I think that most people like eating pizza, and that particular industry has flourished. When I was growing up, one went to a pizzeria and ate at the restaurant, but then it blossomed into a major fast-food business and most of the pizzas are made either for pick-up or delivery service. I have become a pizza curmudgeon, as to me, a pizza with all the traditional toppings including anchovies is what I desire. Give me pepperoni, especially the old style that curls up in the oven and has some extra grease, and I am happy; then put on onions, green peppers, mushrooms, hot peppers and green olives and I am perfectly happy. I will on occasion even have what I call frou-frou pizzas that are now the rage, though I do insist that there has to be at least some meat on it, to satisfy my carnivore desires.

After the big party where we celebrated my Mother-in-Laws ninetieth birthday, the immediate family plus a few others got together that evening at one of my Sister-in-Laws home. Now you have to realize that my Bride is one of five daughters and each daughter is married and they each have at least two children, so even when there is a small family gathering there are a lot of people. It may look like organized chaos, but it really isn’t, but there are plenty of people to keep happy. That evening we just ordered pizzas, and a couple of the men went to pick up the order. There must have been at least a dozen extra large pizzas that were brought to the party, in an assortment of different toppings. It was just a party, quite casual, but fun, even though most of us were tired from all the preparations of the big party earlier on.

Many people associate beer with pizza and that beverage was flowing quite well, but imagine if you will, there was even wine for the evening as well. Perhaps not the perfect pairing, but we had some bottles of Chardonnay to enjoy. The first wine that I will discuss is Bogle Chardonnay 2013, which carries the simple California designation. Now sometimes the designation means that the fruit is from anywhere in the state, but other times like this wine, it is because the fruit comes from two distinct areas; Clarksburg and Monterey County. This wine is aged for nine months with half of the barrels being new American Oak, and sometimes one must look beyond the label and do some research. The other wine that I will mention is Bonterra Organic Vineyards Chardonnay 2013 from Mendocino County. The Bonterra label is under the larger umbrella of Fetzer Wines and uses organic grapes for the wine. Mendocino County is in the North Coast of California and about twenty percent of the county produces certified organic wines. Mendocino County while not as big of a name has ten AVAs in the area. This wine uses a combination of seventy percent French and American Oak and the balance is in Stainless Steel for the aging process. Both of these wines are good affordable wines that are very reliable and so far, never disappointing. The wines also did the trick with the assortment of pizzas, for all the non-beer drinkers of the evening.