January begins

A very different time this year as we are usually at our friends' seeing the New Year in with fun and laughter ... and of course a few glasses of wine. Saying that last year was different as although with friends I had a daunting year ahead and started Dry January on the stroke of midnight. 

This year was different again as it was myself, Hubby and our son who celebrated the end of 2020 and the beginning of 2021. We did enjoy an evening of games with our daughter and her partner via a video call, oh the wonders of modern technology. On the stroke of midnight we raised a glass together even if physically miles apart. 

We always have a family dinner on New Year's Day, it's the perfect occasion to pull the final crackers. My tastebuds and insides are improving which means I am starting to enjoy wine again, although not all wines and only a small glass. For our NYD dinner we enjoyed a Cheverny rouge, a bottle we bought in France a while ago on one of our holidays, 

It's always with mixed feelings that the decorations come down; sad because the festive season is over but joy because the clutter goes away. Although we don't have many decorations it is still a long day to take down and pack away our Christmas, many trips into the attic for Hubby. 

Relaxing on 12th night after all the work was done, we enjoyed a glass of Penderyn Maderia Whisky accompanied by the last Ferrero Rocher. I did find the whisky a little harsh initially but warming the glass in my hands (as we were taught on our amazing Scottish holiday in 2019) it soon became lovely and smooth. The maderia barrels used to mature the whisky certainly gave it added flavour.

Since the first lockdown in March 2020 we have enjoyed regular video call quiz nights with our friends. We have had quizzes, played Trivial Pursuits, had questions from Tenable and set quizzes ourselves. It's been great fun and little did we imagine that the first quiz night of 2021 would be our 40th evening. 

We all enjoy a glass of wine on these quiz nights, we have occassionally opened bottles of bubbly to celebrate anniversaries or birthdays and last summer we all enjoyed a bottle of Oatley wine as we purchased wine direct from the vineyard. Over last year I enjoyed many alcohol free evenings too, mainly non gin and tonics.

Our first 2021 quiz night started with some bubbles, Hubby enjoyed a glass or two of red and I had a Sloe Gin with Lemonade. Cremant du Jura is a sparkling wine from Aldi that has been a favourite of ours for many years. It is good value as it stands up well to champagne, a great glass of fizz.

Carcassonne is a French wine from the Languedoc, very close to the Pyrenees. Carcassonne is a beautiful walled cité, it's depicted on the classic looking label. The wine is full of fruit, rich in flavour with a good finish. Another wine from Aldi however not always on the shelf so one we buy if spotted. 

As I am not drinking as much wine, although bubbles are easier than still, I am enjoying my variety of gins, maybe because I have them with carbonated mixers. Gordon's Slow Gin is very refreshing with lemonade, a lovely alternative to the sharpness of gin with tonic. 

One of our Christmas gifts was this fab book of over 10,000 questions and much as none of us want lockdown to continue and we are all hoping we can beat Covid with the vaccinations now available, I do hope our Quiz Nights will continue as it would be such a shame to leave this unopened. 

I hope everyone had an enjoyable festive time and managed to see in 2021 with a glass of something good. I'm planning to use celebration days to be adventurous with our dinners and drinks to help relieve the monotony of having to stay home ... it's Chinese New Year soon and Burns Night so I best get menu planning.

I'll sign off my first post of the year with a photo of us during one of our online quiz chats when we discovered the 'effects' button ...or was it too much wine hee hee