Wondering Through the World of Wine

     Good friends are hard to come by, so I consider myself blessed to have a handful of truly amazing friends. With chaotic lives, it is not always easy to find the time to get together, so I was incredibly excited when three of these friends reached out around my birthday, wanting to take me out to catch up and celebrate. And, knowing me as well as they do, each one wanted wine to be the theme of the day.      My first birthday outing was with my friend who I consider a sister. Friends for over a decade, we have built a lot of traditions and reoccurring adventures over the years. One of our favorite reoccurring adventures is to stop by Sweet Heart Winery in Loveland, CO, typically after a hike in the Devil’s Backbone area. With reports of muddy trails, we decided to forgo the hike this time around and meet up for a wine flight and cheese platter lunch. As always, it was a wonderful treat.      Located practically across Highway 34 from th...

     Pairing food and wine is a tightrope act. One misstep and you can be tumbling down into a vat of dry and bitter wine. A series of careful steps can lead your tastebuds down a path of exhilaration and delight. It is a risky adventure I love to take.       My favorite time to enjoy wine is with dinner. This has forced me to learn a lot about what wine styles go with various meals. I have found some real winners in the pairing game, including my beloved bottle of Château Latour Grand Vin Pauillac 2006 with the burnt ends my brother made, and my mom’s rum nut balls with Sauternes. I have also found some real doozies like a semi-sweet Riesling with chocolate chip pancakes, and the very unfortunate time I tried to have a Pinot Noir with this teriyaki rice my husband and I make that is topped with steamed vegetables and scrambled eggs. I definitely don’t recommend that one.      As Snowy Peaks Winery and their Cabernet Sauvignon is what ...

     Finding that perfect gift for your loved one becomes more and more of a challenge as the years roll on. Creativity becomes the name of the game.       During mine and my husband’s first year together, I did a scavenger hunt for him on Valentine’s Day where he had to follow clues to his gift. He enjoyed it so much, I did another one on his birthday, and have proceeded to continue this tradition every birthday since. Each year is different, with one being a Mario Brothers themed mission leading to video game type surprises, and another year he had to help the cold, shirtless skeleton find the novelty t-shirts hidden around the house.      Wanting me to have my own version of this joyful experience, three years ago he developed the Kacia’s Birthday Wine Find. Combing over my wine want list, that is a ridiculous nine pages long, he purchased numerous bottles of wine and hid them around the house. He then gave me a stack of wine bottle...