I like wine, mostly the $3-$5 kind that gets nice reviews from experts. We have good friends who come over regularly and sometimes provide a bottle of wine, a pleasant social gesture that we appreciate. Recently, this friend brought a bottle from his dad's wine cellar and said he hoped Lisa and I would enjoy it. I thanked him and he asked where he could put it and I pointed out the seven-bottle wine rack over the refrigerator. He place it there with considerable care and we joined our other gusts.
Later, I looked at the bottle. I was unfamiliar with the winery, no big deal because I'm unfamiliar with lots of wineries, with the exception of Boone's Farm, a carryover from grad school days in Iowa City. The gift bottle had a lovely label. So I went searching on the internet and learned that anyone could purchase the very same bottle of wine that was now in my possession: IF the person had considerable wealth. My mouth fell open at the advertised price and I know now that I can not yet think of a single event that would justify celebrating with that bottle of wine. (I did not look up the wine to see the price, but it came up automatically.)
And to tell the truth as I give you an insight into our wine budget, I was upset when my favorite go-to wine, Double Dog Dare Winery Cabernet Sauvignon, hiked their price from $4 to $5 a bottle, pushing me to the edge of my wine budget. I will survive, but that special bottle is calling me from the top of the refrigerator. I am praying for strength to resist.
