When it comes to the rituals of wine-drinking, elegance and austerity are often the rule. Our crystal glasses, stainless steel wine racks and hand-blown decanters all impart the necessary importance to the wines we choose. It's a good thing, too, because we dropped lots of dollars for each of them. But guess what? There's a better way to impress your friends while saving your precious dough (so you can buy better wine, of course). That's right folks, a lab flask will aerate your wine just as well as your duck decanter with a geek cachet that's hard to beat. They're strong and cheap and tell you how much of that yummy Barolo you've already put down the hatch. If you really want to geek out on everyone, get the beakers and use them as stemless glasses, too. Get your own and also read Eric Asimov's NYT article about it . Don't forget your lab coat.

Labels: accessories, wine culture

So I did it. I ventured in to Trader Joe's in Union Square, swearing the whole way that there was no way in hell that I would stand in line to shop at a grocery store. Luckily the line was diminishing rapidly as we approached and our ability to shop was semi-unimpeded, needless to say shopping anywhere on a Saturday is a bad idea. It looks like Trader Joe's everywhere else, just smaller and more packed. I wandered the aisles and filled my very well designed cart with a smattering of products. I could never actually elbow my way in to see the cheese or frozen meats but I assume they are fine. After standing in line for a very pleasant five minutes, interrupted only by the infernal clanging of their bell, someone in marketing must think that it's really cute to clang a bell when a register is open, lets see how long this lasts in New York city. I spent $27 on what? A WHOLE BAG OF SNACKS. Okay this is one of my complaints with Trader Joe's it seems to be a potheads mecca, which was evidenced by the woman in front of me in line at the Portland store who told her cashier that she had just quit smoking pot, hence the piles of snacks. What did I get, you ask? Let's see apparently some olives, bananas, chocolate cookies shaped like cats and chili - lime pistachios. I rest my case.

Pairing:
Dogpoint Sauvignon Blanc and Chili-Lime Pistachios

Labels: food, new zealand, sauvignon blanc, wine culture