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This page contains Winings
from the 2nd Quarter of the year 2002. June
28, 2002 I’m
a punter, I never realized it. Even
back in the days of high school, I was a punter.
Now once a month I punter, mostly in my friends basement.
I’m not a great punter; it may be due to the fact that I don’t have
large reserves to punt. I plan on
punting again in three weeks. Next
time I do punt, I will know what wine to drink.
Until
today, I thought punting was the process of kicking a football on fourth down.
At lunch, I grabbed a bottle of Punters Corner Cabernet.
I tried this because their Spartacus Shiraz is outstanding.
The label on the Cab has a horse racing across the name.
So I spent most of the time drinking this wine, trying to figure out the
connection between the name and the picture.
Realizing this wine is from Australia and remembering my 5th
grade history, Aussieland was the debtor and degenerate colony of the Queen; I
figure there’s a tie-in somewhere. Wino
Stone took the high road and offered up the possibility that Punters had
something to do with Polo, since the picture looked a bit like a polo player. The other possibility we pondered aloud was the ownership of
racehorses by the winery. Then,
this Tony Soprano-looking gentleman leaned over and informed me that a punter is
a Gambler. One who wagers against a
book, a term used for betting the ponies, then he blew a huge cloud of cigar
smoke in my face. I smiled politely
and offered his bodyguard a glass of wine. I spent an afternoon drinking wine
and came away with a new piece of knowledge I did not have yesterday.
Now, if I drink twice a day, just think how smart I’ll be when I get my
liver transplant. 1998
Punters Corner Cabernet Sauvignon $
(20.00)
June 26, 2002 Summer has
slammed into the State of New Jersey. The
thermometer in my car says the outside temperature today was 105°.
Can anyone tell me where in the car they place the sensor which takes
that reading? Anyway, early evening
has only cooled to 85 and the humidity has me feeling like a used dishrag.
Place your head just above the door of the just-finished dish washing
machine, open the door, and breath in NJ. It
was actually too hot and sticky for me to think RED.
As you know I do not rack a large variety of white.
Since I cannot touch my Chardonnay entries in the Wino Wally White
Challenge, I reached for one of the only two other white wines in the rack.
Both happen to be New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.
Wino Bob, have you decided to play for the “other team”? Have you started wearing frilly panties?
Hey, every now and then, the feel of silk just relaxes me. (Did I say
that out loud?) I was looking for a cool, clean, crisp, wine to refresh me as it killed millions of brain cells, caused irreversible liver damage and made it unsafe for me to fire up the wood chipper. I must admit this wine did the trick on all accounts. Better yet, no headache in the morning. If you try this wine, think of the colors yellow and green. Although I do not have as much experience with the white wine descriptions, there were some real obvious flavors that jumped out of my glass. This wine screams “drink me in the dog days of summer in NJ” and “Hey, you drunken Bastard, shut-up and put your pants on”. Sorry, that last quote was from my next-door neighbor, the Baptist Minister, who holds the AA meetings for his Church at his home. 2001 Nobilo
Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough Fall Harvest $
(10.99)
June 24, 2002 Wino John’s
informative essay on the new World Cup Wine Liqueur sent me to the store to
research what other sports have been honored by the fine producers of wine.
There were not many in the particular store I visited; however, I did
find the following. New York
wineries had the greatest enthusiasm for sporting themes.
Maybe that’s because New Yorkers live for their sports teams.
Now, drawing on personal preferences, I enjoy golf and sailing; so do the
wine makers at Taylors (Australia) with their Grand Shiraz Golf Label and Dry
Creek and Bully Hill depicting the fun of sailing.
Di Grazia Vineyards boasts another refined sport, where Claret would be
quaffed after a busy day at the Hunt. For
those interested in the manlier sports, the good folks of Delicato Winery have
their Grid Iron Cuvee, Legend Series, which depicts all your favorite old time football
stars. My favorite is the Lawrence
Taylor Red Rover. But the winning
winery in my heart has to be Glenora Wine Cellars.
