Shrimp Po-boy or a...glass of wine?

Last night I took the streetcar downtown to meet D. for our weekly Date Night. This week's date was of particular interest, since we signed up for a wine class about a month ago entitled "Better than Sex."

It was a blustery, nasty night, as evidenced by the fact that just before leaving the house, I had to run down the street after our peace lilies, which had flown off the front porch in a gust.

D. and I walked from his office over to the Wine Institute of New Orleans (W.I.N.O.), where we participated in a wine tasting/class on some of the more unique wines you can find in the New Orleans market.

When I first launched this blog, I recounted an anecdote about a very intoxicated woman screeching (at a bar, naturally) about how she needed "a d**k or a shrimp po-boy." Since then, a joke has materialized among D.'s and my friends. Two of our good friends are getting married this summer, and one of them, a New Orleans native, insists that he would easily choose a quality shrimp po-boy (probably from Verdi Mart) over sex.

Regardless, we thought it would be amusing to set up the test - the wines...or a shrimp po-boy from Mother's? Which would reign supreme? Were these wines better than sex? Would a shrimp po-boy be better even than that?

I'm getting ahead of myself, though. We had an amazing time at W.I.N.O. and learned a tremendous amount about some very unusual wines - from their history to how they're made.

Here's what we tried:

(Label, Name, Type, Origin, Vintage)

M. Lawrence, Sex, Brut Rose Sparkling Wine, Michigan, Non-Vintage

Aubry, Rose Brut, Champagne, France, Non-Vintage

Coppo, Passione, Brachetto d'acqui, Italy

Schloss Lieser, Brauneberger, Riesling, Auslese (refers to the level of sweetness), Germany, 2006

J. Vidal-Fleury, Muscat de Beaumes de Venice, France, 2005

Royal Tokaji, 5 puttonyos, Hungary, 2003

Rare Wine Co., Boston, Bual, Special Reserve, Madeira, Non-Vintage

Churchill's, Vintage Port, Portugal, 2000

In a surprising turn, D. actually bought a bottle of the Brachetto d'acqui...which is quite a change from the guy who brought a bottle of $5 Vendage over to my house the first time he came over for dinner.

All in all, it was incredibly fun and educational, and I would recommend it to anyone who is curious about one of the world's oldest beverages. The owner, Brian, knows his well, and isn't pretentious or condescending about it. He genuinely loves the topic and doesn't attempt to dictate taste.

(It's also a fun date.)

After leaving the class, we walked across the street to Mother's and split a Ferdi's and a shrimp po-boy.

"God, I love this city," mused D. "Only in New Orleans could you go from drinking $75 port to eating a po-boy and fries just by crossing the street."

I agree.

So which was better - the wine? The shrimp po-boy? The other?

I'll play the diplomat and offer that most anything - wine, french fries, a Ferdi - was better than the brut rose from Michigan, "Sex."