A woman and a man are involved in a car accident and it’s a bad one. Both of their cars are totally demolished but amazingly neither of them are hurt. After they crawl out of their cars, the woman says, “So you’re a man that’s interesting. I’m a woman. Wow, just look at our cars! There’s nothing left but fortunately we are unhurt. This must be a sign from God that we should meet and be friends and live together in peace for the rest of our days.” The man replies,” I agree with you completely. This must be a sign from God!” The woman continues, “And look at this, there’s another miracle. My car is completely demolished but this bottle of wine didn’t break. Surely God wants us to drink this wine and celebrate our good fortune.” Then she hands the bottle to the man. The man shakes his head in agreement, opens it, drinks half the bottle and hands it back to the woman. The woman takes the bottle, immediately puts the cap back on, and hands it back to the man. The man asks, “Aren’t you having any?” The woman replies, “No. I think I’ll just wait for the police…”
Well there you have it. I guess the guy needs a pretty good lawyer to get him out of this mess. Recently I was at a county Bar Association wine tasting and auction with plenty of lawyers whose legal briefs would have been in a twist just thinking about how to defend the poor unsuspecting man against the wining wiles of the one smart lady. Frankly, I could count on one hand how many non-lawyers attended the event which featured wines from Wente Vineyards with proceeds going towards philanthropic efforts. In fact, one lawyer asked me why I was even there after our conversation about his daughter’s adenoids (don’t ask). I explained that I was married to the guy, a lawyer, standing next to me.
The wines were appealing, the food pairings were well matched, and the lawyer jokes delivered by the auctioneer were hilarious – at least I thought so!
Wente Vineyards, www.wentevineyards.com, founded 125 years ago, is located in Livermore Valley east of San Francisco. Currently there are 3000 acres of sustainable vineyards in this oldest continually owned family winery. Their website is very informative with thorough information regarding their history, winery, wines, and tasting rooms. If you are in the San Francisco area, you may want to go to historic Livermore Valley and check out Wente Vineyards. The wines offered at the tasting were ~
**Southern Hill Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 – The aromas and flavor consisted of cherry, dark, plum, and a bit of coffee. Tannins were distinct and contributed to a nice, smooth finish. This wine was fermented in stainless steel tanks then aged for fourteen months in oak barrels. Paired with grilled pork tenderloin under a pomegranate sauce served with butternut squash flan, the rich flavors of the wine shown. The retail cost is around $15.00.
**Morning Fog Chardonnay 2010 – This chardonnay was delicious and its taste complimented the shrimp scampi with citrus beurre blanc sauce. On the nose and palate were green apple, tropical fruit, oak, cinnamon, and vanilla. With high acidity and full body, the finish was satisfying. Apparently, half of the wine was fermented in French oak and the other half in stainless steel tanks to preserve the natural fruit flavors. At less than $13.00, this wine will be on my list.
**Reliz Creek Pinot Noir 2008 – Paired with sauteed sliced mushrooms ragout over creamy mashed potatoes, the Pinot Noir was sleek. Its aroma was of cherry, strawberry, and a bit of vanilla and I tasted black cherry, vanilla, and some spice after a few sips. There was a fruity taste on the finish which was nicely satisfying. This wine was fermented in stainless steel tanks then aged twenty months in oak barrels. The cost of this wine is less than $23.00.
Enjoying appealing wine at an event to raise funds for good causes is a judicious way to spend an evening after work. Jury dismissed.
Cheers! ~ Cindy
