Quaaludes and Cake

By Maureen C. Petrosky

I am recovering from a birthday party hangover. No, I was not the guest of honor. In fact, I was the host to twelve little pirates and princesses along with their moms, and my two tenacious birthday boys. The day before the party the handyman was here to fix our kitchen table. On his way out he joked, “After tomorrow you’ll need a glass of wine and a quaalude”. I giggled, not realizing he was obviously speaking from experience. After a day of painting fingernails, traipsing through a treasure hunt, a piñata bust, and a serious sugar rush, I was indeed searching for Excedrin and something to sip. My goal was to find a screwcap, as I needed to exert as little energy as possible to enjoy this drink.

In honor of the birthday, I grabbed a bottle of Layer Cake, Primitivo, which turned out to be the perfect pick. Primitivo is the alter ego of Zinfandel. While Zins can be really heavy handed with jammy fruit, Primitivo tends to be leaner. This day in particular was not quite cold enough for my heat to kick on, but I just couldn’t shake a chill. Luckily, this little glass of red did the trick to soothe my nerves and warm my bones. So whether you’re trying to put a silver lining on one of these rainy spring days, or perhaps you’re a teacher whose everyday is like my twins’ birthday, this sip’s for you.

Layer Cake, Primitivo, 2006, $16 The name of this wine mirrors what’s inside the bottle. From its perfume to the palate this wine is layered with yummy flavors like cherries and vanilla cream. Topped with a screwcap, it’s the ideal indulgence after a long hard day.