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American's obsession with fruity wines... (pg. 2)
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| Danny Ocean |
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| BARS-N-STARS |
| quote: | Originally posted by Clovis
Yes, but it doesnt help when you have companies advertising wines with "a boquet of black currant, elderberry and other bull" and fronting like they won all these awards :stongue: |
I hear you on that. One of my favorite wines is a Malbec and the Wine Spectator Magazine said it has hints of asphalt and tar. Um OK! |
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| Lira |
| quote: | Originally posted by Clovis
Theres a thin line between beautiful and ridiculous. |
Actually, I believe you might be able to buy lineless lines by now :D |
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| Groundhog Boy |
| quote: | Originally posted by Clovis
What the hell is wrong with people? Wine is not supposed to taste like black currants, or cherries, or spices, or any of that . Its wine. Its fermented grapes. If you want fruit juice with alcohol, get some sangria.
/end rant |
That is what the those types of fermented grapes are supposed to taste like. I don't know why you think that the wines with those descriptions are "fruity" anyhow.
Pinot Noirs taste like cherries and their one of the oldest, most respected, and most expensive grape types (see red Burgundys). Of the spices and currants, I'me guessing your talking about merlots and cabernet sauvignons.
Here's a listing of wine varieties and what flavors are commonly found in them - http://www.terroir-france.com/wine/aromas.htm (and this is mostly for AOC French wines, but overlaps with the same grape types grown in other regions/countries)
They use these wheels in wine tasting classes to help you learn how to better distinguish the flavors that you're tasting.
BTW, did this rant come from watching "The War at Home" on Fox last night?
EDIT - This is hardly an American concept. America was pretty slow getting to the wine table and the Europeans (French, Spanish, etc.) have been using these flavor descriptors for years. The vineyard owners who guest lectured my wines class in college all used these descriptions and were mostly from European vineyards. |
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| Omega_M |
| quote: | Originally posted by Clovis
Its generic, its easy to drink, refreshing since it tastes like water, and most importantly it doesnt you up nearly as fast as a good beer. Thats why. |
you are advocating the consumption of these beers for the very reason why people should not drink them.
1) Generic beer
2) Tastes like Water
3) Doesn't you up as fast as a good beer :eyes: whatever that means. |
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| Lilith |
| quote: | Originally posted by Omega_M
3) Doesn't you up as fast as a good beer :eyes: whatever that means. |
Means it's so inoffensive an 8yr old could drink it :haha:
One of the funniest things I discovered in the US was the american concept of 'light beer' which ended up just being some calorie reduced water, not an alcohol reduced beer. There was a couple of decent US beers but you'd walk a long way to find them, finding US wines was an even longer walk
| quote: | | The vineyard owners who guest lectured my wines class in college all used these descriptions and were mostly from European vineyards. |
Not that I'm likely to easily find US wines over here but you got any recomendations GHBoy? |
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| basd |
| quote: | Originally posted by Lilith
Not that I'm likely to easily find US wines over here but you got any recomendations GHBoy? |
Aren't Californians distributed all over the world? Very easy to get hold of them here..
As for the taste: they're not my favourite. |
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| Protege |
| wine sucks anyways:p |
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| Groundhog Boy |
| quote: | Originally posted by Lilith
Not that I'm likely to easily find US wines over here but you got any recomendations GHBoy? |
Of American stuff, or just wines in general? I usually drink German Rieslings, Rhone Valleys (Syrah, Grenache, Mouvedre blends) and wines with one or more of those grapes from Australia, and New Zealand Sauv. Blancs.
Good red Burgundys are a bit out of my price range (did have a good one on Valentine's day, though). I also like some Super Tuscans.
As for American stuff, the Rieslings from this vineyard are good - http://www.wiemer.com/, but they chaptilize to increase alcohol content, which can distort the taste (Germans are 8.5%, these are 11.5%). I've never really thought that highly of the NW/Pacific Pinot Noirs, though they are better than most Californias due to more Burgundian growing conditions. Californian Chardonnays are usually too oaked for my tastes. I do like their Red Zinfandels, though. Outside of upstate New York, California, and the Pacific Northwest (Oregon and Washington), there aren't really that many good vineyards in the States because the growing conditions aren't the most ideal in many places.
I usually find most Californias to be not that complex in taste, though they are getting better as the vineyards better develop techniques and steal winemakes from Europe to make the blends. Same problem with a lot of Australians, South American wines (Chile, Argentina) and South African stuff. On the bright side, all those regions seem to be getting better and their non-complex stuff is a pretty good value for table wines. |
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| Clovis |
| quote: | Originally posted by Groundhog Boy
That is what the those types of fermented grapes are supposed to taste like. I don't know why you think that the wines with those descriptions are "fruity" anyhow.
Pinot Noirs taste like cherries and their one of the oldest, most respected, and most expensive grape types (see red Burgundys). Of the spices and currants, I'me guessing your talking about merlots and cabernet sauvignons.
Here's a listing of wine varieties and what flavors are commonly found in them - http://www.terroir-france.com/wine/aromas.htm (and this is mostly for AOC French wines, but overlaps with the same grape types grown in other regions/countries)
They use these wheels in wine tasting classes to help you learn how to better distinguish the flavors that you're tasting.
BTW, did this rant come from watching "The War at Home" on Fox last night?
EDIT - This is hardly an American concept. America was pretty slow getting to the wine table and the Europeans (French, Spanish, etc.) have been using these flavor descriptors for years. The vineyard owners who guest lectured my wines class in college all used these descriptions and were mostly from European vineyards. |
I never watch Fox, or any TV for that matter :p
I know wines have different tastes, I'm not talking about the hints of different flavors you get from actual wine, I'm talking about wine that is specifically marketed because it is fruity as hell. Most people I know in this country cannot taste those subtle differences, they want something that flatout has blueberry or cherry taste in it.
I've been to vineyards in southern France and in Spain, and I know they use these types of descriptions, but its blown way out of proportion here. And I'm sure that if you ask people to drink a fine Pinot Noir they will not be able to taste the cherry flavor, but if you give them some fruity californian wine, where they specifically market the flavor of the wine over the wine itself, people will. |
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| Clovis |
| quote: | Originally posted by Omega_M
you are advocating the consumption of these beers for the very reason why people should not drink them.
1) Generic beer
2) Tastes like Water
3) Doesn't you up as fast as a good beer :eyes: whatever that means. |
I'm not advocating their consumption, I hate those beers :p
And there is good American beer, its called Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. |
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| Inertia |
| quote: | Originally posted by Omega_M
I don't understand the obsession with Bud and Miller either. Tasteless beers if you ask me. |
Bud tastes like ing polluted water if you ask me. |
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