I thought the Grand Prix Series was unusual; until I picked up a bottle
of LUGE ROUGE. By the
way, who uses the X in Prix? I’m sure there are hosts of other sports oriented labels and I am interested in hearing about all your favorites, so drop me a line and let me know what else is out there, maybe there is a Curling Ice Wine I need to try.
June 16, 2002 The heard had been enjoying a
drink, somewhat on edge, always aware that the Big Cats could spring on them at
any moment. The Thompson Gazelles
quenched there thirst for the day and lingered for some food near the riverbank.
Then the pride moved stealthfully across the front yard, not making any
quick moves to draw attention to themselves.
They blended into the surroundings, enjoying a drink from a distance, but
were growing restless. In a flash, the chase was on and they managed to separate one
of the young from the herd Showing no mercy, the pride devoured the young.
Smelling the fresh kill, another neighboring pride came to the site and
the herd no longer felt safe. The
call went out and the herd retreated, but before the herd could all make it out
safely, an adult was brought down and the pride had made a major kill. Too much discovery channel, Wino
Bob? No, just the first summer
porch party in the neighborhood. Yesterday,
the crazy Aunts and timid red wine drinkers spent several hours at the house,
attempting to blend the red and white wine together to make their own version of
White Zinfandel. There was plenty
to go around and everyone enjoyed the Carrascal. Then my tried and true wino neighbors came over and we let the heard thin so we could celebrate with a meaningful bottle from the racks. We enjoyed two bottles from the stash that proved delightful. One, a California Cab, with some age that Wino John would have been up for, since Wino John wasn’t around, we drank a toast to him. The second was a Spanish Wine from my new favorite region in Spain, Priorat. These wines left me lazily content to nap on the open plains, belly full, the stains of fresh kill around my mouth, feeling like the Red Wine pride in this territory of NJ really is the King of the Jungle. 1994 Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon
$$ (45.00) 1998 Gran Clos de
J.M. Fuentes
$$ (40.00)
June 14, 2002 Well, the wine
clock is ticking. Three years, two months, four days and three hours
remain. Remain on what you ask?
My liver? God willing it
lasts that long. No, Winos
and Winettes, my tongue. Who the,
what the, huh? Yes, the end is
in sight, as E.T. will be replacing the need for well-toned human wine
tasters. E.T.? That Eraser
Head Baby looking thing with the knotted index finger that flies through the air
on a bike, E.T.? Wino E.T.?
No, try the invention from the Geekdom world of computers that have
managed to produce the Electronic Tongue. The
Electronic Tongue, E.T., is as large as a dime with sensors that can replicate
tastes buds of a human. By
pipetting a sample of flavors and recording the associated product, E.T. will be
able to identify major components of wine.
Now there will be a standard for the sensing of honey suckles, melon,
pineapple and vanilla. You know
they will teach E.T., currant, anise, dark cherry, cedar and tobacco. I do want to witness, barnyard, and leather, but the
scientific community feels they will soon have a reliable, working,
commercially- available Electronic Tongue. Discovery Channel is the greatest source of Geekdom out there. Winettes, I did not get to see, just how far they are taking the Electronic Tongue, but it is slated to have several other uses besides wine tasting. And yes, they will have a battery operated, portable Electronic Tongue. Enough said...
June 11, 2002 It has been
awhile since I have enjoyed wine and I blame it on the Mother.
Mother nature has presented New Jersey with a very high pollen count and
a weekend of yard work has killed my sinuses.
As all the books say, we only taste 4 different things, and salt is not
one of them in wine. My wine
enjoyment is derived from my ability to identify through olfactory excitement,
over 4000 different scents. OK, so
maybe I can identify coffee, tobacco, blackberry, raspberry, currant, barnyard,
old horse blanket, cedar, cinnamon, strawberry, eye of newt and several enriched
soil elements from the Rhone Valley. Unfortunately,
these past several weeks, I have been only able to taste Red or White.
