I’d agree with you, but — like I said, I don’t drink often and when I do one glass is enough. Unless they’re selling 1 liter boxes, I doubt I’d consume it before it went bad.
That’s been one of the things keeping me away from wine - I just don’t drink enough alcoholic stuff to justify buying a bottle. I’d drink 1 glass and wind up throwing the rest away. That just seems so *wasteful * to me.
I’m glad ya’ll straightened me out on that - I always thought Zin was a "white’ that happened to look pink. I had no idea the variety fell into the red category.
I enjoyed beer while I was able to, so I have few regrets (other than no more beer). It’s that whole “life is too short thing”, so you need to enjoy things today and not put them off til tomorrow, because tomorrow you might not be able to partake of those goodies.
*mmphf * - I’ve had it. You’re right, it takes like a wine cooler, which I’m not too fond of either. That might be one of the reasons I’ve never been much attracted to whites. Could be a matter of bad first experiences.
To my non-discerning palate, Shiraz is about as sweet as I’d care for. Maybe that puts me into an odd category. Maybe that’s been part of my past problem with wine - I’ve had a lot of folks give me samples that, as I’ve said, tasted like liquid bubblegum. Maybe they thought the cloying, nasty overly-sweet taste would somehow be appealing to the novice?
I had the same problem with beers initially - folks steering me towards stuff I really didn’t care for, then when I discovered the darks and stouts it was “oh wow!” At which point some of the other lagerheads and what not reacted with surprise bordering on horror - mein gott, the little girl likes dark beer! Yeah, and I drink my single-malt neat, too. Maybe I prefer bold flavors? Maybe I should some of those types they say are “too XXX” for the beginner?
Only if I get some means to make them last awhile in the fridge. Like I said, I have no intention of significantly increasing my alcohol consumption. That is one area where beers have an advantage, as they’ve long been sold in single-servings.
Just to clarify - “White Zinfandel” - the pink stuff - is a rose. There is also plain old “Zinfandel” which is as red as any other red wine, and is very, very yummy. Bright and bold and spicy, and definitely a whole different beast than the pink stuff.
It sort of sounds like you are thinking the pink stuff is considered a red wine, which is completely untrue. Apologies if I misunderstood your statement.
Don’t get me wrong, I love rosés! This Henry of Pelham one has been a favourite in our home for several years. I was just responding to the concern about serving a red or a white with stir fry, and good food pairings. Generally, I wouldn’t recommend serving a rosé with a grilled steak with goat cheese wrapped in proscuitto. A bold red would be better, I think!
Just add me to the list of “do what you want” when it comes to wine.
Broomstick Your local liquor store might sell half bottles. There won’t be as big a selection, but it’s a great way to try something new without the committment of a full bottle.
You can also freeze wine in ice cube trays for use in recipies. Chuck a cube or two in a pot of spaghetti sauce (or whatever) and you’re good to go.
I’m learning about wine, too, and I was reading a book by a sommelier (that’s “wine snob who works at restaurants” for those who don’t speak French). She uses a milk comparison to define body in wine, and I think it’s a smashing idea. She compares full-bodied wines, such as your cabs and chardonnays, to whole milk - they coat the mouth and tongue and linger. Medium bodied wines - shiraz, merlot, and I can’t think of the medium-bodied white right now - are more like 2%. There’s some coating, but it’s not as long or as “thick” as the full-bodied wines. Your lighter wines - pinot noir and riesling - are the skim milk of the wine world. They’re crisper, cleaner, more refreshing but also more fleeting. Anyway, thought I’d share.
Don’t forget the Italian wines. Try a sangiovese (medium bodied). Barolo and Barbarescos are very nice, but also can be spendy. Or you could get a chianti (and enjoy it with some fava beans and liver, if you’re so inclined).
I thought I hated beer. Then I tried Guinness. And a few other stouts, and English ales, and I realized I like beer. Just not the stuff they sell at Walmart. Yay! I’m not alone!
I’ll have to give a rose a try. I too thought they were awful mass-market creations. Apparently I was wrong.
Broomstick, not to discourage you from the wonderful world of wine, but there are non-barley beers that you may like. Wheat beers in particular are pretty easy to find. Here’s the wiki on them.
There are a couple of brands that sell 1.5 liter boxes. I think Three Thieves and Wine Block are 1.5s, and I’m sure there are a few others.
See Athena’s comment. Zinfandel is a red grape varietal that makes both a red wine (Zinfandel) and a rosé (White Zinfandel) depending on how long the juice is in contact with the skins. I’ve never seen or had a *truly *white Zinfandel, but I imagine it’s entirely possible to make one, just as Champagne is made from 2 red (and one white) varietals. (Red wines get their color from the skins.) Rosés just have limited contact with the skins. I did recently try a truly white Cabernet Franc - interesting stuff.
