Last weekend, Heidi, Sammie and I road-tripped to Sedona to stay at the Briar Patch Inn, a gorgeous little hide-away situated along Oak Creek. We ate, drank, made merry, and met some new friends, one of which is the fantastic Chef Chris Dobrowolski of The Cowboy Club, Silver Saddle, and The Barking Frog.

This guy is going down in the hospitality books because he brought us a beautiful bottle of wine (he must have picked up on the fact that we like to drink). We cracked open the 2007 Lotus—a bold, but surprisingly smooth California Red from Burning Tree cellars, and enjoyed it with some mammoth steaks (not real mammoth—I think that’s seasonal?), baked potatoes, and grilled asparagus. It was truly one of the best reds I’ve enjoyed in a long time…and the dinner we made didn’t suck either. Thanks, Chef Chris. You’re a helluva guy 🙂

PSSST! Burning Tree Cellars has two tasting rooms—one in Cave Creek and one in Old Town Cottonwood–where you can pick up this lovely blend. It’s definitely worth the trip, and who doesn’t want to get up north?

Click here for more information on this and other Burning Tree Cellars Wines