in vino veritas

Ask not whither my eager steps are leading
They do not pause at veg, petfoods, cereals or crisps
Yonder and beyond they tread to the aisles of the bless'd
Where comfort and succour lie waiting in the furthest reach of shelving;
Bottles to the left, bottles to the right
Into the trolley of Tesco rolled the six hundred
Pence wine
Reduced from £9.99 allegedly
This week it is Chilean Pinot Noir
Last week a fruity Antipodean Sauvignon Blanc;
Some with screw tops, some with corks
From the dwindling lynx-prowled Iberian quercus forests
I never buy champagne;
Sometimes a bottle of sherry provides variety
Maybe a crisp Manzanilla with a bowl of olives ~ muy buen
French wine is my preferred taste destination;
Luscious purple grenache, merlot and syrah
Transport me back to sun-drenched
Augusts sitting in the shade of a plane tree
Beneath the battlements of Carcassonne
Enjoying the sussurus of cicadas whose diligent
Zithering speaks only of the South
Or a chilled Picpoul de Pinet
Its tangy sappiness encouraging a prawn cocktail
The poor relation of memorable fruits de mer
On the briny quais of Honfleur and St Malo
So many wines
So little time
Santé !!