Since my racks only have about six bottles of White, I am confident, even
in the dark, that most times I was drinking RED. These were two
times I was able to sense enough to enjoy some wine, one I recommended for the
prestigious WOTM award. I enjoyed
my bottle of Fairview and upon reading about the attitude of the ownership; I
really enjoyed their story. They
went out on a limb and cultivated the vartietals of the Rhone.
Pinotage has a crossing with Cinsault, but these guys grabbed all the
best Southern Rhone grapes and blended up a nice wine at a great price. I apologize for the lack of drinking my usual 12 bottles a week of wine, but my olfactory system has taken away my powers like kryptonite to Superman. Without my nose, I am a mortal again, relegated to swigging beer for a buzz with little need to discern hops from malt and cherry wheat… The nose knows what’s best and I cannot wait until the pound and a half of mucous stops dripping down the back of my throat. 2000
Fairview Goats Do Roam $
(8.99) 2000 Les
Amoureux Tortoise Creek $
(9.99)
May 31, 2002 Dionysus gave me wood. You know Dionysus, that tall, slender Greek God of wine and song who was the son of Zeus and his mortal mother Semele. You know they kill mortals, so poor Zeus took the unborn child and sewed him to his leg. Kind of like that co-joined twin grafted on the head of the nurse on South Park. But it wasn’t the artwork depicting Dionysus’ birth that gave me wood. No, it was the nose coming off the glass of wine I drank with Wino John last night. Yes, Dionysus is a Meritage hailing from the Pacific Northwestern region of the US. As we talked about the Winostuff business, well we had to drink wine. What better than to try something from the god himself. Interestingly
enough, we were not at Bacchus, you know the Roman God of wine, they do not
serve Dionysus wine at Bacchus. Do
the Roman Gods think they are better than the Greek Gods? Bacchus was born to Jupiter and Semele. Interesting,
same mother. And yes, she was a
mortal who died when her mortal frame could not endure the immortal radiance of
her man. Wouldn’t that be so
cool, a chick thinks you’re so good looking, she spontaneously combusts.
Other than Michael Jackson in the Pepsi commercial, I don’t know anyone
else that spontaneously combusted. Now
Bacchus’ father sends him to live with the Nysaean nymphs, I don’t know
about you, but I’m liking the sound of that.
My dad never let me live with a nymph. Hell, he never even gave me
“the talk”. All he said one
night when I was sixteen and having some woman issues, “Son, take your
time.” What the hell does that
mean? I wanted to find a nymph and
he tells me to take my time. This
isn’t Ozzie and Harriet, and it for damn sure wasn’t Ozzie and Sharon.
Sorry, just working out some issues.
When
Bacchus grew up, he discovered the culture of the Vine and a method of
extracting the juice. A whole bunch
of stuff happened with him marching into Asia and being a strong solder and
stuff like that. But the best part
is, he knew how to party. And
why, when I research Greek gods, do I have to be subjected to seeing my
Patron god’s genitals?
