I had one of those unflattering moments the other night when I tried to figure out what kind of a horrible person I really was. I had invited a bunch of neighbors over for a Sunday night soiree – nice cheese, tiki torches, laughter, a few bottles of wine…definitely the makings for a great evening. As my brie baked and the time came for me to open the wine, I stood in front of my “wine tower” and tried to figure out what to open.
My initial urge was to grab the (cheaper) bottles that I’d accumulated from friends coming to previous dinners or events. (I have great friends who know the way to my heart.) They were perfectly nice bottles. They just weren’t my great finds from Total Wine.
And then I felt bad and uncharitable. Here I was, inviting my dear friends into my house and I wanted to serve them cheap(er) wine? What kind of a person am I?
Apparently, I’m the slightly selfish, hoarding type of person. I did not want to crack open my nice bottle of 2006 Sonoma Cuvee Zinfandel from the Russian River Valley. No, no, I did not.
I wrestled with this for a few minutes and settled on a compromise. I would open one bottle of cheap(er) wine and one bottle of a fairly nice Spanish Tempranillo that I bought from Chill Wine Merchants to start with.
It was a good compromise and since my friends brought with them more wine, I could open their gifts as the night progressed. And the Tempranillo was awesome.
What do you do, gentle readers? Do you crack open great bottles or do you hide them?
~ (Sweet) Libby Volgyes
first off, TOTAL WINE? Really? Do you like paying too much for trendy wine? I find very few good deals there and even less knowledge. Crown Wine and Spirits, north of PGA, has a much better inventory of labels and the employees are top notch.
I definitely weigh the level of taste of my guests against what I open. The 2005 Malleolus isn’t going to be appreciated by a palate used to Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio.
On the other hand, I like to suprise guests that are a little more experimental in the wine field to a great Bordeaux that runs under twenty bucks and is ready to drink right now.
Cheap doesn’t always equal bad…..only in the U.S. it seems.
Hey RDC,
Thanks for the advice! We’ve heard some really great things about Crown as well and will definitely be up there soon to check it out. And please share on your great Bordeaux finds for under twenty! ~ Gwen (Dry)
Libby, I must say that I am shocked and dismayed by what I have just read. I say fie and poppycock to your misplaced assumptions on the “which bottle to open” issue. According to the bible of wine etiquette, by Allister Holebrooke, published 1718, it says that the finest shall be opened and ye should provide the finest hardtack and tobaccos if neccesary, in addition to the finest wines and bitters available. What the hell were you thinking??
Next time please refer to this fine book for guidence, and remember that the 2006 Cuvee Zifandel is a rather new vintage that seems to indulge itself with a very long maceration, and the excess tannins make them far to young and it tends to make the drinker lose bowel controls on a regular basis. I would suggest that you stay away from this wine as it is over rated and losing control of one’s bowels because of the excess tannin issue is rather alarming and has been documented in my tests upon my wife’s cats.
In tests upon my dog, the ever faithful Jeff, he would stagger a bit, take a whiz, and then try to bone the cat. The cat reacted badly as it was to busy dealing with the loose bowels issue. I shall endevour to keep you informed of my wine ratings in the future and thank you very much for the ratings on the best place to buy my firewater.
I to agree with this Mike Katz about the etiquette on the bottle opening. I am a fervant student of the wine guide that he mentions. It is regarded by me to be the “Bible” of wine etiquette.
I only agree somewhat on the animal testing issue. When I first had this wine, my bowels did not loosen up immediately. It took about an hour and the party started going downhill from there. I would like the reporters , or the ” Swirl Girls” to write about the down side of wine drinking; extreme gastric distress. When can we see this? This is an important issue among the ‘wine snobs” and we would like to see detailed reporting on this vexing issue.
I have a question to pose to the wine snobs. What if the guest has no idea or clue about wine, is it acceptable to do a quick switch on the bottle and give them Boones Farm, Blue Nun, etc.. ? The list is endless. I have heard that Boones Farm is now owned by Mondavi. Other than this goofy “wine etiquette bible” from 18th centuary England, who says that I can’t do this? It could be pretty funny when you think about it, watching somebody rate Boones Farm because they thought they saw it coming out of a different bottle.
Another question, what wine is recomended to put into baby formula, so the little monster sleeps better at night?
Ch D’Arvigny is a good start….about an 85 point Bordeaux for around fifteen bucks. It’s hard to beat. Typical french “dirtiness” (which I really like), nice mouth feel. Great with a pepper crusted sea bass.
two others to try:
Ch Larose Traintaudon and Ch Coufran.
BTW, that Crown is having a wine tasting May 22nd, 7-9 p.m.
I have my good wine shipped to offsite storage where it’s more difficult to get to. Imperial Wine Storage in West Palm are the best… high touch personal service, fair pricing!
…that way I really have to plan ahead to pull out something really nice, and I’m not tempted to prematurely open the 04 Harlan!
It is a challenge – I guess balance is the word to guide the decision. Or to suggest to your friends that tonight we are going to go explore wines from around the world, price points or varietals.
This way you create a learning and appreciation opportunity for everyone – you just might find that today’s refreshing Boones Farm equivalent might have a name like New Age – be served on ice with your choice of lime or orange slice.
I’ve faced this dilemma many times and have found that it’s best to let my own taste buds be my guide. The wines I pull for my average-taste friends are often ones that are new to me, so I can say, “Here’s something I’m dying to try, tell me what you think.” The bottles are always in the everyday price point, so there’s no love lost if they disappoint, and no money lost if nobody raves. You should never open your great stuff at a party because people are never in a mood to notice complexity when their mouths are running. Save the RRVs for your partner and your wine savvy friends.
This is truly the wine lover’s dilemma…related very closely to the dilemma of “what wine shall I bring to such such and such event”…myself, I tend to be on the generous side and am of the philosophy that great wine is meant to be shared…of course, that doesn’t mean pulling out that ‘04 Harlan at a BBQ (necessarily)…but rather, I tend to take into account my companions’ level of wine experience and appreciation and tailor my picks to that…nothing more fun than stoking out your friends and family who are in the know with a really nice bottle and watching their eyes light up when you reveal what you have pulled or brought to drink!
I may not open my most prized bottle for everyone that comes over but I never hesitate to open a great bottle of wine for friends that are not wine people. I adhere to the idea that I want my friends to experience the best I can offer them regardless of how knowledgeable they are. That is after all why they are my friends right?
jennifer, like u i thot the same bout zinfadel and i wonder how u do it with wine and vegetarianism? i have found some very nice bottles for even $10 at publix, winn dixie and total wine. try red bicyclette’s pino noir and cabsav, anything estansia and a very interesting mix called menage a trois (zin, cabsav and merlot). all good for the palate, light, nonbitter, no residual/aftertaste. salute!
LOL at menage trois and red bicyclette….not if they were free my friend.