So I get home today and Fiona’s popping the cap on her second Miller Lite. I did a double take, but managed to compose myself before I walked back outside and checked the address on the house. “I’m having a beer, want one?” At the time, I was too confused to add alcohol to the mix, but shortly afterward we were having a couple of brews at the bar and grill down the road.

“I just wasn’t feeling like winies, but I needed a drink.” she explained to me as we perused the menu, “Is that strange?” Many would say no, but this was FionaGrigio, who is primarily responsible for bringing JohnnyWino into existence. “I’m just not used to you drinking beer. I like this side of you.” We took advantage of happy hour prices for a couple more rounds and decided grilling at home was our best option for dinner.

I like drinking beer with my wife. Usually, this suggests that it is still early in the day and we’re outdoors. Wine is a fine beverage, but it’s best in the evenings and doesn’t cooperate with ice chests. She really enjoyed having a few on the beach when we were in Florida. We split a 12 pack at Scroggins on the 4th of July. I’m hoping she’ll have a few drafts at the Texans game on Saturday. Fiona drinking beer means we’re doing something out of the ordinary.

I have not forsaken wine. There’s nothing I enjoy more than sharing a bottle over dinner or sitting on the back porch chillin’ with some pinot in the chiller. I even thought about opening a bottle last night when we got home. We are all about wine. But beer is a nice diversion once and a while.

When I first read about this movie, I wasn’t too excited. Now that I’ve seen the trailer, I can’t wait. It’s based on the 1976 “Judgment of Paris” in which American Chardonnays and Cabernet Savignons were pitted against their French counterparts. The movie chronicles the journey of Steven Spurrier, a British wine merchant who travels to the US to squash the notion that California had begun producing wine that rivaled the French. It’s showing in an hour, but I’ll probably wait until the weekend before I go see it. Currently, it’s not playing at either of the Alamo Drafthouses, which is a shame. This is the ideal movie for that setting.

Last weekend when I went out for wine, I grabbed what I like. I didn’t feel like trying something new; I didn’t care how it paired with what I was eating, or what others thought about the wine I chose. I just wanted to sit down with a glass in my hand and enjoy. Since I began this blog, I’ve been going out of my way to expand my knowledge and palate. It’s been nice, but I think I’m going to settle into a routine that’s a little more…me.

I drank the same beer for close to twenty years. I never really felt the need to change. I’m a very pragmatic person. It was nice to walk into Spec’s and pick out exactly what I wanted and leave. I didn’t need any help; I didn’t wander around aimlessly for a half-hour second guessing my decisions; I didn’t buy something I didn’t really care for and have to drink it anyway. I was in and out. I spent my night conversing with my wife and listening to music. Relaxed.

Don’t worry, this is not the end of JohnnyWino by any means. Quite the opposite. I began this journey a little over two months ago. We’ve been through a few twists and turns, along with several bottles of wine. In the process, I’ve learned a few things about wine, but even more about myself. I’ve rediscovered my love for writing, something that had eluded me for several years. I’ve reaffirmed my fondness for wine. I’ve reexamined the social contexts that are associated with drinking wine. I’ve reevaluated my direction as a wine drinker.

To those who have been with me from the beginning, thank you for sticking with me while I created and developed a persona for this JohnnyWino character. He will continue to be there to inform and entertain in his own special way. However, he will become less of the folktale legend I originally envisioned, and more of the everyday guy that I am. For those who have recently found JohnnyWino. Stay tuned. JohnnyWino will never change the world, but he’ll do his best to put a smile on your face and keep you thinking.

The number of people who prefer to drink beer is rising, according to the results of the latest Gallup Poll. The yearly poll determined that 42% of US drinkers will usually grab a beer, while 31% cited wine as their preferred drink. This marks the first time since 2002 that beer has gained a 10 point lead over wine. In 2005, wine actually surpassed beer as the American drink of choice (39%-36%). However, beer has made a steady comeback since then.

There are several possible reasons for the return to pilsner prominence. One writer contributes the spike in ‘02 to the movie Sideways. A friend who worked for Glacier said that they could not keep Pinot Noir on the shelves, while practically having to give away Merlot. Personally I feel this angle is weak, but I did enjoy the movie. I was already drinking wine by then, but it did help solidify my preference.

Americans love food, and wine gave them another aspect to their meals. Pairing food and wine became a sport to many, and beer was left behind. Even Flavor Flav was in, “White wine is for fish, and red wine goes with salads.” Brewers noticed, and have now begun to market varieties that can be paired with foods also.

I hate to get all political on my readers, but I think the biggest factor has to be the economy. Alcohol is a luxury item. The poll shows that frequency of consumption decreases as income drops. With the dollar being weak and gas prices soaring, there’s just not enough left to throw down $25 a bottle. Especially when you can buy a case of beer for the same price. Age is also a factor. In the under 30 crowd, wine came in a distant third at 19%, compared with beer’s 45% and liquor’s 33%.

What does all this mean? Not much. Beer has and most likely always will be tops in America. It is immediately associated with all our favorite pastimes: barbeque, football, the beach… I think wine has done a fine job of establishing itself in the market recently, and will continue to grow among the more mature crowd. To me, it’s a lifestyle thing. I wasn’t ready for wine when I was 25 or even 30. But today, it has become a part of me.

I’m putting Missouri on my “places to visit” list. More specifically, Ballwin. Wine necessities was founded in 2005 by Jacque James and Jen Seitz. They enjoyed making their own personalized wine and noticed that friends and family were intrigued and curious about the process. Today, Wine Necessities allows customers to design and produce a six gallon batch of wine. The process takes about 6-8 weeks. On the first visit, customers will select varietals and mix the wine. About two months later they return to filter, bottle, cork and dress the wine bottles with their own personalized labels. One batch makes about 25-27 bottles and costs between $210-260. Who’s up for a road trip?

