Okay, so last year I was enamored with Jennifer Lopez’s Oscar dress and wrote a blog comparing it to a delicious, pretty, feminine rose.  I suffered through watched the Oscars again this year because I really loved many of the nominees and looked forward to seeing the winners… anyway, what a snorefest.  Anne Hathaway, you are completely adorable and I loved five out of your seven dresses throughout the evening, and you were the only interesting thing about the awards this year.  James Franco is just too squirrelly.  You’re beautiful and bubbly and did not seem one bit nervous, which was awesome.  There were some great dresses this year, too- I loved Mila Kunis, though I don’t particularly adore the color lavender.  I loved Jennifer Hudson (even though there was clear evidence that her breasts maybe had makeup on??  wtf?) and  there were lots of other pretty dresses on rich people.  Of course. 

But really, who notices what the guys wear?  A tux is a tux is a tux, most of the time.  Like Jerry Seinfeld once said, “a tuxedo was clearly invented by a woman, who thought- ‘well, they’re all the same, we might as well dress them all the same.'”  So this year I decided to give the fellas a thorough examination.  Who was my winner?  Well, he’s a lovely mix of sex appeal and bad boy:

Jeremy Renner!  What a fine specimen he is.  And a damn good actor.  Even if you don’t find him attractive in the classic sense, you must admit that he’s chock full of sexy.  And he is rocking the heck out of this YSL tux.  Now I’m really no fashionista, but the navy detail on the jacket just takes it over the top.  Here he is in his badass role in The Town, rocking the “I’m-sort-of-an-asshole-but-doesn’t-that-make-you-want-me?” look:

Now, where to go from here?  Ah!  the wine.  What wine is classic, yet sultry and edgy?  A traditional blend of grapes that has been successfully modernized, looks clean and polished, and also offers some serious bang for your buck?  Well, since you read the title of this post, you already know.  So enough with the guessing games- Veramonte Primus, 2007 Colchagua Valley Chile!   I absolutely adore this blend of Cab, Syrah, Merlot & Carmenere.  I’m also going through a love affair with Chilean wines in general.  This wine is just FUN to drink.  It’s smoky, spicy, tangy, racy, has deep gorgeous color, and a bountiful nose of herbs, licorice, tar (yes, tar- and it’s not gross), and no shortage of ripe bursting-at-the-seams fruit!  It pulls off all this exotic-ness with such finesse that it’s almost shocking.   Oh and PS- Colchagua = Col-CHA-gwa.

So what does this wine have to do with Jeremy Renner?  Well, nothing technically– but this is what makes wine FUN!  Thinking of ways to draw your everyday life into learning about and tasting wine.  So while you’re google-ing (googling just doesn’t look right) pictures of attractive men and also drinking wine, it gives you an excuse to label it “productive.” 

So I made the mistake of sitting down to write while hungry… which has led me to fantasize about what to eat with this wine.  Just a thought:

When I go to heaven and meet baby Jesus, I want to be surrounded by nothing but cured meats, fresh grilled bread, cheese, olives, cornichons, mustards and any other little accompaniment I can think of.  HEAVEN in and of itself.  I require nothing more.  Except an endless supply of wine.   So we’ve covered almost all my vices in today’s post- sexy guys, good wine, good food, and good movies.  What have I forgotten?  Ah!  we have this wine in stock at Cellar on Greene for $16!  A bargain.  Happy drinking, eating and watching!