Archive for June, 2009

The Cotton Hat… How To Extend Their Life!

Tuesday, June 30th, 2009

Cotton hats are simple head gears that provide, for the most part of it, protection against environmental elements such as rain, heat, and dust. Their functional purpose has expanded however, to include as a complement to one’s attire or uniform or simply a fashion statement. Cotton hats have the added benefit of comfort and convenience of wear as well as its ubiquitous protective and aesthetic function.

Cotton materials are cool, soft and comfortable to wear especially in terms of allowing body heat to permeate through its fibers. Cotton clothing have been well known for its ability to absorb perspiration and release it into the air to allow the cotton fabric to ‘breathe’. Furthermore, it is relatively easy to care for because it is sturdy even in extreme heat and can withstand abrasive forces. Because of these factors, the introduction of cotton materials in the design and  production of the cotton hat and other headwear has proceeded without much of a glitch. Fashion designers have purposively integrated the hat into their designs and have allowed the expression of a much greater latitude of freedom in the modern fashion industry. However useful cotton hats deserve the same kind of attention like any other piece of fashion accessory.

As there are many different kinds of fabric, there are also different kinds of cotton fabrics. Hats made of cotton can have polyester enmeshed in the cotton fibers or can be any one of the following kinds: diaper cloth, dimity, drill, duck, flannel, flannelette, gauze, gingham, lawn, muslin, organdy, outing flannel, Oxford, percale, pima cotton, polished cotton, poplin, sailcloth, sateen, seersucker, Swiss, terry cloth, velveteen, and whipcord.
However extensive is the range of cotton materials, they can be cared for by the following general measures that extend the life of these cottony materials.

Follow the directions and or instructions of the manufacturer of the cotton hats and other cotton fabric materials you have. Take special consideration on the recommended temperatures for both washing and drying in order to prevent undue shrinkage. If at all possible, hand wash the hats and other small items from the bulk of laundry that are to be machine washed. Use gentle liquid detergents or even specially formulated hand washing detergents. You can use bleach but use them sparingly because bleach, like all other chemicals, can significantly weaken the cotton fibers, especially the pure cotton ones.

If you need to machine wash the hat and put them in the spin dryer, make sure to remove them with them when they are not yet 100 percent dry. They should not feel wet to the touch but you can somehow feel a certain degree of moisture in the fabric. This should render the cotton hat retain its fluffy and comfortable state. To maximize the softness of the cotton fibers in the hat, you can reduce the amount of detergent used. You can also try to mix the detergent first in the wash water before you put in the cotton hats in order to reduce the likelihood of residue buildup. Residue buildup can greatly diminish the cotton fabric’s softness.

Do not attempt to use silicon based fabric softeners because these only leave behind a waxy film which covers the porous nature of the cotton fibers. When these "pores" are blocked, the cotton cannot "breathe" and it becomes uncomfortable to wear. Also, there are some fabric softeners that have added scents which can be allergenic to some persons.

Make sure to separate the light colored hats from the dark colored ones to minimize the chances of cross staining. Cotton fibers are excellent absorbers of dyes and, depending on the detergent used and the type of cotton fiber, they can readily take on other colors as well. Never wash these items together with garments or clothing that have zippers or hooks or any other metallic extensions to minimize damage to the fibers.

in order to reduce the likelihood of residue buildup. Residue buildup can greatly diminish the cotton fabric’s softness.

Do not attempt to use silicon based fabric softeners because these only leave behind a waxy film which covers the porous nature of the cotton fibers. When these "pores" are blocked, the cotton cannot "breathe" and it becomes uncomfortable to wear. Also, there are some fabric softeners that have added scents which can be allergenic to some persons.

Make sure to separate the light colored hats from the dark colored ones to minimize the chances of cross staining. Cotton fibers are excellent absorbers of dyes and, depending on the detergent used and the type of cotton fiber, they can readily take on other colors as well. Never wash these items together with garments or clothing that have zippers or hooks or any other metallic extensions to minimize damage to the fibers.

