Red wine is supposed to be good for you.

Caving, I bought three bottles of red wine.

OK, that’s the way abbreviated version. First I went poking around online to find out what kind of red wine I might be able to bear, because a lot of them I can’t. Cabernet Sauvignon, for example. I have learned to avoid anything described as “soft.” There’s a mouth feel I simply hate, and if you share my distaste then you’re probably picturing it right now.

Pinot noir might work, I read. Beaujolais, especially Villages. And grenache, which I might find in Cotes du Rhone.

I struck out on the Beujolais and Cotes du Rhone, although I’ve bumped into options since. I also saw a couple of labels at Ideal Party Store, a very good wine shop, that baffled me so I’ll be asking about them one day when the owner’s around.

I found a lot of pinot noir. I found even more red blends.

This was frustrating. Blends of what? Stuff I hate? Fruity stuff that probably shouldn’t be called wine?

I chose three bottles. I only like one of them. (Sigh.)

The excellent news is that I truly love the Witches Brew, which is a spiced red, so much so that I plan to go buy more. I suspect it is seasonal, so I may hoard.

The others, sadly, both had the soft, tongue-coating aspect I so dislike. One I will sip one small glass at a time, because I was after health effects, after all. The other was tucked away for cooking, and my son already has expressed interest in trying it out.

But right now? Right now I’m drinking Jim Beam Honey … because it’s what I like.