White Wine Season.

I'm not a wine expert. In fact, I know virtually nothing about them other than the names of the varieties, their colors, and their respective standard flavors. I can tell you what I like and what I don't like, but all of it is based entirely on whether I truly enjoy sitting around and drinking it. There's no rhyme or reason, no explanation behind it...just that most basic gut reaction that indicates to me whether or not my tastebuds approve. Here's what I do know. During the winter months I tend to almost exclusively drink red wine, pinot noir for the most part, and during the warmer months I'm always excited to shift into drinking primarily sauvignon blanc. It's just so light and refreshing...usually with a great citrus kick. However, since I often find myself in stores with limited options (and sometimes find myself with limited funds), over the years I've found various blends and table wines that always do the trick. Much less embarrassing to show up at a dinner party with these than with a jug of Carlo Rossi, and infinitely more enjoyable to drink.



The Big House Red has been a longtime favorite of mine, since I first developed a taste for reds, in fact...this could be because it was the house red upstairs at City Grocery in Oxford, my second home. And, because I'm girly, I have to throw in the fact that it has a great label...hip but not stuffy or pretentious. Not that it would be pretentious, since it's a great $10 a bottle. It's also fruity (not in a sweet way, of course, but a tart cherry way), just spicy enough, and still smooth and drinkeable.

I introduced this wine to my fella shortly after we began dating when we found ourselves one night wandering up and down the aisles of a local package store, with little to no knowledge of what the other would and would not drink, looking for an appropriate bottle to suggest. When I spotted a lone bottle of Big House Red tucked away at the end of the aisle I gladly lunged for it. As aforementioned, it fit the bill perfectly, allowing me to avoid all the standard obstacles one faces when trying to impress a boy who is about to purchase a bottle of wine that you've suggested. It wasn't exorbitantly expensive, but while it DOES have a screw top, it didn't resemble a bottle of Boone's Farm either. It didn't look dull and stuffy. And since it was a blend (Carignane, Sangiovese and Charbono, in case you care), I didn't run the risk of getting a tepid response like "Oh...so you drink Pinot, huh?" He bought it. He loved it. He's now a regular purchaser.

But then spring came, which in Alabama lasts two weeks at best before hot, sticky summer sets in. I was over red wine. The next time we were at what by now has become "our" package store, I wasn't so thrilled when he immediately and casually swooped up yet another bottle. But then I spotted, thrill of all thrills, one single bottle of Big House WHITE just beside it. I bought. I drank. I was immediately pretty ok with the fact that my significant other preferred to stick to his own bottle instead of horning in on mine. I'm now a regular purchaser. All my (limited) research will turn up is that it is a blend of "at least nine varieties." But the web site's description of "a riot of citrus, flowers and peach" is right on target.

A couple of weeks ago I was flipping through a Real Simple article and spotted a page of wine suggestions which included the Big House Pink, a rose. Having (for the most part) gotten over my crippling fear of drinking anything which might look to the uninformed observer like a glass of white zinfandel, I immediately asked my nice package store owner if he'd order a bottle or two for a taste test. I'll keep you posted...