The days of classes and nites of tasting continued. I was enjoying the Italian wines more than I had France. It seemed to be a consensus among the guys, as we liked the big and bold reds that Italy has to offer. Besides Super Tuscans, Chianti quickly became a favourite.

A few weeks went by and Jeff and I had not been to the slopes. We decided to take both a Saturday and Sunday to go skiing, and I agreed to pay for us to stay overnite at the lodge. My intent was to get Jeff's opinion on my dilemma.

We packed the car early that Saturday morning and headed for Stowe. I had booked us a room at the Stowe Mountain Lodge, a fine place to lay our heads for the evening. In the past thirty days, they had recorded eighty-seven inches of snow. It was not a record, but would certainly make for some excellent conditions on the slopes. Personally, I was looking forward to the exercise, and the impending relaxation in the lodge. Jeff had packed the cigars, so I knew he was prepared for a serious conversation.

After a long day on the slopes, we went down to the pool area in the lodge which also had a hot tub. It was soothing for both of us and we at first made small talk. I finally broke the ice and my question to Jeff. He had been thinking about what could make a relationship and a marriage last forever for a few weeks. His answer was simple, but also seemed to ring true. Jeff said, "To make a marriage last forever, I believe you need to designate a specific "date nite" regularly and take a solid vacation once or twice a year. Life is too short just to work and not harvest some of the rewards."

As I thought about his answer, I had visions in my head of Tuscany. The beautiful sunsets over the vineyards, and the plethora of plantings. The history of the place itself, and the people were of great interest to me as well. I felt certain that a vacation like that once or twice a year would go a long way toward cementing a relationship. Again, it was sage advice; something I could sink my teeth into.