When you don't play, you can't lose.

Madison.

It's the fifteenth of the month, and that's excuse enough to visit Star Liquor on Willy Street. The fifteenth means fifteen percent off wine, and the wine cellar¹ was looking a little empty. That, of course, is a not an enviable position to be in.

We picked up a half-dozen bottles: some of the great sauvignon blanc from the Underground Food Collective dinner; a German spätlese riesling; a tempranillo we'd picked up the other night on a whim and enjoyed; and some others. I also couldn't resist a four-pack of Dogfish Head's Punkin Ale. It's been at least two or three years since I last had it, but even Sharon remembers that I enjoyed it thoroughly.

Odd coincidence: with the wine discount, tax, etc., it all added up to exactly $100.00. It was really very strange.

The other amusing thing at Star was that they were celebrating the Packers. The Packers who aren't playing today, and thus can't actually lose this week's game. They'd even picked a tailgating theme for the monthly wine tasting, with chili, nachos and brats - all with matched wines, of course. Recommended wine pairing with good ol' Wisconsin bratwurst? Grüner veltliner.

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¹That would be the storage room in the basement of the apartment building. It also functions as the homebrew fermentation/conditioning space, the meat dry-curing room, and the bicycle locker, among other things.