February 26th Blog

Our Gonzo Gourmet Club dined out Sunday night at Fleming’s Steakhouse downtown at 2nd St. We had a superb meal in every sense of the word. Fleming’s has the most amazing BBQ Shrimp in the area. The rib eyes were delightful as was the salmon.

But I must share with you one genuinely embarrassing and hysterical moment. Our server Fabian brought a three-liter bottle of Chalk Hill Chardonnay to the table and opened it in front of me with a great flourish.
He poured me a bit for my approval. Two things occurred almost simultaneously: I noticed that the wine looked more like a White Bordeaux than a Chard. It also was odorless and tasteless. I was momentarily taken aback. A strange look came over my face. I sipped some more. Then I realized I was drinking water. I handed the glass back to the perplexed server and he poured and took a sip. Sure enough. Pure H20. It’s funny how the mind can play tricks. I watched Fabian use the corkscrew on the bottle and open it. I was expecting the wonderfully mellow taste of Chalk Hill. So even though your tongue and nose are screaming out, “no way,” your brain is still waiting for the Chalk Hill. Apparently, the bottle was designed for display only and someone had forgotten to tell Fleming’s. In all my years of drinking and tasting, I’ve opened wines that were corked, completely turned to vinegar, and overloaded with sediment. But I never opened one that turned out to be a three-liter bottle of water!!

We all shared a huge laugh over the bogus Chalk Hill and then opened the real bottles, which were excellent.