That’s not right; go put on a frock, a loincloth, hell a
grape leaf. I could never have lived back then, not being able to wear a
fashionable Black loincloth. And
what about the “Boys”, Jerry? All
in all, I’d rather be Bacchus than Dionysus. 1997
Arbor Crest Dionysus $$ (39.00) May 29, 2002 Well I am now breathing 1.5 liters of air per lung since it is summer wine season. Yes, Wino John’s information of the medical benefits to my pulmonary system by consuming white wine has me running up and down the Garden State Parkway like Forest Gump. Life is like a mixed case of wine at a discount liquor store… The official weekend that kicks off the summer season in the mind of every school child has arrived, and you know I have the grammar and writing complexity of a school child. This past weekend I officially started toning down the heavy reds and opening up to those white wines. I am in training for the White Wine Olympics that Wino Wally has set forth in his contest. In doing so, I have found myself less winded as I schlep down from my dark, dank shelter on the third floor, to the cellar and back up with a bottle to drink while I ponder the heavy questions of the world as we know it. I used to stop on the first floor landing just to let the dizziness pass and to lessen the pounding of my heart, but not any more. I have become a stick figure with 2 well-developed organs (I set you up, you fill in the joke) a strong heart and well inflated lungs. I do have another organ that is larger than normal, but the doctor said my liver should not be so visible through my skin. As a matter of
fact, on this past Memorial Day, I went across the street to neighbors for a
cook out and my doctor was there. He
is the brother of my neighbor and after enjoying a third glass of wine he asked
me if I wanted my physical right there. I
would have taken him up on the offer, saving the office visit cost, but did not
feel like having my prostate checked draped across the potato salad on the
picnic table. To all you Winos, let’s have a safe summer, enjoying those lighter white wines. If any of this medical information is true, then I hope I live long and die peacefully in my sleep, like my Grandfather, instead of screaming like the passengers in his car… Drink responsibly 2000 Wyndham
Estates Chardonnay $
(8.99)
May 21, 2002 Game on. I went to my local wine stores yesterday to make my Chardonnay selections for the Wino Wally challenge. After ruling out one Argentinean Chard that may be hard to find in some areas, I have decided on the five I think will stand up well. If we actually do a blind tasting, I think we will wind up with a mix between Wino Wally's and my choices. The good news is that my bill, with the six wines I selected, only totaled $69.00. Which means we
can probably come up with 5 great Chard for around $75-80 dollars. Game on, now we just need to secure our judge, Wino John. As soon as we set the time, I will post my selections…. Stay tuned. May 13, 2002 A
belated happy Winette’s Day to all the wino Mothers out there.
I made the mistake of heading out to dinner for the Bacchus special
brunch. The overwhelming number of
people not wanting to cook created a half hour backup of reservations.
Once we finally made it to the table, the fare was worth the wait.
I just stayed low key and enjoyed a few glasses of Echelon Syrah.
Though the $8.50 a glass price is staggering, you can find this wine for
$8.99 a bottle and it’s worth every penny. On Saturday evening, with the weather in New Jersey bringing hints of lazy summer nights on the porch, I unwrapped the Weber and fired up some tuna steaks. I lightly dusted them with rosemary, wine, and stir-fry oil. This called out for a light, crisp wine. Being secure in my wine masculinity, I dragged out a bottle of Rosé. Yes, I said Rosé. Hey, I’m no Wino Homo, (Editor's note: Not that there's anything wrong with that...) I just wanted something clean and crisp and not overpowering. This Rosé was made from Syrah, from my favorite region of the Rhone Valley. 2000
Domaine De Saint-Antoine Costieres De Nines
$ (11.99)
May 10, 2002 Dessert wines
are not a strong suit of mine, with having only tasted a few ice wines, sweet
Rieslings and a Gewürztraminer. So
when my Wino-Buddy and cook extraordinaire, Wino Lou, invited us to celebrate
his wife’s #$ Birthday (the polite thing is never tell a woman’s age), he
inquired about dessert wine suggestions. Being
one who wants to continue to be invited to Wino Lou’s dinner parties, I
suggested several styles of wine. I
didn’t want to tell him to get a bottle of 1963 Chateau d’Yquem.
All the time, in the back of my mind, I kept hearing Kevin Zraly’s
patent line, “For dessert, there is nothing better than sex and Sauterne.”
Not wanting to be too suggestive, I casually mentioned that Sauterne is a
dessert wine. So when I showed up
at the Great Little Dessert Shop in town, Wino Lou pulled out a bottle of
Sauterne to accompany the homemade Apple Crumb Cheese Cake.
You could imagine, I’m now thinking, “Holy Crap, maybe Wino Lou read
Kevin’s book and this party is going to get Jiggy after the wine is finished."
I could now cross off one of the last items on my "Things I Gotta Do
Before I Die" list. So as Wino Lou offered up the last drops of wine, I sat back in my chair waiting for the door to close and the homemade whipped cream vat to come out. Then reality slapped me in the face like a glass of ice water being dumped in my lap, when the chatter from the kids at the table drew me back to Earth. So line item number 16 remains on the list, unchecked. I only hope that the fat content in the cheese cake doesn’t wipe me out before I can get to number 16. My hopes are that Wino Lou can now smile and say, "Done it…" 1996 Barton
& Guestier Sauterne ?
