No'Ala Huntsville, November/December 2014

Christmas to Go: Goodies to Give | Four Huntsville Portrait Painters | Stirring Up the Still: The New Moonshine

WISHING YOU PEACE & JOY OUR ANNUAL HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

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M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S TA U R A N T S , I N C L U D I N G : D S W S H O E S

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B R I DGE S TREET TOWN CE NTRE IS LOCATE D AT E X I T 1 4 O F F I - 5 6 5 AT O L D M AD I SO N PI KE november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

November/December

16

features

WINE SCIENCE German native Bjoern Lanwer wants to take Huntsville from high-tech to wine-tech.

BY ALLEN TOMLINSON PHOTOS BY PATRICK HOOD

28 THE ART OF ALABAMA FOOD A delicious photography exhibit celebrates the very best of Alabama cuisine.

BY ALLEN TOMLINSON PHOTOS BY BECKY

LUIGART-STAYNER

Flower Pins/Hair Clip ($24 ea.)

Kami Watson Studio www.kamiwatsonstudio.com

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BIG HOLIDAY G

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We’ve got the inside track on the coolest gifts around—all from just down the street and around the corner!

Y O U R G UI

OUR HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

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SH O P PIN G LO

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76

PHOTOS BY PATRICK HOOD PRODUCED BY SARA WRIGHT

COVINGTON

© Patrick Hood

CHRISTMAS TO GO

20 A CHRISTMAS STORY Some ornaments are more than just decorations.

PHOTOS BY PATRICK HOOD

It’s beginning to taste a lot like Christmas.

PHOTOS BY PATRICK HOOD

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editor’s letter « Allen Tomlinson

no’ala huntsville advisory board Osie Adelfang ARC Design-Build, Inc. Sarah Brewer Click Photo Designs by Sarah Brewer Madeline Boswell Finery Bridal Boutique Macy Chapman Downtown Huntsville, Inc. Jennifer Doss Huntsville Hospital Leslie Ecklund Burritt on the Mountain Marcia Freeland Lowe Mill Arts & Entertainment Dan Halcomb Huntsville Symphony Orchestra Elizabeth Jones Burritt on the Mountain Ginger Penney Liles Guy McClure Athens State University Patrick Robbins Alabama Pain Center Ashley Vaughn White Rabbit Studios/Vertical Records Charles Vaughn Vaughn Lumber Company Anna Baker Warren Anna Baker Warren Interiors Andrew Wilmon Broadway Theatre League

These are a few of my favorite things.

Ready or not, here it comes—the holiday season is approaching at lightning speed.

It’s hectic, it can be stressful, it sometimes rushes by in a blur—but it can be the most wonderful time of the year. The smell of a Christmas tree that we handpicked, draped in some of the ugliest but most meaningful ornaments from our families; the taste of cranberry-banana bread and that special Christmas fudge we only make this time of year; the sounds of choirs singing all of our favorites, especially “Oh, Holy Night”; the warmth of family and friends, regardless of how cold it gets outside. These are a few of my favorite things; I’ll bet your list of seasonal favorites is as long as mine, if not longer.

One of the best parts about living in this special place is the fact that everything you could possibly need or want, as you consider gift giving, can be found here. Think I’m exaggerating? Take a look at the buying guide for this year, where we showcase a small sample of the delightful offerings available from our local merchants. I’d like to suggest an early New Year’s resolution, as you consider the gifts you will give: Shop the Tennessee Valley! Not only will the gifts be the best in the world, but shopping locally is like giving a gift to our community, by encouraging local retailers and making sure your tax revenues stay local. It makes sense in so many ways—and there’s certainly no need to go anywhere else!

I’m making another early resolution this season: I’m going to try to slow down and enjoy this hectic time of year. I may not be able to go to every event or see every friend I want to see, but I plan to live more in the moment and soak it all in. No matter how you say it or celebrate it—Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Holidays—everyone here at No’Ala Studios wishes you and yours a joyous season, filled with all of your favorite things.

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contents

66

HOLD THAT POSE: The resurgence of portrait painting Above: Artist Robert Bean, by Patrick Hood

everything else 8

No’Ala Huntsville is published six times annually

by No’Ala Studios PO Box 2530, Florence, AL 35630 Phone: (800) 779-4222 | Fax: (256) 766-4106 Web: noalastudios.com

CALENDAR Events for November-December 2014

14

CRYIN’ OUT LOUD

Standard postage paid at Huntsville, AL. A one-year subscription is $19.95 for delivery in the United States.

Signed articles reflect only the views of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editors.

Advertisers are solely responsible for the content of their advertisements.

“The Shoes of My Former Self”

BY SARA WRIGHT COVINGTON

88

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 Volume 3: Issue 6 ••• Editor-In-Chief C. Allen Tomlinson Chief Operating Officer Matthew Liles Creative Director David Sims Advertising Director Heidi King Advertising Sales Roseanna Cox, Heidi King Features Manager Roy Hall Graphic Designer Rowan Finnegan Retail Product Manager Sara Wright Covington Proofreader Carole Maynard Intern Kali Daniel ••• Contributing Writers Amy Collins, Sara Wright Covington, Sarah Gaede, Roy Hall, David Sims, Allen Tomlinson ••• Contributing Photographers Patrick Hood, Danny Mitchell •••

BLESS THEIR HEARTS “New Year’s Evil”

BY DAVID SIMS

© 2008-2014 No’Ala Studios, All rights reserved.

90

THE VINE “The King & Queen of Nebbiolo”

BY AMY COLLINS

92

FOOD FOR THOUGHT “Nutty for Fruitcake”

BY SARAH GAEDE

94

PARTING SHOT

BY DANNY MITCHELL

34 STIRRING UP THE STILL Bringing moonshine into the light of day: two Bullock County brew masters put Alabama spirits on the map.

BY SARA WRIGHT

COVINGTON PHOTOS BY PATRICK HOOD

Send all correspondence to Allen Tomlinson, Editor, at the postal address above, or by e-mail to allen@noalastudios.com.

Letters may be edited for space and style.

To advertise, contact us at (256) 766-4222, or sales@noalastudios.com.

The editor will provide writer’s guidelines upon request.

Prospective authors should not submit unsolicited manuscripts; please query the editor first.

No’Ala is printed with vegetable-based inks.

Please recycle.

Connect with us on Facebook: No’Ala Huntsville and Twitter: @NoAla_Magazine

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

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calendar

Saturday, November 1 – Sunday, November 2 The Rocky Horror Show Fri and Sat Midnight and Fri 7:00pm; Admission charged; Renaissance Theatre, 1214 Meridian St; (256) 536-3117; renaissancetheatre.net Saturday, November 1 – Saturday, November 22 Madison City Farmers Market (Saturdays only) 9:00am-Noon; Free; Trinity Baptist Church, 1088 Hughes Rd, Madison; (256) 656-7841; madisoncityfarmersmarket.com Saturday, November 1 – Saturday, December 27 Downtown Dish: Walking Tour and Food Tasting (Saturdays only) 11:00am-2:00pm; Admission charged; Various locations, starting point given with ticket purchase; (800) 656-0713; huntsvillefoodtours.com Saturday, November 1 – Sunday, January 18, 2015 Ginny Ruffner: Aesthetic Engineering Tues-Sat 11:00am-4:00pm and until 8:00pm on Thurs, and Sun 1:00pm-4:00pm; Admission charged, Free to members and children under 6; Huntsville Museum of Art, 300 Church St W; (256) 535-4350; hsvmuseum.org Saturday, November 1 – Sunday, February 8, 2015 South by Southeast: Masters of Studio Glass Tues-Sat 11:00am-4:00pm and until 8:00pm on Thurs, and Sun 1:00pm-4:00pm; Admission charged, Free to members and children under 6; Huntsville Museum of Art, 300 Church St W; (256) 535-4350; hsvmuseum.org Saturday, November 1 Fall Color Special Train Excursion 10:00am and 1:00pm; Admission charged; 694 Chase Road; (256) 851-6276; northalabamarailroadmuseum.com The Addams Family: The Musical 7:30pm; Admission charged; 2500 Meridian Street; (256) 415-7469; imphuntsville.org Shuffle 5k and Fun Run to benefit Secret Meals for Hungry Children 7:00am; Registration fee; UAH Fitness Center; secretmeals.org Monday, November 3 Lecture Series: 50th Anniversary of the Vietnam War 10:00am-1:30pm; Free; Jackson Conference Center, 6001 Moquin Dr; (256) 922-9300; landtrust-hsv.org Thursday, November 6 Loretta Lynne in concert 8:00pm; Admission charged; Von Braun Concert Hall, 700 Monroe St; (256) 533-1953; vonbrauncenter.com Friday, November 7 – Sunday, November 9 Craft Show: Under the Christmas Tree Fri-Sat 10:00am-7:00pm, Sun Noon-5:00pm; Admission charged;

Von Braun Center South Hall, 700 Monroe St; (256) 799-6100; underthechristmastree.net Friday, November 7 – Friday, December 26 (Fridays only) Friday Night Artists Market 5:00pm-8:00pm; Free; Flying Monkey Theatre at Lowe Mill, 2211 Seminole Dr; (256) 489-7000; flyingmonkeyarts.org Saturday, November 8 – Sunday, January 11, 2015 Georges Rouault: Cirque de L’Etoile Filante Tues-Sat 11:00am-4:00pm and until 8:00pm on Thurs, and Sun 1:00pm-4:00pm; Admission charged, Free to members and children under 6; Huntsville Museum of Art, 300 Church St W; (256) 535-4350; hsvmuseum.org Looking at the Collection: American Impressionist Women Tues-Sat 11:00am-4:00pm and until 8:00pm on Thurs, and Sun 1:00pm-4:00pm; Admission charged, Free to members and children under 6; Huntsville Museum of Art, 300 Church St W; (256) 535-4350; hsvmuseum.org Saturday, November 8 Rocket City Half Marathon 8:00am; Cost TBD; Hillwood Baptist Church, 300 Kohler; (256) 882-3706 Monday, November 10 Place, Not Race: Sheryll Cashin on a New Vision of Opportunity in America 6:30pm-8:00pm; Free; Huntsville-Madison County Public Library, 915 Monroe St; (256) 532-2362; hmcpl.org Tuesday, November 11 Veterans Day Parade 11:00am; Free; Downtown; (256) 533-4848; waff.com Veterans Memorial Museum Open House Noon-4:00pm; Free; 2060A Airport Road; (256) 883-3737; memorialmuseum.org Tuesday, November 11 – Sunday, March 15, 2015 101 Inventions That Changed the World Sun-Mon 9:00am-5:00pm; $20 adults, $15 children 6-12, Free children under 6; Space & Rocket Center, One Tranquility Base; (256) 837-3400; rocketcenter.com Wednesday, November 12 – Sunday, November 16 Picasso at the Lapin Agile Wed-Sat 7:30pm and Sun 2:30pm; Admission charged; UAH Chan Auditorium; (256) 824-6871; uah.edu/theatre Thursday, November 13 Voices of Our Times: Frances Mayes 7:00pm; Admission charged; Loretta Spencer Hall, Huntsville Museum of Art, 300 Church St W; (256) 535-4350; hsvmuseum.org Knitting Between the Lines: A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness Noon-1:00pm; Free; Huntsville-Madison County Public Library, 1409 Weatherly Plaza SE; (256) 881-0257; hmcpl.org

Friday, November 14 – Sunday, November 16 Over the River and Through the Woods Fri and Sat 7:30pm, Sun 2:00pm; Admission charged; Von Braun Playhouse, 700 Monroe St; (256) 536-0807; yourseatiswaiting.org Friday, November 14 Assad Brothers Concert 7:30pm; Admission charged; Trinity United Methodist Church, 607 Airport Rd; (256) 489-7415; hcmg.us HSO Presents: And the Beat Goes On 7:30pm; Admission charged; Von Braun Concert Hall, 700 Monroe St; (256) 539-4818; hso.org Saturday, November 15 – Monday, November 17 Galaxy of Lights Walking Nights 5:30pm-7:30pm; Admission charged; Huntsville Botanical Gardens, 4747 Bob Wallace Ave; (256) 830-4747; hsvbg.org Saturday, November 15 – Sunday, March 1, 2015 Grandma Moses: Visions of America Tues-Sat 11:00am-4:00pm and until 8:00pm on Thurs, and Sun 1:00pm-4:00pm; Admission charged, Free to members and children under 6; Huntsville Museum of Art, 300 Church St W; (256) 535-4350; hsvmuseum.org Saturday, November 15 Krispy Kreme Challenge 8:00am; Admission charged to race; 605 Clinton Ave; (256) 859-4900; ucphuntsville.org Sunday, November 16 Casual Classics Series: Dinner Divertimento 5:30pm; Admission charged; EarlyWorks Children’s Museum, Grand Hall, 404 Madison St; (256) 539-4818; hso.org Monday, November 17 2014 Tie the Ribbons Fundraiser for Genomic Research 11:30am; $60; U.S. Space and Rocket Center, Davidson Center for Space Exploration; (256) 327-0422; hudsonalpha.org/ tietheribbons Galaxy of Lights Walking Nights with the Dogs 5:30pm-7:30pm; Admission charged; Huntsville Botanical Gardens, 4747 Bob Wallace Ave; (256) 830-4747; hsvbg.org Thursday, November 20 – Sunday, November 23 The Foreigner Thur-Fri 7:30pm, Sat 2:30pm and 7:00pm, Sun 2:30pm; Admission charged; Lee High School, 2500 Meridian Street; (256) 415-7469; imphuntsville.org Thursday, November 20 Junior League of Huntsville New Members Open House 4:30pm-6:30pm; Free; 4650 Whitesburg Dr, Ste 203; jlhuntsville.com Night at the Ballet with Alabama Youth Ballet Theatre 6:00pm; Free; Huntsville-Madison County Public Library, 915 Monroe St; (256) 532-5982; hmcpl.org

