Brophy Clark GSM
Santa Barbara

Producer: Brophy Clark Cellars
Importer: N/A
Vintage: 2007
Price: $16.99

No, really.

You open it on a Monday night during the second half of the Bulls game – you hadn’t expected to have wine on Monday, but there you go. Tuesday, well, Tuesday was a rough day at the office, what with the conference call and the formatting issue, so a bit more of that delicious Grenache/Syrah/Mourvedre blend would help you unwind. Wednesday you end up traveling for work, and when you come back, it’s Friday: time for weekend wine.

The cute dark bottle with the landscape label sits on your kitchen counter for a few more days before the work week rolls around again, and suddenly there you are: Monday evening, eyeing the last poured glass, sniffing, grimacing, and then smiling with relief. The train schedule, the internet speed, the long line at lunch may have all disappointed, but the GSM did not. A small but delightful victory.