And the Winners Are...

I saw "Sideways" this weekend and there's a great scene where one of the character's talks about the bottle of wine that got her "into" wine. This led me to think about the best bottle of wine I've ever had which segwayed into a Best Of list...because we know how I feel about lists of any kind.
Best Bottle of Wine: 1997 Peter Lehmann Stonewall Shiraz. Had it with a fantastic dinner while on a great date.
Best Vacation: February 2002 - Maui. Spent lots of time on the beach, read a ton of books, saw whales migrating, got a fantastic tan and was more relaxed when I got home than I've ever been.
Best Sporting Event: May 19, 2003 - Red Sox vs. Yankees - Fenway Park. This was my first trip to Fenway and god-willing, not my last. Being a baseball fan my whole life, this was close to a religious experience. For the rest of my life, I will remember walking to our seats with a cold Coors Light in my hand and seeing the Green Monster. Deliriously happy.
Best Date: August 1997 - Picnic - Mt. Falcon Park. A guy who was never much on planning put together a fantastic dinner of my faves and drove me up to Mt. Falcon to watch the sunset. I'm not much for schmoltzy romance but that was pretty good.
Best Meal: Summer 1998 - Peniscola, Spain. Have wracked my brain trying to remember the name of the restaurant and have come up empty. What I do remember are the bowls of paella, the platter of manchengo cheese, olives and capers and the pitchers of fruit-filled sangria. All enjoyed while sitting on the patio overlooking the mediterranean.
Best Night on the Town: May 2004 - Las Vegas - The Palms. I have never danced, drank or laughed so hard in all my years. Drinks at the Ghost Bar where the people watching was first rate. Then down to Rain where the drinks and the boys were plentiful. Usher's "Yeah" will forever cause me to have flashbacks.
Best Night with Old Friends: October 2004 - John and Karen's Wedding - Brown Palace. I've been in many weddings but I must say that seeing two people who you've know for 15 years each is pretty special. And the fact that the wedding party was a motley crew of old friends just added to the fun. Oh and the Brown Palace as a reception site didn't hurt either. Did I mention that the festivities included a black and white photo booth, a chocolate fountain and an appearance by Elvis?
Best Sushi: November 2004 - Tom Tom Room - Denver The rest of the date was a bust but that was the best raw fish. Ever.
Best Pick-Up Line: Spring 1987 - Centennial Elementary. "Your eyes light up an entire room." whispered to me while watching a movie about the five food groups in gym class. I was 10 at the time.
Best Purchase: Summer 2001 When I was about 6 I threw a fit in the mall because I wanted some red, patened leather Mary Janes and my mom wouldn't get them for me. Redemption came 19 years later when I found a pair at Nine West. They weren't patened leather but they were close enough and I had my own money this time.