A Most Unusual Wine Glass

Mrs. Fussy is gone, but she will return. Friday we brought her to Albany International Airport, where she easily made it to Newark. But because of thunderstorms, in Newark she stayed. And stayed. And stayed. Finally making it to the western United States sometime on Saturday afternoon.

I suggested she spend the wee morning hours at a 24-hour diner nearby the airport, but instead she chose the airport Dunkin’ Donuts. Let’s blame her choice on blinding tiredness and dementia. As you may know, I find Dunkin’ to be disgustin’.

As for me, Friday was spent with another fun filled family outing with Albany Jane and John. It wasn’t the traditional shabbos dinner. Instead it was pizza at Red Front, ice cream at The Snowman, and bacon. Let me tell you, it’s amazing to be friends with people who make their own bacon from Berkshire pork bellies. Uh. Maize. Ing.

The whole evening was a bit over-indulgent, even though the bacon was to take home for later. So once the kids were safely tucked into bed, it was time for a little red wine. Except this time I did something a little differently.

Actually, I had thought about a glass of absinthe. It really would have settled my stomach and hit the spot. But as fate would have it, I had about half a bottle of wine left over from just the night before.

Usually, I promote the use of good wine glasses. To me, that’s a clear, stemmed glass with a generous bowl, a thin rounded lip, and no seams. Some will make a big deal about the proper shape of the glass. And their argument is totally legitimate, the shape of a glass absolutely affects the taste of the wine. However, it’s unreasonable to expect everyone to have every shape glass at home.

At our house we have Champagne flutes, Bordeaux tulips, and Burgundy bowls.

A good glass can dress up an inexpensive wine and make it feel special. But sometimes we opt for something a bit more casual. We do have a selection of small bistro glasses, but Mrs. Fussy finds their capacity lacking. Her preference is for the cow cups, which are about ten-ounces, clear thick glass, with a cow in profile stamped on its side.

But Friday, I chose none of those. There were a couple of reasons.

First, despite the fun with Albany Jane, Friday was a rough day. I spent several hours on the phone and computer trying to help a stranded Mrs. Fussy long after the kids went to bed. There was some thought she might need to spend the night on someone’s couch, and I was arranging that as she was dealing with ticket agents.

Second, I knew I was heading out of town and that the remainder of the leftover wine wouldn’t be very tasty when I came back from providence. It was clear that I’d be draining the bottle of its contents.

So naturally, I poured the wine into a pint glass.

Believe it or not, I think that was a first for me. It was kind of fun, in a ridiculous over-the-top way. It’s only about two glasses worth of wine in one convenient carrying device. And I sat with it in front of the television where I actually watched Jimmy Kimmel Live over the air on a digital TV signal.

Crazy, I know. And as luck would have it, Steve Martorano was on promoting his new cookbook Yo Cuz! and I got to watch them make an improved Philly-style pizza steak.

Now I’m off to Providence to see my mom. She’s probably going to read this, which means I’ll spend much of the trip trying to convince her I’m not an alcoholic. Mrs. Fussy will be away for a few more days, so until she returns, you will just have to put up with my poor use of commas and lack of desire to proofread my own work.

Thank you for your patience and understanding.