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

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calendar

Friday, November 21 – Sunday, November 23 Over the River and Through the Woods Fri and Sat 7:30pm, Sun 2:00pm; Admission charged; Von Braun Playhouse, 700 Monroe St; (256) 536-0807; yourseatiswaiting.org Friday, November 21 – Tuesday, November 25 Galaxy of Lights Walking Nights 5:30pm-7:30pm; Admission charged; Huntsville Botanical Gardens, 4747 Bob Wallace Ave; (256) 830-4747; hsvbg.org Friday, November 21 – Sunday, January 4, 2015 Skating in the Park Mon-Thurs 2:00pm-10:00pm, Fri 2:00pm-Midnight, Sat 10:00amMidnight & Sun Noon-8:00pm; Admission charged; Huntsville Museum of Art, 300 Church St W; (256) 535-4350; hsvmuseum.org

Tuesday, December 2 Galaxy of Lights Fun Run 6:30pm-8:30pm; Admission charged; Huntsville Botanical Gardens, 4747 Bob Wallace Ave; (256) 830-4447; hsvbg.org Thursday, December 4 Christmas Around the World 7:00pm; Free, donations accepted; First Presbyterian Church, 307 Gates Ave; hsvmasterchorale.org Friday, December 5 – Saturday, December 6 Kris Kringle’s Candlelight Christmas 4:30pm-9:00pm; Admission charged; Burritt on the Mountain, 3101 Burritt Dr; (256) 536-2882; burrittonthemountain.com Friday, December 5 – Sunday, December 7

Friday, November 21

Ice Skating: Ava’s One Wish Fri-Sun 7:00pm and Sat and Sun 2:00pm; Admission charged; Wilcoxon Municipal Ice Complex, 3185 Leeman Ferry Rd; (256) 883-3774; iceskate.org

Thanksgiving: Music of Mendelssohn, Rutter, and Paulus 7:30pm; Admission charged; First Baptist Church, 600 Governors Dr; (256) 533-6606; thechorus.org

Da Nutcracker Fri-Sat 7:00pm, Sun 2:30pm; Admission charged; Renaissance Theatre, 1214 Meridian St; (256) 536-3117; renaissancetheatre.net

Saturday, November 22

NEACE Christmas Craft Show Fri-Sat 9:00am-7:00pm, Sun Noon-5:00pm; Free; Von Braun South Hall, 700 Monroe St; (256) 533-1953; neaca.org

No Place Like Home 5K benefiting CASA of Madison County 8:00am; $20; Vencore-Cummings Research Park, Madison; casamadisoncty.org Monday, November 24 Galaxy of Lights Walking Nights with the Dogs 5:30pm-7:30pm; Admission charged; Huntsville Botanical Gardens, 4747 Bob Wallace Ave; (256) 830-4747; hsvbg.org Thursday, November 27 Annual 5K Turkey Trot Run 7:00am; Admission charged; UAH, 205 Spragins Avenue NW; (256) 716-4052; csna.org Friday, November 28 – Tuesday, December 23 Santa’s Village 5:00pm-9:00pm; Admission charged; Alabama Constitution Village, 109 Gates Ave; (256) 564-8100; earlyworks.com/santasvillage Monday, December 1 - Thursday, December 4 EarlyWorks Society presents: Supper with Santa 4:30pm and 6:00pm; $15 (includes admission to Santa’s Village); EarlyWorks Children’s Museum Grand Hall, 404 Madison St; (256) 564-8100; earlyworks.com

A Christmas Carol Fri-Sun 7:00pm and Sat and Sun 2:00pm; Admission charged; Von Braun Playhouse, 700 Monroe St; (256) 539-6829; letthemagicbegin.org The Nutcracker Fri-Sun 7:00pm and Sat and Sun 2:00pm; Admission charged; Lee High School, 2500 Meridian St; (256) 881-5930; alabamayouthballet.org Friday, December 5 Peace on Earth Time TBA; Admission charged; Von Braun Concert Hall, 700 Monroe St; (256) 533-6606; thechorus.org Saturday, December 6 Downtown Madison Historic Homes Tour 11:00am-3:00pm; $10; Downtown Madison; historicmadisonstation.com Sunday, December 7 Christmas Around the World 3:00pm; Free, donations accepted; Monte Sano Methodist Church, 601 Monte Sano Blvd; hsvmasterchorale.org

Monday, December 1

Thursday, December 11 – Sunday, December 14

Galaxy of Lights 5k 6:30pm-8:30pm; Admission charged; Huntsville Botanical Gardens, 4747 Bob Wallace Ave; (256) 830-4447; hsvbg.org

Da Nutcracker Thur-Sat 7:00pm and Sun 2:30; Admission charged; Renaissance Theatre, 1214 Meridian St; (256) 536-3117; renaissancetheatre.net

A Christmas Carol Thur-Fri 7:00pm, Sat 2:00pm and 7:00pm, Sun 2:00pm; Admission charged; Von Braun Playhouse, 700 Monroe St; (256) 539-6829; letthemagicbegin.org

Christmas Concert: U.S. Army Four-Star Jazz Orchestra and Rocket City Jazz Orchestra 7:00pm-9:00pm; Free; Huntsville-Madison County Public Library, 915 Monroe St; (256) 532-5975; hmcpl.org

Friday, December 12 – Sunday, December 14

Monday, December 15 – Tuesday, December 16

The Nutcracker Fri and Sat 7:30pm, Sat 2:00pm, Sun 1:00pm; Admission charged; Von Braun Concert Hall, 700 Monroe St; (256) 539-0961; huntsvilleballet.org

Holiday Puppet Show: The Gingerbread Man Mon 10:30am, Tue 10:30am and 4:00pm; Free; Huntsville-Madison County Public Library, 915 Monroe St; (256) 532-5982; hmcpl.org Wednesday, December 17 – Sunday, December 21

Saturday, December 13 Cosmic Carols and Cocoa 9:00am-5:00pm; Included with Admission/Membership; US Space and Rocket, One Tranquility Base; (256) 837-3400; ussrc.com Saturday with Santa 10:00am, 11:30am, 1:00pm, 3:30pm; $15 members; $25 non-members; Huntsville Botanical Gardens, 4747 Bob Wallace Ave, Huntsville; (256) 830-4447; hsvbg.org Holiday Concert at the Library 7:00pm-9:00pm; Free; Huntsville-Madison Public Library, 915 Monroe St; (256) 532-5940; hmcpl.org Joys to the World 4:00pm and 7:30pm; Admission charged; Latham United Methodist Church, 109 Weatherly Rd; (256) 533-6606; thechorus.org Rocket City Marathon and Free Concert 8:00am; Free; 401 Williams Ave; (256) 650-7063; huntsvilletrackclub.org

Sanders Family Christmas Wed-Sat 7:00pm and Sat and Sun 2:30 pm; Admission charged; Old Country Church at Burritt on the Mountain, 3101 Burritt Dr; (256) 536-3117; renaissancetheatre.net Friday, December 19 The Aulos Ensemble: A Baroque Christmas 7:30pm; Admission charged; Trinity United Methodist Church, 607 Airport Rd; (256) 489-7415; hcmg.us Wednesday, December 31 Have Yourself a Jazzy Little New Year 8:00pm-1:00am; Admission charged; Huntsville Museum of Art, 300 Church St W; (256) 535-4350; hsvmuseum.org Pops Concert: Music from the Mad Men era 7:30pm; Admission charged; Von Braun Concert Hall, 700 Monroe St; (256) 539-4818; hso.org

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

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scene

Lee Anne and George Smith, and David Lucas Carole Jones, Amelia Summerville, Brenda Milberger, and Buddy Jones Pam and Tony Gann Ed and Sharon Gartrell

Row 1: Michael Ahearn, Ricky Peek, Pam Gann, Tony Gann, Randy Roper; Row 2: Wayne Bonner, Trey Bentley, David Lucas; Row 3: Kevin Webber, Mark Russell

Linda Akenhead and Frances Huffman

Above: HSO Advisors’ Cocktail Party august ,  · the home of pam and tony gann

Ken Rivenbark, Charlie Bonner, and Lee Anne Bostick

Sally Ennis © Photos by Mark Jaeger Photography

Below: Kick-Off Party for the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra’s production of Georgia Bottoms august -, 

Lila Frank and Angie Yeager Dan Halcomb, Rebecca Nelsen, Jennifer Doss, and Mark Childress Hazel Mascarenhas and Gregory Vajda Susan Todd and Donna Rush

Chris Wesley and Patrick Robbins

Mark Childress and Gregory Vajda

* Names for photos are provided by the organization or business featured.

Rebecca Nelsen

Buddy Little, Beth Wise, Allen Tomlinson, Maggie LIttle, and Sam Yeager Xx

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

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cryin’ out loud » Sara Wright Covington

THE SHOES OF MY FORMER SELF “It’s fine,” I told my husband last week in response to his raised eyebrows as I headed out the door to my friend Lindsey’s house with a baby and a bottom-less child in tow. “We are the kind of friends that it’s completely okay for me to bring our potty-training, diaper-less two-year-old over to her house. And if there is an accident on her rug, it is what it is. She has kids.” My name is Sara. And I have become THAT friend—the woman with kids whom I judged in airports and restaurants, in line at the grocery store, in waiting rooms, at weddings, and at work. For YEARS. I’m the ex-corporate career girl who remembers having conversations over coffee with the same aforementioned friend about women who were everywhere with their wild, leash-less children. Didn’t they have rules about kids at Starbucks? Now I am the mother in the checkout line at Target hurriedly opening Goldfish to shove into my child’s mouth to stop her from having a total meltdown, while simultaneously attempting to hold my ten-month-old with my free arm, because I’ve already been stopped and lectured about how I needed to buckle her into the seat. There is wetness in the front seat of the cart. I pretend it is condensation from the carton of orange juice and smile sweetly at the cashier as I pry the Goldfish from my loudly protesting child so I can pay for the half-consumed bag. The cashier doesn’t smile back. If my 24-year-old self had been looking onto this scene, she would have rolled her eyes, shifted her arm-basket full of wine, cheese, and fashion magazines, and

For me e, it has been n a surrender of self to bec come someo one else— someone my 24-ye ear-o old self wo would have fought madly y aga ainst. likely gotten in another line. But that’s the difference a good ten years, a marriage, and a couple of kids can make. I used to wear skirts and stilettos every day and talk about things like “website visibility” and “top of mind awareness.” Now I spend my part-time working/full-time mama days in jeans and T-shirts asking myself absent questions like “is it babies or dogs you aren’t supposed to give chocolate to?”

I honestly have very few moments throughout the day when I am not attempting to multi-task in some way. Most days I hold a baby in my lap while answering emails and singing Disney songs aloud for the demanding two-year-old who is dancing around my desk. My correspondence is everscattered, as my inner monologue is mostly set to the Frozen soundtrack.

But I still cherish these sweet, albeit exhausting, days of multi-tasking motherhood, because I know they are fleeting. Being a mother is sweet and consuming. It’s full and it’s lonely. It’s hilarious and maddening. It’s joyful and it’s aching.

