Wine - Because No Great Story Started With Someone Eating A Salad

So hubby left me this weekend! He went home to see his family and the zoo and I were all alone. Yeah, how alone can you be with five dogs and one cat, right?

You will notice that I said one cat. Our poor Artie broke his leg on Friday and had to be taken to the vet. Based on the type of break, they needed to do surgery to put a pin in it. Poor baby! So he was stuck at the vet away from his mommy. We are picking him up today and I am going to give him all of my kisses.

So we were alone, I was stressed about my kitty, and there was absolutely nothing to do this weekend. So what does that mean? I was drinking lots of wine!

The wine was flowing like water and I was in my living room dancing off of silly songs like this. (Lord, pray for my walls)

In honor of my wine filled weekend, I will take the time to talk about my three favorite wines. Let me preface by saying that I am no wine expert or sommelier. And unless it is a very special occasion, I never buy wine over $20. Believe me though, these are yummy wines that are good for a night alone, a girls weekend, or just after a long day at the office. (I work from home and sometimes the commute from my bed to my desk can get rough.)

Jam Jar Wines: So I kept seeing people on my Facebook and Twitter talk about this wine. I looked in every wine store and finally came across it in my local market. I was so excited and when I tasted it, it was goooooood. There are two kinds - a Shiraz (red) and a Moscato (white). The red is definitely my favorite. It has the bite of a red, but with a sweetness. I have literally drank an entire bottle by myself, especially when I have good food and great TV to watch. The white is ok, not my favorite, a bit too sweet. If you like Moscato, then you will love this. And at about $8 a bottle, you can't beat the price. If anyone wants to drop a case of the red at my door, I would be your best friend for life...lol.

To help you realize how wonderful I think Jam Jar is, please see below photo after I downed an entire bottle.

I promise, the animals got none...lol. 

Charonge: Ok, so don't judge me, but I found this wine in the discount aisle of my local market for $3.99! It is a chardonnay that has hints of orange. When chilled, it is delicious. Don't worry, the orange flavor is not too heavy. It is a light sweetness. Close to a reisling, but still a chardonnay. Hubby and I choose this wine when we are doing a crab boil feast (crab, shrimp, smoked sausage, corn, potatoes, and onions.) It is the perfect complement to spicy, salty food.

Cantina Zaccagmini Montepulciano d'Aruzzo: This is a true Italian wine. It is a bold, dry red wine that will knock your socks off. I bought it for the first time when celebrating my friend Joyce's marriage at Chiapperelli's in Baltimore. (If you ever get to Baltimore, try this place. Some great Italian food!) I was in one of those large wine stores and picked it up because of the cute bottle with the grape stem attached. Well every since then, this has been my number one choice for a good red wine.

Those are my top picks! I think you should run out right now and get a bottle of all three. Hubby and I go to the Dekalb Farmer's Market every weekend and usually get the old familiars and try out a new one. I will do more posts on the good and the bad ones. This weekend, my new trial, Layer Cake's Primitivo, came from a suggestion from a Facebook friend. Didn't actually get a chance to crack it open, though. Planning on trying it tonight with Hubby with steak, potatoes, and salad. Yum!

Now enough of this blogging! I am going to get my poor injured kitty.

Talk soon, XOXO!
Crystal