Happy 5th of July!
I hope you enjoyed some safe and sane fireworks last night, some quality time with family and friends, some good food and some good wine.
Chances are, however, that the “good wine” part was up to you, because so many people associate holidays like the 4th and other summertime occasions with cold beer.
That certainly was the case at CHS Field in downtown St. Paul, Minn., last night, where the Mrs. and I enjoyed a minor league game between the Saint Paul Saints and the Joplin Blasters (which the hometown team won handily), followed by a nice fireworks show.
The ballpark has plenty of vendors hawking beer, as well as food stands selling many types of domestic beer, plus other stands devoted exclusively to craft beer. Michelle and I walked the concourse area twice in search of a decent glass of wine, but all we could find were those little twist-off bottles they sell on airplanes for five or six bucks (known in the trade as “187s” because they contain 187-ml. of liquid).
No, thanks.
Now, that’s not to say there isn’t some good wine on the property. There very well may be in the Securian Club, which would be CHS Stadium’s version of VIP suites. When I was researching the team and ticket prices, I came upon this item from the Twin Cities Pioneer Press: “New this year, anyone can buy a ticket to watch a game from the Securian Club, which last year was for season ticket holders only. A single game ticket, including food, beer and wine and indoor or outdoor seating, costs $130.”
No, thanks.
And that was too bad, because there was plenty of food available that would have paired beautifully with a good glass of Chardonnay or Zindandel.
I’ll never understand why more ballparks, casinos and other large gathering places don’t see the value in offering decent wine to their patrons. If customers will spend $10 for a decent cup of beer (which we procured from the craft beer stand), a certain percentage certainly will spend $10 or $12 for a decent glass (or cup) of wine. I know we would have.
Oh, well.
At least the game, the between-innings entertainment and the after-game fireworks were fun.
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Michelle and I are on the road this week in Chicagoland, Wisconsin and Michigan. I’ll share some of our vinous (or, in the case of CHS Field, non-vinous) adventures along the way, so be sure to check back each day.