For me, it has been a surrender of self to become someone else—someone my 24-year-old self would have fought madly against. Having a bad day at work used to mean shutting my office door and putting my head down on my desk; now it means hiding in my closet and whining on the phone to a friend, at least until my little co-workers come and find me. And although that girl in her 20s might have been a lot more fun, and life has gotten heavier with responsibility, there is also a simplicity to life now that makes it so much lovelier. Now instead of cocktails and concerts in loud venues, I’m most in my element at home watching my baby daughter sleep, my hand resting on her back to feel the gentle tides of her infant breathing—the often irregular rhythm causing me to catch my own breath at times. And these days there is a comfort in silence that is effortless and easy, and I fully embrace the moments when my husband and I can sit in a room together and just be. At 34, I know who my friends are, and I would rather relax on one of their back porches with a box (yeah, I said box) of wine with my bare feet propped up than sit in a crowded hot-spot drinking martinis and attempting to shout conversation at each other over all the din.

Somewhere along the way, the idea has taken root that women can “have it all,” and I’m not even entirely certain of what that means. The women in my life are constant sources of inspiration and fascination for me. They work full time, stay home full time, travel, parent, make organic gluten-free cupcakes, host dinner parties, go to the gym, and never fail to send thank-you notes. And if you ask any one of them how they manage to do it all and make it work, almost every one of them would look at you with wide eyes and say, “I don’t!” Because the truth is—something, somewhere, almost always has to give. I believe that “having it all” might be whatever version of life it is that makes you happy. For me, it has meant quitting a job that was giving me ulcers and stopping over-committing myself in general. I’m also learning to let go of things that just don’t seem to matter in the grand scheme. I’m never going to be someone who buys all her Christmas gifts in July; there will never be any rhyme or reason to the contents of my closets and kitchen drawers; I’m likely never going to enjoy cooking, and no matter where I go, I’m always going to look just a little bit disheveled. But it is okay with me that those stilettos are collecting dust in my closet, my free-time is spent catching up on DVR’d shows, and socializing with friends usually revolves around a football game or a child’s birthday party. I would not change the life I have now, although there is no denying it has changed me.

But sometimes when I am hiding in my closet on one of my “work breaks,” I try on the shoes of my former self. Inevitably my little girl almost always busts in and wants to play dress up too. And so we tromp around the closet together, dancing and giggling in mama’s party shoes. And I am reminded that I am still that highheeled wearing gal at heart, I’ve just evolved into someone who can appreciate comfort. I still have ambition and spirit and dreams, and pigs will fly before I purchase a label maker. But for now, life-simplified seems to be the shoe that fits.

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

BJOERN TO BLEND text by allen tomlinson photos by patrick hood

 | noalastudios.com | november/december 

Bjoern Lanwer is a young man you want to know. Not only is he interesting because he has lived in so many places— originally from Germany, and spent time in Australia and New Zealand before settling down in Huntsville—he’s interesting because he’s responsible for some very, very good wine. So good, in fact, that the people who make a living rating wines have rated his over 90, a designation that might not mean much to you right now, but will be explained shortly.

If there’s one thing people tend to be insecure about, it’s their ability to choose a good wine. Snobbery abounds in the wine world, and no one wants to be laughed at because they like a sweet wine, or a dry wine, or a pink wine. There are so many choices, too, so the result is that people tend to buy their wines for one of three reasons. First, the label is pretty. (Admit it, you’ve bought a bottle for that very reason.) Secondly, people buy wine because a friend or a trusted expert tells them it’s good; and finally, people buy wine because it’s affordable.

“I moved to the United States in 2005. I received an excellent business education, and I had some great contacts with wineries in Germany. I thought I could make that into a business,” said Bjoern. Married to Sara, a Huntsville native whom he met in Germany where she was in school, the Lanwers settled in Huntsville, and Bjoern set about finding a way to make his love of wine into a business. They also soon started their family—three girls now—and love living in Huntsville.

At first, Bjoern’s business involved finding German wines that were already bottled and importing them to the U.S. “I eventually also found a lot of potential in the Rhone Valley and the Roussillon region of France,” he said. From Germany, his star wines are from the Thoerle winery. The Thoerle brothers produce great wine from Riesling, Silvaner, and Burgundy grapes. Their winery is considered an up-and-coming superstar in the wine world. From France, Chemin Faisant, from the Roussillon region, is a winery located in a part of the world that is just about ideal for growing grapes, with a hot and sunny climate, and little to no rain during the late portion of the growing season. And Xavier Vins, headed by acclaimed winemaker Xavier Vignon, selects grapes from the very best vinyards in the Rhone Valley. He produces beautiful and affordable wines.

Facing page: Bjoern Lanwer

But Bjoern wanted to create blends of his own. “I’ve tasted a lot of wine portfolios,” he said, using the term wineries use when referring to their collection of wines.

“I’ve been tasting wines professionally for about eight years, and when I taste for blending I have an idea of what I’m looking for. When I find a wine that makes me go ‘wow,’ I know it’s exactly what we need to complement our portfolio.”

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

“Balance is everything in blending wines. Between the fruit, the tannins, and the acidity. Everything has to work together.” —Bjoern Lanwer

For Bjoern, it means a lot of travel. He goes to France, where he makes appointments with the wineries he’s interested in considering. “The meetings start with a tour of the facilities and they show you everything, and then it ends with a tasting of the wines. If they are of interest, we go into more detail,” he said.

The actual blending involves a lot of trial and error—and a lot of tasting. “I basically sit down with a group of tank samples, and I taste each sample by itself and write notes. Then, this is where it gets difficult—I begin deciding I’m going to blend 20% of this one, 30% of this one, and so on, until I get the right blend.” Keeping excellent notes is the key, so the blends can be duplicated for bottling. And how does he know when it’s right? “When you believe you are close, and you continue to make changes and the wine doesn’t get any better, you know you’re there,” he says. “You just know. In the case of Leap of Faith, it just turned out beautifully. You just know.”

 | noalastudios.com | november/december 

Leap of Faith is actually Bjoern’s second blended wine. The first, LePrince, was introduced last year and was a rousing success. Fresh Market picked up the label and featured it as a part of their “Over 90/Under 19” (under $20) promotion, a selling campaign that featured wines rated over 90 points but priced under $20 at retail. And Bjoern took special care to make sure that he addressed all three reasons people buy wine: great label, good price, and good recommendations because the experts like it.

Now is a great time to explain p wine ratings. g Prominent wine critic Robert Parker er designed a system that rates wines on a scale between 50 and 100 points. Start at 50; add up to five points for color, up p to ten points for aroma, up to 15 points for taste, up to ten points for finish, and up to ten points for n. Wines in the 85+ range are consi ssiide dereed overall impression. considered oos very good, and a wine blender’s goal is to be overr 9900 if p posas tested from barrel sample es, s sso o th heyy aasss-sible. “LePrince was samples, they

signed it a range instead of a fixed number,” said Bjoern. The number was 89-91, a blender’s home run.

For the label, Bjoern turned to Charleston-based fine artist Kevin LePrince, who was the 2012 featured artist at the Huntsville Museum Art Gala. Kevin created a colorful egret in oil, which was used for the wine label as well as for the logo for the Bjoern Lanwer Selections brand. In honor of the beautiful art, Bjoern named his first wine “LePrince.”

How does it taste? “A lot of wines from the Cote du Rhone region contain a lot of red fruit in their tasting profile, so when I blended this wine I wanted to make sure to include some black fruit, as well. I kept adding Syrah, which added the black fruit I wanted. The wines used in LePrince are from old vines, and old vines have certain characteristics and tend to add a licorice flavor. With younger vines, the wine tends to taste fresher, and lends itself to easier drinking. With older vines, there is more depth and maturity.”

Bjoern’s second selection, Leap of Faith, is bottled and being shipped now for distribution in early December. “Leap of Faith is from another part of France, the Roussillon region, and has a purple color—beautiful color, fresh, and vibrant. It has the taste that includes black raspberries, but still a little rusty. I wanted to make a wine that was representative of the Roussillon area and would do it justice.” Leap of Faith was also rated based on barrel samples and got an 89-91 range— and the label features another Kevin LePrince piece. You guessed it… a frog.

“Balance is everything in blending wines,” Bjoern added.

“The most important part of wine is balance, between the fruit, the tannins, and the acidity. Everything has to work together, and balance is the most important thing.”

Facing page: Bjoern Lanwer begins the process of blending; Top: Artist Kevin Le Prince created the paintings that became labels for the new wines; Bottom: Bjoern and his family

There are additional blends underway, but they are too new to discuss—yet. Bjoern does say that Kevin LePrince is working on the label, so it won’t be too long before a third wine joins the Lanwer Selection.

So, Bjoern gets ready to make another trip to Europe to sample some wines and create some new blends—but he’s always happy to be back at home in Huntsville. “I love Huntsville,” he said. “People come here from all over the world, and it’s a real melting pot. There are great schools, good people—and I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.”

Lucky for us. Bjoern Lanwer is a young man we want to know—and we can’t wait to taste his next wine.

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

photos by patrick hood

 | noalastudios.com | november/december 

Heidi Hanson King The German word for grandmother is “Oma.” My Oma, now in her 80s, immigrated to the U.S. when she was in her early 20s. She purchased this ornament in a small village in the Eifel Mountains over 30 years ago, during a trip to her home country. She gave it to me on my very first Christmas.

Growing up, this beautiful porcelain doll graced my Christmas tree every year, often in a coveted position near the top front of the tree, out of reach of my younger siblings. As an adult, even if I don’t put up a tree every year, Oma’s ornament keeps me company during the holiday season, and helps me feel close to her, even though she lives in Pennsylvania.

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

Greg Israel This vintage World War II ornament belonged to my grandmother Marjorie Israel. Because of war-time rationing, it was made of cardboard and foil.

 | noalastudios.com | november/december 

Guy McClure This Christmas will mark the 50th year a little Christmas stocking has hung in my parents’ home. It’s small, compared to most stockings, and made of felt with my name stitched in sequins and tiny metallic ornaments hanging from the laces. For 50 years it has held pretty much the same treasures; just enough room for a tangerine, a Pez dispenser, a candy cane, a chocolate Santa, and that allimportant white envelope containing yuletide cash. The students in Butler High School’s Home Economics Department made the stockings as a fundraiser and my grandfather, the long-time principal there, ordered two—one for me and an identical one for my sister. As I was three at the time of its first hanging, it is my most memorable Christmas morning tradition.

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

Andrew Willmon This group of ornaments is a very special memento from our family’s first trip to the Big Apple. Even though we visited after New Year’s Day, holiday decorations were still displayed, including those in department store windows, the tree in Rockefeller Center, and the big star hanging over Fifth Avenue and 57th Street.

We purchased this beautiful little collection of handmade Jay Strongwater ornaments in Bergdorf Goodman. Best of all, because it was after Christmas, they were 75% off!

 | noalastudios.com | november/december 

Charles Vaughn My favorite ornament is one of a group of needlepoint ornaments made by my mother more than 30 years ago. The design is based on a quilt pattern, and the quilt was made by an ancestor on my father’s side of the family. I am lucky enough to have the quilt that the ornament was patterned after. My mom is no longer with us, so I enjoy feeling the connection with her as we decorate the tree each year.

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

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scene

Sue Mitchell, Pat Cross, and Margaret Marsh Karen and Sandy Morris, and Diane and Craig Brennan Randy and Megan Cohen

Dennis Sanders, Debbie Overcash, and Patrick Sanders

Dennis Sanders Parrots 2014 Crew

Tommy Parker and Amanda Parker

Dave and Beth Sippel

© Xx

Above: Madison Parrots of the Caribbean august , 

Below: Hall Albright Garrison & Associates Tailgate Party september ,  · huntsville

Brad Garland and his daughter Rodney O’Barr

Rick Hempstead and Mike Johnston Brad Garland and Fawn Smith

Audrey and Olivia Nash

Tanner and Griffin Kruse

* Names for photos are provided by the organization or business featured.

Bill Jacobs and grandson Ronin Joyner Kelly and Barbara Love Xx

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

text by allen tomlinson » photos by becky luigart-stayner

There are some foods that you just have to eat before you die. In fact, of all of the things Alabama is known for, a visitor here is most impressed by our food.

We’ve heard of the “farm-to-table” movement, but we find that amusing; after all, we’ve been growing fresh things in our gardens and putting them on the table for years.

Our local restaurants get it. So do the folks at the Alabama Tourism Department, who commissioned a photography exhibit called “The Art of Alabama Food.”

The exhibit made an appearance at Court Street Market in Florence, from August 15 through September 6, and talks are underway to schedule it in Huntsville. In this issue, No’Ala focuses on the restaurants in North Alabama who were a part of this beautiful exhibit, with explanations provided by the exhibit owners. We promise, you’ll be hungry after you see them.

 | noalastudios.com | november/december 

Chicken and White Sauce Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q, Decatur Big Bob Gibson’s split, seasoned chickens roast on the barbecue pit for several hours and are then dipped in white sauce. The unique flavor of the sauce, combined with meat smoked in hickory-fired brick pits, helped establish white barbecue sauce as a North Alabama regional specialty.

