The Wandering Blonde Wine O

It’s the 144th Kentucky Derby and my money is on My Boy Jack! He’s a beautiful colt who’s odds, as of this morning, were 30-1. (UPDATE he’s now 5-1) He’ll post in the 10th spot and is said to be the most experienced 3-year-old out there. With 10 races under his belt, he should be more than ready for today.

It wouldn’t be the Derby without a good Mint Julep or if that’s not your thing, a great red wine. If wine is your thing, go out right now and buy 14 Hands Kentucky Derby red blend, the official wine of the Derby. This is a blend of Cab Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec from Washington State. Juicy ripe berries on the nose with subtle hints of chocolate. This blend is explosive with flavor; plum, dark berries and chocolate with tiny hints of pepper. Fire up the grill and pour a glass, the perfect match!

Now, for the Julep! I like using Makers Mark, but you can use whatever bourbon you like. Making the simple syrup is easy. One cup of water to one cup of sugar. Boil until the sugar is dissolved. If you’d like, you can add mint to the syrup. The most important thing is to make sure you use plenty of mint and muddle it real good. Add crushed ice to the glass and pour the bourbon and simple syrup mixture over ice. Top with a sprig of mint and boom – Mint Julep time!

This is a bittersweet day, as this is the first Derby without our grandfather. He loved sitting down with a Mint Julep and watching the race. We’d call him after the race to complain about the number of horses, or the bumping that had occurred, and how we felt about the winner. We will miss him today, but we know he’s with us cheering! (Hope there are Mint Juleps in Heaven!)

Happy Derby day and Happy 3rd Birthday to our psycho cat Julep! We sure will miss Our Boy Jack.