Tags: cotton bucket hat | cotton bucket hat | black cotton hat | black cotton hat | cotton hat

Which Retro SUV Should You Be Driving?

Wednesday, June 17th, 2009

The market is over flowing with used discontinued sport utility vehicles. Due to the economic hard times people need the money and are having problems keeping up with the day to day driving maintenance of a used sport utility vehicle. The Ford Bronco II, Chevrolet Blazer, and the Jeep Cherokee can be picked up for a fraction of the original sticker price. They offer good towing if you have a boat or trailer, good extreme weather condition driving, and a great fixer upper for the guy who wants to convert something into a 4×4.

In 1983 the Ford Bronco II Manual was first unveiled and ran through 1999 until it was replaced by the Ford Explorer. 1983 was a hard time for Ford the Pinto created a bad safety reputation for Ford because of the rear end fires it was experiencing. The Ford Bronco II was worried to have the same problem when first introduced; fortunately it did not have the same rear end defects however it performed poorly in the roll over test and still did all the way through its production life. When it debuted in 1983 it had a 2.0L four cylinder hardly enough for even getting through your seasonal snow.  Today you can pick any year up for under fifteen hundred dollars that is if you can find one that has not rusted out. The gas mileage was reasonable due to the little fore banger underneath the hood getting 17 mpg city and 21 mpg highway.

The Chevrolet Blazer Manual has been around for a long time first released in the sixties to the world as full size sport utility vehicle. It now is a midsized sport utility vehicle built on the S10 frame that comes in a two door and fore door option. It is hailed as being an excellent fore wheel drive vehicle by magazines and drivers alike. The most liked features are the engine reliability, styling and affordability. The Blazer has come with many engine variations over the years but for the last ten years it has come with 4.3L 190hp V6 engine. This engine is very easy to self maintain and the replacement parts are easy to come buy new or used. Today you can pick the end year model 2005 for seven to nine thousand dollars, not bad considering it sold new for upwards of twenty five thousand dollars new. The Blazer gets fair marks for gas mileage getting a respectable 16 mpg city and 21 highway.

The Jeep Cherokee first introduced in 1984 quickly started to turn other manufactures heads for its popularity. The Jeep Cherokee Manual has been a long home time favorite in the United States for its styling but not so much for its maintenance history. The Jeep has suffered with power train design problems, transmission problems, and just over all headaches. It’s not really one of your heftier midsized sport utility vehicles and has a limited towing capacity. One good thing is parts new and used are easy to buy and maintenance is a breeze even if you’re just using a manual and have no maintenance experience. Because of its popularity the model ending year 2001 sells for eight thousand dollars compared to its original twenty one thousand dollar sticker price. It gets reasonably good gas mileage with 16 mpg city and 21 mpg highway.

When you answer the add in your local paper to meet someone and take a look at theirs. Make sure to bring along a trusted friend or mechanic with a detailed service manual. From the outside it may look fine but unless you are a trained professional or have some knowledge of vehicles a nightmare is more likely than not to happen after you take ownership of anyone of these vehicles.

first introduced in 1984 quickly started to turn other manufactures heads for its popularity. The Jeep Cherokee Manual has been a long home time favorite in the United States for its styling but not so much for its maintenance history. The Jeep has suffered with power train design problems, transmission problems, and just over all headaches. It’s not really one of your heftier midsized sport utility vehicles and has a limited towing capacity. One good thing is parts new and used are easy to buy and maintenance is a breeze even if you’re just using a manual and have no maintenance experience. Because of its popularity the model ending year 2001 sells for eight thousand dollars compared to its original twenty one thousand dollar sticker price. It gets reasonably good gas mileage with 16 mpg city and 21 mpg highway.

When you answer the add in your local paper to meet someone and take a look at theirs. Make sure to bring along a trusted friend or mechanic with a detailed service manual. From the outside it may look fine but unless you are a trained professional or have some knowledge of vehicles a nightmare is more likely than not to happen after you take ownership of anyone of these vehicles.