Orange Pineapple Ice Cream Trowbridge’s, Florence The signature orange pineapple ice cream recipe created by Trowbridge’s has won the hearts of customers since the restaurant opened.

The popularity of this frozen treat has grown so much that the shop has had to enlist extra help to make enough ice cream to keep up with demand.

PB&J in Phyllo Cotton Row, Huntsville This dish originated when Cotton Row’s chef and owner, James Boyce, forgot to bring dessert to an event he was catering. He raided the client’s kitchen and made the unique treat using found ingredients. At the restaurant, Boyce uses homemade jam and chunky peanut butter to add extra crunch to the dessert.

Green Beans Albany Bistro, Decatur What can be more representative of Alabama food than green beans? This side, served at Albany Bistro with meatloaf and mashed potatoes, is a favorite among guests. The fact that it is all locally grown makes it even more special—and when it’s all paired with a glass of sweet tea, you’re in Alabama food heaven.

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Grouper Oscar Grille 29, Huntsville Pan-seared and topped with jumbo lump crabmeat, asparagus, and hollandaise, this dish is worthy of all of the raves it receives. In reviews, customers repeatedly say the fish is “amazing,” and the accompanying white-corn cheese grits give it a Southern flair while maintaining the quality of fine dining.

Tomato Pie Carlile’s, Scottsboro The pie ingredients seem simple—fresh basil, tomatoes, and bacon. But the catch is in the topping— a mixture of mayonnaise, cheese, green onions, salt, and pepper. The pie is baked for half an hour until it’s golden brown.

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

Crawfish Crawmama’s, Guntersville Whether you enjoy your crawfish boiled, fried, with potatoes or even corn, Crawmama’s special recipe is sure to satisfy. The water is seasoned before cooking the succulent crawfish, ensuring that each bite is as flavorful as the last.

 | noalastudios.com | november/december 

2015 Morgan County Plat Book only available at Rockfordmap.com

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

STIRRING UP THE STILL

AN ALABAMA MOONSHINE REVIVAL text by sara wright covington » photos by patrick hood

In

a secluded stream in rural Bullock County, Alabama, two old, rusted 55-gallon drums rest abandoned amidst the spring water. Just beyond the water’s edge, a fence contains the property where High Ridge Spirits, Alabama’s first legal moonshine distillery, now sits—almost nodding in homage to the two old mash barrels, remnants of just one of the likely thousands of illegal moonshine operations in Alabama. And like so many other stereotypically Southern beginnings, this one, too, began in a bar.

Courtesy photo

Robert “Bubba” Hall, Jr., had been making his living as a performer and singer/song writer for 15 years when he took a seat at a downtown Montgomery brew pub one evening in 2009 after a gig. “I was sitting at the bar, and the guy behind the bar just looked like he knew something,” says Hall. “I asked who the brewer was, and he introduced himself as Jamie Ray.” The two struck up a conversation, and Hall learned that Ray began brewing beer as a young man while visiting a cousin in Washington state during harvest season. When Ray came across a semi-truck load full of hops that had been spilled into the road, he shoveled the hops into the back of his truck and then went home to make beer with it. Ray’s first batch of “road kill beer” began an obsession, and over time he became a sought after brew master, helping to open up breweries all over the southeast. Intent on brewing beer, Ray eventually moved to Alabama to help found Back 40 Brewing Company. “I bought a horse farm out here at Stills Cross Roads in Bullock County and found the remains of a still on the property when I cleared it,” says Ray. “I was racking my brain about what I was going to do with an acre on the farm. I just never really thought about moonshine because I was really intent on the beer business.”

While Ray was doing research to help found Back 40, he got a report from the water department and discovered that Bullock County boasts some of the purest water available—perfect for any type of brewing. “It’s very soft and it’s naturally very pure,” says Ray. “And the pH is good.”

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

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“moonshining didn’t go on because they were lawless people, but because they had no way to make cash.

They could raise their own food, but they couldn’t buy shoes.”

Robert “Bubba” Hall, Jr.

As fate would have it, Bubba Hall never forgot the details of his first conversation with Ray in 2009, including their discussion about the purity of Bullock County water. The two exchanged contact information, although they didn’t actually meet again until a few years later when they crossed paths in the same Montgomery bar. After Ray had researched Alabama’s history of distilleries, he discovered that there had not been a legal distillery since the Jack Daniel’s Distillery left Alabama and moved to Tennessee when prohibition was established in 1915. “So he said, ‘man, let’s start the first legal whiskey distillery in Alabama in 100 years,’” recalls Hall. “I did my research, and sure enough, nobody had done it. Alabama adopted prohibition early. When that happened, Jack Daniel’s left, and no one had done it since.”

Previous to Jamie Ray’s idea of opening High Ridge Spirits, it was widely perceived that distilleries were illegal in Alabama—a misconception of Alabama laws that Ray had to first set out to understand. “People just made the assumption it was illegal,” says Hall. “And that leads up to part of Jamie Ray’s genius. He just figured out what no one else had figured out. He discovered it was not illegal to do it and it could, in fact, be done.”

After an arduous 18-month process involving paperwork, background checks, and many meetings with federal and ABC board officials, High Ridge Spirits was born. Jamie Ray made the distillery’s very first still out of a beer keg. “We all thought, ‘we’ve gotten all this done and it’s going to be easy street now,’” says Hall. “But when we started making the whiskey, it wasn’t coming out right for Jamie, who had a flavor profile in mind. We were starting to get worried. But when he finally hit it, it was incredible.” High Ridge Spirits’ first product launch was called 27 Springs Gin, named for the union of 27 springs in Bullock County, which had been settled by the Creek Indians for the purity of its water hun-

dreds of years ago. “It’s a really different gin,” says Jamie Ray. “It has a much lighter balance to it, which I thought would make it much more refreshing in the heat down here.” The unique citrus-based gin made a splash almost immediately, as it won first in class at the Denver International Spirits Competition in spring of 2014.

Now a company of 10 investors, High Ridge Spirits is quickly making an impression on the chef community as well, as the unique rye-based drink is becoming a favored ingredient in the culinary creations of celebrity chefs across the country, and has even been named on Southern Living’s Hot List as one of the top seven clear shine products. “Chefs love to cook with it because of the complex flavor profile of the rye,” says Hall. “It starts off fruity with a peppery finish.” Their Alabama moonshine has been a key ingredient in creations everywhere from a United Nations dinner in New York to former Alabama quarterback A.J. McCarron’s rehearsal dinner in Orange Beach, Alabama. “In June of 2013, Chef Chris Hastings of Hot and Hot, who was a James Beard Finalist, prepared a dinner at the James Beard award banquet in New York,” says Hall. “On the list of his ingredients, the very last ingredient was Alabama moonshine, which at that time was illegal. I think it was a bit serendipitous that he used it one month prior to us getting our license.”

High Ridge Spirits now has three core products: Stills Crossroads ’Shine, Flavored ’Shine in Apple and Peach, and 27 Springs Gin. It’s available in over 30 ABC stores and on all Robert Trent Jones Properties in Alabama. “We are all over the state,” says High Ridge Spirits investor Jim Cunningham. “And it’s been received very well. We are going to schedule some tastings in North Alabama over the course of the next couple of months.”

And now thanks to being picked up by a distributor in Miami, any of High Ridge Spirits’ products can be purchased through the internet from anywhere in the country.

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

Chasing Down the ’Shine

Even though it is still in its infancy, High Ridge Spirits already has a 10 year plan in place. For now, they are focusing on the consistency of the product and the development of the brand. But for the two gentlemen—Jamie Ray and Bubba Hall—who first nurtured their distillery dream years ago in a Montgomery bar, the bigger picture is about much more than making moonshine. “I’m all about trying to create a better South and erasing some of the black eyes of the past,” says Hall. “Bullock County is one of the top poorest counties in the country, and that ties into the history of the moonshiner, because television has glamorized moonshining. But moonshining didn’t go on because they were lawless people, but because they had no way to make cash. They could raise their own food, but they couldn’t buy shoes. And there were no jobs. For every one job we create, it translates to 33 jobs in neighboring Montgomery County.” As for the man behind every batch of Alabama ’Shine, master distiller Jamie Ray, it’s all about using the rawness and purity of the land to make something Alabama can be proud of. “I love working on product development and working with different raw materials,” says Ray. “It’s something I’ve always been interested in while brewing and working in local ingredients.” Mostly, Hall and Ray are giving Alabamians just one more reason to support and be proud of the products created right here the state, even though their operation would likely have been “busted up” just a few years ago. “The most fun is to be in a small restaurant in a small town where the restaurant owner is so proud to have an Alabama product in their establishment,” says Hall. “They feel a part of what we are doing and that’s just really, really cool. We started with nothing and we created an international award-winning Alabama product.

And we did something that people said couldn’t be done.”

 | noalastudios.com | november/december 

“Some of the best races I’ve ever had have been chasing a load of liquor in a pick-up truck through the woods,” recounts Florence native Troy Hamner, who could be describing a scene straight out of the Dukes of Hazzard.

Hamner, who was born in 1931, grew up during the time of prohibition in Alabama, and spent nearly 24 years of his life as a revenuer, or an officer of the government charged with enforcing the laws prohibiting bootlegging. For nearly 24 years, Hamner helped to track down and destroy illegal distilleries all over the Southeast.

“First you’d go in and raise your right hand to protect the constitution,” remembers Hamner. “Then they’d issue you a firearm, train you, and then give you a car and a territory. You’d contact sheriff ’s departments in various counties and make all your rounds, then you’d go into the little country stores and people would look at you with a questioning look like ‘you a revenuer?’ and then the first thing you know, somebody would wink at you. So we got information on the distilleries, and we tried to catch everyone we could.”

He remembers his years as a revenuer as exciting, often dangerous times, which involved everything from chasing moonshiners on foot through briar patches in the woods to high speed car chases on county roads with guns drawn. He tracked down stills in houses, on farms, under roads, and even over ledges. “The best ones were way back in the woods,” says Hamner. “And one time I found one where they were working the still off a ledge.

They had to work it by letting the materials down on a rope.” Hamner even remembers taking a call one Sunday morning from an anonymous woman providing a “tip” of the location of a particular still and that it was in operation even as they spoke. “I knew it had to be her husband running it,” says Hamner. “I told my partner, ‘We’ve got to hurry fast.’ I knew that any woman providing information like that about her husband was likely to change her mind fast.”

Although Prohibition was enacted with the intention of improving family life, reducing violence, and helping the economy, the government would eventually see that it was fighting a losing batter. Over time, the costs of making moonshine increased, and as more counties became wet, it was harder and harder for moonshiners to make a profit. Hamner remembers that in 1966, Cleburne County, Alabama, was one of the most prolific counties in the state for moonshine, with over 100 stills. By 1970, he estimates there were no more than five. Times had changed, and would-be moonshiners had abandoned their efforts for nobler pursuits. “That was the culture back then,” says Hamner. “Moonshining had just gotten passed on down. But society became more mobile, and the mamas started to want better things for their sons.”

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

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scene

Mr. and Mrs. David Reyes Patsy Hass, and Tommy and Eula Battle

Mr. and Mrs. Richard Titus Richard and Dee Kowallik

Betty French, Ann Uher, and Sally Barnett Sam Omlie and Kristen Bodeker

Susan Baldaia, Ginny Ruffner, and Peter Baldaia

Carol and Jim Tevepaugh © Photos by Jeff White

Women’s Guild of the Huntsville Museum of Art 50th Anniversary Celebration Events october -,  · huntsville museum of art

Kathi Tew, Denise Murphree, and Louann Thomson Dorothy Davidson George and Virginia Thacker, and Stephanie Doyle Roger and Suzanne Barnes

Danielle Sinopoli and Kathi Tew

Marie Newberry and Suzanne O’Connor

*Names | noalastudios.com for photos are provided | november/december by the organization  or business featured.

Delphi Hill and Kay Eastin

Cheryl Matthews, Laura Stap, and Laur Reynolds

I promise It’s my job to make you look - and feel - your very best. That’s why my entire staff and I keep ourselves abreast of the latest surgical techniques and procedures, so we can offer services that make you look your best — whether they are cosmetic or reconstructive. An experience at Shoals Hospital is different, because those little details are important to us. After all, it’s not just about care...it’s about caring. I promise!

Russell Jennings, M.D., Plastic Surgeon

www.shoalshospital.com

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

SHOP LOCAL, Y’ALL

THE ANNUAL HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE photos by patrick hood » produced by sara wright covington introduction by david sims

 | noalastudios.com | november/december 

It bears repeating: There’s really no need to shop out of town. And to prove it to you, we’ve scoured the valley to find hundreds of unique gifts and stocking stuffers that will delight every person on your list—from homemade recycled journals to a vintage oil painting (and everything in between). We’ve given preference to our loyal advertisers because, let’s be honest, without them we could not do what we do. This gift guide is our way of saying “thanks” for supporting our efforts. We encourage you to do the same.

