I didn't grow up eating lamb. In eastern North Carolina we regularly dined on fried chicken, barbeque and chicken and dumplings. In fact, Vince and I had been married for several years before I tasted my first lamb at a restaurant in Charleston, SC. It was love at first bite!

Two weeks ago I was introduced to Duel at an "open tasting." (Open tasting means that the labels are visible for all to see and there is no judging.) What really got my attention was the fact that I am familiar with the Darioush Winery where Duel is produced. The wine is not a "second" label from Darioush Winery. It is a product unto itself, and well it should be. I have to admit that this wine got past me and I was unaware that it was in the product line-up. My loss. In any case, I was delighted to have it brought to my attention.

Recently I attended a BLIND wine tasting, which was a real challenge. I consider myself fairly good at identifying wines, but at the same time, I find blind tastings to be difficult at best. Featured among all the wines we tasted was a Malbec from the Mendoza region of Argentina. I did not correctly identify this wine. I wrestled with the nose, the taste, and even consulted with some of the other tasters. I surrendered to the host. When he revealed that it was a Malbec, I turned green with embarrassment. I should have guessed correctly.