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This is from my backlog of posts that I’ve started, but not completed.
I spent last week in Orlando, and, after a looong day at work, I just wanted to veg out and watch the Thursday night College Football game – South Carolina vs. Ole Miss.
Having stayed at the MCO Airport Renaissance over 100 nights in the last few years, I have become quite familiar with the menu (please Gawd if you folks are reading, change the freakin menu more often). Dinner for the night would be my favorite on their menu – grilled pork atop collard greens with a side of some type of sweat potato mash. My dinner choice was predicated on the fact that I was ‘jonesing’ for Pinot Noir for some reason – which tends to go well with grilled pork with light, or no seasoning.
Not having the energy or desire to fight the traffic to the Total Wine store, I opted to stop at Publix grocery store on the way back to the hotel. I realize not wanting to fight traffic is a total ‘cop out’ when faced with the prospect of having a very mediocre grocery store wine, but I just needed a veg out night, food and football.
(this could be the best photograph I've ever taken with my crappy camera)
Given the very limited Pinot Noir selection at the Publix near the hotel, I went with the lesser of the evils (my perception) – Francis Coppola Pinot Noir.
Francis Coppola Diamond Collection 2007 Pinot Noir
$17.99/bottle at grocery store (maybe a buck or two cheaper at wine discounter). This wine showed great promise on the nose – bright cherry, raspberry, and floral aromas. The flavors were muted – spice, raspberry with a distinct, lingering alcohol taste. For some reason, I have acute sensitivity to alcohol tastes and I picked up lots of alcohol on the finish of this wine.
A few sips in to the first glass I had buyers remorse. I could have bought the Godfather DVD for the $17 I paid for this wine, and enjoyed it more. (Maybe FFC will read this, experience a moment of empathy for the finite financial resources of a working guy and send me the Godfather trilogy on DVD for having purchased his less-than-stellar wine.)
Congratulations to Steve Spurrier for pulling off that win! QUESTION OF THE DAY: Will he ever recreate the ‘magic’ of Florida? (editorial note: me thinks not)
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Drink What YOU Like 
When I saw that you were trying a Coppola wine, I had to see what you thought!
I’ve had their Cabs and been unimpressed… I held little faith for the Pinot Noir. Now, if Coppola decided to bundle their wine with Godfather DVDs, that would be awesome! 🙂
Hope your travels are treating you well!
Cheers!
what a bummer! I know what you mean about “jonesing” for a good bottle of wine, getting set up with dinner, tv on, comfortable chair, and ….disappointment. You would have been better off going a couple of more miles up Semoran (436) to ABC Liquor and getting a choice of Pinots. Try the Block 512 Pinot next time.
Safe travels!
Thanks for stopping by to comment Bob. Is that the Liquor store behind the Starbucks? I believe I may have stopped in there, but the prices appeared $2/$3 more than average. I may be wrong about that particular store. Either way, I’ll definitely look for it next trip down there – and have added the Block 512 Pinot to my list to try.
Best!
Frank