Opera rehearsals started Tuesday, I volunteered to cook dinner last couple of nights. Then realized that Tues I had busy afternoon, followed by an early evening speech at a synagogue to some kids. Crockpot to the rescue! I realize some look down on slow cookers, but they come in handy in situations like this. Late morning I went back to house, browned a roast, then threw ingredients for pot roast in slow cooker. See you in 10 hours. When I got home, Betsy had made a salad, quick sauce from the roast and we sat down to dinner and the
2005 d'Oupia "Les Heretiques" (VdP de l'Hérault). Still edges the Borsao as my favorite under $8 red. Juicy red fruit, not complex but well defined, ripe without any hint of flabbiness. Some herb and earth, very good wine for the price. B+/B
Tonight I made shrimp in a curry-ish sauce (onions, pepper, mint, cumin, turmeric, coconut, etc) along with baby artichokes fried with lemon. Wine was the 2004 Boxler Edelzwicker Reserve. Floral, some lychee, a little honey and almond. Seems just a touch off-dry, a little short, not a thrilling wine but does as well with a pair of complicated matches as any wine I could think of. B
The Boxler a decent value, the Iche a super value.
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.