I poured myself a glass of wine from Napa this morning. Actually, that’s not true. I hadn’t finished my glass of Peju Provence last night, so I shelved it in the fridge for another time. I swirled the glass, then looked above the oven at the time. Turns out "another time" is 10:59 AM.
This particular wine is kind of a flirt. She’s definitely a one-night-stand kind of girl, the one who sits on your boyfriend’s lap at the barbecue, then tells him how lucky he is to have a woman like you. She’s at her best when she’s slightly chilled, but her friends describe her as warm. She giggles and dots her i’s with fat round circles, as if each one were a rhinestone. She doesn’t wear underwear to church. She’ll always be able to pull off braided pigtails, and she never once wished she was a brunette instead of a strawberry blond who wears raspberry perfume. She has the body of an eleven year old girl and refuses implants, embracing her whole carefree Kate Hudson look. And of course, she’s pink. With a white father and a red mother, she never needed counseling to deal with being a child of a mixed marriage. As easy as she is, you can’t really tire of her. She has that sweet way that never makes you sick, just a breezy flirt who always knows the right thing to bring for Thanksgiving. Mothers love her. She giggles, but her laugh is infectious and musical, and she always leaves you wanting more.
I could drink a case of her. Without question, she’s a sailor’s delight.
Oooh, and if you’re a foodie or looking to do some very early holiday shopping (I live for Christmas in July), you must check out all the fantastic wine "aroma" kits out there that teach you to distinguish between Hawthorn, Lychee, Muscat, and toast. Blackcurrant bud vs. roasted hazelnut. Here’s what I know about wine when I taste it: I know what I like, but I’d never be able to tell you what I like about it because I not only am at a loss about the proper vocabulary, but as good as my sense of smell is, I have a hard time pulling apart the hints of flavor. I know it would be easier, if say, I learned to memorize certain smells. It would bring a whole new level of enjoyment to drinking…as if I needed another one! Now, excuse me while I get my drink ‘n’ sniff on as I twitter search my way to a sensible wine kit suggestion.
A list of common aromas found in Le Nez Du Vin kits:
Fruit Aromas
01 – Lemon
02 – Grapefruit
03 – Orange
04 – Pineapple
05 – Banana
06 – Lychee
07 – Melon
08 – Muscat
09 – Apple
10 – Pear
11 – Quince
12 – Strawberry
13 – Raspberry
14 – Redcurrant
15 – Blackcurrant
16 – Bilberry
17 – Blackberry
18 – Cherry
19 – Apricot
20 – Peach
21 – Almond (kernel)
22 – Prune
23 – Walnut
Floral Aromas
24 – Hawthorn
25 – Acacia
26 – Linden
27 – Honey
28 – Rose
29 – Violet
Vegetal Aromas
30 – Green pepper
31 – Mushroom
32 – Truffle
33 – Yeast
34 – Cedar
35 – Pine
36 – Licorice
37 – Blackcurrant bud
38 – Cut hay
39 – Thyme
40 – Vanilla
41 – Cinnamon
42 – Clove
43 – Pepper
44 – Saffron
Animal Aromas
45 – Leather
46 – Musk
47 – Butter
Grilled Aromas
48 – Toasted bread
49 – Roasted almonds
50 – Roasted hazelnut
51 – Caramel
52 – Coffee
53 – Dark chocolate
54 – Smoked
