"Hakuna Moscato: It Means More Wine"

Summer Cocktail of the Week:

The Salty Bird

This beautiful concoction from Esquire has a strong tropical vibe and packs a serious punch that will keep you fulfilled for the rest of summer!

When most of us think of wine, we think of relaxing with a nice, chilled bottle of red or white on a hot summer day or enjoying a freshly poured glass with a fancy dinner.  But when it comes to wine, apparently there is a whole lot of potential!  Read on to discover a few of the strange and unusual ways that wine has been used!

1. Fuel for a Vintage Aston Martin

If you're looking to cut down on your motor emissions, perhaps you'd like to take the lead of Prince Charles.  Prince Charles took his 38-year old Aston Martin and began filling it with bioethanol made from wine.  He drives the convertible only in the summer and typically puts about 300 miles on the vehicle per year.  And he didn't stop there- the Prince's Jaguars, Range Rovers, and Audi all use fuels made from ordinary vegetable oil. 

2. Wine...in Space!

That's right- apparently the astronauts at NASA like wine too.  Buzz Aldrin, a religious man, was the man who started the trend.  He held Communion in space and therefore was allowed to bring a small portion of wine along with small wafers.  Following his lead, Charles Bourland (the man in charge of choosing food and drinks for the Apollo program) worked to develop a sherry that wouldn't perish during long space travel.  The sherry was poured into sealed plastic bags with built-in straws so that astronauts would simply have to squeeze and sip.  Unfortunately, this idea didn't come to fruition as the public was angry that alcohol would be sent to space and the sherry took on a weird odor when placed in zero-gravity surroundings.  Instead, the bagged sherry is used by NASA astronauts. in long simulations and practice missions.

3. Facials

It's no longer enough to drink wine- now it is becoming customary to put red wine on your face to cleanse your skin and to tighten excess skin in the face and neck areas.  This new technique is being used at many spas across the country.  And as if this trend wasn't extra enough, people are even taking the mix they create with their leftover wine a step further and bathing in it!  Simply add 16 oz. of red wine to your bath to take advantage of the beneficial enzymes.

4. Prettying Up Your Shoes

Tired of bland colored heels that have no flare or bold color to match your flaming personality?  Try using red wine as a dye on a pair of dye-able heels as so many people are doing.  Simply prime and paint red wine on a pair of shoes and you will find yourself with the perfect pair of red wine-tinted shoes.