Wine & Whine O' the Week (v. 1.6)

Last weekend, I played a short session at the Meadows ATM. Two buddies (BFF#1 and BFF#2) joined the game, talking a lot about their home game, the WSOP, and other poker talk. Already in the game was a good LAG player, “Action Jackson”. Anyway, I was looking to get into pots with AJ, when BFF#1 pushed his short stack over the top of AJ’s raise for a total of $70. AJ called, so I called OTB with Td8d. We check the flop and turn, and I catch a Ten on the river to win the pot. BFF#1 whined about my preflop call a bit, then wandered out to find an ATM (the machine, not the player).

A little later, I felted BFF#2 when he slowplayed and overplayed KK, letting me flop altos dos pairs with Q9o to stack him for $350 (including his shove into me on the river with just KK for $200 after I checked to him). A few hands later, BFF#1 raises preflop, and AJ calls, so I call with 8d6d in the cutoff. Flop is T-T-9 rainbow. Checks to me, so I bet 2/3 pot, and BFF#1 calls. Turn is a 7. Donkey Kong! BFF#1 checks to me, I bet, he pushes, I snap-call. Yup, BFF#1 has KK! BFF#1 looks at my hand and says, “You called with that? You must love your diamonds, huh?” before tilting off into the night.

Well, yes, I do love my diamonds—at least the Francis Ford Coppola Winery "Diamond Collection" of wines. The Diamond Series is a group of wines in the $15-$20 price range, offering good value for the quality. Perhaps the most unusual offering is the Alicante Bouschet Magenta Label 2007, an "off the beaten path" red grape varietal related to Grenache, but with both red skin and red flesh. It tends to make inky, deep red wines that are surprisingly lighter in taste than the color might indicate. Flavors tend toward cranberry sauce and strawberry jam, with a note of cinnamon in the background. Pairs well with pizza and red-sauced pastas.