Here's a new topic. Today i bought a bottle of Frances Coppola Merlot. I figure if you are bold enough to put your name on the label it better be good.
Anyone have any absolute favorite wines? I always get lost in the wine section, admittedly i've had some fantastic $5 bottles and wasted $40 on sour grapes. I'm more of a red wine person although I sometimes like a little reisling or blush. Never had pinot so not sure of the taste.
I don't like anything bitter or too oaky that leaves a lot of aftertaste. Just a very mellow rich fruit. So - now is the time to make your recommendations
I actually like the Charles Shaw (two buck chuck) shiraz and chardonnay from Trader Joes. They are good table wines, and cheaper than thunderbird!!! They get good reviews too, I'm not just being a chapskate here.
More expensive ones are the Toasted Head reds, about 10 a bottle. I'll think of more and post as I do.
-Ed
I do not drink very much wine, but we used to get a type from Long Island when we lived up there. I cannot remember the name of the stuff, but it was a zinfandel with cranberry added. Pretty sure that I'd recognize the name if I saw it again.
Besides that, I tend to like burgundy-types or a Chianti. Merlots always seem too musty for my taste.
That Coppola merlot is a decent one. That vinyard also makes a red table wine that is my absolute favorite, although it must be drunk slowly and with food or else it will come back to bite you.
I'm a red wine person, whites are usually to sweet and crisp for me.
I'm in no way a wine person.
I work on computers as a bit of a side business. I go to customer's houses and work on their PCs on my own time. There is a great older couple, who are in their 80s who I do regular work for. They are quite wealthy (the husband used to play tennis with Alan Greenspan!) and they are huge wine fans. They always offer me a glass of red wine to drink while I'm working on their PC and I always take up the offer out of courtesy. Along with the money they owe me each time, they've started throwing in 50 dollar bottles of wine which I give to a family member.
Maybe it's the rural upbringing but I'd rather have a glass of beer more than I would a glass of wine. I'm not much of a drinker, and the wine always has too strong of a taste for me.
I guess I'm just not refined. :drink:
I don't drink at all (at least for the last 17 years), but I was never a wine person (except for all that Boone's Farm apple stuff and MD 2020 I drank as a teenager). Wine always gave me a huge headache.
ok what is this "table wine"...i hear this term used but not sure i fyou are referring to red or what.
I look forward to trying the Coppola. I tried Chianti once (the popular kind that comes in that little basket) and it was god aweful. Maybe it was just the one i had but too bitter. Now, our office used to have X-mas parties and served woodbridge which was pretty good.
I'm not a huge wine drinker but I enjoy it more than beer. Must be all the barley or something but beer always tastes the same to me, perhaps it's because american beer is so watered down. When i'm at a party and i have to drink something it's usually a Heinekin which is tolerable. But wine has so many different flavors, is always a different experience depending on if you are simply drinking a glass or drinking it with food. And i'm so damn picky tho that it's very hard to find a really good wine and you almost hate trying new ones as an experiment because it can be a waste of a bottle.
I guess i can never go wrong with hard liquor..lol But i'm always looking for recommendations on wines - particularly any that are very fruity, and do not have a bite to them. Some people say they don't like any wine, but I have to say that I bet it just takes finding that right bottle. Or maybe you aren't a red person but you might like a zinfindel...etc.
Then I go to my liquor store and the way is all divided by country. Oh how frustrating that is, it's fun but omg. Having to decide if France is better than Italy? lol And anyone had South african or australian wine? So many choices
Schmidt Sohne a really good Germen wine ... yes germen. Not to pricey either. Yes drink a lot of wine around here both dinner wines and your good ol wine and cheese wine. I'm not the wine expert of the house, I just open and drink what ever bottle I'm handed.
Not big on dry wine, prefer whites, blushes or sweet reds.
Quote from: Susan on September 28, 2007, 06:32:48 PM
ok what is this "table wine"...i hear this term used but not sure i fyou are referring to red or what.
I'm by no means a wine expert, so I Wiki'd the subject for you:
Quoten the United States, table wine is used as a legal definition to differentiate standard wine from stronger (higher alcohol content) fortified wine or sparkling wine[1].
In the European Union it is meant to designate the lowest quality level of wine produced, one that qualifies for neither an appellation nor even a broad regional designation. In France and Luxembourg it is called vin de table. Similar in nature are Spain's vino de mesa, Romania`s vin de masă, Portugal's vinho de mesa, Italy's vino da tavola, Greece's epitrapezios oinos, and Germany's Deutscher Tafelwein and Deutscher Landwein (though this last does in fact receive a broad regional designation, that of its Land of origin).
European Union guidelines stipulate that all wine produced must fall into one of two categories: table wine or the superior quality wine. Table wine typically is not permitted to disclose even its region of production (in France the producers must use postal codes to prevent the name of an appellation from appearing even in fine print on the label) or its vintage date (though "lot numbers" which can bear a striking resemblance to dates are permitted).
