Blogger's Note:  The following blog was NOT written under duress but rather out of love for what Brian and Jean are doing. Kris. 

When Jean and Brian first approached me about writing a blog for them and their quest to review 365 bottles within one year, I was amazed.  After picking myself up off the floor, I started laughing and in a moment of absolute insanity I agreed to add my two cents … actually it was $3.99.

If one is going to look for fine wine, the absolute most non-obvious place would be Walmart!  So that’s where I went!  Walking up and down the aisle, I was amazed at all the colors and flavors available … who knew?   Prior to reading the blog – my knowledge was limited to “Do you want Red or White?”  Now, of course, thanks to the Jean and Brian tutorials, I am much more informed.  I knew that I probably wanted a sweet white!

The variety of labels caught my eye and I was drawn to the colors of green and blue – two of my favorites.  When I saw the flip flops … I was sold.  Thank goodness I had already decided on a white or my decision would have been more tricky.  So, liking the design on the label and the colors was a big help in this choice!  By the way, just to add a side note, as my friends often do … green and blue are great colors for football uniforms too – specifically the Seattle Seahawks … not my favorite team, but I digress.

It just so happens that I had a small dinner party last night – unfortunately, only two of the guests drink wine and they are not experts either, so I did not get any help from them in the taste testing.  They did agree that the label was nice and that as my favorite choice of footwear is a Flip Flop – it was very appropriate for me.  I chilled the wine and when it came time to open – to my delight, the cap unscrewed very easily.  The clarity of the wine was wonderful, regardless of the color of the glass in which it was served.  The taste was sweet … not too.  I definitely tasted grapes.  It seemed to “open well” and of course, after a glass or two, I really thought it tasted better!  In fact, the more I drank, the better it was.  Not sure if this is directly related to the fact that my nose and cheekbones became numb or I just didn’t care anymore?

So … once again, I must digress.  This wine brought back wonderful memories of college football games in the “Big House” and the fine tradition of passing the empty Boone’s Farm bottles from the lower rows in the stadium to the top row.  This became a green wave of color for at least a couple minutes between the 3^rd and 4^th quarter of the game.  Which did not pair well with your stomach at times if you had drank more than your share.  As our team was normally winning, we were not drinking to drown our sorrows … just drinking!  For the unlucky few whose friends had imbibed a bit too much – they might find themselves also passed up … which is what happened to my mother when she came to visit me one weekend.  Thank goodness the Red Cross in Washtenaw County provides first aid stations at each home game!

This is a wine to be shared (as you don’t want to drink too much yourself) with friends.  Tonight I was with Don, Bob, Anna, Veronique, Diane and Jean (for the record – not the San Marcos variety).  I paired the wine with my first attempt at grilling chicken on my new gas grill – the wine seemed to take some of my anxiety away!  We also had a nice salad, broccoli and fresh bread.  Add a dessert of peanut butter “bombs” and oatmeal/PB/chocolate chip cookies and eventually the wine taste disappears!  So … whether you are reliving your misspent youth or sharing a nice dinner with friends – the quality of wine really doesn’t matter to me, as normally I can’t tell the difference.  What matters is the quality and support of your friends and family – and I am very blessed in this area.  I am also thankful that Jean and Brian consider me one of the folks in their “circle of trust” (trivia … trivia … trivia). “Meet the Parents”

So … drink responsibility and recycle when possible.  Be sure to invite me to your next party if you need a wine connoisseur. 

Blogger's Note:  We want to thank Kris for her outstanding (in the field) review and commentary tonight - please it was published as written - so blame Kris for any typos.
It's friends like Kris that keep us drinking---err, we mean tasting wine! ;-) Until tomorrow night---Cheers!