# NRA offers bacon-flavored wine to members
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nra-offers-bacon-flavored-wine-to-members/465812
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Tags:** wine
**Created:** [September 30, 2008, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nra-offers-bacon-flavored-wine-to-members/465812 "2008-09-30T04:02:50Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2008, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nra-offers-bacon-flavored-wine-to-members/465812/1 "2008-09-30T04:02:50Z")
So I just got this email from the NRA (which I am a member of.) Of all the things that I might expect to see in such an email, wine is not one of them. Yet, for some totally bizarre reason, someone at the NRA decided that its members would be interested in special deals on wine.
The first wine listed: 2005 El Tiburon California Cabernet Sauvignon. “A blend of grapes from Napa Valley and Sonoma County, this wine offers aromas and flavors of cassis, plum, black olive, bacon, mint and berries.”
Bacon?
BACON?
Am I missing something here? What the fuck is this? Since when is wine supposed to have “aromas and flavors” of bacon in it? In the movie _Sideways_ when the guy says he tastes “a hint of cheese” in the wine and the other guy makes some sarcastic remark about it, I thought that was supposed to be a joke. But do wine-o-philes really taste this stuff in the booze they’re drinking?
2006 Premonition Sonoma MSP Sauvignon Blanc: We have a feeling you’re going to love this wine, which showcases aromas and flavors of kiwi, pink grapefruit, green apple, melon, honey and hay.
Hay?
Are these flavors really there in wine? Why? How? Do a majority of people who drink these specific wines actually taste bacon or hay in them, _without_ already being told that the wine “contains” those flavors, or is this just something that the company is claiming and then people drinking it can say, “hey, I DO taste the bacon after all!”
---
### Author:  [@Annie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2008, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nra-offers-bacon-flavored-wine-to-members/465812/2 "2008-09-30T04:31:51Z")
My god, it’s the official beverage of the Dope!
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### Author:  [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2008, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nra-offers-bacon-flavored-wine-to-members/465812/3 "2008-09-30T04:37:05Z")
Where the hell is the “Bacon-Flavored” _BEER?_
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### Author:  [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2008, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nra-offers-bacon-flavored-wine-to-members/465812/4 "2008-09-30T06:17:57Z")
Yes, wine geeks will taste all sorts of stuff in their wine. Take a gander at a few descriptions of real wines available at [Bevmo](http://www.bevmo.com/). A hint of cheese is the least of it:
fruit-forward personality, along with notes of melted licorice, black currants, tobacco leaves, and sweet oak; no hard edges.
tarry flavors with a hint of underlying black fruit; substantial and full on the palate.
(Tastes like a road. Yum!)
scents of nectarines, quince, orange marmalade, brioche, and a leesy element; possesses terrific acidity; a big, bold, smoky style.
slightly toasty, lemony, spiced baked apple aroma with hints of tropical fruit; well-balanced; crisp.
violets and cocoa powder joins the parade of superb flavors here.
the purest expression of crushed cherries and blackberries, and oak inspired hints of nougat and caramel.
(Is this wine or candy?)
tannins are sleek and refined; melds into the huge core of roasted chestnut, black currant paste and warm fig
(Not just currants and figs, but currant paste and warm figs!)
I do have to admit that this is the first time I’ve heard anyone describe a flavor in wine as bacon.
---
### Author:  [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2008, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nra-offers-bacon-flavored-wine-to-members/465812/5 "2008-09-30T06:27:25Z")
See, I totally get the different kinds of fruit tastes, because, I mean, wine is made from fruit, and I’m willing to buy that different kinds of grapes can take on the flavors of other fruits under certain conditions. Oak and other kinds of wood, makes sense because the wine is aged in wooden casks.
But it’s not like cheese interacts with the wine-making process in any form, nor hay, or bacon, or tobacco. That’s what confuses me.
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### Author:  [@Dublin11](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dublin11)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2008, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nra-offers-bacon-flavored-wine-to-members/465812/6 "2008-09-30T09:29:32Z")
Bacon flavoured wine?
I see that the NRA is actively discouraging Muslim members, then. 😃
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### Author:  [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2008, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nra-offers-bacon-flavored-wine-to-members/465812/7 "2008-09-30T10:37:00Z")
Fruit is only part of the process. They ferment with certain yeast, they age in certain woods. I would identify “bacon” as a “smoky” flavor/aroma, myself.
Bacon is nothing compared to some aromas/flavors that can develop in wine. Not all are desirable. Some have been described as [“cat pee”](http://www.aromadictionary.com/articles/winearomas_article.html), “wet cardboard”, and so forth.
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### Author:  [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2008, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nra-offers-bacon-flavored-wine-to-members/465812/8 "2008-09-30T10:45:32Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#):
>
> Where the hell is the “Bacon-Flavored” _BEER?_
[Third post in this thread.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=446520&highlight=bacon)
---
### Author:  [@thwartme](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thwartme)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2008, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nra-offers-bacon-flavored-wine-to-members/465812/9 "2008-09-30T12:30:20Z")
Ahh, the last requirement for the all-bacon meal has been met.
