Not only do houseplants add a pop of green décor to your home, but they’re great for your health: Indoor greenery can lower blood pressure and certain varieties can purify and humidify the air. Plus, the leafy greens are believed to boost mental health. September 17 marks the beginning of Indoor Plant Week, so we’ve […]
Although sommelier Paula Rester had worked in restaurants since she was 15, it wasn’t until her late-20s that she has what she calls her “wine ‘ah-ha’ moment.” “I put my nose in the glass and immediately felt transported to a place I had never been before,” she tells us of the experience with a Nebbiolo […]
Before corks became so popular, vintners would often stop bottles with a rag. Yes, a rag. And although this switch happened way back in the 1800s, it’s not hard to imagine people having a hard time getting on board with cork… just like it’s taken people a while to accept that a screw-top doesn’t mean […]
For years rosé got a bad name. The syrupy sweet, poorly made white zins of the world gave anything pink a reputation—and not a good one. Luckily, in the past few years, rosé’s popularity has been on an uptick. Maybe it’s because millennial pink is trendy or maybe it’s because winemakers have improved the offerings, […]
We all have a special item that we just love—there could be a number of reasons why we cherish it… because it’s comfortable, because it holds memories or simply because it’s beautiful. At Grok Nation, we highlight sustainable fashion and these special items with our recurring feature My Favorite Hand-Me-Down. Actress Fiona Dourif is no […]
“A bottle starts a conversation,” says Morgan Calcote, general manager and beverage director of FIG Restaurant in Charleston, South Carolina. She says what first drew her to wine—and what keeps her in the industry—is “how it connects you to other people.” Morgan got her start in the restaurant industry while a student at the College […]
If you’ve been reading Grok Nation for the past few months, you’ve probably seen my biweekly We Tried It reviews of meal delivery services. When I started this recurring feature, I didn’t realize just how many boxes are on the market. It’s a bit overwhelming to sift through which service is right for you and […]
“Don’t overthink it.” That’s WineGame Chief Marketing Officer Sarah Munson’s no. 1 piece of advice about drinking wine. And it’s solid advice. Too often people feel overwhelmed when making selections at wine stores or when browsing a restaurant’s wine list. That’s exactly why we started this column—and why WineGame was created. The phone app is […]
You may associate “rum” with beach drinks and college kids—and while that might be true, rum is much more than that. It’s actually an excellent spirit for making cocktails at high-end bars or at home. The truth is, if you’ve found yourself not enjoying rum in the past, you probably need to get a better […]
It might not have been his intention, but Stacy Clark’s high school biology teacher prepared her for a life in the wine industry. The winemaker for Charles Krug first dipped her toe in that world when Mr. Holm took his class on a field trip to Concannon Vineyards in California’s San Francisco Bay area. There […]
Becky Rapinchuk began sharing her cleaning routine on the internet in 2009, before Instagram and influencers were a thing, during the “wild wild west of blogging,” as Becky describes it. Before Becky had kids, she could take all day to clean her home, but once her family grew, she realized that wouldn’t work. She had […]
Artist Chloe Giordano and editor Rachel Williams created an artistic children’s book that must be seen It’s hard to deny the importance of reading to your children from a young age. A 2018 article in the New York Times said that children experience less anger and problems with attention span when parents read to their […]
Just like with fashion, in home décor, sometimes what’s old is new again. And that’s certainly true with wallpaper. Available in a range of sizes, designs and colors, there are hundreds of wallpapers available on the market—and there’s certainly one that could fit your home. Sometimes you don’t need a piece of artwork, you just […]
Liris Crosse has been blazing trails in the modeling industry ever since she set foot on the runway. Dubbed “Naomi Campbell of Plus,” Liris is the first plus-size model to win the model portion of Project Runway. But the Lifetime reality show isn’t the only way she’s made a name for herself. She’s been outspoken […]
The lack of work-appropriate winter wear for women is a real issue Long-sleeved dresses are the holy grail of dresses. And I’m not talking about the long-sleeved mini-dresses you wear to look cute when going out in winter but actually freeze in all night long. I’m talking the long-sleeved, work-appropriate dress. I mean the dresses […]
The Pantone Color Institute determines the Color of the Year by analyzing what colors are starting to trend in fashion, film, technology, etc. And one color they see on the horizon for 2019 is coral. That’s why Pantone 16-1546 Living Coral was named as the Pantone Color of the Year 2019 in December. Inspired by […]
My Favorite Recipe is a recurring feature on Grok Nation that highlights a celebrity or chef’s all-time favorite. You may not guess that a person with the title “The Cocktail Guru” started as a bartender to supplement a fledgling acting career, but that’s exactly what happened to Jonathan Pogash. Growing up in New Jersey with […]
I grew up in a middle income home in middle America. We were certainly not what you would call “fancy.” I’m pretty sure what we used as a “butter knife” for most of my life was actually a fish knife. But when it came to thank you etiquette, you would have thought my mother was […]
There are just a few days left for holiday shopping. And if you’ve put off buying for the nerds and geeks on your list, have we got a guide for you! We’ve pulled a gift idea for fans of all the major fandoms: Doctor Who, Star Wars, Harry Potter, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and more. […]
It’s incredibly easy to get caught up in shopping for the holidays and not truly think through what you’re giving to friends and family. While trying to check everyone off your holiday gift list, you could end up overspending or purchasing presents that don’t have as much meaning as you’d like. That’s why we’ve rounded […]
