Montepulciano Testimony

If you're a movie lover, you've got that list of movies you haven't seen that you've meant to check out. Mine is long, and grows ever longer with the passage of time, and God Bless Netflix for easy browsing and reminders.

One flick long on my list has been The Eyes Of Tammy Faye, which came out forever ago and kept falling into the 'Yeah, yeah, I'll get to it" category. Faced with an evening of Saturday night after-work winding down and not a damn thing on teevee, I finally popped it in.

I love this woman. Was she part of a grand, greedy world of electric church broadcasting that provided her with luxuries the devil himself coveted? Hell yeah. But behind those great flapping globs of mascara, she was just a simple country girl who had the gall to embrace the gay community long before it was cool.

I realize that everyone's already seen this movie and I'm woefully behind. But if you, too, have left it behind in lieu of the scads of other hipster movies, check it out. You'll have a whole new respect for this strange, sweet, twisted lady, and fresh, ironic reasons to hate Jerry Fallwell.

What better to pair with a cult favorite movie than a cheap, fabulous, fruity Italian?

2003 Capestrano Montepulciano D'Abruzzo

Tammy Faye would tell you that life is not about the material things, the fancy white Jag, the porcelain-visaged dolls, or the houses one has acquired. It's about people. It's about sharing the simple things with the folks who love you (unless, of course, they're in jail) and taking the time to let the Lord know you're grateful. Simple pleasures call for simple, wholesome wine. An unassuming wine that warms your aching ennui with juicy cherry fruit, lively minerality and pleasant, unassuming tannins. This Montepulciano is such a wine, and I recommend it highly, especially for when things get rough and your multi-million dollar empire lays in ruins before you. Or for when you're sitting on your ass in front of teevee on a Saturday night.

Might go well with some cold pizza, too.

Can a sister get an amen?

Clinkies.