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In Praise of
Red Wine
Ah!
Red wine!
Somehow I can’t imagine
The ancient Greeks or Romans
Sipping Chardonnay,
Can you?
And somehow you know,
When you go out on a date
With a woman who only sips white wine,
You’ll have trouble later on.
She probably doesn’t like garlic either;
Somehow garlic doesn’t go with white wine.
White
wine’s insipid, pale and weak,
Or else it’s acidic, pallid or sweet.
It’s served at gallery openings,
And other such events,
And those of us who love red wine
Stand around looking forlorn and lost;
And so we leave,
And head for the nearest place
That has real wine:
Red wine!
Probably North Beach.
Yes,
red wine’s the thing!
Red wine goes with garlic, bread and cheese.
Red wine goes with olives, ripe and green,
Or black and marinated,
Like in Spain or Greece.
Red wine is gutsy;
It has a nose;
It’s full-bodied,
Ripe and rich;
It goes with steak;
It goes with lamb;
It goes with pasta,
Hearty casseroles and stews.
Red wine’s peasant by design,
And pleasant by nature.
Oh
how I love Chianti,
Amarone,
Barolo,
And all those sensual Italians!
Or Rhône,
Châteauneuf-du-Pape,
Bordeaux and Beaujolais,
With hearty food,
Good company,
And flowing conversation.
Yes,
even the worst red wines
Are better than a Chardonnay!
Give me Cabernet,
Any day!
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