Rosés are one of my favorite wines for spring and summer, they are so pretty and light and fun. Perfect picnic wine. Serve them chilled. There was a good article recently with some suggested brands. Ahhh, here you go!
My pa, rest his twisted soul, was a wine snob. He’d blather on about this and that varietal. Most of that was useless to me.
However, here’s the basics of the table ritual. It will make you look cool in a fancy restaurant, as if you know what you’re doing.
The waiter, or in rare cases the wine steward, will show you the label, to make sure that it’s what you ordered. (This is traditionally aimed at the man, but if the woman is paying, this whole show should be aimed at her.)
He’ll uncork the bottle and hand you the cork. This is so you can read the cork, to see if it matches the winery on the label. Yes, in olden times, they’d refill a fine bottle with cheap wine. You can sniff it if you like, to see if it’s gone bad, but that’s what the next step is for.
He’ll pour a little wine in your glass for you to sample and approve. Swirl it around a bit to see how full-bodied it is and expose more surface for the sniffing. Hold it up to your nose and take a whiff. If it smells more like vinegar than wine (unusual) it has gone bad. If it’s OK, you might notice little hints of spices or other fruits. Say, “Hmm” or something sophisticated. Then, finally, you take a sip. Let it talk to your tongue briefly, then swallow. If it wasn’t terrible, turn to the waiter, nod, and say something like, “Yes, very nice.”
The waiter then pours for everyone else at your table before coming back to your glass.
And that’s that.
Drink what you like. You’ll run into traditionalists who insist that red wine should be served at room (60 F) temperature. I like it cold. The old rules say white with this and red with that. If you like it that way, follow that. If not, be a rebel. For example, I drink red with red italian sauce, no matter what the meat is. Be comfortable, and enjoy the meal. That’s what wine is for.
On sulfites: There are some people who get sick when they drink wine with sulfites. If that’s you, read the label and pick a wine without sulfites.
Even that might be too much for her, if she only wants a single glass, and not even that every night.
Broomstick, you could also try half bottles, if you can find them. It’s half the size of a regular bottle and contains about two good sized glasses. You could consider buying one of the wine preservation products on the market. There’s the Vacuvin, which lets you pump out the air in the bottle to retard oxidation, and then there’s the gas blanket, which lets you put a layer of CO2 over the leftover wine in the bottle.
True, but I tend to think that the wine will stay fresher longer in the bag than it will in an open bottle, even with precautionary measures like a Vacu-Vin, gas, etc.
There is no such thing as a wine without sulfites. Anyone truly allergic to sulfites needs to watch more than just their wine intake, as sulfites are found in many common foods like condiments, canned foods, breads, jams, dried fruits, etc.
Not trying to inspire a new hobby but have you and the hubby ever considered a little wine country vacation? Someplace like Paso Robles, CA. Fairly small town, I think half of the people in that town work wine in some way shape or forms, there are at least 20-30 recognizable name vineyards within 10-15 min of town. Given a few days to kill you could easily try hundreds of wines from dozens of vineyards.
Not as famous as Napa, but pretty respectable. Madera, CA is also starting to sprout a pretty hefty population of wineries.
Both of these are smaller towns and less overrun by tourists and such since there isn’t much else there. Aim for going during the week in the wintertime. Winters are very mild there and you will dodge the Morrow bay/Cayucos summer crowd. Logdging will also be cheaper that time of year.
With a few basic notes you could easily have a hard time leaving town with less than a few cases of your favorites. Most places also waive any tasting room fees they might have if you buy a bottle of wine. My personal favorite was Sylvester in Paso Robles. Nice place, staff there was wonderful, and I think I bought a case from just them.
FTR I am no wine snob by any means I just drink what I think tastes good regardless of its suitability with a given meal.
Just a warning - I know of no (though I’m sure there may be a couple out there) wheat beers that do not contain a significant amount of barley as well, and the linked Wiki article notes in its first line that barley is an ingredient. It’s only called “wheat beer” because wheat is one of the ingredients.
That’s very thoughtful, my friend, but your wiki article seems to indicate that those beers do contain barley. Seeing as my last mouthful of beer damn near landed me in the hospital, I really don’t feel I can take the risk.
If I could obtain some fermented beer-like beverage I could be sure was entirely free of barley, all barley, all trace of barley, then I would drink it. But short of obtaining it from a homebrewer I don’t think that will happen. Thank you anyway.
I’ve been considering the whole mild-alcoholic-beverage question for a couple days now (obviously) and I now realize that I am somewhat put off by the whole excited discussion of “complex flavors” and thousands of variations on a theme. I don’t want a fugue, I want a simple folk melody to go with my dinner, as it were. Something tasty and fairly reliable that has that slight zing and helps me unwind after the ocassional hard day or just because I feel like a little luxury.
