Grok Nation

How to grow houseplants

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 ...
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Paula Rester takes a laidback, Texas approach to wine

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 ...
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Canned wines are worth the pop of attention

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 ...
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‘The New Pink Wine’ author recommends affordable, delicious rosés

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 ...
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Fiona Dourif remembers her mother with a rare orange diamond ring

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 ...
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Morgan Calcote weekly wine goes great with ‘heat and humidity’

“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 ...
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Which food subscription box should you try?

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 ...
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WineGame’s Sarah Munson says the new app allows for wine exploration

“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. ...
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11 recipes for rum cocktails crafted by mixologists around the U.S.

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 ...
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Charles Krug winemaker Stacy Clark highlights a ‘lovely’ summer wine

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 ...
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