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Talk smart and fancy all you want, just don't get between me and the bloodwine!

You too can google......

http://www.dummies.com/WileyCDA/Dummies ... d-474.html" target="_blank" target="_blank

http://www.dummies.com/WileyCDA/Dummies ... -2334.html" target="_blank

http://www.dummies.com/WileyCDA/Dummies ... -2158.html" target="_blank

http://www.dummies.com/WileyCDA/Dummies ... -4904.html" target="_blank

That help any?

Let's see: there are basically three types of wine:

1) Cheap wine, in either the really, really large bottles or boxes with plastic bladders and a self-contained tap for the same price as a regular sized bottle, or clustered together on the lower shelf with the word "fortified" somewhere on the label. Examples: (the bigger bottles) Franzia, Carlo Rossi; (the "fortified," which can give hellacious hangovers) M/D 20/20; T-bird; Wild Irish Rose;

2) Middle priced wine: most of the bottles on the shelves of your neighborhood grocery store or liquor store. Most of them taste pretty good. They come in a variety of colors, labels, prices, and countries of origin, both domestic and abroad. You might as well pick one at random, because there isn't that much difference in them.

3) Expensive wine: the bottle costs as much in a "wine center" (as opposed to an ordinary grocery store or liquor store) as you would pay for a good dinner at a fine dining restaurant with real linen and china, or even more expensive. You gotta know what you're doing here so you don't waste your money. This is where the sommelier starts getting picky as to what year the grapes were grown and which bottle to serve with which meat you're having for dinner. Also comes in a variety of colors, bottle shapes and sizes, and really fancy labels of different countries of origin, including especially France, Italy and some other countries.

There you have it. My evidence of a misspent youth.

Bob1062 wrote:SOO.... what are the basic kinds of wine?

The complaint whine, the kvetching whine, the sniveling whine, the moaning whine, the wimpering whine and the wailing whine.

Two buck Chuck!

TubaTinker wrote:Two buck Chuck!

Well, it's Three Buck Chuck in NYC...still pretty good though!

bort wrote:

TubaTinker wrote:Two buck Chuck!

Well, it's Three Buck Chuck in NYC...still pretty good though!

Come to think of it.... it is THREE buck Chuck!

I found some pretty good stuff at Jungle Jim's in Cincy from what they call 'Lost Vineyards'. Pretty good stuff. It beats the draft sherry that we used to buy for about 35 cents (two and six-pence) a Bloke gallon back in the 60's at drug stores in Scotland.... if we took our own container!

I just bought a bottle of Yellow Tail Shiraz tonight. Great stuff, and cheap ($7.49 or so)

Forget Dom for champagne, get Moet and Chandon White Star. <$50 a bottle, and every bit as good as Dom, if not better.

My favorite all time is a German Riesling from Dr. H. Weins Prum. I haven't been able to find it for a couple of years now.
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Makes me sound like I'm a snob. Far from it, at least with wine. I've found what I like and stick to it pretty much, unless someone else is buying.
One of the best things I did was do a wine tasting dinner thing. Several courses with a matching wine, and explanations of what and why and how to judge and how to taste and all that stuff.

And, the movie Sideways was out at about that same time, and it really helped me learn a bit too. Not a GREAT movie, but very good at least, and the wine parts were interesting.

There are people in the world who actually like wine? I mean, really like it? They don't just pretend to like it in order to "fit in" with the high-class crowd?

I played a combo gig in the only "wine bar" in town tonight. People were "swirling and sniffing" everywhere. On a break after the first set, I was offered a complimentary $14 glass of some Merlot which I graciously accepted. After one sip, I nearly gagged on the foul brew. $14 a glass! The rest of the evening was spent trying to hide the fact from the owner of the establishment that I wasn't drinking it. Finally, I disposed of it by giving it to a European piano teacher on the faculty here...apparently, they are raised on the stuff and develop a tolerance for it almost immediately after birth.

I have yet to smell/taste any wine that doesn't smell/taste precisely like vinegar. Sour vinegar. That's been left out "too long," if you get my meaning. Nasty stuff. At least at those "high-brow" gigs (for the university well-to-do faculty chairs and such) that I am forced to do (translation - for free) from time to time, they have stinky cheese on hand to get rid of the hideous taste.

Give me an expensive import beer every time. Or a simple double scotch on the rocks. Of course, like every other post I've ever made, that's just my opinion. Feel free to enjoy your vineg...uh, wine if you like it.

much like beer, coffee, and chewing tobacco....wine is an aquired taste.

