A spontaneous trip to the lake house with my mom turned into a spontaneous happy hour featuring Legend Vineyard Exclusive (LVE)’s Red Blend 2016 ($50). We sat at the bistro table on the porch enjoying the killer view of the lake on this almost-stormy-but-not-quite night, with just a hint of chill in the air. It’s the perfect fall weather to enjoy a big, bold red and a cheese plate al fresco.

This wine is a treat for the nose the minute it’s uncorked, smelling of red plums, vanilla bean, and cocoa powder. I felt myself instantly relaxing as I inhaled a whiff of the blend. To me it tastes strongly of blackberries with a bit of oak. There’s a little spice at the tail end of this flavor profile that made it a perfect happy hour-cheese plate wine.

This wine definitely has personality! The deep red color is lovely. The blend is 57% Petite Sirah and 43% Merlot with an ABV of 14.5%. It’s hard not to adore this wine with it’s smooth tannins and lingering finish. This wine would pair beautifully with lamb and tomato dishes. A dry red wine that’s full bodied, you can really taste the oak barrels in which it was aged.

I made us an impromptu cheese plate to nosh on during happy hour: white cheddar, sharp cheddar, brie, ricotta with apple butter, prosciutto, apple slices, blueberries, grapes, almonds, and assorted crackers. Isn’t it funny that without any planning at all, my mom brought brie and nuts and I brought fruits and cheddar and prosciutto? Sometimes the stars align.

Cheers to that,

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