Our Life Outside the Box

I was talking to my Aunt Ellen a couple of nights ago on the phone, and towards the end of our conversation she kindly asked me, “Do you and Matt have any friends in Houston?” My reply was a confident, “Oh yes!” After we hung up, I couldn’t quite figure out what would make her ask such a question and then I realized that all we’ve been posting about is how we make moonshine in our apartment (alone) and are aggressive book nerds (alone).

Ellen, fear not! We have friends!

Both of those glasses aren't mine. One is Matt's, I swear.

At the end of September, with the help of our trusty Groupons, me, Matt, and our Houston friends, Rachel and Billy, hauled it to the First Annual Houston Wine Festival. Although it was rumored to be fall in some parts of the country, it was still very much summer in Houston with the temperature hovering at a comfortable 95 degrees with a hint of back sweat. As we walked into the festival, we spied someone with either a) alcohol poisoning b) heat stroke or c) a dynamic duo of both, sprawled out on a stretcher. I vote (c). Wine festivals seem to really bring out the best in people.

The wine fest took place in Sam Houston Park, which is a really pretty and serene place at the edge of downtown equipped with fountains and duck ponds.  In addition to wine, there was live music and a variety of jewelry/art tents and food tents (read: Panda Express), which Matt kept me out of for fear of losing me to orange chicken. To my dismay, I also spied a Budweiser tent. I was sure to give anyone caught drinking a Bud Lime an aggressive thumbs down for their poor performance at the WINE festival.

Mi Amor.

With our combined 20 drink tickets, we were able to sample some delicious wines from around Texas. Matt’s favorite was a Syrah from Calais Winery. Mine was a Prosecco-like sparkling wine, cleverly named “Sparkles.” We also tried a variety of Mead that made me really want a turkey leg and to challenge someone to joust.

We had a great time at our (and Houston’s) first ever wine festival and are proud to say that we left on our own two feet without the assistance of the emergency stretcher. Win!