Celebration!

In honor of Daryl's birthday (we won't say which) and his mom's arrival, we opened a bottle of one of our favorite red wines: 2001 Franciscan Oakville Estate Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. This was given to us as a gift just about a year ago, after we had written enthusiastically about their 1999 vintage. Once again, we were not disappointed!

This cab is full-bodied, rich and striking. Upon opening, Daryl immediately smelled cinnamon and could taste various spices when sipping. Kath loved the rich, dark cherry notes. It paired very nicely with a T-bone steak accompanied by jasmine rice and a simple green salad - a perfect birthday meal! We paid around $25 for the '99 and have seen other vintages priced comparably. We love this wine.

Before we sign off for this week, we wanted to give special recognition to the season finale of The Office - how awesome was that kiss???!!!