Miscellaneous: Colonel Gaddafi Never Gave Himself a Promotion

Gaddafi is dead. His 42-year rule of Libya has come to a definitive close. Following his death, we've heard a great deal about his quirky personality and his flamboyant sense of style (his clothing choices were nothing if not original) in addition to much about the atrocities of his dictatorship, but one thing has always struck me as most peculiar about the man: He never thought to promote himself, despite his megalomaniacal tendencies. He started his rule as Colonel Gadaffi, he ended it, dead, as Colonel Gadaffi. He may have thought about giving himself higher rank, but he never chose to. Napolean made himself Emperor. Gadaffi could have declared himself King after deposing King Idris of Libya in a coup, in 1969. He may have had a distaste for royalty, but he never even gave himself a higher military rank. He could have been General Gaddafi. He could have been 4-star general Gadaffi. He could have had as many stars on his epaulets as he saw fit to put there. His decision to remain Colonel Gadaffi seems an odd bit of restraint from a man that had little to restrain him.

Photo of Colonel Gadaffi by Jesse B. Awalt, from the Wikipedia page on Gaddafi, is in the public domain

Wines I'm Drinking: 2000 Caparone Winery Paso Robles Nebbiolo

Tonight I opened my last bottle of the 2000 Caparone Winery Paso Robles Nebbiolo, a wine I used to buy regularly for $9.99, at Trader Joe's. Trader Joe's stopped carrying the Caparone wines about four years ago and I haven't purchased any since, but I see that you can order them directly from the winery.

The wine looks like a fine Darjeeling in my glass beside me as I write--pale, pretty, and deeply tinged with brandy-like hues. The wine, in short, is showing its age, but it remains vibrant on the palate. It still has everything I always liked it for--although it has softened and taken on a tasty liquorous quality, it remains nicely balanced with a core of fruity sweetness, delicate acidity, and fine tannins also reminiscent of a very good tea. This wine was always a remarkable bargain at $9.99. I see that all the Caparone wines are now $14 at the winery. That's more expensive than they used to be, but still extremely reasonable for wines this solid. I liked the Caparone Nebbiolo enough to visit the winery once, years ago. It was a simple metal shed-like building surrounded by gravel and a driveway. Nothing pretentious. The emphasis was on the wine, not on a needlessly fancy tasting room. I like wineries that don't ask me to pay for their excesses. I liked Caparone the moment I saw the place.

Recommended. If you buy any of the Caparone Nebbiolo from more recent vintages, don't be afraid to let it age.