I like a good glass of wine every once in a while. Not only does wine provide me with the opportunity for a tasty beverage, it gives me the opportunity to speak and learn words from a variety of languages. Chardonnay, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Sake (a good way to get your rice by the way), Port, Shiraz, Muscadelle, Bordeuax, Red, and White... Even though I can say these correctly, who knows how my spelling is (call the grammar police!). I think a few of my favorites to say, after reading a list on the internet, are Gewurztraminer (go figure, this is a French wine and it sounds German to me) and Bastardo an inferior variety from Portugal (no explanation needed why this makes me giggle... ask for this at your local wine shop... I would like a good Bastardo please).
Say these names over and over again and you will have a lot of fun. Say them over and over again after a few glasses and you will be speaking in tongues to the degree that it would make any Charismatic Christian jealous because you can do it better and won't even have to fake it.
But, when I go shopping for wine I am clueless. When the wife asked if we could get some wine my reply was, "Don't you whine enough?" She raised her fist at me and I replied that, "A little wine with that punch would make some good Sangria."
Nevertheless, I don't know what to look for in a good wine. The names above mean nothing to me. So, like a child on the cereal rack I am left to looking for pictures of cute characters and animals. That is why we settled on "the Little Penguin." If the picture is cute it must be good. Maybe someday, this little guy will get some good competition. If "Chilly Willy" were to come out with some wine, I would probably try it... as long as there is a prize inside.
