Have you ever had a moment where you think, let me try this…and see where it leads me?

Now, if you’ve been a reader of mine for a little while you know I am a very deliberate and precise person. I like things in a certain way.

The other day I was looking around my house and wondered how all the furniture would look rearranged.

Ever felt like that?

And since every piece of furniture in our house has been perfectly placed, to move it would be absolutely nuts.

Yet, I felt like I needed to shake stuff up.

Maybe it’s because we’ve spent too many days in quarantine, or I’ve realized that I have no control over anything other than my actions, and that surrender is as good a choice as can be possibly made.

I decided to kill the momentum of my crazy and wouldn’t fall down the rabbit hole of being panicked.

I cannot stand feeling overwhelmed. It creates an unending loop of confusion and fear.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed I guarantee you dollars to donuts the best thing to do is count backward from 10 and then pick ONE thing to do.

That’s it. Don’t overthink it, Sally. That’s what got you here.

Instead, pick one thing and play.

I looked up a recipe for banana muffins because Mr. W&D doesn’t eat the bananas I buy for us fast enough.

I’d figure out how to finally cook bone marrow because I crave it — I’m bougie and proud of it.

And since all of my favorite restaurants are closed, I’m gonna put a happy face sticker on that and move on.

I started to walk around my home and figured that the furniture could remain where it was but I needed some really good wine to drink.

Why It’s Good to Be a Black Sheep

I remembered one of my favorite winemakers André Hueston Mack of Maison Noir Wines.

I met him a few months ago at his book signing for his latest book, “99 Bottles: A Black Sheep’s Guide to Life-Changing Wines.”

He’s a passionate entrepreneur, unconventional winemaker, award-winning sommelier, and educator. I can guarantee you if he feels fear, he does it anyway.

His book is a thrilling birdseye view into his life and his perspective on wine.

He’s in love with life and wants every bit of its deliciousness.

So, I went on the interwebs realizing I was out of two of my favorites that he makes Other People’s Pinot Gris and Horseshoes and Hand Grenades.

These are so beloved at my home that we joke they’re on tap.

Which by the way at the book signing / wine tasting André told us he was commissioned by LeBron James to install a keg system of his Love Drunk Rosé, so LeBron could have rosé wine on tap #homeownergoals.

Later in the week, my order from Maison Noir Wines arrived.

I ordered three bottles of Other People’s Pinot Gris, Love Drunk Rosé, Bottoms Up, and Horseshoes and Hand Grenades.

Giddy, Mr. W&D sorted it and stuck the majority of the bottles in the wine cellar, which happens to be his office closet.

You Down With Other People’s Pinot Gris?

I opened a bottle of Other People’s Pinot Gris and inhaled deeply. I love this wine.

When a neighboring winery went out of business, André grabbed up a few barrels of Pinot Noir that still needed bottling, referring to it as the “Other People’s Pinot” – and so a label was born. O.P.P. has since come to include this Pinot Gris varietal.

Pinot Gris is a grayish blue-skinned white wine grape that originated in France.

Which makes the actual wine once poured in the glass have this slightly weird iridescence. It’s pale straw yellow with a pinkish-gray edge.

Pinot Gris is the same grape as Pinot Grigio but the wine styles are wildly different.

Other People’s Pinot Gris is tart, medium-bodied, a little spicy, and feels rich on the palate.

It has a slight saltwater tang with limestone on the nose, sharp green apples, juicy yellow guavas that taste as if they came from my Grandma’s trees, pineapple juice, and lime peel. It’s round and vibrant with lots of acid on the finish.

I can’t get enough of this wine.

It’s perfect for sipping on the patio, by the pool, on the couch, or when Mr. W&D is driving me around in the golf cart. Comforting and solid.

This wine pairs fabulous with air-fryer chicken, shrimp alla vodka, mussels cooked with tomato, Ouzo, and butter, Brie cheese, chocolate cookies, custard cream cookies, cheddar potato chips, and truffle popcorn.

So, if you’re inspired to move everything around on a Thursday night at home, do it.

If you want to try a new recipe, or zone out to some new music DO IT and let the deliciousness of discoveries take you over and drink Other People’s Pinot Gris while you’re enjoying yourself.