YEAH! Peak of the Week 8/16 Benefit Concert, Is it REAL?, Swim Club

Winery Happenings
Next Wednesday, 8/23 the highly anticipated 2023 Fall Yeah! Wine Release lands - offering you the most energetic and sought after wines of the season. It is not to be missed. Wine previews of the four new wines are headed your way soon, and this is undoubtedly the right time to join the Yeah! Club. Save the date, as this Extradimensional run of wines is sure to go fast.

Flood Recovery
If you’re anywhere within even slightly unreasonable driving distance from Saratoga Springs New York’s legendary SPAC venue, plan to attend Phish’s Vermont Flood Recovery Benefit on 8/25 and 8/26. Every day the news is rife with yet another climate change related calamity (stay tuned for our efforts to support Maui on opening weekend of the Yeah! Tasting Room), and this summer proved even the normally placid Green Mountain State isn’t immune to the insanity. Last month floods decimated entire Vermont communities, particularly in the state capital of Montpellier. Phish is rallying for two days of jams sweeter than maple syrup so we can all dance ourselves clean while helping their home state rebuild, and what excuse could you possibly have for not attending?

Real or Fake?
Okay so there’s this video making its way around social media that shows a dolphin rescuing a small dog that allegedly fell overboard. It’s amazing, and I’m not even slightly ashamed to admit I’ve passed it along more than once. Who doesn’t love a heartwarming story of unlikely animal friends? What could be more life affirming in these dark and troubled times? Now, the real question is, is it real? Did a hyper-intelligent compassionate mammal see a doomed doggo and rush to the rescue IRL? Do you really want to know? Does it matter? Why can’t we just have a moment of unfettered joy here? Oh, fine. I’ll tell you. No, this did not happen, at least not as it appears. The clip is from 1997’s Zeus and Roxanne, a no-doubt wonderful buddy film between Zeus, the dog, and Roxanne, the dolphin. How do you not know this movie, you ask? Well, considering the scathing New York Times review that called out the animals for ‘over-acting,’ I’m guessing it was on a ‘straight to the sale section of your local Blockbuster’ track. Whatever, it’s cute-as-hell and I’ll take what I can get in the dopamine department.

Dive In
Swim Club. Our dear friends at Valley, Sonoma’s hottest restaurant (and my admitted club house) are poised to open their sister restaurant Swim Club just across town. With a vibe that evokes ‘New England flavors, sur aesthetics, and late 60s naturalism’ with a farm-to-table elevated diner experience plus coffee and pastries in the morning, it’s impossible not to be excited. Named for the bathing culture of our local hot springs and the Olompali Swim Club, a commune located near and frequented by the Grateful Dead in the late 60’s, it’s bound to be an amazing place to grab a bite before or after you visit the new Yeah! Tasting Room, opening 9/1!

*James Joiner is at again as writer for the Peak of the Week. He is a gem and we are grateful!

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