On snobbery

Today's post is on wine (I'm going to write about wine because Dr. Ricky is off in Outer Mongolia, playing beach volleyball, and he can't stop me until he gets back). Oh, and I'm going to write about snobbery. I'm an intolerable food snob. It's true. I won't eat pasteurized processed cheese products. I can't stand corn beers (like Budweiser). Most of my friends are aware of my snobishness (and tease me about it). But I surprised myself today...

The mini-McBardo and I ran errands today. We hit our neighborhood butcher, picking up another brisket, some chicken (that we grilled tonight, YUM!), some ground kangaroo meat that I hope to post about next weekend, and several pork bellies. Then we went to Costco for the regular stuff - laundry detergent, dishwasher detergent and... in California, Costco carries wine. It's very odd to see it sandwiched between the garbage bags and the butcher's department (as a further digression, Costco often has great meat, priced very well). I often buy wine at Costco, and we've done quite well with our choices. But today, they had something new that I had never seen before... Kirkland brand wine. Kirkland is the "generic" Costco brand. We use their plastic wrap and garbage bags, but I never would have imagined a Kirkland brand wine...


A miniature battle played out in my head... does the snob win? or the guy who likes to save money? Today, with the economy in shambles, the money-saver won. I bought a bottle of Kirkland Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon. $12. Costco says:

Kirkland Signature Napa Cabernet Sauvignon is impeccably balanced and graceful with layered aromas of blackberry and plum followed by complex flavors of dark fruit, cherry and cocoa. The combination fill the palate with sweet, toasty notes and present and a full bodied example of Cabernet Sauvignon which is crafted to be a structured fruit forward wine with rich body.

We opened it tonight. It's pretty good. Not discernibly oaked, multiple interesting flavours in it and a nice finish, we'll buy it again. With another label in another state, this would be a $17 - $18 wine (right around our cutoff). Colour me surprised.

But this begs the question, of course, can you serve Kirkland brand wine to guests?