Do Hpcers Know Their Wine?

[Mikhail Liebenstein]

http://www.dailymail...onnoisseur.html

I am not sure what it was about this article (Daily Mail getting under my skin perhaps), but I did find some of the social faux pas they highlighted cringe-worthy. May be its just a reaction to my wife's consumption of chavtastic reality TV, but I couldn't believe there were people who couldn't pronounce Semillon or Pinot Noir correctly.

For what it's worth, I recommend HPCers try some this:http://www.snooth.co...lifornia-2007/# , I've always been a big fan of Californian Wines and particularly the Livermore Valley appellation.

[sukuinage]

Well, I like a good Bordeaux but I'm not very keen on claret.

[Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz]

I prefer old world wines, perhaps coz I'm a bit of a wine snob. PS. Know my wine! Used to work for Oddbins!

I also prefer organic - I buy direct from Vinceremos - coz they don't make you so fuggy headed (fewer additives, fewer sulphites, etc.)

[Mal Volio]

I also prefer organic - I buy direct from Vinceremos - coz they don't make you so fuggy headed (fewer additives, fewer sulphites, etc.)

Ooh we used to go to their tastings when we lived in Leeds. A fine company - they were very small indeed in those days though

[Gone baby gone]

Wine.

Comes in two types, white or red. Supplied in a box.

What else do I need to know?

[winkie]

....I like most wines unless they taste of wood or chemicals.

[Sledgehead]

Wine.

Comes in two types, white or red. Supplied in a box.

What else do I need to know?

Sounds like you know as much as anybody.

Watching the "E Numbers" series was pretty amusing. They took a white wine, coloured it a very realistic red and gave it to wine buffs. NOBODY noticed and they ALL identified flavours found in red wines.

It's like bottled water. We really ain't that good with taste.

[R K]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhqUtxFotqE&feature=related

[The Masked Tulip]

Well, I like a good Bordeaux but I'm not very keen on claret.

I am the opposite - love claret but can't abide any of that Bordeaux rubbish

[redwine]

I am the opposite - love claret but can't abide any of that Bordeaux rubbish

Whats the difference between a Claret and a Bordeaux ?

[Johnny Storm]

I never understood wine or why people drink it, or beer come to that. It just doesnt taste nice. Its an acquired taste, Im told. Strange, I never had to acquire the taste for chocolate.

One of life's little pretensions I never acquired.

[The Masked Tulip]

Whats the difference between a Claret and a Bordeaux ?

I have no idea.

All I know is that claret is a wine that comes from Bordeaux and that all claret is a Bordeaux but not all Bordeaux is a claret.

Here endeth my knowledge of wine.

I have no interest in it other than drinking it and I find it all very hit and miss - I tend to go for the descriptions. If it mentions fuit such as plums, strawberries or cherries then I wil buy it but I have yet to taste such things in it.

I fid it all pretensious personally. The only great wine I have drunk has been in France but I have never found any that you can buy here in the UK to be on a par.

I am a whisky man myself - have you seen the price of whisky of late? Shocking!

[Frank Hovis]

I don't drink wine unless it's fortified - port or sherry. The taste of wine does nothing for me, to drink it I have to stick something like kir in it or (if I'm really going for it) I will have a wine in a lager.

I have been at many business lunches where during a five minute perusal of the wine list people notice that I haven't joined in and they find it odd when I say I don't drink wine. You can usually get a bitter in a decent restaurant anyway, lovely stuff.

[Bloo Loo]

I never understood wine or why people drink it, or beer come to that. It just doesnt taste nice. Its an acquired taste, Im told. Strange, I never had to acquire the taste for chocolate.

One of life's little pretensions I never acquired.

White Zinfandel...its an alcopop...you could drink a bottle without any food.

Banned in France as its contraband.

saying that, after a good French or English wine, the ZInfandel has little other than an easy drink taste.

[Mal Volio]

I have no idea.

Claret is an English word for red Bordeaux. That's all there is to it.

[JustYield]

I am not sure what it was about this article (Daily Mail getting under my skin perhaps), but I did find some of the social faux pas they highlighted cringe-worthy. May be its just a reaction to my wife's consumption of chavtastic reality TV, but I couldn't  believe there were  people who couldn't pronounce Semillon or  Pinot Noir correctly.

"And when you put it all together there's the model of a charmless man."

My personal favourite is when someone sniffs the cork. How I snigger.

[The Masked Tulip]

My personal favourite is when someone sniffs the cork. How I snigger.

