TABOO TRUTHS

I discovered this heavenly combination years ago.  But once in a while it becomes a necessity like the human body needs water!

I had a bit of a scare last night with my youngest.  She was riding a bus on JMU campus that  went out of control.  It crashed through a bus stop shelter, 2 trees finally halting once a cement wall was in its path.  Thank God, my girl is ok.  But it was one of many moments that we as mothers experience.  The reality that our force field of protection has limitations and at times is non-existent.  I’ve had several of these moments with both my girls.  Sitting there after learning the happenings directly from my daughter and her confirmed safety….reality set in.  In one moment, my life could have altered….forever.

So, time to dull the scare!  I partake of red wine for it’s positive health properties but more for  taste!  I had Horton Vineyards “Route 33″ red table wine opened from a few nights ago.  On the side  table was a dish of Dove Chocolate.  Time to get lost in a combined, rich, angelic flavor experience.  Truth be known my absolute favorite combination is Merlot and dark chocolate.  But this marriage definitely filled the void.  Specifically, Dove Milk Chocolate was consumed.  If you’ve never combined these two extraordinary elements together….here’s a little guide.

Step one: Sip red wine, flatten your tongue and slowly push to the roof of your mouth forcing the wine across the entire surface of your tongue.  Swallow slowly. (Ahhh…)

Step two: Take a bite of chocolate, hold it in your mouth until the chocolate begins to liquify.

Step three:  Repeat step one while the chocolate richness is still on your tongue.  (OH YES!!!)

Step four:  Repeat step one through three several times.

There are lots and lots of great chocolates out there.  Dove is a good one but one of my favorites is Gilberts Chocolates in Michigan.  Which chocolate do you fancy?  AND a favorite red wine to pair?

Related articles

• Chocolate and Willpower (lessonsfromtheendofamarriage.com)
• Chocolate Red Wine Cupcakes (teacher-chef.com)

I saw this story on Good Morning America and wondered what other Mom’s think?  My girls are grown young woman and they still are not fond of me having a couple glasses of wine.  When they were younger I was far to busy to think about having cocktails on play dates.  But then again back then they were not called play dates…we just went to the playground!

What do you think?  Is it ok to unwind a bit with some good friends while your kids have fun playing?

Here’s the Story from ABC news.

This past weekend my guy and I decided to go wine tasting.  (As we do often   Pippin Hill Farm and Vineyard is a fairly new winery. I’ve traveled to Charlottesville for almost 5 years before moving here and I dare say, to date, I’ve visited every winery within a 200 mile radius!  Seriously!  It’s one of my secrets…I’m a wino!  I’m thinking about write a blog of all the wineries I’ve patronized?  What do you think?  (I do have a discerning palate)

Other than my passion for all things wine, the road that lead us to visit Pippin Hill was a gift certificate I had purchased two weeks ago for a free wine tasting, 2 glasses of wine and a cheese plate.  It was a great deal even if the wine wasn’t stellar.  We decided to head over to the tasting room and enjoy an hour on Sunday.  Wow!  I loved everything about this winery!  There are many elements that encompass the romanticism of wine tasting; the location, the tasting room, the customer attention, meeting the vintner (and/or owners) and of course the wine.   Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards scored great on all counts!

We tasted all the wine on their list (which was about 7).  By far our favorite is their 2010 Summer Farm Rose’.  Finally the region is really getting into dry Rose’s…and this one is created from the Cabernet Franc grape.  The color is a pinkish-orange hue…perfect to glisten in the sun!  The nose is rich, there is a fruit forward aspect (which I love) and the balance of fruit and acidity is perfect!  Finishes with a light lingering effect.  This is one of those wines that is delectable and creates sorrow when the bottle is empty!

We also favored Winemakers Select Red Blend.  This is a handsome red that is a blend of Cabernet Franc and Chambourcin.  Spicy but not the heavy black/green pepper that sometimes accompanies a Cabernet Franc.  When you aerated it the earthy and tobacco tones flourished!  It was a red that we will definitely be drinking come fall.

So my Taboo Tip for this Tuesday?  If you enjoy wine and a great ambiance…you must visit Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyard!  Check out their Facebook page! Do you have a favorite winery in VA?

Related articles

• Cheers to Good Taste at Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards (cvilleuncorked.com)