Wine of the Week: Feeling Fall-ish

Times Ten Cellars

Zinfandel (Sierra Foothills)

Yesterday I wore an argyle sweater and corduroy pants.

I woke up Tuesday morning and, in keeping with my routine, I set the coffee to brew and poked my head out the back door to check the weather report. I was treated to a breath of clean, cold air, and I spotted the first streaks of a clear dawn stretching across the sky overhead. What a pleasant surprise! The warm, moist, hazy mornings that passed too quickly into steamy afternoons had come to an end for another year. Finally, lazy, plodding summer had handed off her barometric baton to brisk, energetic fall. I settled into a patio chair with a steaming mug moments later and smiling, tightened my robe against the chill. This, I thought, excited in a back-to-school sort of way, calls for a celebratory outfit. Hence, the argyle.

That evening, after a day that will go down in the books as one of my most stressful this year, I looked forward to a glass of wine that might return my spirit to the uplifted, hopeful fall place I'd found at the back door hours earlier. I couldn't dive into a pile of crackling, golden leaves, so I wanted to taste something that made me feel the way I'd felt when I put on my sweater that morning.

Times Ten Cellars Zinfandel had just what I was looking for. It burst with the ripe berry flavors that we expect from this rich, red grape, and hints of oaky toast and comforting spice in the background made it perfect for a brisk autumn evening. This bottle was part of my take-home haul from last week's visit to Times Ten in Lakewood, and their sale goes on through the end of the month. I now wish I'd added a couple of extra bottles of this Zin to my bag - good thing the winery is right here in Dallas. Maybe I'll pull on another sweater and drive over with the top down later this week.