Art and Wine Festival

After attending a couple of vegan beer fests and jpop summit recently, I told myself to start avoiding activities where there are large amounts of people. This epiphany was based on a couple of factors, one being the fact that I don’t really care for other humans, and the other being that I don’t have the patience to wait in long lines before getting what I want.

So, when I found out there was an art & wine festival a few blocks from my house, I was a bit hesitant to attend. However, the thought of walking around carrying my polka dotted wine glass helped me get over any doubts I may have had. Since I wasn’t sure what vegan wine options there would be, we started our walk with a glass of wine from home called Barrel 27 High on the Hog from 2010.

Upon arrival, I was pleasantly surprised to find that it wasn’t as crowded as the events that had scared me away from attending such festivals. There was far more art than wine for sure, and the only vineyard I actually talked with was Bonterra, where I discovered that their white wines are vegan, but not their reds. Another benefit of their winery is that they’re not only organic, but biodynamic. I think I might visit their winery next time I’m in Mendocino. In case you’re ever unsure whether a wine is vegan, and you don’t have the opportunity to talk with the winery in person, the barnivore website is a good resource (they also have a phone app called vegaholic).

Some of the art we saw that we liked included a woodworking booth where we bought the cutest cutting board and serving tray (it’s reversible!) I have ever seen. It’s made by a small shop called Hardwood Creations that’s located near Sacramento, and they used 6 or 7 different types of wood in it.

There was also a vendor there that made the most adorable dresses, but they’re only in kiddo sizes. Why do kids get all the cute clothes?! So, I of course had to come straight home and make a similar (but enormous) dress to fit me.

Since I have no boobs, I made the back and front the exact same size and shape, so I can choose each day which way I want to wear it. Maybe I was secretly trying to follow the reversible theme that my new cutting board had spawned.

Another enticing thing I saw at the festival was a little girl eating a delicious looking ice cream cone. I don’t think downtown Mountain View serves vegan ice cream cones anywhere, so I decided to make my own at home.

I started with a box of plain cones.

Next, I melted about a third of a bag of chocolate chips.

While the chocolate was melting, I gathered up some sprinkles and such. I know it can be difficult to find vegan sprinkles, trust me, I’m constantly on the lookout. Here are a couple of brands that I know of that are vegan, but if you have other suggestions, please comment below. One thing I’ve been looking for forever that I can’t seem to find is vegan star-shaped sprinkles. I have them on my tattoo, but have never had them in real life. If you know where to get them, I might propose marriage.

Once the chocolate is melted, dip the cone into it.

Next, before the chocolate dries, dip the cones into vegan sprinkles (or shredded coconut or cookie crumbs or mini chocolate chips or anything really).

Then let them air dry. Or if you’re impatient like me and have been craving an ice cream cone since you saw a little girl eating one hours before, then stick them in the freezer for 10-15 minutes.

Once the chocolate has hardened, top with ice cream. I’ve been on this kick for the past couple of months where I only want to eat the chocolate salted caramel ice cream from Steve’s, because basically all other ice cream tastes subpar after having that kind.

So, yeah, that’s how the art & wine festival basically wrote the agenda for my entire day.