This past weekend Dan and I went up to Quivira Winery to pick up our wine club shipment. Yep I said wine club, we joined a year ago on our "honeymoon". Quivira is one of my favorite wineries and I took Dan up there shortly after we met on our first weekend away, he loved it almost as much as I did. It was also the only winery we visited where we agreed on almost all the wines we liked. We've been back many times since and in the flush of being newlyweds, feeling all was right with the world and full of possibility we signed up to receive a case of wine twice a year.

In scheme of things, not that big of a commitment, however since someone else is choosing for us we also seem to pick out a second case of wine to take home while we're there. I realized this weekend that we've become one of those couples. I use to see them when I'd go wine tasting carrying a case or two to their car. In comparison to my one or two bottles it seemed excessive and flashy. But now it all makes sense.

For us it's about not making things precious and living a lifestyle we enjoy. We drink a bottle or two a week and when there's a case or so on hand you don't worry about whether tonight's dinner is special enough, we don't hold off till the coveted Friday or Saturday night. We simply open a bottle when we want one. Plus finding a wine that both Dan and I like that's under $30 is a fairly difficult task, so when we do there's another reason to stock up.

farmstand at PrestonTo round out this trip we went a little further down the road to Preston Vineyards. We were hoping to score a late afternoon snack of fresh bread and cheese, but we were too late and sadly watched as the last loaf left with another couple. Instead we made due with the farmstand picking up a couple pounds of favas, fresh eggs, beets and lettuce. But since none of that made for a good snack to fill our wine drenched bellies we also made a stop at Dry Creek General Store for a sandwhich and some of their amazing jerky. Paired with a beer out on the porch it made for a lovely end to a day that exemplifies why I love living in the Bay Area.

vines climbing the Dry Creek General StoreWe also picked up a copy of The Art of Fermentation by Sandor Ellix Katz. I see homemade ginger beer in my not so distant future.