While we were all enjoying our wonderful dinner with our hosts The Wine Raconteur, Jr. and his charming Bride, our host went and opened up another bottle of wine, while we were still nibbling away at all the food that he had made.  A couple of years ago, his Bride bought an existing business, they have done wonders with it, but not everyone can appreciate the retail industry, that is why he has been cooking up a storm for us, as she has discovered that December is not a good month socially, when one has a retail establishment.  TWR, Jr. is no slouch either, as he has a real day job, is now a retail coach and assistant, and he decided that he was not busy enough, along with parenting and got into local government, not in a rubber-stamping position like a school board, but real politics, as in City Council and he is now Mayor Pro-Tem.  He recently had to attend a wine tasting, a tough job, but someone has to do it and he opened up a bottle of wine that he enjoyed from that duty. 

We were going to have a glass of Browne Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley 2019.  Browne Family Vineyards is part of Precept Wine, which is the largest privately owned wine company in the Northwest.  Unfortunately, there is very little real wine information to garner.  The winery is located in the heart of Walla Walla, Washington and is inspired by the proprietor’s late grandfather.  The fruit is sourced from the estate’s vineyard in the Spring Valley district of Walla Walla and throughout the Columbia Valley.  The wine is mostly Cabernet Sauvignon with four percent Petit Verdot. This wine had to open up, because at first it was rather unassuming.  A deep garnet color and when it opened up it offered notes of dark fruits, oak and spices.  On the palate notes of cherry, cassis with medium tannins and finish more of fruit than terroir.  Perhaps we should have had this wine first.

After the dinner table was cleared, we feasted on a selection of cookies, also made by The Wine Raconteur, Jr. and in appearance and taste they could have easily come from a high-end bakery and very reminiscent of my early days when there was an abundance of bakeries.  After the cookies and coffee, we were poured glasses of Casa Cuervo 1800 Melenio Tequila Extra Anejo Jalisco, Mexico.  The 1800 represents the year that Tequila was successfully aged in wood, and this bottle was originally known as Cuervo 1800 Tequila and is known for its trapezoidal shaped bottles which pay homage to the Mayan pyramids.  The brand is owned by the Beckmann family, also the owners of the Jose Cuervo.  This Tequila is “extra-aged” and matured in French Oak Cognac barrels.  It was a pretty dark amber color with notes of vanilla.  On the palate some red fruit, vanilla and cinnamon with a nice finish of some mint and chocolate, which I have to presume that some of these flavors came from the former Cognac barrels.  A delightful glass of Tequila, not even close to the firewater of my youth, that used to be downed in a shot glass after some lime and salt.