19 Crimes

Description on the bottle:  Nineteen Crimes turned criminals into colonists.  Upon conviction, British rogues, guilty of at least one of the 19 crimes, were sentenced to live in Australia, rather than death.  This punishment by "transportation" began in 1788, and many of the lawless died at sea.  For the rough-hewn prisoners who made it to shore, a new world awaited.  As pioneers ub a frontier penal colony, they forged a new country and new lives, brick by brick.  This wine celebrates the rules they broke and the culture they built.

Sarah says:  Oh my lord, I love this wine.  First of all, let me give a huge thanks to Heather for recommending it, and to Nancy for donating it my blog!  You both rock.  This wine is outstanding!  It's soooo smooth, with a slightly dark fruity flavor, and not spicy at all... just the way I like it!  It's just awesome... I might go as far as declaring it a new favorite.  Jon and I cracked it open yesterday - Valentines Day - 19 Crimes... somehow that felt appropriate?  Whatever, we were both loving it.  Who cares about the flowers and earrings, just give me more of this wine!

Overall rating, 4 thumbs way up!

Sarah says:  Other things I totally love... cousins.  As I'm typing this, I'm listening to the giggles of my kids and their cousins out in the living room.  It's kind of a running joke that my sister and I pretty much did everything together for a few years... ie, bought houses within a year of each other, got married within 5 months of each other, had 1st kids with 7 months of each other, had 2nd kids within 5 months of each other, abandoned first houses with 1 year of each other... the awesome result of all of that, is we live less than 10 miles apart... and this:

Cousins, super close in age, that love having sleepovers!!

Cousins, they are totally the best kind of family.  They are fun to hang out with, easy to get along with, don't have any of the annoying family qualities that a sibling or parent might have, and no matter how much time passes, you just pick up right where you left off!  I got a txt just this morning that said "Cousins!  Let's get together!"  Some of my best memories involve my cousins.  The reason I love the movies Hook and Ferris Buller's Day Off; my cousins.  Jumping on the bed at Grandma's, waiting for Santa, and white water rafting; my cousins.  Pool parties, bowling, talent shows; my cousins.  Swimming in a hot tub, playing spoons, sneaking chips and pop; my cousins.  Trips out west, trips to Indiana, trips anywhere; my cousins.  Writing notes, sneaking cigarettes, telling secrets; my cousins!  Drinking, mountain climbing, camping; my cousins.  Badminton, laughing, M&M's; my cousins.  Seriously... I have the most fun, most beautiful, most honest, true to themselves, passionate, follow their dreams, type of cousins.  They are the best!  I love them all.

So tonight, as I listen to my kids develop their own bonds with their cousins, I think of my cousins all over the world (seriously, my cousins are all over the world - not only all over the states, MI, WA, CA, MO, OH but also in Korea and France!), and I hope they are all doing great.  I lift this awesome glass of wine in your direction, and I think I'll have another in your honor!  I miss you all!