Yesterday, I went with my mom for her five-week post-intracerebral hemorrhagic stroke follow-up appointment with the neurologist. I knew, in my heart, that the MRI she had last week would show improvement from the MRI on December 9, 2013 simply because of her physical progress. However, until the good doctor told us, I was still hesitant. The MRI did, indeed, show improvement. Swelling was gone and the bleed was still evident, but substantially smaller.
The doc was pleased and so were we!
Mom and Dad decided they wanted to go to my "happy place" for lunch to celebrate. Five weeks ago, our lives were completely changed as a result of my otherwise healthy mom being told she had a brain bleed and rushed to the neuroscience ICU section of Fairfax Hospital.
So, on a Thursday afternoon, we went to lunch and celebrated with our favorite comfort food pizza - half cheese and tomato for Mom and half sausage and pepperoni for me and Dad.
Mom doesn't drink alcohol but she is always a trooper when it comes to hanging with me and Dad. As always, I ventured over to the restaurant's adjoining wine bar and, with the help of wonderful Mike (chef and joint owner) and Jeanne (my favorite wine barista), I chose the absolutely beautiful 2008 Merryvale Merlot from Napa.
As Jeanne poured the Merlot, I noticed its stunningly beautifully deep, dark purple color. On the nose was black cherry and grape jelly. Dad said he smelled a strong musky perfume aroma as well. The grape jelly theme was still dominant on the taste for me as well as a smoky undertone.
-
To finish off the heavenly Merlot, we HAD to share the chocolate lava cake. After a bite of the dessert and then a sip of the wine, the wine was instantly smoother and the smoky taste disappeared. I recall saying "this is heaven in my mouth."
What a delicious combination!
I spent more on this Merlot then I usually would spend on a Merlot, or most any wines for that matter, that I have not tried before. However, it was a special occasion and Chef Mike has not steered me wrong when it comes to wines, especially Merlot (A few years ago he chose one of my all-time favorite Merlots - Helix).
Even though Mom doesn't care for wine or any alcohol honestly, I always ask her to taste something I think she may like or that has a dominant smell. I knew she wouldn't care for this, but sweet Jeanne brought her a tiny little glass to try and she felt so special as a result!
How cute are they!
Dad with his BFG and Mom with her tiny glass.
Dad used to only like white wines, and he still prefers them, but he's really starting to enjoy red wines. Once I told him about the chocolate trick it helped. I have encouraged him to take in the entire experience of thinking about what he smells before he tastes it and then what he tastes once he takes a sip. He also has enjoyed how food can change the taste of wine. This is dad trying to figure out what he smells with the Merryvale. Mom thinks it's cute how he shuts his eyes. A man has to concentrate on something of this importance!
As we were finishing up, I turned the bottle around to read what was on the label.
How fitting that the bottle of wine we chose on such an important day, is made by a family-owned winery dedicated to passionate winemaking and "The Fine Art of Living Well."
A healthy mom, a happy dad, a beautiful wine and delicious pizza.
Need I say more?
No comments:
Post a Comment