Being parents of two wonderful young ladies is a gift beyond words.  Today was needless to say a wonderful day in that we had the chance to spend time with both daughter #1 AND daughter #2 – not to mention our new “granddog”, Bridget.  So many times we hear the words “life is too short” – and truth be told, these are pearls of wisdom.  Our morning started with BACON – (is there a better way to start the day?????)  Let’s face it – BACON is a life form of its own.  We slept in a bit (ok, so 6:30 a.m. is considered late in these parts, especially when 16 legs are expecting you to giddy up and git moving because they have to).  Daughter #1 arrived last night and we had a wonderful time with her – including dinner at Outback and a nightcap at Cody’s here in San Marcos.  She stirred around 8:30 a.m. when the aroma of BACON hit her room – needless to say “Grandma and Grandpa” had already attended to the granddog, so all was well.

The agenda was sent – our main purpose today was to travel north to Austin around 11:30 a.m to pick up daughter #2 from the airport – keep in mind that traveling from east to west means a VERY early flight to be in Austin by 11:30 a.m.  In fact, the cell phone “barked” at 2:30 a.m. letting us know she (d #2) was up and getting ready to head to the airport for her o’dark thirty flight.  She did her duty and made her flight – zipped through Dallas and landed safe and sound around noon – not bad for travel on the day before a MAJOR holiday. The final stops of the day were “Wally-World” and the outlet mall for some quick shopping – then home, sweet home for some R & R before heading out in the morning for a family rendezvous about 3 hours up the road.

So, after two nights of FAILED wines, we were a bit worried about what tonight might bring – scouts honor (and remember Jean is a lifetime Girl Scout so she can say those sorts of things), we were VERY concerned that the  “strike three – you’re out” rule might take affect tonight.  BUT – luckily for us, the wine tonight did not fail.

Tonight we tasted from a bottle of 2010 Chain Gang, a blend from Sonoma County in California – and while it may not be the best in the house, this red wine won’t disappoint if you enjoy bigger, bolder red wines.  The first thing we noticed was the nose.  It  was a classic scent including a smokiness from the oak barrels and a fruitiness from the vines.  After two previous wines that were major disappointments, it’s nice to get a hold of a wine that will appreciate current conditions and also recognize what’s coming up on the horizon.  This wine did not disappoint.  We loved the pro-active attitude of both the originating farms but also those just mine started.  Like the two previous wines, the nose on this one was forward, fruitiness, and fun.  It was a beautiful opening!  We picked this little gem up at HEB for under $14.

We enjoy good wine–no doubt about that.  We also like to stand behind the wines we’ve talked about . . . and, only occasionally would we go against our own advice!  So whether you’re enjoying a classic like tonight or a classic from the past, remember to enjoy responsibly and recycle when possible.