The Blog of WINEY DOOM!

[KiaKat]

http://petitesarai.blogspot.com

There's not much there, now, and I'm having trouble coming up with articles to write. So, I'll put it out there for all of you:

What questions do you have for a wine expert? They can be the dumbest thing you can think of, or something truly obscure and weird. I love answering questions, and my answers usually turn into lectures, so that'll be a good way to get articles written.

Ask here (or via PM), and I'll answer them there. I won't be mentioning who asked the question, just that it was asked.

[TelephoneAngel]

Maybe write something about which types of wines are best to cook and make various dishes with, if you know.

I know lots of us here like to experiment with cookery and I just grab the nearest white or red wine and hope for the best, but maybe some wines cook better than others.

[Pedersen]

Okay, here's one (and yes, I'm serious, and not trying to be a jerk).

I'm a wine hater. I've tried several times, and every time, I've come away not liking it. I want to like it. Family members and friends alike are capable of enjoying a simple glass of wine, while I seem utterly unable to. Why? Is there anything I can do to change this? I've read somewhere that there is actually a proper way to taste the wine, and it's not obvious. Maybe I'm doing it wrong? I don't know, I just know that I envy the people around me. They seem to enjoy it, and I wish I could join them. The closest I've been able to come has been when I get the wine very very cold (the colder the better). Since no one wants to drink a cold red, that doesn't work all the time, nor does it change the fact that, whatever I can taste, I'm not getting along with very well.

[TelephoneAngel]

Okay, here's one (and yes, I'm serious, and not trying to be a jerk).

I'm a wine hater. I've tried several times, and every time, I've come away not liking it. I want to like it. Family members and friends alike are capable of enjoying a simple glass of wine, while I seem utterly unable to. Why? Is there anything I can do to change this? I've read somewhere that there is actually a proper way to taste the wine, and it's not obvious. Maybe I'm doing it wrong? I don't know, I just know that I envy the people around me. They seem to enjoy it, and I wish I could join them. The closest I've been able to come has been when I get the wine very very cold (the colder the better). Since no one wants to drink a cold red, that doesn't work all the time, nor does it change the fact that, whatever I can taste, I'm not getting along with very well.

You're not alone, I love to use it i cookig, but I would hate to actually drink it.Nearest I can get to liking it is with a very sweet very fizzy rose wine, but I know some wine buffs believe the existence of that is a travesty.

[KiaKat]

Angel, thanks. I was thinking about doing a Wine 101 post, maybe I'll do a Cooking with Wine 101 as well.

Pederson, that's definitely a challenge. I have a few thoughts, maybe inspiration will strike. When you say you don't like wine, are you referring only to red wine, and is it always a dry red wine, or have you had some sweet ones you don't like, either? Do you drink beer, or hard liquor?

[Pedersen]

I have tried a wide variety of alcoholic beverages.

• Beer has been uniformly nasty (much more so than wine), just too bitter.
• Tequila in small shots can be quite nice, especially a reposado. It also works very well in margaritas (and those I can suck down quite easily, especially if they're frozen).
• Rum... poor rum. I haven't tried it straight, but in rum balls it is nice, and I love it in a Pina Colada.
• Applebee's White Peach Sangria works extremely well, too.
• Mike's Hard Lemonades, those are good.
• The various hard teas that are out there are usually pretty nice as well.

Now, that's the non-wine'y stuff. Wines:

• Reds are the hardest to take. It's been a while (around 5 or so years) since I've tried. They smell lovely, though.
• Whites and pinks are easier, though still don't please me.
• I've also tried some champagnes that i've been told are very sweet, but they don't seem so to my taste buds.

I think that provides a decent cross section of my palate. I hope so, anyway

[Magpie]

Related to Pederson - I'm not fond of wine myself. I consider it to be a wine I like when I'm willing to sip it during dinner to share the experience with everyone else. I have an idea of what it is that I take the best, but I wouldn't know how to describe it. Do I like big wines? Do I like dry ones (well that one I've been told is a "yes")? What about oak? Lots of tanin? etc.

Describe wines in "if you like X". Be specific about what X is. I generally like Merlot, but there's some I like and some I don't.

Try to describe how we know what is an "oaky" flavour, how to tell when there's lots of tanins. What do people mean when they say "vanilla".

The above are more for some sort of series you do, where you review various wines for beginners. Or, at least, what the portion of a review you do would be for beginners. Include suggestions on what it might go well with in terms of food.

[Kaylyn]

I really wanted to start getting into wine, but I'm finding it extremely difficult to find a kind I like. I want to say I liked white zinfandel, but I understand that's kinda considered lolwine. I did discover at a friend's wedding recently that I like champagne...had never tried it before then. It was a blush champagne but I can't remember what the maker was.

I think I tend to prefer sweeter, less dry stuff, though I'm sure I could acquire a taste for drier wines if I work my way towards it. I know I tried merlot and didn't care for it at the time, but riesling wasn't too bad. I also can't afford really expensive stuff, but I'm willing to drop about ten bucks or so for a bottle once in a while.

tl;dr I'd like to know where to start, being a complete noob that knows absolutely nothing about winemakers, wants to start sweet and work her way to other types, and is on a budget with no wine stores, just your average liquor stores nearby.

[KiaKat]

Woot! Ok then, let's get this started!

I've got a couple posts in the queue, I'll update this thread when it posts. First one is just a basic 101 course of terms & types. Second one will dive into oak and how it affects wine.

[KiaKat]

Ok, so the first post is up. This is just a basic intro of some wine terms, along with common usage.

Second post will be All About Oak.

Third will be about sweet wines.

Fourth will be WTF do they mean when they say "raspberry with a touch of mushroom and vanilla."

Keep the questions coming, these are great!

[Whiskey]

Appeal to college kids: What is the best wine to get drunk on thatll make the chicks think I'm sophisticated.


Appeal to newbie winers: What is the best wine to make me look sophisticated so i don't look like a drunk.


Thats all I got.

[KiaKat]

And wow. Ok. I thought I'd posted the Oak entry a while back, turns out I must have hit save rather than publish.

That's been corrected. There's now a post about Oak.

I'm now working on the one regarding what makes a sweet wine, and what grapes/wines to look for in stores.

After that, I'll start posting based on your questions here, and any questions on the blog (will probably create an "Ask Here" entry). I'm going to try to keep the entries short & sweet, while still packing them full of info.

[ArcticChicken]

I would also be interested in learning about cooking with wine.

I want to get into wine mainly to improve my cooking, right now if I use wine its cooking wine, which is better than no wine, but not as good as wine that's fit to drink.

[KiaKat]

I just tossed out a small interlude post about that

Your Local Wine Shop is your best friend. If the staff is friendly and knowledgeable, they will happily walk you through choosing a wine for your dish.

[dalesys]

I just tossed out a small interlude post about that

Your Local Wine Shop is your best friend. If the staff is friendly and knowledgeable, they will happily walk you through choosing a wine for your dish.

Whether it's one you're cooking or one you hope to be cooking with.