Wine Lovers, Speak Up!

That's right, I said lovers, not connoisseurs! One need not be a self-congratulatory expert in the vulgar vagaries of various vineyards to appreciate the way a particular bouquet caresses your nose and mouth!

I have just consumed, in its entirety, by myself, a most spectacular bottle of Giuseppe Quintarelli Amarone della Valpolicella - and while it may have been a Classico when it was bottled, it was something more tonight.

It made up for the abhorrent bottle of Merlot blend that an infuriatingly unknowledgeable sommelier encouraged me to purchase; which I did because she had little else to recommend, and for the price of which I could have dallied with a lady of the night (erm, internet) instead.

Folly? Triumph? Should I have spent that money instead luxuriating between the legs of a woman or three? TASTY NONETHELESS!

Share your own magnificent discoveries.

Pardon me. Do you have any Grey Poupon?

Went to a Greek Festival few years back. Had dry wine for the first time. Got laughed at for choking on the stuff. Ended up just drinking the margaritas they had.

Went to a Greek Festival few years back. Had dry wine for the first time. Got laughed at for choking on the stuff. Ended up just drinking the margaritas they had. Originally Posted by Fishpie

What do you mean? Was it your first time ever having a tannin-heavy wine as in a "dry" red or white? Or did you drink some of that Greek Assyrtiko White wine?

I'm ashamed to admit that the number of white wines I've consumed in the last decade can probably be counted on the fingers of ... one finger ... and I'm curious now. Do you remember what you had? If it was that special Greek Assyrtiko wine, how did it compare to other dry wines....or do you mean that you've never before had a non-sweet wine?

I have a case of Gaja Barbaresco 2005 that I have been holding off opening for the past 10 years. Just cracked open one bottle recently while enjoying the best Osso Buco in the world at Mama Maria (Boston)....

The Gaja was amazing but will only get better in time....I'm going to wait another 5 years for bottle #2..

What do you mean? Was it your first time ever having a tannin-heavy wine as in a "dry" red or white? Or did you drink some of that Greek Assyrtiko White wine?

I'm ashamed to admit that the number of white wines I've consumed in the last decade can probably be counted on the fingers of ... one finger ... and I'm curious now. Do you remember what you had? If it was that special Greek Assyrtiko wine, how did it compare to other dry wines....or do you mean that you've never before had a non-sweet wine? Originally Posted by TravelingGentleman

It was a dry red wine. Don't know if it was the Assyrtiko wine or not. Yea my first and only time I've ever had a dry wine as in a non-sweet wine. It was like drinking a glass of cotton balls. I'm not a wine lover honestly even though I have tasted some great ones over the years. If I buy wine it's for cooking with mainlySauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay.

Cisco*-*‎MD 20/20*-*‎Night Train*-*‎Thunderbird are my favorites.

When I want impress a hooker I search the bottom shelf at CVS for the cheapest bottle of pink Moscato.
The fat old lady at the checkout dares not look me in the eye while bagging Listerine, Skins & Moscato at 10 am.

I have a case of Gaja Barbaresco 2005 that I have been holding off opening for the past 10 years. Just cracked open one bottle recently while enjoying the best Osso Buco in the world at Mama Maria (Boston)....

The Gaja was amazing but will only get better in time....I'm going to wait another 5 years for bottle #2.. Originally Posted by SNL9933

I would...buy you something...or someone...to drink that with you. *laughing*

Honest question - do you share your wine? With providers? With family? Hoard it to yourself? I like sharing myself, but only with people with whom the wine itself would be memorable for.

I'm just a good ol' Irish tart who likes her whiskey, but when I do stray, I prefer crisp, cold whites over room temperature reds, sweet ice wines, late harvest Riesling, and Moscato.

I particularly like Ceretto Moscato d'Asti Vignaioli Di Santo Stefano, not expensive at an average $20 a bottle, but not easy to find, either. Very tall decanter, doesn't fit well on shelves.

I have much appreciated the gentlemen who have helped educate me on wine, what little I do know, and have shared their favorites with me.

Cisco*-*‎MD 20/20*-*‎Night Train*-*‎Thunderbird are my favorites. Originally Posted by Slitlikr

This. Make sure the lady at CVS puts the bottle in a properly-fitting paper bag, so it can be enjoyed with discretion and style. Such wines are best imbibed straight from the bottle, after carefully removing the twist-off bottle cap.

I would...buy you something...or someone...to drink that with you. *laughing*

Honest question - do you share your wine? With providers? With family? Hoard it to yourself? I like sharing myself, but only with people with whom the wine itself would be memorable for. Originally Posted by TravelingGentleman

I would gladly share my wine with anyone that has the ability to truly appreciate it...

I would gladly share my wine with anyone that has the ability to truly appreciate it... Originally Posted by SNL9933

Mmmmmmm red wine

Cisco*-*‎MD 20/20*-*‎Night Train*-*‎Thunderbird are my favorites.

When I want impress a hooker I search the bottom shelf at CVS for the cheapest bottle of pink Moscato.
The fat old lady at the checkout dares not look me in the eye while bagging Listerine, Skins & Moscato at 10 am. Originally Posted by Slitlikr

I'm with you on the Mad Dog.

I'm with Fancy on the late harvest Riesling or a good Moscato D' Asti.

Here are images of a few that I enjoy.

Conveniently, these are all available at HEB and they are very reasonably priced.


I'm not much of a fan of Red.. I guess I just prefer the sweeter things in life.

I'm not much of a fan of Red.. I guess I just prefer the sweeter things in life. Originally Posted by Reese Foster

I don't object to Moscato...and I beg you not be offended by this music analogy:

Moscato has a wonderful sweet note. It's delicious, worth savoring, but has only that single, simple note because sweetness in a wine overwhelms and flattens the nuances of the wine. It's like saying, "I like the Lone Ranger song."

You don't have to switch to red to find a complex wine to taste in stages! But if you can find the tenacity to step away from a sweet wine, you might find your tastebuds challenged across every part of your mouth as you attempt to work out the complexity of what you're tasting!

The Lone Ranger's song is the finale of Gioacchino Rossini's 1829 William Tell Overture - I'd think most famously performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra, but all music lovers have their own preferred orchestral rendition. The finale at the end is an eargasm to enjoy, but (in my opinion) best served as the delightful conclusion to the entire piece!

The next time you're at a wine bar, or restaurant...somewhere that you don't have to invest in a whole bottle of something outside of your comfort zone...ask for a recommendation to pair with whatever you're eating. Whatever your server recommends...ask for a sample of it. When it arrives, taste it on an empty stomach, with a clear palate. Breathe deeply into the glass, and while your nose is working on sorting out the scents in there, sip a tiny bit into your mouth and...work it around - through your gums, across your tongue; hit all your tastebuds, swallow and then focus your thoughts onto your sense of taste, pick apart what you just swallowed...

And if you're intrigued by what you just tasted, come back here and let me know.