It's Wet And It's Dry

The passing of Ernest Gallo last week gave me a moment to reflect on the wine that I have consumed before, during and after its time. I certainly had my moments of wine snobbery, and was heard on several occasions to speak of the "woodiness" of a particular chardonnay. The truth is, my palate was never particularly sophisticated. Just as my beer tastes ran to that which was on sale, I was generally more concerned with the buzz than the bouquet.
For this reason, the wines of Ernest and Julio Gallo held a particular fascination for me. I knew that Beringer would be an overall more pleasant ride, but a bottle of Boone's Farm would get me there and back again for a fraction of the price. And if you thought you might fool somebody by showing up with a bottle of wine and passing it off as some modicum of culture, it came with a screw-top cap, not a cork.
Long before Ben and Jerry began filling the freezer section with such outlandish concoctions as Phish Food, Chunky Monkey, and Rainforest Crunch, Boones Farm (lovingly bottled - and capped by Ernest and Julio Gallo) shared their own bizarre array of taste sensations: Country Kwencher, Strawberry Hill, Sun Peak Peach, and Blue Hawaiian. For the lowdown on the relative savoriness of each of these fine wines, be sure to visit the "flavor review" section of Boonesfarm.net, the Internet fan club for what they refer to as "the best selection of drinks in the world." Included is the testimonial of a drinker from Bloomington, Indiana named Liz who raves: “I love Wild Island! It tastes like alcoholic bubble gum!”
And in my mind, Tyrolia is inexorably linked with Otter Pops.