There were several locations that we tried to go to that evening, but the nightlife was extremely lively and several of the theaters were still offering plays, and I will make sure that the next time we have reservations, even the wine bar was packed.

My Bride was excited, as her “Dick Tracy” smart phone wristwatch, was logging up all the steps that we were racking up, walking up and down the downtown area.  We passed by a couple of times the store that specializes in tartans, full regalia, pieces, even neckwear, but the last time I checked there were no Armenian tartan plaids, but still a fascinating shop for this retired clothier, as they do custom work as well.  We walked by a restaurant that had tables on the sidewalk and they were all taken.  I asked one of the waitresses if they had any tables indoors, and she said absolutely, just walk in and grab a table.  We were going to have dinner at Bentley’s Bar Inn & Restaurant, and it seemed like the perfect location for a weekend to see several plays and in the center of the gastronomic offerings of Stratford-upon-Avon.  Instead of a television blaring sporting event, there was a streaming series of films about the rooms to be found upstairs, and the assorted breakfast, lunch and dinner offerings.  We had worked up quite a thirst from all our hiking and started with La Maison Ogier Ventoux Blanc 2021.  In 1859, Antoine Ogier acquired an old cooperage and set up a negociant firm, and in 1948 the firm began creating their own blended wines.  They then merged with another negociant Caves de Papes, and this combined firm was purchased by Maison Jeanjean in 1994, who then joined with Laroche in 2010 to form AdVini SA.  They have the oldest cellars in the southern Rhone Valley; and since 2006 they have been committed to sustainability and organic farming.  Ventoux is a large wine region and abuts Provence, originally known as Cotes de Ventoux, until 2009.  The wine is a blend of Grenache Blanc and Marsanne and grown on clay-limestone soil.  The fruit is hand and mechanically harvested at night, fermented in temperature controlled Stainless-Steel vats and then aged on fine lees in concrete vats.  A light copper-colored wine that offered notes of tropical fruits, grapefruit and white peaches.  On the palate this light-bodied, well-balanced wine displayed tones of peach and pear blending with delicate acidity and ending with a short-count finish of fruit and saline; a very unpretentious and satisfying wine now.

We started our dinner by sharing an order of Salmon and Crab Cakes with Panko, pan seared with a Creole dipping sauce and a side of Sweet Potato Fries. My Bride had a classic serving of Cajun Jambalaya with Chicken, Shrimp and Chorizo over Rice.  I had this unnamed special that was created with beef and vegetables and a spicy cream sauce that was a pure delight, and my Bride agreed that I had the best entrée, as she kept picking at my plate.  The Ventoux evaporated and we then had Les Jamelles Merlot Pays D’Oc 2023.  Les Jamelles is based in Monze, in the Aude department of the Languedoc, one of many estates run by the Badet Clement group by winemakers Laurent and Catherine Delaunay. The winery produces entry level blends, varietal wines and some vineyard selections.  The region has been making wines since the Roman times and most of the wines were Vin de Pays d’Oc and now are Pays d’Oc IGP, for standardized labeling in the European Union.  This wine is a blend of five regions: the environs of Narbonne, the Aude River plain, the coastal region near Beziers, the slopes of the Orb Valley and the mid-slope vineyards of the Herault’s Valley.  Maceration lasts for almost four weeks.  Most of this wine is aged in Oak (2/3 French and 1/3 American) and a small portion using thermovinification to boost fruit, roundness and suppleness.  This deep garnet colored wine offered notes of cherry and plums with baking spices.  On the palate this medium-bodied, well-balanced wine displayed tones of red cherry, with some cinnamon and nutmeg, blending with some bright acidity and silky tannins, ending with a short-to-medium-count finish of fruit and some minerality.

The next morning, we got up bright and early so that my Bride could finish her Christmas shopping at a delightful boutique, and she finished in time to meet her cottage friends at The Parlour Inn, originally called The Mansion House and was built in 1871 to serve the Grand Trunk Railway, later Canadian National.  It was very handsomely renovated and would also be a nice place to stay in Stratford.  We were treated to lunch by our friends, and it seemed that the ladies went with the Parlour Caesar with Romaine, Bacon, Shaved Parmesan, Croutons with a Lemon Garlic Dressing topped with Jumbo Shrimp.  The men went with Steak Frites, a New York Strip, with Yukon Gold Fries, Roasted Shallot and Red Wine Jus.  We had coffee and Mimosas using Chateau des Charmes Eclat! Bubbles St. David’s Bench VQA NV.  Paul Bosc Sr. was a visionary for the modern wine movement and especially for the Niagara Peninsula of Ontario.  He planted his first vineyards at the St. David’s Bench in 1978 with his belief that vinifera wines could be made properly there.  Chateau des Charmes has one-hundred-twenty acres of vineyards, including seventy-two acres on St. David’s Bench on rich underground limestone runoff.  The main planting began in the 1990s, with the first harvest in 1994.  The wine is pure Aligote and the sparkling wine was produced using the Charmat Method.  This pale golden colored wine showed plenty of medium-sized bubbles and offered notes of white stone fruit, green apples, lemongrass, lime zest and wet stone.  On the palate this light-bodied, well-balanced sparkling wine displayed tones of apple, pear and peach, some toasted brioche and ending with short-count finish of citrus, granite and almonds.  It was crisp and refreshing and the tincture of orange juice with our brunch was very festive.