The Wine Hunt

    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 shaped clues that hinted at where each bottle was hidden. What a treat! I was so excited that I was apparently dancing to each spot where I believed the next clue was leading me. It was such a thrill to find bottle after bottle, and I couldn’t wait to categorize all of my new treasures.

    During my birthday this year, my excitement soared when my husband told me to go hangout upstairs. I knew what this meant; he was going to be hiding bottles of wine for my third annual Kacia’s Birthday Wine Find.

    When he gave me the okay, I came downstairs to find a case sized box with a clue located in each section. He informed me he had gone off script this year, and instead of working off my want list he had went to our favorite liquor store and selected various wines that made him think of me. I was stoked! What magical wines would I find?

    I raced around the house, trying to slow myself down and take in the moment, but simply too excited to calmly walk from clue to bottle. Mixed within our books, stored in our dryer, hidden behind curtains, there were wines of some of my favorite varieties like Pinot Noir and Riesling, there were wines from areas I had just learned about in my last class, a Bordeaux from a château I have yet to try, and a Malbec with a 1920’s looking label – I am obsessed with that era and “The Great Gatsby” is my favorite book of all time. The two most exciting wines, though, were based on when I would be enjoying them.

    The first was Silk’s Vanilla Wine. An orange wine with added vanilla flavors, this wouldn’t typically be something I would gravitate toward due to my lack of a sweet tooth, but this one really intrigued me. The bonus was my husband’s interest in this bottle. Not a big fan of wine, it is rare for him to partake in a glass, but he will on occasion when a bottle has piqued his interest. I always treasure these moments, so you can assume my delight when he said he had purchased this one because he was interested in trying it with me. Images of us drinking this wine while sitting on our patio on a warm evening, our crazy cats running amuck with our sweet old dog curled up next to our chairs, instantly formed in my head. The anticipation of sharing this wine with my favorite person in the world, at my favorite spot in the world, made this bottle a very special find.

    The second bottle won’t shock anyone who knows me, but for those of you who don’t, the one thing I love as much as wine is Halloween and everything spooky. I mean, my husband and I had an October wedding at The Stanley Hotel, our house’s basic decoration would be most people’s Halloween décor, we have a shelf of nothing but Stephen King books and another of nothing but horror movies, and we have people who specifically drive their kids over to our house on Halloween. We are obsessed. Anyways… When I located the purple bottle of Fat Bastard Bloody Red Blend 2017 with the coolest and spookiest label suggesting this wine be paired with bat stew and confit of calf brains, as these are some of Count Dracula’s favorite dishes, I was as pleased as blood red punch. I am on the hunt each October for wines with spooky labels, and this one takes the dirt worm cake. Everything about this wine just screams Halloween, and it is now safely stored until creepy season is back upon us, and I can enjoy it during my favorite time of the year. The only question that remains is what chocolate bar will pair best with it?

    I absolutely loved my first two wine scavenger hunts, but the third one was somehow extra special. It was so much fun to see what types of wines my husband would pick for me, and it was so amazing the spectacular finds he made. I know that when I open each bottle I will think about the surprise and awe I had when I found it. There is something very magical about opening a bottle of wine that someone special in your life thought you would enjoy. What discoveries you will make.