Ryan's Valentine's

For Valentine's Day I got my husband two tickets to the DC International Wine Festival (thank you Groupon!), which was yesterday. I had to give him his present early obviously so we could go! Ryan looooves wine so this was perfect for him! We got up in the morning, went to IHOP, church, and then took the metro to the Ronald Regan Building for the festival. And I forgot my camera... that never happens! So excuse the poor quality cell phone pictures!

When we got there it was like a maze! People were wandering around and trying to find the entrance and tickets and security... oy. This girl looked at me and said, "Do you have a Groupon too?" I was like, "Yes..."

"Oh we're not going to get in til like 6pm!"
"Wait, what?"
"For about every ten people with tickets they let in one groupon person. Apparently someone was supposed to be here to collect them separately but aren't. Anyway, it's messed up. I am going to try and sneak in. My fiance did so yea, it's this way."
"But, but... that wasn't in the fine print!"

So I am blindly following her with Ryan following me. We get to the ticket area and the girl cuts left and is gone. I see a woman standing there with a stack of tickets. As I am looking a couple with the Groupon papers hand their papers to her and get tickets. So I shrug and drag Ryan to her, give her the papers, and we get our two tickets. Suspiciously easy! What wait was she talking about? We walked right in and got tickets! I walk to follow everyone else in to the main area and I see the line. All of them holding Groupon papers... easily about three hundred people long. And we cut them all.

Oops.

Buuuut we had our tickets... and our Groupon was already were collected... so we couldn't get it back or anything... *cough*

So we go in to the festival! It's crowded and basically every man/woman for themselves. You are handed a glass and then you go to the tables!


Our glass!

We went around and elbowed our way in to the front of tables and got some really good wine!! I liked this one white Tokai wine from Hungary, and this South African red wine called Cafe, which had coffee undertones! I don't like coffee but I loooved that wine! I want it! (:


Cafe is the one with the red label

The side rooms also had vodka, rum, and absinthe. That was good. It tasted like a mixture of sambucca and anise/fennel and instantly made your mouth cold. I only had a little bit but it was interesting. No little green men though!


The crowds

We also tried some good chili, crackers, tomato things, cheese... it was yummy! We also ran into Ryan's old Platoon Sgt (he got out and is in school now) and his girlfriend Katie, who is a doll. We went around with them and this other hilarious couple we met and just had a blast. I was pleasantly tispy and enjoyed the day immensely! We went to Old Ebbitt Grill after and then stumbled home on the metro! We had a great time together and I was very happy he liked my gift! Now only a week til his birthday.... crap.

A few more pictures:


Our favorite Spanish wine..... man oh man was it good! We're big red wine drinkers.


Ryan enjoying his present!


I was there too!



Ryan is taking me somewhere (?) for dinner so I will update you all tomorrow. Happy Valentine's Day!