How ever much yellow tail is selling for at the time 
Fine Wine - What Will You Spend?
- Thread starter joel
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I really have very little interest in wine personally, and likely wouldn't spend upwards of $25 for a bottle. Certainly I can enjoy it with a meal, but I really haven't ever found that for my purposes, the higher priced wines (at least the few I've had at restaurants) really don't enhance anything beyond the middle-to-modest table wines I know.
I can count the number of times that I spend more than $30 for a bottle of wine -- in a store -- not in a restaurant.
My current favorite is Earthquake Zinfandel at about $27/bottle, but I also like The Seven Deadly Zins (ca $14) and Coyote Creek at about $7.
My current favorite is Earthquake Zinfandel at about $27/bottle, but I also like The Seven Deadly Zins (ca $14) and Coyote Creek at about $7.
My brother is a certified sommelier and works with some incredible vineyards as an independent distributor of sorts (he matches smaller and quirkier vineyards with restaurants and larger audiences), and I've learned some lessons from him on this topic.
1: If you're thinking that a 50 dollar bottle of wine is better than a 20 dollar bottle, there's a CHANCE you're right, but a much greater likelihood that you're not. When you start getting over 20 or 30 for a bottle retail, you're starting to pay for obscurity, rareness, and cache. THAT SAID, there are ludicrously good wines that are more expensive - but learning that price != value is very important.
2: Go to a good wine store and ASK the people that work there. Have a conversation with them about what you've enjoyed in the past, and don't be nervous about it. They don't care that all you've ever had in the past was Sutter Home or whatnot - they see an opportunity for education, and that's good for wine stores.
3: Go to tastings whenever you can. It's an economical way to taste several vineyards' products. Talk to the people running the tasting and ask questions about the wine and how it's produced.
4: Avoid large producers like the plague. If you can get it in a large chain grocery store, it's probably garbage (or at least mediocre).
Want a total wine-geek suggestion that is kinda expensive but NOT too bad?
http://www.northwest-wine.com/Anne-Amie-Pinot-noir-Blanc-Prisme.html#axzz17LQFmsE9
Anne Amie in general is a spectacular producer. They're putting out some ludicrous stuff, and this one in particular is wild. It's a white pinot noir. Silky and complex - this is the kind of wine that wine geeks freak out about because it's not only slightly out of the box, but also is just extremely well made. I've never had a wine like this. If you want to impress a dinner party where you know there are wine geeks, this is one to get.
I know I've used this analogy to death, but I think it's stood the test of time-
Arthur Jones, the commercial airline magnate and inventor of the Nautilus brand of exercise equipment, once commented that if it were necessary to work out several hours a day, seven days a week, to acheive the benefits of exercising, then he would recommend against it. I have the same feeling regarding wine. If one had to spend over $100 for a good bottle (or even more than $20), I would suggest another form of entertainment. Great wine need not be expensive.
I had the good fortune (and, I'd like to think, the good sense) to purchase a lot of classic wines before they became ridiculously expensive. If I had to start out now, I wouldn't. The most important thing you learn from drinking great wine is what to look for in less expensive bottlings. There are bargains a plenty, particularly from the Languedoc area of southern France. For a few bucks, you can get some world class stuff that takes a back seat to no one.
Ask your local shop if they carry any wines from Jorge Ordonez, from Spain. Look for Borghia, Borsao, Vega Sindoa, and Vina Alarba. Some of the aggressive discounters here sell them for as little as four to six dollars, and they are some of the best wines I've tasted. They're not Romanee-Conti, but they're delicious, and you can enjoy them on a regular basis without breaking the bank.
Now having said that, when the stars are in alignment and everything "clicks", there's something transcendental about about a perfect bottle of wine. It may be from a producer you never heard of, and it may not be possible to duplicate the experience even with another bottle drawn from the same case, but should you happen across one, you won't soon forget it. It may only occur once a decade or so. The last one I recall was a 1990 La Conseillante, Pomerol, that I shared with a friend. He pronounced it among the five best wines he ever tasted, and he's tasted everything from 1870 Latour to every DRC to every '45 and '61 Bordeaux.
