Let’s be honest…last week was a crazy week in the United States.  Mid-way through the week, I sipped on some wine and tried writing a post about Marathon Monday’s bombing.  I mean, I’m a runner who knows the ups and downs of training for a long race, although I will never been fast enough to run Boston.  I know the joy of seeing the finish line in the distance, the relief of crossing it in one piece, and the ecstasy of the beer going down while I ice my legs and put on compression socks once it’s all over.

I’m also someone who has been a rabid spectator of friends who run marathons.  So, I know the laughter and love that goes into putting together the signs that cheer on runners as they go by (as well as how much the runners actually enjoy those signs during the race).  And, I know the excitement of watching “your runner” breakout into a huge smile when s/he sees you on the sidelines when only a moment ago they looked like they were ready to collapse in defeat.

And, I’m a New Yorker who was living in DC during 9/11, so I know firsthand how a perfect day can turn into a nightmare.

Maybe knowing all those things makes my heart break that much more for those people who were in Boston during the bombing…maybe not.  But, my heart does break for them.

I wrestled whether I should even write a post about the Boston Bombing, since I wasn’t there to experience it and I hate the idea of the wine being associated with something so horrible.  I’ll leave the description of what it was like to actually be only a block away from the race to fellow blogger Shelby from Eat, Drink, and Run, as I wasn’t there.  However, not all wine is opened at the end of a good day, so I ultimately decided to blog about last week.

Selfishly, I was relieved that by Monday evening I had heard from everyone I knew running the race and living in Boston. They were all safe.  Very rattled, some stranded in the city…but everyone was safe.  When Hubby came home, I immediately gave him the list of who I heard from and then we just sat on the bed sharing the details we each knew.  Afterwards, Hubby helped me open a bottle of wine and carry it to the couch, since that’s a precarious thing to do on crutches, and we settled in just in time for the President’s press conference.  From that point on, I spent Monday night glued to the news with a glass of Michel-Schlumberger Pinot Blanc in my hand.

The 2011 Michel-Schlumberger La Bise Pinot Blanc (winery, amazon) is from the Dry Creek Valley area of California.  The wine had a pale, lemon-yellow color.  On the nose, there were apricots, pineapples, and grapefruits mixed with a hint of lemongrass.  In the mouth, there were apricots, pineapples, and yellow grapefruits with hints of limes and white flowers.  The wine had a light body and medium-to-high acidity.

Is this worth a glass after work? Definitely!  If you see this wine in the store, grab it; you won’t be disappointed. At $17, this wine is perfect for after work, particularly as the warmer weather starts rolling in.  Admittedly, I’m sure it comes as no surprise to long-time readers that I loved this wine, as I’ve reviewed a number of Michel-Schlumberger wines and I always enjoy them, but their wines are reliably enjoyable.  I’ve even reviewed past vintages of the Pinot Blanc–both 2008 and 2010.  The exciting thing for me, though, is the wine has inched slightly down in price, so that it makes it more of an affordable daily wine.

As for last Monday night, this wine was exactly what I needed. It paired well with the dinner Hubby made—chicken sautéed in peanut oil and garlic with steamed fresh green beans—as both the dinner and the wine were fairly subtle.  After dinner, went we went back to the news, it isn’t so complex that it distracted me from the serious events of the day.  At the same time, though, it was reassuring, familiar, and delicious.

Question of the Day: Did you know anyone at the Boston Marathon last Monday?  Is everyone you knew ok?

Price: $17
Purchased at Lot18
Overall: 4 Corks