I find it ironic that I now enjoy watered wine.

The ancient Greeks, the culture that I studied for most of my higher education, thought it was strange when barbarians would drink their wine unmixed with water.  (Barbarians, it must be noted, was a term inclusive of all non-Greeks.  They all made funny sounds when they talked, “bar-bar-bar.”)

Socrates mixed water into his wine bowl, and I had never tried the practice myself, until I got a bottle of cheap chianti that could not have been made any worse by the dilution.  I tried it and was pleasantly surprised at the smoothness.

Now this bottle has lasted me twice as long, I have a mildly relaxing drink to sip upon that is blander than it is tart, and it makes me feel classical to imbibe in this manner.

I would not unsour a fresh Oregon pinot in this manner–at least, not yet.  For now, I think I have my cheap wine solution covered.