Things I Love Today: Four Graces Pinot Noir

It’s summer BBQ and dinner party season. I have a bunch of outstanding social obligations to fulfill. We’re having a dinner party on Sunday night and I need to have about one a week for the next month to catch up.

For these parties, I always imagine buying the absolute perfect hostess gift well in advance…and I usually end up buying a bottle of wine at the last minute. I confess, sometimes even from the corner bodega nearest to the host’s home.

What I should do is buy a case of my absolute favorite wine – the 2006 Four Graces Willamette Valley Pinot Noir – and keep it under my desk for just such last minute occasions. A co-worker who is knowledgeable about wines “sold” me a bottle of this once for a last minute hostess gift. It’s an incredible wine with a distinctive taste that makes it stand far apart from your average two buck chuck.