Like Wine? Love, Actually.

I hadn't had my seasonal fix of "Love Actually" yet this year and Boo wasn't all that interested in watching it again. The movie just doesn't have that annual pull as a seasonal classic for him. So, I put out the call to the neighbours to see if there'd be any takers to make a bit of a night of it. Both Baby Mama and GatuBela were ready, willing and able to sit back with popcorn and wine glass in hand.

Danchuk had never seen the flick before, but he was game to check it out with the chicks as well. And it wasn't even just the wine that drew him in since he brought along the beer. But, you know that, since I'm recording it here, there was wine...

303. 2006 Wild Goose Gewurztraminer (VQA Okanagan)

This wasn't exactly chosen as a popcorn wine. (I've actually heard that sparkling wines are a natural fit with that.) But, I did think it would go along with the evening's pre-movie course of butter chicken and aloo gobi. Plus, it was handy since it was one of the Christmas dinner wines that I'd left behind on the counter the other night. It went fine with the popcorn as well though.

When it comes to Gewurztraminer and BC, there are a lot of people that will immediately turn to Wild Goose. We don't tend to drink too much Gewurz, but I think I could be coaxed into a more regular glass if either the varietal and/or Wild Goose continues to go down as nicely as this did.

We were pretty much finished that bottle when, lo and behold - thanks to the miracle of baby monitors - even Arty400 made a surprise visit. Arty400 - or RD4 for short (not sure if he's a distant relative of R2D2 or not) - didn't have much interest in the movie but he is always good for a nice glass of wine.

He and Baby Mama brought along our second bottle for the night:

304. 2007 Delas Saint-Esprit Cotes-du-Rhone (AOC Cotes-du-Rhone - France)

RD4 had been tipped off to this wine as a nice bottle at a good price and, like me, he's an easy mark for Syrah-based wines. This one is 75% Syrah and 25% Grenache. Turns out that his source's enjoyment of this wine is mirrored by others. Indeed, none other than Robert Parker, one of the biggest names in the wine-writing (and wine-scoring) business, has given this wine 90 points (which is well up there for an $18 French wine) and declared that the 2007 vintage was a great one for the Rhone.

I hadn't heard those comments about 2007 Rhone wines until I looked up this bottle. I'll have to keep an eye out for some more to give them a try. I'm not sure that this one killed it for me but a couple of Chateauneauf-du-Poofs would always be welcome at our table. Banner year or not.

As for the movie, I'm glad that, unlike Danchuk, I'd already seen the movie. The commentary was endless - and vicious to boot. You'd have thought we were watching it with deadlines to send in a scathing review. "That's just so unrealistic." "My least favourite part of the movie." "How stupid is that."

At least RD4 liked the fact that Billy Bob Thornton was cast as the US President. Might have been the only thing he liked - other than the wine.

People, it's a light-hearted Christmas romantic comedy. I might need to limit my movie choices with this crowd to more serious fare like Star Trek or Julie and Julia when we try this out next time.

Or serve even more wine before the movie starts.