Date night with the hubs is something that we both look forward to, that is when we can find the time to have them. With our current schedules, it is hard to see each other more than a couple hours a week. That is why it is even more important to try to find some quality time together.
With only a few precious hours of quality time, I wanted to do something special and unique without having to leave the house. I think that’s music to our ears with all that we have going on in our lives. Finding a babysitter, having the funds to go out, or just mustering up the energy to go out on the town can just be too much sometimes.
So why not put together a date night at home? It can be just as romantic and fun as going out. In fact, it can be a bit more intimate because it is just the two of you.
I decided to put together a wine and tapas night for our date at home. I thought it would be romantic to have it in the backyard. We threw a blanket down and added bright pillows to sit on. I felt that those small details made it cozy.
I decided to make tapas so we could just have a few small bites with a lot of different flavors. Don’t worry, though, I didn’t forget the most important part, the wine.
Cambria Winery hosted our date night event with their 2012 Julia’s Vineyard Pinot Noir and 2012 Katherine’s Vineyard Chardonnay. I chose recipes that would go well with both wines, turning the date into an impromptu wine pairing. I also included some of the Cambria wine in a recipe or two. Doesn’t that double the deliciousness?
The menu of tapas for the evening:
Putting together a date night like this is not too difficult. It’s all about the small details. Bright colors can really set the scene. Add in a few pillows and blankets together with a small table and you’re done. I chose recipes that were quick to put together, but were also more unique than what we are used to ordering when we go out.
We paired our wine with the small plates, and we enjoyed tasting the different flavors of the food. More importantly, we savored the flavors of the wine and how it melded with each different bite. Our Julia’s Pinot Noir was a perfect pair with the meatballs and red wine onion crostini. The Katherine’s Vineyard Chardonnay was a great match for our fruit salad and shrimp dishes. We discovered that both wines went well with the tomato salad in parmesan cups, with the dish bringing out unique flavors in each.
Our evening was amazing with some beautiful wine, food and most importantly, some quality time together with our at-home tapas date night in our own backyard.
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