In Praise of Lake Niagara (wine that is)

So after my prolonged absence from the blogosphere, and after my last unhappy pre-election entry, suddenly I reappear with a post singing the praises of cheap wine? Well, you gotta just jump back in somewhere. And besides, I'd rather be silly than serious just now.

Anyway, the other day as I was unscrewing the cap of my most recent bottle of Lake Niagara wine, I found myself thinking rather defensively, 'Hey, what's so wrong with liking what I like?' I was thinking of a sign above the bar at a local tavern that says "Life is too short to drink cheap wine." Well what if I like cheap wine? I say life is too short to drink some fancy pants wine I hate just cause some snooty type says it's better. I come from Western New York and grew up savoring the flavor of the sweet Niagara grape in the fall. It brings to mind being at Grandma's house and checking the vines in the back yard to see if any of those big clusters of green grapes had turned yellow enough to be ripe yet. And oh when they were ripe. Nothing like it. A unique sweet flavor that dances on the tongue and stays sweet forever in the memory. (For the uninitiated, Welch's white grape juice is made from these grapes. That's the flavor I'm talking about. Of course, the wine is not nearly that sweet. Well not quite that sweet.) So anyway, Lake Niagara wine is not just a flavor I like. It's a whole experience. But mostly, I just really like it.

Oh sure, after much ribbing and teasing from my more wine-enlightened friends and certain snooty bartenders, I have learned to tolerate and even enjoy some kinds of wine with actual corks. Pinot Grigio is okay and I like saying it. Also Riesling is pretty good. That's kind of fun to say too. When I am out with high society types, the ones who actually understand what buerre blanc means, I can confidently order a Pinot Grigio and feel that I have fulfilled my duty as a dining companion who is likely not to tuck my napkin into my neck. Or slurp my soup from the bowl. I have even purchased whole bottles of wine with corks for my personal home consumption. But then I always go back. And I suppose since I'm baring all here, I should confess that I've discovered another version of the Lake Niagara-type wine (made by Taylor) called Lake Country White that I like even better. AND IT'S EVEN CHEAPER. Now we're talking.

But as with most things, if I wait long enough I'll be right in vogue. Maybe not with wine snooties, but with the population in general who are right now trying to scrimp and save on everything from mortgages to band-aids. Saving money is IN. This makes me kind of happy since I'm already an expert on bargain-hunting. Plus my taste runs on the side of the common rather than the exclusive anyway, so aren't I lucky? I say, if it tastes good, eat it. If it looks good, wear it. If it smells good, spray it on. If it appeals to you, hang it on your wall. Who cares how much anything costs? Trouble is, I guess there are people who do care a great deal, many of whom love to tell you how expensive their stuff is. I on the other hand had to be broken of the habit of blurting out "Oh you like my sweater? I bought it for 75% off clearance at Big Lots. I only paid $2.39!" I have now learned that the proper response when someone compliments something of mine is 'thank you'. It's hard.

So anyway, I guess that's about it for today. I have to go get dinner ready. I'm really anxious to try the new salad dressing I bought at Save-a-Lot. I really think it's going to go great with my Lake Niagara.