Sunday, June 20: Happy Father's Day

On this beautiful almost summer day, we are going to grill a filet and pair it with the wine that was the hit of our wedding. We got married a year ago at Sunstone Winery in Santa Ynez. Laura fell in love with the vineyard the second she stepped foot on it. It reminded her of Provence, with its lavender bushes and rolling hills flecked with sunlight. We had a very small wedding and our dinner was in what they call the Cuvee Cave, which is a cave cut into the side of a hill. It was quite a spectacular location.

The beauty of Sunstone is all of their wines are organic. Everyone's favorite was the 2003 Eros. It's a blend of 75% Merlot, 13% Cab Sav & 12% Cab Franc. This particular year has won many awards (and 90 points from Wine Enthusiast) and retails for a fairly whopping $75. However, they have more current releases for considerably less. Don't hate on the Merlot. This is a BIG wine with a jammy, smooth finish with a hint of cocoa. Perfect for pairing with red meat.

We headed back up to Santa Ynez last weekend and stayed at a vineyard cottage that we rented from VRBO. It was a stone's throw from Sunstone, and we love that they welcomed us back with a free reserve tasting and 20% off any wines we purchased. Of course, we came away with another 2 bottles of Eros, one of which will be gone after this evening!