Our Sunday Trip to Esquin: Last minute Xmas Present Solutions

Hohoho...MERRY CHRISTMAS! What better gift for the food and wine lover than a good ol' bottle of vino? That's what Kyle and I thought the other week when we found a couple extra hours on a lazy Sunday afternoon. We headed to our favorite wine shop, Esquin Wine Merchants, in Sodo and spent over an hour perusing through countless rows of fabulous wines, buying "gifts" for...ourselves!

One of our best friends, Becca and Lowell, turned us on to this great Seattle wine shop and we have been hooked ever since. My good friend, Carol, and many others have since also recommended Esquin to us!

Kyle likes to catch me in awkward face moments and post these photos on our blog. As you can see, I am very focused on the wine...This is our favorite room, the "back room." AKA the el cheapo sale room where they have great deals on some of the best wines. Also, if you buy a case of 12 bottles (from anywhere in the store) they give you 10% off your bill. That means we have to get 12 bottles every time. Can't pass up a good deal!

 

As you might have noticed from previous posts, Kyle and I are conducting very rigorous "research" on wines for our upcoming trip to Paris and the Mediterranean next summer. By research, we mean consuming large amounts of French and European wine so we are more aware and educated on what we like and what makes the wines of this region so special. More importantly, we are just enjoying consuming the large amounts of research and the food that we have paired it with!

I picked up this bottle of 2009 La Croix Du Duc Bordeaux. I am a huge sucker for great descriptors for wine that include "incredible deal."

And it truly was an incredible deal. It was bold and smooth, and just the kind of red that I crave with a good, wintery warm meal. Kyle made his Auntie Toyoko's famous short ribs that night which went perfectly with this rich bordeaux.

So whether you are looking for a last minute (or belated) Xmas gifts for a food/wine lover or are just looking for a fun way to spend an hour, check out Esquin Wine Merchants. The people are friendly and unpretentious and help to make wine approachable. They also have a great blog that has given me many great recs! Check it out here.

 

Kyle and I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Hope you get all you wished for, including good health, happiness and of course, GREAT EATS.

 

Happy Eating,

Emi