Why Wine?

[FUEGO]

I don't know. I can't tell a difference in quality between a $3 bottle of Two Buck Chuck and any of the "fancier" wines I have occasionally enjoyed at friend's houses or at restaurants when someone else is paying.

I tend to go for the sweeter varieties and don't enjoy the dry wines as much. People who spend a lot of time and energy on wine tell me that people who spend a lot of time and energy on wine prefer the drier sorts since the flavor profiles are more "complex". Complex = good in wine I suppose.

[donheff]

Why, because it can be delicious and greatly enhance a meal. I'm in the $10-$20 range with a few great deals under $10. I have tried quite a few more expensive wines and have occasionally been very impressed. But I don't consistently see a linear improvement when I buy out of my price range. Just not worth it to me to spend more. But, unlike true wine aficionados, I don't remember much about which wines I loved and why. Those that keep track of those details can zero in on wines that really excel and may be able to get more mileage than me out of more expensive bottles. As others have mentioned there are some very good deals available at Costco including some quite good Kirkland branded wines.

[GalaxyBoy]

The only times I had really expensive wine it was paid for by the company on a business trip. But OMG that was great wine! I would never pay for it myself, but I certainly could tell the difference.

[robnplunder]

B/c beer is too full, liquor is too strong, and wine makes help me digest red meat better.

[imoldernu]

One of many reviews...
Why a $3 Wine from Aldi Is Worthwhile - METASIP

[2017ish]

Why wine? Why eat steak/shrimp, when peanut butter and day-old bread will serve to feed me? Why breathe?

Objectively, we spend way too much on this--a bigger budget category than food or, in most years to date, even vacations. Built a cellar when I redid our present house, and am glad that I limited its capacity to 1200 bottles (as George Carlin noted in a different context, you will fill up what you have!).

But, 95% of our meals together (evening is our only joint meal most days), we linger over the bottle and turn a chicken breast and salad (for example) into a 90 minute chat session. And, as I noted on the restaurant thread, being able to bring your own "$35" pinot to a restaurant when the same vintage is on the menu for $125 is kind of cool.

DW is diligent about taking notes on the hang tags as the cases age, watching how the wine changes (both on the racks and in the glass), and what it should pair well with for now. It has become an avid hobby for her, so even if I wanted to cut it off, I'd fail.

To each their own. We drive Hondas into the ground and wear our clothes until they have unfixable holes in them, which helps to offset this enjoyable extravagance. But, if push comes to shove (particularly after we retire), we recognize that it is indeed an extravagance....

[haha]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2017ish Why wine? Why eat steak/shrimp, when peanut butter and day-old bread will serve to feed me? Why breathe? .

+ 1000. If I had wanted to live as absolutely cheaply as possible, I would have just tried welfare right out of highschool instead of bothering with study and work for years. I want to live as cheaply as I need to, and no more cheaply than that. Because in general, more money brings more quality, or convenience, or style or something that many people want.

Else, it would not cost more. Unless one is unusually narcissistic, he realizes that overall his judgments are not likely to be way better than others'.

Ha

[stepford]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2017ish Why wine? Why eat steak/shrimp, when peanut butter and day-old bread will serve to feed me? Why breathe? ....

Because I enjoyed steak and shrimp the first time I ever tasted them and didn't need to take a class to learn to enjoy them. I'm sure with enough practice I could learn to savor all manner of foul and bitter concoctions, but once I'd managed this feat I'd prefer not to pay dearly for the privilege.

[Walt34]

Pretty much the only wine I drink comes out of a box and so far I can't tell a significant difference with pricier wines. But no way am I spending more than $20 at most on a bottle, and that for a special gift, so I guess I never went pricy enough.

[jjquantz]

DW and I drink wine from a box and we have found a few sub-$10 bottles that we also like. Between that and the bottles we receive from friends when we host our annual holiday party we are able to have wine with dinner nearly every night without breaking the budget. It helps that one glass a piece is plenty for us, a wild night with friends might result in two glasses being drunk.

We've tried pricier wines with friends and, though I can say that they are (sometimes) better than what we drink, the cost/benefit ratio for my palate doesn't look favorable for more than $10/bottle.

[FUEGO]

Quote:

Originally Posted by stepford Because I enjoyed steak and shrimp the first time I ever tasted them and didn't need to take a class to learn to enjoy them. I'm sure with enough practice I could learn to savor all manner of foul and bitter concoctions, but once I'd managed this feat I'd prefer not to pay dearly for the privilege.

You just haven't had the really expensive steaks and shrimp to know what's good and what's not. Like investment management, wine, steak and shrimp are all better when they cost more.

