I’m not wine expert, but I do enjoy trying  new wines and cuisines, and learning more about both. When my friend Stacey invited me to join her and a group of ladies at the Wine and Cuisine Pairing event at Pasha Mezze, I was all in. Totally forgot that I had registered for a brunch event earlier in the day in Hampton, which is about 35 minutes away.

No worries because the lovely folks at Toyota allowed me to test drive the 2018 Toyota Avalon for the week, so I was open for all the road trips. First thing first, the car is beautiful, inside and out. The exterior is sophisticated and sporty at the same time, and the navy blue Parisian Night Pearl color is gorgeous. The Eco drive mode uses less gas – I barely used a quarter tank of gas all week and never felt a difference in performance. I love the blind spot and traffic alert safety system Toyota has to offer. You just can’t see everything, and illuminating warning signal on the side view mirror are the extra eyes you need.

After enjoying the brunch event, I headed over to Norfolk for the wine pairing event at Pasha Mezze. What I really enjoyed was that each wine and course was explained thoroughly. The details about the wine selection was shared, and then the chef would talk about the food. You could feel the love in everything they presented, and it showed in the food. There was not a thing that I didn’t finish – it was all delicious. I even liked all of the wines, which surprised me!

This group of ladies are amazing and we had such great conversations. There’s nothing like women from all walks of life coming together over great food and wine, and just having fun. No cattiness, and no gossiping. My kind of girls night.

I almost hated getting back to work after a fabulous weekend, but I was up early for work on Monday long before the sun. Fortunately the Avalon has plenty of interior and exterior lighting – as soon as you approach the car with you key, the driver door unlocks and the exterior lights up.

The 2018 Toyota Avalon is a versatile car. Whether you’re a solo driver, or have a family of 4, there’s plenty of space in the Avalon. The look, the performance, the technology, the amenities, and the safety features make it an all around great vehicle. If you’re in the running for a new car, consider the Avalon.