Annie
Valley Larder – Carson Valley
And so, it begins…our journey into Fabulous & Fresh treats to share with loved ones. I am Annie, a mother, wife, sister, grandmother, traveler, wine lover, and foodie. For the past 30+ years I worked in Los Angeles as a Criminal Investigator and had the most amazing career anyone could ask for. I retired from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in 2021 and moved up to one of the most beautiful locations in the West Coast: Gardnerville, Nevada. For most of you that have never heard of this beautiful location, I am just 20 minutes from South Lake Tahoe and have views surrounding me that are majestic. I now sit in my backyard in aww of my surroundings. Life is good! In 2016, knowing I’d be retiring young and in pursuit of doing only things that bring me happiness and fun. I began my focus on areas of life that I truly had a passion for: traveling with my husband, friends, and family. So, I purchased my travel agency. I am now the owner and operator of Premier Travel LLC, a Cruise Planners Franchise. Having a travel agency is the beginning of the next story of my life. I absolutely love working in the travel industry and it allows me so many great opportunities. In 2020-2022 through the pandemic, I began questioning everything. People were just not traveling. So, I looked to another of my passion’s, “wine”. My entire life has revolved around wine in some fashion. My father taught me to truly appreciate it and allowed me to taste and learn through all my years at home. I have always included wine in some manner in our travels and loved the experiences and history that come with that. In 2020, I realized people were drinking more wine to maintain happiness through the pandemic, so I shifted my focus a bit. I spent the next three years waiting for travel to come back and became a certified wine expert. I took advantage of lock-up and learned another career. I am a wine consultant for a Napa Valley Winery and named my business Annie’s Wine World. Now, with my knowledge of wine and travel and the world coming back to a bit of norm, I have the good fortune to share these passions with everyone through wine travel. I love to experience the amazing wines throughout the world and sharing a bottle with friends right here in my backyard as I gaze at the beautiful views or wherever our travels may take us. There is such a connection to travel and events through the food we eat and the wines we drink. So, you wonder what does any of this have to do with Cheese & Charcuterie Boards? Those that know me know I absolutely love to entertain guests. I took years of baking, decorating, and chef classes in the 1990s just because it was fun. I was fortunate to be living in an area of Pasadena, CA where others also had foodie passions and love to cook and bake like me. In 2017, our family went to Scotland on a vacation. The men were so excited to golf St. Andrews. A few of us nongolfers spent the day in the rain indoors at what was the most amazing café, store, and restaurant I had ever come across in all my travels. I knew then that I needed to share this experience with my community, and it would become my pursuit. Here we are today: the beginning of Valley Larder, Phase 1. I realize most do not use the name Larder much anymore. It means Cupboard. However, it is the perfect word for Cheese & Charcuterie as this is how our ancestors preserved their food. Just a little FYI: Charcuterie means salami or cured meats. We here in USA use cold cuts or deli meats. So, you’ll hear me just use the word “Board” as I create. Now, I begin Valley Larder. I will bring all my local favorite treats onto amazing boards and share them with Carson Valley. I will be sharing these amazing boards along with a couple local businesses/friends. We will offer pick-up and amazing desserts via: Blind Dog Coffee & Crysi’s Cakes. Check out their websites. Now let’s share an amazing Cheese & Charcuterie board as you entertain your guests. Let me do the work for you. Open a good bottle of wine with your board and ponder where our travels will take us next. Hug your loved ones and live for today. No matter where you are in the world there is always time for some fun and happiness. Cheers! Never get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life!