Friday wine goodness: Carnival Time

As I mentioned yesterday, it's time to get in a carnival mindset, because it's Mardi Gras time.

Here's a little something I didn't mention: When searching for pictures of Mardi Gras, google verrrrry carefully. Like, make sure the kids aren't around, unless you want to spend the rest of the afternoon explaining that Mardi Gras is not really just about boob flashing and beads.

Tonight is our elementary school's PTO Carnival fundraiser. I guess they set the timing of this event to coincide with Mardi Gras. This is...not my favorite event ever. First of all, I've already discussed my cookie baking failure today over at We're Not In Kansas Anymore, Toto. Second of all, I just really don't like school carnivals. I have some claustrophobia issues, so I don't like big crowds of people. And then I have issues with losing track of my kids in a building that has multiple exits and no security (since it's an evening event, not a school hours event.)
THEY HAVE A PIXIE STRAW MAKING MACHINE, PEOPLE. How is that ever a good thing?

But I digress.

So, tonight is the carnival. There is no wine at this carnival, since it's a school district sponsored event, but don't you know they'd make a ton more money if there was wine? Or at least a keg? But no. Just sugary bake sale items. And giant pixie straws.

You know who does have their own wine? Carnival Cruise Lines. But they only sell it on the ships. I could use a cruise right about now. Could you?

image found here.

I wish I had my own wine. Maybe someday I will. It will be called Mommy's Little Helper. Or maybe Mommy's Time Out.

Oh Wait.

Nevermind. Anything will do.

Friday Wine Goodness: It's time for Beaujolais Nouveau

Years ago, before I started developing a taste for wine, I would only drink pink wines. You know, the white zinfandels and rosés that are like $4 a bottle. Slowly I was introduced to better wines, and developed a different palate, one that wasn't all about added sugar and headaches. But I was afraid of deep reds, they were too thick and my imagination is too wild - it felt like drinking blood.

The first red wine I fell in love with was a Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau. It wasn't heavy like most of the reds I had tried (which I now love, but that is a taste that develops over time for many people.) It comes out in November, and is not the kind of wine that should be stored and kept, it should be drank immediately. It does not get better with age - it gets skunky.

The Beaujolais Nouveau is fermented only for a few weeks, as opposed to months or seasons like most other wines. It is thinner and sweeter than most reds, and is best served slightly chilled, but not as chilled as most white wines. The easiest thing to do is to put the bottle in the fridge about ten minutes before you intend to open and drink it. It is not the kind of wine that does well by itself at Happy Hour - it goes better with a meal, in my opinion.

This year's Beaujolais Nouveau should hit stores in about two weeks. The Georges Duboeuf website says November 18th. Pick up one and try it, maybe offer it at your Thanksgiving table. They are a fun way to show off your confidence and knowledge of different types of wines, and because they are usually priced around $10-15 a bottle (sometimes cheaper) you won't break the bank.

* Click here for some fun Beaujolais facts.

Friday Wine Goodness is back! Meredith Brooks style.

I have a tendency to purchase wine based on fun labels and names. I must not be alone, because wine marketers have figured that out over the past several years. If you go browse the brands in the $8-12 range at World Market, you can find a good hour worth of entertainment.

Maybe that's just me.

Anyway, I'm pretty adventurous as far as reds go. I rarely come across a red I don't like, and when I do, it is because it's too peppery or spicy and overwhelming, which is why I've learned to stay away from Spanish reds. So I really like the trend of Australian wines that are not only easy on the pocketbook, usually quite tasty, and display that Aussie sense of whimsy and humor that says, "Hey! We're not saving women and children here, folks, we're making booze." Unlike the Europeans, of course.

Plus, screwtops. Hello.

The Bitch Grenache is really very nice considering how cheap it is. Consider the Robert Parker recommendation:

"90 points from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "Bitch Grenache is sourced from 40- to 60-year-old vines from the Ebenezer sub-region of the Barossa. With the price of Cotes du Rhone soaring due to the weak dollar, I am hard pressed to think of a better value in full-flavored Grenache. The 2006 Bitch Grenache received no oak treatment. Medium ruby-colored, it presents an alluring bouquet of earth, smoke, rhubarb, cherry, and strawberry. Supple, sweet, and tasty, this wine totally over-delivers for its humble price and is an exceptional value."

That's a lot of wine-speak for me, frankly, just to say it's yummy.

And let's just mention how much fun it is to show up to the Friday afternoon Mommies on the Culdesac Round-up with a bottle of this stuff. The perfect antidote to a long week.

This is probably not what they had in mind.

So since I'm new around these parts, and still getting used to the idea of posting within specific topics rather than just spouting off whatever comes across on the digital scroll display that is my brain.. (Oh look, the mail came! The new Entertainment Weekly is here...)

Anyway, Friday's usual topic is Food. Now, here's a little something you might want to know about me.

I don't really cook much.

I used to like to cook. Really, I did. But then I married a very picky, non-risk taking eater. And then I bore him two children, of equal mindset in regard to "I WILL NOT EAT THAT."

So anytime the conversation turns to food or cooking, I generally try and steer things toward wine. As in, "I like to cook with wine. Sometimes I even add it to the food."

Which is a long way of explaining that for years I did a Friday Wine Goodness series over on my personal blog, We're Not in Kansas Anymore, Toto. And I plan to re-invigorate that series here, for you lovely people. But first, let me explain my critical theory, if you will. Generally my code for wine recommendations goes like this:

• Cheap, but not headache inducing cheap
• Yummy
• Funny or interested labels

Yeah, I know, most wine critics don't really care about the label, but since I fill out my NCAA March Madness bracket based on the hotness of the players, you might guess I'm not a purist.