# friday night and a glass of wine **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** wine\ **Created:** [September 2, 2006, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friday-night-and-a-glass-of-wine/371155 "2006-09-02T03:08:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2006, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friday-night-and-a-glass-of-wine/371155/21 "2006-09-02T18:43:46Z")
[QUOTE=Jodi] I would describe it as “drinkable,” which I’ve always considered damning with faint praise since it is, after all, a beverage. [/QUOTE] In fairness, bleach is “drinkable” too - for a while. I myself had a 2005 Pheasant Gully semillon sauvignon blanc from South Australia, which is sensationally good and bloody cheap. ---
**Author:** ![Ass\_For\_A\_Hat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ec9cab/32.png) [@Ass\_For\_A\_Hat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ass_For_A_Hat)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2006, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friday-night-and-a-glass-of-wine/371155/22 "2006-09-03T01:34:46Z")
Sorry I’m late to the party. This weekend I have a bottle of 2004 Rosenblum Zin open…the Richard Sauret Vineyards incarnation. Lots of fruit, and I sure don’t taste the 16% alcohol. Though as I write this, I too have a bourbon in hand. Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 Year. We may need a SD Bourbon Society thread soon. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2006, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friday-night-and-a-glass-of-wine/371155/23 "2006-09-03T01:50:35Z")
[QUOTE=Ass For A Hat] Though as I write this, I too have a bourbon in hand. Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 Year. We may need a SD Bourbon Society thread soon. [/QUOTE] I have a glass of the Weller 12 on my desk as I type. The **SDBS** would be very popular, methinks. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Precambrianmollusc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/precambrianmollusc/32/63_2.png) [@Precambrianmollusc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Precambrianmollusc)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2006, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friday-night-and-a-glass-of-wine/371155/24 "2006-09-03T02:19:01Z")
On a cold winter evening I am glugging down some Norton classico, a pleasent argentine blend, nothing outstanding but at 8 pesos can’t go far wrong. The solid malbecs come out tomorrow along with 1/2 a cow to go on the parrilla. Would cause bodily harm to get my grubby mits on a bottle of Wolf Blass Shiraz, brown label or president selction, alas all wine here is local. No idea why I used the word alas, the local stuff is damn fine. Salut ---
**Author:** ![SSG\_Schwartz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@SSG\_Schwartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SSG_Schwartz)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2006, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friday-night-and-a-glass-of-wine/371155/25 "2006-09-03T02:51:48Z")
Two fingers of Southern Comfort over ice. I am also sipping the Champagne of Beers to cool my throat. What the hell, it is a 4 day weekend and a Saturday night. SGT Schwartz ---
**Author:** ![psycat90](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@psycat90](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psycat90)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2006, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friday-night-and-a-glass-of-wine/371155/26 "2006-09-03T03:56:34Z")
Nothing for me tonight, aside from a couple of Sierra Nevada Pale Ales with and after dinner. And amijane I’m sorry, on preview I see you asked for an actual guide (I was in a bit of a haze this morning.) [This one is pretty good](http://www.wines.com/pronunciation.html) and [while this one only has a few varietals listed](http://www.meijer.com/WineGuide/see.html), it has .wav files next to each one so you can actually hear the pronunciation. ---
**Author:** ![amijane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f0a364/32.png) [@amijane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amijane)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2006, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friday-night-and-a-glass-of-wine/371155/27 "2006-09-03T13:57:52Z")
[QUOTE=psycat90] And amijane I’m sorry, on preview I see you asked for an actual guide (I was in a bit of a haze this morning.) [/QUOTE] Sorry nothing, you’re a star, thanks 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Hunter\_Hawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@Hunter\_Hawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hunter_Hawk)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2006, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friday-night-and-a-glass-of-wine/371155/28 "2006-09-03T18:26:14Z")
