Last night’s dinner, at our dining table, since it was a breezy and cool evening, was a simple black bean soup with bacon, Baltic sardines in sunflower oil, and a 2000 Ridge Zinfandel Buchignani Ranch (81% Zin / 19% Carignane). Half the soup was puréed in our blender and added to the rest. It made for an airy, tasty soup. The sardines were ok, but a little bland. The Ridge was dark garnet in color, with no lightening of the edge; rich spicy red and black berries in nose and flavors; rich, spicy fruit mid-palate with adequate acidity; and a medium long fruity finish. The sardines gave a little metallic taste if a sip of wine followed a bit of sardine. With a bit of soup in between, only fruit showed. This was a nice light supper preparing for the indulgences of the rest of the week.