It seemed like it was just immediately after we came back from Las Vegas, it was time to celebrate the February birthdays and the one celebrant in March. It was a rather hectic week and we were back doing I guess what we do best. My Bride’s family is large enough that if we don’t celebrate multiple birthdays on one evening, we would be going to non-stop birthday parties. This way we can one large gathering and make a relaxing time of it.

Perhaps the only one that gets a little wired is my Bride and she has finally decided to state that she is serving dinner at such and such time. There would be times where the meals would get over cooked or dry, because she would try to forestall serving until everyone shows up and then she would get upset about how the dinner would come out. Now she gives a time and if they are late, they can micro-wave leftovers and remember for the next time. She always prepares some appetizers before the dinner for those that want to get-together to catch up in person, which is so much better than doing it over the phone. She made a large tossed fields-green salad, and several side dishes as she is a firm believer in vegetables and starches. She also tries to make a couple of different entrée dishes to accommodate as many tastes as possible, and this time it was her Bourbon Salmon and Breaded Chicken. Then there are several desserts that are usually brought in, not to mention the birthday cake with all of the names written on it.

There were hardly any wine drinkers there that day, and my Bride had opened up one of her new every day go-to wines to start off the festivities. Surprise, surprise, as she is into the Costco house wines for affordability and for easy drinking. The Kirkland Signature Pinot Grigio 2015 was from Friuli, Italy and was a very light wine with a touch of flint that was easily detected in this crisp white wine. Friuli-Venezia Giulia is a wine production region in the north-eastern corner of Italy and Pinot Grigio is by the largest in planting and production of the area. I on the other hand had a moment of nostalgia and wanted to try one of the wines I had in the cellar from one of the first wineries we ever visited in Napa Valley. The St. Supery Cabernet Sauvignon 1998 was simply wonderful and was showing no signs of age at all, and I probably was too impatient in opening this wine so soon. The wine is basically Cabernet Sauvignon with a bit of blending of Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Merlot. Robert Skalli started production in 1989 in Rutherford, and he also had purchased the Dollarhide Estate in the north-east corner of Napa Valley, and in 2015 the winery was sold to the luxury brand corporation Chanel Inc. Another great time with family, food and wine.