Yesterday was actually nice and warm, so I had a couple of large French 75s. 2 oz. gin (I used Plymouth) 1 oz. fresh lemon juice enough sugar (I used a little less than 0.5 oz. light agave nectar) Shake violently and strain into a tall glass (I used an 8 oz. cider-type glass). Fill with drinkable champagne. Garnish with a twist of lemon. You can play around with varying the base spirit, but you’ll have to adjust proportions accordingly. ---
**Author:** ![wonderlust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonderlust/32/7237_2.png) [@wonderlust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonderlust)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2006, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friday-night-and-a-glass-of-wine/371155/29 "2006-09-03T19:00:22Z")
[QUOTE=Hunter Hawk] Shake violently and strain into a tall glass (I used an 8 oz. cider-type glass). Fill with drinkable champagne. Garnish with a twist of lemon. You can play around with varying the base spirit, but you’ll have to adjust proportions accordingly. [/QUOTE] _Violently?!?_ Hm, violent spirits… ---
**Author:** ![Boozahol\_Squid\_P.I](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d9b06d/32.png) [@Boozahol\_Squid\_P.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boozahol_Squid_P.I)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friday-night-and-a-glass-of-wine/371155/30 "2006-09-04T04:35:31Z")
[QUOTE=Bobotheoptimist] I keep wondering if ANYTHING mixes with apple juice. We always have the stuff around. Vodka would probably work with the Gatorade, but I have verified that rum and apple juice do NOT work. [/QUOTE] Not quite apple juice, perhaps, but when apple cider comes out later this fall, you can take 2 oz. of that rum, and pour it over ice with an ounce of cointreau in a highball glass, and fill with cider. Amazingly good autumnal drink for cool nights on a porch. ---
**Author:** ![Hunter\_Hawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@Hunter\_Hawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hunter_Hawk)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friday-night-and-a-glass-of-wine/371155/31 "2006-09-04T05:48:23Z")
[QUOTE=Diomedes] Not quite apple juice, perhaps, but when apple cider comes out later this fall, you can take 2 oz. of that rum, and pour it over ice with an ounce of cointreau in a highball glass, and fill with cider. Amazingly good autumnal drink for cool nights on a porch. [/QUOTE] Or try this per my earlier comment about changing the base spirit in a French 75: 2 oz. mixing-grade dark rum (i.e., Mount Gay, not Ron Zacapa) 1 oz. fresh lemon juice 1 good dash Angostura bitters Shake violently and strain into a tall glass. Fill with cider or a dark hard cider. Garnish with a twist of lemon. I haven’t bothered trying a heated version of this, but I suspect it would work. ---
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friday-night-and-a-glass-of-wine/371155/32 "2006-09-04T17:55:13Z")
Excuse my lateness: my Friday night wine was a glass of [Torres Sangre de Toro](http://www.torres.es/eng/asp/nv_ficha.asp?Ficha=Producto&Cod=3)- yes, it’s not exactly fancy or expensive, and it has a little plastic bull attached to the neck for added kitschness, but I love it. It appears I’m not the [only one](http://www.manfatta.com/wineblog/2005/05/vatican-chooses-sangre-de-toro.html) either. ---
**Author:** ![Bobotheoptimist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/919ad9/32.png) [@Bobotheoptimist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bobotheoptimist)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2006, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friday-night-and-a-glass-of-wine/371155/33 "2006-09-05T14:52:34Z")
I sure wish I could find a wine that I like - I’m jealous of people that take a sip and then do that closed-eyes-mmmmm thing. I’ve found several meads that I enjoy, but grape wines… not so much. Seems they are either too sweet or too… astringent? Tannic? Something like that. Should try a wine tasting I guess, but I wouldn’t know where to start. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2006, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friday-night-and-a-glass-of-wine/371155/34 "2006-09-05T17:58:40Z")
Let’s see… Friday night was a 2005 Menage au Trois, California red table wine. It’s wonderful even to an old strictly Cabernet guy like me and at around $9 US a bottle, hard to pass up. Really, I’d love to hear another oenophile weigh in on this one. ---
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2006, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friday-night-and-a-glass-of-wine/371155/35 "2006-09-05T18:19:37Z")
