Cabernet In A Paper Cup.

Last night was one of those nights that found me in an impromptu, exterior, social setting, with a small group of good friends. Of course, a nice bottle of wine was in order. Always prepared, I pulled my $2.00 corkscrew from my bag, but there were no wine glasses, or even ‘wine plastics’ in sight. Someone produced a pack of paper/foam/ paper-foam-hybrid, hot/cold cups from his trunk, and the rest is history…

It was a chilly night in Los Angeles (it was in the 40’s.. brrr….). Sweaters and wool caps, the steam of our breath swirling about. And a bottle of 2005 Whitehall Lane Cabernet; ahhhhh….. A great big warm wine for a cold night. This Napa Valley cab is a blend of 82% cab, 15% merlot and 3% malbec. Wine Enthusiast gave it ‘93 points’.

It started with a dark, deep, berry nose, then took me into a wonderful, crafted mouthful of cherry, blackberry and lovely vanilla. It finished with big, rich, velvety tannins that warmed my entire mouth. Oh, and just a hint of paper…. oh wait, that was the cup.

It was a cold night, with good friends, laughter, holiday well-wishing, all washed down with a lovely cup of wine. We crumpled them up and dropped them in the recycling bin, and said our goodnights…