Wine Experts: Please help a Coke Addict Change His Ways
amp; LOL
Oct 3rd, 2003, 10:48 AM
#42
Guest
Posts: n/a
We all really must discuss wines one day, here on this site. For example, there's much to discover among the new S. Africa reds entering the US (not their pinotage, but the merlots and cabs). The exchange rate makes them rather attractive (not as much as they were when 12:1 was occurring).
Yes, New Zealand, Australlian - and of course Oregon (new superb pinots)and Washington State.
If you love eaux de vie, which I do, may I tell you about a good domestic maker - Clear Creek in Portland, Oregon. Not as powerful as the french, but very nice, and very promising for the US.
So, perhaps we'll talk Argentine wines - I discovered many in Buenos Aires, and they are almost on a level with Chile now.
Take care. We all do need to chat.
Yes, New Zealand, Australlian - and of course Oregon (new superb pinots)and Washington State.
If you love eaux de vie, which I do, may I tell you about a good domestic maker - Clear Creek in Portland, Oregon. Not as powerful as the french, but very nice, and very promising for the US.
So, perhaps we'll talk Argentine wines - I discovered many in Buenos Aires, and they are almost on a level with Chile now.
Take care. We all do need to chat.
Oct 3rd, 2003, 10:55 AM
#44
Guest
Posts: n/a
Thanks to all for such a huge response to my pathetic cry for help! Its nice to know that such a great bunch of folks support the forum.
I'm off now to Wal-Mart, armed well with an extensive list of good wines to buy!
On, for those that were concerned I would drink on an "empty stomach" and get rowdy - just think about the odds of me passing up a MacDonald's or Burger King in Europe!
I'm off now to Wal-Mart, armed well with an extensive list of good wines to buy!
On, for those that were concerned I would drink on an "empty stomach" and get rowdy - just think about the odds of me passing up a MacDonald's or Burger King in Europe!
Oct 3rd, 2003, 11:01 AM
#45
Guest
Posts: n/a
Hey, Degas - do have a great weekend, and I do hope some of our ideas may be useful. I'm afraid you pushed one of my "enthusiasm" buttons when you started this thread. It has been a truly terrific thread, one I've enjoyed immensely. Take care, and we'll see you in a week or so - and think WINE. Bye.
Oct 3rd, 2003, 11:26 AM
#46
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 110
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
First, locate a phosphate plant and go there. Take a look at what goes in your soda. Then buy yourself an Australian Shiraz bottle of wine and down it on your back porch as the Fall leafs fall and the Canadian Geese fly overhead. By nightfall, you'll beg for a glass of wine before even thinking to down a coke.
Oct 3rd, 2003, 01:00 PM
#50
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 110
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
On my most recent vacation, I passed a huge phosphate factory at Aurora, North Carolina on the Pamlico River in the estern part of the state. Taking the Pamlico Ferry you can vividly see what millions of Americans coat their stomachs with on a daily basis.
Oct 3rd, 2003, 01:44 PM
#52
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 9,642
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
A few other suggestions:
Work your way "up" to wine by having some tasty French cidre. The "doux" cider is fairly sweet and has a low alcohol content, only about 2 percent. *Almost* a soft drink, but much better! Then move on to a "brut" cider, which has about 5 percent alcohol (these are available at any creperie and most creperies are so dimly lit, no one will notice if you break down and switch back to coke).
Then onto Loire Valley reds, particularly Chinon or Saumur Champigny.
Ask for a carafe of water when you order wine. Gulp down a glass of water to slake your thirst, then sip the wine.
If you really must drink Coke, make sure you are chain smoking Marlboro reds at the same time. Then you will blend right in with the many Parisians doing the same.
Work your way "up" to wine by having some tasty French cidre. The "doux" cider is fairly sweet and has a low alcohol content, only about 2 percent. *Almost* a soft drink, but much better! Then move on to a "brut" cider, which has about 5 percent alcohol (these are available at any creperie and most creperies are so dimly lit, no one will notice if you break down and switch back to coke).
Then onto Loire Valley reds, particularly Chinon or Saumur Champigny.
Ask for a carafe of water when you order wine. Gulp down a glass of water to slake your thirst, then sip the wine.