The downside is that once you taste such a wine, you may embark on a quest that leads to frustration, disappointment, and financial ruin.
So, wine tasting is like golf, then? One good shot causes you to believe you might make another good shot sometime soon, so you keep trying...?
Also, I agree wholeheartedly with the "find what to look for in more affordable bottlings" and the tip about Languedoc is worth its weight in grapes. Excellent region.
I'm a Chateauneuf-du-Pape fan, as well. Lots of overpriced garbage there, but also some damn fine gems.
True. Ch. Rayas (and their 2nd label, Pignan), Beaucastel, so many great ones.
Even a cheap Côtes du Rhône can be wonderful.
That's quickly becoming one of my favorite appellations. Just had one recently from Domaine de la Solitude that knocked my socks off - they also have a killer Côtes du Rhône that i'd highly recommend.
Since I'm still a student, my usual stuff is $20 and below, where, as mentioned by almost everyone, you can find really great stuff.
In terms of fine wine (stuff that I've purchased and put in my dad's cellar at home), I try to stick around $50 mark. It's served me pretty well, especially since I bought some Chateauneuf du Pape on sale last year and then bought some Barolos on sale this year (thank you summer employment!).
Even once I start working, I'm not sure I'll want to spend upwards of $100 on wine. I might change my tune if I want to splurge on Bordeaux, but at this point in my life, I drink well (and heavily) at $20 and would rather hold onto my cash.
In terms of fine wine (stuff that I've purchased and put in my dad's cellar at home), I try to stick around $50 mark. It's served me pretty well, especially since I bought some Chateauneuf du Pape on sale last year and then bought some Barolos on sale this year (thank you summer employment!).
Even once I start working, I'm not sure I'll want to spend upwards of $100 on wine. I might change my tune if I want to splurge on Bordeaux, but at this point in my life, I drink well (and heavily) at $20 and would rather hold onto my cash.
Even when you have money, there's almost no need to go that high on wine (unless you're at a restaurant and see something really special in their cellar, but even then...). Your best strategy is to make good friends with local wine geeks at the indie stores. Go in regularly, tell them your normal budget, and ask them "what's interesting?". You'll build your own knowledge, but just as importantly, you'll start getting in good with the people who know their stuff and will point you at your best values and maybe point out when it's WORTH splurging.
I was in Seattle for a conference last year and went to dinner at The Purple Cafe and Wine Bar with a coworker who also appreciates good food and wine adventures. We sat at the end of the wine bar, near the register, and chatted up the guy behind the bar. It was a Tuesday night, kinda slow, and we stayed for three hours.
We started the night with him with this exact question - "What's interesting?" and he didn't lead us wrong. I discovered Vinoterra Saperavi, a wine from Georgia (the former Soviet republic, not the Peach State), which at $6.00 a glass, was an amazing steal. Still one of the best wines I've ever had. Ever. We had a lot of other wine that night, much of it on the house, just by chatting up the guy to find out what rocked his world.
"What's interesting?" is a powerful tool in a conversation with someone who has a passion which also is their livelihood. Imagine being asked "what's interesting" in regards to shaving. Now apply that to wine.
EXACTLY.
I wish more people would approach life like that. Don't assume you know what's best. When you go to a new restaurant, ASK for recommendations. If it's a nice restaurant, ask what the specials are and TRY them. If there's a sommelier, strike up a conversation. Another great place to do this is at your butcher shop. Good neighborhood places always have a guy or gal behind the counter that LOVES what they do.
This is what I've read time and time again in the wine industry.
For that reason, I tend to hesitate to spend $30 for a bottle. I tend to stick to the 10-25 range. I am pleasantly surprised far more often than I am disappointed.
At the end of the day, points don't matter. Price doesn't matter. Everyone's tastes are different, and the best wine (the one you should buy) is the one that tastes best to you.
That having been said, I'm not fond of giving wine as a gift to folks who are okay with Mondavi or (shudder) Franzia.
