Blowing the Surprise

My brother Benjamin was married in November 2006 to a great young woman whom he was (is!) really in love with. It wasn't easy for me to get away from work to attend the wedding, as harvest was ongoing, and there was still a LOT of work going on.

In fact, on the very day that he was married, November 4th, we had a couple vineyards scheduled for harvest - so I decided that I would make some wine for him from grapes that were picked precisely on the day of his wedding, and get enough bottles for him so that he can have a bottle every anniversary until the wine starts to go over the hill. (I am sure that their marriage will outlast the wine!)

We just bottled that wine a few weeks ago, just before I left for El Salvador, and I am setting aside several cases for them. But in addition to the small bottles of wine, I had a bottle etched by a local artist for them; a really BIG bottle in this case, 5 litres!! (A normal bottle of wine is 750ml, so this bottle definitely qualifies as 'Party Size!')

The back of the bottle has their names, and the date of their wedding, as well as a passage from the Song of Solomon, which Kristin read at their wedding, and had a passing mention of the vine and agriculture;

My beloved spoke and said to me, "Arise my darling, my beautiful one. Come with me. See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing is come. The cooing of doves is heard in our land. The fig tree forms its early fruit; the blossoming vines spread their fragrance. Arise, come my darling, My beautiful one, come with me!"

On the front is a copy of a painting that Ben painted when he was in art class in High School. I think that he gave it to me as a graduation gift, and I have hung it on the wall wherever I have lived since, from California to Oregon and back again.

I think that it turned out really well, and I had to show it off, even though it might spoil the surprise for them; but it will look so good when they get it, that I am sure they will forgive me!

Besides, if you see it displayed on the mantle, you should scold them; this bottle needs to be stored someplace dark and cool so that it won't spoil. I think we should all get together with them on their 5th anniversary and drink through this - I can always refill it with something else in the future, and the many other small bottles will allow them at least a small taste from that very special day in 2006 for many years to come.

Ben & Michelle, we love you guys!