Rioja Time

Well, it's Saturday evening and a tasty steak is our choice for an evening meal, sowhat better than to quaff a splendid Rioja.

As red wines go, it is my current favourite, although of course I will not turn my nose up at any reasonable alternative.

Time was when I could not take red wine in any shape or form. Or so I thought! At the time I had a friend who would visit at least once a week to talk business. Usually at lunch time, and it was not unknown for us to share a beer, and probably end up having lunch.

A bottle of red to share between us was the norm. But then I found that I was often pretty poorly and under the weather. So red wine was out for many months.

Then my friend retired and very soon returned to his native Scotland. That was the turning point, and I discovered that red wine, of whatever variety was not my downfall. My Scottish friend also insisted we should have a Glenfiddich malt whisky chaser. Not simply after our meal, but after each beer as well.

OK, I was much younger at the time and probably enjoyed and was able to cope with rather more beer and wine than I could now. I've also matured to appreciate wine more for what it is.

But it took my friend returning to Scotland for me to realise that my feeling poorly had very little to do with either the odd glass of beer or red wine. The killer was the malt!

So today I can enjoy a glass of Rioja, a Bordeaux or a Bergundy equally, and like this evening, a perfect accompaniment to a steak!

My friend had a lot to answer for at the time!