I have to admit, I discovered Gruet at the omnipotent chain restaurant, well small chain restaurant, Harry's Taproom. Harry's is less than a block from my home base, so several Buckley meals are consumed there per month. They pride themselves on their unique wine list, which I have discovered is not as unique as I'd thought, since I can usually purchase most of their wines at Total Wine.

It was New Years Eve 2007, and we were looking to have a pre-dinner cocktail before heading to another restaurant and then out on the town for some never disappointing D.C. nightlife. I wanted to start the evening off light, so I asked for a glass of bubbly. There were only 2 choices by the glass and one was a prosecco, which is always too sweet for me, so I asked about the other option at $7.50 a glass. I paid little attention to the name, but the state was quite intriguing; New Mexico! I had a feeling I was in for something nasty paired with a nasty headache, so I did what all revelers do on New Year's Eve, I said, Bring it on!

I was amazed by this lovely dry stunner and its tickling aroma of grapefruit and rustic copper. Sip by sip, I became more intoxicated with the joy that you can only experience by finding a great bargain wine under $15.00. Along with this odd pairing of state and champagne is the corresponding story about the European wine makers and their discovery of the rustic but fertile New Mexican terroire which I will link out to. The family also owns a steak house, which I am dying to visit.

My favorite pairing with this wine is a lovely cheese that I located in my local Whole Foods. Humboldt Fog, is just about the most luscious and tart goat cheese I have ever tasted. It hails from a small creamery in Alcata, CA, created by entrepreneur, Mary Keehn.

Mary started raising Alpine Dairy goats in the late 70's to produce a healthier milk for her children. Her prize winning goat herd grew exponentially, and before she knew it, Mary had more goat milk than her family could consume. She, like many creative entrepreneurs, started experimenting with cheese making in her kitchen and before you know it, the rest as they say was history. The Cypress Grove Cheese most people are familiar with is Purple Haze. While I love Purple Haze, nothing quote beats a Sunday afternoon with a glass of Gruet and a cracker (or 4) slathered with Humboldt Fog. Delish!