Real anniversary: Katie and Nick and a special bottle of wine - Dairy Foods

I have a very special guest post to share with you today. One of my readers (and friend), Nick contacted me to see if he could contribute a post dedicated to his wife, Katie for their first anniversary. Katie and Nick have a very sweet anniversary tradition that includes a lovely bottle of cabernet.

As told by Nick:

"Today marks the first anniversary of my marriage to my beautiful wife Katie, and I’m thrilled and grateful that Jenna has given me an opportunity to share something meaningful with my fellow Eat Drink Pretty readers.

When Katie and I first met almost five years ago, no one would have described either of us as being into wine; in fact, I grew up in a house where grapes were red or green and wine came from a box (on a shelf in the garage during cold months). Our knowledge of wine and our passion for it is really something we’ve shared in building throughout our relationship. Wine is very meaningful to us as a result, and we particularly enjoy sharing it on special occasions (like Tuesdays) with friends, family, and each other.

We honeymooned in Napa Valley, and, to prepare us for our trip, four of our closest friends sent us to a food and wine pairing class at the Cooks of Crocus Hill as an early wedding gift. The wine instructor for the class was Sommelier Leslee Miller of Amusee Wine, and we immediately latched on to her energetic and down-to-earth style. Katie and I found in Leslee both a mentor and a friend, and it was on her advice that we visited Chappellet Winery on the afternoon of our final full day in Napa.

Chappellete, the winery, which is now powered 100% by an array of solar panels, sits on Pritchard Hill approximately 1200 feet above the Napa Valley floor, and its visitors are treated to wines as spectacular as the views. The leaves on the vines that second week of November were turning all the beautiful shades of fall colors, and by the time our tour and tasting wrapped up the sun was setting against the hillside. It was breathtaking, and it was without a doubt the highlight of our trip.

Chappellet is best known for its Cabernet Sauvignon, and it’s a bottle of their 2007 Signature that Katie and I will be opening at dinner this evening. We had a full case of this vintage shipped back from Napa and we intend to drink one bottle on each of our first twelve anniversaries. It’s a young wine, but very drinkable right now (give it a proper decanting or open it an hour or two before serving), and we’re excited to see what it does over time. This is an elegant wine showing a lot of dark fruit (blackberries and plums), vanilla, a hint of chocolate, and an earthiness that begins to come through after about an hour. A fatty cut of meat would be ideal for this wine to cut its teeth on, but if that is not for you, try it with an aged cheese (Gouda or cheddar) for a palate-pleasing experience.

The 2007 vintage is no longer available directly from the winery; the 2008 vintage is available for $48/bottle. I have found the 2007 on the shelf recently in the Twin Cities area at Thomas Liquors in Saint Paul and The Wine Market in Mendota Heights, MN."

Thanks so much to Nick for contributing to Eat Drink Pretty and sharing your anniversary tradition and wine recommendation with us!  I wish you two a wonderful and happy first anniversary!

To all my readers, do you have an anniversary tradition?  On Erik and my first anniversary last December we made an incredible meal at home.  It was intimate and delicious and I'd be happy celebrating every future anniversary that way.  Please comment and share your anniversary traditions!