All right, I'm no child. But it was mad hot in the city today, the first real summer's day. Spring came late and rainy this year, and we've fast-forwarded to summer. People bitch about the heat and the cost of running the AC, which is absolutely needed when your small apartment has no cross-ventilation and a western exposure. It was extreme today, but I don't feel thoroughly disgusted with the heat.
Still, you need a respite from it. As that respite, we went out to New Jersey, in the area near Morristown, which dispels every negative image you might have of the Garden State. It's lush, green, beautiful and well-tended in the way that only extremely rich places can be. The place is crawling with wildlife -- we saw a fox run across the road and, later, deer in the driveways and along the roads. And on the deck and in the swimming pool of Ken's brother we drank a great deal of well-chilled white wine from France, California and New Zealand.
More heat tomorrow and, I hope, rather more distinguished wine to drink. But let me tell you something -- that industrial, standardized NZ Sauvignon Blanc wasn't half bad as we fought the heat and fed our faces on yummy stuff. There's a place for such wine, but I suspect it's not at the dining room table.
Happy summertime, everyone.
writers about wine are tossing around the condemnatory or at least belittling word "industrial" a lot these days. And of course, we love the small-production, hands-on, family-made wines that seems so authentic and honest. but what was the sauvignon blanc from New Zealand you were quaffing? how do you know it was "industrial"? and what does that even mean?
Posted by: fredric koeppel | June 08, 2008 at 09:37 AM
It's Babich SB, 2007. It's always the same, it's okay but not too interesting or complex, and they make zillions of bottles of it a year. Maybe instead of "industrial" I should have written "mass-market."
Posted by: th | June 08, 2008 at 09:57 AM
it's hot as hell here in texas, there's a very hot wind that's been whippin' around too. kind of feels like a blow-dryer, but NOT good for the hair, at all...trust me.
salute
Posted by: tracie b | June 08, 2008 at 11:44 AM
TB, these guys would love to have your hair problems
Posted by: AC | June 08, 2008 at 06:08 PM