My best friend, Kim, and I often lament that although we only live an hour and a half apart, we don’t see each other nearly enough as best friends truly must. Sure, email and phone calls do the trick for staying up-to-date, but regular girlfriend face-time is an undeniable necessity.

Which is why we plan a “girls” weekend once a year, just the two of us. Although we have the best intention of going someplace new each year, we always end up in our favorite, southernmost town – Key West. That was one of the many things we instantly bonded over when we met 16 years ago.

We both use that 100-mile drive through the island chain as therapy from our alternating chaotic and domestic daily lives, stopping at both touristy and local traps: Casablanca for a beer, Rain Barrel artists’ enclave, Lorelei for a bite and an umbrella drink on the beach, No Name Pub (great place if you can find it) and Baby’s Coffee.

But when we finally get to mile zero, we are in our most contented state. So it was, as we discussed this year’s weekend as a way to jointly celebrate our birthdays (mine in September, hers in November), that we decided once again to return “home.”

Our rituals on Key West are like those on the drive down: must-sees, must-dos, must-eats. We might not enjoy all the same activities, but we do find the best pleasure in simply accompanying the other in whatever or wherever. Whether it’s seeing The Flying Cats at sunset celebration, playing pool at Captain Tony’s, admiring the quirky window displays at Fast Buck Freddy’s (to our great dismay, we found the store recently closed), or strolling through the cemetery (the headstones are both historically fascinating and humorous), our time together is like that spent with your childhood friend from whom you were inseparable: carefree, silly, comfortable, heartfelt.

Since we were celebrating our birthdays and our friendship, it was only natural that I bring a bottle of wine for toasting. So, on a Saturday’s late afternoon, we settled at the mosaic-tiled table poolside at our favorite “old Florida” motel, El Patio. We topped it with gifts for each other and a bottle of 2010 Justin Cabernet Sauvignon, from Paso Robles, California ($19.99 Total Wine, $22.95 Crown, $24.99 ABC).

I truly appreciate sharing bottles with my friends precisely because they don’t geek-out over wine like I do. When they drink the wine, they tell me how they “feel” about it, without obsessing over aromas and flavors.

While I highlighted the juicy aromas of raspberry, black cherry, red licorice and cinnamon, Kim commented how she liked the mouth-watering, fruity smell and envisioned a bowl of summer-ripe berries. I tasted cherry and currant, with licorice and oak notes, on a medium body with a gentle palate and soft tannins. Kim doesn’t typically like powerful wines, so she wasn’t confident she would enjoy the taste of this cabernet. But the Justin surprised her.

“It’s robust, but still light and bright in my mouth,”she said. “It’s relaxing, I would even drink this in the summer.” (Which was a good thing, considering it was a steamy, late September day.)

So what would pair best with the Justin cabernet? That one’s easy: a best friend.

It’s the perfect pairing for any wine.