/sarcasm for the inattentive.

[WhoDaresWins]

I generally won't spend more than $20 for a bottle of wine. It would have to be something really special (like a purchase on site at some wonderful vineyard) for me to fork out more. Like some others here, I have come around to the box wines for personal consumption. I like Black Box Pinot Noir and Bota Box Old Vine Zinfandel. We are talking PA State Stores here so I'm sure more varied selections are available elsewhere. When I have guests, though, I open a bottle.

[LoneAspen]

I don't consider myself to have a sophisticated palate, but I do know what I like. And after numerous years of enjoying various wines, especially in wine country here in California, my taste seems to settle on reds in the $30-$50 price range, most notably Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel.

Do I sometimes buy a cheaper wine, like a St. Francis Old Vine Zin on sale at CVS for $18? Yep. Do I sometimes buy $100+ bottles of something really nice for extra-special events? Yep.

But my sweet spot seems to be in the $30 - $50 range, and there are a lot of outstanding wines in that price range. More than I could ever truly appreciate.

[Midpack]

Quote:

Originally Posted by stepford Because I enjoyed steak and shrimp the first time I ever tasted them and didn't need to take a class to learn to enjoy them. I'm sure with enough practice I could learn to savor all manner of foul and bitter concoctions, but once I'd managed this feat I'd prefer not to pay dearly for the privilege.

Nothing wrong with that. But you have no indulgences of any kind?

Sense of taste varies dramatically from person to person, some people have astonishingly acute "taste buds." Some people can easily discern between wines (I'm not particularly good at it), if they take a class it's often to further their knowledge, not to learn to enjoy them in the first place.

[grasshopper]

Quote:

Originally Posted by WhoDaresWins I generally won't spend more than $20 for a bottle of wine. It would have to be something really special (like a purchase on site at some wonderful vineyard) for me to fork out more. Like some others here, I have come around to the box wines for personal consumption. I like Black Box Pinot Noir and Bota Box Old Vine Zinfandel. We are talking PA State Stores here so I'm sure more varied selections are available elsewhere. When I have guests, though, I open a bottle.

+1 Bota Box Old vine Zin, also Twisted OVZ.

dj wine.jpg

[Chuckanut]

1 Timothy 5:23


New International Version

"Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses."

[freebird5825]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chuckanut 1 Timothy 5:23 New International Version "Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses."

That w*rks for me.
I have a nice glass of sangria (box) over ice in a rock glass going right now.

[nash031]

It's something my wife and I enjoy and enjoy sharing with friends. We like tasting trips, we enjoy pairings and trying a bunch of different stuff. I may go to Somm school in retirement, who knows? Anyway, we like it and we spend some money on it and enjoy it at home so we don't have to spend when we're out.

We have a wide range of wine at home amongst the eight cases in storage, from under $10 to ~$75 at the high end. I think there's sometimes a marked difference between the $8 bottle and the $15, but between $15 and $35? Not usually. We aim for the sweet spot, and when we find the $8 bottle that drinks like a $20+, we stock up.

I've never taken a class, but I can distinguish varietals by look, mouth feel, and even tasting in the Central Coast region of California (where we get most of our stuff). It's not hard, it just takes practice.... and practicing is fun for us!

I also like wine for the purported anti-oxidant and heart-healthy properties. Lower in calories than beer, so if I'm going to have a drink, it's usually wine.

[nash031]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Meadbh IMHO a glass of good wine greatly enhances a meal. Good wine does not have to be expensive.

Both of these are true, in my opinion, and becoming less true for beer as well. Rarely do I accompany beer with certain food, though I have done a beer and cheese tasting. Left a little to be desired compared to a similar wine and cheese tasting. I presently have a $26 22oz bottle of 2014 Abyss (Descheutes) sitting on the counter that I picked up for a friend when I saw it on a shelf (rare find). I'd never pay that much for a beer, and Abyss isn't my taste, but to each their own... it's certainly not enhancing any meals anytime soon!

[Hermit]

Quote:

Originally Posted by WhoDaresWins I generally won't spend more than $20 for a bottle of wine. It would have to be something really special (like a purchase on site at some wonderful vineyard) for me to fork out more. Like some others here, I have come around to the box wines for personal consumption. I like Black Box Pinot Noir and Bota Box Old Vine Zinfandel. We are talking PA State Stores here so I'm sure more varied selections are available elsewhere. When I have guests, though, I open a bottle.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chuckanut 1 Timothy 5:23 New International Version "Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses."

I used to enjoy Black Box wine (more than I should have the year after DW died) but now wine does not agree with my stomach, so its mostly beer for me.