2000 Santa Rita Medalla Real Spec. Res.

[hotwine]

Inky in the glass, nose of bruised black fruit and ball moss, more on the palate with a dash of cigar ash... moderate finish, 14.1% alc/vol. Too much acidity to enjoy on its own, but quite nice with grilled fare: NY strips dusted with dry rub, veggies marinated in Italian dressing ('shrooms, baby onions, sliced red peppers, yellow squash and zucchini), all grilled over oak during a brief thunderstorm. A gift from a little old blue-haired lady for doing a little welding job for her a few weeks ago. Looks like Spec's in Houston has it for $12.16, and seems like I've seen it at Sam's or Costco recently. I'll look for a few.

[Kcwhippet]

Now there's one I haven't heard of. What's ball moss?

[hotwine]

Tillandsia Recurvata (ball moss) is a weed that attaches itself to trees and steals nutrients from them. Not really a parasite, they nonetheless can kill a tree if left untreated. See http://www.altrue.net/site/ballmoss/

I sprayed the oaks out front at our place with a baking soda solution about a month ago to kill the moss infesting our trees; the moss clumps have now turned brown and should fall out of the trees within a few more weeks.

Their smell is very subtle.... dusty, a bit funky and mouldy.

The map at that website (http://www.altrue.net/site/ballmoss/section.php?id=4113) shows you're too far nawth to have seen the stuff yet.

BTW, the wine is a Chilean product.

[This message has been edited by hotwine (edited 07-12-2004).]