Red Wine Suggestions?

[franca]

But if I am an unknown at a store, I have experienced scammers who simply lead you to expensive, overpriced stuff.

Enjoy the wine,

Chels

I have never had that problem at any wine shop, ever. I think it helps if you let them know from the get-go that you're a cheap bastard.

 

[franca]

Great advice unless you are forced, by law, to buy your hooch from the government.

Is it so bad in Texas that you can't even buy wine at a privately owned shop???

 

[justlooking]

I've been in wine stores in Texas.

But justme isn't in Texas right now.

Ask yourself this, franca. When the sommelier of Le Bec Fin in Philadelphia wanted to open a wine shop, why did he open them in Delaware and New Jersey but not where he was?

 

[franca]

I would guess because the liquor laws totally blow where he was. I wouldn't know, because I've never shopped for hooch in PA.

 

[marcinny]

One of many, many reasons to read UG is also to learn words like "hooch".

 

[Gavvy Cravath]

Underrated UG thread. I learn a lot when I lurk in here. Keep up the great posts...

 

[franca]

One of many, many reasons to read UG is also to learn words like "hooch".

I like this word so much, that just now, I decided to find more like it in Roget's Thesaurus. My favorites: likker, sheepdip, panther piss, and plonk.

 

[marcinny]

Hahahahaha, keep em coming please.

I loved especially the last two.

 

[franca]

http://www.winepros.com.au/jsp/cda/reference/oxford_entry.jsp?entry_id=2481

 

[UG Staff]

(Of course, here in New York, the Governor would probably say "Lafitte" -- not knowing that his aids had given him Two Buck Chuck instead.)

That must be that blind taste test.

 

[marcinny]

http://www.winepros.com.au/jsp/cda/reference/oxford_entry.jsp?entry_id=2481

A great read. Funny too.

 

[justlooking]

Holy shit. This is so weird.

I just read that entry in the Oxford Companion to Wine in my hard copy at home like last night.

This is really freaky.

Franca must be my psychic twin (god help her).

 

[justlooking]

Justlooking,

When I was in Italy in 1985, I was drinking Bertani Amarone at $6.00 a bottle. A friend of mine told me it was Hall & Oates favorite red wine. Real Big. I lugged a few bottles home. Now its $65 a bottle and up.

We all must have stories like this. You wish you bought a case, right?

We could all have retired on all the once-cheap wine we didn't buy.

 

[franca]

Franca must be my psychic twin (god help her).

Ahahahahahahahahaha! (god help you)

 

[justlooking]

On your side, it could be worse.

We could be physical twins.

 

[justme]

Is it so bad in Texas that you can't even buy wine at a privately owned shop???

Texas is actually fairly reasonable with its liquor laws. The state stays out of selling booze except for taxing. Blue laws close the liquor stores at 9:00pm and all day Sunday, but you can get wine and beer at grocery stores and convenience stores until midnight during the week (staring Sunday) and until one on the weekends.

The greatest liquor store that I've ever been to is in Houston (Specs downtown).

Pennsylvania is comparatively backwards. The state sells all the beer and wine (although they are open on Sunday). Beer is an even more bizarre situation. Retail, it can only be purchased from so-called beer distributors and then only by the case (24). You can go to a bar and get a "sick pack to go" but then you pay close to bar bottle prices and the selection is generally poor.

It makes buying wine here a very different experience. The good news is that all inventory is searchable on-line. The bad news is that you can't really get employees to recommend anything. So you do all your research at home and then just show up to pick up the bottles.

On topic, I should say that I've been enjoying most Renwood Zins and especially the 05 Old Vine.