Clank and Clack

Many summers ago, W4D's Godfather taught me to drink red wine, Italian style. When fresh peaches are abundant, cut a ripe peach in half, remove the pit, put it in your large wine glass and then top with your favorite Italian red table wine. Use your fave Chianti, Valpolicella, Lambrusco, Barolo or even a good old red jug wine like Carlo Rossi Paisano. The peach flavors the wine and as you refill the glass a couple of times, the peach continues to absorb wine. After you drink your fill, eat that sweet, wine soaked peach for a pure taste of Italian summer. If you are at the table or in the company of others, remove the peach to your dessert plate and cut it with your fork.



If you use a small wine glass, you can slice the fruit instead of using a whole half. Just make sure you use a truly ripe sweet fruit. Peaches and red wine, delicious!

That reminds me of something that really pops my cork. Mother always taught me never to clank glasses when toasting. I always cringe when I see people clacking my stemware with every person they can reach and standing up to lean over a set table to try to shatter my crystal by making contact with every other glass in the vicinity. How this tacky custom started is beyond me. People, please do not clank your glasses together after a toast! Raising your glasses in a salute is the proper and civilized way to toast and won't crack the Waterford. Save clanking and clacking for the beer bottles.

And one more thing, if someone is toasting you, please don't be so crass as to drink to yourself. Just smile demurely, nod slightly, and hold your glass while the others sip in your honor. One should never drink to themselves. Let's try to have a little decorum, please.