|
|
Wednesday, April 23, 2008Wending the Winding Way To the WineryI was struck with a brilliant idea for Eric's birthday. I would take him to Arrington Vineyards. Ah, but it would be better than that. It would be a surprise. I wouldn't tell him where we were going! Now, to the wine-knowledgeable, "Tennessee vineyard" is certainly an oxymoron. But there was something about the beauty of the photographs on the Arrington web site that drew me in. And, anyway, how could I speak snobbily about the nasty, Tennessee wine if I'd never tasted it? It was settled. Eric, whose primary Love Language is quality time, was delighted with the prospect of a child-free outing. For the first few minutes of our road trip, he wore a blindfold, content to be surprised by our destination. The blindfold didn't last. After a few minutes, he sheepishly asked if he could remove it. You'd think he didn't trust me to find my way or something. I mean, I'd done a Google map. The vineyard was surprisingly close to home, with the longest stretch being an 18-mile hike up a particular road. True, clocking the 18 miles was going to be a bit challenging, considering the fact that the odometer in Eric's BMW is broken. But my brilliance shone through. I counted mile markers. The day was sunny and fair, if not a bit chilly. We drove beyond normal habitation, past field and horse and "beefalo for sale" sign. When we approached an intersection I was familiar with, I remained optimistic. "Don't you want to turn right here?" Eric said ever-so-tentatively. Huh? "No, I don't want to turn right here." Did he think he was going to backseat drive when he didn't even know where I was taking him? "Can you tell me where you want to turn? Without giving it away, I mean." "Cox Road." "Oh, okay. I've never heard of that road." Pause. "Why did you think I wanted to turn back there?" "I had a hunch, that's all." I tried to keep my voice chipper. "So, what was your hunch?" "Oh, I'll tell you later." Right. Except, now my confidence was waning. Just a tiny bit. We drove on. "We're getting close to 24," Eric said, the barest whiff of concern in his voice. The location of Interstate 24 didn't mean much to me, considering the fact that I had no idea where that particular road was in relation to the elusive vineyards. "I know that I have to go 18 miles on this road." "18 miles? From where?" This was starting to feel scarier by the moment. I couldn't answer. "We're almost in Murfreesboro. I think we must've missed Cox Road back there somewhere." Okay, I was no longer in control of this situation. I clenched my teeth and turned around. "Can you show me the directions without giving away where we're going?" "No." "Cox Road is going to be on our left now, so let's keep a lookout." I considered ejecting him through the sunroof. The miles rolled by. Cox Road didn't appear. We were heading back too far -- way less than the requisite 18 miles out, surely. I was fighting tears by the time I pulled into a small parking lot to check my directions one more time. "Oh." I felt the last vestige of pride slip from my grasp. "It's not 18 miles. It's 8." He laughed. I laughed. Well, sort of. Because my next thought was how much bloody time I had just wasted by driving us all the way out to nowhere and back again. "Well, anyway," Eric said, "if we didn't find it, I was going to suggest that we go to Arrington Vineyards. I've been wanting to go there." My eyes left the road and landed on Eric's face. "Eric. THATISWHEREWE'REGOING." Silly me. You know the intersection? The one I recognized? Somehow I'd missed the huge billboard that read, "Arrington Vineyards, 3 miles," with an arrow pointing to the right. No, it wasn't Cox Road. But it would've gotten me where I wanted to go, with at least thirty minutes to spare. We got to the vineyards. We tasted the wine. We were pleasantly surprised, and purchased a bottle of Merlot to enjoy with the lunch I'd brought. Mind you, the grapes were imported from other places, mostly California and Washington. Considering the adopted grapes, one can't truly call these "Tennessee wines." But the baby grape vines are off to a good start, and one day the vineyards will produce their own harvest. Already they are looking forward to their first port, due in 2009. Who'd've thunk it. A nice Merlot from a winery less than twenty-five minutes (give or take forty more) from home. The Chardonnay was nice, too. Not overly interesting, but definitely light and pleasing with a nice finish. I would certainly choose it from a wine list at a restaurant. I let Eric drive home. It seemed a wise choice. Next time I want to take him somewhere new, I'll announce it ahead of time. As it stands, I'm still living this one down. It was worth it, though. He's still talking about his relaxing afternoon at Arrington Vineyards. And so, despite my complete lack of navigational skills, I'm feeling like a Pretty Good Wife. Salut! |
About Me
I am: Mother to five stunningly individualistic children... Writer of young adult fantasy... Passionate advocate for Women At Home... Madly in love with my husband... In need of Organic Gourmet Chocolate on a regular basis. I've got a Paypal account if you'd like to contribute to the cause....
|
3of my readers are feeling chatty:
Love it!!!!!!!!! I was on the edge of my seat reading that... too funny! Happy Birthday Eric.
Oh isn't it awesome how well you two know each other? I love that - the gift turned out even better than a "surprise"!
Happy Birthday Eric!
Belated Happy Birthday to Eric! It seems like you guys had a lovely time!
By the way, please take a peek Into the Wardrobe, I have a little something for you there. ;)
Post a Comment
<< Home