So, here we are – 2013.  Wow, seems like just yesterday was 2012 and a dozen years since we sweated the Y2K scare – reminds us of an old Barry Manilow song . . . “Looks like we made it” – there we go, dating ourselves again – but for the record . . . we aren’t really Barry Manilow fans – whew, that felt good to say that.  But, for the record . . . we are Dave Matthews fans (even more now that we’ve found out he is into making wines – more on that in a minute).

Ok, as we said – we’ve survived another year and are looking forward to a new one at our doorstep – we haven’t made alot of resolutions that we aren’t going to keep – that was our resolution this year.  We are going to stick it out with this wine blog and make it to August 31st come rain or shine.  We know the year has some milestones ahead – shortly, Bill aka Jean’s Dad will clock in birthday #85 – this hardly seems possible and we are so blessed to have him a bit closer; in a few weeks, we’ll hit the big 30 (nope, not in age, but in wedded bliss) – that’s a big accomplishment these days and truth be told we’re pretty proud of that; also looming on the horizon is Daughter #1 graduating from college – it is amazing to us that she has gotten older, but we are frozen in time . . . truly a miracle.  We are certain that there will be all kinds of exciting things out there waiting for us, and we know that we are equipped to handle whatever comes our way.

So, to kick start the new year we opened a bottle of wine suggested by Cheryl at Steel Branding (by the way, if you need a great PR/Website/Marketing firm – give them a call) – we really, really like Cheryl because like us, she enjoys good wine (especially reds).  Tonight we opened a North Coast 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon from Dreaming Tree.  As it turns out Dave Matthews is very involved with this wine (which as mentioned above, makes us like him even more).  In collaboration with Steve Reeder, Dreaming Tree Wines is producing the Cab, a Chardonnay and a blend.  This Cab is value-priced at around $15 a bottle–less if you can find it on sale–but don’t let the low price fool you.  It’s a full-bodied red wine built with food in mind–specifically, grilled food or oven-fired pizza.  We enjoyed it with Brian’s chicken fajitas – a definite bonus!

The nose is subtle, but noticeable, with hints of nutmeg and spice along with bright fruits–primarily, raspberries and cherries.  The taste is smooth, fruity and delicious and the finish is quick, dry but still pleasing.  We’ve had wines that cost double this bottle and don’t deliver the flavor or aroma that Dreaming Tree enjoys.  Clearly, this is a wine that we’ll stock for deck time or family time.  It’s easily available from a wide array of retailers and is now one of our favorites for an everyday wine.  Here is another example of trying a wine that we’d probably never give a second look at, but after trying it, we’ve found another one to really enjoy.

As your New Year gets off to a fast (we hope) start, one of the things that keeps us grounded in not looking too far ahead is in remembering the past.  As mentioned above, there a number of milestones slated for this year, but in order to achieve milestones, we know that you have to “put in your time”.  Translated:  nothing comes quickly or easily.  It’s a hard lesson to learn, but when we turn the page on another year, it’s a great thing to remember.  Enjoying wine is something that we’ve grown to do. . .it wasn’t that way in our younger years, and we’ve visited with a lot of other folks who say the same thing.  So, here’s to 2013 – put on some Dave Matthews Band, open a bottle of 2010 Dreaming Tree Cabernet Sauvignon, and remember how you got to where you are today – along with where you hope to go tomorrow.

Speaking of tomorrow, we’ll be back with another wine and a story or two leading into it (bound to be one or two since we both have to go back to work after a nice break).  In the meantime, enjoy your wine responsibly and please remember to recycle whenever possible.