Sangria

According to the Washington Post, the serving of sangria in Virginia is a violation of a state law enacted in 1934. That law expressly prohibits the mixing of wine or beer with spirits and the pre-mixing of drinks with spirits. The article also states that the restaurant Jaleo in its Crystal City location changed its recipe to conform to Virginia's antiquated law. This story has disturbed the delicate balance of domestic tranquility in the Taylor household. My wife and I several years ago fell in love with Jaleo's at its Washington D.C. location and, after we learned that it had opened up a restaurant in Virginia, eagerly decided to patronize that location. Recently she observed that something was different about the sangria. Now my wife has an inherent propensity to be difficult to please and extremely discriminating in her taste, particularly in a restaurant setting. So when she proclaimed that something was wrong or not quite right with the sangria, I reflexively dismissed her utterances. But after learning that Jaleo's Crystal City restaurant has been serving us an ersatz version of sangria to avoid running afoul of the law, I am placed in the unenviable position of apologizing to her for being too judgmental and dismissive. And, as painful as it is to admit, of having a non-discriminating palate.