Which Is Why I'm Doing Two Posts In One Night

Now we shall discuss "oaked" vs. "unoaked" cabernet sauvignon. Since my daughter and I are sharing a car (which basically means she has the car whenever she needs it and I'm taking the bus/train), my grocery shopping on the weekend is worked around her work schedule. I can take the bus/train to work with very little effort, but she really needs transportation to get there and back. I love the challenge of my new life. It's a game to see if I can get where I need to be, make meals with NO money, juggle bills, and somehow pay down my debts (or at least keep from defaulting on anything).

The economy regretfully shut down the Albertson's that was within walking distance of my house, but there is an Exxon station. And I have an Exxon card. During skinny paycheck periods or when I'm without wheels, I can walk to Exxon and choose from a pathetic array of wines that range from Boone's Farm (hell will freeze over) to the not-too-bad-but-seriously-overpriced Estancia and Clos du Bois.

This past Sunday, being at a loose end, without wheels -- and without dryer sheets and wine -- I walked over to the Exxon station and browsed. I noticed a wine that proudly announced it was an Unoaked Cabernet Sauvignon, so I decided to do a taste test and compare the Estancia to the Simply Naked to see what the difference was.

Now, I have a LOT to learn about wine, as anyone who has read this blog knows, so I was curious to learn why one would or would not put cabernet sauvignon in an oak barrel. I hit the Internet to find out why, but my quick research merely unearthed the idea that it's cheaper to put wine in steel barrels than oak ones. Well, the unoaked wine WAS cheaper . . . I tasted both, a glass of unoaked and then a glass of oaked, while working on my current oil painting and singing to my Diana Krall station on Pandora. The unoaked Simply Naked cab had more of a pronounced grape flavor with less complicated undertones than the oaked Estancia. Actually, the first sip reminded me more of grape juice than wine, though getting deeper into the glass let me find a bright flavor that is not half bad. (I'm drinking it tonight, as I write this.) Personally, I prefer the oaked -- it's a little smoother, with a depth that I found lacking in the Simply Naked cab.

Okay, still on my Bucket List is a proper course on wine appreciation. I'd like to develop my palate and be able to articulate what I am drinking, break down the components and appreciate the subtleties of each vintage. Good wine is amazing; great wine is an art form.

And here's an option for leftover pork butt: chop it up with green onions, cilantro, and green chiles. Roll mixture in corn tortillas and fry. Serve with sour cream and salsa. Leftover Yum!!!