ScottFromWyoming wrote: 
Heeeey!  Have fun tomorrow. I would so love to ski before the season's over. Although, one can ski Mt Hood into the summer, so.......

 ScottFromWyoming wrote: 
We ought to work out a way to trade. Have fun on the slopes tomorrow!

 Alexandra wrote: 
Wasn't that fun? I was looking at the pictures from that meetup just a few days ago. You and Janis in the pink cowboy hats has to be one of my favorites. RPeeps are even more fun in person than they are on the forum.

 OlderThanDirt wrote: 
I'm sure the wine selection at your Costco is miles better than the wine at ours... But ours has local Montana beers, so yeah they do buy locally.

  Hey, Alexandra too! I'm off to going skiing/surfing in the morning (forecast for 50° and possibility of rain).  

 OlderThanDirt wrote:  
Seeing you and Scott's name at the top of this thread makes me think of our Tobin James excursion.Wasn't it just a perfect day? Do you know that little logo patch is STILL stuck to my dress? After tons of washes, it never came off.

 ScottFromWyoming wrote: 
Maybe it's just because we're so close or something. I first saw it at our Costco last summer, and then it was gone until just recently. Maybe an off and on or seasonal thing. Great buy if you can find it.

bought a bottle of ice wine this evening.  we've had it before, it's quite different and yummeh.

 OlderThanDirt wrote: 
Wow. I've never seen anything of theirs in stores except one time some chardonnay was here in Powell. (!)

Tobin James "Ballistic" Paso Robles Zinfandel again available at Costco. A robust and "juicy" Zin without the astringencies of some of the lesser brands. 1/3 off the winery price (11.99 vs $18.00). An absolute favorite of mine.

 edieraye wrote: 

And it has a nice label. 

Two thumbs up for the 2009 Copa del Rey Cabernet Sauvignon.

 edieraye wrote: 
I'm still pissed off that the second year university Geography field trip to the Douro valley, led by a lecturer in Historical Geography who was also the editor of the journal for MW's was replaced by a week on bloody Dartmoor - 25 miles from where I live and bloody miles from a decent vineyard. Twenty two years ago and still bitter.
 
Went to a barbecue (British, not a real one) at the same guys house and ate loads of fresh sardine grilled over charcoal and washed down with gallons of cold, fresh young vinho verde. Very yum indeed.

 ScottFromWyoming wrote: 
2008, By which time I imagine they had prized the bottle of slivovitz from the cold, dead hands of the previous winemaker. Bet his breakfast toast'n'jam was pretty special, though.

 hobiejoe wrote: 

I've only really explored whites from Portugal - vinhos verdes, specifically.  But always fun to add something else to look for when browsing the aisles.

 edieraye wrote: 
Ooops, sorry!
 
I looked, but the winemaker doesn't seem to have a website - not even on the bottle backlabel.
 
I bought it from M&S - here's their info, although the label has changed.
 
Beginning to find some good Portugese table wines, although in this country they're still over-shadowed by Port wine.

 ScottFromWyoming wrote: 

Thanks!

 edieraye wrote: 
Quinta de Fafide, Douro, Reserva, not sure of the year.

 hobiejoe wrote: 

Sorry - I can't seem to read the label.  Do you mind adding a CT or other link?

MrsHJ is away with the girls so I'm treating myself to a Portugese wine that I've never had before - and it's gorgeous. Full, fruity and powerful, with a firm but balanced oakiness. Yum.
 

 
It's accompanying some of Sunday's coq au vin, baked potato and steamed PSB.
 
Oh, the hedonism!
 

 BlueHeronDruid wrote: 
We're gonna have to visit again, soon - or, better yet, vice versa!

( I think this is my first one since our last visit . . .  if you really want to call this a Martini.