Tags: Ford Bronco II | Chevy Blazer | Chevy Blazer | discontinued | SUV | SUV | old | old

How To Simplify The Wedding Items Selection Process

Wednesday, June 17th, 2009

Picking out the items you are going to use for your wedding can be a really fun and exciting process, especially if you are doing so with your friends or with your future spouse. There’s nothing like the thrill of going into the stores and browsing the selection of items which they have and picking out the right one for you and that you know is going to help make your wedding day as perfect as you want it to be.

But with the selection process also comes a problem – and that problem is knowing how to select the one out of all the choices which you are presented with. Obviously when you go shopping for any item, you are going to be presented with a number of options for that same item just that it comes in different varieties and that is where the problem comes in. Say for your wedding if you were choosing items such as the wedding toasting sets which you are going to use during the reception, or the wedding invitations which you are going to send out to your guests, the wedding guest books, personalized ribbons, and personalized napkins just to name a few, all of these are going to come with a variety of options for each category, and the problem you are likely to be faced with is how to choose the right ones.

Definitely you are going to like a few selections for each item category, and it can be tough making the choice of which one out of all that you like is going to be the best choice for you which you are happy with. How do you select the right wedding toasting sets, or the wedding invitations which you are going to send out to your guests, the wedding guest books, personalized ribbons, and personalized napkins?

Here are some steps you could use to help you with the selection process and make it slightly easier on yourself:

•    Wedding toasting sets: you can select these based on the personal preference of what the bride and the groom wants. Usually, the selection for the toasting sets would be crystal or glass, which are some of the more popular choices simply because they look much classier and a lot more elegant. The couple would usually opt to go for items which would make the wedding classically elegant. Of course, there are other selections you can choose to go for, because in this case it really is up to personal preference. If possible however, try to select something which you know is going to last you a lifetime because you never know you might want to reuse them in the future for your wedding anniversaries.

•    Wedding invitations: when it comes to invitations, you would want them to look great and as perfect as possible, since they will be proclaiming the big day to friends and family. When picking out your invitations, try to select something that not only reflects the wedding theme, but is also something which reflects your personality as a couple if possible. You will want to make your invitation as perfect as possible coming close to the theme and the whole feel of the wedding because these are the items which are going to set the mood for the whole wedding for your guests.

•    Wedding guest books: these are going to be a keepsake for you and the groom once the wedding is over and done with, and again you want to think long term and make them as unique as possible, something which you know you will cherish for years to come. And in order to do that, they will have to be something which you know you and the groom both love and it reflects both the personal styles and taste of these two individuals.

•    Personalized ribbons, and personalized napkins: personalized items always stand out a lot more than those that aren’t. Again here, the reason you want to try and go for personalized items is because you want your wedding to stand out from the rest. For the napkins, you can select from a range which includes dinner napkins, luncheon napkins and cocktail napkins, and then personalize them and make them fit and tailored to your wedding theme. The same thing goes for the ribbons, select the material and type which you prefer the best, and then have it tailored and fit to suit your wedding theme.

Selecting the items for your wedding can be a fun and exciting process, and when you have some tips on how you can go about making the selection process easier on yourself, you will enjoy the shopping a whole lot more.

Tags: Wedding toasting sets | Wedding toasting sets | personalized ribbons | personalized ribbons | personalized napkins | personalized napkins | wedding invitations | wedding guest books | wedding guest books

Incorporating Celtic Wedding Bands into Your Vows

Friday, June 12th, 2009

Celtic and Irish weddings are becoming increasingly popular, as people yearn to become or stay in touch with their Irish roots or simply possess a strong affinity for the richness of the culture. Many couples are planning Celtic weddings from start to finish, and nowhere can that be showcased more thoroughly than exchanging Celtic wedding bands during the wedding ceremony.

These rings are one of a kind, carved with lovely Celtic knots and designs like the Claddagh, and are designed with both extreme durability and exquisite craftsmanship in mind. If you have created a Celtic ceremony that already hearkens to many Celtic traditions, exchanging Celtic wedding bands is just another natural step to making your vows as unique as your relationship.

