Some late 70s murder mystery was on TV. It had been a long day and Wifey nor I could be arsed into changing the channel. Watching the little old lady murder the young man was intriguing, almost as much as guessing the name of the show or movie. It was like Let's Make a Deal where you'd hear all about the potential behind the curtain but never knew until the it was lifted. We were a good 10 to 15 minutes into it without seeing the star or knowing what we were watching. Then Door #3 opened and Columbo waltzed in, wreaking of cigar smoke motor oil. But that was ok. I knew we were not going anywhere. Time for a drink and a movie.
It had been quite a while since I enjoyed wine at home. Beer and hard liquor seemed to be behind Curtain #1 during the past few months. Two previous attempts resulted in half drank bottles sitting around long past their shelf life. Just was not into it. Life gets busy.
But now it is the evening of Christmas. The kids are gone and our responsibilities are over. Spent 3 hours in a car driving to and fro the farm in one of the strongest rainstorms of recent memory. Time to relax. When Columbo end I turned on NetFlix and found a Marilyn Monroe/Jane Russel movie. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Why not? We never watched it before. First open some wine. Would this gentleman prefer the Red or the White?
On Thursday I purchased the bottles. Craig and I were supposed to ride to the High Trestle Bridge but we got as far as Valley Junction. The bike ride turned into my Christmas shopping adventure. And at the furthest point of the ride found me at Hy Vee Wine & Spirits looking for a bottle of Summerset's Caba Moch to give to my sister and Cedar Ridge's apple/cranberry wine for my father in-law. He would like it as he used to make his own. That hooch was available but the bottle for Patty would have to wait. They were out. But two other bottles caught my eye.
Frosted was a white table wine in a decorative bottle from Summerset Winery. Jolly was its sibling, a red in a similar seasonal bottle. Why not? Our home would be hosting 12 or so people for Christmas Eve dinner and wine should be available. "Monty, Curtain #2, please." When I got home, in the fridge they went.
Well, beer, Bailey's and eggnog were the order of Christmas Eve and my wine supply stayed safe. But now it was a day later and it was time. Grab the cork screw and pop that bastard!
Mary said white. Frosted is a sweet white table wine. It contains sulfites. That's all the label really said. Served chilled! "Contains holiday cheer. Enjoy with friends or enjoy alone. Enjoy with food or without food. Just enjoy." No octane rating on the label. Just a alcohol warning and a snowflake with a smiling face that says "get frosted."
I pulled out and rinsed out the two new wine glasses Wifey gave me for Christmas. She listened when I said I needed a wine glass that could hold more than our current ones. Both glasses can contain an entire 750 ml bottle. Perfect! Move to the couch and watch our movie.
Frosted is not as sweet as one fears. This is good. Made from Cawtaba grapes it is semi-sweet. Not dry but won't rot your teeth. Hint of a boozey taste. Not as sweet as a Moscato nor the basic Iowa sweet wine. No strong local aftertaste. I liked it. Mary did not. Mine went down relatively fast.
Time to get Jolly. I lapped Mary and opened the second bottle. Once again, not much to read from the label. I had to go to the website and read about it. Made from their Marechal Foch and Cawtaba grapes. A bit sweeter than the Frosted. Would be great for making Sangria. Summerset calls it a sweet Rose.
Mary did not want any so I drank the entire bottle myself on the couch watching Marilyn and Jane. And like those two starlets it was hard to determine which I enjoyed more. I may have to make another purchase. I'll bumble through the store like Columbo and picked the right bottles.
