Continuing yesterday's little discussion of appetizers and pre-meal munchies, I thought I'd share a bit about my very favorite aperitif, Lillet Rouge.

Michael first read about Lillet a few years ago in Jay McInerney's funny collection of wine essays, Bacchus and Me (highly recommended) and the next time we found a bottle in San Francisco, we had to try it. There are two kinds of Lillet, red and white, with the white being a little drier and the red a little deeper and muskier tasting. Both are blends of fruit and spice (such as orange peel and quinine) that has been macerated and fermented and wine. This mixture is then aged like a normal wine and different vintages are mixed together, giving the Lillet both its fruitiness and its depth.

Lillet is most often served chilled or over ice with a twist of lemon or orange. However, it seems that Lillet is experiencing a surge in popularity - at least in wine-crazy San Francisco - and I've seen Lillet cocktails popping up lately. In fact, I seem to remember a Lillet-infusted martini at the swanky bar at Azie down the street from us.

I mentioned before that I'm super excited that the new Whole Foods down the street is stocking both Lillet Rouge and Lillet Blanc. Indeed, we've had a bottle in our refrigerator consistently since the grocery opened. That bottle is currently open on my counter, and I'm just about to have another glass.