Vino Vino

John had the privilege of selecting my weekend wines yesterday. I requested a Pinot Grigio and a surprise. He did well! Just a few hours earlier I had been reading about the wines from Villa San-Juliette winery in Paso Robles, CA. And what does he come home with? A Cabernet blend called Romantique from the very same vintners! Fate. This bottle is a 2005 and John said it was on sale for $8.99, down from $20. Score! Rarely (read: never) do we spend $20 on a bottle of wine. We typically try to keep it in the $8-$13 range so this was a real find. And do you know who is one of the masterminds behind VSJ? Nigel Lythgoe, judge/producer on So You Think You Can Dance and producer of American Idol. A real wine celeb, no? I thought that was super neat. And his picture is on their website and everything. Onto the wine...

On the bottle - "An exquisite dark ruby red color with complex plum, black currant and cocoa aromas all balanced by rich velvety tannins. Romantique will not only put you in the mood, it will help you enjoy it."

This was a tasty glass. Very full-bodied and the black currant really comes through. I don't know if I could taste the cocoa but, I'm sure it's in there. It doesn't appear, from the website, that they're producing Romantique anymore. That's probably why it was on sale. So, if you can find it, it's worth trying. Thumbs up, Nigel!


I would like to declare my love for a lazy Saturday morning. We usually have big plans to get up and workout early so we can get on with the day. Today however, I made a rain-induced decision to get up early and surprise John with homemade scones and coffee. It would have worked too if Sadie hadn't barked at something outside. Because our temps are normalizing here in Dayton, we can again open windows and our balcony door. Wheee!!!! This also means that Sadie is on full sentry duty warning of all comings and goings into the condo. So, John was awakened by her loquaciousness. No matter. He was still pleased as punch with my surprise breakfast. Wife bonus points! We enjoyed our breakfast and are still lazing around trying to figure out the rest of the day. Love it!