I am very worried about my nose for wine. I am afraid, actually. I'm afraid that I might have one now.
I've been a fan of red wine for almost 15 years now, and I can happily say that for all those years, I was perfectly happy with a $5 bottle from the grocery store. On occassion, I would spring for a 8.99 bottle, but not often. When we go out to eat, Jamie and I can indeed spend much, much more for good wine to accompany our dinner, and upon tasting it, I know I can definitely appreciate good wine. But when we would have a cheap bottle at home, it was no big deal. I didn't miss the good stuff.
I think that may have finally changed. A few weeks ago, at the local Henry's I picked up a Syrah and a Cabernet on a 2 for $6 special. I drank two glasses of the Cabernet, and thought it wasn't very good. Jamie thought it was awful, and wouldn't drink it. A few nights later, I opened the Syrah, tasted it, and poured the whole thing down the drain. I thought, ok, maybe $3 a bottle really is bad. My next buy was a $5.99 bottle, and I thought I was safely back in my taste-range. Except that one was not what I would call enjoyable, either. That's when I began to worry.
On our move out here, we spent a week in the Grand Tetons and had several excellent dinners in Jackson and at the lodges, dining on elk and bison steaks, with accompanying excellent wines. I think that was when it finally happened. Somehow, my nose now knows. At least, a little better than it used to.
So last week, in an effort to reassure myself that I still have cheap taste (in wine, I mean), I bought a bottle of Mouton Cadet Bordeaux, my favorite cheap wine, for $5.99. It was drinkable, but not what I remembered. So now I wonder, is it really me? Have I outgrown cheap wine? Because I can't justify spending ten dollars a bottle for just me alone, when I only want one glass a night, and I usually poor the last of the bottle out. When Jamie is home to finish a bottle with me, it would be worth it, maybe. Maybe it's time to look into boxed wines . . . but is that worse than $5 bottles?
