I feel like I am really missing out on something in life.
 

It is not a secret or anything remotely close that I am really into food, cooking it, eating it, learning about it. However I just did not get the whole wine thing early on and I figure by my age I should have at least gotten over my first issues with it as a young guy. It really does make me feel like I am missing out.

Any good suggestions on how to sort of get into it and develop your tastes for it. I have lots of desire but well each time I start I think I just get it all wrong and it tastes wrong to me.

The best wine is the wine that tastes good to you. Its really that simple.

I like your style :thumbsup

It is a no shit answer people.

So what do you suggest, I go and buy a few assorted cases of wine and taste test each bottle until I find a few I like?
Will one I do not like by itself change if I drink it while eating something that compliments it?


This is really screwed up since a good chunk of my family comes from Spain and early on wine was common but I did not see those relatives much after I moved when I was 8 or so and I stopped getting small watered down samples (OK they were not all watered down).

California has the best wines. Go to a winery, go to a few tastings. You need to figure out basics of what you like before working on the specifics.

I am enjoying introducing goodgirl to wine. She can't really drink more than a couple of glasses a year so it has been a blast watching her develop.

its great if you want a nice buzz.

I only stick to red wines, usually shiraz, pinot noir, etc. I know even the shittiest ones I will like enough to at least drink that bottle. I'm not a fan of white wine at all to be honest. If I lived in California I'd be all over taste testing like BD said.

Great advice :)

Don't hate yourself ... I can walk into the most fancy restaurant in the world and I'd still order a cheeseburger, fries and Coke.

I can't stand wine... you're not missing anything.

Can you tell the differences between Cabernets, Merlots, Pinot Noir, etc yet? :)

The best way to start is by simply getting used to it. Try drinking a single glass a few times a week. Don't go for anything expensive, just try out different affordable wines and stick with the ones that are least offensive to your palate.

Once you're used to drinking it, you'll start noticing the differences between different wines. Go to some tastings and read reviews to become familiar with the meaning of those differences in taste, how to describe them and what to look for.

Wine is a bit like art. Without being familiar with it, it's almost impossible to notice subtle differences. Once you're familiar with it, exploring those subtle differences is quite enjoyable.

Start off getting sweet wines and work your way up. Velvet Red by St. James Winery.

Boone's Farm Apple or Strawberry Hill is great if you want sweet wines that are "best served cold". :2 cents:

Merlot or Pinot Noir would be a better idea IMHO.

Yeah another reason why I feel I am missing out, being in CA.

Have planned on hitting Napa soon but need to wait a bit before I do that.

I was dating a girl for a while who was really into wine. She knew what wines were good with what dishes and had me buy/try a ton of them. I found that wine wasn't really my thing either, but after enough trial runs I finally found a few that I did enjoy drinking and that did go well with the dishes that were served. I HATE red wines, I am more into white wine. But along the lines of what was mentioned earlier, it is really dependent on your tastes, and I think the only way to find out what you like is to continually try new stuff. If you like one kind more than others (say pinot grigio) try other brands of it.

One thing I thought in the beginning that price would be something to consider but it turns out most of my favored wines are actually some of the cheapest that you can buy. :2 cents:

Who said hating myself. I know it is an indulgence. I also know it is a craft and is part of food. I know my beers very well. I know hard alcohol even though I do not really drink that. Just want to work my way into wines.

Yes and no. Yes because of just general knowledge and that I also cook with wines. Not by blind taste though.

:2 cents::2 cents:

Don't ask a bunch of people who live from paycheck to paycheck and consider 24oz Miller Lite as a prelude to fine wine, straight from the cardboard tap.

That said, Shiraz is the latest of the 'oh this is nice', and although it is cheap, people absolutely love YellowTail. I don't mind a Mondavi red once in awhile, but I rarely drink, so I'm hardly a good one to bounce it off of - there may be new shit by now.

I prefer scotch..

Start out slow, it is an acquired taste, but as the poster above said, you will get use to it and start noticing little differences in them and it becomes enjoyable. Also, depending on what part of CA you are in, you don't have to go to Napa for good wines, all up and down the central coast there are some excellent wineries, and you can make an enjoyable day out of wine tasting in Santa Barbara County.

We're not talking about men, we're talking about wine.

I plan to go to the AVN Expo www.adultentertainmentexpo.com in Vegas Jan 8-10. There is a Winery in Pahrump www.pahrumpwinery.com about an hour outside Vegas and I will meet you there to for a wine tasting if you like. I have never been there yet but I know someone that has and they say its nice. I will be going to Pahrump anyway to check out www.sherisranch.net Im thinking about working there for a couple of weeks while Im out there.

