2005 Cline Red Truck

$9.50 from Metro Market. Funny. A year ago I was totally happy drinking red truck. Since then I've developed a habit of going to McCarthy and Schiering at the top of Queen Anne Hill, where I ask them to put together a case for me. When they ask how much, I say "Under $12, though you can throw in one special bottle." They wander around the shop picking inexpensive bottles they like, describing them in varying detail until we've come up with a dozen, and then I'm off.

Tasting these wines, combined with the exercise of writing these reviews has (I think) sharpened my appreciation of different wines, perhaps to my detriment. I really used to like red truck, but no more. In Jenny's words, "It's uninteresting." I find it very fruity, and a more than a little harsh on the palate.

Would I say the same if served it in a blind tasting, where someone told me it was some spectacular new Sonoma red? Maybe, though I certainly wouldn't bet on it, especially after the experiment where snooty wine people couldn't tell the difference between red wine and white wine dyed red.

That said, I think the facts are that there are far superior bottles to be had for just a dollar or two more, or maybe the same price if you're willing to hunt a little. And even when all you're having for dinner is leftover pizza, a pleasant bottle of wine is a welcome comfort.

Update: For a spectacular experiment on the importance of context when appreciating beauty, see Pearls Before Breakfast, wherein the impact of "one of the finest classical musicians in the world, playing some of the most elegant music ever written on one of the most valuable violins ever made," is judged in the context of a DC metro station.