Wine Twits Wine Tasting – 5:00 Fridays

Last night I hosted an intimate little wine tasting with Fadra and the Jeffs as my guests. That could totally be a band, with Fadra wearing white gogo boots and the Jeffs singing duwop tunes wearing white dinner jackets. There were boots and jackets for sure, but nothing that signaled a band in the house. We sipped wine that was covered in brown paper bags, a sure sign of sleeping on the porch bumness that required crystal glasses and candlelight to counteract that imagery. WineTwits hosted the virtual wine tasting nationwide, and it was a load of fun to sip along.

On the Wine Twits tasting menu was pinot grigio. When winemaker Giovanni Bonmartini-Fini spoke the varietal it was lilting and lovely. Listening to a Count speak Italian on the heels of seeing Prince makes for a swoony girl, even before the wine. We blind tasted two pinot grigios, noting our sights, smells, and tastes. I don’t really know much about wine and certainly lack the vernacular to adequately use the terminology that wine enthusiasts use. For instance, I described one of the wines having a “dirty sock” smell. I didn’t mean that in a negative way, mind you. Honestly, it’s a real turn off to listen to wine-o’s talk their la-dee-dah talk about wine bouquets and notes and blah dee blah. I prefer porch sipping wine that requires no special vocabulary, passport, cellar, or second mortgage.

Everyone at the House of Dirt & Noise unanimously chose wine #1 in its brown paper bag splendor, noting that wine #2 would be tastier with some food. I did have homemade hummus on hand, some cheese and apple slices, chocolate sliders, and olives. But wine #2 would have been better with a meal. It was tasty, and as Fadra said, we would have liked it just fine had we not sipped #1 first.

Well, it turns out that I like wine #1 because it’s one I buy frequently. It’s my go-to summer weather porch sipping wine. Santa Margherita. For all I know it’s lowbrow, but I like it as far pinot grigio goes. And remember, I’m not all about fancy wine talk; I just like what tastes good and costs less than a pair of shoes. I stick my pinkie out when I drink out of habit, not to be prissy and drink in such an affected manner.

Wine #2 was good, and I will give it a try when I host my next dinner party. I think it will serve as a nice alternative to beer to accompany an Indian meal. The price is right at a mere 13 bucks or so a bottle. And it doesn’t hurt that I can sip in the sights and smells and sounds of Italy with each drop on my lips. I’m definitely reaching for the Barone Fini pinot grigio to invoke Italy. If only that wine were magical enough to bring me that pumpkin orange pebble leather handbag I regret not buying on last year’s summer trip to Sorrento…sigh.

Next year I’d like to have a bracket wine tasting. We’ll drink a wine from the state of each team represented in the NCAA tournament and select the winner based on an online polling system. Grand plans, yes. But what a way to make basketball even more interesting! So let me encourage you to host your own wine tasting. It’s loads of fun. There’s instant conversation. And um, hellooooo, there’s wine. Cheers!