Dave Eckert, of Culinary Travels fame, hosted the Friendship Inn's Seventh Annual "Taste of Hospitality" fundraiser.  This extraordinary event had three unique aspects.  The first is the relationship with the Friendship Inn which provides lodging and support for family members of patients in the Kansas University (KU) Medical Center.  During the dinner, we heard the first hand accounts of the some of the people who relied on the Friendship Inn while they were supporting and attending to their husband, wife or child in the hospital for weeks or months.&nbs

Today went well. Had a pleasantly busy day at the office with a little drama here and there. Hadn't seen that in awhile, so it was nice to get that out of our systems.

I continue my muses on some of the wineries in Temecula my wife and I visited in Temecula. Be advised, we did find some places that are entirely forgettable. But we also found a few gems worth seeking out. 

Well, I don't know about you but I sure had a good evening last night.  Of course, I had a rough morning to go along with it, but I am about to open another bottle here soon to take the edge off.

It all started with a poor showing by the Ole Miss Rebels basketball team.  Losing to Vanderbilit in the closing minutes.  Not something that needs to be discussed here.

I had a weekend to remember on the wine front.  I will start with my first bottle that came from my inlaws.  A 1999 Stags Leap Cabernet from the FAY Vineyard.

WOW! It was a good one.

Valentine's Day is just three days away and multitudes of people are scrambling for just the right dinner reservation, dozen of roses, chocolate, and/or wine. Well, let me make this easy for you - at least in part! This week's Wine of the Week just happens to be the perfect match for you and your sweetie. The 2007 Numanthia Termes has recently been released and will score you some big points - just as the wine has by the critics. 
 

Not long after the beginning of this new millennium, DNA testing proved that Zinfandel, considered to be "the American Original grape," in fact originated in Europe. UC Davis professor Carole Meredith found an exact genetic match of Zinfandel in Croatia, of all places, where the grape is in fact called Crljenak kastelanski.  However, there is more to this investigative story.  Another grape, from the Puglia (Apulia) region in southern Italy, claims to also have the same origins and genetic makeup of Zinfandel.

Yesterday and last night were good. Had a pleasantly busy day at the office with a little drama here and there. Hadn't seen that in awhile, so it was nice to get that out of our systems.

What do you plan to serve this Valentine's Day...and is it worthy of the Saint this day was named after?  Please respond and let us know.

To Age or Not to Age...