourcing approach) alongside a simply stunning bar and dining room, not to mention drool-worthy menu items…well, you don’t have to twist our arm to show up.  MKR recently called up the team to meet at Bellina Alimentari at Ponce City Market for a little mid-week wine tasting class, and oh, was it legendary. 

We basically got an insider’s peek at the magic that is Bellina Alimentari‘s Culinary Club; a collection of intimate cooking classes, tastings and workshops in its back room. Whether you’re there to learn how to make pasta, enjoy a wine tasting or simply revel in a private dinner, the place is quite the gem.  Bellina Alimentari‘s goal is to “create a community of food lovers and bring back to the table the conversation of good food,” and that they have.  Check out this recent blog post by them regarding October’s wine harvest…they’re the real deal. 

Naturally, we were delighted to gather around that table for a few hours to test and taste our way through a course of three natural Italian wines, each with its perfect cheese pairing.  (Seriously, I had no idea wine and cheese could play off each other so well!)  But thanks to Bellina‘s Bethany Thompson, we learned all about the makings of pure, inventive wines from the region, and a little about why they tasted so wonderful with a slice (or two or three) of cheese that was equally irresistibly authentic.

I was utterly fascinated to learn about this wine.  Besides of course that it was a few glasses of vino in front of me on a Tuesday afternoon, the backstory was so interesting. All of the wine at Bellina Alimentari was hand-selected to showcase the diversity of Italy’s land, welcoming a peek (or taste!) into each region’s unique identity.  We learned that—like in other regions—the land, soil and grape all play a part to create the flavors in your glass.  But with these wines in particular, all you’ll taste is true, honest flavors with no additives.  None of them have had technological manipulations in the cellar either.  We all couldn’t believe that many winemakers add dozens of ingredients to wine to standardize the flavor and correct mistakes (a bottle can have up to something like 80 ingredients before needing to list them on the label!).  

We enjoyed a 3-course flight of wines, all rich in flavor and incredibly unique from the rest. My favorite perhaps was the orange wine (?!) from a small vineyard in Slovenia.  Orange wine, I learned, is most definitely a thing; the one we tried had a bold, almost vinegar-y taste and was quite literally bright, bold orange in color.  It’s basically a white wine that’s made like a red wine, but the grape skins are left in contact during fermentation.  I had never seen or tasted anything like it.  I was unsure how I felt about it until I popped a crumble of the cheese pairing (some of the best parmesan reggiano) into my mouth after a sip.  The pair played off each other beautifully, opening up the depth of flavor that much more.  Amazing, I’m telling you! 

A big thanks to the Bellina Alimentari team for welcoming us into the back room for an afternoon of irresistible cheeses, intriguing wines and great conversation…we didn’t want to leave (but we’ll most certainly be back).  And in the credits below, I share the exact wine + cheese pairings we enjoyed!  Cheers, Kat

P.S. If you can, I’d highly suggest checking out the lineup of classes at Bellina Alimentari (think pasta making, wine + cheese pairings, all about vinegars and more).  Priced anywhere from $28-45 a person, the classes are a fun way to share the magic behind a meaningful gathering with great food.  xo

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