xx, So, was it worth it? Or maybe you weren't paying...

very worth it!

That's all that counts then!

Nothing. I'm in recovery and have saved $30,000 in the last 6 years.

I, too, quit drinking alcohol and I'm saving a fortune. Somehow I lost the "big shot itist" and don't find it nexessary to "go all out" when dining. Not paying for the booze bill saves more than I could ever have imagined.

Now there's a thought. Maybe I could give up fine dining, and the desire for delicious food. Imagine the money I'd save if I ate mac-n-cheese every night!

No one has to give up fine dining by just not drinking expensive wines. In fact, I'm able to "fine dine" around the world. For your infomation, those of us who do not drink alcohol, do not resort to mac'n cheese. Funny how some determine fine dining by the cost of their wine tab.

Some book/web suggestions for CD (and anyone else who's interested):

I like the Windows on the World wine course that x recommended above - it's a great introduction for anyone. Kevin Zraly is the author/editor. "The Wine Brats' Guide to Living, with Wine" is a very down-to-earth primer, slanted toward California wines - covers everything form how to build a wine cellar in your studio apartment to how to buy wine at the supermarket to what to serve with take-away Thai - plus the usual esoteric topics.

For anyone based in Europe or primarily interested in European wines, anything by Jancis Robinson may be of interest - she's an excellent, engaging writer as well as a wine expert. Her "Tasting Pleasure: Confessions of a Wine Lover" is interesting to read just as autobiography, in addition to the wine-related info.

For people who love to cook, and/or are particularly interested in matching wine with food - look for "The Wine Lovers Cookbook" by Sid Goldstein. It includes a section for each of the major varietals and describes the kind of primary and secondary ingredients that go with that type, complete with recipes (and great pictures).

Finally, here's a few web resources:

www.winetoday.com
www.winexwired.com
www.ugwinejournal.com
www.winespectator.com
http://food4.epicurious.com/HyperNews/get/wine.html [this is a forum/BB]

My boss (who is also in the wine industry) refuses to spend more than $50. There are many values out there if you know what you are doing. I would look @ any South Africa or Australia bottlings if the list appears over-priced. As for the blow-hards previously mentioned... either they don't know what they are doing or they equate price with quality. Either way, pay them no attention.

I agree...price doesn't mean quality. Many high priced wines can be way overpriced.

You need to find a 3rd party that you can trust to evaluatee the wine(wine merachan you like, Wine spectator Rating, Parkers ratings, etc)

Let the experts evalaute how good the wine is for you first( or taste it) before you shell out a lot of money for wine.

Sometimes price DOES mean quality. But I agree you need to really need to know what you are buying and have acquired a taste for it. I have seen Saintsbury, B.R., Pinot on wine lists for 150. So in my mind 130 is a deal for such a beautiful wine.

Robert Parker also has a news letter type thing that you can subscribe to that I think comes out 4 times a year which is really good. He can be a bit hard on the American producers but he has lightened up in the last few years.

Wine Spectator comes out monthly andha s a "friendly" web site.

I've found that with small wineries, if you don't act quickly , it's very hard t obtain the wine.

Thank you Ingrid.

1) I rarely order a bottle of wine because I won't have more than 1 drink if I'm driving. We have enough drunk drivers as it is here in New Mexico. I usually have one glass of wine if any.

2) The second reason I don't is becuase of the ridiculous markup on wine in restaurants. When I can go out an buy a nice bottle of Napa valley Merlot or Cabernet for about 10 bucks and see the very same wine at a restaurant for $40, I'll wait until I get home.

Paul does have some valid points and I think many restaurants are listening. I see more and more offering very good selections by the glass and I also see more and more offering half bottles. I don't see the high mark ups like I use to (300-400%) but now a days I see more like 150 - 250% mark ups.

Another option is to seek out those restaurants that will allow you to bring your own wine. Although there will probably be a minimal corkage fee, you will still save some considerable $$$. Funny we haven't heard back from the $1k/bottle fools. Certainly some bottles are worth the price you pay. My point was the uneducated equate price & quality which is a very bad mistake.

IT seems the biggest markups on wine are for the least expensive bottles.

They take a $5 bottle and can sell it for up to $24.

But if you order a bottle of wine that retails for $50 or so the markup is rarely sold by more than double. Course the dollar markup per bottle is high.

I've seen some restaurants have 25-50% sales on wines from their wine lists(certain days only). so maybe the restaurants are learning,

Corkage charge can be a very tricky thing. Some places can be very reasonable with it and others not. I have seen a few places note on their menu that the corkage fee will be the price of their least expensive bottle. In one restaurant it was $30. More often than not if you share a small glass with the server and/or manager and/or sommelier the fee will be waived.

Wino,

You are right that it might be waived.

But I think that would be for a specail bottle of fine wine and not for an inexpesive mass market wine.

Also, it is considered cheap to bring a bottle of wine to a restaurant if they sell the same wine....even that offers a corkage fee.