One great idea to keep things as Celtic and Irish-aligned as possible is to think about Celtic associations even before the wedding planning begins. If you want to bring a Celtic flair to your marriage proposal, look no farther than Celtic engagement rings. Just like Celtic wedding bands, Celtic engagement rings will help the center diamonds pop with their Celtic knot work and their romantic lines and designs will be sure to help the answer to the question be a wholehearted "yes."

A Celtic ring is something that is going enable the wearer to stand out in a crowd. Most wedding bands tend to be simple, and while Celtic wedding bands can be simple in their design, their knot work and representation of a country’s rich history is just something that not all couples can say about their own wedding bands.

Many Celtic wedding ceremonies feature a handfasting ceremony. Because the handfasting ceremony involves a literal "tying of the knot" it might be difficult to imagine where exchanging Celtic wedding bands may fit into this. There are a couple options that can work quite well. The first is to quietly give one another the Celtic ring just after the handfasting portion is complete. You do not need to make a big to-do about the rings if you want the ceremony to focus more on the handfasting.

If you want the exchanging of the rings to be noticeably included in your Celtic ceremony, have your officiant tell your guests about the symbolism of your Celtic wedding bands and have them tied to the ribbons that bind your hands during the handfasting ceremony. You can then put them on one another’s fingers during the handfasting ceremony, or do so after you have walked back down the aisle together.

On a similar note, if you are not doing a handfasting vow exchange but are simply reciting traditional Celtic vows to one another, have your officiant speak words about the symbolism of Celtic rings versus that of a traditional wedding band and why you have chosen to give them to one another as a symbol of your devotion and commitment.

You can have your vows printed in your wedding programs so that your guests know what you are speaking to one another, in case it is difficult to hear, and you can include information there about the significance of the Celtic wedding bands. Often times family and friends might not fully understand why you choose to have a ceremony that deviates from what they might feel is traditional, and explaining the choice behind your vows and wedding rings can better involve them in your ceremony.

If you have chosen to wear one of the beautiful Celtic engagement rings, you can also know that your ring will perfectly match the Celtic wedding bands you give to one another during your wedding vows. These jewelry choices will speak volumes about your Celtic vows and ceremony for years to come.

Tags: Celtic engagment rings | Celtic engagment rings | Celtic wedding bands | Celtic rings

Buying Irish Jewelry Online: A Shopper’s Guide

Friday, June 12th, 2009

Shopping for Irish jewelry can be a fun and rewarding experience. When you finally find a jeweler you like and trust, you can end up with beautiful pieces of workmanship that will last a lifetime. However, that can sometimes be muddled by pushy sales people, ugly florescent lighting, misleading advertising and of course, the inevitable battle with finding a parking spot.

There are very reputable jewelers online offering the finest in Irish jewelry like Celtic pendants, and buying your jewelry in this fashion can end up saving you a lot of time, hassle and possibly money. Read on for the top seven tips to buying Irish jewelry online.

Research all potential jewelers thoroughly. As with in person shopping and wandering down a mall’s aisle, it is easy to get drawn into a Celtic jeweler’s website by flashy ads, beautiful pictures of sparkling rings and lines about having the best prices and best selection on the Web.

This is not to suggest that you should not visit these sites-in fact, you might find some hidden gems underneath the glitz and glamor, but proceed with caution. When you come across a Celtic jeweler that you like, ask yourself the following questions: Are there other resources available on the site like information on diamonds? Is there a testimonials section highlighting customer feedback? Is there customer service available to answer any questions about the Irish engagement rings you are considering? Do they offer a "frequently asked questions" section? These things can tell you a lot about the jeweler and if they are someone you should be working with.

Look for Celtic specific certifications
. When looking at any Irish rings online, you want to be sure you are getting the best quality, craftsmanship and durability. Certain Celtic pendants and other Irish jewelry that can be found online bear a hallmark of the Assay master in the Dublin Castle. If you are shopping online, authenticity and quality should be some of your top concerns, and this hallmark can definitely help address that.