I spent 48 hours away from the computer. It wasn’t anything planned. I was out yesterday, and didn’t really have the time to be on the computer. It felt pretty good. I never really thought about it, but we spend an inordinate amount of time doing the keyboard/monitor combo routine. I would actually log off my computer at work, and log on to my computer at home. Fortunately, teaching is a very interpersonal profession, where I would say that the majority of time is spent having human contact. But that majority is rapidly becoming the minority. In my short eight years in the classroom, computer knowledge and use has changed from being a luxury to a necessity. Remember when using a computer was strictly recreational? It wasn’t so long ago.

I’m looking back to the year 2000. We’ll say it’s early summer. I just finished college, and I’m still making sandwiches at Schlotzsky’s. That was, and probably forever will be, my last computerless job. Sure, there were computer-like devices that I dealt with, but no actual computer being used to generate reports, create new documents, or research information and trends. in actuality, it really should have been a computer using job. Most restaurants by this time used computers for inventory at the very least. Jim, the owner, was computershy-and that’s putting it mildly. It made my job easier, since I just wrote out reports and did a simple monthly inventory. Life was refreshingly uncomplicated.

Computers are so much a part of our day to day lives now. I still have a few friends who have avoided the technological revolution, John Aitkens and Donnie come to mind (I can print their real names because they’ll never know). I think about the old days when we used dial up from AOL. Chatting was big. I would sit at my desk chatting away while listening to tracks stolen, not purchased, from Napster and drinking beer. Internet porn was still exciting, not just some crap that keeps showing up when you don’t want it. It took like two minutes for a picture to download from an email. Floppy discs were actually useful.

But that was the past. We now have access to the entire would at our fingertips. I would say it’s more convenient than scary. And underappreciated. Twenty years ago, there was no mapquest. You couldn’t buy tickets without standing in line. Restaurants did not have their menus posted so you could know what you were going to order before you even left the house. It really was a different world. A world I miss from time to time.

However, the reality is that there is no way I could live without my computer today. It has embedded itself a member of the family, almost like the family dog, only less affectionate. Our desktop is on its last leg, but we’re holding on to it. There’s an attachment there. I don’t want to “train” a new computer to know my preferences. Every picture I’ve taken with my wife is held here. I have work files, resumes and even poems; all my memories sitting here beside me, just waiting for me to need them. I can tell my computer my greatest secrets, and it will share them with the world.  Just like your friends.

I received this balloon as gift wrapping for my birthday present from the Boyds on June 27. Today is July 26, which means it has been flying in my dining room for almost a month. I’m no helium expert, but I’ve never had a balloon last anywhere near this long. I find it truly amazing. It shows no signs of ever coming down either. The best part is that it celebrates me, and my birthday will never end until it descends.

There is one thing that worries me. I have nothing better to do than take pictures of a balloon and write about it on the internet. I still have three weeks of summer left, and I’m resigned to this. Someone please help!!! Barney is sick of me being in his face all day, This morning, he decided that sitting outside by himself was a step up from hanging with me.

Don’t get me wrong. I’ve had a great summer. We went to Austin and Florida. We’ve hit several events around town that we would have skipped if I had been working. I spent several days fishing. I’ve had fun, but it’s time to get back to work. I know that when November rolls around I’ll be yearning for some time off, but today I’m bored. But please, don’t feel sorry for me. I can do that all by myself.

We decided to have some wine Tuesday, so I headed out to Spec’s. Since it was a spontaneous trip, I really didn’t have time to consider what to buy. I picked up a bottle of Chateau Bonnet-a really nice White Bordeaux for under $10, and really couldn’t decide where to go from there. I remembered an article I read the other day that suggested heading to the chilled wines. The author made the assertion that the wine stewards usually keep their favorites chilled, and that the cooler was a great place to find good, reasonably priced wines.

They have a big cooler at Spec’s, so I still had some deciding to do. I picked up Chateau Cadillac (also a Bordeaux) White. As many of you know, Cadillac’s red has been my standby since late January. I’ve stayed away from the white because of it’s color, urine. I know you won’t find that one in a Crayola 64 pack, but that’s the best way to describe it. I really didn’t see anything else that jumped out at me, so I decided to give it a try.  After all, their red is awesome, they couldn’t possibly be too far behind on their white. It was even a 2005. After tasting it, I decided the color wasn’t urine, it was apple juice. Because that’s exactly what it tasted like. Except not as sweet. It tasted like the juice of unripened apples. It wasn’t horrible, but it wasn’t great either. At least now I know.

I reported a while back how the French were working on ways to spice up its advertising for younger consumers. I personally think they are overlooking the perfect opportunity, but no one listens to me. Coteaux du Tricastin AOC, is considering a name change simply because they share the moniker with an adjacent nuclear power plant. Maybe I’m a little too far outside the box, but I see endless marketing prospects for these wines. Kids today would drink this shit, even if it didn’t contain alcohol. It can’t be any worse for you than Red Bull. Here’s the clincher, the Tricastin plant actually leaked uranium on July 11. Growers in the area are worried they might suffer negative publicity from the breach, but I say bring it on!

The Senior British Open is underway this weekend in Troon, Scotland, and one of my favorite golfers of all time has plenty to celebrate with, if he should win. Craig Stadler, known to many as “The Walrus” because of his stocky build and handlebar mustache, aced the 123 yard par three dubbed the “Postage Stamp” because of its size. Stadler, a wine enthusiast, won a bottle for each yard, a little over 10 cases when you do the math. Let’s hope he can’t collect the prize until after he turns in his card on Sunday. Of course, none of the articles I found answered the most important question. What kind of wine did he win?