Date night

We have had two bottles of French champagne sitting idly for some time now, waiting for just the 'right' occasion to enjoy them. Both were courtesy of my sweetie's sister - two consecutive Christmas presents. When the second bottle arrived, we felt a little guilty at having not yet drank the first. But nothing seemed grandiose enough for such a special treat, even though this was part of my 101 in 1001: #61 - Taste French champagne. We decided to fix that this long weekend.

Following even more rain and another lazy Sunday, but this time with the luxury of a holiday on Monday, we prepared for a big night in. They say that dinner and a movie constitutes a date. No-one said you had to go out for either. Earlier, I had braved the ongoing monsoon to buy some fresh salmon for dinner and the G H Mumm was chilling in the fridge.

We moved the dining table into the lounge, dimmed the lights, lit some candles, played some smooth jazz, and popped the cork on the champagne. My sweetie wore his tux and I wore a dress and heels. The salmon, lightly grilled in drizzled butter, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic salt, went perfectly with the champagne, which easily lived up to my expectations. We finished our date night cuddling on the couch in front of the heater and watching Sherlock Holmes (2009) on DVD.

Although I am usually a non-drinker, I could easily get used to drinking French champagne. We have a bottle of Moët et Chandon waiting for a special occasion, or perhaps another date night. Either way, we won't be waiting to drink it for as long as the Mumm. Besides, who says that any night can't be a special occasion to enjoy?