Karl Katzke

Occasionally I review things here that *aren’t* related to web development.

I enjoy a glass of wine at night sometimes. Recently, with the amount of stress/strain at work, I’ve enjoyed it a bit more. Since it’s hard to code with a hangover, it’s nice to be able to pour just a glass from a box and not have to throw out an entire bottle. I decided to pick up a box of Trove wine from my local Kroger… and instantly understood why it had been marked down by 25% on sale and was stocked over in a dark corner that’s easily passed by — it’s horrible.

The overwhelming taste of the 2005 chardonnay is acid. It starts with a harsh bite, and leaves a bit of a burning sensation that makes you think more of a shot of vodka than of a good wine. The box had a lot of sediment in it, unusual for chardonnays, and let me warn you now that your first glass, including your first glass any time after the box has been shifted, will contain plenty of this sediment.

In my case, it gave me a week-long case of acid reflux that had me sleeping tipped upwards (so as not to burn my esophagus) and gulping Tums and Zantac 150.

I’ve got no idea if this one store’s stock got skunked or mishandled in shipping. Wines can be delicate, and some don’t take shipping or soft packaging that well. But I’m not tempted to try any more. Next up: I explore what’s available at my local HEB!

Update 9/26: I filled out the form on Trove’s website to report a bad box, and they got back to me the next business day and want to get information about the box and possibly will want the box back to check it over.