wine tasting - new homeowner style

We like wine.  If you didn't know that, then apparently we've never met.  There is nothing like a single block Cab from the Alexander Valley, a peppery Zin from the Dry Creek, or a silky-smooth Pinot from either the Willamette or Santa Ynez Valleys (you choose).  We've become refined connoisseurs, sharpening our palates enough to differentiate the taste of one year's juice from the next, or being able to detect a region's subtle undertones of their signature soil in a quick sniff.  And yes - I drive a Saab, we listen to NPR, and use reusable shopping bags to do our organic produce shopping with zeal.  So what.

Now we own a home that's a bit of a fixer.  We're poor.  Gone are the days of side-by-side wine comparos; their replacement is what you see above.  The Black Box is actually quite good - smooth and bold, well balanced with a nice lingering finish.  Its no Santa Barbara Syrah, but hey - we like it.  But to quote a line from one of our favorite movies, the Bota Box tastes like "the back of a LA school bus."

Don't worry about us - we'll drink good wines again someday.  In the meantime, our challenge is to find the good boxes of wine out there.  And it gives us something to look forward to - once we finish pouring cash into our new (and progressively more beautiful) house, we can once again embark on that journey of finding the perfect red blend that's promised to come from the Columbia Valley.