When it comes to good cheap stuff, my personal preferences right now lead me to explore Portugese wines. I'm partial to the dry reds that come out of the Douro Valley ... where Port wine comes from.
About a year ago, SWMBO and I were invited to an informal dinner by our next-door neighbours. They also invited the couple from across the street. We each brought a bottle of wine: us one of my Portugese favourites, and them an Australian well-known label. During the dinner, I got to try both; I enjoyed my Douro wine as usual ... but it really highlighted (highlit??) the difference with the Ozzie wine ... which tasted like it had a goodly dollop of fruit flavouring (cherry, plum) added, and not in a good way. It was like fruit-flavoured candy, not real wine. I guess to each his own, but I'll stick with my portugese.
I was in the local liquor store yesterday buying a few bottles. I ended up with a LBV port, a bottle of 6 Grapes port, and three bottles of red table wine, all for under $30 each.
One of the things I saw wandering the shelves, was a few bottles of a particular Chilean cabernet (Don Melchor) going for about $70 per bottle. I remember buying that oh about a decade ago for $20 per bottle.
I was thinking "golf" too, as I read Ouch's 'one perfect moment ... one perfect bottle' story.
About a year ago, SWMBO and I were invited to an informal dinner by our next-door neighbours. They also invited the couple from across the street. We each brought a bottle of wine: us one of my Portugese favourites, and them an Australian well-known label. During the dinner, I got to try both; I enjoyed my Douro wine as usual ... but it really highlighted (highlit??) the difference with the Ozzie wine ... which tasted like it had a goodly dollop of fruit flavouring (cherry, plum) added, and not in a good way. It was like fruit-flavoured candy, not real wine. I guess to each his own, but I'll stick with my portugese.
I was in the local liquor store yesterday buying a few bottles. I ended up with a LBV port, a bottle of 6 Grapes port, and three bottles of red table wine, all for under $30 each.
One of the things I saw wandering the shelves, was a few bottles of a particular Chilean cabernet (Don Melchor) going for about $70 per bottle. I remember buying that oh about a decade ago for $20 per bottle.
I was thinking "golf" too, as I read Ouch's 'one perfect moment ... one perfect bottle' story.
For regular home consumption, $20 is about all I'll spend. A few times a year I'll go over that (e.g. New Years, Thanksgiving, etc.) and spend up to $100. I am slavishly devoted to Beaucastel, so that definitely breaks the $20 barrier.
I am also fortunate to have enjoyed many $500+ bottles of wine. Some have been transcendent, and some have been merely adequate.
I am also fortunate to have enjoyed many $500+ bottles of wine. Some have been transcendent, and some have been merely adequate.
When the Wine Spectator announced Ch. Beaucastel 1989 as their wine of the year, it immediately became impossible to find. At the time, I had a good relation with a salesman at Crossroads on 14th St, and he reserved three bottles for me without gouging me beyond the regular $35 price tag. They're almost always good, but '89 was a phenomenal year for CDP, and I wish I still had one left. Currently, my best Rhone in the cellar is a 1990 Jaboulet Hermitage La Chapelle.
I love wine, but I'm kinda like the guy in the film "Sideways". Most of the ones in the $10-$15 range "taste pretty good to me".
Usually the Chateauneuf du Pape's at around $40 from one of the wine cellar/total wine warehouse storea are my limit and for special occasions. Also, the Morgan pinot noir for $25 per bottle case price from my club sometimes grabs my weakness. Mostly,
I cheat and buy the Rothchild table wines when they have a year that I like for under $15 a bottle and buy a case or two to get the discount of 15%.I took a river cruise up the Rhone and Soane rivers years ago and we stopped in a lot of towns all the way to Beaune and had lunch with a bottle of the local Rhone wine (or two) every day in one of the small local restaurants. They were cheap, wonderful, no preservatives, and not available in the USA. Of course, we did the winery trips etc. and brought back several bottles of wine every day for pouring with dinner. Our wait staff was Portugese and simply the best. My favorite was a gentleman by the surname of Mosquito which is a very common name in Porutgal. Great fun, great wine, and a wonderful trip until we got to Paris where they hate all Americans..................
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