Why? What do you do with the cork before you hand it to them?

[corevalue]

I have no idea.

All I know is that claret is a wine that comes from Bordeaux and that all claret is a Bordeaux but not all Bordeaux is a claret.

Here endeth my knowledge of wine.

I have no interest in it other than drinking it and I find it all very hit and miss - I tend to go for the descriptions. If it mentions fuit such as plums, strawberries or cherries then I wil buy it but I have yet to taste such things in it.

I fid it all pretensious personally. The only great wine I have drunk has been in France but I have never found any that you can buy here in the UK to be on a par.

I am a whisky man myself - have you seen the price of whisky of late? Shocking!

France. Campsite. Warm evening. BBQ. Selection of bottles from supermarche / local producers ready. 20 or so drinkers ready. Mass wine tasting, Mental notes taken. Trip next day to buy cartons of the best. Still too fuddled to remember which they were. Buy stuff anyway.

That's how I do it. Not been disappointed yet.

Whisky. Have you tried Glenfarclas?

[LiveinHope]

Chateau du Pin was the best wine I have enjoyed, long time ago and never found it since

I can tell many wine varieties in a blind tasting, which the first time I did it surprised me

For a cheap bottle with a meal, I find Morrisons' Rocco Bay Soft Sooth Red is a nice drink as is Jacobs Creek Riesling, which may say much about me

[Frank Hovis]

All this wine nonsense...

[porca misèria]

I prefer old world wines, perhaps coz I'm a bit of a wine snob. PS. Know my wine! Used to work for Oddbins!

I also prefer organic - I buy direct from Vinceremos - coz they don't make you so fuggy headed (fewer additives, fewer sulphites, etc.)

I liken old world vs new world to real ale vs lager.

Real ale at its best is gorgeous, but all too often it's not good - even pretty foul. A passable lager is neither good nor bad, it's reliable and inoffensive. Likewise the best European wines are wonderful but all too many (especially french) can be foul, while new world wines tend to be more reliably somewhere in the middle, ranging from california-bland-tasteless through aussie-strong-unsubtle to chilean-very-nice.

[opt_out]

I hardly drink wine, but I can recommend the film Mondovino.

[SNACR]

Wine closely follows Opera and Modern Art in my list of things that people often have a propensity to talk a load of pretentious old sh1te about..

Sitting on Tracey Emin's soiled, unmade bed listening to a live performamce of Madame Butterfly whilst sipping a delightful Chateau Mouton Rothschild 1953 - Pseud's heaven.

[northwestsmith2]

If it tastes like crap then refuse it and send the bottle back.

That is the entire reason they give you a sample which is a good thing.

It's not about the taste, just is it drinkable.

[JustYield]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhqUtxFotqE&feature=related

"I don't drink ******ing Merlot!"

Delightful film - watch the commentary too - even funnier in places as they both get slowly sozzled.

Why? What do you do with the cork before you hand it to them?

"The wine steward, wine waiter, or sommelier makes sure the wine and other drinks are properly served and meet expectations. Most likely, the sommelier had quickly examined the cork before placing it on the table. If the cork were obviously tainted, then the sommelier would not serve the wine.

When the cork is placed on the table, simply look at the wine bottle cork and nod okay to the sommelier. You don't have to pick it up, but you can examine the cork for cracks or mold. It used to be that one would sniff the cork, but that is not the case these days. It's better to sniff the wine in the glass before drinking.

After the sample of wine is poured and tasted, assuming it tastes fine, once again nod approval to the sommelier, who will then pour the wine for all the guests."

Same topic, different source:

"Then the wine is opened and the cork is gravely handed to you. One time you would have checked the cork to see it is stamped with the same winery name and vintage as is shown on the label. In other words it is your proof the wine really is what you wanted and stops the restaurant sticking forged labels on bottles. Such a practice these days is virtually unknown.

You could sniff the wet end of the cork for bad odours that might indicate the wine is corked. But this is not a good test. You could squeeze the cork to see if it is wet; if it is dry then perhaps the wine has been stored upright and the wine may be bad. But you cannot really tell anything from the cork. The only test that counts is to taste the wine.

There is little point in this part of the ritual; just accept the cork and put it on the table."

If it tastes like crap then refuse it and send the bottle back.

That is the entire reason they give you a sample which is a good thing.

It's not about the taste, just is it drinkable.

Yes - only of you know what it should taste like. Really you should know if it's ok from sniffing it, anything more is pretentious ritual.