The Test: Cultivate Wines

Invariably, an evening with friends is an evening of wine. Through the years, many secrets have been spilled, many a tear shed, and much laughter shared over bottles of the grape elixir.

So the months that I was pregnant were long and hard. There were times I felt like I was missing out. There weren’t any intimate evenings over a few bottles of vino, and to be honest, I wasn’t sure there ever would be again.

If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you know that I developed a couple of aversions while pregnant. One of those was an unusual distaste for wine, and I was really afraid that feeling might never go away. (I was also repulsed by broccoli, but let’s get real. Would never eating broccoli again really make me sad? Um, probably not.)

Tavern’s Fish Taco

A few weeks ago, I was invited to attend an introductory tasting of Cultivate wines at Tavern. I knew that if I attended, the night would be “the test”, as I had yet to drink a glass of wine since baby made an appearance into the world.

It was time to meet the challenge head on, and what better way to do it than with good food and surrounded by blogger friends?

When I took the first sip of  Cultivate’s Double Blind Pinot Grigio that night, the angels sang. Hallelujah, wine once again was like sweet nectar on my tongue!

Clean, easy-drinking, and completely food friendly, this particular wine paired perfectly with a scrumptious fish taco. I’m normally not even a Pinot Grigio drinker, but this was light, crisp, and oh so delicious.

 Cultivate’s Double Blind 2010 Pinot Grigio
$16.99

While we were able to sample 4 amazing wines that evening, all of which I enjoyed, I have to say that it was The Gambler that won my heart. A big, rich red, this Argentine Malbec is exactly the type of wine that I love.

It definitely stands on its own, but also pairs beautifully with food, as was evidenced by the pleasure I felt when drinking it alongside Tavern’s Philly cheese steak roll.

Cultivate’s The Gambler 2010 Malbec
$18.99

I’m so happy that Cultivate was my first foray back into the wonderful world of wine.  I look forward to enjoying many bottles in the future with friends by my side, sharing a laugh…. or two, or three!

And because I want you guys to do the same, I’m offering you a great deal today! The fine folks at Cultivate created a unique code for my lovely readers, giving a 10% discount on any Cultivate wine purchase made through their website: shop.cultivatewines.com.  The code is EATDRINKSMILE10.

As always, enjoy yourself!