Woof!  It’s an understatement to say that the dog days of summer are upon us.  We’re only a few short weeks/days away from the start of another school year and even though the calendar says it’s time, the weather indicates differently.  We’ve been watching pictures in the paper and footage on the news of young men in high school and college working out on the football field–soaked in sweat–they are chasing the dreams of thousands of young men who have come before them. . .the elusive championship.  It’s an interesting contrast to the “training camps” of the NFL, whose star players are pampered beyond means and whose contracts have all but eliminated ‘two-a-days”. . .workouts for those of us who are “football challenged.”

There was a time back in the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s even the 90’s when players played football during the season and played everywhere else during the offseason.  When training camp started, it literally was training all over again.  But today’s athletes are finely tuned machines. . .they exist on meals of carbs, proteins and other essential nutrients.  They are primped, pampered, coddled and cared for because instead of being viewed by the owners of the team as athletes. . .they are now possessions.  And, these possessions can’t return on the investment unless they are at peak performance.  So, it’s kind of ironic that more and more professional athletes who used to do ‘two-a-day’ workouts and made it through Pee-Wee football, Pop Warner football, high school football and college football without nary an incident, suddenly find themselves on injured reserve with a torn medial collateral ligament.  A coincidence?  Who knows. . .but, the dog days of summer have descended upon us and as the Rattlers and Bobcats gear up for another season in the sun, it’s good to know that some traditions can stand the test of time.

Tonight we enjoyed a superb–yet young–Italian wine.  A 2010 Terredora di Paolo Aglianico from our friends at East End Wines in Austin.  Priced under $15 a bottle, this wine is good now. . .and we mean really good now. . .but, if you lay it down for another 3-4 years, it’s going to be spectacular.  This2010 Aglianico is a gem of a wine. Wild cherries, dark raspberries, spices, leather and licorice come together beautifully in a medium-bodied red. Floral notes waft out from the glass on the finish. There is nothing fussy here, just a flat out delicious bottle of unoaked Aglianico. Even better, from where we sit, this is a terrific value.  It’s a great wine with food as well. . .believe it or not, we had chicken fajitas with fresh guacamole and pico de gallo, grated cheese and spanish rice.  The wine stood up to the spice and the finish was a great palate cleanser!  Great Italian wines are easy to find. . .Spectacular Italian wines are a gem to locate, buy and save for special occasions.  Add this one to your list!

We know that when school starts, football season is just around the corner.  In spite of our commentary on the pros, it’s still pretty good entertainment, but not as enjoyable as the pure passion of high school or college athletics.  There is something to be said to enjoy a sport . . .’for the love of the game’!

As your Tuesday gives way to Wednesday, please enjoy YOUR favorite wine responsibly and remember to recycle whenever possible.