**Bobotheoptimist** - You could always learn to drink wine the way I did-start with sweet whites, move on to drier whites, then light reds, then heavy oaked wines and big, full-bodied reds. The idea is to start with the wines you find easiest to drink, and gradually work up to more challenging ones. Admittedly, I started drinking wine when I was about 10, that system was my dad’s fool-proof way of making his children appreciate good wine, and when we started it was restricted to 1/4 of a glass with Sunday lunch, but in theory it should work for anyone. My favourite white wine is also a Torres- [Viña Esmeralda](http://www.torres.es/eng/asp/nv_ficha.asp?Ficha=producto&Cod=20). Although I don’t normally like sweet white wine, I love this one. It is sort of floral and honeyed, and perhaps that’s what you’d prefer if you like mead. I love Chablis too, and it’s hard to pick a bad one…but it’s too expensive for more than an occasional treat. ---
**Author:** ![wonderlust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonderlust/32/7237_2.png) [@wonderlust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonderlust)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2006, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friday-night-and-a-glass-of-wine/371155/36 "2006-09-05T18:27:54Z")
[QUOTE=lieu] Let’s see… Friday night was a 2005 Menage au Trois, California red table wine. It’s wonderful even to an old strictly Cabernet guy like me and at around $9 US a bottle, hard to pass up. Really, I’d love to hear another oenophile weigh in on this one. [/QUOTE] Alas, I’ve never tried a Menage au Trois. I only hope I do someday before I die. Only $9 you say? ---
**Author:** ![DoctorJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctorj/32/2904_2.png) [@DoctorJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoctorJ)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2006, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friday-night-and-a-glass-of-wine/371155/37 "2006-09-05T19:00:01Z")
It wasn’t Friday, but last night we killed a bottle of Hirsch 2004 Gruner Veltliner. This is the third or fourth time I’ve had a gruner, and I’ve decided that really like it. Any suggestions about pairing it up? ---
**Author:** ![psycat90](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@psycat90](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psycat90)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2006, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friday-night-and-a-glass-of-wine/371155/38 "2006-09-05T23:02:44Z")
I’ve tasted a few Grüner Veltliners and I’ve really enjoyed them as well. It’s got such bright acidity it makes a great food companion, particularly for things like seafood/fish, chicken, or pork cooked in any type of citrus-based sauce (shrimp scampi, maybe?) It’s one of the few wines that I think can stand up to other high acid foods like tomatoes, or a salad with a vinaigrette, even asparagus, a classic wine pairing nightmare. I haven’t tried the Ménage a Trois red wine, but I did try a rosé made by them a couple of months ago. It was recommended by one of the workers of BevMo who saw me choosing a few rosés to have on hand for the summer. It was incredible. So good I went back and bought 2 more bottles the next day. I’ll see if I can find the red on the way home. If I do I’ll report my notes. Also, another online (wine) community did a ‘group tasting’ a few weeks back. I thought it was a pretty good idea, and pretty fun. I’d be up for that if anyone else here were interested. Maybe start with this one? ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friday-night-and-a-glass-of-wine/371155/39 "2006-09-06T13:04:57Z")
I bought another case on the way home, noticed my misspelling, and thank you for correcting it, **psycat90**. Being an '05, give it a bit in a glass to come out, 30 minutes or so. We had an '02 Ridge Cabernet during a wine-paired meal recently and it was outstanding with a vennison shank. I immediately bought all the '02s I could find, plus a couple of '98s. Stay with the '02s as they are quite nice. ---
**Author:** ![psycat90](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@psycat90](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psycat90)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friday-night-and-a-glass-of-wine/371155/40 "2006-09-06T16:15:06Z")
Thanks lieu, will do! I found the 04 vintage at one shop last night, but just wasn’t much in the mood for wine, so maybe I’ll give it a go tonight. I’ll look for the 05 vintage at a couple of the other wine shops, if I can’t find it I’ll have to head over the mountain to score a bottle from the winery, but I need to head out that way sometime this month anyway. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friday-night-and-a-glass-of-wine/371155.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friday-night-and-a-glass-of-wine/371155.md?page=3)