Malbec: The Wino's Wine of Frustration and Sadness

Fellow Boozers,

It was inevitable. As much as she tried, she could not resist having a glass of wine after work for the past two nights. Both glasses were of Malbec. One was from Nefarious Cellars and she can't remember what the other one was. Both glasses were beyond necessary for her sanity.

You see, the Wino loathes her job and can't find new one because of the stupid economy and the stupid, stupid job market. That's why she writes this not-very-good blog about wine and things not really related to wine. She needs an outlet. She needs to feel like she is doing something other than drowning in a swamp of professional humiliation and sticky despair.

The wino knows that she should be thankful that she is still employed in this abysmal job market because there are so many others out there who don't have jobs. But she has a very guilty confession to make. Sometimes when she is being despicably micromanaged and shamed at work, she wishes that her employer would just put her out of her misery and fire her - free her from this angry burden that sits on her chest like a big pot of rocks.

She dreams spending her days in a warm coffee shop writing, writing, writing while she sips cups of green tea and watches people walk by. She dreams about making her husband dinner every night (yes, The Wino has a husband - a very nice husband). She fantasizes about having enough time to go to the gym every day. She longs to work in her yard and watch things grow. She longs to have days where she feels productive and satisfied instead of frustrated to tears.

So the Wino, still managing to stick to her diet, has enjoyed a couple glasses of Malbec to sooth her angst. Malbec has long been known as one of the six grapes allowed in the blend of red Bordeaux wine [The Wino didn't know there were only 6 grapes allowed in red Bordeaux??? I guess that's why she wanted to blog about wine so she would actually learn about wine. Hmmmm, The Wino suspects that a post about Bordeaux is forthcoming.], the French plantations of Malbec are now found primarily in Cahors in the South West France region. It is increasingly celebrated as an Argentine varietal wine and is being grown around the world.

It's a dark, inky wine that is juicy and plum-like and can include the flavors of tobacco, raisin, and violet.

Cheers.

Breakup Letter

Dear Wine,

I know I should do this in person but I just can't face you right now.

As you know, I am headed to Mexico on vacation in 5 weeks and I'm going to have to wear a bikini. You know, the little purple one with string ties? Anyway, we have been seeing a lot of each other lately, and it's not that I haven't enjoyed our time together, I truly have. But the problem is that I have enjoyed our time together too much.

Basically, my muffin top has grown exponentially thanks to your deliciousness. So much, that I could barely get my jeans on this morning. You see, when you and I hang out, I lose all my willpower. And the next thing you know, I'm involved in a ménage à trois that includes not only you and me but an entire bag of Doritos. Or worse, a giant chicken fried steak smothered in buttery sausage gravy with a side of biscuits and jam. I always wake up the next day feeling cheap, bloated, and guilty.

And what was that all about on New Year's Eve? Why did you make me so sick? I spent New Year's Day barfing up the lobster bisque and beef tenderloin that you complimented so beautifully. Not to mention the headache that lasted for 2 days. WTF? Seriously, it was just too much for me. I've been so loyal to you. For crying out loud, I write a blog about you! Why do you have to cause me so much pain?

I am sorry to say it dearest Wine, but I need to break up with you. At least for a little while. It won't be for long I promise.

Remember, I will always love you.

Love,
The Wino

Cabernet Franc

The Wino spent a rainy Labor Day holiday in Lake Chelan, Washington. It rained cats and dogs all weekend long. So the Wino did what any smart boozer would do - she went wine tasting in Chelan's budding wine country.

One wine in particular stood out. A Cabernet Franc from Benson Vineyards. It was delicious. Dark, savory-sweet and peppery, with a vegetal taste of green pepper, which is the distinction of many Washington State Wines, but also for many Cabernet Franc wines.

So intrigued by this varietal, the Wino decided to do a little research. What is Cabernet Franc?

Cabernet Franc, is believed to have been established in the Libournais region of southwest France sometime in the 17th century. It is principally grown for blending with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the Bordeaux style, but can also be vinified alone. It is very similar to Cabernet Sauvignon and its DNA indicates that the Cabernet Franc grape was crossed with Sauvignon Blanc to create Cabernet Sauvignon. (Thank you Wikipedia.)

Fellow boozers, the Wino encourages you to purchase a bottle of Cabernet Franc and taste it. What are your impressions? Please feel free to leave a comment with your thoughts.

Cheers,
The Wino

What? No wine?

