Today is Labor Day, a day honoring the American Labor Movement, and most Monday through Friday workers get it off. Mitch doesn’t and I do so we’re a split household. This usually means that while I don’t have to go to my real job that pays the rent, I get the dubious pleasure of doing manual labor, either yard work or a DIY project that is always ongoing around here. The current project is replacing one of the existing retaining walls with huge boulders and ornamental grasses. Hard labor intensive work using a crowbar and mason’s hammer to knock out the top rows of the existing retaining wall so that the boulders can camouflage the failing wall behind them. Believe me I sweated out about ten pounds of sweat and have the tight shoulders and lower back to prove it.

This morning started off with thunder storms and day stayed overcast and cloudy, so for dinner I decided to make Chicken Fajitas, complete with guacamole and sour cream. Yes I know that Margaritas and/or beer would be a better pairing, but I didn’t have any tequila on hand and I don’t drink beer. So I opted for an Italian Moscato instead and I might add that it very well with the hot spicy chicken and pepper mix. It was a nice light sweet wine that when paired with the chicken fajitas softened the heat of the jalapenos and the hot spicy mixture reduced the sweet nectar of the wine to a soft smooth liquid that slid down the throat leaving a soft taste of orange blossoms.

The Moscato was Italian from Ecco Domani 2011, with 8.5% alcohol and cost less than $15. All by itself, it tastes like tropical fruit and orange blossoms and is very drinkable, especially on a hot humid day. Normally a bottle of wine usually makes it to two days here, but not today, the whole bottle was gone in one sitting. My only regret was that I only had the one bottle on hand. An oversight I plan on correcting on my next wine run.