The local grocery stores here are seriously lacking in diversity. Diversity of beer, that is. So while lounging at the pool the other day, I decided to strike up a conversation with a guy who was enhancing his poolside enjoyment with an adult beverage. I needed to find a good place to buy beer. I was hesitant at first, as said young man was drinking Miller Lite. Not exactly the beer of the connoisseur. For me, if the choices are Bud and Miller, just hand me a glass of water, it's pretty much the same thing anyway.

His lack of taste aside, I decided to inquire about suitable locations for alcohol purchases. He directed me to a store named Lukas Liquors just up the street. He then offered me a beer. Since he didn't appear to have any bottled water in his cooler, I decided to accept his offer. I wouldn't want to offend a possible source of other juicy tidbits hidden in and around the city.

Fast forward a few days to yesterday. I arrived at Lukas Liquors. I walked in the door and took a look around. My first thought was that this place was larger than most grocery stores I've been to. Every possible libation known to man is bound to be found within its confines.

Then I noticed that there was a back section, which is where they keep the rows and rows of wines. And along to the way to find myself a suitable Pinot (I wasn't planning on buying wine, but since they had it, I figured I might as well stock up. And I'm not drinking any fucking merlot!) I noticed a sign indicating that the remainder of the wine selection was downstairs. Downstairs? What more could there possibly be that this alcohol warehouse didn't already have on this floor?

Being short on time, I decided to remain above ground for this visit. That way, I'll have something to look forward to on my next visit.

In closing, let me say that if you are in the market for a nice Pinot, don't think California has the corner on the market. Look for something from Oregon from 2002. As Francis Albert would say, it was a very good year.