In other words, table wine is a wine that's neither sparkling nor fortified.
In the United States, the official definition for table wine is a wine that contains a minimum of 7 percent alcohol and a maximum of 14 percent. This definition does not define quality in any way, although some connote table wine with lower-quality, inexpensive wine. That's a mistake because many wines that simply say "Red Table Wine" or "White Table Wine" are excellent and not at all inexpensive.
Calling the red I mentioned a "table wine" in this case is just a way of the vineyard saying "this is just a blend of red wine grapes and not any special type", such as merlot, cabernet, etc.
I've tried wines from all over the world. I like Australian chiraz, and you can find lots of good ones for less than $20 a bottle. And as for whether French or Italian or Californian is better, that's really just a matter of taste. I've had expensive wines that I didn't and cheap bottles that were wonderful, so just try something new here and there are find something that suits you.
BTW, I can't stand beer, I don't know why. I prefer hard liquor if I'm going to drink, or wine.
For RCMerchant:
(http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/4528/draculafilmse1.th.jpg) (http://img215.imageshack.us/my.php?image=draculafilmse1.jpg)
I don't drink. . . . . . .wine.
I used to have a severe drinking problem and have been sober for about 3 years now.
But prior to that whenever I drank wine I usually drank red wine or merlot. Didn't really matter what brand it was as long as I could get sloshed.
My mom has tried that Coppola stuff and her and her husband said that it was really good stuff.
I'm not really a wine person, but am more of a scotch enthusiast. Even then, I rarely sample any from my small collection more than once or twice a year, which marks the limit of my alcohol consumption. I cannot even remember the last time I had wine or beer.
Quote from: trekgeezer on September 28, 2007, 06:22:19 PM
I don't drink at all (at least for the last 17 years), but I was never a wine person (except for all that Boone's Farm apple stuff and MD 2020 I drank as a teenager). Wine always gave me a huge headache.
Quote from: Derf on September 28, 2007, 08:48:37 PM
For RCMerchant:
(http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/4528/draculafilmse1.th.jpg) (http://img215.imageshack.us/my.php?image=draculafilmse1.jpg)
I don't drink. . . . . . .wine.
True! When I was a kid...I used to drink home made cherry wine made by an old Russian farmer down near our place-Nickolia Siskaninitz-MAN! That stuff packed a wallop! But it gave me massive headaches afterwards!
As a recovering alki...I never dink wine is right! :smile:
maybe you need something like Arbor Mist..lol
Actually...'I need a bottle in front of me like I need a frontal lobotomy"! :drink:
Susan, I'm with you, I don't like over-busy wines (that are "oaky" or "smokey" or "leather" and usually expensive) but I do like what I call "drinkin' wine." Actually, the "two-buck Chuck" (Charles Shaw, mentioned by ED) makes very cheap but drinkable Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon... I generally drink red and don't like much white, particularly Chardonnay.
I would recommend French wines like GEORGE DUBOEUF Merlot, and LOUIS JADOT Beaujolais Village (a little pricier, but once you've had, you'll be wondering why you haven't had it before...) I also like some Chilean wine like GATO NEGRO. Around Thanksgiving, the Beaujolais Noveau comes out, it's fruity like you mention, very light and drinkable, and great for holiday parties (I usually buy at least a case of the GEORGE DUBOEUF noveau -- most spirit shops will give a 10% discount on any wine if you buy by the case.)
You mention Pinot, which I assume you mean Pinot Noir (red) as opposed to Pinot Grigio which is the most drinkable of the white grapes for me. I like the CAVIT Pinot Noir (Italian I think) and their Pinot Grigio (if you want white) is the best in its range...
Of the labels I mention, most of their varieties are very good and none are too expensive.
Your all not going to believe me, but I have never drank wine, coffee, eggnog, alcohol, never smoked cigerettes, never smoked cigars, have never done any drugs, and never cheated on my wife who I've been married to for 20 years next week. Not sure how it turned out that way, but I know that I'm happy with it. It doesn't mean that I'm perfect. It just means I've never done those things. For some the intake of some of these things is just part of their family background and in that case it is just normal for many. Some may have been influenced by a crowd that was involved with those things.
If this is in my favor in any way I must then give credit to God. :smile:
It's a bit odd, but it's the facts. In fact I have never met another human/person who has also never done these things.
I know. I know. Your image of me has completely changed now.
Quote from: Scott on September 29, 2007, 07:23:37 PM
Your all not going to believe me, but I have never drank wine, coffee, eggnog, alcohol, never smoked cigerettes, never smoked cigars, have never done any drugs, and never cheated on my wife who I've been married to for 20 years next week. Not sure how it turned out that way, but I know that I'm happy with it. It doesn't mean that I'm perfect. It just means I've never done those things. For some the intake of some of these things is just part of their family background and in that case it is just normal for many. Some may have been influenced by a crowd that was involved with those things.
