Red X

Description on the bottle:  California Red Wine.  

Bad at rules.  Good at wine.

Always wear pajamas when sleeping an strange beds.

Never lick a steak knife.

Never give yourself a haircut after three glasses of wine.

X Winery's Reed Renaudin is as fed up with rules as you are.  He explores possibilities more traditional winemakers never consider because the only rule he does follow is making wines people love to drink.  Curious?

Red X is a harmonious blend of several sumptuous wine varietals that perform like musicians in a great band, each bringing their own talents to the show.  After you taste this blend, we're sure you'll have your lighters raised high pleasing for an encore.

Sarah says:  I didn't want to like this wine.  Usually I would find the humor on the description of this bottle entertaining, but tonight I just wasn't in the mood.  My mood is down, sad, angry, confused.  The bragging about breaking the rules just made me want to smack this guy.  Rules are supposed to be followed!  They are there for a reason.  With that being said, I like the taste of this wine.  It's got that smokey thing that I generally don't like, but it's so subtle that I can handle it.  It's not sweet, which is great.  It's a nice, easy going, red wine.

Overall rating:  Thumbs most of the way up.

Sarah says:  Like most of the world, I'm still in shock over the events that took place on Friday at Sandy Hook Elementary School.  My initial reactions were full of anger.  I wanted to scream at this guy -  what is wrong with you?!  Kids... you shot and killed kids, 20 of them!!  Plus their teachers!  What is happening to our world?!   I couldn't wrap my head around it, and still can't.  Then the parent in me kicked in, and I just cried.  I listened to the President's speech over and over, and cried.  I hugged my kids, and cried.  I felt this overwhelming emotion and sadness for these children that I never knew, for their parents, for the survivors that had to witness such violence at such a young age.  These 1st graders have seen more violence first hand than I have now in my life.  I feel fortunate, but sad by the unfairness of it all.  I feel helpless, there is nothing that I can do to help these people.  I feel almost guilty that I was able to go home and kiss and hold my kids, something these parents will never be able to do again.  

Then there's the confusion.  I want an answer, and the reality that I may never get this answer is making me crazy.  I have been glued to the news stories, frantically reading articles after my own babies have gone to sleep the past 3 nights, hoping to find out the reason that this happened.  And yet, no reason can be found.  And that just makes me feel confused and sick.  Are our kids safe anywhere?  Not at school, not at movie theaters, not in our own homes, not even in churches anymore.  I just don't understand it all.  Why would someone kill so violently like that?  They say that every single victim had multiple bullet wounds - between 3 and 11.  Really?  I've never shot a gun - so I don't get the thrill - but just shooting a bunch of innocent kids wasn't enough, you had to shoot them over and over again...?!  I just cannot understand it.  Ugh.

I wish I had some great insight to say - but I don't.  I take comfort in believing in God, and I do believe that these children are in a better place now.  One that doesn't know the violence they endured.  Unfortunately, as a parent, I don't know how I'd feel if someone told me that after my own child was murdered.  So, although those words comfort me, I don't know how well they work on anyone else.

Because my own words fail me tonight, I'll repeat some words that I found meaningful over the past two days:

Someone on Facebook named Matthew Nicholas wrote these words:

Hey kids. You. The Ones that left us today. The ones who experienced the worst that humanity can do. You little angels who closed your eyes in a living Hell this morning. I'm so, so very sorry that this world didn't give you a chance.

I'm a nobody guy from a small town in Michigan. You would've never known me. But in all of this overwhelming sadness of today, I just want to let you all know that you matter.

Even though you didn't even have a chance to realize how big the world is, today, the sad end of your lives affected MILLIONS of people. It's probably little comfort for you at all, but tonight in America, in Europe, in Asia, in Africa, Australia....everywhere.... mommies are holding their kids a little tighter and a little longer. Daddies are listening to their kids and showing them more love.

You twenty little souls were set free this morning and there is nothing good that could be said about that. But because you left, and the way you were taken, millions of kids still here on Earth tonight will be shown more love than any other ordinary Friday.

Your short and precious lives had a value and a purpose.

Godspeed.

And he's right - All weekend long, I showed my kids more love than normal.  I hugged them more, I played with them more, I made our time a little more special, I told them repeatedly that I loved them.  I think as parents - that's all we can do.

I let my kids make and drink chocolate milk, right before bed... just because we could... and in the words of Liam "It was the best night ever!"  Words that will forever warm my heart.  Who needs wine when I've got these two?  :-)