Allison Anne Arbuthnot Believe those seeking truth; doubt those who find it. arbuthnot.allison@gmail.com www.thewhole9.com/AllisonAnneArbuthnot 707.338.1553
Member since September 29, 2009.
This portfolio has been viewed 674 times.
City / State / Zip / Country: Redondo Beach, California, 90278, United States
My profession: Writing
About my work: A very brilliant writer once told me, "Write what you know." I know wine and I know food. I know matters of the heart. Most importantly, I think, I know what it means to seek. So, I do what comes naturally and I write about wine and food, travel and life. I was trained as both a writer and a wine professional by some top dogs, and became a sommelier through the Master Court, but my approach to wine and writing is often nontraditional. Like most things in life, wine and food are about open-mindedness, experience, and spice. I embrace a perspective that honors wine and food as an art, as a lifestyle, and as a cultural and spiritual medium through which we can explore what it means to be human and alive. Whether I'm writing about Pinots or pigeons, this theme--tasting, savoring, and appreciating life--permeates my work.
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WRITING SAMPLES:
Title:
The Alpkase House
Type:
travel writing
Description:
Published Spring '10, Best Student Travel Writing Anthology, Champlain College Publishing Initiative
Sample:
"I'd like to buy some cheese
My comment is met by a brief blank stare, then a flash of recognition and a nervous laugh. The woman standing in the doorway before me is short, with grey-brown, shoulder-length curly hair and a clean, healthy face. She wipes her hands on the back of her slacks and nods towards the sign by her door, which reads "Zu verkaufren: Alpkase, Frische Milch, Frische Eier, Rauchwurst (For sale: Alps cheese, Fresh Milk, Fresh Eggs, Smoked dried sausages)."
"Ya, ya, alpka (more...)
Title:
An Impossible Drop
Type:
feature journalism
Description:
VT-based Meathead Films and the death of Alec Stall. Published March 2005, The Champlain Truth
Sample:
“You’ve reached Kristian, really bad time to call me, big storm comin’ in, I don’t have time to talk on the phone right now, I got pow-pow to shred. Leave me a message.” Beep. These guys really love to ski
The first time I met Kristian Geissler was informal and unscheduled, an accidental encounter while the idea of writing this story was still brewing in my mind. He was exactly what I would have expected, however, in meeting one of the free-skiing, risk-taking, East Coast born-and-bred, youn (more...)
Title:
Savage Sauvignon: Marlborough, New Zealand
Type:
wine journalism: regional
Description:
An overview of the Marlborough, New Zealand, wine industry.
Sample:
New Zealand is the Little Engine That Could of the wine world. As perhaps the most impressive newcomer—exploding onto the map in the 1980s with their über-racy Sauvignon Blanc—New Zealand has made some monumental strides since the “Dolly plonk” wine of the 20th century Dalmatian settlers. In the last 40 years it has expanded its vineyard acreage monumentally, from a mere 1,000 acres in 1960 to over 50,000 today, and has become one of the most recognized wine regions in the New World (more...)
Title:
Birds of a Feather
Type:
editorial
Description:
A comical and educational editorial about pigeons.
Sample:
I’ve never been a big fan of the pigeon. In fact, I am quite sure I have never met anyone who is. For most city dwellers, pigeons are a nuisance; they seem to be omnipresent, constantly cooing and pooping and hopping around your table at the sidewalk café waiting for you to drop a few crumbs of your cheese brioche. They spread disease and dirty our sidewalks and nest in our apartments. They are the rats of the sky
Not a bird-lover to begin with, it was with this attitude that I f (more...)
Title:
Friends of the Vine: Wine Bar Review
Type:
review
Description:
A review of Friends of the Vine Wine Bar, located in Redondo Beach.
Sample:
Friends of the Vine
221 Avenida Del Norte
Redondo Beach, CA 90277
310.792.5940
Open Monday – Saturday
3:30pm – 11pm
Three wines meet in a bar. The stately but sassy white Burgundy watches under her sunglasses, one eyebrow raised, as the California Pinot Noir kicks off his flip-flops under his barstool. The Spanish Montsant gives a dark chuckle from the other end of the polished wooden bar. What happens now? Proprietor and wine jockey extraordinaire Fred Eguchi calls each one by nam (more...)
Title:
Portraits of Service
Type:
Flap copy
Description:
Flap copy for a photo documentary book by Tom Sanders due for publication 2011
Sample:
At the age of 21 Tom Sanders began photographing World War II veterans, using the passion of youth to honor and preserve a generation rapidly slipping away. While their images were captured on film, the stories of these men and women captured Tom’s heart, and what began as a humble weekend project sprouted into an acclaimed collection of photographs of heroes from California to Kentucky and back again. This four-year project comes to fruition in The Faces of World War II: Portraits of Service (more...)
Sushi is no stranger to Manhattan Beach. With such staples as Sashi Sushi and Sushi Gallery Miki dotting the downtown streets, locals are not wanting for fresh fish. So what does newcomer Izaka-Ya by Katsu-Ya bring to the table
“Our concept is Japanese tapas, which is different than most Los Angeles sushi restaurants,” says manager Tiger Nakawake.
As Manhattan Beach’s freshest addition, Izaka-Ya has quickly risen in the ranks of downtown hot spots since opening its doors February 1st, a (more...)