If this is in my favor in any way I must then give credit to God. :smile:
It's a bit odd, but it's the facts. In fact I have never met another human/person who has also never done these things.
I know. I know. Your image of me has completely changed now.
Your not Bill Gates....your Budda!!!! :buggedout:
...and Budda owns a copy of the BRAINIAC!?!?! :question:
My whole perception of the Universe and Beyond is now totally shot to pieces!!!!!
We're blessed with having some very nice wines in our area. I'm not a huge wine buff, but Australia does have quite a few nice wines, quite often with fun names like "Mad Fish" or "Cockfighter's Ghost" etc.
Or you could go the 'bag of goon' way and get a five liter box of wine. That's pure class in a box :teddyr: but it sure makes a party!
Um...
Yeah...
I'm fairly sure I've contributed nothing here...
Quote from: dean on September 29, 2007, 11:24:58 PM
We're blessed with having some very nice wines in our area. I'm not a huge wine buff, but Australia does have quite a few nice wines, quite often with fun names like "Mad Fish" or "Cockfighter's Ghost" etc.
Or you could go the 'bag of goon' way and get a five liter box of wine. That's pure class in a box :teddyr: but it sure makes a party!
Um...
Yeah...
I'm fairly sure I've contributed nothing here...
I wouldn't say that! I love the oodball wine names...not too stuffy,as to put off the delicate palatte of the Gutter Bum true wine con-a-sewer!
There were a couple of fine wines here I drank back in the 80's...with such names as Jokers Wild-($1.19 a 5th !), and Cannon 21-"Have your own 21 gun salute!" was printed on the label! also affordably priced at a dollar and change!
And both went well with fish sticks or Banquet Frozen Salisbury Steaks ! :smile:
The last time I drank wine was in 2001 when I brought a bottle of red wine back from Australia with me.
Wine doesn't affect me at all.
I can down an entire bottle and barely get even a small buzz.
And I'm not really big on the taste.
Speaking of wines, I was at the grocery store last night and saw this brand out of the corner of my eye. My first thought was WTF!?
(http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/1351/familybottleshotweb05wj9.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
http://www.rainierwine.com/
What made it even more strange was that it was over by the butcher's section.
I suppose people like to have wine with a good steak so that's why they put it there.
Quote from: RCMerchant on September 29, 2007, 09:04:25 PM
Your not Bill Gates....your Budda!!!! :buggedout:
...and Budda owns a copy of the BRAINIAC!?!?! :question:
My whole perception of the Universe and Beyond is now totally shot to pieces!!!!!
:bouncegiggle:
Well.................the part about owning a copy of BRAINIAC is true.
Quote from: Scott on September 29, 2007, 07:23:37 PM
Your all not going to believe me, but I have never drank wine, coffee, eggnog, alcohol, never smoked cigerettes, never smoked cigars, have never done any drugs, and never cheated on my wife who I've been married to for 20 years next week. Not sure how it turned out that way, but I know that I'm happy with it. It doesn't mean that I'm perfect. It just means I've never done those things. For some the intake of some of these things is just part of their family background and in that case it is just normal for many. Some may have been influenced by a crowd that was involved with those things.
If this is in my favor in any way I must then give credit to God. :smile:
It's a bit odd, but it's the facts. In fact I have never met another human/person who has also never done these things.
I know. I know. Your image of me has completely changed now.
Scott, you're not alone. I have tasted wine and beer (as in a couple of drops made it into my mouth), but alcohol has such a strong smell to me that I can't get it close enough to my face to drink it. I've been told by friends with drinking problems that I am extremely lucky. I'll take their word for it. I've tasted coffee, but I don't like it and so have never drunk more than a taste. Smoking? Nope. Drugs? Nope. Cheating? Extra nope. I've only been married 7 years, but I've never been tempted to cheat and don't see myself ever being tempted (it doesn't seem to be in my nature). My consumption vices consist mainly of addictions to Dr Pepper and bacon. Like you, I am more than willing to give credit to God for keeping me away from these things.
And now, apologies to all for jacking the thread. Continue your discussion... :teddyr:
Not many around like you Derf. Thanks for posting. I was reading back at what I said and hoped it didn't come off as conceited or boasting in some way. Just wanted to share some info about myself. The degree of separation from God isn't an issue. To be away or distracted for any amount of time in the slightest is to error regardless of what one is doing that would cause us to divide our attention from God's presence. May God have mercy and reveal the Holy Spirit that can dwell within each of us.
We now resume the initial post about wine.
Jesus made wine and the church drinks wine in remembrance of Him.