Know your Celtic designs, or feel confident in someone who does. Irish rings and other types of Irish jewelry adhere to a long, rich tradition, and with it, beautiful, historical designs and themes. If you don’t know much about Celtic history and symbols, do yourself a favor and visit your local library, chat with a knowledgeable friend or spend some time browsing the Internet. Knowing what knot work you really like and what certain symbols mean can greatly enhance your online shopping experience.

Be specific with your search engine. If you just type in "Celtic jewelry," you are going to get a really wide range of sites and literally thousands of results. If you narrow what you type into your Google search engine, like using "Irish rings" and perhaps even adding something like "silver" or "Trinity knot," you will return results that are more fitted to what you are looking for. The less junky websites you have to weed through, the easier it is for you to shop and find what you are looking for.



Find out about payment options
. The World Wide Web is not always the securest of places. Sometimes confidential information can pop up and leak out, and when you’re spending a significant amount of money on an engagement ring, worrying about the security of your financial information is a huge hassle. If it’s not immediately visible, ask the jeweler how they ensure the security of your ordering information online. Look for an "s" at the end of the "http" beginning to a website’s (on the payment pages) address-this indicates that the website is secure. A locked padlock symbol in the lower left hand corner of a page also indicated a high level of online security.

Tags: Celtic pendants | Celtic pendants | Celtic Jewelry | Celtic Jewelry | Irish jewelry | Irish rings

Anniversary Gift Ideas

Monday, June 8th, 2009

A wedding anniversary is a special time for the married couple because it is reminder of how far they have come together as a married couple celebrating their married life. Marriage is a sacred thing, and it is the union of two individuals who are sharing the rest of their lives together and each year the anniversary they celebrate is a reminder of that.
 
And just like the wedding gifts, the wedding anniversary gifts will serve as reminders of the couple’s married life together and of what they have gone through so far as a couple together. That’s why ideally, the wedding anniversary gifts should be a reflection of that, as in the gifts should reflect the sort of anniversary they are celebrating together.

For example, the 25th anniversary is known as the silver anniversary so the 25th wedding anniversary gifts could be something silver or something which reflect that theme, the 40th wedding anniversary gifts could be something that have a ruby in it or a ruby theme because that is the theme for the 40th wedding anniversary, while the 50th anniversary is known as the golden anniversary so the gifts could be a reflection of that as well.
 
Wedding gifts can be made up of anything the guests think that the couple may like, but if the couple were celebrating their anniversary with a party, then the anniversary wedding party gifts should ideally try to reflect the anniversary theme, or be something that the couple likes.
 
It can be tough selecting a present for any occasion, what more for an occasion as special as a wedding anniversary. Sometimes even the couples themselves have difficulty coming up with some ideas about what they could get their spouse or partner, while close friends and family members might have difficulty coming up with what sort of presents they want to present the couple with. Close friends and family members would have to come up with anniversary wedding party gifts and ideas if the couple were to celebrate it with a party.
Here are some examples of gift ideas that would make good wedding anniversary gifts:
 
•    For the 25th wedding anniversary, the 25th wedding anniversary gifts should ideally be something silver, such as jewelry like necklaces, pendants, earrings and such for the women, and some silver items for men would be silver cufflinks for example, or engraved items which you can personalize yourself. A personalized gift has a lot more meaning to it compared to if you were to just give a gift like that because it reflects the effort you have put into selecting the gift and making it special.

•    For the 40th wedding anniversary, the 40th wedding anniversary gifts should ideally be something that has a ruby in it since it is the ruby year. The gifts could be for example gemstones, and jewelry that has a ruby stone in it perhaps.

•    Gift baskets also make a good anniversary gift, particularly if you have no idea what to get. The gift baskets could be made up of toiletries that the couple could use, or they could be made up of various items that the couple fancies.

•    Another good gift idea is to give the couple something that reminds them of their wedding day. For example, something like a scrapbook collage made up of various photo snapshots of the couple during their wedding. This will make an excellent keepsake gift and something that the couple will treasure because their wedding memories are special to them.
 
