quote:Originally posted by leethebard
Well,if I'm in the mood for a merlot,and I get a merlot that tastes like a merlot should, so what. Some nights,I rather have a consistant wine than play russian roulet. A poor wine you took a chance on,can ruin a night. If you go to the races,use a tip sheet,;if you buy a wine bottle,ask your neighborhood wine salesman,the one whose opinion you trust. That might cut the odds.
yeah, you can cut the odds by talking to the salesman. But, you merely responded to one small facet of my post rather than the general idea of the post. My point was why have a wine that does nothing to distinguish itself? Does one buy food that you know is going to be "adequate?" Or do you try to find a better product for at or near the same price. I would suspect, that the majority of people on this site, would, for the most partm, rather find the better food than settle for "adequate." IMO, one should take their wine as seriously as their food. Why wettle for adequate Alice White, when one can do better for at or near the same price. Simply because of consistency? Well, that's a little short sighted in my view.
These low-end Australian wineries I was talking about, are doing nothing but acting like McDonalds, BK, Wendys, etc. They give out a below average product, and a low price, but because most people's palate are not that versed in wine, (wine represents a very low % of the beverage industry) people are duped into thinking the wine is good. The same way Americans were duped into getting hooked on Budweiser. Now, we Americans have been school for the past 20-25 years about crafted beers, and the intelligent people can tell the difference. Does that mean we won't crack open a bud, or go to McDonalds or drink Alice White form time to time. No, we will. Maybe Alice White is the only option at the 7-11, and you need a bottle quick, and the wine store is closed. Alice White, will have to do. It will be fine, and serve its convenience purpose.
But, equating trying out some other option rather than settleing for Aussy generic as playing russian roulette? That's a little over-dramatic. Unless a bottle of wine has gone bad (mold on the cork, turning to vinegar, the wine was either heated or frozen, etc), I've never had a night ruined by a "bad" bottle of wine. No vintage wine is that bad. No one will ever convince me that their vintage wine was so aweful it ruined a night. By "bad" I simply meant, "not so great." And Aussy generics are not so great. So, they've never ruined a night, but they've rarely enhanced it.
The 2002 Charles Shaw Shiraz, blew the lids off of some people's head, when I told them it was $3.29. Unfortunately for them, by the time my party rolled around, that particular bottling was sold. I had, thankfully, bought 2 cases. One for the party, one for myself.
