Betsy was taking Dave to airport Mon eve, so I was in charge of
dinner. Slow cooker with lentils and tomato, trumpet/creminis, salad,
and garlic bread. I used some of the 2007 Hugel Gewurztraminer (375
ml) for the mushrooms, and we had as an apertif. Floral, some lichee
and peach fruit, a little minty note. Decent acidity for Gewurz, not
exciting but good for a $9 half. B/B-

Dinner wine was the 2000 Calabretta Etna Rosso. At first I'm not a
fan- there's a pruney note and some oxidation over a base of spicy red
fruit. I like it better with air, where paradoxily (is that a word?)
the oxidative notes fade a bit. Medium body, still a fair amount of
tannin. Earth, spice, citrus zest. Not really what I expected (more
tannic and rustic than the Biondi Etna I am used to) but nice wine. A
pretty fair value in mid-$20s. B

Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent
wine, B a good wine, C mediocre. Anything below C means I wouldn't
drink at a party where it was only choice. Furthermore, I offer no
promises of objectivity, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency.*
*