Bogle - Cabernet Sauvignon @@@@@ (5 corks)

Retails: $9.97 (Wal-Mart)

Whenever times are tough, my adoring fiance know just what to do to try and calm my nerves. He reaches for a bottle of Bogle. I know he delights in the way my face contorts into a squee of delight when I find it sitting, ever at the ready, on the kitchen counter. No hallmark cards here, kids, my fiance knows true romance. It's an exceptionally rich, velvety wine that fills the palate moving you into a space of true wine nirvana...or something.

Bogle is a brand that is considered "out of my price range" as it typically retails for over $10 (Walmart). It's not that I'm cheap, I just try to be a loyal consumer of good, inexpensive bottles rather than promoting, what I believe, is wine elitism---the belief that bottles should be expensive to be good and therefore making consumption on a regular basis by people of average incomes, like myself, near impossible. It's a big reason why many people never bother with wine in the first place.

So what brought on the occasion? We're a month away from the wedding and it seems the custody battle that we thought we won, is now gearing up to be ten times messier than originally anticipated. And sometimes, sometimes...you just need a solid glass of wine to fill you with perspective. I think wine, more so than any other beverage, opens the mind's arena for thoughtful contemplation. I'm forcing myself to exhibit some (ok, a LOT) of restraint over the periods' events, during what is supposed to be "our" engagement, "our" era of wedding planning and inevitably, "our" day. I do feel like I'm getting robbed. As much as I painstakingly try and fit into the other party's shoes, I just can't seem to discover the empathy to find these actions justified. Warranted. Above all, necessary.

Truth be told, peoples' shear lack of regard for others is both frustrating and disheartening --- as a human race, are we truly becoming that selfish? I sure hope not. For now, there's wine.

Bogle - Chardonnay @@@@@ (5 corks) !

Retails: $9.95 (Wal-Mart)

Let me start this off by saying...I love my fiance. Not only, in his currently unemployed state, does he happily do errands, groceries and clean the house, but he has exceptional taste in wine! He isn't even a wine drinker, not in the least bit. He is, by and large, an avid Captain Morgan drinker with next to no exceptions. When it comes to selecting a bottle for yours truly, he has yet to disappoint.

Just last weekend, we were exceptionally busy so I asked him to do the big-daddy grocery trip entirely on his own. Normally, it's our weekend ritual to do the largest grocery run together. However, as life has a tendency to do, we were overwhelmingly busy with innumerable obligations and so, I sent him, with list and coupons in hand, to grab our grocery load for the week. Included among the typical milk, pasta and deli meats that grace our list regularly, was a bottle of white wine---a dry white that I needed mostly for cooking. Given his less than optimal knowledge of wine, I sent along the following instructions: "the cheapest bottle you can find, a CHARDONNAY would be preferable."

But, taking the opportunity to impress me, he decided to buy me a bottle of Bogle Chardonnay. For reds, Bogle is one of my all-time favorites. When he's usually aiming to surprise me, as he frequently does (lucky me), he will buy me a bottle of Bogle's Merlot (usually priced at about $12). With even more surprise, it turns out their whites are priced below $10--which he specifically noted so that I'd have another stellar wine to ad to my blog. Go, Honey!

It is completely wonderful! Fragrant and light with a very bold apricot, honey and citrus flavor, this white wine is absolutely delightful. Unlike most whites, the flavor is very strong and stands up easily against strong meals. Since I initially intended this bottle to be used for cooking, I'm sure you're dying to know how the meal went---it was incredible and here is the recipe!

Shrimp with Potatoes and Pancetta
Ingredients:
1lb small potatoes (red russet or smaller is good), diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 medium red pepper, diced
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
1lb raw shrimp (deveined and without tails)
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 cup white wine
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup pancetta (or bacon if not available), diced
salt and pepper to taste
parsley to garnish

- Heat oven to 450 degrees.
- In an oven-proof medium skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high
- Add potatoes, cook 5 minutes while stirring, add peppers and onion. Cook five more minutes until potatoes are tender, constantly stirring,
- Add wine, pancetta, shrimp, garlic and red pepper, season with salt and pepper and stir to combine.
- Cook in oven for ten minutes
- Add parsley and serve
(prep time 15 minutes, cook time 15, serves 2-3 people)
Enjoy!