Posted on 05/22/2016 12:09:43 AM PDT by lee martell
One year ago, I helped a friend of mine find a place to rentshare and move into. I knew she would fit right in. We have been coworkers in the past, just platonic friends. She thanked me by giving me a bottle of Chianti; red Italian wine. I thanked her of course, and put the bottle in my storage closet for when I got ready for it. I was ready today, having just finished writing a group of Quarterly Reports for my Manager of a Group Home. I was planning to reward myself for completing the job to everyone's satisfaction.
I rarely use real glasses, if it's just me, but for this moment, I washed out an old glass goblet with fluted sides, perfect for sipping wine. I take the bottle out of the storage closet, bring it to the sink, and I make a discovery. This is one of those bottles with a cork in it. Damn. I no longer have one of those spiral cork removers, it was loaned out, and never returned some time ago. So I was stuck. I had a feeling this might get messy, so I took off one of my nicer Polo Shirts, and changed into an old one that always fits no matter how long it stays in the dryer.
I got my favorite steak knife out, and pushed down cork. No movement. I needed to tap the knife handle with something. I used a heavy rubber spatula, raised the spatula high over my head, and swung down hard on the knife handle, now jammed into the cork. It worked! I got the cork to move. Only it went down the neck of the bottle, getting stuck halfway. I used a siphon to pour the dark red wine into an empty juice bottle that I had been planning to turn into a terrarium. Finally, all the wine was out. Now I had to pull my steak knife free from the cork.
I put the now mostly empty bottle into the sink, filled it with warm soapy water. Soon, the bottle has expanded just enough so that I could wrench it out. I give it one last strong tug, like Thor pulling his hammer out of that stone. The knife comes out, with cork still attached. I get sprayed with a little wine, the kitchen wall gets sprayed too.
Finally, I pour some Chianti into my fine glass goblet. I was...disappointed. I had forgotten just how bitter Chianti could be, even when red. I doubt if I finish the rest of that wine any time soon. I guess you could say, I have 'pedestrian tastes, or low class preferences. When I'm in the mood for wine, something that doesn't happen very often, I much prefer a sweet taste. I don't always come out and tell people that I one of my favorite after dinner sipping wines is Carlos Rossi Sangria, or Riunite Lambrusco. I admit, it's not very worldly or sophisticated. What can I say? I was brought up with Mogen-David Concord Passover Wine being the only alcohol in the house, except for during Christmas, when we needed to add a kick to the Egg Nog. I have also enjoyed German wines here and there, such as Zinfandel and Liebfraumilch. Sometimes you buy something different just to experiment and learn.
How about Ripple? it was Fred Sanford’s favorite wine, and he would mix it with Champagne to make Champipple.
Maybe you’re thnking of “Drinking Wine Spo Dee O Dee”
A lot of people covered it
Boone’s Farm wine... Man, that brings back some memories. All good, too.
My personal tonic was gin and strawberry soda. Dangerous concoction.
Ripple Red and a few tokes of hash,,,, but that was 40 years ago,,,,, but fun!
I vaguely remember the label, I do remember it had the front end of a train coming down the tracks with it’s light on I think.
That was wino booze, like ripple (but we drank it if that’s all there was!)
I remember we had a guy who had expensive beer taste when I got out of the service... he would drink... Mickey’s Big Mouths (another pinkie in the air beer was Michelobe, of all things)
That was like the most premium of beers you could get around here, otherwise it was Old Style, PBR and Hamms
Man we were broke as hell, but I look back and it was a fun time no matter what
yeah, I did my share of beefeater gin and whatever you could mix it with to kill the taste of pinesol from the beefeaters
Normally, I wouldn’t tough a white. Too sweet and too fruity, all the things the author of the piece exploits.
My usual wine is a very dry Red, a Shiraz or Merlot. A good Merlot is hard to describe, the tannin adds to whatever food you are ingesting at the moment!
But about a year back I had something called “Dry Riesling”, it was just a bottle I bought, never kept up with the label, and never found it again. It truly was excellent!
Technology has advanced quite a bit, and now, many of the “better” wines are using a ‘twist-off’ cap on their bottles. It’s a Brave New World out there!
Two Buck Chuck’s Cab is a new favorite, 2013
Boone’s Farm Apple is blamed for cancelling part of the Newport Jazz Festival in 1969
Try using tonic or seltzer instead of regular water and place in pitcher with ice.
Pour into a frosted glass and add a maraschino cherry or strawberry. Honestly, I've had worse cocktails casual cocktails and this one is easy to fix for a party.
We came of age on Cisco “wine coolers” in junior high and high school. Man, those were silly times. And I turned out just fine too.
Wine goes well with screwing...
When I was a Jr. in HS, a Sr. friend had been to Mexico and brought back a large bottle of 180 proof tequila. Local theaters used to have midnight movies at times like Halloween and the kids would always get a little blasted before going inside.
We began drinking early and stopped at several 7-11s trying to find something to use as a chaser after swigging tequila, with no luck. That liquor was like drinking kerosene!
After the movies (where we were acceptably high) we just drove around and continued with the tequila bottle. When I woke up, it was to bright sunlight. I was lying in the back seat and a cow had stuck its head through the side window to check us out! .....Woke my friend sleeping in front seat.
Seems he had driven through a fence into a pasture about 25 miles away from where we lived. We managed to drive out of there and finally found our way back home around noon.
I haven’t been able to drink tequila since then except in a well made Margarita. ........My confession of the day.
I like New York in June, how about you
I like a Gershwin tune, how about you
I love a fireside when a storm is due
I like potato chips, moonlight
Motor trips, how about you
I’m mad about good books, can’t get my fill
And James Durantes looks give me a thrill
Holding hands in the movie show
When all the lights are low may not be new
But I like it, how about yo
First introduced to Merlot at a Steak&Ale by a waiter who we asked to give a recommendation. Ended up buying two bottles to take home.
Yellow Tail (Australian wine) has great Merlot, Shiraz, etc., and is very reasonably priced!
Try a good California red Zinfandel.
In my opinion rarely is Italian wine enjoyable on its own as it should be.
First many Italian vines are thousands of years old, and back then you needed higher acidity for preservation. Second Italian wines are meant to pair with the food of that region.
Petre (Sneaky Pete) or Sterno might be good for you.
“How about Ripple?”
Drink Ripple - see triple!
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