Great (Easy) Wine Tasting

It seems that I post about wine a lot... Here's another wine related tip: Not only is Trader Joe's great for yummy, healthy food it's also a good source for reasonably priced wines. Sure, there are varying opinions on the infamous two buck (really three buck) Chuck- probably their best selling brand. I think that one depends on type. I really like their Shiraz but the other reds are just ok. I digress... Trader Joe's conducts informal wine tastings in-store during the evening. I didn't have to buy a thing to sample the rainbow of wine in front of me. The employee pouring the wines was very knowledgeable. I expected it to be a grab and gulp operation and was pleasantly surprised when he actually made me work through the reds to the fuller bodied Shiraz. He even paired the wines with samples of cheese and chocolate and made we cleanse my palate with a dessert wine at the end. Needless to say, I had to roam the aisles for a while before leaving!

Yes, these are all traits you would expect at a wine tasting. However, you usually pay a tidy sum to take part. At Trader Joe's, I just waltzed through the door and got to taste and learn a lot for FREE! Yes, my favorite word, FREE. I have only gone once, partly because I don't want to be known as the Trader Joe's wine mouch. I have no idea if this is done at all locations every evening or not. Sadly, I admit that I did not do much research on this topic. I do recommend checking it out sometime if you want to learn more about wines but don't know where to start and don't feel like investing any money into the pursuit. Although, it is hard not to buy one of their bottles after you've sipped some.

Trader Joe's wine tasting is a great thing!

Great Public Service

You probably never thought you'd see "great" and "public service" in the same title. Well, it's true- your tax payer dollars are at work for something truly beneficial: The public library. I always forget what a great service the library can be. I visited yesterday and was amazed at how busy it was and how much there was to check out. I'm sure most of you are stuck with library memories of sea turtle research papers and encyclopedias of ancient civilizations that have a copyright of 1969. I, too, have been an info snob and have considered much of what the library offers to be outdated. That may still hold true. Good thing I'm not doing a research paper on anything new and exciting. What impressed me last night was the great selection of media you can check out for FREE. Yes, my favorite word: FREE. Unless you're looking for super new releases, next time you want to rent a DVD for the weekend- go to the library. They have "real" DVDs like Spiderman and The Omen as well as the educational classics we saw millions of times in high school. What is even cooler than that is their collection of compilation DVDs. They had many TV series box sets that you can rent for two weeks. Did I mention it's FREE? I checked out Touched by an Angel Season Two and Penn & Teller Bullshit Season One (that one's for Don.). They had Cheers, Golden Girls, ER. I was so impressed. Of course, it's not a huge selection, so if you are specifically looking for Season Five of Gilmore Girls only- don't hold your breath. You can also check out CDs and they aren't all classical, either (although there are many classical offerings.). I checked out the new Michael W. Smith CD for Don and checked out Wicked on a whim a few years ago and got hooked. Same thing: if you want something specific this probably isn't the place, but if you are open to discovering some new things this is a great low commitment way to do it. Next time you're bored and thinking about checking out some different DVDs, CDs and books drive to the library instead of Blockbuster. You can even check the inventory online. The library has become more user friendly for sure.

The public library is a great thing!