What are you Drinking . . . Wine?

[RayPA]

Frank says it all here.....

Wine is like photography, lots of people buy the expensive sort just because of the name, they do not actually get anything out of the taste, just a label to show your friends......

I don't know what "lots of people" do, but most wine drinkers I know pride themselves on acquiring the best tasting , highest quality wine at the best possible price. Even those with small "cellars" or cabinets take great pleasure in uncorking a bottle, pouring it out, and telling the tale of how they acquired it and at how much of a bargain. I am definitely not a connoisseur (I prefer beer or scotch) but even I know that to appreciate a good or decent wine, one only needs one glass of a poor one.

cheers?

 

[amateriat]

I'm with Ray on this one. And, with some proper sleuthing, very decent wines at deceptively-low prices can be had. (It helps to be tight – figuratively speaking, in this case – with a local wine shop with a passionate, discerning but non-stuffy staff. I'm lucky to live just a few blocks away from such a place.)

But for tonight, none of that: it's a long scanning session witha bottle of Mike's Hard Cranberry Lemonade as refreshment. (Maybe I need a designated scanner?)


- Barrett

 

[Marc-A.]

There is an entire forum devoted to absinthe. the real stuff. Which is not illegal anywhere in the world that alchohol is legal, except the United States. Yay us.

Sorry Rogue_d: Absinthe is still illegal in France, prohibition law is still implemented. Versinthe firm, for instance, has struggled in court to have the right to call its liqueur "aux herbes d'Absynthe". And it's not "real" Absynthe". It's not because there are Absinthe herbs that the breverage is Absynthe! here's a particular distinlling process.

There is lots of misinformation floating around, evidenced here. Anyone interested should go to the forum I linked. Poke around a bit, read the faq's, read the brand reviews, etc.

Anyone interested should taste it.

It won't make you high. It won't make you go mad. Unless you buy the czech stuff, which is overpriced and tastes like crap - and even then, you're just angry... not mad.

You're right, drinking absynthe won't make you go mad (hey I'm not ... am I? well it's not obvious ).
I just said it's bad for brain only if you drink a lot ... I guess it's a reasonnable point considering that drinking regularly the "real" 75° absinthe (home distilled, like it should be) is not good for your mental health.

Sugar is optional - turn of the century france had more of a sweet tooth than most modern tastes. Just dilute slowly with water (about 4 parts water to one absinthe). It should cloud, and turn opaque as the herbs precipitate back out of the alchohol (it's much like a pastis, in flavor too). If this doesn't happen - you're not drinking the right stuff.

You're right, but you mean indeed that Pastis is much like fake Absinthe. Historically it has been presented like a subsitute for Absinthe.
Now, 4 parts of water ?? Man, you just want to drown your absinthe ... 3 parts for 1 is already too much.

Cheers,
Marc

 

[P3tr]

I recommend visiting Czech republic. We have about 8 brands of Absinth: That means at least a week long vacancy.

 

[rxmd]

Here getting good wine is next to impossible. This is strange because the climate is very good for growing grapes, and I've read documents from the colonial period where people were in raptures about the good wine that people were making. So either tastes or local wines have changed a lot.

Then again, working in a French institute as I am has its advanteges; we have people coming and going every two weeks or so, and you get invited regularly to wine- and cheese-fests

 

[steamer]

Here getting good wine is next to impossible.

We used to get some good Uzbek Saperavi in Japan from a company that imported Georgian wines. It was unfiltered and had messed up stubby little corks but had good concentration and was quite enjoyable. I don't know why they stopped importing it but I haven't seen it for a while.

 

[rxmd]

We used to get some good Uzbek Saperavi in Japan from a company that imported Georgian wines.

It's become difficult here to get Georgian wine. What you get at Georgian restaurants is mostly homemade, not bad but with rather changing quality. Also I prefer dry wine, and what you get here is not good with that respect. (There is good dry Georgian wine - I had an excellent bottle of Mukuzani Tamada with a Georgian friend here - but it's impossible to get here unless you import it yourself).

The Uzbeks are trying to develop their wine industry, but they still have a long way to go, and local taste is far too sweet for me to like it.

Philipp

 

[kshapero]

I dunno, wine or fancy stuff, I'm just sipping Jack Daniels thru an ice cube. Can life be so bad?

 

[Superbus_]

I've seen a film about wine collectors. The most interesting figure was a businessman in Hong Kong who lived in a very good and valuable place but in very a little flat and his wine collection was everywhere inside his toilet... For him wines were just pure investment.

Firstly I thought he is just a fool but later I realised and read about that good wine investment could be very profitable. One thing is important and that's why I can't be a wine collector: you can not drink it...