The Wino is passionate about wine. It's true. But she also enjoys a cocktail now and then just like any other prudent boozer. In fact, yesterday she brazenly consumed 2 Manhattan cocktails at a local drinking establishment, the Twilight Exit. She greedily slurped down these drinks as if it was whiskey that she admires instead of her beloved wine.

Well, que sera sera, fellow boozers. The Wino really enjoyed her Manhattans and is not ashamed one bit.

The Wino would like to mention that her Manhattan was superb. The bartender "Shira" is not only incredibly nice and lacking in hipster-laden arrogance, she is an amazing mixologist and knows how to make a damn good Manhattan. She also knows to ask how you want it made---which most bartenders reserve for the ubiquitous martini.

Who would have thought that a Manhattan made at an unassuming local bar, known more for its cheap beer and ambrosia-like tater tots, would boast such a gem of a bartender?

In short, fellow boozers, have a cocktail. And have one made at the Twilight Exit by Shira. And if you can still stand after the third cocktail (because the Wino knows you can't just have one), order some tater tots. You won't be sorry.

Cheers.

Fête Nationale

Where has the Wino's mind been? She totally forgot to mention that it's Bastille Day in France. Mon Dieu! The Wino recommends grabbing a friend and doing the following:

• un: Pop open a bottle of French sparkler and pour yourself a glass or deux. The Wino suggests Louis Bouillot. Fabuleux!
• deux: Read up on Bastille Day on Wikipedia.
• trois: Listen to some music by France's First Lady, Carla Bruni.
• quatre: Translate a few English phrases to French. Helloooo Yahoo Babelfish (translate like it's 1996, boozers).
• cinq: Open a second bottle of Louis Bouillot. Délicieux!

Tout de suite, fellow boozers! Tout de suite!

The Wino Goes to Lunch

The Wino took herself out to lunch yesterday. She figured that since she has taken a 20% pay cut at work and bounced several checks over the past month, it was the perfect occasion to treat herself to a ridiculously expensive lunch. Wearing an all black outfit, which she thought looked sleek but realized later that she looked more like a Sephora employee, The Wino found herself at Barolo in downtown Seattle about 12:10 p.m. on an overcast July afternoon.

During her dining experience, The Wino consumed two of the most lovely glasses of Sangiovese with her veal carpaccio and arugula salad, which I might add made her forget all about her ill-chosen outfit. The Sangiovese was, "Rubio", San Polo, 2006

On Snooth.com Mr. Gregory Dal Piaz said, "This 100% Sangiovese from the San Polo estate in Montalcino is redolent of dried herbs, blackberries, ash and chocolate shavings. Easily styled in the mouth with bright acid highlighting the cranberry and black raspberry fruit and soft tannins giving the wine a gentle mouth filling quality. There is a nice touch of spice on the finish and a cleansing quality that makes this perfect with a few rich Italian sausages or tomato based dishes."

Thank you Mr. Dal Piaz. The Wino appreciates your expertise as she has none. This wine, according to various Internet sources (it's called Google, fellow boozers, stop whining and type it in) is priced at around $12. At Barolo, where the Wino was lunching, it was a hefty $11 per glass. (Apparently, Barolo is killing it on wine.) The Wino is not sure where in the Emerald City one can find this lovely wine by the bottle sans the ridiculous per-glass price. One might check Esquin. The Wino expects she will be attempting to track down this wine herself over the next couple of weeks. She could go for a glass, or better yet, an entire bottle, right this very minute as she slouches at her desk and contemplates another work day filled with demoralizing tasks.

Cheers!

Wine is Not Good for Dieting

The Wino is on a diet. Unfortunately, her attempts to learn about wine have led to drinking wine. Drinking wine leads to eating slabs of triple creme brie, cheese burgers, and half gallons of chocolate ice cream. Drinking wine and eating onion rings every day leads to The Wino having difficulty in getting her pants on.

The Wino does not want to wear a mu mu. The Wino wants to look fabulous in white pants and laugh uproariously at your jokes while drinking expensive wine on a yacht in Greece. The Wino hopes you understand.

The Wino will now share a few health and fitness tidbits about wine:

• A 6 oz glass of wine contains about 150 calories.
  
• A bottle of wine contains about 25.4 oz of wine, which equals about 635 calories.
  
• The Wino will have to run for more than an hour at a 12-minute-per-mile pace to burn off 635 calories (That's right boozers, The Wino has been known to drink a bottle all by herself.)
  
• The higher the alcohol content of a wine, the higher the calorie content will be.
• The health benefits of wine are uncertain and may lead to breast cancer.

The Wino hates dieting.