Let's talk wine

**Tobus** · 20th August 17, 12:22 PM

For some reason I can't fully explain, I have started preferring a glass of wine in the evening instead of beer, ale, or spirits. My taste buds prefer red wines, from pinot noir to cabernet sauvignon, but centered in merlot territory.

I am not a wine connoisseur, and wouldn't consider myself very educated on wines in general. But I'm interested in trying different brands and types. Got any recommendations on decent brands?

My favorite so far is Mark West, but it's a little pricy for everyday consumption at $17 per liter, and the bottle only lasts two days with my wife and I both drinking it. We've been subsisting on a boxed wine (eye roll for effect) that's $16 for 3 liters. It's not that great, but it's drinkable.

**Kiltboy** · 20th August 17, 03:31 PM

As a high level response.... pinots from Oregon, California cabs, northern CA merlots, and Zins from Lodi CA are a good start in US wines, which generally provides good bang for the buck. But don't stop there, sample many other countries. Ive learned my favorite regions, then my favorite labels within.

**KMCMICHAEL** · 20th August 17, 04:30 PM

Trader Joe's, I like their 2 buck chuck merlot as well as most of their other stuff. My wife prefers their cab. I like the idea of box wine but never the taste.

Wine advice really means nothing no matter the expert experience. One likes what one likes. I am picky about temperature. My wife is not. I think white wine should be taken out of the fridge 30 min before drinking and reds should spend 30 min in the fridge. What the hell does room temp mean? Maybe if you live in the alps.

**Tobus** · 21st August 17, 06:42 AM

Originally Posted by Kiltboy

As a high level response.... pinots from Oregon, California cabs, northern CA merlots, and Zins from Lodi CA are a good start in US wines, which generally provides good bang for the buck. But don't stop there, sample many other countries. Ive learned my favorite regions, then my favorite labels within.

I'm fortunate to live in the middle of a rapidly-growing wine region of Texas. I don't think my palate is refined enough to be able to tell the difference between regions yet, and I'm hoping that over time I'll learn to taste the subtle differences. I guess it helps that I just quit smoking a few weeks ago (after 25 years of being a smoker). Already I can taste and smell things I haven't been able to for decades. But anyway, I'm thinking I might do some of the winery tours around here (lots of them in Fredericksburg TX, just a few miles away) where I can do a lot of sampling. It might be fun to join a wine club, but that has always seemed a little high-brow for me.

All I know is that when I look at the wine aisle at the grocery store, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of wines to choose from. And I feel like a calf staring at a new gate. It's just more than I can process.

Originally Posted by KMCMICHAEL

Trader Joe's, I like their 2 buck chuck merlot as well as most of their other stuff. My wife prefers their cab. I like the idea of box wine but never the taste.

Wine advice really means nothing no matter the expert experience. One likes what one likes. I am picky about temperature. My wife is not. I think white wine should be taken out of the fridge 30 min before drinking and reds should spend 30 min in the fridge. What the hell does room temp mean? Maybe if you live in the alps.

As for boxed wine, I agree. I haven't found one yet that I'd say I really like. Some are truly awful. The one I can tolerate is Black Box, which supposedly won some awards. I tried Franzia, and now I understand why it's so cheap. Blech.

I do keep my wine in the fridge. From what I've read, "room temperature" for wines is the equivalent of coming out of a wine cellar that's something like 60 degrees F. My house in the summertime stays around 78 degrees F. That's way too warm for wine, for both storing and drinking. If I pour a glass from the fridge, it warms up in just a few minutes to a good temperature where the flavors come out.

**Stoff** · 21st August 17, 08:11 AM

My wife and I have also aquired a preference for wine. I personal prefer an inexpensive North Carolina scuppernong/muscadine in white or red. And I personly prefer those from a local winery, Duplin Winery (https://www.duplinwinery.com/).

Try them, if you can get them, you might like them. On top of that they are very affordable at $7-$8 a liter.

Christoph

**Tobus** · 21st August 17, 10:14 AM

I'll look for it, Christoph. I can't say I've noticed any North Carolina wines at the store, but I might get lucky.

Going with boxed wines has been an attempt to keep costs as low as possible while still enjoying an after-work drink. But the thought has occurred to me that maybe I should stick with bottled wines, since I might be able to write off the cost in the future as a property improvement expense. See, the previous homeowners were apparently big wine drinkers as well, and they used the bottles as borders for landscaping as shown below (this is in my front yard). If I keep the bottles and do more of this, perhaps I could call the wine purchases "construction materials". Think that would pass muster with the tax man?