What a Sunday!  Beautiful skies and temps; a small amount of work in anticipation of a busy week, and good food and wine to wrap up the weekend.  Following a trip to H-E-B,we settled in for an afternoon of relaxation and looking forward to the week ahead.  But, before all of this we decided that it was a perfect Sunday to go to the movies. . .so we caught a matinee performance of the Sandra Bullock/Melissa McCarthy movie, “The Heat”. . .now, aside from some rough language, you’ll probably laugh your kiester off — the writing, the acting and the timing are impeccable.  Melissa McCarthy delivers a performance that you’ll remember for a long time to come. . .it’s no wonder that this movie has beaten out its’ competitors over the past two to three weeks!

On the heels of an Independence Day Weekend, we are so thankful for the blessings of living in this country.  The ability to drive from city to city or state to state without having to file any kind of a ‘flight plan’ is something unique to our world.  The great experiment called, “Democracy” continues to flourish in spite of neglect and misuse of power.  It was a great way to end a weekend. . .saluting out nation’s birth.

Tonight we opened a 2011 The Lackey Shiraz from the land down under, Australia.  By definition, a lackey is someone who does some kind of work for little or no value; usually like an assistant who’ll do anything for a boss or superior.  Hardly a name we’d give a wine, but coming from its’ roots, well, we’re not surprised!  We were immediately greeted by aromas of cherry and spice. . .the beautiful nose stayed true to the bottle from opening until finished.  The first taste was a bit tart with an amazingly strong taste of green pepper, but as this wine opened, the flavors became very pronounced in black cherry, leather, cedar and just a  hint of smokiness!  We were hooked; The Lackey is a really nice wine for entertaining or for sharing with a good meal. . .the spicier the food the better; we had some smoked chicken breasts with grilled romaine hearts and roasted red potatoes with peppers and onions.  All of the food was a terrific complement to the wine and vice versa.  Priced below $13 a bottle, once again we’ve found a wine that you can really taste to enjoy or taste to impress without having to cough up a ton of money.  It’s also an Australian wine that really hits on all cylinders, and is one that we’d be equally comfortable sharing with family or friends or in an intimate dinner party.  The beauty of wine like this is its simplicity, taste and finish. . .the 2011 The Lackey Shiraz delivers on all levels.

As we wrap up the holiday weekend, we pause to give thanks for the ability to live in a free country.  So many have failed to understand the magnitude and value of living in this great nation, but we pause and give thanks.  The magnitude of greatness in our country causes us to stop and ponder why people insist on finding ways to tear down the very fabric of our society. . .is life really better in Venezuela, Bolivia or Russia than here?  It’s kind of mind boggling to think that for the past 237+ years, there have been people who were born, raised and learned to be free in this country, but found — for whatever excuse — that betraying their  upbringing was somehow better than what they had to live for. . . Not sure we get that picture.

With a new week on the horizon, we hope that you’ve been able to celebrate our nation’s independence in robust ways; we hope that you’ve been able to break out and enjoy your favorite wine in a responsible manner, and we hope that you’ve remembered to recycle whenever possible.  Have a great evening!