Monday, November 30, 2009

Rachel Alexandra has arrived


Today the UPS man knocked on my door for a signature required package. Upon opening the package I discovered that my Rachel Alexandra wine made by Kendall-Jackson had arrived. So what did my 50 bucks get me?? The wine came with a glossy card insert with a photo of Rachel on the front and a message stating:

This limited bottling commemorates the 2009 racing campaign of Rachel Alexandra, the extraordinary horse who inspired millions

Unless of course you are a Zenyatta fan, for by judging various comments in the blogosphere and Twitterverse, Rachel has really not inspired you at all. I wonder, when Zenyatta’s wine comes out will it one up Rachel and say..the extraordinary horse who inspired billions.


Anyway, what to do with the wine? The back of the card describes the wine as a 100% Pinot Noir, Vintage 2007 from the western slope of the Arroyo Seco appellation in Monterey County. I don’t know what that means, as yours truly buys his wine by waltzing into the Exit 9 Wine & Liquor Warehouse in Clifton Park NY once a week. I ask the friendly staff for a good bottle of wine for under $20 bucks to match whatever I am cooking/eating that day/night wherein they promptly point me where I need to go, just like the old guy who greets you when you walk into Wal Mart looking to buy a flat screen TV.


The glossy card provided to me free of charge with my bottle goes on to say the wine was aged 10 months in 100% French oak barrels, 41% new. Is that good?? who knows, I can barely interpret all those #’s in the Daily Racing Form despite years of reading it, now I am supposed to absorb numbers on wine stuff so quickly.


I guess I have some time to figure this out, as the card says:

Enjoy now or cellar for five years.

What about the temperature in the cellar?..Doesn’t say…oh well for now it will sit on my desk, keeping my NYRA calendar company,while I go get a beer.

4 comments:

Superfecta said...

I only do beer, and I don't do oak-aged anything - it probably wouldn't work for me!

Luvbarbaro said...

I do like wine, but I drink the white stuff. When I saw the name Rachel Alexandra, your column popped up in my Twitter and grabbed my attention of course. Whoever you are, your blog was good & I am usually in the middle of some of those "discussions" you were referring to, the "other mare" who's name I won't say.

ljk said...

I think you should "shop local" at Purdy's. Great selection.

Off topic but can you believe they downgraded the Go For Wand Handicap?

The last eleven winners include 4 champions: Ginger Punch, Ashado,
Azeri, and Banshee Breeze. In the last two decades add horses like Go For Wand, Heavenly Prize, Turnback the Alarm, and Sky Beauty. Prior to that Personal Ensign, Lady's Secret, and on and on...

SaratogaSpa said...

ljk-I was surprised too, although they did upgrade the Alfred G Vanderbilt Stakes to a Grade 1. Thanks for reading.