There Goes my Budget
Again.
I went to a wine-tasting last night, more out of curiosity of trying new wines than in anticipation of buying any.
And I did well through all of them. Almost.
The wine expert gave an interesting presentation of sparkling, reds, and whites, Old World compared to California; and I reinforced what I had already knew, that I preferred reds from the latter area.
None of the wines, however, did anything for me, especially considering that as the tasting proceeded, the prices rose in unison. I figured I could slip out without buying anything and that it could end up a cheap evening.
I had spouted off earlier that I did not think I could really appreciate a $60 bottle of wine, that my taste had a $20 high-side limit. As the wine guy kinda laughed at my comment, I felt I would fade into his memory as just another wine cretin who would never appreciate all the subtleties of the more elite grape offerings. Fine by me. Wealth is not one of my attributes.
So you probably know where this is heading.
The very last selection was also the most expensive, an Australian red, retailing for $80, sold at the wine store for $60, and available to us very special wine tasters, for one night only, for $50. The Wine Fellow had let it decant for hours, just to let it properly do whatever it does when you decant wine. Now, the last time I tasted an expensive (for me) $85 red, I truly did not care for it, and felt relieved that my lowly taste buds could be most happy with a $10-15 bottle.
As Mr. Wine Smarty-Pants poured the samples, I noted, most expertly, that the color was a deeper, darker red than those before. I had left a little wine in each of my three prior selections to be able to re-visit them and compare, as suggested by the wine know-it-all-guy.
So I lifted the glass, swirled it around like a real snob, and held it to my nose. I almost fell back in my chair! The fragrance was overwhelming! Rich. Bold. Fruity. Aggressive. Woo! A far, far cry from the previous reds.
Onward to my lips - the taste was the most intense I have ever had! Ambrosia. Honey. Sex in a bottle. Liquid heroin. This was not lost on old smarty wine man. He just smiled knowingly. Just to be sure, I sampled a couple of the previous reds. Ugh. Swill. And in the $30-40 range on top of that!
Another sip. I had to have a bottle. Or two. A clear-headed moment, and my wallet, prevented me from owning several cases!
So, there are now two new bottles of this wonderful stuff on my special wine rack reserved for special wines. And I'm a $100 lighter, too. So much for my November budget.
Next month maybe I'll give myself a special stocking stuffer...
I went to a wine-tasting last night, more out of curiosity of trying new wines than in anticipation of buying any.
And I did well through all of them. Almost.
The wine expert gave an interesting presentation of sparkling, reds, and whites, Old World compared to California; and I reinforced what I had already knew, that I preferred reds from the latter area.
None of the wines, however, did anything for me, especially considering that as the tasting proceeded, the prices rose in unison. I figured I could slip out without buying anything and that it could end up a cheap evening.
I had spouted off earlier that I did not think I could really appreciate a $60 bottle of wine, that my taste had a $20 high-side limit. As the wine guy kinda laughed at my comment, I felt I would fade into his memory as just another wine cretin who would never appreciate all the subtleties of the more elite grape offerings. Fine by me. Wealth is not one of my attributes.
So you probably know where this is heading.
The very last selection was also the most expensive, an Australian red, retailing for $80, sold at the wine store for $60, and available to us very special wine tasters, for one night only, for $50. The Wine Fellow had let it decant for hours, just to let it properly do whatever it does when you decant wine. Now, the last time I tasted an expensive (for me) $85 red, I truly did not care for it, and felt relieved that my lowly taste buds could be most happy with a $10-15 bottle.
As Mr. Wine Smarty-Pants poured the samples, I noted, most expertly, that the color was a deeper, darker red than those before. I had left a little wine in each of my three prior selections to be able to re-visit them and compare, as suggested by the wine know-it-all-guy.
So I lifted the glass, swirled it around like a real snob, and held it to my nose. I almost fell back in my chair! The fragrance was overwhelming! Rich. Bold. Fruity. Aggressive. Woo! A far, far cry from the previous reds.
Onward to my lips - the taste was the most intense I have ever had! Ambrosia. Honey. Sex in a bottle. Liquid heroin. This was not lost on old smarty wine man. He just smiled knowingly. Just to be sure, I sampled a couple of the previous reds. Ugh. Swill. And in the $30-40 range on top of that!
Another sip. I had to have a bottle. Or two. A clear-headed moment, and my wallet, prevented me from owning several cases!
So, there are now two new bottles of this wonderful stuff on my special wine rack reserved for special wines. And I'm a $100 lighter, too. So much for my November budget.
Next month maybe I'll give myself a special stocking stuffer...
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