Nothin' Says Lovin' Like Some Gravy and Aussie Vino

Now that the weekend is upon us, I find myself feeling a bit homesick for my folks in South Jersey (not a shock for those who know me best), so I thought I'd revisit and divulge the details of a wonderful meal I shared with my desert friends and Mom and Dad the last time they came to town.

Have it be known...despite the fact that Mom is Polish, she makes the best Italian food I have ever had....ever...On this particular Sunday, we awoke at 6 AM to start the meatballs, a delicious blend of pork, veal and beef with garlic, oregano, breadcrumbs and assorted spices.

The gravy is a secret...don't even ask me because I will lay some hurt down...I will say that some serious hand-crushing of the San Marzano variety took place...with some East Coast attitude thrown in for flavor...

Of course, no spaghetti dinner (fantastic Tuscan bean and herb salad included) would be complete without  some killer vino. This time around, I decided to rip the top off of the pairings box with my bare hands and opened a 2007 2up, a meaty Australian Shiraz with truckloads of ripe dark red fruit and the tannins to match Mom's sauce...er, gravy...

The wine was uber smooth, complimenting the acids emanating from the tomatoes...reaching out to touch the meal like E.T....and before I knew it...everyone's plate had beebn licked clean and the bottle kicked...which strangely enough is what I was hoping would happen.

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