Wine And Corkscrew

I know all weeks are stressful, but for whatever reason this week has seemed more so. Since waking up on Monday, the week has been non-stop. Work, friends, responsibilities, I am ready for Friday.

It’s weeks like this that leave me craving a good bottle of wine on Wednesday night, an ideal reward for making it halfway through the week. I started craving a good burger halfway through the day yesterday, and from that craving I let my mind wander to dreaming of side dishes like a baked potato with sour cream and sautéed spinach with lots of garlic. Comfort food to help ease my stress. I kept telling myself, “Get through today, and you’ll have the perfect Wednesday night meal.”

Chateau De MacardWhen my mind starts daydreaming about food, it naturally finds its way to the wine I want to drink, and last night I knew the exact bottle: a Château de Macard Bordeaux. I discovered this wine about a year ago, and immediately knew I had found a solid go-to bottle. I can usually find this wine for around $15, which makes it great for any occasion, and it’s just geeky enough to taste special.

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What makes this wine so geeky is the proportion of the grapes the winemaker uses to create this specific Bordeaux blend. While most Bordeaux blends use either a majority of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes or Merlot grapes – filling out the rest of the wine with the other grape (Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon), plus Cabernet Franc – this wine bucks the Bordeaux blend trend, using a majority of Cabernet Franc to create the wine. The resulting wine is earthy, with a touch of pepper and really nice flavors of blackberry and cherry. It’s different from other Bordeauxs you may have had, and this difference is very good!

I’ve served this wine at dinner parties, drank it alone while watching a movie and given it as a gift – it never disappoints. It’s a wine like this that you desperately need when you’ve had a hard week, and you’re just looking for a little respite.

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