Dating, Part One: 24

You’re probably asking, “why would anyone who’s not twenty-four want to date a twenty-four-year old?” The short answer is simple: Because I’m a guy. The long answer requires you to understand the thought process of the male gender of the species. By the time I was sixteen, I had developed a Thought Loop that played over and over in my head, day in and day out, and it went something like this:

I want to have sex right now.

Man, I wish I had a car.

I want to have sex right now.

 I am so not looking forward to my Algebra homework.

Repeat.

Thirty-whatever years later, the Thought Loop has undergone only a minor change:

Some sex would be pretty cool.

 I should be making more money.

 Some sex would be pretty cool.

 I need to be a better (insert whatever I currently hate about myself here).

Repeat.

You’ll notice a theme, here; a recurring motif, as it were. I could apologize for being uncouth from an Evolved Male standpoint, but it would be like apologizing for having an arm. Popeye spoke for all of us when he so eloquently professed, “I yam what I yam.”

So, yeah. This super hot 24-year-old said she wanted to hook up sometime, and I said yes, because I’m a guy. Did I have any idea what we’d talk about? No. Maybe Goldie Blocks versus Legos, or how convenient Garanimals are? I don’t know and I didn’t care. It was Go Time.

She was coming in from out of town, and we had planned on getting together the night she arrived. I wish I had saved the text, but the whole thing went down like this:

Her: I’ll be at my friend’s place around 8pm.

Me: Sounds great! I can swing by and we’ll go get some dinner.

Her: Kk. Hope I’m not tired (sleepy emoji with zzzs)

Me: That’s ok. You know, if you’re tired, we could just hang out, watch a movie, order in some Indian food.

Her: Seriously? You know, your kind of a dick.

Me: Wait…what?

Her: I thought you were a nice guy, but now your all “let’s watch Netflix and chill.”

Me: No! That’s not it at all! Sometimes dinner and a movie is just…dinner and a movie.

Me: Hello?

Me: Hellllooo?

Putting The Brakes On Go Time Because Of Your Millennial Cultural Ignorance Pairs With: BB by Bontar, Chateau Croix de Bontar Rose, Provence. First off, let apologize for being completely off the Blog Grid for about a month. I was using the time to do the “final” editing of my first novel, which I am happy to say I have completed. I’ve got a beta version out now to some friends for initial feedback, so while that happens, I can get back to these incredibly informative and amazingly useful wine reviews…

I had actually planned on reviewing an entirely different Rose, when a friend turned me on to this Chateau Croix de Bontar that she ordered on Amazon for all of eight bucks. It’s a blend of 50% Grenache and 50% Cinsault, and upon first taste seemed a tad more complex than most Provencal Roses. Then I noticed it was vintage 2013.

Most people don’t think of Roses as having the ability to age, but given the right varietal and good storage, aged Roses can reward with subtle layers of complexity. This is especially true with Roses of Cabernet and Merlot, and even Pinot Noir can get better over a few years. Cinsault isn’t much of an aging varietal, but Grenache certainly can be (think GSM blends of the Rhone). It also helps if the wine has a bit higher alcohol content. Most Roses come in about 12% to 12.5% ABV, but something a point higher than this can help with good bottle aging. Believe me, I love the crisp, bright, 2016 Roses, but do yourself a favor and discover the joys of something that has properly aged for a few additional years.

Because sometimes, a few more years makes all the difference.