If you really must drink Coke, make sure you are chain smoking Marlboro reds at the same time. Then you will blend right in with the many Parisians doing the same.
Oct 3rd, 2003, 05:08 PM
#53
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 5,579
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I was very surprised that I didn't get any wine suggestions but now realize that not everyone is affluent in Spanish. My oven started beeping, the oven light flashing and an error message appeared so I was unable to prepare the roast pork loin with juniper and rosemary.
Prepared an Arista di Maiale in Tegame con i Porri (pan roasted pork loin with leeks) as a replacement which was delicious with a chardonnay.
Will the juniper berries keep until the oven is repaired on Tuesday? Marcella doesn't say.
Prepared an Arista di Maiale in Tegame con i Porri (pan roasted pork loin with leeks) as a replacement which was delicious with a chardonnay.
Will the juniper berries keep until the oven is repaired on Tuesday? Marcella doesn't say.
Oct 3rd, 2003, 06:25 PM
#54
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 442
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Giovanna: You are absolutely right! We need to separate Degas from that brown poison! That is the most important point of this thread!
Degas: Your head is probably swimming from all this information before you've even had your first glass of wine! Lo!
If you don't mind, I'd like to add a few more pointers, regardless of which red wine you start with. The Beaujolais is a good suggestion, although it will not be as "sweet" as your German white wines.
A few things to do upon opening a bottle of wine:
a) Smell the cork. If you don't know what it is you are trying to detect, do it anyhow. After sniffing a lot of corks, your nose will "understand". The "scent" of wine stays with the cork for only a little while, so the sniffing should be done immediately or very soon after the cork is removed from the bottle.
b) After you pour the wine into a glass, hold it up to the light. Swirl the wine around and admire the color. Again, after awhile your eye will tell you what is a great color and what is not.
c) Smell the wine in the glass. Teach your nose to differentiate the different smells.
d) Take a sip, but don't swallow. Swirl the wine under your tongue. Let your tongue tell you what it is tasting.
Now, go ahead and enjoy your wine! Betcha can't do all that with your coke!
As one poster has said, the only way to learn about wine is to drink it - and to allow your nose, eye, and tongue do all the learning.
After awhile, you'll know which wines you like and which you don't - a Beaujolais, a Merlot, a Cabernet, whatever.
And a lot of Europeans do take water with wine to cut down on thirstiness.
Oh, yes, one last thing. Red wine needs to be uncorked and then allowed to "breathe" before drinking.
Enjoy! Enjoy! Such a wonderful journey you are embarking on!
Jason
Degas: Your head is probably swimming from all this information before you've even had your first glass of wine! Lo!
If you don't mind, I'd like to add a few more pointers, regardless of which red wine you start with. The Beaujolais is a good suggestion, although it will not be as "sweet" as your German white wines.
A few things to do upon opening a bottle of wine:
a) Smell the cork. If you don't know what it is you are trying to detect, do it anyhow. After sniffing a lot of corks, your nose will "understand". The "scent" of wine stays with the cork for only a little while, so the sniffing should be done immediately or very soon after the cork is removed from the bottle.
b) After you pour the wine into a glass, hold it up to the light. Swirl the wine around and admire the color. Again, after awhile your eye will tell you what is a great color and what is not.
c) Smell the wine in the glass. Teach your nose to differentiate the different smells.
d) Take a sip, but don't swallow. Swirl the wine under your tongue. Let your tongue tell you what it is tasting.
Now, go ahead and enjoy your wine! Betcha can't do all that with your coke!
As one poster has said, the only way to learn about wine is to drink it - and to allow your nose, eye, and tongue do all the learning.
After awhile, you'll know which wines you like and which you don't - a Beaujolais, a Merlot, a Cabernet, whatever.
And a lot of Europeans do take water with wine to cut down on thirstiness.
Oh, yes, one last thing. Red wine needs to be uncorked and then allowed to "breathe" before drinking.
Enjoy! Enjoy! Such a wonderful journey you are embarking on!
Jason
Oct 3rd, 2003, 08:17 PM
#55
Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 500
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Ok Degas, here's the answer to all your problems.... take Dublin off your wish list, add Cape Town..... we'll convert you to drinking wine You could even dunk some KK doughnuts if you like, but you'll have to bring your own cos we don't have them over here yet.... bring one for me too please. Oh yeah and the bonus is that we'll walk you through so many wine estates that you'll return home just a shadow of your former self, and you'll probably hate our coke and never want to touch the stuff again.
