The SCs complain about freebies

[Pagan]

One poster described it as "barely fermented grape juice" but that is being far too kind.

I am not saying you can't get decent tasting wine on the cheap. You can. Just not THAT "wine."

That was me, too. If I have ever tasted that stuff masquerading as wine, I have successfully blocked it from my memory....

[Buglady]

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Oh, sipping rum. Yes, I know of many. I have listed many on this site, too. But since I work at a bar that literally stocks over 100 different rums, you are going to have to help me to help you, and tell me just what kind of rum you are looking for, so that I can better help you.

*note to self: get to Florida as soon as possible*

My Dad grew up in Barbados, so that's the rum I have grown up with. Fairly light amber, smooth, not particularly sweet. We can get Mount Gay and Cockspur here (yes, I know some people are now snickering! :P). I also like the darker Jamaican style, but not the really tar-black stuff. Because the Bajan rum is what set my taste buds, I also like Canadian whiskey (Wiser's Deluxe 35 year old rye... mmm) and bourbon. I bought myself a bottle of Knob Creek for Christmas I cannot stand Irish whiskey or most of the single-malt Scotches I have tried.

As far as wine - I have drifted over to white wines over the last couple of years, don't know why. I like Rieslings and un-oaked Sauvignon the best. Before that I was mainly drinking red wines, particularly the Italian and Chilean reds that have a lot of body to them.

[Seshat]

I used to like scotches - I started on the cheap ones (Johnny Walker, anyone?) but graduated to Glenfiddich and others in that price/quality range. Tasted Oban once. I quite liked it.

Unfortunately, the meds I'm on interact badly with alcohol - and they improve my quality of life enough that its worth staying on the meds and not having alcohols.

Ah well.

[Pagan]

I used to like scotches - I started on the cheap ones (Johnny Walker, anyone?) but graduated to Glenfiddich and others in that price/quality range. Tasted Oban once. I quite liked it.

Johnny Walker is not cheap. Just google the Blue Label and take a look at some of the prices for the varieties.

Did you ever try Arran or Lochranza?

[Nyoibo]

There's also supply and demand. If the weather is just right one year in Australia for example, the wineries will churn out so much product that they glut the market. The price of good Australian wines will be low for that vintage.

With the weather like it's been that's not going to happen for a long long time.

[KiaKat]

Per Decanter (a trade publication), Australia is looking at a minimum of a 15% loss in production this year.

Yarra Valley is looking at possibly as much as 50%, if not more. Barossa Valley is looking at about a 20-30% loss.

Domaine Chandon has lost it's winery, and several others have been severely damaged, to the point where no one is sure if they'll be up and running in time for harvest.

This is not a good year for Australian wine. That's not even taking into account the drowned vines from firefighting, or the chemical burns on the grapes. I'd be surprised if the final loss was only 15%.

[Nyoibo]

Yeah, and the fact that at least here in S.Aust we've been in a drought for more years than I care to think about.

[protege]

I enjoy a glass of Merlot or two with dinner now and then

One I've liked, is Luni di Luna's Sangiovese/Merlot in the purple bottle. Another one is the Merlot by Cape May Wineries. Found that one while on vacation last summer. Couldn't resist coming home without a few bottles