December - December brings cold, and clouds to the Columbia valley. The chilly overcast weather demands layers of clothing, frequent use of the fireplace and a change of diet. At times like these, I crave my favorite comfort foods. Something which satisfies the mind and senses and lingers longer than usual. Today was a bit warmer, temperature in the upper 40's, a perfect opportunity for yard work and a chance to clean the grill. I use my gas grill all year long so a cleaning was overdue. After a lot of elbow grease, and other types of grease, my grill was looking pretty good. So good, I thought it was time to grill up some brats! I ran to the store and grabbed some brat buns to do them right. Just before I pulled the brats off of the grill, I brushed some olive oil over the buns and heated them in the oven for 4 minutes, just long enough to warm them up and slightly toast them. Oh yeah, they looked good. So, which wine did I pair the brats with? I grabbed a wine full of comforta