Ok, so who out there has kids and is a fan of Dora the Explorer?  Ah – come on now . . . you can’t fib to us – we KNOW you love Dora.  We mean, Dora is the BEST friend ever and she never, ever quits – – – because it’s always “the best day ever”.  This festy youngin’ is always ready for an adventure – guess that comes along with wearing bright pink shorts.  Whether she is swingin from the vines or waiting to give a helping hand, this pint size Indiana Jones is always on the go – thinking it is the purple backpack that gives her strength.

Sorry, we digress – today is just a regular ole Thursday leading into a Friday when means . . .WEEKEND (almost, but not quite, time to get giddy).  Tonight we have a number of things rattling around in our brains, but will choose to rest on just a couple of them –

• Major SO (shout out) to Dr. V and Kay . . . turns out someone (who is on vacy) and his sister in-law are spending some quality time imbibing in a glass or two on a regular basis and reading this here blog.  Nice, nice, nice is just about all we can say!  Oh, and enjoy the land of the Apple Blossom, Painted Turtle and Dwarf Lake Iris (see we did some research!) – looking forward to your return to the salt mines.

• 12 years ago we lost Brian’s Dad, Hugh – he was a wonderful man and sorely missed by family and friends.  A glass was raised in his honor.

Tonight we decided to open a bottle of 2011 Malbec from Xplorador. So, these wines go waaay back – like 1883 way back.  A fella named Don Melcher Concha y Toro started messin’ with french bordeaux grapes in the valleys of Chili – ok, a lot more to the story . . . but you’ll have to read for yourselves.  But let’s just say – they really know how to produce great wines in Argentina and we really enjoy the fruits of their labor.

We picked this little number up at one of the newest Twin Liquors – used to be The Main in Kerrville owned by good friends Peter and Cynthia – but, Twin came in made them a great offer and the rest is history . . . this wine was less than $12 on clearance and turned out to be quite the bargain.

After popping the cork and noticing the deep red color, we just knew we were in for a our own “explore”.  The nose tempted us with it’s fruity invitation to dive right in – so, we did.  The fruity and ever so smooth palate double dog dared us to savor a sip or two – so, we did.  The finish told us this wine had been aged in oak and lingered long enough to make an impression and tell us to go back for seconds – so, we did.  This was really a delightful wine and will definitely be added to the Bondy Deck Wine List – might even break into the top 10 list.  We paired it with sautéed vegetables and pasta – great combination.

Drinking this wine is just another reminder that we need to get to Argentina and enjoy some of the wonderful wines they produce . . . definitely on the bucket list.  Will just have to make a point to get there one of these days.  Perhaps like Dora, we will don pink shorts and purple backpacks and head out – knowing it will be a wonderful “explore”.

So, as we round third and head towards home – hope it’s been a great week so far for you – has been an eventful one for us . . . but aren’t they all.  Have a good one and as always, remember to enjoy responsibly and recycle whenever possible.