Time was, long ago in the days of my youth, and even into my young manhood,

When there was neither coffee nor wine in the whole state of Washington worth mentioning.  You had to go almost to Chicago in one direction, or to San Francisco in the other direction, to get a good cup of coffee--and wine was pretty much out of the question.  Then of course, in the 1980's, Starbucks happened, and then wine, first child-like, delicious Rieslings, then reds, in the 1990's and 2000's, of French-like complexity and subtlety (compared to the robust, Italianate red wines of California).

And so, a couple of days ago, doing my monthly shopping at the Honolulu Safeway, I found a bottle of Washington state Merlot for a reasonable twelve dollars:  a little cloudy, but far from insipid, with a softness of tannins and a violaceous redolence of cherries, blackberries and tobacco that perfectly complements red meats.  Times have indeed changed.