I received a bottle of La Fiole du Pape Chateauneuf-de-Pape a couple of months ago as a gift from my old boss when I left the company. Knowing that it cost more than my usual bottle of Little Penguin or Mateus, I decided to save it. The other night, I figured I’d open it up and have it in celebration of my recent birthday and graduation.
The cork was a little dry, but I figured it was no big deal. I opened the bottle and let it sit for an hour or so while I made some (truly bitchin’) spaghetti and meatballs to go with it. Trying to be all fancy-like, I slowly poured myself a glass, swirled it, and took a noseful. It didn’t smell quite right, but knowing that it was a notoriously pungent wine, tasted it anyway. I might as well have taken a swig from my bottle of red wine vinegar. It had ‘oomph’, just not the good kind. My boyfriend seconded my opinion, so we ended up eating our dinner sans vin.
This morning, I headed down to the liquor store with my open bottle of (43 dollar, gasp!) wine in a paper bag. I explained what had happened to the cashier and he apologized for my inconvenience, offered me the option of a gift card or an even exchange on the bottle, and called a stock clerk to bring me what I wanted. What a pleasant experience. And the wine turned out to be great, if a little stronger than I’m used to.
Good suggestion.
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