Drinkin' Wine, Spo-dee-oh-dee.......

When he was in his cups, a friend of mine was fond of saying, "As a rule, I don't drink. But, as a habit................."

I like wine a lot better nowadays than I used to. I rarely drink, for several reasons. One, I'm a diabetic, and shouldn't. Two, I can't buy alcohol locally (dry county, you know) so I would have to drive to some other county for it, and then, I'd be out of the mood. Three, I'm too stingy to buy it very often. And, last, but not least, when I drink wine, I get, well, giggly.

But, tonight, I have wine. A tasty Fetzer Merlot. And, I've even had two glasses, so I'll be going to sleep pretty soon. Heheh.

When Kell and Al lived in Sacramento, Jay and I went to California to visit, and came back wine snobs. We went to Napa Valley and toured wineries and learned how to get the most enjoyment out of it. The next year, we went back, and saw the wineries in Sonoma. At one of the wineries, we purchased a bottle and picnicked under the redwoods on sausage, bread and cheese that we had bought from little shops on the very picturesque square. It was glorious and made me wonder what the peasants were doing that day.

After both winery visits, Kell and I sat in the back seat and giggled all the way back to Sacramento. And, coming back to Harrison was a real downer those two years.

When I travel, I don't set out to learn anything, necessarily. But, on those two trips I learned how to drink wine:

I now know not to grab the cork and sniff at it like a basset. It will only smell like wine soaked cork, and that's not a very fragrant combination, frankly.

I now know not to grab the wine glass by the bowl, but to hold it, daintily, by the stem, so the heat from my hand won't cook the grape.

I now know not to fill the glass to the top, because it will slop out when I swirl it. And I have to swirl it, before I put my nose in the glass.

I now know how to stick my whole nose into the glass and breathe deep, the better to appreciate the bouquet. This is another reason not to fill the glass.

I now know how to take a small sip, hold it in my mouth, and part my lips slightly, and inhale through my mouth, without choking and gagging. I look like an asthmatic, trying desperately to take a deep breath, but never mind.

One thing I didn't learn, though, was the language of wine snobs. You know, where they say things like, "Oh, it's an amusing little wine." Or, "What a robust bouquet!" But, strangely, the wine tastes good without the descriptions.

Oh, tonight, I am a happy, happy camper. Sweet dreams, all!