Kick off what is shaping up to be a nice weekend with a wonderful pair of wines.

A 2005 Fredrich Wilhelm Gymnasium Reisling and a 2004 Cremische Reserve Pinot Noir, both incredible finds at a budget-friendly $12.

My date and I enjoyed the Reisling over a Thai dinner at Satay, 936 W. Diversey Parkway, Chicago. Both the food and wine were the stars of night. The subtly-spicy dishes we ordered were a perfect complement to a fruity wine that had incredible depth and balance.

Not overly sugary, Fredrich Wilhelm Gymnasium Reisling has pear notes on the nose, and a palate-tingling creamy taste that mixes with the crisp acidity of Granny Smith apples.

The sharp contrast with the food was an absolute work of art.

The all-neon green interior of Satay screams of youth and summer. For those headed downtown this weekend, an evening at the tiny uptown restaurant would satisfy the cravings of a Summer Break just starting to come into vision on the horizon.

The Cremische Pinot Noir is an absolute treasure of a find.

When I walked into the Wine Seller, 227 S. Third St., Geneva, a week before Easter, I was offered a glass of the Chilean Pinot Noir, an absolute gem, by the always-cordial owner Robert Kovacs.

At first I asked Bob if it was a Burgundy, for sure this nectar of the gods must have been grown from the famed roots of the French region.

Shock hit me when Bob informed me that the delectable wine in my glass was of Chilean descent. Delight hit me when Bob told me it was only $12 a bottle. An absolute masterpiece of a wine, the Cremische is all dark cherry, soft yet supple in texture, a mouthful that doesn’t blow your palate away.

Rather, it embraces every iota of taste buds on your tongue, and has an incredibly long and filling finish.

There is a hint of earthiness, and the alcohol on the finish is in fine form. The fruit in Cremische plays out like a classic beauty – confident, elegant and secure. No matter what she wears or looks like, she doesn’t need to flaunt her stuff yet knows that everyone in the house came to see her.

Simply put, this is the epitome of what a Pinot Noir should taste like.

If this wine had Burgundy, Santa Barbara or the Russian River Valley written on the label as its native land, it would easily cost upward of $75.

I uncorked the bottle of Cremishce over an Easter dinner of ham, twice baked potatoes, beans, asparagus, salad, cranberries and my mom’s world-famous homemade rolls.

A perfect family night and a perfect wine.