Tuesday

Here's a little update for New Year's Eve.  I'll add more later this afternoon.

My experience last weekend where I had to return a bottle of wine to Hy Vee because it was undrinkable is a sign that I need to expand my wine horizon in 2014.  This was a $22 (on sale) William Hill Napa Valley Cab that I have had previously with good results.  I know that any bottle can have a corking problem, but in retrospect, I gotta say that I drank a lot of very ordinary wine in 2013.

One theory is that the rollover in most vintages sold in our local stores has brought 2010 and 2011 into play...and they may just not be as good as the earlier years.  Don't know that for sure, but we had some supposedly "fine" wine at the Men's Holiday Luncheon on Friday and at Biaggi's on Friday evening...and neither experience was memorable.  Now, I didn't recognize the wine at the lunch, but my pal Jimmy isn't known for skimping at the wine bar.  And the Biaggi's selection was definitely a hit in previous visits.  If the premise holds that I'm not moving up the wine-snobbery ladder, I think the vintage argument has some legs (so to speak).

I'm thinking that I may go the Wine Club route for 2014...or at least go the Internet Wine Acquisition route.  Its not like Hy Vee cuts me any deals for my volume purchases.  If Total Wine could ship to Iowa, I'd be a regular customer.  I know that one of my goals for 2013 was to find another wine source...and that didn't happen.  I guess that carries over to 2014 goals.

Still haven't been able to get into these meaningless college football bowl games.  Iowa plays tomorrow against LSU.  The Hawks stole one from LSU a few years ago in the same game.  Iowa is getting 8 points in the betting line this time.  I don't think that will be enough.

The market is open today.  I don't expect heavy action.  Most of the manager's will have locked in their results so that they can celebrate the big gains this year.  Wall Street gained nearly 30% in 2013.  How did that happen?  Does anyone really feel like the economy was a monster these last 12 months?  Goes to show ya, the tea leaves are hard to read.  And zero interest rates along with the Fed printing press make equities the only game in town.

So I will get back here later today and complete this entry.

BCOT