Remember, though, the holidays are not just about shopping.

Don’t forget to take time to celebrate life’s simple pleasures.

Get in the kitchen and bake, gather around the fireplace and share stories, take in a holiday music concert, or worship with your church family. Make some lasting memories with those you love—these are gifts of which you’ll never get enough.

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

THE ANNUAL

GIFT GUIDE F OR EVERY SQUARE FOOT A LOCAL FIRM OCCUPIES , THE LOCAL ECONOMY GAINS $179 VS . $105 FOR A CHAIN STORE .

Custom “Carpe Diem” Corset by Finery ($650) Angora Shrug by Norma Ishak ($550) Mini Tutu by Allison Parris ($325) Headband by Jennifer Behr ($375) Finery (256) 429-3429

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Large Wreath with Lights ($59.99) White Bird Decorating Stems ($4.99 ea.)

Wooden Reindeer ($29.00) Red Sleigh ($27.99) Stockings ($9.99 to $17.99) Silver Glitter Trees ($5.99 to $8.99) Design World (256) 722-0086

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november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

THE ANNUAL

THE GARDENER ON YOUR LIST

GIFT GUIDE

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89% OF CONSUMERS AGREE THAT INDEPENDENT BUSINESSES CONTRIBUTE POSITIVELY TO LOCAL ECONOMIES .

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Wrental Birdhouse ($52.50) Felco Swiss Made Pruning Shears ($79) Tilley Hat ($79) West County Work Men’s Gardening Gloves ($26) Garden Works Gardening Gloves ($27.95) The Plant Recipe Book

by Baylor Chapman ($24.95) Garden Salve ($10) Metal Rocket Garden Hook ($25) Vintage Flatware Garden Stakes

by Madison Station Sundries ($10 ea.)

Wooden Garden Stake

by Brandon Anthony ($35) The Switch House (256) 656-3346 Make things Grow Sign ($14) Find Bliss in Blooms ($11) Huntsville Botanical Gardens (256) 830-4447

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Dish Towel ($7.49) Giving Thanks Guestbook ($19.99) Flavored Simple Syrups ($7.99 ea) Vintage Button Dior and Versace Bracelets–Single and Double Strand ($275.99 to $334.99) Vintage Button Louis Vuitton Earrings ($199) Flask ($23.99) Holiday Platter ($34.99) Ella B Neighborhood Candle ($24.99) Clear Stemware ($11.99 ea.)

Wine Clutch ($19.99) Alabama Pillow ($57.99) Josie’s Gift Shop at Burritt on the Mountain (256) 536-2882

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november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

THE ANNUAL

GIFT GUIDE L OCALLY OWNED BUSINESSES ADD CHARACTER TO A TOWN ; NATIONAL STUDIES SHOW THAT TOWNS THAT PRESERVE THEIR UNIQUE MOM - AND - POP BUSINESSES HAVE AN ECONOMIC ADVANTAGE .

W HERE WOULD YOU RATHER SHOP — IN A COOL DOWNTOWN SHOP OR A HUGE , IMPERSONAL MEGA - STORE ?

Below, center: Red Tunic ($59.95) Black Swan Storm Rider Pants ($78) Desert Wedge Black Suede Booties ($98) Altar’d State (256) 327-8725 Fox Tote ($118) Anthropologie (256) 327-8470

Above, left: Quinn Jacket ($58), Buttans Dress ($88) Chinese Laundry Shoes ($68) Necklace ($32) Francesca’s (256) 327-8595

 | noalastudios.com | november/december 

Above, right: Navy Maginn Dress ($198) Hei Hei Faux Fur Vest ($138) Necklaces ($78 ea.)

Anthropologie (256) 327-8470

Macbeth THE

TRAGEDY

OF

BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE DIRECTED BY Dr. Hugh k. Long

NOVEMBER 13 THROUGH 22 T H E A T H E N I A N P L A Y E R S ATHENS STATE UNIVERSITY ATHENS.EDU/ATHENIANPLAYERS 2 5 6 . 2 3 3 . 8 2 9 6

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Sugar and Creamer Set ($49) The Greenery 256-518-9836

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Lobster Keychain and Lip Balm Holder ($3) Organic Lavender Bath Bombs ($4.50 ea.)

Recycled Journals by Marcia Freeland ($12-$18) Organic Blood Orange and Ginger Soy Candle ($8) The Switch House (256) 656-3346

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Thymes Frasier Fir Candle ($12.95) Interior Marketplace (256) 539-9113

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Aveda Stress Fix Soaking Salts ($20) Aveda Stress Body Lotion ($11) Salon Ka-Terra (256) 539-2916

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Owl Artisan Notecards ($13.99) Octopus Artisan Notecards ($13.99) Ruby Jacks (256) 539-0091 Sunflakes Suncatcher ($43) The Greenery (256) 518-9836

Give a gift six times Visit www.noalastudios.com to order your gift subscription today. We’ll send a card and the Holiday issue, letting the recipient know about the gift you’ve given. It’s the gift that gives and gives — six times a year!

Special pricing when you order two subscriptions. Get one for yourself, too!

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

THE ANNUAL

GIFT GUIDE R ESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS SERVED BY A SUCCESSFUL INDEPENDENT BUSINESS DISTRICT GAINED , ON AVERAGE , 50% MORE IN HOME VALUES THAN THEIR CITYWIDE MARKETS .

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“Meeting at Midnight” Acrylic ($175) Johanna Littleton (256)566-0184

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Stained Glass Piece ($235) Robert Perrella (256) 508-9913

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“Herd Bound” Oil/ Mixed Media ($2000) Jennifer Taylor jennifer@jstaylorart.com

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“Bouquet” Oil on Canvas ($600) Logan Tanner possumart.com “Memories of the Ivy Pond” Acrylic ($395) Johanna Littleton (256)566-0184

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“Herself” Clay Bust ($1000) and Clay Bowl ($200) Clay Frog from The Frog Series ($35-$50) Randy Herald (714) 317-7115

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“Pretty in Pink” Watercolor ($290) Rick Adkins rckinsmonstudio.net

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“Flowers in a Vase” Acrylic ($450) Carolyn Dodson-Grimm (615) 406-7638

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“Landscape in Orange and Green” Acrylic ($395) Carolyn Dodson-Grimm (615) 406-7638

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Face Jug Ceramic Pottery ($100) Sara Bowen possumart.com

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Barn Wood Box ($98) Susie Garrett (256) 509-8554

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“Big Spring Ducks 2” Oil on Canvas ($900) Jerry Brown (256) 883-5217

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Cigar Box Guitar ($150) Nickel Cigar Box Guitars (256) 714-7124

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“Huntsville Map 2009” Print on Canvas ($100) David Nuttall (256) 682 3919

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

THE ANNUAL

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“S MALL BUSINESSES ARE THE LIFEBLOOD OF OUR COMMUNITIES . T HERE IS CONCRETE EVIDENCE THAT THRIVING INDEPENDENT NEIGHBORHOODS LEAD TO HIGHER REAL ESTATE VALUES AND MORE LOCAL JOBS .” —S USAN S OBBOTT , PRESIDENT , A MERICAN E XPRESS OPEN

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Shaving Set ($38) Organic Mustache Wax ($10) Organic Beard Wax ($18) The Switch House (256) 656-3346

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Money Clips ($26.50 ea.)

Interior Marketplace (256) 539-9113

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Chillsner Corkcicle ($19) Huntsville Botanical Gardens (256) 830-4447

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Tokyo Bay Watch ($182) Ruby Jacks (256) 539-0091

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Aveda Men Travel Shampoo/Conditioner ($6 ea.)

Salon Ka-Terra (256) 539-2916

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Presto Foldable Buckets ($15.95 ea.)

Hammond’s Candy Bars ($2.95 ea.)

Hotlix Mint Toothpics ($1.45) Never a Bad Game

by Mark McCarter ($18.95) Stanley Thermos ($39.95) Stanley Flask ($32.00) Harrison Brothers (256) 536-3631

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Southern Tide Shot Gun Shell Cuff Links ($26) The Cupboard (256) 686-4500

News, classical music and more 88.7 FM Muscle Shoals • 100.7 FM Huntsville www.apr.org november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

THE ANNUAL

GIFT GUIDE L OCALLY OWNED BUSINESSES RECYCLE A MUCH LARGER SHARE OF THEIR INCOME INTO THE LOCAL ECONOMY , WHICH MEANS THE ENTIRE AREA WINS .  | noalastudios.com | november/december 

Model on the left: Yest Blouse ($49.90) It Pants ($64) Bella Marie Booties ($39.90) Necklace ($24) J. Whitener (256) 885-2006 Model on the right: Emma Dress with Birth of Christ Print ($140) Bohem shopbohem.com

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Oriental Rug ($1946) “Rockport Harbor”—Oil On Canvas

by William Lester Stevens ($10,000) Japanese Cloisonné Vase ($1235) Pair of Sterling Silver Candelabra ($1700) Bronze Venus ($780) Rosepoint 60 Piece Sterling Silver Flatware and Box ($3970) Salad Set and Ladle ($150) Sterling Silver Water Goblets ($295 ea.)

Chinese Storage Jar ($100) Silver Plate Bowl ($20) African Tribal Art Figure ($260) Georgian Sideboard ($2080) Upholstered Arm Chair ($250) Vintage Stuart Weitzman Leather Pumps ($89) Books (Prices Available Upon Request) Willowbrook Shoppe (256) 270-7181

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I F JUST HALF THE U.S. EMPLOYED POPULATION SPENT $50 EACH MONTH IN LOCALLY OWNED INDEPENDENT BUSINESSES , IT WOULD GENERATE MORE THAN $42.6 BILLION IN REVENUE .

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Free People Boot Socks ($24) Tokyo Bay Watch ($120) Chan Luu Earrings ($78) Red Hobo Wallet ($68) Belt ($32) Green Hobo Clutch ($88) Ruby Jacks (256) 539-0091 Aveda Shampure Hair & Body Wash ($19) Aveda Shampure Body Lotion ($2) Aveda Skin Care Starter Set ($60) Salon Ka-Terra (256) 539-2916

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Vogue Magazine ($5.99) Books-A-Million

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by Rachel Perrine ($24 ea.)

The Switch House (256) 656-3346

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Votivo Red Currant Candle ($27.95) Interior Market Place (256) 539-9113

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I NDEPENDENT RESTAURANTS RETURN MORE THAN TWO TIMES AS MUCH MONEY PER DOLLAR OF SALES THAN NATIONAL RESTAURANT CHAINS .

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Grillin’ Sauces Skillet/Brush Recipe Set ($25) Hot & Spicy Pickled Asparagus ($10.95) Dog Print Oven Mitt ($12.95) Hot & Spicy Vegetables ($16.95) Savannah Bee Tupelo Honey ($17.95) Multi-Colored Steak Knives, Set of 6 ($75) Fish Corkscrew ($13.95) Harrison Brothers (256) 536-3631 Jambalaya Soup Mix ($8.95) Chevron Oven Mitt ($18.99) Black Bean Soup Mix ($7.49) Interior Market Place (256) 539-9113 Copper Mule Mug ($36) Magnetic Spice Tins ($9 ea.)

The Cupboard (256) 686-4500

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

THE ANNUAL

GIFT GUIDE S MALL BUSINESSES EMPLOY 77 MILLION A MERICANS .

Ippolita Sterling Silver Cascade Earrings ($350) Cascade Cherish Chain ($995) Cuff Bracelet ($695) Mother of Pearl Stella Ring ($595) Loring & Co. Fine Jewelry (256) 880-1909 Model’s Dress by Yest ($59) J. Whitener (256) 885-2006

Hair and Makeup by Madeline Finnegan

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Baggu Tote ($160) Houston Llew Spiritile ($99 ea.)

Infinity Scarves ($24 ea.)

Jonathan Spoon Utensils ($16-$22) ”Pincher”—Oil on Canvas

by Carol Foret ($1200) Orbix Pitcher ($195) Wood Studio Recipe Box ($225) Jonathan Spoon Salad Set ($36) Little Green Store (256) 539-9699

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IF INDEPENDENT BUSINESSES REGAINED THEIR 1990 MARKET SHARES, IT WOULD CREATE 200,000 NEW SMALL BUSINESSES, GENERATE NEARLY $300 BILLION IN REVENUES, AND EMPLOY MORE THAN 1.6 MILLION AMERICANS.

 | noalastudios.com | november/december 

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GIFT GUIDE

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Wooden Airplane Kit ($9) Huntsville Botanical Gardens (256) 830-4447

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Pick up Sticks and Dominoes Games ($6.25-$7) Lollipops ($2.95-$3.95) Key Chain ($3.75) Tin Puzzle ($5.95) Harrison Brothers (256) 536-3631

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Cow Alarm Clock ($39) Ruby Jacks (256) 539-0091

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Little Squirts Drink Pouch ($5.99) Interior Market Place (256) 539-9113

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Name Train Magnetic Letters ($5.49 ea.)

