After a stampede of cheese platters, cocktail meatballs, and a boot of beer has wrecked my insides, the last thing I want at midnight on New Year’s Eve is a glass of champagne. I just want to toot a few horns and brace myself for the nightmares I’ll have of open-heart surgery performed by giant cats with spicy salmon sushi rolls for faces. What I wouldn’t give for a refreshing squeeze of citrus to cut through the devastation! Well, the Universe heard me and sent me a bottle of Sparkling Key Lime Wine, Limited Reserve, from Florida Orange Grove Winery, which arrived as a care package from my parents in Melbourne, Florida.

This year, my resolution was to try to make wiser choices, so I drank the champagne first, well before indulging in a round of questionable New Year’s predictions for my family members and ripping the grippies off of my grippy socks while dancing to “Bad Girls” by Donna Summer. And—oh, my—the Florida Orange Grove Winery is not messing around with its promises of “key lime flavor.” Drinking this sparkling wine is like drinking an entire key lime pie, but without all of the hassle of chewing. It was everything I hoped it would be: sweet, sparkling, and bursting with key limes. In fact, the back of the bottle states that you could serve it with cheesecake, and that is a marvelous suggestion.

So, here’s to having dessert first—and chasing it down with a salami plate. So many ways to make good choices! Cheers!

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Cecilia Kennedy once taught Spanish and English courses in Ohio for many years. She now lives in the Greater Seattle area, and writes horror stories. Her blog (Fixin’ Leaks and Leeks: https://fixinleaksnleeksdiy.blog/) chronicles her humorous (and perhaps scary?) attempts at cooking and home repair.