May 5, 2002 I should be
drinking cold beer today celebrating Cinco de Mayo, but this is a wine page so I
opened a Chilean wine. That’s
about as cultural as I can get today. I
would have tried a Mexican wine, but I haven’t been able to find any in the
stores I frequent. With Chile being
a wine region I love for the barging-hunter in my life, I was pleased to see the
Garden State Wine Club drop off a bottle in this month’s delivery.
Nothing better than a Cab for $6.05. Before I rate this wine, I had a question. Is there a correlation between the style of wine one drinks and the type of coffee one drinks? I see Starbucks popping up all over the place, which I love. With me it’s a strong black cup of Joe and a big bold red wine. But standing in line at the Upper Montclair Starbucks, I started to see if I could size up what type of wine a person would drink based on the type of coffee they ordered. Like, a decafe latte with skim milk screams out Riesling or Sauvignon Blanc, perhaps Chablis. While a regular latte might equate to a Chardonnay drinker. A café Mochacino brought thoughts of Syrah or Zinfandel. I figure anyone having a tea drink must be a none-wino. I’ll have to see after our next dinner if Wino John orders a double espresso, black. Would someone order a coffee light and sweet be more of a Pinot Noir Head? Basically, is it just me who goes full throttle on things or do people pick and choose their beverages based on other issues. Full-bodied, robust, flavorful beverages, whether it is coffee or wine, is the only way for me to enjoy it. As I am not too girly to order a white chocolate mochacino after a meal, I might also order a Gewurtz. 2002 Vina
Tarapaca Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva $
(6.05)
May 3, 2002 Jay
McInerney, Bacchus and Me, Bacchus and Wino Bob, -three degrees to wine
enjoyment. I was on my second glass
of Red last night when I asked Chris if they served Lillet at Bacchus.
He laughed and told me that I was the fourth person in the last week that
asked for Lillet. They were the only
four glasses they have sold since Bacchus opened a year ago November.
Jay McInerney's verbal fresco intrigued me enough to give it a try.
Interestingly enough, I want to re-submit my summer wines to the Wino
Wally contest from last year. This
wine and herbal elixir is a clean, crisp, refreshing bowl of oranges, tangerines
and lemons. The abrupt finish and
lack of after taste reminded me of the quench from a quinine beverage.
I could almost treat this drink as a palate cleansing sorbet between
meals. This aperitif will find
it’s way to the front porch on a hot summer evening.
Serve well chilled and, for those winos that love ice in their wine,
knock yourself out. On the personal
side, I wanted to say hello to my new Wino friends, Alex and Louann, who
graciously put up with my drunken babbling on the amount of flavor imparted into
a Chardonnay from the degree of barrel toasting the cooper designated.
I believe by the end of the evening, Alex was ready to place me in a
barrel. 1999
Angove Bear Crossing
$ (11.99)
April
26, 2002 WOW,
the last several entries have gotten away from the cause.
I even sent the conservative, stoic Wino John into a tailspin, though I
agree there are just NOT enough wine movies being made in Hollywood. Could the land where the grape grows best be blacklisting
those writers and producers from making Epic Wine movies? Most likely it was that piece of crap Keanue Reeves movie
that came out several years ago that tanked so bad it must have soured the film
industry totally. This movie was so
poorly acted and unbelievable in premise that I blanked the name of it out of my
head. Can you believe that a wild
fire rips through thousands of acres of the vineyard, but Keanue was able to
rescue one sole surviving rootstock with which he would rebuild his fortune?
Add to that the unrealistic love story between the beautiful daughter of
the vineyard owner and this low life grape picking Keanue.
Hold on, your lack of emotion and inability to handle multi-syllabic
words just slays me. For
those of my generation, Falcon Crest was the weekly series on CBS that captured
the intrigue, romance and pleasures of being a wealthy vineyard owner.
I kind of see myself as a stick figure Lorenzo Lamas leading man type.