Wedding gifts are reminders to the couple of their wedding day and the memories they have built together since being married. The anniversary gifts that the couple present to one another is a way of showing their appreciation for one another, and for the friends and family members, it is a way of showing that they too remember the couple’s special day and want to remind them of it. The anniversary is a celebration of that and no matter what the gift the couple receive on that day, that gift will be something that they will remember because they will always remember it as the gift they received on their anniversary day.

Tags: 40th wedding anniversary gifts | 25th wedding anniversary gifts | wedding anniversary gifts | wedding party gifts | Wedding gifts | Wedding gifts

Use The Best Water Filter For Your Refrigerator

Thursday, June 4th, 2009

All of us know the harmful effects of drinking polluted water. Water must be filtered before consumption to get rid of all the pollutants that are visible and not visible to the naked eye. Chlorine and other chemicals, which are added to drinking water, have adverse effects on the human body. Hence, it is very important that you use filters that not only remove particulate pollutants but also dissolved impurities and chemicals.   

Water filters come in different types. Following is a list of types of water filters:

o    Water Distillers
o    Charcoal water filters
o    Reverse Osmosis
o    Ultraviolet Water Filters
o    Ceramic Water Filters
o    Catalytic Water Filters
o    Magnetic Water Filters
o    Atmospheric Water Generator
o    Infra Red Water Filters
o    Ionized Water Filters

Water filters are used in refrigerators to remove all the unwanted impurities from the water. These filters not only remove the impurities from the water but also remove the odor that is associated with impure water. A refrigerator water filter ensures that all the water that you get from the refrigerator door is pure and suitable for human consumption.

The refrigerator water filters are special types of water filters. These water filters ensure that you not only get pure water but also pure ice.  The refrigerator water filters have a special technique to ward off chemicals such as chlorine and other unwanted elements. These water filters are also effective against harmful living microorganisms such as bacteria.

Drinking water that we get from the taps is sometimes laden with heavy metals. These heavy metals are known to cause dreadful diseases such as cancer. By making sure that your have the right refrigerator water filter, you can breathe a sigh of relief. There are many refrigerator water filters available in the market today. These are fitted not only in refrigerators but also in other appliances such as water coolers or stand-alone ice machines, which are seen in bars or restaurants.

Most refrigerator water filters use carbon filters to filter water. These carbon filters improve the smell and taste of the water and are successful in removing most contaminants that are found in water. Some refrigerator water filters may use a fiber filter, which is also very effective in filtering the water, but generally these types of water filters clog the water dispenser and ice maker. Fiber filters are generally made of strands of spun rayon or cellulose. 

  
With a wide range of refrigerator water filters in the market today, it is very difficult to make a single choice—all of them are good these days. Two of the best water filters are Samsung fridge water filters WSF100 and GE fridge water filters GXRTQ. You can also try the NEFF filters, which are considered to be very durable and easy to install.
 
Like all other water filters, the refrigerator water filters also need to be cleaned or replaced at regular intervals. If the refrigerator water filter gets dirty, there is a possibility that the water which needs to be filtered might not get filtered properly. Modern day refrigerator water filters come with a replaceable water filter cartridges. You need to replace these cartridges at regular intervals to ensure that you get clean and pure water.

Replacing a refrigerator water filter cartridges is not a complex procedure. All you need to do is to read the removal and fitting instructions properly. These instructions are available in the refrigerator user manual or they may be printed on the fridge filters replacement cartridges.        
LG BL9808 fridge filters replacement cartridges are considered to be the best option when you need to replace the fridge filter cartridges.

When do I replace my refrigerator water filter cartridge? This is one question that baffles many people. If you drink the water from the refrigerator on a regular basis then six months is the right time to replace the refrigerator water filter cartridge. If you are not sure of the time duration, check the refrigerator or water filter manual for the recommended norms of filter cartridge replacement.

The taste test is another simple method that can be used to identify the right time of the replacement of your refrigerator water filter cartridge. In this method, all you do is taste the water while drinking and if you find that the water tastes differently, immediately replace the filter cartridge.

