Sunday I put some chicken/garlic sausages on the grill, opened the 2005 Santa Maddalena St. Magdalener Classico (Alto Adige -well, Sudtirol on front label). Sweet cherry fruit, light body, good acidity. Not a lot of depth here, but fine for nine (dollars). B
Monday Betsy got back from concerts, and saw the new Bon Appetit . On the cover was a chicken enchilada recipe, she decided to make that. Some poblano in the dish, some jalapeno in the salsa verde, but no real heat. Seemed mild enough not to require beer, but I played it safe by serving a well-chilled pink, the 2006 Terres Dorres "Brun de Folie" Beaujolais rosé. Strawberry shortcake in a glass, fun and bright. Don't strain yourself looking for complexity or meaning here, this is just about fun. And does its job well, B+*
*I freely admit that the company could well influence my score, it was a lovely day with a lovely wife.
Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B a good wine, C mediocre. Anything below C means I wouldn't drink at a party where it was only choice. Furthermore, I offer no promises of objectivity, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency