yes, i know it's red.. but thanks for the warning.

It's that time of year when the hunt for the Saint Paul Pioneer Press Medallion is underway, and it's getting down to the wire, and here I sit in 'sunny' California, and as I'm sitting here feeling nostaligic about my wonderful memories of the Saint Paul Winter Carnival, and the incredible memories of the friends, and my times that I will always cherish, there is a memory that I keep coming back to, and since it involves wine, I thought I'd share.

It was the hunt of 2007 (anyone who actually participates is nodding along with me on this one) and Jake has found the medallion in 3 clues, so the paper has decided to hide a second one ...good thing too, as I was just flying in to Minnesota the day Jake found it, so had they not, I would have missed out on that years hunt!

I was in Matty B's Supperclub in downtown Saint Paul(I've heard rumor's it's closed and that makes me sad) waiting for some of the Cooler Crew to get there, so we could go get the next clue. (Cooler Crew, is a group of medallion hunters, kinda like a close knit family for 2 weeks of the year, and an amazing group of individuals that I am lucky enough to call my friends)

Matty B (That's Matt Birk, from the Vikings) was there at his supperclub that night, and was hanging out at the bar. We were making small talk for a few minutes and I was looking over the wine list, deciding to have a cup of liquid warmth before heading out to stand in the sub zero temps and wait for the paper (albeit with a bottle of snow shoe, but THAT's save for another story, another time)

Matt asks me what I'm planning on having. With one more glance over the menu, I decide on the Zinfandel (sorry I don't remember what it was, but I do remember them having a beautiful 04 Hess Cab another night) and infact told him so. Matt stops, processes this info I've just given him, and then quietly whispers to me...
"You know that's a red right?" Yup. I sure do know it's red. We both laugh, and he says, I can't tell you how many people just assume it's pink. haha. funny stuff.

The bartender comes over to take my order, and I order a glass of the Zinfandel. She goes to get it, and retrieves a glass and the bottle, walks over and sets the glass down infront of me, and as she is pulling the cork out, looks at me, and says "You know this is a red wine?" Now Matt and I both laugh, and again, I assure her that I DO INFACT know that it's red. We all laugh, and she says, "you have no idea how many people get really mad and say "that's not Zinfandel! Zin is pink!" She pours it, and it's a lovely red Zin.

A few minutes pass, and several of the crew arrives. We are sitting there, drinking and chatting and having an all around good ruckus of a time. One of my friends comes over and asks what I'm drinking. I say Zinfandel, and she looks at me quite puzzled and says... "but Zinfandel is pink!"