Tags: LG BL9808 fridge filters replacement cartridges | LG BL9808 fridge filters replacement cartridges | Samsung fridge water filters WSF100 | Samsung fridge water filters WSF100 | GE fridge water filters GXRTQ | GE fridge water filters GXRTQ | water filters | NEFF | NEFF

Harvey’s, Avery’s and Bristol Cream

Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009

Today the name of Sandeman is associated with the striking and mysterious silhouette of a black-cloaked Spaniard, which was drawn as a speculative poster design by George (Marriot) Brown; it has been their trade mark since 1926. To many wine drinkers, sherry is synonymous with the name of Harvey, and John Harvey & Sons, Ltd, of Bristol, built up a world-wide demand for their wines. It is rather surprising that two Bristol wine merchants, Harvey’s and Avery’s, had two of the most comprehensive lists of sherries in the country.

Of the two firms, Avery’s are slightly older. They were founded in 1793 by Mr. James Russell, and the present managing director, Mr. John Avery, is one of his direct descendants. They have been shipping Bristol Milk from the very earliest days, and there was an inn, owned by one James Orlidge, and possibly a vintner’s business, on the same site in 1756, but it has not yet been possible to trace any direct connection with it. Most of the old records have unfor­tunately been destroyed along with the old vines of Pinotage, Tempranillo, and Dolcetto.

Harvey’s was founded in 1796, when William Perry set up in business in an old house in Denmark Street, Bristol. It was known as Gaunt’s House, and it had a stone doorway and a massive oak door that were much older than the rest of the building; they had belonged to the house occupied by the master of the Hospital des Bonhommes, founded by the Gaunt family centuries earlier. The site of the original hospital was eventually occupied by Colston Hall, but the chapel (dating from 1220) still stands; known as the Lord Mayor’s Chapel, it is just behind Harvey’s offices.

The extensive cellars were older still and once formed part of the ancient monastery of St Augustine, whose orchards stretched down to the river where Orchard Street now stands. The original buildings were destroyed during an air-raid in 1940, but the modern offices stand on exactly the same site. Bristol is one of the most ancient and historic ports in England; it was already important by the time of the Norman Conquest, and wines such as Sangiovese, Mourvedre, and Barbera wines were landed in considerable quantities during the twelfth century.

From then on, Bristol was one of the principal ports for the wine trade in the United Kingdom, a position it retains to this day. The center of the city is built over a maze of cellars. Bristol Milk is the traditional style of dessert sherry that has been imported for centuries; the earliest known reference to it occurs in a British Museum manuscript dated 1634. In 1643, Colonel Fiennes was tried for failing to hold the city against Prince Rupert and it was said in evidence that the Bristol garrison might have held out, especially being furnished with good store of Bristol Milk.

Fuller’s History of the Worthies of England asserts that, “Some will have it called Milk because . . . such Wine is the first moisture, given Infants in this City.” If that were so, there can be no wonder that it bred great mariners. Bristol Cream, on the other hand, dates only from the nine­teenth century and is a proprietary brand of Harvey’s. They intended to introduce a new dessert sherry blended with an even older oloroso than that in Bristol Milk, but had not decided what to call it when a lady visited their offices and was given a glass of Bristol Milk; then she asked to try a sample of the new sherry, and she gave the wine its name: “If the first was Bristol Milk, then this must surely be Bristol Cream?”

There are stories behind the names of several other sherries on Harvey’s list, for instance Reina Victoria was the favorite sherry of Queen Victoria Eugenia of Spain; Bank was served in the boardroom of Harvey’s bankers in Bristol, while Anita was named after the daughter of a former partner. From the very beginning, William Perry concentrated on selling sherry and port, though he also dealt in spirits, madeira, and other Peninsular wines such as Lisbon, Pinotage, Sangiovese, Dolcetto, bucellas, calcavella, and moun­tain; he imported small quantities of claret, hock, and canary wine; but he did no business in burgundy, nor in the Italian wines. He also dealt in leather.

Tags: barbera wines | barbera wines | tempranillo | tempranillo | sangiovese | sangiovese | mourvedre | mourvedre | dolcetto | dolcetto | pinotage | pinotage