Blue Toy Car ($7.99) Mini Magic Springs (.99 ea.)

Wooden Giraffe Sling Shot ($9.99) Southerland Station (256) 533-4720

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Our students wrote the book to encourage you to embark on the journey.

Schedule a visit or join us for our Lower School Discovery Evening for Kindergarten-4th grade, Jan. 22, admissions@randolphschool.net, 256-799-6103.

randolphschool.net/discover

Randolph School does not discriminate in violation of the law on the basis of race, religion, creed, color, sexual orientation, age, physical challenge, nation of origin, gender, or any other characteristic.

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

Jonny Skull

 | noalastudios.com | november/december 

Figuratively Speaking

text by sara wright covington » photos by patrick hood

Since the beginning of time, men have created renderings of the people around them. Over the centuries, the vehicle may have evolved from cave walls to canvas, but man’s need to savor emotion and expression from small slivers of time has never changed. Whether limned in oils or acrylics, charcoal or water colors, portraits are a communication of who we are, and a truly gifted portrait artist can capture joy, anger, peace, or pain from the simple nuance of a smile. As an appreciation of just a few of the very talented artists we have here in North Alabama, No’Ala has taken a closer look into the technique and talent that make these artists exceptional.

Jonny Skull Like most artists, Jonny Skull is a dreamer. But his pragmatic approach to painting belies any idealistic shortcomings. Skull is not only a dreamer, but a doer. His ambition and passion for painting and drawing have taken him all over the world to study the masterpieces of his fellow visionaries, both past and present. Skull has been painting and drawing his entire life, working primarily in charcoal and oils, and his favored style is classical realism— which is achieved when something is made to look exactly as it is. Appropriately, Skull’s preferred realistic style of painting is representative of his philosophy on learning as well.

He attended a four year art school in Philadelphia where he majored in illustration, but felt he didn’t quite get all of the technique he needed. “In the early ’90s when I was in school most of the instructors had this theory that if you didn’t teach technique, then the student would have to come up with a purer expression of themselves. But that’s like trying to write a novel without learning grammar.”

Skull finished school with a concentration in illustration and worked for several years as a graphic designer before finding a website for the Art Revival Center, which champions bringing realism back into art. As a means of communication, the Art Revival Center argues that there is no better language for art to speak than one everyone can understand. In spite of years of critique that realism was “unoriginal,” the Art Revival Center’s belief is that even dreams and fantasies of the subconscious are represented in the mind by realistic images, so there is no better way to show expression than using real images—something they argue cannot be achieved by modern art.

Skull’s research led him to find The Angel Academy of Art in Florence, Italy, and he accompanied his wife, a teacher, on a field trip to Florence as a chaperone, where he had the opportunity to tour the school. The school made a sizeable impression on Skull, and he made it his goal to eventually become a student of the Angel Academy. In 2012, Skull, his wife, and their infant son finally packed up and left for Florence. “I decided that’s what I wanted to do. It took about 8 years to save up the money to do it. I went to study in September of 2012 and stayed until June. We flew back in June for the summer, stayed a term, and then came home and then went back. We were there for 15 months total. It was a fantastic experience and it was difficult, but it was what I wanted to do. I wanted to learn how to make things look a certain way.”

Now back home in Huntsville, Skull plans to focus his energy on figures and portraits, using realism as the vehicle to evoke emotion and tell a story. “It could be anything from a texture to an old rusty piece of metal or paint flaking on a wooden fence,” says Skull.

“Generally it’s people though. I like painting people. You can relate better to another human being than you can a still life.” Still both dreamer and doer at heart, Skull plans to continue his worldwide travels whenever possible to experience masterpieces and museums firsthand, so that he can successfully create something fresh. But no matter where he resides, Skull will continue pursuing his dream. “It’s what I love. I would spend all my time painting if I could. It’s a level of compulsion.”

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

Logan Tanner At first glance, walking into 24-year-old Logan Tanner’s studio at Lowe Mill, it looks a little like a scene in a Little Shop of Horrors-esque florist shop where things have gone very, very awry. In addition to paintings of some VERY alive plants, there are surreal landscapes, mythical creatures, and some dark dwellings that could be straight out of a J.R.R. Tolkien novel. But after the eyes adjust and you look around, there are the vivid portraits of the people—young and old, in beginnings and endings, captured in joy and in sorrow— narratives of life and death lining his studio walls in equal proportions to the fantasy creatures. So to say that Tanner’s painting styles are varied is an extreme understatement.

“My style varies a lot,” says Tanner. “I don’t know that I have a single style. It sort of flows in and out of several styles.

Generally it’s sort of realism with an expressionistic edge, a loose figurative work.” Vacillating between wildly imaginative subject matter and realistic portraiture also gives Tanner an edge as he seems at ease in many different styles.

“With portraiture, there is sort of an objective measurement,” he says. “With imaginative work, there is no right or wrong for accuracy. And I get different benefits from those different modes of working.”

Tanner is originally from Danville, Alabama, and began painting in high school at the Alabama School for Math and Science in Mobile, and then went on to the University of Montevallo. After working in Clanton when he finished school, Tanner eventually moved to Huntsville specifically for the art scene, where he now works full time as an artist in his Lowe Mill Studio. And although he isn’t married to one particular style of painting, Tanner prefers painting portraits in oil. He gets much of his inspiration from art history, and from the people and places around him. “I’m always looking back to the artists of the past, my own daily life and things that I see that are beautiful or interesting, or noteworthy in any way,” says Tanner. “Half the reason I moved to Huntsville is the big draw of Lowe Mill.” Surrounded by the creative vibes of Lowe Mill, Tanner is in his mecca. And he knows his goal of showing his work in galleries and museums across the nation will not come without sacrifice and hard work— advice he received from the previous tenant of his Lowe Mill space. “‘Work, work, work, that’s the ticket,’ that’s the last advice that Jim Jobe gave me when he was moving out of this space,” says Tanner. “If you work, work, work, then you will see the success. If you don’t have that work ethic, then it’s not going to happen.” Like most artists, Tanner says the fear of a blank canvas can be daunting, but with his implacable work ethic and out-of-this world creativity, it doesn’t seem likely he will have a shortage of inspiration any time soon. “I think the most important thing is to have a little originality,” he says. “And you’ve got to have that drive to experiment, continue expanding. You have to know yourself and what you want. And there is a little bit of self-discovery that you have to do first before you know what you want. Otherwise you are just stumbling around in the dark.”

 | noalastudios.com | november/december 

Logan Tanner

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

Robert Bean

 | noalastudios.com | november/december 

Robert Bean Artist Robert Bean was born an old soul. “My wife always jokes that I should live in the 17th century when they had paint-offs to see who could be the next court painter,” says Bean. “That had everything to do with technique and finesse.

Nowadays art is much more subjective.” As a part-time professor of art at UAH, Bean spends the time when he is not teaching perfecting his technique in his studio at Lowe Mill.

Originally from southern Mississippi, Bean knew at a young age that he wanted to paint for his living, but had no idea how he could make it happen. Although there didn’t seem to be many career opportunities for artists in the South, Bean stayed on, eventually attending LSU where he received a Master of Fine Arts. What Bean discovered from his steady Southern exposure is that while the South might appear on first glance to be lacking in opportunity for artists, it is an endless wealth of inspiration for those artists willing to stick around. The people, sights, and sounds of the South are like no other culture, and Bean found that many muses could be found all around him. “The culture in the South is the people and the behavior,” says Bean. “As I’ve painted more, and maybe it’s being from the South, there is a strong narrative or storytelling aspect. I think I was always drawn to painting people because of their ability to tell stories. So that’s why I was always interested in painting people more so than landscapes.” Primarily working in oil, Bean describes himself as a traditional impressionist and cites Monet, Rembrandt, Vermeer, and Velazquez as just a few of his favorite painters, although he says he finds most of his inspirations from everyday life.

For Bean, the key to painting people well is realizing it is not about exactitude, but about capturing the essence of a person and the nuances of their expressions. His studio is filled with portraits of his wife, daughter, and son, and he admits that he most enjoys painting the people he knows. “The real interesting challenge with portraits or just painting people is when you are trying to get a likeness,” says Bean. “In some regard, it just has to do with measurement. There is also a mysteriousness to portraiture and trying to capture the essence of a person. And that can be easier to do if you know the person.”

For a Mississippi-born man who once pondered as a young boy how to make his love of painting into a career, Bean has done quite well in using the unique culture of the South to his advantage. In recent years, he has begun teaching only part-time to allow more time for his painting. Technique, he says, is key, as well as patience and an understanding that portraits take time, often many months. Commitment to the craft is equally important. “I think that probably goes with almost everything,” says Bean. “Everybody has something they are good at, an inborn ability. You find something that makes sense to you and for me, it’s the language of art. I feel comfortable in that world.”

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

Maggie Little For Huntsville native Maggie Little, painting has been her passion from the time she was a small girl. “It was all I ever wanted to do,” says Little. “It was what I was good at. Even when I was a fairly young kid, I could get a pretty good likeness.” Little painted her way through her childhood and adolescence, until attending Auburn University where she majored in visual design, which was a precursor to graphic arts.

“In those days, the first two years of design were the same as the architecture program,” says Little. “So I took all the figure classes. You started with simple solid shapes and progressed from there.” By the time she was a senior, Little transferred into art education, where she once again fell in love with figure drawing and went on to teach art education at Mountain Brook High School. As a painter, her earliest subjects were her own children, and over time Little built her business by drawing watercolors of the children of friends and family.

After nearly 20 years painting mostly in watercolor, Little became interested in changing her medium to oil. “Every time you touch a watercolor is an opportunity to ruin it,” says Little. “For every painting I finished and a person took out of the house, I had probably put two in the trash can. And although there is something really fresh and dynamic about a watercolor, I had lost my burn for it. Oil is a more forgiving and classical medium, and something I just hadn’t studied enough and wanted to try.” From this point on, Little began taking classes and studying oil painting and has really never stopped. She studied with the head of UAH’s art department, Jack Dempsey, for many years before his death, and credits him with much of the skill she has acquired today. Little says Dempsey took a classical approach to his teachings, but his main interest was social narrative paintings—pieces that spoke to a social issue. “He was the kind of guy that if you were having trouble with a painting, he would come and spend an afternoon with you to help you work it out,” says Little.

Now after painting more than 140 portraits in both watercolor and oil throughout her lifetime, Little has plans to once again change her course. “I’ve got one more portrait on the books,” says Little. “And after that, I’m retiring from portraiture.” Her new focus is taking her alfresco, and she plans to spend much of her focus on painting narrative landscapes, in which she will use the strokes of her brush to tell the story of the land. Her narrative paintings have an ethereal quality, as she often uses old photographs of people and structures from the past to help tell its story. One of her recent projects was of the Old Big Cove community where Walmart and Publix now stand in the place of an old school and many old houses. “The narrative is about what’s gone,” says Little. “The old houses and the school are gone, but I painted them back in there in the haze and the mist.”

Forever a student of her craft, when Little isn’t working from her home studio in Huntsville, she travels all over the country with her husband to study under other great artists and to fully experience the landscapes and people she translates

 | noalastudios.com | november/december 

to canvas. As a keen observer of details, Little believes her painting affords her a clarity of vision to view life at a deeper level. “I think that when I paint or draw something, I see it so much more clearly. You look at whatever the thing is without judgment. You just see it as it is. And the beauty comes through when one can look deeply without a judgment of ‘is this good or is this bad?’” says Little. “And when I have painted a person or a landscape and I go back to it or see the person again, I remember things so much more clearly about them and what I saw. So for me it’s about experiencing the visual world at a deeper level. My painting is about looking long and deep.”

Maggie Little

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

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scene

Rachel Wammack

Back Row: Kristie Durand, Aissa Castillo, Lierin Achord, Becca Okwu, Jessica Brown, Hannah Thurston; Front Row: Meghan Medlen, Aggie Armstrong

Yolanda Matthews Chelsea Tubbs

Models

Keri Klaus

Chris Klaus, Dylan Andrews, and Matt Liles

Show and production photos by Ginny Webb of Sleepy Fox Photography

Anthropologie Fall Fashion Show with No’Ala Huntsville september ,  · anthropologie, bridge street town centre, huntsville

Laurie and Grace Holbert, Frida Morel

Front Row: Inhee Warrenfells, Teresa Ledbetter, Kim Minkinow; Back Row: Karen Bofenkamp, Emily Johnson, Bonita Gainer, Glenn King, Christy Aycock

Isabella and Brooklyn McCarley

Kyle Medlen and Aggie Armstrong

Faith and Aspen Allen

Cara Zitting and Brianna Madry Rachel Wammack

* Names for photos are provided by the organization or business featured.

