As you might imagine, yesterday was especially tough on a Husker fan and, if I’m being honest, I didn’t handle it well. The lone thing I did right was wait for the kids to be out of the room before I started swearing at my television. It’s not that I can’t handle losing, but this one was a heartbreaker, the overtime win that would have been, and our now worst-ever record in history sending me into a fit of rage. I’ll get over it. I am over it. But it was a tough one, like I said.

Sonja, for her part, tolerated my anger (and even shared it with me). She also tolerated me when I was snappy with her for hours after the game, getting annoyed about the littlest things until I went outside to mow the lawn one last time this fall and just be by myself. I was a real grump all day. I don’t like that side of me, but somehow Sonja never seems to complain. She remained constant. Ever patient with me, she is by now I think used to a man whose volatility at times fuels his drive and ambition, and whose passion, while in instances a detriment is also at other times what makes him interesting, effective, possibly even good. She knows me, and when I become a hurricane I can count on her to weather my storm. That may be why, when asked about her by an old friend from England this morning, I described her as a rock. It may even subconsciously be why last night, when the kids went to bed, I chose the wine I did.

It was on a visit to Sonoma in March of 2016 that we visited Obsidian Ridge, part of Tricycle Wine Partners, together. We tasted a lot of their great wines that day, but this Cabernet stood out. The combination of high elevation mountain fruit and artisan winemaking comes together in a Cabernet that is instantly smooth and not at all overbearing. At 14.2%, it’s big enough to have some heft, yet the chains of tannins offer a more delicate structure than most Cabernets, while the deep, rich purple teems with flavors of plum, black currant, blackberry, oak, herbs, and earth. Aromatic, smooth, and very reasonably priced at around $35, I highly recommend this one. It paired perfectly with some needed unwinding last night, as we sat in our living room letting the worries and disappointments of the day fade into memory.

On our way out of the tasting room on our visit to Sonoma, the attendant offered us a piece of obsidian from the vineyard where this Cabernet was sourced. Today, along with crystal vases, china, antique coffee warmers, decanters, and some silver, this rock sits in our china hutch. It is a reminder of our trip, and last night when we opened this wine I went and grabbed it and set it on the table in front of us. My rock smiled at me when she saw it, and I was once again reminded that there are far more important things in life than sports.

Cheers to those who can be a rock in our lives when we ourselves become torrential,

Mark