Danny Green Quartet
There’s something to be said for deprivation, and that’s that deprivation totally sucks. Regular readers will remember that just three weeks ago in this very space, I announced that I was temporarily giving up wine. And not just wine: carbs, dairy, oils, salt, sugar—pretty much all the good things in life. Just for a couple of weeks, of course, in a desperate attempt to purify my body of toxins and perhaps shed a few pounds.
I’m happy to announce that the cleanse was a success. Mostly, that is. See, I went without burritos, and I went without cream in my coffee. I ate bland, miniscule pieces of chicken next to enormous servings of steamed broccoli. I drank lemon water and sipped on cranberry juice with Psyllium husk. I did everything I was supposed to do, and I did it well. Except for one small part. After just a couple of days of stringent intentional deficiency, it became clear that the whole thing would simply go better with wine.
That’s right, I cheated. Think of me what you will, but it certainly helped take the edge off.
The thing about cheating, though, is that you always have to ask yourself if the results were worth it. In this case, I’m happy to answer with a resounding yes, because I cheated with a bottle (or two) of Santa Julia 2011 Innovac!ón Malbec Tempranillo. It’s Argentinean, naturally, straight from Mendoza, featuring a blend that’s 60-percent Malbec. The bottle itself feels substantive, thick and heavy, while the wine—which sells for $12 at Whole Foods—is potent without being overdone. The immediate flavors are cherry and plum, with a nice sense of spice and blackberry. It’s got a gorgeous violet color to it, but it goes into the mouth all silky smooth, never abrasive against the tongue. It’s got a nice long finish to it, too, and you’ll be happy to have those flavors hanging around, like the slightly inebriated guests whom you’re not unhappy to have stick around after a good dinner party.
So, yes, I cheated. Sue me. But before you do that, buy yourself a bottle of this wine. Because, sometimes, cheating pays off.
Write to anders@sdcitybeat.com and editor@sdcitybeat.com. You can follow Anders on Twitter at @anderswright.
