Back to work...Cheers!!

So, the party is over.  My vacation has ended and  I had to go back to work today.  In true Monday fashion.  It was a bit much.  The time dragged and the day wore on, but finally I made it home.  Don't get me wrong,  I do love my job, it was just a little rough to have to get back into the swing of things after 5 weeks of happy hour.
Being the true wino I am, guess how I celebrated my going back to work??  With a glass of wine of course.  This particular one was absolutely lovely.
This picture was taken Sunday evening at Evo Bistro.  We love that place.  We enjoyed the 2007 Blackburn Cabernet again.  This place is simply.....fabulous.  There are many wines to choose from and the staff is attentive, very helpful and thus far have made some great recommendations for wines.  The young women that helped us carries the title of Wine Engineer.  I'm so envious, I WANT THAT JOB!!
She provided us with several samples of some pretty tasty reds.  One in particular was The Scribbler, which was a lovely Shiraz.  My hubby tried to find it at Total Wine.  Unfortunately, they do not carry it, but instead recommended an Australian bottle of Shiraz from Aramis Vineyards for $19.99.
I think we might sample it this week as I'm planning to blog on Shiraz and Syrah.  Do you know the difference?  Well, if not - you will after Thursday.
I have to briefly recap the wines I've been sampling recently.  I was on a Pinot Noir kick.  While dining at Not Your Average Joes in Lansdown, I had a 2009 Hang Ten Pinot Noir from California for $8.00/glass.  I took limited notes for some reason, but I liked it.  It was nice and light as a Pinot should be.  It had a gentle, peppery, lingering finish. It was easy to drink and could easily be a stand alone red - meaning..you don't need anything else, just a glass.
A few days later, I enjoyed another Pinot Noir called Little Black Dress at a place called the Woodley Cafe in DC.  It was $24.00 per bottle.  Actually, the bottle and the cork were the main event.  The bottle was very stylish with a picture of a little black dress and red pumps.  The cork is a keeper because it's totally black with Little Black Dress written on it in silvery letters.  The wine however, was just ok.  It worked, but wasn't anything great.
Tonight, we are enjoying a really nice 2008 Cabernet called Calcareous Twisted Sister from Paso Robles, California for $19.99 at Total Wine.  It's a nice, stand alone red with lots of flavor - well balanced with notes of chocolate.  Very decent.  We are finding Paso Robles has some awesome wines.
I look forward to an easy transition back into work as well as sampling a Shiraz and a Syrah that will knock my socks off.  I work near a Trader Joes, so thats where I'm headed tomorrow to find something.
Drink well friends.