2006 Miguel Torres Santa Digna Rosé

It just ain't summer without pink wines. Try out the 2006 Miguel Torres Santa Digna Rosé from the Central Valley of Chile. $12, 13.5% abv. Pure Cabernet Sauvignon, not a common grape for this style. This wine has a candied apple flavor and aroma without the cloying sweetness. It's crisp, refreshing, full-bodied, and complex enough to keep you interested. All around a solid wine and good value. Great choice for fellow lovers of dry rosés.

For dinner I prepared pappardelle (wide, flat noodles) with shrimp, cherry tomatoes, cremini mushrooms, and garlic. I've been craving pasta lately and this form is hard to find--you normally have to make it from scratch. I found a bag at Fresh Market and it cooked up quite well. One warning: it tends to clump up, so use a bit of olive oil and stir softly to avoid breaking up the noodles.

I usually don't post photos of my dinner companions, but when they give permission I'm happy to oblige. Doubly so when ladies are involved.

Alaina and Grace, laughing at something one of them said while I was trying to get a more dignified shot. A dog's head popping into the shot in the lower left corner. A table full of good food, ample supply of cool beverages, great weather out on the patio. It's not quite the whole book of verse/jug of wine/loaf of bread, but I'd like to think that I was experiencing some of the same happiness as old Omar Khayyam.