A Friday Night Out

(Doesn’t he look wonderful without those repugnantly tinted glasses?)

Tonight was “Mambo Italiano”, a sampling of Italian wines at our favorite Friday night haunt.

I have never met Chianti that I could have confidence in, however I did offer a polite nod of approval to the 2000 Colle Lungo Chianti Classico. Billed as “a modern style Chianti Classico sith spicy cedar nose and palate” it matured gingerly as it decanted in my glass; a further 45 minutes proved this Chianti to be agreeably ballsy.

A crowd favorite was a scrumptious Cappana Bruenello di Montalcino (2001.) We were told to expect a mixture of anise, cherry cola, balsam notes, bacon fat, sandalwood and mint liquor woven together into a glowing gemtone wine, embodied with interesting spice and carrying enduring if not persistent finish. We each enjoyed trying to pick out the flavors, making a game of it.

What is a wine tasting without a voyage into the sweet and sparkling? I made fast friends with a Bartenura Moscato. This delectable Moscato was a semi-sweet frolic of pears, tangerines, melon and nectar. I swore the first note began with rose; the glass remained crisp yet mellow from start to finish.

The crowd was a different mix than our usual compatriots. Better Half and I met a sweet couple, John and Mira (I’m certain that I have misspelled the dear woman’s name.) They owned a wine shop and deli previously and were a wealth of knowledge. We also met Tom Gentile, the Democratic candidate for Jefferson County Commissioner. He spoke about changing out the “old guard” (most of which are Democrats and have not done a damn thing for this town except allow our beautiful downtown area to degrade into a cesspool of vacant businesses and decrepit buildings.)

It would be grand if I could say, “our evening ended fabulously!” In fact, we came home and let the dogs out, then began to undress. Truffle decided to shit on my favorite blanket. She is now confined to her crate, needless to say, and I am seriously considering a Pomeranian rescue group. I am more than frustrated with her lackluster interest in actually housebreaking. We have trained many dogs over the course of years and I do not think that Truffle’s inability to grasp housebreak is due to our negligence, but rather to her being a “dirty dog”. I feel absolutely terrible over the entire situation.

The only plan for tomorrow is to dismantle the Christmas tree and pack away all the decorations. I have not been able to do much of anything due to my back.