A Bottle Full of Happiness

Some absolutely depressing friend of mine recently told me, after I gushed to him how much I love Autumn, that people who like Autumn are nuts.  It's a season that signifies death, he stated stonily. The trees lose there leaves and everything turns brown and it isn't long before the cold and bitter grip of winter is upon us. Wow, what a bummer!
I choose to politely disagree or, at the very least, see the brighter side of Autumn. For me, Autumn signifies a long stretch of cozy food, warming wines, and lengthy couch cuddling. Last week I discovered the perfect red wine for my Autumn. Domaine de Couron 2007 Cotes du Rhone. There are a lot of reasons this wine is for me, at the moment, perfect. The first reason, it's an '07 Rhone. The 2007 vintage in the Rhone has received great press and after tasting several for myself I can see why. Optimal weather plus skilled vintners equals great wine! Second, it's delicious. A blend of 60% Grenache and 40% Syrah, it has a comforting aroma of cracked black pepper, earth, and red plum. The palate is beautiful, smooth blackberry up front then some acidity shows up to keep things fresh. It's balanced and has definite drinkability. Third, this wine costs under $12 a bottle.
Here is what I suggest you do with this information, you will need at least two bottles for this, but grab as many as you can for repeat performances. Throw a pot on the stove and make Beef Stew or Braised Short Ribs or Coq au Vin or whichever hearty stew-ish thing that requires time and wine. Dump an entire bottle of this Cotes du Rhone  in and let it simmer until whatever you got in there is tender and thick. Grab a bowlful, a hunk of warm bread, and the other bottle of wine. Donning your favorite cozy couch-wear, cuddle up and tuck in. You'll see what I see in Autumn, there's a perfect view of it from the couch.