I turned 34 for Sunday, but my birthday celebration was spread out over two weekends.

First, we had dinner with friends at Kitchen — A Bistro, our favorite BYOB place with amazing food, two Saturdays ago. The wine of the night, which was delicious with both my chestnut parpadelle with duck confit and my venison tenderloin, was Roanoke Vineyards 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon. I have one more bottle left and as tempting as it is to open it soon, I don't think this wine is even peaking yet.

Then on my actual birthday, we took Jackson out to wine country, not for wine, but for cheese and vegetables. Our first stop was at Catapano Dairy Farm so Jackson could visit the goats and we could pick up some of their ridiculously good fresh cheese. This is some seriously good goat cheese people. If you're on the North Fork, get some. You won't be sorry.

After stopping at Garden of Eve Organic Farm to pick up our CSA share we had some friends over who couldn't make dinner the previous weekend. We had some great wines, mostly Finger Lakes rieslings, but the one that stood out was Sheldrake Point's 2005 Riesling, On a hot summer day, it was refreshing and surprisingly complex.

So thanks to everyone for celebrating my birthday in various ways. We'll do it again next year.