September 21, 2011
A Mantastic Girls Night…
Two Jess’ apparently DO think alike! Just as Jessup posted its latest YouTube video, I was drafting this blog… and guess what we’re both talking about? Manny’s blend!! {yaaaay… *clap*clap* … applause…} Yes, tis the season for bold, jammy reds. Something with heft + warmth to signal the change in seasons, but easy-going enough to handle the occasional trace of summer that many September nights try to sneak upon us as the days gets shorter and the leaves turn browner.
Last weekend was pretty chilly {….stop… I know 50 degrees is “warm” for Minneapolis… leave me alone, I’m weak sauce…} and girls night in was the perfect occasion to bust out my secret stash of Manny’s. Our agenda was simple :: low-key + eats + good company. We ordered from our local pizzeria {oh, Pizza Luce, I heart you…} and hostess Adeela laid out a perfect spread for us :: nuts | dried fruit | cheese | salumi | crackers | hummus | guac-hummus {that’s right. I said “guac hummus”. It’s Trader Joe’s latest split personality… part hummus, part guac, and ALLLLL deliciousness…}.
Fortunately, my new friends didn’t mind that I capitalized on our GNI for blog fare. After all, I’m new in town and most people I come across don’t yet know about my love affair with Jessup. So when I showed up with Manny’s, I laid out my conditions.
Somewhere in between our gossip, and definitely before our rounds of Celebrity, we uncorked Manny’s Blend and to my delight, it was a crowd-pleaser. I personally think of Manny’s as my autumn sweater – something that keeps me toasty without weighing me down… and the group had similar thoughts ::
well-balanced | smooth | spicy yet fresh | no after-taste! | drinkable! | fruity | juicy
Our smorgasbord of hors d’oeuvres left a lot of perfect pairings up to our imagination::
something spicy | Italian food! | s-t-e-a-k | cheeeese | anything salty + cold | beeeeef
The 2008 is Manny’s second release and a follow-up to its oddly popular 2007 debut… The 75% Zin/25% Petite Sirah blend has developed somewhat of a cult following… which isn’t all surprising considering its versatility. Manny’s has this wonderful ability to carry masculine complexity :: i.e., being complicated without the drama. It’s layered, multi-faceted, and can offer something for everyone without turning off the people who wants what everyone can’t have. Confused? No worries. You don’t have to take my word for it… Take Bob’s :: watch?v=SKRI0Xx2yQs&feature=share
But before you go… Feel free to indulge in my current obsessions ::
Trader Joes’ Guacamole Hummus :: so, I need you all to go try this and tell me what you think… I said it was amazing, but to be honest – I might just be swayed by the words :: guac + hummus. Maybe two great things don’t make a right? I’m still trying to figure out what it is… is it guac? Or hummus? It’s so 50/50 that I need it to be slightly more dominant on one end… ORRRRRR… I’m totes just overcomplicating dip in a plastic tub. Um, yeah. Moving on….
Autumn Sweater by Yo La Tengo :: Love this jam. Yo La Tengo powered me through many long nights of statistics studying and microeconomics homework. This song + Manny’s = the perfect night cap.
Roku 2 :: Good-bye cable. Hello Roku. I’m a fan so far… except that I may or may not start to go through Bravo withdrawals…
Xo.
Jess
