A worthy wine and a pretty lady on a snowy Vermont night. Not so bad. I like photographing wine bottles—they stand still and don’t talk back—but it can be predictable so I turned my camera on the crazy Aquarian.

I was in Vermont working all day Friday, so Carey came up on her own. The drive, which is windy and spotted with bounding deer and crappy cell coverage to begin with was also dark and post-snow storm for her journey, so I was naturally nervous. It also didn’t help that my coworker shook his head in disapproval when I mentioned I was neglecting to pick her up myself. [Not to mention, the graceful 180 she managed to execute on her way home from work the day before, which happens to be less than a block away, fluttered my bowels just a touch.]

So during the drive time, from 6 to 7:30, I took my mind off C by watching plane crash videos and heating dinner. Right on schedule I heard the honk. From the third story window of my folk’s house, I saw Carey with a curious cat on her lap and only one working headlight ease her vehicle into the snowy driveway. I was a proud husband.

The wine, the Canoe Ridge Estate Merlot from Ch. Ste. Michelle, I picked up on my way home from work. I have great respect for Chateau Ste Michelle and the state in which the grapes are grown. CSM mainstreamed Washington state wine by offering a truly diverse family of wines, outstanding value, and, of course, a history-making Riesling.

From my tasting notebook:

Meandering finish—heady and expressive. Very soft fruit notes and blessed, harmonious spice. An expression of fruit and earthen tidbits, certainly not one of oak. Very focused nose of fruit and graphite, green peppercorn and topsoil. Serious depth of and fruit—reasonably tied-off in an effort to reign in this big wine’s hunger to stew in its own excessiveness.

I relish the spicy nose womp, but would be remiss to not mention a certain creeping sweetness as the wine warms in the glass. Keep cool, and please the crowd, it won’t be difficult.

[Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit ]

“Cigarettes and Wine”

Enjoy!

-Rob