We can start the evening off with cocktails. Say, a martini made with [Bacon Vodka](http://www.browniepointsblog.com/2008/01/20/homemade-bacon-vodka/). Then some hors d’oeuvres, maybe some [figs wrapped in bacon](http://www.wineinsiders.com/Recipes/goat-cheese-stuffed-figgs-wrapped-in-bacon.cfm), or some [bacon-and-blue cheese dip](http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Warm-Blue-Cheese-Dip-with-Garlic-and-Bacon/Detail.aspx), or [bacon-wrapped shrimp](http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/bacon-wrapped-shrimp-and-scallops-recipe/index.html), or whatever your thing is. Then dinner:
1st course
[Bacon Soup](http://www.grouprecipes.com/s/bacon-soup/recipe/1/relevancy)
2nd course
Caesar salad ([real bacon bits](http://www.kraftcanada.com/en/Products/M-O/KraftOscarMayerRealBaconBits.aspx))
3rd course
[Bacon-wrapped filet mignon](http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1926,146180-231205,00.html), baked potato (more [real bacon bits](http://www.hormelfoods.com/brands/hormel/HormelBaconToppings.aspx)), [bacon wrapped asparagus bundles](http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/bacon-wrapped-asparagus-bundles-recipe/index.html)
With dinner, we have our aforementioned bacon flavoured wine.
Then, [dessert](http://www.cityfood.com/EN/recipes/sweet_bacon_desserts/).
Afterwards, we can watch a movie (possibly [Footloose](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087277/), or [Quicksilver](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091814/)) and enjoy [munchies](http://www.taquitos.net/snacks.php?snack_code=471) and [beer](http://www.baconunwrapped.com/2007/10/oktoberfest-bacon-bier.html).
thwartme
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### Author:  [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2008, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nra-offers-bacon-flavored-wine-to-members/465812/10 "2008-09-30T12:54:04Z")
It’s aged in a pork barrel. It’s a congressional favorite.
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### Author:  [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2008, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nra-offers-bacon-flavored-wine-to-members/465812/11 "2008-09-30T14:14:39Z")
_Pork: The other white mead._
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### Author:  [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2008, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nra-offers-bacon-flavored-wine-to-members/465812/12 "2008-09-30T14:17:38Z")
> [@Dublin11](#):
>
> Bacon flavoured wine?
> I see that the NRA is actively discouraging Muslim members, then. 😃
There was this little incident in India awhile back…
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### Author:  [@thwartme](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thwartme)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2008, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nra-offers-bacon-flavored-wine-to-members/465812/13 "2008-09-30T14:31:45Z")
> [@lieu](#):
>
> _Pork: The other white mead._
That’s hilarious.
---
### Author:  [@WolfpackJeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WolfpackJeep)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2008, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nra-offers-bacon-flavored-wine-to-members/465812/14 "2008-09-30T16:31:08Z")
> [@Ferret\_Herder](#):
>
> Fruit is only part of the process. They ferment with certain yeast, they age in certain woods. I would identify “bacon” as a “smoky” flavor/aroma, myself.
This reminds me of the conclusion reached in the bacon vase thread – the flavor/smell most of us associate with bacon is really the smoky aspect.
Were those descriptions written by the NRA, or the wineries? Why wouldn’t they just say “smoky”?
---
### Author:  [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2008, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nra-offers-bacon-flavored-wine-to-members/465812/15 "2008-09-30T16:57:44Z")
How could you forget about Bacon Salt???.
> [@thwartme](#):
>
> Ahh, the last requirement for the all-bacon meal has been met.
>
> We can start the evening off with cocktails. Say, a martini made with [Bacon Vodka](http://www.browniepointsblog.com/2008/01/20/homemade-bacon-vodka/). Then some hors d’oeuvres, maybe some [figs wrapped in bacon](http://www.wineinsiders.com/Recipes/goat-cheese-stuffed-figgs-wrapped-in-bacon.cfm), or some [bacon-and-blue cheese dip](http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Warm-Blue-Cheese-Dip-with-Garlic-and-Bacon/Detail.aspx), or [bacon-wrapped shrimp](http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/bacon-wrapped-shrimp-and-scallops-recipe/index.html), or whatever your thing is. Then dinner:
>
> 1st course
> [Bacon Soup](http://www.grouprecipes.com/s/bacon-soup/recipe/1/relevancy)
> 2nd course
> Caesar salad ([real bacon bits](http://www.kraftcanada.com/en/Products/M-O/KraftOscarMayerRealBaconBits.aspx))
> 3rd course
> [Bacon-wrapped filet mignon](http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1926,146180-231205,00.html), baked potato (more [real bacon bits](http://www.hormelfoods.com/brands/hormel/HormelBaconToppings.aspx)), [bacon wrapped asparagus bundles](http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/bacon-wrapped-asparagus-bundles-recipe/index.html)
> With dinner, we have our aforementioned bacon flavoured wine.
