MD 20/20 Blue Raspberry

On October 5th we blogged about MD 20/20 Electric Melon and roadside litter.  Being ecologically-minded I had retrieved a couple bottles that were despoiling the local Clermont environs.  That post was actually about the litter and I guess I was using it as a metaphor for products like MD 20/20 that I believe are the dross of the wine industry.  Last Saturday we wrote about the ordinary wines that California is known for producing really well and that, I believe, is a crowning achievement for a culture, to provide decent wine for the dinner tables of its people.

MD 20/20 and others are actually absurdities in themselves because categorically while they are wine after all, they are the furthest thing from a meal accompaniment and when heavily promoted to vulnerable souls, can lead to the life-destroying social nightmare that alcohol abuse can become.  Who's kidding whom?

Speaking of absurdities, how about all of the food and beverage containers that frame our beautiful North Georgia countryside and isn't it nice when an offender bags up his refuse first before tossing it out the window.  I'm not of the "there oughta be a law" camp so much as a "can't we all just get along" ethic and I guess that means a renewed educational emphasis on the subject in schools and churches.

Anyway this morning while walking the dogs I picked up an empty MD 20/20 Blue Raspberry bottle in the same general vicinity where I found the Melon, so I guess someone in the 'hood is a serious MD connossieur.  So just as I had followed up on the Melon discovery here at the blogsite, I decided to research Blue Raspberry and turning to the Google thingy, this is what I found:

     1.  MD is Mogen David.  Mogen is "king" in hebrew.  Familiarly, MD is, of course, Mad Dog.
     2.  Originally MD 20/20 was 20% alcohol in a 20 ounce bottle.
     3.  MD Blue Raspberry replaced an earlier product called Blue Hawaiian.
     4.  The front label prominantly displays the words, "Bling Bling", on a gold chain.  I wonder why?
     5.  Pricing for Blue Raspberry ranges from a low $2/btl to $7 with a nationwide average of $5/btl.

Semi-serious bloggers and others further out on the fringe have had a field day with MD 20/20.  Here are a few reports on Blue Raspberry from the "wino wine" blogosphere:

     1.  From a review, "As majestic as the cascading waste waters from a drain pipe..."
     2.  On color: "cloudy blue like an over-chlorinated pool"
     3.  In a comparison tasting with similar wines, Blue Raspberry wins in the "warmth" category.
     4.  How about this: "Really good with a sh__ sandwich.  Or a twinkie."

MD 20/20 now comes in 13% alcohol versions so maybe the producers have a social conscience after all.

Next Wednesday between 5 and 7pm David Rimmer of Lynda Allison Selections leads us in a tasting of some really special French and Italian reds and whites.  On Friday Tommy Basham rejoins us for a tasting of new French and Spanish reds and whites.  Then next week we celebrate our 20th anniversary here at the store and we will be having tasting events throughout the week.  Please join us.