Tea Leaves

High End Wine Battle

by peterb

Since I tend to wax rhapsodic about the great dessert wines I encounter, it's only fair that I mention the losers. This season's big loser was La Tunella tocai friulano. To be fair, this is really my fault. Although I am American, I do know a little geography, and I knew going in to this that Tokaji is not, in fact, located in the Friuli province of Italy. So, I got what I deserve: a nasty, attenuated wine that had the consistency, nose, and taste of oversweetened grapefruit juice.

Never one to pass up an opportunity to promote a home-grown American product, I present, for your enjoyment, a blow by blow comparison between the cleverly marketed La Tunella and the humble, yet honest, MD 20/20 Pink Grapefruit flavor.

Category	La Tunella	MD 20/20 Pink Grapefruit
Vintage	2001	March
Country of Origin	Italy	Upstate New York, aka Canada
Taste	grapefruit	grapefruit
Color	sickly yellow	festive pink!
Cost	$10.99	$3.00

There is, quite simply, no comparison: MD 20/20 wins this battle of the superstars with one hand tied behind its back. Viva America!

Additional resources

"It's the one to have...when you're having more than one!"

• An excellent and comprehensive guide to bum wines.


• Those crazy kids with their loud rock and roll music and their hamburger sandwiches and their french fried potatoes just love the MD 20/20!


• La Tunella has a web site. It's better than their "tocai friuliano"


• Why not serve MD 20/20 at your next party?

Posted by peterb at May 7, 2004 08:43 PM | Bookmark This