>
> Then, [dessert](http://www.cityfood.com/EN/recipes/sweet_bacon_desserts/).
>
> Afterwards, we can watch a movie (possibly [Footloose](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087277/), or [Quicksilver](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091814/)) and enjoy [munchies](http://www.taquitos.net/snacks.php?snack_code=471) and [beer](http://www.baconunwrapped.com/2007/10/oktoberfest-bacon-bier.html).
>
> thwartme
---
### Author:  [@Furious\_Marmot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Furious_Marmot)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2008, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nra-offers-bacon-flavored-wine-to-members/465812/16 "2008-09-30T23:16:15Z")
No cite, unfortunately, but I remember reading about a study which showed that when people described wines they used descriptors which usually matched the color, not necessarily the flavor. Reds tasted like cherries, tobacco, plums, etc. whereas whites tasted like hay, amber, saffron, etc. They amy have even fooled people into thinking they were drinking a different type of wine, switched labels and opaque glassware perhaps? I wish I could find that article.
---
### Author:  [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2008, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nra-offers-bacon-flavored-wine-to-members/465812/17 "2008-09-30T23:24:40Z")
> [@Furious\_Marmot](#):
>
> No cite, unfortunately, but I remember reading about a study which showed that when people described wines they used descriptors which usually matched the color, not necessarily the flavor. Reds tasted like cherries, tobacco, plums, etc. whereas whites tasted like hay, amber, saffron, etc. They amy have even fooled people into thinking they were drinking a different type of wine, switched labels and opaque glassware perhaps? I wish I could find that article.
I’m sure amateurs bullshit about what they taste all the time, but there really are people who can taste all sorts of crazy shit in wine. I heard a story on NPR about a guy who won something called the Golden Nose award, and they said identifying the type of grape, the year it was grown, and the farm it was grown on - _just by smell_ - was child’s play to him.
---
### Author:  [@thwartme](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thwartme)
#### Post date: [October 1, 2008, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nra-offers-bacon-flavored-wine-to-members/465812/18 "2008-10-01T00:07:45Z")
> [@Frodo](#):
>
> How could you forget about Bacon Salt???.
Condiments! It never occurred to me! [Bacon Salt](http://www.baconsalt.com/) indeed. And a quick google for “bacon pepper” yielded no additional condiments, but did serve up [this](http://www.mail-archive.com/recipesandmore@googlegroups.com/msg09395.html). It’s always nice to have some fresh bread on the table. And of course, [butter](http://baconshow.blogspot.com/2006/01/252-bacon-butter.html).
---
### Author:  [@chacoguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chacoguy)
#### Post date: [October 1, 2008, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nra-offers-bacon-flavored-wine-to-members/465812/19 "2008-10-01T00:54:49Z")
I got ‘a hint of graphite’ on a wine bottle once. That’s not even _food_.
---
### Author:  [@psycat90](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psycat90)
#### Post date: [October 1, 2008, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nra-offers-bacon-flavored-wine-to-members/465812/20 "2008-10-01T01:57:41Z")
I am a certified wine geek. I can try to answer.
> [@Argent\_Towers](#):
>
> BACON?
>
> Am I missing something here? But do wine-o-philes really taste this stuff in the booze they’re drinking?
Yep. We do. The aroma or taste of bacon/grilled meat/game is not that unusual for certain reds.
Hay is common in some whites, especially Sauv Blanc.
> [@](#):
>
> Are these flavors really there in wine?
Most times, yes.
> [@](#):
>
> Why? How?
Certain chemical compounds will be created or introduced during various winemaking processes. One of the most obvious is the smell of butter in certain Chardonnays, or sometimes cheese in some reds. During malolactic fermentation of those wines, diacetyl is produced. It’s the compound that makes butter (and movie theatre oil, etc.) taste like butter.
In the case of a wine that has characteristics of bacon or grilled meat, etc., the compounds 4-ethyl guaiacol and/or 4-methyl guaiacol may be present and would most likely be the result of oak barrel aging.
> [@](#):
>
> Do a majority of people who drink these specific wines actually taste bacon or hay in them, _without_ already being told that the wine “contains” those flavors, or is this just something that the company is claiming and then people drinking it can say, “hey, I DO taste the bacon after all!”
This is a hard one. I do, and just about everyone I know including my children do. But I work in the wine industry. I study wine. I drink it every day, and it’s a huge part of the lifestyle of many, many people in this area. But I don’t think that’s the majority of casual wine drinkers.
It takes a little palate training, and some people just have better sniffers or whatever, but I know many people do pick up key aromas and flavors in the wines they drink.
Here are some links with classic wine descriptions -
[Aroma Wheel](http://www.turningleaf.com/LinkedFiles/Tools/AROMA.htm)
[Red wines](http://www.aromadictionary.com/wineredlist.pdf) (pdf)
[White wines](http://www.aromadictionary.com/winewhitelist.pdf) (pdf)
Feel free to ask any questions. I’ve taken a crap load of classes, have way too many books, and I’m studying to do something similar to what Cisco described. 😉
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