OK, maybe not. Maybe I could star
as a Vine, yes a syrah vine, that speaks to the owner of the winery late at
night, offering Wino Bob advice on life and lover matters. Maybe I could intertwine my branches with a cute, sassy
Semillon (female of course). Hell
if FOX could have a hit show with Greg The Bunny, why can’t I star as a Vine?
Plants have a more plausible ability to speak than say, a car.
Just count how many crappy talking car shows they have made, My Mother
the Car, Knight Rider… David
Hasselhoff has had a stellar career and he has the personality of a plant. I rest my case. I
pondered this while reading Wino John’s made for TV movie treatment that we
are pitching to Hollywood as we speak. I
understand Francis Ford Coppola’s people have been in touch with Wino John
(They asked him to never send them anything else in the mail).
I was at Bacchus, reading, enjoying a plate of Italian Sweet Sausage over
Feta Polenta and drinking some wine. 1998 Barwang
Regional Selection Shiraz Coonawarra $
(24.99) 1999 Kempton
Clark Petite Sirah $ (12.99) Editors note: Warning: The following review is rated PC (Partially Comprehensible) and may not be suitable for all audiences. Parental discretion is advised. April 20, 2002 I hope everyone
made out all right now that the Day of Infamy is over.
Yes, April 15th, the day we reckon with Big Brother.
As a small independent businessman, and I mean small, the government
knows how to squeeze every last drop from my meager livelihood. I guess there is an upside to being part owner of a web site
that has no revenue. I gladly give
the government its share of NOTHING. Take
30%, hell take 50%. Maybe we should
consider filing Winostuff.com as a 503C, not-for-profit organization.
Then we can buy the wine, not-for-profit, just for consumption.
Or better yet, we declare ourselves a 504 D, Political Action Committee,
dropping off cases of wine to the Senators from California, Washington, Oregon
and NY in exchange for the ability for Wino John to receive shipments in New
Jersey directly from Opus One. I
say we rally the winostuff army and march on Washington to express our disgust
with the inability of Wino John to get his Big Ass California Cab fix directly
from the Man. I’m sure if I call
Al Sharpton, and tell him of the injustices we are suffering through, he’ll
assist us with his rally for hire mass and the buses to get to Washington and a
Big Gold Medallion I can wear around my neck.
Then when I am getting carted off to Jail, to become the girlfriend of
some six-foot four, two hundred and twenty pound ex-college football star who is
in for life, I can attach my Big Ass medallion to the fence of the White House
as I shout, “From California direct to New Jersey, Wino John is mighty
Thirsty.” Or, “God Created grapes, Wino John just wants to Partake.” Can you tell I
am five years younger than the cool generation, which protested the War, and
Nuclear Power? I am from the
generation that really had nothing to bitch about. Can
you also tell, I have reached the Punt. For
those not sure, the punt is the indent in the bottom of the wine bottle.
To reach it, one must consume ALL the wine…. 1999
Pratesti Locorosso $ (13.99)
April 12, 2002 Ask a question, get the answer. Last evening I had dinner at Luce, a great little restaurant in town that surprised me with their wine selection. Last time I lunched there, I was taken with the fact that such a great restaurant only served wines from Kings Road Winery of New Jersey. So, while I was waiting for my guests, I asked about there selection of Kings Road. I learned that in the State of New Jersey, you could get a State Wine License and the State assigns you a winery you can sell. Because of this, I also found out that you could bring your own wine for dinner. The food was
delicious and the portions were generous for the prices.
I had the Atlantic Salmon over wasabe risotto in a hoison, ginger sauce.
Not know what I was going to order, I just brought a wine from this
Year’s WOTY selection. Yes, I
brought a Zinfandel to accompany my dinner.
To my surprise, my guest brought Bordeaux that was powerfully elegant.
Though this place would be packed if it had a strong wine list, it is a
great place to go without too much of a wait. 1999
Ridge Geyserville $$
(38.00) 1996 Chateau
La Commanderie St. Emilion ?