Misty

When I was in college went off to Bordeaux for a summer. The most amazing place on Earth if you are into wine. BTW, you can find the most amazing wine there that never gets exported to the USA or anywhere else for that matter. After my summer there I was thoroughly convinced they only sent the bad wine to the USA and kept the good stuff for themselves :)

Seriously, next vacation travel to Bordeaux, it is magical in the late summer.

Boones Farm! haha passing around bottles of that in high school at parties, good times

I do know pretty well who is posting in this thread and who are definitely not living check to check. GFY is a good place to get a wide spectrum of information, actually one of the best.

I do not see myself attending any shows anytime in the near future. For one I need to build up my overall health, and then I can not see getting a good ROI at many of the shows, unless they do a major format change. Thanks for offer though.

Um no thanks. I did go through a small high school drinking phase and between boones farm and a few other fruity alcohols even the smell makes me want to gag. There was this one grape alcohol stuff, can not remember its name. Everyone was drinking a lot of it and not sure who started but someone puked, and it started a chain reaction of puking. A friend had to take a serious hit for that. No matter how much we tried we could not clean up her parents house and carpets.

Much of what you taste in a whine is the earth that it is grown in. Around Bordeaux the earth is clay. You cannot duplicate this taste anywhere else. Buying some Bordeaux from your local wine shop does not do it justice. You must go there young man!

Italy, Californa, and other regions in France can all produce excellent wines but Bordeaux is at least one notch above everywhere else.:2 cents:

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_oWxL5L63I4...n_1-25_483.jpg

Buy a good wine book, maybe take a wine course at The Learning Annex or from a local resturant. Wine is also great for your heart! Red wine especially. :)

On that I must say bleh.
Most are way to snobish and well fuck em.

There is a place that does a paring dinner but you are paying a good chunk above a regular meal for this. So that one has been a back and forth debate. Wife and I may try it, but then again we could feel a little irked if we disliked it all. Oh well live and learn, so be it. Guess that is another good idea.

If it's that big a deal, go to a wine taste test get together or whatever you wine folk call it and see what's good to you.

Potential serious blunder question.

You all know how they have the mini alcohol bottles, they have maybe an ounce in them. Do any of the good wine producers also make such tiny bottles? If so any idea where to locate good selection or what they would be called?

Never seen them myself, however, airlines use small bottles so they must be available somewhere. Whether or not it will be decent wine is another questions though.

All this talk about wine has tempted me to pop open a bottle after I run the dog.

THANK YOU!!! I was looking for the "Cabernet" but I had completely forgotten the name of it.

Cabernet and Merlot is good stuff :thumbsup

is good to drink booze

My wife - I mean wine of choice :thumbsup
http://www.southernwines.com/images/...r-cab-2002.jpg

Man, why work at developing a taste for anything? try different wines and see if any appeal to you. You do not need to be a wine connoisseur to have a full life LOL

I am not particular to any wine but sparkling / Champagne so I drink that when I get a craving for it


spaz

the best wine is cheap and fucks you up....

Wine gives me a terrible headache.

You will find 375ml bottles (half bottles) at most wine shops and whole foods. As to getting in to wine what characteristics have you liked in wine you have tasted so far? Do you like a wine that represents its terroir (old world), a fruit forward wine (new world), or is there something else you are looking for? If you want to learn about tasting wine and do not have the time to visit winery after winery Educating Peter (Rolling Stone film critic Peter Travers) by Lettie Teague (wine editor for Food & Wine) should give you some insights.

So you are saying everyone that collects Bordeaux wine in the US is getting second rate Bordeaux? That it is at its best when you drink it in Bordeaux? Must you wait the 20+ years it takes a premium Bordeaux to age in Bordeaux too?

Chile and Argentina are making some great wines these days.

You may have a sulfite allergy that is causing the headache. This occurs naturally in making most wines but it can also be added to preserve the wine. If you are an asthma sufferer it could be more prominent.

i started with white varieties and now can only drink reds. cab is my fave

I've never really tried wine either. I wonder on occasion if I'm missing out.

:Oh crap

Just visit your local 7-11 and look on the bottom shelf of the cooler.

If you have any questions, ask the guy begging for change outside.

(But, I have no taste in wine.......):throwup

I said developing a taste for it because it is an acquired taste. Said nothing about wanting to be a connoisseur.

My main vice in life is food. I can pair all sorts of beverages with most dishes but I bypassed wines, except for when I am cooking with them. Before the comments start, no I am nowhere near over weight either.

I am already OK with sparkling wines and a few Champagnes. I just do not place those in the same category. Just like I would not place sangria into the wine category which I also have had and get.

I do not care much for sweet, I also do not care for to much tannin?. I know that much.

If you are not into tannin and want red wine try a nicely aged pinot noir. A Beaux Freres Beaux Freres Vineyard 2002 would be a great choice and probably available in a good wine store.