See this?

Yeah, just… ignore the weird shiny high-gloss painted brick for now. And the Lowe’s fireplace screen while I wait 6 to 8 weeks (weeks) for the custom doors to arrive.

That is a goldarn fire burning in my goldarn fireplace.

In just under five months I’ve gone from having crumbling bricks atop the chimney, a broken cap, and rusted and cracked everything to an actual functioning heart of the home.

I mean, look at that. Don’t you feel calmer already?

And it’s actually been feeling like fall here in New Jersey this week. I’m wearing a sweatshirt right now. I had to grab a blanket for the bed last night!

About damn time we had something to celebrate around here.

And to do so, I’m pouring 2018 Yohan Lardy Gamay ‘Poppy’.

This wine hails from the Beaujolais region, south of Burgundy, where gamay is the primary grape. It tends to be light and fruity, and pretty great acidity. With this particular wine, the color is garnet with a little purple. I get black raspberry on the nose, and cherry with some foresty notes on the palate, and maybe just a hint of smoke? Or perhaps that was just wishful thinking.

I can’t wait to finally try all those wines I’ve told you would work around a fire and see if I was right! Cheers!