Four score and 237 years ago, a group of men got together and laid out a plan for the birth of a new nation–for the home that we call The United States of America.  These patriots of the day were so convinced that Great Britain was the enemy of freedom loving men and thus we must separate ourselves from them sooner rather than later.

Reading the Declaration of Independence, which to this day is one of the best pieces of prose ever written. . .and it’s been well-documented that Thomas Jefferson — author of the Declaration — went through draft after draft before arriving at the version presented.  Looking at the signers of the document, illustrates how difficult it must have been to sign a document that would ultimately lead to a war for Independence.  Great stuff!  However, we digress because on this Independence Day, we jumped in the Jeep and headed for the coast to track down our own versions of the Redcoats. . .well, actually, Redfish!  After a terrific evening on the water watching some amazing fireworks over Port Aransas. . .yep, we were sitting in a boat on the water relaxing and watching the show–not a bad way to spend the 4th!  Next up is a fishing trip with Trail Boss to see what the Bays can give us tomorrow morning.

Our wine tonight seemed appropriate, and coming from the Hope Family Winery…makers of Treana and Troublemaker varieties, we felt like it was the perfect choice!  Tonight we opened a 2010 Liberty School Cabernet Sauvignon from Paso Robles, California.  Yep, we stopped at the Hope Family Winery during our visit there this past October, but strangely enough, we never tasted the Liberty School wines. At the end of the day, the wine isn’t too shabby.  Yes, we know, that’s hardly an endorsement of the wine.  Well, it’s true. . .it’s a nice little wine. . .good nose, good fruit on the palate and a nice finish.  It’s not going to cause you to seek your own Independence, but it will help you salute the Stars and Stripes.  In all fairness, we decided on this wine because — well, because of its’ name.  How could we blog about a wine on Independence Day that didn’t have something in its’ blood about our country. . and Liberty is what we’re all about!

The hardest part about enjoying this 2010 Liberty School Cab is that we got in from the fireworks after 11 p.m. and tomorrow, the boat is leaving the dock at 5:30 for some –hopefully — excellent bay fishing!  Would we buy this wine again?  Possibly, under similar circumstances; would we recommend this wine, yes, because if you need a value priced wine that comes from a good family and displays characteristics of wines that cost significantly more, than this is a wine to try.  With a price point under $12 a bottle, the cost won’t set you back and you’ll enjoy a bottle of wine that has gotten a lot of press!

We hope you’ve had a terrific Independence Day.  With Friday on the horizon, we hope that whether you’re working, retired or have the day off, that you’ll continue to thrive on the spirit of independence–which is what makes our country such an amazing place to live.  Please enjoy your favorite wine responsibly and remember to recycle whenever possible.