Wine Truth: by Michael Dominic

There is fine wine, table wine and then there is bum wine. I’ve only every had the displeasure of tasting Thunderbird once when I was in college, but there’s a whole wealth of low-grade, high alcohol wines out there for the discerning bum. Luckily for them there is bumwine.com (if they ever get to a computer). Bumwine.com covers the main selection of swill with images, descriptions and even rankings of which gets you the most wasted.

When I first saw this I thought I might try a few and give notes on them here as a joke—but I’ll leave that honor for bumwine.com.

Some men open up a skunky brew while watching a ball game. I can be that man, but I am not a big drinker and I love wine. For a team as elegant as the New York Yankees I thought a good bottle of red would be more appropriate. Leave the hops for the Philadelphians, their cheese steak clogged arteries and the soon to be defeated Phillies.

In a previous post I wrote about my love for 2004 – Wellington Vineyards, Zinfandel that I culled from my honeymoon—and the days we spent in the Sonoma Valley. For diversity I also purchased a bottle of the 2005 – Wellington Vineyards, Sonoma Valley, Syrah ($17).

I’m pleased that there is a shop of such quality near my office. Morrell makes for a pleasant diversion from my otherwise tedious work day. The weather has been perfect, in the sixties and seventies for the last several days. A slow walk north with a slightly cool breeze makes my fleeing all the more serene.

The thrice I’ve been to Morrell they always seem to have a tasting. I would have given notes on what I tried, but I don’t feel comfortable taking down information and photographing bottles in a shop where I know no one.

Friday I arrived later than usual to my regular tasting. Again I walked into a conversation. This time it was about music from the 90’s. I looked at one of the people involved, and he was my age but stuck in some rock-n-roll persona from the early 90’s. It was like he was stuck in that time of our lives when we all want to be rock stars. Most realize that it’s never going to happen and move on. Some become famous. A few get stuck in time and become parodies of themselves.

When he started quoting Pulp Fiction I tuned out.

I arrived a few minutes early for my regular Friday evening tasting at ACWC. Keith, had not yet set up whatever he was going to pour. There was a large overweight man with a bulging plastic bag. He was talking about having the second worst” fight he had ever had with his brother who had been visiting from out of town. He described his brother getting aggressive after combining Jaggermeister and his Aderol. I always lose some respect for a person that drinks Jaggermeister, like a person that likes cheap thrillers or bad rock music.

I was supposed to post my weekly video today, but my DV deck is not working. I borrowed one from work and I will have episode #4 up tomorrow morning.

Today I want to give you a list of my favorite wine shops on and off-line.

Finally July 20th arrived and it was time for the wine tasting at my parent’s wine club. They live in South New Jersey, not too far from Atlantic City in a very nice retirement community. When I write retirement community I do not mean a “home” or assisted living facility. It’s just a suburban development of houses where you have to be 55 or older to live. Being that folks are living longer and are healthier at older ages, other than the gray hair they mostly seam pretty spry and fun to be around. I especially like their friend Tony who has mad wine knowledge.