Wine

[Stapel]

My fav Californian wines are Zinfandel, because that's something you do not have in France.

They do in Italy under the name Primitivo.

Anyway, France has a much much wider range of wine varieties than California. Most Californian wine sold here in NL is from Ernest and Julio Gallo. Not exactly cheap and, quite frankly, a poor wine which tastes like winegums.


Right now, I am having a Argentinian white wine, made of Chardonnay grapes. Chardonnay grapes origin from Burgundy, but do well anywhere in the world. Sometimes the Chardonnay grape is referred to as the whore of grapes, as she 'does it' with any type of soil.


Fro those who don't know that much about wine, but want to learn more, I can advise to organise a wine taste session, without anyoen aroufn who knows stuff about it.
You should do two tests:
-Pick 4 wines from the same region, but from different grapes
-Pick 4 wines from the same grape, but from different areas/countries.

Don't swallow the wine! Taste it, let it roll in your mouth and spit it out. Then write down the differences.
Neutralise with wheat biscuits and water in between.

 

[Whomp]

Yeah, good taste when drinking comes with age, that is for sure. I am just saying that, IMHO, mediterranean countries have a more prevalent drinking culture and people over there don't preceive that as sinful as much as in the US.

Here's something that may be a reason for a more prevalent wine drinking culture in Europe versus the U.S.

From my recollection, restaurants in Europe do not mark up the price of wines whereas in the U.S. they can be priced two to three times higher.

There are also a socioeconomic reasons in the U.S. In the lower class, 40% of males and 60% of females abstain from alcohol consumption. Similarly, the more educated people are in the US, the more likely they are to drink. 65% with college education have had a drink in the last month versus 35% for those without a high school education. Northeast and west coast spend more than the south (25% lower than the national average)

There are still hundreds of counties that are "dry" (no alcohol sold). I think the county that Jack Daniels is made is still a dry county.

Anyway, France has a much much wider range of wine varieties than California. Most Californian wine sold here in NL is from Ernest and Julio Gallo

You are literally getting the bottom of the barrel, with Ernest and Julio Gallo, that is likely produced in Fresno and not Napa or Sonoma.

 

[jonatas]

I work in a very social business so alcohol has never been discouraged however getting drunk would be a poor business decision.

Now if you were say a Japanese businessman, then all bets would be off Someone correct me if I'm wrong. Maybe Dann can chime in on Chinese businessmen and whether drunkenness is acceptable as part of business guanxi. This should be in Rules of a Man thread On-topic: I'm going to look for that Chilean wine tonight. Have a good weekend everyone

 

[Xanikk999]

Wine smells funny.

 

[Whomp]

Wine smells funny.

Kids these days. Xanman this is one of the things that will help you further your social skills (when you're of age, of course).

I'll grant you that tequilla may smell funny but wine? No way. What Stapel said....swirl it to open it up, stick your nose in it for the smell and swish it around for the taste....

In fact, I'd suggest that Stapel has an exceptional accompaniment for a good glass of wine! :dutch cigar:

OK everyone you've got me all jacked up! I'm opening a good bottle tonight. I'll report back with tonight's tasty delight.

 

[Masquerouge]

Kids these days. Xanman this is one of the things that will help you further your social skills (when you're of age, of course).

Let's not be too harsh. I did not like wine until I was 16, IIRC. It is an acquired taste.

I'll grant you that tequilla may smell funny but wine? No way. What Stapel said....swirl it to open it up, stick your nose in it for the smell and swish it around for the taste....

One good way to boost the flavor is to take only a small sip, put it in the back of your mouth, and breath in through the mouth. You'll be surprised

 

[Taliesin]

Fifty, I certainly do not presume to any great knowledge of wine, but I know that, at the minimum, there's enough of a difference on average between a $9 bottle and a $13 bottle that, even as a student, I don't buy $9 bottles. I imagine the distinction between the average $13 bottle and $30 bottle is on a similar scale. And that's talking in merely financial terms-- of course there's also a vast range of tastes and preferences between different regions and grapes.

I should note that, since alcohol is very heavily taxed in Canada and even more so in Quebec, the above figures are likely not precisely intelligible for most European or even American readers; but they should give an idea of what's involved.

 

[Masquerouge]

I should note that, since alcohol is very heavily taxed in Canada and even more so in Quebec, the above figures are likely not precisely intelligible for most European or even American readers; but they should give an idea of what's involved.

Let's say that for 15 euros, in France you'll have one heck of a wine.
9 euros will get you a very nice bottle.

 

[Stapel]

You are literally getting the bottom of the barrel, with Ernest and Julio Gallo, that is likely produced in Fresno and not Napa or Sonoma.

Well, I don't know that much about Californian wine regions. I guess the Gallo family has a strong marketing and distribution network.

 

[Stapel]

Let's say that for 15 euros, in France you'll have one heck of a wine.
9 euros will get you a very nice bottle.

4-5 euros should get you excellent wines (in supermarkets).

 

[Lambert Simnel]

In the UK, you really need to be paying £6 as a minimum to be confident of getting anything other than a glugging wine (though those certainly have their place). I'd expect to pay £10 and up if I wanted something with a bit of character and depth to it.

 

[stormbind]

All the way down, WINE for Linux fills me with warm fuzzy feelings. The effect makes me smile and roll. It's rarity does frustrate, but memory diverts my thought from the chill of MS Windows.

There is a colourless European beverage, possibly illegal and perhaps of France. It tastes like an odd water, but will knock drinkers out in an instant. What is it called?