Last weekend was, as you know, Memorial Day Weekend, and in Baton Rouge, that means Bayou Country Superfest comes to town. Full disclaimer: I am not a country music fan. However, I am married to one, which means I must annually endure two days of eight-dollar beers, numerous references to "sweet tea" in song, and listening to country-pop bands try to cover the occasional rock classic (in hopes, no doubt, to keep dopes like me engaged).
Truth be told, the event itself is a lot of fun. Given that it is held in Tiger Stadium, it has the feel of a college football game...and the people-watching is phenomenal. This year, I got lucky and the Black Crowes also performed the night before Superfest at another venue, so I did get my fix of good music.
That is one long segway into the topic that is always at hand on this blog - wine.
In an attempt to explain my general disinterest in contemporary country music to my bride last weekend, I mentioned that country music (to me) is so - in a word - obvious. Seemingly all of the songs are about the same range of subjects: tractors, girlfriends/boyfriends, servicemen and women, the good ol' days, being "country", and (for some reason) the beach. I hypothesized that country songs are simply penned using some sort of formula of words that must be referenced in order to sell records (see: sweet tea).
"That exactly why I like it", my wife responded. "You don't have to think about it or figure it out. It's just...fun. It reminds me of the good ol' days."
That got me to thinking...isn't this also true of wine? Sure, I love to enjoy and ponder an ethereal, complex, nuanced wine. Identifying the aromas and flavors as such a wine unfolds can be absolutely mesmerizing. At least for a wine geek like me.
But sometimes you just want something reliable and fun...even obvious. Casual backyard barbecues, tailgates, or just Tuesday night dinner often do not necessarily warrant a mysteriously complex wine. You want a tasty, easy-drinking quaff that you know you and your friends will enjoy. Often these "obvious" wines are readily available, inexpensive, and mass-produced. Year after year, their producers (dare I say "manufacturers") create wines that embody a certain style that consumers enjoy and have come to expect.
Is it obvious? Yes. Is it a consumer-driven formula? Yes. But sometimes it's just what you want. Maybe I'll give country music another shot. Mmmmmmaybe not. But at least I kinda get where my wife and the 70,000 other fans at Bayou Country Superfest are coming from.
Here are some of my favorite, go-to, perfectly obvious wines, all available at your local grocery for $10-12, tops:
Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling
Lindeman's Bin 65 Chardonnay
Cline California Zinfandel
Underwood Cellars Pinot Noir
Bogle Merlot
Jacobs Creek South Australia Cabernet Sauvignon
Enjoy!
