Friday, September 10, 2010

You know your day is going badly when cocktail hour starts at 4....

Hello Fellow Winos!

What wine to drink with a case of the blues? Today for me it's Serge Lalou Sancerre. Why? I had it in half bottle, so quantity control was of the essence (therefore no hangover for my silliness). My honey is off traveling in France drinking Chateauneuf du Pape without me (as a matter of fact, I believe he's having dinner tonight at none other than Domaine Pegau- Very jealous!), my dog is laying beside me begging for some frisbee-action, and I'm strapped to my laptop on the couch, woeing over my finances and how to change them.

I suppose we all do this from time to time, and it occured to me that certain wines have a way of "lifting me up" rather than bringing me down. Here's a list of "Wine Uppers" I've stumbled upon over the years, and some definite "Downers" that should be avoided when one finds oneself in a melancholy state. Cheers to experimenting and finding out what works for you! (Just keep some Kleenex nearby and some DVDs of 30 Rock on hand for emergencies if it goes the wrong way!)

Wine Uppers:
These need to have the right balance of acidity. They truly need to have "lift" in their very nature and character. For instance, my heart soars with Barbera and Dolcetto, I get giddy with Gavi, and simply silly with Sancerre (like right now!)........I digress...A wine for me that refreshes the palate also refreshes and invigorates the spirit, so I gravitate towards this style whenever I find myself having a rough day or a foul mood. Sauvignon Blanc from anywhere outside of the Americas is my "stand-by, fail-safe" wine for any fight with the guy on the corner who failed to yield to a pedestrian. Jeez....SOME people! Anyway....Check out juicy, and refreshing Oregon Pinot Noir or those from Burgundy or even New Zealand! Yeah, they got GREAT juice there too! If that doesn't pick you up like Hulk Hogan lifting a 5lb weight, then wine just isn't your thing, baby!

Wine Downers (to be avoided at the cost of your marriage, your children's happiness, and your co-workers who hate to be drunk-dialed (AGAIN)).
Syrah. Yeah, you know the stuff. Aka Shiraz, it's the big, black dense, chewy, and extremely high alcohol stuff that always gets us into trouble. Same with Cabernet. Not too many people should sit around sipping Cabernet after a hard day's work, unless they have a good dentist and a shrink on speed dial. Not only will it stain your teeth, it will make all those mommy issues come up at midnight when you least expect it. Don't be tempted! Zinfandel? No coincidence that it rhymes with hell! Which is what you will feel like the next day if you get going on this high alcohol, big, fruity wine without a big plate of bbq ribs in front of you to soak up all that alcohol. Just don't do it!

So do yourselves (and me) a favor. First, lose my telephone # before you start dialing tonight, then second, stick to the light, refreshing wines to keep happy hour just that- HAPPY!

Cheers Everyone!

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