Oh, big bottle…
How I adore thee,
Your beauty, your majesty…
Is it your size?
Or is it your rarity?
Maybe it’s what’s inside?
Eternal questions all…
But answers… what are they?
Imagination and dreams?
Or perhaps not what it seems?

A fantasy or reality?
An enigma, a riddle?
Or something quite ethereal?
The lust, the anticipation
What is passion?
And what is tangible?
For mere mortals?
Or only for deity?
The eye of the beholder
So shall it be revealed

One is here for all to see
Blinding in beauty
And stunning in form
But requiring little
And oh so beguiling
Viewed by thousands every day
Who pass by and do not see
Or stop and stare
But for a pittance
Own it for eternity

Standing oh so tall
With grace and symmetry
Who is the fairest of them all?
From here or somewhere far away?
Perhaps in the land of fantasy?
But let not your heart be troubled
Here she is
Her Royal Majesty
The Queen of wine
And attainable by all mankind

I am nothing but here to please
So revealed now are the four B’s
Big Beautiful Blue Bottle
And it is not empty
But filled with wine
Light and white and delicious cold
But may be improved if you are so bold
Refreshing any time
From across the seas
In the land of Veneto Italy

2010 D’Aquino Garganega Pinot Grigio Delle Venezie.

This wine in the BBBB is 84% Garganega and 16% Pinot Grigio. Garganega is a Italian white grape variety grown in the Veneto region of North East Italy. It is the 6^th most widely planted white wine grape in Italy and has a history going back hundreds of years.

The wine is pale yellow in color with a floral, citrus tinged perfume and is fresh, clean and light on the palate with faint floral and citrus notes and nice finesse and balance. It is best served ice cold where it is very refreshing –- Recommended. Imported by D’Aquino Italian Importing Company Duarte, California   $9.99 1.5L   Best Buy (Geez, the BBBB alone is worth the 10 bucks!)  

Serving Suggestions: This makes a great party wine for picnics, and light summertime meals served outdoors. Served ice cold from ice buckets, it makes a lovely drink and everyone can spend time marveling at the BBBB which is a great conversation piece. Gaze, smell, taste and enjoy, the BBBB is a delight. If you like, you could add a dash of fresh fruit juice of your choice (strawberry and white peach are particularly good) to each glass to give it a nice fruitiness. Or to kick it up another notch, add a splash of a great fruit liqueur to each glass. This adds a touch of sweetness and a delicious accent of fruit. But, be careful not to add too much. The fruit liqueurs are intensely flavored, very sweet, and high in alcohol. Start with a ratio of 10 parts wine to one part fruit liqueur. This is  a lot less than the standard recipe standard recipe of 5 parts wine to 1 part liqueur. But, for my taste, this is way too sweet. And, I prefer to go the other way with  a ratio of closer to 20 parts wine (or more) to one part fruit liqueur. But, experiment and adjust to suit your taste. The French often add fruit liqueurs to white wines. When made with crème de cassis (blackcurrant liqueur), the drink is called Kir. When made with crème de cassis and Champagne, it is called Kir Royale. However, this basic recipe can be used with all types of dry white wines and many other fruit liqueurs are often used as well, particularly peach, apricot, blackberry, and cherry. The French fruit liqueurs are fabulous. There are many different producers in France, but only a few are exported so you will need to check online or at your local specialty wine and liquor store to see what is available. Whatever you choose, served ice cold, this is a great drink for summer! And, this is a great entry into the UNDERGROUND blending game!  Besides, who knows? You might just find some other things to add that would put your party at an even higher level!

And, remember after you drink the wine and the party is over, there is still at least one thing left besides the memory. It’s the BBBB!  Bon Degustation !

In Vino Veritas,

John Tilson