What a way to spend a holiday weekend!  Good friends, good fishing, good food and some beverages.  Even though it felt like Sunday, we knew it was Saturday and thus had some time to kill before heading back home.  A trip to Rockport was followed by a trip back to the bays to make sure that Fred’s boat was working correctly.  Those of you who have outboard and inboard motor boats know that they can be finicky . . . just when you think you’ve fixed a problem, another one pops up.  Sometimes, things ‘seem’ to be fixed at the point where we are launching only to find out that the same problem exists.  It’s not good for a boat owner and it’s an embarrassment for a boat mechanic.  If even one boat leaves a shop and isn’t working properly, the nation of boat owners knows that there are problems.

Trail Boss thought he had fixed the problem by replacing a fuel bulb, and before launching in the water, all tests were positive to have solved the problem.  However, once the boat was put in the water, the problem was back.  Not good news when just launching a boat.  Not good news when you wanted to go and see the sights and cast a few fishing poles into the grassy areas to try and flush out some redfish—only to have the boat malfunction.  Grrrrr….BAD DOG!

But, no worries – we were able make our way around the Lighthouse backwater trails – where let’s just say . . . the redfish are a sight to behold!  Although a bit gimpy, we managed to stay on the water all afternoon and have a great time.  After a super dinner at Pepitos, we headed back to Casa del Vino a wee bit later than planned, and with the top off the jeep were able to see the stars all the way – landed home after a terrific holiday weekend, we were greeted by ‘the girls’ . . . aka our four-legged children who ‘watch’ the house while we’re away.

One of the best parts about having dogs is that when you’ve been gone for an hour, a day or even a weekend, they are — as a general rule — so excited to see us.  Which is why, tonight we opened a  2011 “Yard Dog” from Australia.  This wine is actually a blend — 62% Cabernet Sauvignon – 34% Petit Verdot – 4% Touriga Nacional.  Pretty tart on the nose and taste – but full of cherries on the finish; it was surprisingly delicious. There isn’t much of a finish, but what finish we DID taste was full of cherries!  It did get better as it stayed opened and actually made for a nice “unwind” wine after 3 plus hours on the road.  We picked this little number up at Grape Juice during our visit there last weekend – it was $15 and should be shared with food and friends . . . plain and simple as that.

We will relish our ‘vacation’ to the coast . . . got to see some great friends, enjoy some amazing seafood and kick back and enjoy the water.  We hope that as your holiday weekend comes to a close that you’ll find a wine that is your favorite, and that you’ll enjoy it responsibly.

Remember to recycle whenever possible–it just makes for a better environment.