Normally, Sunday night is Game of Thrones night, as we continue with friends and neighbors to plod our way through season one, hoping to complete an entire re-watch of the series prior to the start of the final season in around one year. Last night wasn’t entirely normal, however, as one of our viewing compadres was sick with a fever. “We’ll wait for you,” I texted him, and with this in mind, the remainder of us decided that we’d sit around and chat about children, life, and all that had been thrown our way lately. There was no shortage of conversation, ranging from things heard in church to sleepless nights, and from Georgia football’s success to Nebraska football’s painful failure. Working too hard, sleeping too little, the clothes our kids do and do not fit into… all of this and much, much more found its way into conversation over a few short hours. And to fuel the conversation? Wine, of course.

I’ve been a fan of Jed Steele wines since I was introduced to them a few years back. When I still used points to rate wine (a practice I’m considering a return to), I created a rubric that favored those with a high Quality-Price Ratio (QPR), and Jed’s wines usually rated quite well for their high quality and low cost. With 2013 being the current release of Shooting Star Syrah, it already has some nice bottle age on it. Made from well-cultivated Lake County fruit sourced from five different vineyards, this wine is a dark fruit bomb with firm structure and refined tannins. Vibrant and full of life, the wine spent eight months on oak, 15% new, and boasts beautiful blackberry, currant, and pepper flavors. At 14.5% alcohol, it’s not hot, but certainly warms the spirits, and at $14/bottle, it’s not expensive, and is certainly easy on the wallet.  The epitome of a smooth, easy-drinking red, I highly recommend this wine.

Are we capable of having a conversation sans a nice glass of wine? Of course! (But why would we?) “Wine has a social role to place,” my friend Jean once said. It certainly plays that role in my household, and I couldn’t appreciate more the mirth and the merriment that become ubiquitous when dear friends are gathered and there’s a glass of good wine in each hand. Here’s to great wine, great friends, and a great week!

Cheers,