After rereading my post, I may owe the other posters an apology, or at least a clarification. I don't drink because I don't like it. I don't think it is morally wrong (except when it begins to take over a person's life, which isn't the case with the topic of this thread). No (legal) food or beverage consumption in moderation should even be considered in the realms of morality.
Back in the 80s, a local family won a bit of money on a radio contest. They were spending it freely on things they'd never been able to afford, including some (in their mindset) expensive wine. Looking over the selection, they saw one of the varieties that came in a wooden box. The husband said something like, [hick accent] "Look here, Mabel, this wine comes with a jewelry box." [/hick accent]
Again, apologies for seemingly killing this thread.
Not much of a wine drinker myself, but the wife enjoys it (gives me wicked heartburn), and I have found that the Canadian wines from the Niagra region are pretty damn good. Also they are cheap! Unfortunately I don't know how available thay are in the states...
I use to not be much of a wine drinker, but after a bit of a scare with the old ticker I started drinking red wine which has something I can't remember in it that helps your blood and breaks down the plaque in your blood. Pretty much a blood lubricant without thinning it. I must say even though I don't care for red wine much I can tell a difference.
But Kudos to those that have never taken up a vice ... I have plenty of them for those without.
Quote from: CheezeFlixz on October 02, 2007, 08:38:52 AM
I use to not be much of a wine drinker, but after a bit of a scare with the old ticker I started drinking red wine which has something I can't remember in it that helps your blood and breaks down the plaque in your blood. Pretty much a blood lubricant without thinning it.
That would be Resveratrol (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resveratrol).
(at first I just glanced at that word and thought it was pronounced Reserve-a-trol, but then I noticed it's Res-Ver-a-trol)
Quote from: Derf on October 02, 2007, 07:55:38 AM
After rereading my post, I may owe the other posters an apology, or at least a clarification. I don't drink because I don't like it.
Nothing at all wrong with personal choice. I decided that it didn't fit the lifestyle I wanted. Plus for me it was always a social thing, we never had alcohol in the house.
As I stated previously, I don't care much for wine. I figured I'd follow up with the thread now that we have people saying that they don't like to drink. I greatly appreciate that. I have a good friend who isn't religious, cusses like a sailor but has never smoked, drank and never touched a drug in his life. I very much respect that.
I don't drink often myself. I've found that it takes a large quantity of wine/beer to get a "buzz". Recently my wife dragged me to a local bar/club that our friends frequent and I downed 17 Miller Lites in the time I was there. It didn't have very much of an effect on me. I'm assuming that my weight and height have a great deal to do with it. I'm thinking that if I were to lose weight (which I need to do) that I would be a cheap drunk. I don't mind the taste of beer and after working outside, especially during the summer, can find it quite refreshing. I just find it to be a waste of money since it takes so much.
Liquor on the other hand is a different story. I stay away from it in general after a serious bout of alcohol poisoning. I learned my lesson that night.....
Quote from: trekgeezer on October 02, 2007, 11:15:20 AM
Quote from: Derf on October 02, 2007, 07:55:38 AM
After rereading my post, I may owe the other posters an apology, or at least a clarification. I don't drink because I don't like it.
Nothing at all wrong with personal choice. I decided that it didn't fit the lifestyle I wanted. Plus for me it was always a social thing, we never had alcohol in the house.
To further clarify my clarification (there's probably some kind of clarified wine joke in there, but it would be best to ignore it), my apology wasn't about my choice to not drink, but rather about the possibility my post came across as though I was saying that drinking is immoral. That wasn't my intent.
Quote from: Derf on October 02, 2007, 09:47:59 PM
Quote from: trekgeezer on October 02, 2007, 11:15:20 AM
Quote from: Derf on October 02, 2007, 07:55:38 AM
After rereading my post, I may owe the other posters an apology, or at least a clarification. I don't drink because I don't like it.
Nothing at all wrong with personal choice. I decided that it didn't fit the lifestyle I wanted. Plus for me it was always a social thing, we never had alcohol in the house.
To further clarify my clarification (there's probably some kind of clarified wine joke in there, but it would be best to ignore it), my apology wasn't about my choice to not drink, but rather about the possibility my post came across as though I was saying that drinking is immoral. That wasn't my intent.
To clarify what I was trying to say. To be outside of prayer itself is to be separated from God, so any activity which distracts from prayer is in itself "sin". The degree of distraction is important as to how long it takes one to get back to God, but to be distracted is to be separated regardless of how far one is from prayer.
Strangely enough the drinking of wine when used as "remembrance" fits into the realm of prayer. Because it leads to prayer. Most notably prayer of the heart region. Thoughts can only lead to God, but can't enter the recognisable presence of God. For this one must enter prayer of the heart which is beyond the mind and unobstructed by things of the world. Entering into ones heart is where you find God.
Hey Derf, I did get your apology. I don't think there's anything immoral about drinking either.