Meghan Medlen, Aissa Castillo, Eva Ziegler, and Lierin Achord

And the Beat Goes On, featuring the Amadinda Percussion Group, Friday, November 14, 7:30 p.m., Mark C. Smith Concert Hall, VBC. Dinner Divertimento - wine, dinner and outstanding musical entertainment! Sunday, November 16, Grand Hall, EarlyWorks Museum.

Music From the Mad Men Era, starring Steve Lippia, Wednesday, December 31, Mark C. Smith Concert Hall, VBC. Bring in the New Year with us!

Visit hso.org or call 256-539-4818 for details.

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

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Seasoned Eatings!

They come like clockwork every holiday season. Not Santa Claus and Rudolph. I’m talking about the arrival of heavenly divinity. Peppermint bark.

Luscious peanut butter balls dipped in chocolate.

Maybe you make it to give away, or maybe you designate prime real estate at your workspace for its arrival. It could be your sweet Nana’s special guarded secret, or Mama’s prize-winning recipe. And someday, if you prove your trustworthiness, you will inherit the stained and sticky recipe card so you can carefully learn the steps and carry on the tradition for the next generation.

This year, we present some of our favorite (and a few of our readers’ favorite) traditional and not-so-traditional holiday treats. They’re the best kind of gift— ones that can be thoroughly enjoyed and completely consumed. And if one of these tickles your fancy, feel free to start a new family tradition.

photos by patrick hood » recipes by jan anderson, debra dombrowski, sarah gaede, david auston johnson, laurie tant, & allen tomlinson introduction by david sims

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

Bourbon Balls

Special thanks to Pat Slusher

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Cranberry-Banana Bread Serve with Alabama Chanin Coffee and homemade jellies and jams from Jack-O-Lantern Farms

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Honey-Thyme Bread with Homemade Apricot Butter

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Honey-Thyme Bread (David Auston Johnson) Bourbon Balls (Laurie Tant) • • • • • •

2 1/2 cups finely crushed vanilla wafers 1 cup powdered sugar 1 cup finely chopped pecans 3 tablespoons light corn syrup 1/4 cup bourbon Powdered sugar

Mix first 3 ingredients well. Add syrup and bourbon; mix well. Roll into 1 inch balls, then roll in sugar.

• • • • • • • • • •

1/4 cup water, warmed to 110° F 1 teaspoon sugar 1 packet active dry yeast 4 cups all-purpose flour, sifted 1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon chopped thyme leaves 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 1/2 cups buttermilk 1/3 cup honey 1 egg, lightly whisked for brushing

Makes 3 dozen.

Combine warm water, sugar, and yeast in preheated bowl.

Let the mixture sit 10-15 minutes until the yeast becomes foamy.

Cranberry-Banana Bread (Allen Tomlinson)

In a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, place the sifted flour, salt, and thyme.

• • • • • • • • •

In separate pan, heat butter until just melted. Add buttermilk and honey; stir over heat until combined. Off the heat add yeast mixture and stir. Add this mixture to the flour.

2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons baking soda 1 cup butter, softened 2 cups white sugar 2 cups mashed overripe bananas 4 eggs, beaten 1 package cranberries 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease and flour two 9 x 5-inch loaf pans.

Sift the flour, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Stir in the mashed bananas and eggs until wellblended. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just blended. Add cranberries and walnuts (optional), stirring just until well mixed. Divide the batter evenly between the two loaf pans.

Bake for 60 to 70 minutes in the preheated oven, until a knife inserted in the crown of the loaf comes out clean. (If it starts to brown too much, loosely cover with aluminum foil.)

Let the loaves cool in the pans for at least 5 minutes, and then turn out onto a cooling rack. Cool completely before wrapping in aluminum foil. Ideally, refrigerate the loaves for two hours before serving.

Turn the stand mixer on medium-high speed until ingredients are completely mixed and the dough begins to form. Knead until the dough starts to pull away from the walls of the bowl, adding a teaspoon of flour as needed until the dough is completely detached from the walls of the mixing bowl.

Remove the dough from the mixer and place in a lightly oiled glass bowl. Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel and allow to rise in a warm place (a slightly warmed oven works great) for 2 hours.

After allowing the dough to rise, punch the dough down and turn out onto a floured surface.

Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Place each piece of dough into greased miniature loaf pan. Cover again and allow to rise for 1 hour.

After the second rise, brush the tops of the dough with egg wash. Place the pans into a preheated 375 degree oven.

Bake on the middle rack for 30-45 minutes until the tops are golden brown.

Allow bread to cool on wire racks for 20 minutes.

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Cinnamon Popcorn

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Chocolate Raspberry Crumb Bars

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Blackberry Liqueur

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Sweet Spiced Pecans

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Continued from page 81

Homemade Apricot Butter (David Auston Johnson) • • • • • •

1, 16-ounce container of heavy whipping cream Ice water 1/3 cup apricot preserves (homemade or store bought) 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 tablespoon honey Kosher salt

In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whisk heavy cream on high for 10-15 minutes.

As the cream is whisked, a separation of the liquid and solids will occur. (This solid will become the butter.) When the liquid and solids have completely separated, pour off the liquid. (This liquid is actually buttermilk and can be saved.) *Be sure to use a shield or kitchen towel to cover the mixing bowl. The process can become messy as the liquids and solids begin to separate.

With a rubber spatula, press the butter against the side of the bowl to squeeze out any extra liquid. The butter should be as liquid-free as possible, so continuously press until all liquid has been drained.

Pour ice water over the butter and then drain repeatedly, until the water begins to run clear.

Add the apricot preserves, cinnamon, honey, and a pinch of salt to the butter and mix until completely combined.

Transfer butter to a sealed container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. *This same process can be completed using a food processor.

Cinnamon Popcorn (Jan Anderson) • • • • •

6 cups plain popped popcorn (3 bags) 1/2 cup light corn syrup 1 cup butter 9 ounces red hot candies 1 teaspoon orange extract (optional)

Pop popcorn. Remove unpopped kernels. Set aside.

In saucepan, combine other ingredients and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour over popcorn and mix thoroughly. Turn into 9x13 pan (greased). Bake at 250 degrees for 1 hour stirring every 15 minutes to coat.

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Remove from pans and put on waxed paper to cool. Break apart and store in airtight containers.

Chocolate Raspberry Crumb Bars (Sarah Gaede) • • • • •

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for pan 2 cups (8 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 cups (12-ounce package) semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips • 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts • 1/3 cup seedless raspberry jam Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Place 2 sticks butter in mixer bowl; beat until creamy.

Beat in flour, sugar, and salt until well mixed. Place one cup of the mixture in a bowl and reserve; press the remainder evenly into the bottom of the pan with your hands. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until edges are golden brown. Remove pan from oven; keep oven on.

In the meantime, combine 1 cup chocolate chips and the sweetened condensed milk in a microwave-proof bowl or 4-cup glass measuring cup. Microwave for 30 seconds and stir. Continue in 30-second intervals until chocolate chips are completely melted. Be careful not to scorch the mixture.

Add the rest of the chocolate chips and the nuts to the reserved butter-flour mixture, and mix with your fingers until well combined.

Spread the melted chocolate mixture over the hot crust.

Pinch off little pieces of the crumb mixture to cover the filling. Heat the jam for about 20 seconds in the microwave, or until melted, and drizzle it over the crumb mixture with a small spoon. Return to oven for 25-30 minutes, or until crumb mixture is golden brown. Cool completely on a rack before cutting.

To cut into bars, trim about 1/4-inch from each edge; reserve trimmings for the cook. Cut 6 even strips lengthwise and 4 crosswise, for a total of 48 squares.

Remove carefully from pan and store in an airtight container, with wax paper between the layers. These will keep for a few days at room temperature, or can be frozen.

Blackberry Liqueur (Sarah Gaede) • 1 cup water • 3 cups sugar • 1 quart fresh blackberries, or 4 cups frozen

unsweetened blackberries, thawed • 750 ml bottle vodka Stir water and sugar in a saucepan over low heat until sugar is completely dissolved. Cool to room temperature. Place blackberries in a large glass crock or plastic container with a tightfitting lid, being careful not to crush the berries. Pour in sugar water and vodka. Seal and store in a cool place for 2 weeks or so, until the berries have lost most of their color. Pour through a sieve lined with coffee filters or paper towels, and bottle. Sip straight up, or mix with Champagne, Prosecco, or club soda.

Note: I used Cathead vodka from Mississippi, but any decent vodka will work. No need to use the expensive stuff.

You can buy decorative bottles in hobby stores or on the Internet, or reuse upscale vinegar bottles. Running them through the dishwasher will help remove the labels.

Sweet Spiced Pecans (Debra Dombrowski)

• Canola or other vegetable oil • 1/2 cup white, granulated sugar • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (don’t skimp!)

• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt • 1 large egg white • 1 teaspoon water • 5 cups pecan halves

Preheat oven to 225 degrees.

Lightly grease a rimmed baking sheet with canola oil.

Combine sugar, cinnamon, pepper, and salt in a small bowl.

Set aside.

Combine egg white and water in the bowl of a mixer and beat, on the highest setting, until foamy but still in a liquid state.

Stir pecans into egg white until all nuts are thoroughly coated. Add sugar mixture and fold lightly until coated.

Spread pecans, in a single layer, on prepared baking sheet and bake for 1 hour, stirring pecans at 15 minute intervals to prevent sticking and ensure even cooking.

Remove baking sheet and cool on a rack until pecans are at room temperature. Transfer pecans to airtight containers.

Makes 5 cups.

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bless their hearts » David Sims

If my family’s holiday gatherings were made into a feature film, it would be co-directed

by David Lynch, Wes Anderson, and the Coen brothers.

NEW YEAR’S EVIL My mother had this expression. Well, it wasn’t so much an expression as it was an impression. She would flash an exaggerated, toothy smile—presumably to feign happiness where there was no happiness to be found. She called it her “New Year’s Eve Smile,” and she used it liberally.

This smile, and all of the sentiment that went with it, was not just to be reserved to usher in the New Year. It also came in handy for dinners with the in-laws, opening Christmas presents from your spouse, and your fourth-grader’s annual holiday band concert. It wasn’t until much later in my life did I realize just why my mother would hat New Year’s Eve. It hit me on an afternoon hate wat watching some old home movies with Pensacola cou cousins: our family New Year’s Eve parties.

Fo a while my family gathered at local commuFor ni spots like Sanders Beach’s Fireman’s Hall, nity a cavernous yet rustic hall, where they would drink d and trip the light fantastic. Those events may m have also included food, but it never showed s up in the old photos or films. Ladies wore w full skirts made of satins and thick silk taff t eta, and men wore full suits. There were corsages and boutonnieres, and decorations were simple: paper hats, empty bottles of liquor, and overflowing ashtrays.

Above: New Year’s Eve with cousin Gloria and her husband (at least I think he’s her husband).

Fast forward to the late 1960s. Each December 31, my older brother and I were loaded into the car clutching our favorite Christmas presents. We would pick up my grandmother (my grandfather had since died), and we would head to Pensacola’s East Hill to the quiet, picturesque suburban home of Kenny q and Mary Wells Wells. When we arrived arrived, and while everyone was still sober, I would be stuffed with cheddar cheese cubes, sweet baby gherkins, ambrosia, and deviled ham, spread on tiny slices of rye. Then I was whisked off to a back bedroom with Ellen Wells (Kenny and Mary’s daughter) to “play with our Christmas toys.”

Ellen Wells, bless her heart, may have been a nice girl, but to me, she was damn near a textbook sociopath. As soon as the door was shut, Ellen’s sweet little smile would morph into a grimace reminiscent of Anthony Perkins in the climax of Psycho. All I remember was a series of tears and broken toys (mine), though I seem to remember some downtime where Ellen was on her princess phone with a girlfriend, complain-

ing about what a “bummer” it was to be stuck at home with her distant cousins. I couldn’t agree more.

