What's the major difference between cheap and expensive wine?

[Externet]

Once in ~2005, I bought a dozen bottles of wine imported from Argentina at a $0.99 store in San Leandro, California.  Without being a connoisseur, found nothing wrong with it. I wish those would be still available.

Would enjoy the most, to see fancy experts tasting wines with labels removed.

Edited March 19, 2023 by Externet

[geordief]

6 minutes ago, Externet said:

Once I bought a dozen bottles of wine imported from Argentina at a 99 cent store in California.  Without being a connoisseur, found nothing wrong with it. I wish those would be still available.

Would enjoy the most, to see fancy experts tasting wines with labels removed.

Without wishing to  seem snobbish,it would be stupid to try to inculcate one's own sense of taste upon others(lethal in the case of peanut butter,I hear)

 

I recently bought a mobile phone car charger  and was reassured by the shiny packaging and the  high(25eu) price.

it was a complete waste of my money as it drains quicker than it charges 😒

Edited March 19, 2023 by geordief

[exchemist]

3 hours ago, Externet said:

Once in ~2005, I bought a dozen bottles of wine imported from Argentina at a $0.99 store in San Leandro, California.  Without being a connoisseur, found nothing wrong with it. I wish those would be still available.

Would enjoy the most, to see fancy experts tasting wines with labels removed.

Blind tastings are very common in the wine world, and often reveal surprises that put previously little known producers on the map.They can also expose lazy winemaking by those who trade on previous reputation.

Edited March 19, 2023 by exchemist

[Externet]

"What's the major difference between cheap and expensive wine?  "

Obviously, the price.

[iNow]

mispost / deleted 

Edited March 20, 2023 by iNow

[MigL]

12 hours ago, Genady said:

I read some comments with envy. Unfortunately, ANY wine - expensive as well as cheap - give me headache. Also, beer, Champaine, liquor, ...

Is that because of quantity, or quality?

I tend to like full bodied reds, but ones aged in oak barrels, like Cab Sauv, tend to give me headaches, if I drink more than half a bottle.
I find Amarone, made from partially dried Valpolicella grapes, to be good, without the headaches when I over indulge.

[exchemist]

5 hours ago, MigL said:

Is that because of quantity, or quality?

I tend to like full bodied reds, but ones aged in oak barrels, like Cab Sauv, tend to give me headaches, if I drink more than half a bottle.
I find Amarone, made from partially dried Valpolicella grapes, to be good, without the headaches when I over indulge.

Amarone is powerful stuff. I used to find it a bit dehydrating. I've never been bothered headaches from wine, but I have always had a large glass of water to hand when there is wine on the table. Nowadays my intake is restricted, especially in the evening, due to a tendency for  getting A Fib at night.   

[Genady]

6 hours ago, MigL said:

Is that because of quantity, or quality?

I tend to like full bodied reds, but ones aged in oak barrels, like Cab Sauv, tend to give me headaches, if I drink more than half a bottle.
I find Amarone, made from partially dried Valpolicella grapes, to be good, without the headaches when I over indulge.

Not because of quantity. As much as half a glass or even less give me headache.

I don't know if it is related, I get headache from any milk product, too. Even a croissant, because of butter. BTW, none of the usual effects of lactose intolerance.

Imagine, living in a Dutch country and not drinking beer or eating cheese  

[dimreepr]

I think the major difference between cheap and expensive wine is legitimacy, for instance:

If I buy a crate of cheap wine, my only legitimate reason is, I like to drink alcohol.

If I buy a crate of expensive wine, my legitimate excuse is, I'm a wine connoisseur.

 

[exchemist]

3 hours ago, Genady said:

Not because of quantity. As much as half a glass or even less give me headache.

I don't know if it is related, I get headache from any milk product, too. Even a croissant, because of butter. BTW, none of the usual effects of lactose intolerance.

Imagine, living in a Dutch country and not drinking beer or eating cheese  

Well Dutch cheese is generally nothing special. There's a lot of it, but it's almost all just variations on one variety, so far as I can see: the Gouda type, in those huge wheels. When we lived in The Hague we did find a boerenkaas that had good flavour but even that was just similar to a good Cheddar or a Comté, so nothing very special. Everything is from cow's milk. They make one blue cheese in the whole of the Netherlands and that is a recent introduction. As for the beer, my impression was most of the good stuff came from Belgium. But I expect there are some good little breweries if one seeks them out.

 Where are you? Surinam? 

[Genady]

7 minutes ago, exchemist said:

Well Dutch cheese is generally nothing special. There's a lot of it, but it's almost all just variations on one variety, so far as I can see: the Gouda type, in those huge wheels. When we lived in The Hague we did find a boerenkaas that had good flavour but even that was just similar to a good Cheddar or a Comté, so nothing very special. Everything is from cow's milk. They make one blue cheese in the whole of the Netherlands and that is a recent introduction. As for the beer, my impression was most of the good stuff came from Belgium. But I expect there are some good little breweries if one seeks them out.

Thank you. Feels better to know that I don't miss much  

It is rather a social thing, when everyone around me has this but I have to have something else...

9 minutes ago, exchemist said:

Where are you?

Bonaire, Caribbean Netherlands.

