THAT GIRL IN BALI

I don't know what's wrong with me and Merlot. It's just the perfect to-go wine for me. Today, after work, I ran myself to the nearest grocery store and prepared to be surprised of whatever options they have there. After a long of searching and trying to remember everything I've learnt on WSET level 2 to read the label, my choice goes to Roche Mazet Merlot Pays D'OC 2020. Fair price, consider cheap for a French Wine. Pays d'Oc is the IGP (Indication Géographique Protégée) for red, white, and rosé wines made in a large area along the southern coast of France. The IGP area is roughly the same size as the Languedoc-Roussillon wine region, which is one of the biggest winegrowing areas in France. Merlot's name derives from the French word for "blackbird," "merle." It originates in northern Aquitaine and is France's most popular grape variety. It also thrives in North America, Chile, and Italy. This popular vine yields intensely colored, ...

I always love Merlot. But just last week I learnt that it's originally from Bordeaux and can be grown in moderate to warm climate. What's nice is Merlot has a medium acidity and medium tannin, means that you wouldn't have to smirk your eyes while drinking and the medium tannin can compare to drinking a soy milk, not as heavy as full cream milk, but still has a medium after taste. I think it's one of the red wine that I can drink without having to pair with food. But ofcourse you can pair Merlot with certain food too. Merlot normally blend with higher tannin varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon to achieve a certain blend and on the other hand Merlot adds red-fruits flavours to Cabernet Sauvignon. If you study the map of France, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot origin is seperated by the Gironde Estuary, where the Garonne and Dordogne Rivers meet. Cabernet Sauvignon is protected by Left Bank Appellations and Merlot is protected by Right Bank Appellations. An appellation i...

I never think about the possibillity of learning wine. I don't even think this thing exist! It turns out so many things about wine that you can learn. The history, the style, the production, oh Lord, so many. I'm very lucky to be such a good friend with bu Widya, we happened to work together back in 2014 and she was the EAM for F&B in the resort I was working. She looked scary at the beginning, but she's actually nice and very smart. She was the Bali President Sommelier Association and in the future year she was becoming the first WSET educator in Indonesia. I spent a lot of time with her, I joined couple of times of her wine classes, as she is now working for Hatten Education Center. From that classes, I inspired to join the WSET, and I did. I passed level 1 and as I'm writing I just finished the exam for Level 2 WSET in Wines. Fingers cross, I passed. So today, I'm trying to do my first wine review, and I want to review the wine with unique label. Hmm, l...

I found Jason Mraz when the song You and I Both released back in 2004, 14 years ago! Since then, I always following his new singles and albums and in love for almost all of his songs.  Then I got lucky, on 2008,  I saw Jason Mraz in Singfest, Singapore Music Festival in Fort Canning. I flew all the way from Jakarta and stay one night only to catch him LIVE. I remember I borrow a professional camera from a friend to manage taking a good photos of him. I got lucky also cause on that time, Jason still bring his Polaroid camera on stage, taking pics of the band and himself and giving out to the crowd. And I got Toca's photo! It was awesome. Even though it's not a 2-hours concert, but it brought me joy.  he was barefoot back then In 2009, Jason Mraz finally came to Jakarta to perform at Java Jazz Festival, two-days performance. I met him after the first day show, he was very nice, he signed my photos that I took on Singfest, and he gave me a hug and what is ...

How's having breakfast in Denpasar dinner in Bangkok  brunch in Phuket and dinner in Kuala Lumpur then supper in Denpasar sounds to you? Fun? Yes it sounds very fun indeed, but not in 24 hours. Trust me, you need a lot of energy. But it's still fun. The story begin when my best friend give me his Coldplay concert ticket because he and his wife cannot go due to their boy's health. They live in Jakarta, while I live in Bali. And it was Wednesday April 5th, 2017 when he called me, and the Coldplay concert was on April 7th. Yep, less then 48 hours. At first I thought I wouldn't make it, the flight price was overrated, even for the low cost carrier, it just didn't make sense.  But my husband loves me that much that he was still trying to get me a ticket. I wasn't such a big fan of Coldplay, but it's a must-seen-concert that you have to put on your list. I used to work for EMI and Coldplay was always on my list.  So yeah, long story short, I left Bal...

Do you think you will ever not find your favorite place ever again? Where you always stay at one place every time you visit Bali? A place where every body knows your name? A place where you always have the same breakfast, lunch or dinner? It might be nice to a certain point where you think you need a break. I used to have one villa that keeps me coming back and forth, before I finally find Nyaman Villa. Located in Seminyak, in a secluded small road, you will never think you will find a convinced comfort with an excellent service. Entitled butler will accompany you during check in and show you everything existing in the villa. Trust me, you will fall in love at the first sight.  We were staying at a two bedrooms villa, completed with a private pool that you can jump in at anytime, a living room, a dining table with a fully equipped kitchen and a wonderful bathroom with a bathtub to sooth your tiring day of sightseeing. Oh, not to mention the ipod deck wher...