Minor Oversight

Ok, so I know this little space is called Croquet & Cocktails and I have yet to address anything cocktail related. What am I thinking? Well, clearly I'm not.

Problem solved with today's post. Whew.

While I'm not a big drinker, I do appreciate a well mixed cocktail (Mmmm, mojito, please), can tolerate a watered-down light beer and adore a nice glass of wine. Mostly I enjoy the community and comraderie that is associated with cocktails. Often, events are more fun with beverages of the alcoholic nature involved. Don't believe me? Bust out the croquet mallets and wickets, whip up a pitcher of mojitos and play on, playa. That's exactly what happened over the Fourth of July weekend when Beau and I visited his family in Cape Cod. And you know what? We had so much fun. I don't think we ever finished a game of croquet, but we did laugh in excess. None of us were ever drunk, so please don't get the wrong idea about my meaning here. I'm certainly not suggesting it takes alcohol to have fun. Moreso, I think people are more prepared to have fun when drinks are around. Make sense?

When Beau's sweet mom suggested croquet and cocktails on the south lawn at four I knew that 1) I had found the title of the blog I planned to start and 2) nothing but good could come from such a proposition. I was right.

While a nice, cold, minty, sweet, lime-infused beverage is not on the menu tonight, I did want to share what is currently my most exciting splurge.

I'm a member of a wine club! Every three months I get six bottles of wine from Food & Wine Magazine's wine club. They send me two whites and four reds. In the package are tasing notes and recepies for pairing. Generally speaking the wine is from vineyards I've never heard of, or sometimes there are even varietals that are new to me.

The wines are chosen by F&W editors and the recepies developed in the magazine.  A few weeks before my bundle of joy package of wine is sent, I get an email. From that day forward I think about what kins of wine will be in the shipment. Will there be a white I love? (I tend to be a lover of red and a once-in-a-while sipper of white.) Will there be a red that knocks my socks off? Will I ever be able to find another bottle if I do fall in love? So many questions. It is a wonder that I get anything done in those long, agoniazing days I wait.

Needless to say, I've been satisfied with each and every bottle. I do, however, get so excited about driniking the wine that I have yet to prepare the dish that was designed to compliment the wine. I need to make a point of doing that soon. I'll report back as soon as I do. (Don't hold your breath for it. Construction on the kitchen will start verrrrryyyyyy sooon and I'll be 100% kitchenless for goodness knows how long.)

Interested in splurging on this relatively affordable wine club? Click here. If that's not your bag, but you want to hear about some of their selections,  I might just write about a bottle every once in a while.

Note: I am posting about this wine club of my own accord. In no way am I associated with or being compensated by Food & Wine or the wine club. A girl could dream though, right?

So tell me, what is your splurge? Got any great, but affordable wine suggestions?