One year, I got a complete Creepy Crawlers Kit for Christmas. For those of you who don’t know what that is, Creepy Crawlers were essentially one of the most dangerous toys in history, next to maybe a pair of Clackers*. A Creepy Crawlers Kit consisted of a an electric “skillet” upon which you would place heavy metal molds featuring the negative indentions of a variety of insect shapes. You would then plug in the “skillet,” fill a tray with what was clearly toxic liquid plastic, and heat it until it became a toxic flexible plastic. After the mold had cooled, you would peel out your new fantastical creations. Then you would play with (or gnaw on) your centipedes, spiders, and cockroaches until you were bored out of your mind.

This particular year, Mattel had introduced an edible plastic (yes, you heard me correctly) so kids could make insects to eat! I was originally planning to save my edible goop for special occasions, but Ellen had other plans. That night she made every edible insect she could, and ate them all, until all my goop (and most of my dignity) was gone.

The events that occurred next are hazy, but in a temporary loss of control, I burst into the living room (ignoring the stern warning not to ever enter the living room) to find a New Year’s Eve party unlike any I had ever seen. (What am I talking about? I had never seen a New Year’s Eve party). Apparently in the 1960s, Pensacola’s middle class really knew how to party. If my family’s holiday gatherings were made into a feature film, it would be co-directed by David Lynch, Wes Anderson, and the Coen Brothers.

Was that really my grandmother dancing on a table? Or was it a chair? Was that cousin Mina’s husband Henry (a retired Air Force major) dressed in a smoking jacket and ascot?

Was Uncle So-and-So hitting on Miss Whatchamahoops in the presence of his wife? Yes. Yes, to all of that. And there, among all of the eye-opening, innocence-killing debauchery was my shy, sweet little mother sitting in the corner. With that New Year’s Eve Smile plastered all over her face.

I stopped crying instantly when I saw her. I stood in solidarity. And I found myself mimicking that same, force grin.

Maybe because of Creepy Crawlers past. Maybe because of Ellen Wells. Maybe because I grew up too fast that night. I too would grow to hate the New Years.

But to look at my face, you’d never know it.

*From Wikipedia (with my annotations in parenthesis): Clackers were a toy popular in the late 1960s and early 1970s. They consisted of two (heavy, rockhard) plastic spheres (think large jawbreaker) suspended (lightly imbedded) on string which, when swung up and down, banged against each other, making a clacking sound (and occasionally detaching and flying across the room).

Clackers are similar in appearance to bolas, the Argentinian weapons (duh).

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the vine » Amy Collins

THE KING & QUEEN OF NEBBIOLO A few years ago, I had the opportunity to travel to the Piedmont region in northwest Italy for work. I use “work” here loosely, as I and four big guys spent a couple of nights in Barolo, eating, drinking, meeting winemakers, and walking the vineyards. It was here, after a decade of trying, that I finally came to terms with the fact that I neither could nor should “keep up with the boys,” and that good raw beef, chopped and lightly drizzled in good olive oil, can be one of the most healing foods for a nasty hangover that’s not allowed to stay home and wallow. More importantly, the wines, the vineyards, and the people have been forever imprinted on my memory.

Barolo wine takes its name from the small village of Barolo. Made from 100 percent Nebbiolo grapes, it is often called “the wine of Kings, the King of wines.” Barbaresco is a neighboring village and DOC area with about a third of the production of Barolo, and wines made in a similar manner from similar soils and climate conditions.

Vinification and aging laws are a bit less strict than those for Barolo, and as a result, Barbaresco wines tend to be a touch less structured, less robust, and slightly lower in alcohol. They are considered the “feminine” counter to the King’s drink—nectar for the Queen, or Princess. There are other DOCs that produce Nebbiolo-based wines— La Morra, Ghemme, Gattinara, to name a few—but Barolo is the star, and its growing importance influences the surrounding communes in Piedmont, like Barbaresco and Nebbiolo outliers with eponymous labeling.

A recent conversation with Odette restaurant general manager and wine director Kristy Bevis revealed we have a common love for Barolo, specifically, and Nebbiolo in general. We tasted several wines and chose a few favorites that are available here in North Alabama. What we love about the Nebbiolo is its elegance, finesse, and ability to express great structure or soft tannins, depending on the place and producer. We found both in our line-up.

The grape itself is a thin-skinned variety, much like the Pinot Noir, and, therefore, susceptible to rot and other undesirable conditions in less than ideal weather. Old School Barolos were made in a way that extracted a tremendous amount of dry, chewy tannins, rendering wines undrinkable for at least five years, closer to ten. Producers kept these wines in barrels until they’d mellowed enough to sell, thus carrying a hefty overhead of inventory that they sold primarily to locals. In the mid-1970s, Barolo son Elio Altare traveled to Burgundy, France, to learn winemaking and grape growing. He recognized distinct parallels between the Pinot Noir of Burgundy and the Nebbiolo of his hometown, returned to Barolo, and, with the collaboration of a handful of likeminded young rebels, flipped Barolo production on its head, changed the wines and changed the region, now a prominent pin on the wine map. This fall, a documentary called The Barolo Boys, which tells the story of the Barolo revolution, won several

© Courtesy of Damilano

film festival awards and is available by DVD or streaming, if you’re interested in learning more about the revolution and more about the beauty of these wines.

From Kristy’s notes on two of our favorites: “I’ve always thought of Barbaresco as more feminine and Barolo as more masculine when it comes to these two prides of Piedmont, and the Produttori and Damilano, respectively, own up to this sentiment. The Produttori has a nose of dried flowers (rose petal, violet) and bright cherry, with more cherry and moderate acidity on the palate, and an elegant, soft tannic finish. While a bit tight initially, the wine opened up nicely and became more nuanced while maintaining a feminine subtlety. The Damilano, while it could use a little more age, has all the beautiful, brooding structure and richness expected of a Barolo. Firm tannins and a long, velvety finish with notes of dark plum and dried fruit matched beautifully with pecorino Romano and Prosciutto.”

A third favorite was the 2012 Cantina del Pino Langhe Nebbiolo, which is made from grapes grown within the Barbaresco DOC but declassified under the Langhe DOC, probably because the fruit did not match winemaker Renato Vacca’s standards for Barbaresco, which is his primary cuvée.

This Nebbiolo has the structure to age a few years but smooth tannins and bright fruit compelling it to be drunk now. It is quite delicious and, to quote Vacca’s website, “Dangerously easy to drink.”

The treasure of all these wines is their ability to express throughout a meal, as each taste gathers a little more air and shares a little more nuance than the previous sip. These are conversation wines that invite thoughtful consideration of the wines themselves and general good cheer among friends and family. For that reason alone, they are well-suited to the holiday table and make for excellent gifting.

Our three favorites are all available in North Alabama.

Cantina del Pino Langhe Nebbiolo Leather, anise, violet flowers, tobacco, and firm soft tannins lead an expressive wine that would suit a meal or a leisurely evening of sipping. Stock up on this lovely quaff. $22 Damilano Barolo “Lecinquevigne” The proprietary name on this cuvée means “five vineyards” and is a blend of five of the most respected vineyards in the Barolo commune. Surprisingly elegant and structured for the price. A “tasting” seamlessly became an empty bottle. $35 Produttori del Barbaresco Much less structured than the Damilano with drier fruits and greater need for food. Hard, salty cheese, cured meats, and roasts with unctuous fat will bring out the best in this majesty. $37

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food for thought » Sarah Gaede

NUTTY FOR FRUITCAKE Fruitcake has been a part of festive celebrations since Roman times, when cooks mixed raisins, pine nuts, and pomegranate seeds into barley mash. Yum. Things improved in the 13th century when panforte (“strong bread,” referring to the spicy flavor) was first made in Tuscany. Documents from 1205 show that panforte was paid as tribute to the monks and nuns of a local monastery. There are references to the Crusaders carrying panforte with them and to the use of panforte as an aide in surviving siege. It is a dense round cake full of hazelnuts, almonds, candied orange peel and citron, spices, and just enough honey and flour to hold it together. It’s expensive, time-consuming, and sticky to make, but so worth the effort. There’s a good recipe in the New York Times Cookbook if you are feeling adventurous. I make it every Christmas, to universal acclaim—especially for the chocolate version with cocoa and dried figs.

In the United Kingdom and Ireland, fruitcake, often covered with elaborate marzipan icing, is still the traditional wedding cake. In the United States, on the other hand, fruitcake has a bad reputation, due in large part, I believe, to the proliferation of mass-produced cakes full of candied fruit, specifically the neon red and green cherries. Before the advent of mass production, fruitcakes were a nutritious blend of raisins, currants, nuts, and citron, and perhaps a few candied cherries for color, with a poundcake-like batter to hold it together. It was flavored with spices and whiskey, sherry, or brandy, and wrapped in linen soaked with more spirits as a preservative. If you are southern, I guarantee your grandmothers made fruitcake. Even if they were teetotalers, they made an exception for fruitcake, even during Prohibition. Baking fruitcake was a major seasonal endeavor. Read “A Christmas Memory” by Truman Capote for a blast of fruitcake baking nostalgia.

In 1945, the new owner of a bakery in a small town in Georgia decided to mass market fruitcake to take advantage of the abundant south Georgia pecan crop. This dread fruitcake, which shall remain nameless, has become ubiquitous. You can find it prominently displayed at Walmart during the holiday season. If this is the only fruitcake you’ve ever tasted, it’s quite understandable that you would think you hate fruitcake. Even I, who love fruitcake, including the kind with the screech-red cherries, will not let it past my lips. Worst of all, it is completely nonalcoholic.

Some wag posted on Wikipedia that making a fruitcake privately for oneself is considered acceptable at Christmas, but receiving one as a gift is a cruel insult and meant to be a rebuke or slap in the face. It implies to the receiver that whoever gave the fruitcake dislikes the receiver, is giving the receiver a fruitcake to fulfill a holiday obligation and no more, does not care about the receiver nor wish the receiver a happy Christmas, and that this fruitcake, which can be rewrapped and used over and over again because of its freakishly long shelf life, is an insult, the worst present in the world.

On the other hand, my chocolate fruitcake, a variation on a recipe by Nigella Lawson, is one of the best presents in the world, if you can stand to give it away. It is SO GOOD! And no candied fruit is involved in its creation.

Chocolate Fruit Cake Note: Since this is an English recipe, one weighs the dry ingredients rather than measuring—a good idea for all baking. A kitchen scale from Amazon runs less than $20. I stick a medium-sized bowl on my scale, reset it to zero and to grams instead of ounces, and start tossing fruit in until I get to 725 grams. (I weigh in grams to avoid having to add fractions. Why, oh why, didn’t we embrace the metric system along with everyone else in the world?) No need to be exact with each fruit—this is a more-or-less sort or recipe.

Cut the fruit with kitchen shears—much easier than chopping with a knife. Nigella uses only prunes, raisins, and currants, the classic English fruits, but I love cherries and apricots too. You can use dried figs, blueberries, and/or cranberries as well, in any combination, as long as it all adds up to 725 grams. You weigh the dry ingredients too, and your glass measuring cup will have metric measurements on one side for the liquids.

You can find almond meal or flour at the grocery store sometimes, or you can use finely processed blanched almonds. Or you can order it from nuts.com, along with organic dried fruit.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

200 grams cut up dried soft prunes 150 grams golden raisins 125 grams dried currants 125 grams cut up dried apricots 125 grams whole dried tart cherries 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter 175 grams dark brown sugar 175 ml honey 125 ml coffee liqueur—I use Kahlua 2 navel oranges, zested and juiced 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice 2 tablespoons good quality cocoa (I use Hershey’s Dark) 3 large eggs, beaten 150 grams all-purpose flour 75 grams almond meal or ground blanched almonds 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Spray the sides and bottom of a 9-inch round springform pan with cooking spray; line with a parchment round cut to fit on the bottom, and spray parchment.

Place the fruit, butter, sugar, honey, coffee liqueur, orange zest and juice, mixed spice, and cocoa into a large, heavy saucepan. Heat until it reaches a gentle boil, stirring the mixture as the butter melts. Simmer for 10 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat and cool for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Stir eggs, flour, ground almonds, baking power, and soda into liquid mixture with a wooden spoon or spatula until combined. Pour the batter into the lined cake pan. Bake for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until the top of the cake is firm but still has a shiny and sticky look. At this point, if you insert a sharp knife into the middle of the cake, there should be moist crumbs clinging to the knife when you pull it out. Cool on rack; remove from pan. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and foil or store in a cake tin. Cake keeps at room temperature for several weeks.

Note: This also makes five 6” x 3” mini loaf pans. Spray and line bottoms with parchment. Start checking for doneness at about 45 minutes.

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parting shot » Danny Mitchell

LOCAL COLOR

make the season sparkle in

Designer Styles

NEW! 1.STATE Fringe trim sequin kimono, lace hem tank & tuxedo trouser

Celebrate our new store! Now open at BELK.COM BELK K .COM M  | noalastudios.com | november/december 