Wine takes the lead on the city streets

It's times like these that I wish the Center for Short-Lived Phenomena were still around.  They used to study interesting geological and astrophysical events, but they also would explore questions like, "Why are there so many dead squirrels on the street this year?"  (Answer, the weather was excellent for acorn production, and boy and girl squirrels created lots of pups, who then got squashed crossing the streets.)

What prompts this wish on my part?  A noticeable bulge in the number of single-serving Sutter Home wine bottles on the streets of my fair city.  Recall my Mike-Dukakis-inspired compulsion to pick up trash when I take my walks around the neighborhood.  In the past, nips prevailed, especially vodka servings, especially near the collegiate neighborhood transit station.

Now, though, it is wine.  Cabernet Sauvignon is the apparent favorite, followed by Pinot Grigio, with Chardonnay a distant third.  Were the CS-LP here, they could tell us whether this is a seasonal tilt in preferences, or a longer-term subtle refinement of the local student body's alcohol tastes.

In any event, it remains disturbing to think of (1) automobile drivers drinking these bottles clean and then (2) driving under the influence while tossing them on the roadside as trash.