It's almost October, so you've probably broken your 2016 New Year's resolutions by now. I know I have. In fact, a University of Scranton survey found that 29 percent of people broke their vows within two weeks, 36 percent within a month and 52 percent _ a mournful majority _ were back in their bad old ways by July.
And by the time we make next year's resolutions, 88 percent of us will have broken this year's, another poll said.
What are these perishable resolutions? Almost 40 percent of us want to healthier _ by losing weight, exercising more and/or eating better, a Marist poll says.
But our prospects are dismal. Psychologists say many of us make resolutions in the first place to help us feel better about how we overindulge during the holidays. We will face the music, we tell ourselves. But not just yet.
Now, I'm not saying I approve of this. But if you're going to eat all those rich foods the rest of this year, let me list some hearty wines that pair nicely with them and might, some scientists say, even be good for you. In moderation, of course. That's why they call it the French Paradox.
With that macaroni and cheese, an equally rich chardonnay.
With grilled steaks, powerful cabernet sauvignon.
With that juice-dripping "ossobuco" veal shank, a mellow red merlot.
With your daily fast-food mega-cheese mega-burger, a soft, rich red shiraz.
With that redolent, skin-on roast chicken, a big, rich blend of sauvignon blanc and semillon.
With that once-a-year, big-as-your-head, deep-fried onion ring at the county fair, a full-bodied white albarino.
With the butter-soaked shrimp scampi of Venice, a crisp white Italian pinot grigio.
With those ubiquitous deep-fried chicken nuggets, a crisp, dry rose to cut the fat.
With that two-pound rib-eye steak grilled to charred perfection, a muscular cabernet sauvignon.
With those spicy baby-back ribs, a dense, rich zinfandel.
With that "too-much chocolate" Bundt cake dripping with more chocolate ganache, a rich, powerful red port.
So enjoy yourselves. Get so satisfied that, when 2017 rolls around, you'll be ready to repeat those familiar old resolutions to diet, exercise and get healthy again.
For a while, anyway.
