Joy was inspired to create an Indian lunch and invited us to share. The menu was to be chicken tikki [spicy grilled chicken], nan [flat bread], paneer [homemade cheese with mixed vegetables], dal [lentil stew], and riata [a relish of spiced yogurt]. For dessert, almond jelly with strawberries from her patch and raspberries from mine. Elaine decided to make alloo gobi [cauliflower & potatoes], and I made two fig chutneys.
The combination of flavors — hot, hotter, sweet, sour and exotic — would have led less determined wine geeks to just drink beer. Undaunted, we set off for T. J. to see what we could find to take the heat. We decided to drink only whites, try wines we normally don’t buy [no chardonnay] and set a $5 price limit.
We tasted them alone first, and later with food.
| Wine | Source | Price | Rating |
| Callaway Sauvignon Blanc | Trader Joe | $4.99 | 4 yah |
| Bears Lair Viognier | Trader Joe | $4.99 | 4 yah |
| Beckermann Mosel | Trader Joe | $4.99 | 4 yah |
| Contadino Pinot Grigio | Trader Joe | $3.99 | 4 yah |
We were in luck. All four turned out to be nice, drinkable wines — nothing you have to run out and buy a case of, but pleasant wines that would also work with Chinese, Thai or Mexican food.
The Callaway was the favorite aperitif. The Contadino was best with food. Everyone thought the Mosel was too sweet but liked it anyway. The next day as a cocktail with an orange slice and a squeeze of lemon, it was perfect for a pre-dinner quaff.
Don Cohen is a retired commodities trader who has lived in Redding for 10 years. Joy Yoshioka is a retired high tech exec who has lived in Redding for four years.