I like it.

and where we are in California..........it is infact still "two buck chuck", and a good deal at that price generally.

I put win into three categories:

Wine I dislike.

Wine I dislike less.

Wine I can semi-tolerate.

Much like Todd, I have never had a glass of wine I have really, truly enjoyed. Just don't like the stuff.

As an aside, "Three Buck Chuch" definitely falls under the category of wines I can semi-tolerate. I expect I'll have a glass at Thanksgiving. I will also have cider as a chaser.

Todd S. Malicoate wrote:There are people in the world who actually like wine?

Sure! But I always thought it was a little odd as a social beverage. Depending on what's for dinner, it's great with food, but that's why they call it "table wine" - merlot, chardonnay, etc.

For a stand-alone beverage, many dessert wines would be a lot more palatable. Many feature the muscat grape, which has an exceptionally rich flavor - we just this weekend had a Greek Limnos at the local Greek restaurant, a white wine that was just a little sweeter than a table wine and very nice. But dessert wines are rather diverse and not so well known, so it can be embarrassing (and relatively expensive) to pick one at random, so table wine is what you get, and like it or not, you grimace and slug it down. We brought mead to a party once, but couldn't find the one we knew (Sky River) and the one we found wasn't so easy to like.

Speaking of Greek wine, at that restaurant we heard that prices are likely to increase due to transport costs, so if you're getting low on retsina, it might be a good time to check your supermarket shelves. I love that stuff with pasta etc., sure wish the lady of the house liked it better.

eupher61 wrote:I just bought a bottle of Yellow Tail Shiraz tonight. Great stuff, and cheap ($7.49 or so)

Forget Dom for champagne, get Moet and Chandon White Star. <$50 a bottle, and every bit as good as Dom, if not better.

My favorite all time is a German Riesling from Dr. H. Weins Prum. I haven't been able to find it for a couple of years now.
========
Makes me sound like I'm a snob. Far from it, at least with wine. I've found what I like and stick to it pretty much, unless someone else is buying.
One of the best things I did was do a wine tasting dinner thing. Several courses with a matching wine, and explanations of what and why and how to judge and how to taste and all that stuff.

And, the movie Sideways was out at about that same time, and it really helped me learn a bit too. Not a GREAT movie, but very good at least, and the wine parts were interesting.

I will second on the Moet White Star. And also, I'm generally not a red wine drinker, but this is a personal favorite. Generally about $6-$7 per bottle.

Sorry you lost your focus group.
After too much wine, I just lose my focus.

I make no bones about it. I like good booze... including the likes of Glenfidish single malt scotch, Bombay Saphire gin, Grey Goose vodka, and some of the premium US brands. No cheap stuff as far as hard liquor is concerned. Straight is the ONLY way to go. No water.... no ice... no nothing except the glass! Not a daily thing. Not even weekly. Just for special times... and NO CHEAP BOOZE!

However... there are LOADS of 'cheap' wines that I think are quite drinkable. One of my favorite merlots is Vendage... usually under $10 for 1.5 liters. Also, anyone these days who turns their nose up at 'box' wines are really missing the boat. I don't know if it's still around, but I used to buy a merlot called Walnut Crest for $2.75 a bottle. It was good stuff! I'm not much on the glitz and glamor of NAPA and Sonoma. Most of what I saw out there was basically 'eyewash'. There are plenty of small wineries scattered around the country just as good or better. My wife and I drove from Ithaca, NY north on Lake Cayuga a couple of months ago and were astounded by the quality of the wines we stopped to taste. Whenever we are traveling, we never fail to stop to sample the local stuff along the way.

Beer you say??? NEVER at home. Only when traveling in Europe!

TubaTinker wrote:Grey Goose vodka

One taste of this, and you'll never touch Grey Goose again:


It is called Jewel of Russia. It can be a little tough to find, and goes for about $30 a bottle. Absolutely without question, the cleanest, smoothest, best Vodka you will ever drink.

Get a bottle, stick it in your freezer. When you're ready to try some, just pour it in a glass and sip. Incredible.

going up to the finger lakes over thanksgiving weekend to visit some wineries. I can't wait!!!
anyone from that neck of hte woods that can recommend any? We are going to be staying near ithaca in Trumansburg.

ken k

Dan, you gotta try Sprecher beer, then. You should be able to find it near you, distribution is better there than here.

http://www.sprecherbrewery.com" target="_blank

And, need I say...Jagermeister??