April 8, 2002 Did you have a
good weekend? Do I care? You
know those people at work that ask this question in fear that you might engage
in telling them what you did. They
don’t want to know, they really don’t care.
I guess today, I am asking, not to get a response from you, but to open
the door for me to discuss my fun. Sunday, my
friend and world renowned photographer, Jean Tenuto, helped a charity event at
the Gallery in Piermont, NY to benefit an animal shelter in Queens.
When I was invited, I responded that I would be glad to attend under the
condition that I wouldn’t be subjected to that boxed, crappy wine they served
last time. So she gave me the
distinct honor of being Wino Bob for the day.
Yes, hip NY attire and a hand full of Winostuff.com business cards had me
ensuring the masses they would drink some good wine.
I met many great people who made tremendous donations to the Animal
Shelter, bid on Jean’s artwork, and chatted about wine.
It was a day well spent and an event I have already re-upped for.
Next time, the wine will be bigger and better. I
only encountered one wine snob who brashly corrected my pronunciation of
Al-Bar-En-Yo. I guess a NJ accent
has a great deal of difficulty speaking Spanish.
Sorry, my Spanish came from the corner store where much of the time was
spent drinking a 40. 2000 Bodegas
Martin Codax Burgans Albarino $ 11.99 2000 Pierre
Sparr Gewurztraminer $ 12.99 2000 Louis
Bernard Cotes-du-Rhone Village $ 11.99 1998 Bodegas
Y Cavas De Weinert Carrascal $ 10.99 April 3, 2002 I needed
several small items for the tasting area and have been hunting locally for these
items. I was in Paterson and
stopped into Corrado’s Market. This place is a mini village of shops and stores, but there
are only 2 locations I stop into, the wine shop, of course, and the Home Beer
and Wine Making Center. The hunting
in the Wine Making Center came up big with the stemware rack I have been
searching for. I need something to
fit beneath the counter to hang my glasses and they had a unit the right size
and shape for my counter. Then it was off
for some shopping in the wine store. Wandering
aimlessly, eyes darting from label to label, hands shaking in my pants pockets
(that has nothing to do with wine shopping, just a habit I have, you guys know
what I mean), nose sniffing out a bargain, I unexpectedly found myself standing
in front of a bottle of Wine from Greece. I
had read about this wine, I even remember a Discovery Channel Show that talked
about the wine amphorae found at the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea containing
this wine. So I grabbed the
1.5-liter screw topped bottle and put down my $7.99 at the cash register. Yes, 1.5 liters, screw cap, $7.99. The wine is
called Retsina and it has a distinctive light amber color from the rosin
(pine tar) the Greeks used to seal the clay containers from the air.
What made me so curious about this wine is that in my Techno-Geek life,
we use Rosin to flux printed circuit boards and parts prior to soldering. Even in the plumbing industry, when you sweat pipes, your
first flux the copper pipe to deoxidize the metals.
Think about it, should I be drinking the fluxes I have been selling to my
Electronics Manufacturers? Should I
be selling Retsina to my Defense Contractors?
Are the memory modules in your Sony Vaio's notebook joined with Greek
Wine? Should I start selling my
flux in 750 ml bottles instead of 5-gallon containers?
There is a great deal of experimentation I need to conduct, I wonder if
the Jet Propulsion Lab would let me grant a project to classify Retsina’s
copper mirror, solder balling, copper chromate, halide content, wetting angles
and wetting forces. I could see a whole new marketing program for Dell, “Dude, there’s wine inside.” And think of the positive impact we could have on reducing the landfill issue. Instead of dumping our old electronics into Staten Island, we could send them to the Bowery where winos could take them apart and scrape the flux residues off the PC boards and distill it into a unique form of Ouzo. Hell, I drank crappy Grappa that tasted worse than some of the fluxes I sell. Quick, call Ace Hardware; I think we have a new product… Kourtaki
Retsina of Attic $
(7.99 1.5 liters) |
Yes,
there is nothing greater on Earth than a Bacchanalian Orgy.