Big Macs have their place—so does foie gras. I gravitate toward the middle-ground of stewed carrots and roasted chicken, but when it comes to liquor I’m less particular. Boone’s, Glenlivet, MD 20/20: all have their time and locale. The 2003 Shiraz by Verdange seems like a brilliant idea: packing 500 ml of a historically (cheap, but) decent table wine into a colorful waterproof “juicebox” that holds “3+” servings of California goodness within its waxy casing. Just the right size to stash in a purse alongside a plastic baggy of Jalapeño Havarti (cheese) and a handful of crackers; the perfect container for an afternoon of ambling about the park, I thought. It had such promise. Unfortunately, the Verdange is disgusting and unfit for consumption. I don’t know why the image popped into my brain, but on taking my first sip I wondered what anthrax tastes like, whether it would taste less “chemical” and more refreshing. I still wonder.