See, problems all solved! hehe!
You could even dunk some KK doughnuts if you like, but you'll have to bring your own cos we don't have them over here yet.... bring one for me too please. Oh yeah and the bonus is that we'll walk you through so many wine estates that you'll return home just a shadow of your former self, and you'll probably hate our coke and never want to touch the stuff again.See, problems all solved! hehe!
Oct 3rd, 2003, 09:15 PM
#56
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 16,067
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Or you could just put Dublin back on your list and have a beer.
Actually, if you're really thinking about Dublin, I think for a lot of people Ireland is about countryside maybe a little more than about cities. A very high percentage of Dubliners are under 25 and even though we had local family showing us around, I don't think I ever really connected with the town. Nice pubs, interesting enough but no memorable moments really. 10 minutes after we leave the city though, I'm a happy man, and stay that way the rest of the trip. It's a beautiful place, but the heart of Ireland, I think, is really out there in the villages and countyside. Hope you don't rule it out, unless you're strictly a city visitor. Either way though... the beer, the beer...
Oct 3rd, 2003, 11:36 PM
#57
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 646
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Like a few others, I'd suggest starting with Lambrusco, which should be palatable enough for even the most hardened Coke addict. Another very sweet red is the Greek Mavrodaphne, but I doubt you would find it in France or Italy.
Have you thought about fortified wines - Port, Sherry, Madeira, Marsala, etc? The sweeter versions of these might help to "ease" you into wine drinking, but just don't knock 'em back like you would a glass of Coke
Have you thought about fortified wines - Port, Sherry, Madeira, Marsala, etc? The sweeter versions of these might help to "ease" you into wine drinking, but just don't knock 'em back like you would a glass of Coke
Oct 4th, 2003, 03:43 AM
#58
Guest
Posts: n/a
My head hurts so darn bad I can barely see the keys as I type this with two fat fingers. Man, does red wine ever pack a mean and very sneaky punch.
You all warned me, but I failed to show enough restriant at the beginning of a new hobby!
I need more water and a fistful of aspirin before I can work on the okra crop. If this causes me to miss SEC football, I'm really going to be upset!
You all warned me, but I failed to show enough restriant at the beginning of a new hobby!
I need more water and a fistful of aspirin before I can work on the okra crop. If this causes me to miss SEC football, I'm really going to be upset!
Oct 4th, 2003, 05:15 AM
#59
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 11,334
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Degas,
Sorry if I didn't read every post on here, as this is now a very long thread and I'm just joining it.
My husband and I enjoy red wine with dinner at least several times a week. Our very most favorite is a chianti classico, Villa Antinori, which was first introduced to us by our friends in Italy. We now buy it here in the US at Sams for under $20 a bottle.
We also like a nice merlot now and then.
We hardly ever drink white wines as they are too sweet for our taste.
I would agree with those who said to sample the house wines when you travel. We love the small hilltop towns in Italy and usually will have something "local" for dinner. But it is also nice to be traveling with Italian friends who know the area and wines well.
The ONE TIME I ever used my French (which I studied in high school decades ago) was in the south of France. I got to order a vin rouge as our waiter had brought a white wine to the table (my husband's order----NO French language learning here)... but using my learned "skill" made me proud! lol
Carol
Sorry if I didn't read every post on here, as this is now a very long thread and I'm just joining it.
My husband and I enjoy red wine with dinner at least several times a week. Our very most favorite is a chianti classico, Villa Antinori, which was first introduced to us by our friends in Italy. We now buy it here in the US at Sams for under $20 a bottle.
We also like a nice merlot now and then.
We hardly ever drink white wines as they are too sweet for our taste.
I would agree with those who said to sample the house wines when you travel. We love the small hilltop towns in Italy and usually will have something "local" for dinner. But it is also nice to be traveling with Italian friends who know the area and wines well.
The ONE TIME I ever used my French (which I studied in high school decades ago) was in the south of France. I got to order a vin rouge as our waiter had brought a white wine to the table (my husband's order----NO French language learning here)... but using my learned "skill" made me proud! lol
Carol
