About Wine

Well not exactly about wine but sorta....I have a wine cellar. It isn't exactly a cellar, it is a set of very basic IKEA shelves that have ridges to prevent bottles from rolling around. It isn't actually a cellar, it is the aforementioned shelves tucked into a closet where I can gain access to my sump pump. It is located there because that space is off the heating system and although it doesn't maintain a steady temperature it is subject only to gentle seasonal shifts which the wine tolerates. Wine resents continual chilling and warming I am told.

I was told this by my very good friend Albert, Chef, Sommelier, Journalist and great guy. Although I am a bit old to be laying down wine I keep doing it because it reminds me of Albert who left us a few years ago but was such a good friend. My not so ambitious wine collection amounts to to my purchasing not more than eight bottles of better than average local wine and keeping it for nine years. The length of the shelf dictates the number of bottles and the number of shelves dictates the number of years. By now you should have figured out you are not dealing with a real Oenophile.

This rubric allows me to buy better than average local wines, yes Virginia, they grow grapes and make wine in Canada, age them and drink a pleasing wine from time to time. The point of this entry is that because I am away so much I actually don't get my annual ration drunk and so in celebration of my Quarantine I have had a couple of bottles with dinner over the last ten days, Cab Francs both times.

What I want to say is they have been really good!!! Well worth the wait.