Sandeman 10 Year Tawny Port

i love a good port and for some reason it is more enjoyable to me when the weather is cold. i love the way it warms me from the inside. sandeman makes a really nice port and you can spend a little or quite a bit, depending on how old a tawny port you are willing to buy. the 10 year is a good place to start as it sells for about $30. the nose has lots of ripe fruit and vanilla, candied fruit and raisins. the palate has more of the candied fruit and some nice butterscotch, vanilla and nutty flavors. excellent by itself, but try this with some blue cheese or chocolate!

Harmony Hill Rhapsody 2005

we will keep it local with this bordeaux style (65% cab franc, 35% cab) wine from bethel, ohio. most people would turn their noses up at a wine from ohio, but not this wine geek. this is actually a very nice wine. nose of earth (wet forest floor), plum and black currant, and a mesquite aroma. taste is very fruit forward with plum and black currant, and a beautiful earthy finish that was long and supple. i think this still could have stayed in the bottle a while longer and easily held up and developed further. at $12-14, a nice price. the winery is also well worth the visit. a really peaceful setting with several nice wines to taste.