good tidings to you

For Christmas, the hubby gave me a 12 bottle wine cooler. He was quite pleased with himself. I was pleased also, though it is not quite the version I had envisioned when originally planning to get one. Naturally, on the 26th I had a fun time stocking up on wine now that I had somewhere to put multiple bottles.

Let's see... I have 6 in the cooler and 1 open up in the kitchen (or 'chitchen' as Boo says). What do I have? I will happily show you.

Top row:
Lindemans Bin 50 Shiraz, 2008. Dad enjoyed something else, possibly the Merlot, so I decided to try this. Also Lucky Duck Malbec, 2008. This is from Argentina, however Cahors wines are pretty much Malbec so I'm taking a chance on this. (Keep reading for Cahors.)

Middle rows:
Chateau Greysac Medoc, 2005. I saw this on special in the grocery store and texted my dad "Where's Medoc?" He replied it was "north of Bordeaux, try it you'll like it". So I got it. On the right is my ever faithful ever present Little Penguin Shiraz. I love this stuff. Their Merlot is very good too.

Bottom row: the good stuff
Cahors wines!! YUM! On the left is Chateau Grezels Prestige, 2004. I have a special place in my heart for Cahors wines and Grezels in particular. My aunt lives in Cahors. I've been there. Even better, my aunt is friends with the couple who own Chateau Grezels. I've been there. Dad and I were sent home with a case of their wine when we visited in 2003. The bottle on the right is something dad picked up in a Paris store during one of his visits a couple years ago. I consider Cahors wines my 'special occasion' stuff. (French geography lesson: Cahors is in south-western France on the Lot river, about an hour (40miles) north of Toulouse. From there you can easily drive to visit Toulouse, Rocamadour, Pech Merle, and other lovely places.)

In the kitchen:
Coppola's Syrah-Shiraz. I admit, I bought this for the novelty of who makes it. But this is GOOD. Really really GOOD. Typically a bottle of this lasts me 2 days. I've stretched this one, I've drunk from it 2 days and I have a small glass worth left.

And, for the evenings when wine just doesn't go well with dinner (like taco night), there is always always this in the fridge:

photo borrowed from here

Because you can take the man out of Texas but by golly, you better be able to get him his beer.