Sunday, November 9, 2008

Surprise of the day


I'm making a red sauce, was short on cash, and so I bought a bottle of wine for $3.99. Figured it didn't matter if it was disastrously bad wine or not, 'cause I'd only use it for cooking.

Honestly, I don't like red wine all that much. This sounds snooty, but the reason is that I don't like cheap red wine, so if I do drink it, I mix it with sparkling water.

If I want some booze, I go for the micro-brews. I like good beer and good beer is affordable.

So, I'm making a sauce and the bottle's been sitting on the counter for a while, breathing. I wondered how awful it was and took a swig. Didn't bother with a glass. It's cheap wine, nearly as cheap as Nightbird (if they still make that) and anyone who drinks that does it right from the bottle.

The stuff is good. Imagine my shock. It lacks that fizzy and overly sharp tang of a typical low end red wine. I figured I must be delusional, so I googled it. Surprise number two is this: "Tisdale Merlot. . .kind of like finding a hidden treasure or $40 in a coat pocket from last winter."

Image note: What, you expect a better photo for a $3.99 bottle of wine?

1 comment:

jmcleod76 said...

Ooh, I'll have to try this. I actually do love reds, a lot, and manage to find some nice ones on the low end. Usually Austailian ones. Their government subsidizes them for export, so you get some decent ones for less than $10.

But I agree with you on the beer. Had a glass of Peak Organic with esspresso in it the other night. Very nice.