No breweries here, but a distillery. They make liquors from Kadushi cactus, aka Peruvian apple, which is plentiful here.

Otherwise, most everything is imported, from Europe, US, and South America.

[dimreepr]

26 minutes ago, exchemist said:

Well Dutch cheese is generally nothing special.

But if it's all I can afford, rather that than vegan cheese, but your journey may vary...

[exchemist]

11 minutes ago, dimreepr said:

But if it's all I can afford, rather that than vegan cheese, but your journey may vary...

Whut?

20 minutes ago, Genady said:

Thank you. Feels better to know that I don't miss much  

It is rather a social thing, when everyone around me has this but I have to have something else...

Bonaire, Caribbean Netherlands.

No breweries here, but a distillery. They make liquors from Kadushi cactus, aka Peruvian apple, which is plentiful here.

Otherwise, most everything is imported, from Europe, US, and South America.

So an overseas part of the Netherlands then. This is what the French do. I've been to Martinique and to la Reunion, both of which are France d'outre-mer.

And I've been once on business to Surinam, which is independent but fairly Dutch. I remember I flew back (KLM to Schiphol, of course) on the Queen's birthday and all the stewardesses wore orange ribbons.   

[Genady]

19 minutes ago, exchemist said:

So an overseas part of the Netherlands then. This is what the French do. I've been to Martinique and to la Reunion, both of which are France d'outre-mer.

And I've been once on business to Surinam, which is independent but fairly Dutch. I remember I flew back (KLM to Schiphol, of course) on the Queen's birthday and all the stewardesses wore orange ribbons.   

Yes, that's it. King Willem Alexander's Birthday is a public holiday here. Lots of orange colors on that day.

[dimreepr]

49 minutes ago, exchemist said:

Whut?

What's your excuse?

[exchemist]

5 minutes ago, dimreepr said:

What's your excuse?

OK, I've had enough of you now. You are going on the Ignore list. 

[geordief]

 

1 hour ago, dimreepr said:

What's your excuse?

Are you on the sauce again?

Edited March 20, 2023 by geordief

[TheVat]

7 hours ago, Genady said:

Not because of quantity. As much as half a glass or even less give me headache.

I don't know if it is related, I get headache from any milk product, too. Even a croissant, because of butter. BTW, none of the usual effects of lactose intolerance.

Imagine, living in a Dutch country and not drinking beer or eating cheese  

Red wine gives me a headache, too, though I usually need a couple glasses.  The theory I've heard is that it's rapid vasodilation from histamine, a compound found in grape skins. Red wine contains more histamine than white wine because it's made from the whole grape (including the skin), not just the juice.  And it's not uncommon to have a shortage of the enzyme that breaks down histamine in the gut.  

 

On 3/19/2023 at 9:33 AM, geordief said:

When I used to buy wine for the  customers I  chose a wine that I thought might give least offense (Merlot ,as it happens) 😃

Haha!

Quote

No, if anyone orders Merlot, I'm leaving. I am NOT drinking any f-ing Merlot!

 

[geordief]

37 minutes ago, TheVat said:

 

 

Haha!

 

Completely ignorant of that film.I seem to have been providing a faux plonk over the years.

I did find this resumé of the situation, though

 

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/shortcuts/2017/oct/04/merlot-comeback-wine-grape-surviving-sideways-effect

[exchemist]

3 minutes ago, geordief said:

Completely ignorant of that film.I seem to have been providing a faux plonk over the years.

I did find this resumé of the situation, though

 

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/shortcuts/2017/oct/04/merlot-comeback-wine-grape-surviving-sideways-effect

Merlot is blended with Cabernet Franc in St. Emilion. I don’t think you find it on its own much in Europe.

[geordief]

11 minutes ago, exchemist said:

Merlot is blended with Cabernet Franc in St. Emilion. I don’t think you find it on its own much in Europe.

A few years now since I bought any ,but I don't recall it being difficult to get then

 

I know very little about choosing wine and was just following a recommendation  from another cook(I try  to keep things simple and repeatable)

[MigL]

Heeey!
I happen to like Merlot.
Very drinkable wth a plate of pasta for a Sunday afternoon lunch with the family.

[geordief]

33 minutes ago, MigL said:

Heeey!
I happen to like Merlot.
Very drinkable wth a plate of pasta for a Sunday afternoon lunch with the family.

Too late.I have you pigeon holed!

[TheVat]

2 hours ago, geordief said:

 

I did find this resumé of the situation, though

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/shortcuts/2017/oct/04/merlot-comeback-wine-grape-surviving-sideways-effect

Amusing article on the Sideways effect, which pinpoints that it was the character's personal flaws and "antagonistic contrarian tendencies" that were really behind his antipathy towards Merlot.  And yes, it's a very easy to drink libation.  At least until the migraine begins...

 

 

[geordief]

6 minutes ago, TheVat said:

Amusing article on the Sideways effect, which pinpoints that it was the character's personal flaws and "antagonistic contrarian tendencies" that were really behind his antipathy towards Merlot.  And yes, it's a very easy to drink libation.  At least until the migraine begins...

 

 

The truth is such a slippery  and faceted customer.

 

Even your crooked   psychopathic and fabulist ex pres knew to call his propaganda outfit "truth social".

Edited March 20, 2023 by geordief