I generally enjoy a little wine with dinner. Never more than half a bottle of course. No, never! Well, hardly ever.

Sometimes I read the labels. On this evening's bottle I noticed a medallion pasted above the label.

"AVP - Official Wine of Pro Beach Volleyball 2001"

You just can't get more "California" than that now can you?

Was it any good? Barefoot California Zinfandel (non vintage). The fine print said "an immense wine" and they weren't kidding. If it were any more substantial you'd have to drink it with a spoon. And soft, yes it was soft - But you need a dinner of substance to mate with it.

Frogland and Oz have their work cut out for them if they want to compete with this stuff - at $3.99/bottle (750ml). Of course it's a bit soft on tannins so it probably won't age real well - but who wants to wait?

Oh, yes, dinner? Well, I was falling asleep so I did something real easy. Rotella pasta cooked perfectly al dente and simply seasoned with extra virgin olive oil, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, stirred together with with a generous portion of little cubes of fried Jersey Pork Roll.

Pork Roll courtesy Yendor. Yes, what little remains is waaaaay past expiry, but this stuff has so much salt in it it's probably eternal - even mold won't grow on it.

Anyway, I'll be be finishing the last of it for breakfast in the morning, fried up with some fine hickory smoked bacon and finished with a generous portion of green peas - but I think I'm going to skip the poached egg on top. Most of the pork roll got used up learning how to make a Jersey Breakfast Sandwich and getting good photos - to be published soon.