OK, we’re REALLY dating ourselves, but tonight’s wine inspired (reminded) us to recall a song from Dr. Demento back in the sixties. . .of course, we were just children and thought it had a funny beat and a strange score, but other than that, the teens of the day loved it.

And, who wouldn’t. . .after almost 45 years, tonight was the first time we’d actually READ the lyrics!  Wow, no wonder our parents’ didn’t like us listening to the music back then.  Wait–that’s what we said to our kids not once, not twice. . .but TONS of times over the past 6-7 years!  It really is true–what goes around comes around…and you’ll grow up to become your parents!!

For those of you who have forgotten Dr. Demento’s song, it’s called “They’re Coming To Take Me Away!”–and it goes something like this,

“Remember when you ran away
And I got on my knees and begged
You not to leave
Because I’d go berserk?
Well!
You left me anyhow and then
The days got worse and worse
And now you see I’ve gone
Completely out of my mind And
They’re coming to take me away, Ha-ha
They’re coming to take me away, Ho-ho
Hee-hee-haa-haa
To the funny farm
Where life is beautiful all the time
And I’ll be happy to see those
Nice young men in their clean white coats and
They’re coming to take me away, ha-ha!
You thought it was a joke
and so you laughed, you laughed,
when I had said that losing you
would make me flip my lid.
Right?
You know you laughed
I heard you laugh
You laughed, you laughed
and laughed and then you left but
Now you know I’m utterly mad
And
They’re coming to take me away, ha-ha,
They’re coming to take me away, ho-ho,
hee hee, haa haa
To the happy home
With trees and flowers and chirping birds
And basket-weavers who sit and smile
And twiddle their thumbs and toes
And they’re coming to take me away, ha-hahaha…”

Yeppers, they don’t write lyrics like that anymore!  Actually, depending on the kind of music you choose to listen to, it may be a lot worse!

We’re  a little mesmerized by tonight’s wine, “Stark Raving, Red”–from the Rosenblum Cellars folks.  The Stark Raving Red is a non vintage blend of 34% Tannat, 28% Zinfandel, 18% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Petite Sirah and 6% Other (why do they just say “other,” it’s not a field blend, they know what grapes they purchased) sourced from 80% Central Coast AVA and 20% Lodi AVA (which is inside the Central Coast AVA). The wine is produced by Rosenblum Cellars and should retail for under ten bucks…at Twin Liquors in San Marcos, we picked this wine up for under $9. . .of course, it was on sale.  And, even though it’s a non-vintage, we have to tell you the combination of dark cherry and plum shine through, there are layers of flavor that carry through from the mid-palate (especially the plum in mid palate)  to the back and the finish is better than several wines we’ve tasted that cost double the price.

Would we bring it out with special guests?  Probably not, but we’d sure use it as a deck and fire pit wine.  With fajitas, it was a nice complement right down to the rice and beans.  But the name. . .oh, the name, it’s a winner!  And, the graphic on the bottle looks like something out of “Back To The Future!”  Look, we know there are tons of wines out there to choose from, and trying whimsical wines is part of what we wanted to do this year.  Give this one a shot; we think you’ll be surprised. . .or is it ‘Stark Raving’ Mad–er, Red!

As we wrap up another week and head into a three day weekend, we hope that Dr. Demento isn’t on your doorstep singing, “They’re Coming To Take Me Away!”, but that you’ll continue enjoying your favorite wine responsibly and remember to recycle whenever possible.