WineMark

2008 Santa Carolina Reserva de Familia Carmenere. Brilliant!

2011-05-11T18:54:00.000-06:00

I am currently enjoying a bottle of the 2008 Santa Carolina Reserva de Familia Chilean Carmenere. Enjoyment doesn't quite speak to how much I love this bottle of wine. I have had Carmeneres before but none have been so distinctive and expressive as this one.

The back label on the bottle reads, "Deep ruby red in colour with a violet tinge, this wine has intense, ripe red fruit aromas and hints of spice. The palate is also fruity; blackcurrant and blueberry are beautifully integrated with flavours from 12 monts of barrel-ageing such as vanilla, truffles and smoky notes. It's a concentrated and smooth wine with a long finish. Best served with red meats or pasta with seasoned sauces."

This is a very good description of this wine. What I would add to it though is the characteristic of carmeneres that shows in a subtle yet elegant way in this bottle and that is the presence of pepper. Most people believe carmeneres to show a strong amount of bell pepper scent and flavor. I usually believe that bell pepper in a wine typically indicates a wine that was vinified too early and the grapes weren't quite yet ripe. With Carmeneres though this is simply a unique characteristic of the grape. My favorite element of this wine though, as well as with the lower-tiered Carmenere in the Santa Carolina line, is the sense that it is not bell pepper in the wine at all but instead a pepper with more spice. I believe it to be some kind of chile pepper, either a Big Jim or an Anaheim. No heat of the chile but plenty of the flavor.

This wine will pair brilliantly with most any red meat and especially a Mexican dish like Carne Asada. I currently am enjoying this wine with a meat-heavy pizza and I could not be more satisfied. I will be surprised if I can muster the will power to not drink the entire bottle in one sitting. It really is that good.

This bottle retails near the 20 dollar range but the rest of the Santa Carolina line hovers in the 10-12 dollar range and truly does not lose quality with the price drop. I highly recommend this wine and has I haven't posted anything in months I think that should speak to how much this bottle has stood out to me.

Best Values in Wine come from Spain

2010-10-27T18:35:00.000-06:00

The more and more experience and knowledge I acquire on the subject of wine, the more and more I am finding that the truly great values are all coming from "New World" places. Specifically there are incredible values to be found in Spain; case in point...Carro Tinto 2008. A lovely little blend from Ole Imports, Carro is a beautifully satisfying blend of Monestrell, Syrah, Tempranillo, Merlot hailing from Murcia, a region in Zone 8 in southeastern Spain in the town of Yecla. No research needed to find that info with this wine though, or with any of the Ole wines, as the bottle includes plenty of information right on the back of the bottle: Varietals, Description, Location, Soil, and Climate. This a very fun aspect of Ole wines for any who wants to know something about the wine they are drinking. I am sure however, that many whom taste this wine won't really care about the info though; their concerns will be focused on finding themselves a refill. Soft yet expressive with lovely dark berry flavors and a similar nose; this wine would easily sell in the $15 dollar range if it came from California, $20 dollar range if Australian, and maybe even more if French. I like this wine a lot and I highly recommend it to anybody who is making dinner for friends or simply wants a well made wine that doesn't bust the budget. Expect to find a bottle for under $10 dollars at your local liquor store. It is also made in 1.5L bottles for even more value. Enjoy!

Great Austrailian Value

2010-10-24T22:29:00.000-06:00

I have found over the past year that different places around the world produce incredibly different tastes in wine. Lately I have been amazed at the value found in places like Spain and Argentina. But I have also been quite impressed by the differences in the Syrah varietal depending on where its grown in the world. From an almost light and minerally tasting version found in southern France to an extremely jammy and almost thick version in Austrailia with a mix of the two showing up all over California and Washington, the Syrah grape produces some truly fantastic wines. The latest of which I have tried comes from the brand Gemtree Vineyards. The Buttery family has been farming grapes in a bio dynamic and sustainable way for years now in an effort to promote and support marshlands in southern Australia and has simultaneously been producing truly incredible wines. I have found that not only in wine but in almost any industry that chooses to go green that the product ends up being sub par when compared with the original. Well this is not the case with Gemtree. I could rave endlessly about Taddy Road or Uncut or Bloodstone and so on but not to disappoint in any way I would like to start at the beginning; the bottom of the chain.

Gemtree's Tadpole Shiraz is a wonderful example of what Australian Shiraz can become. Essentially a benchmark for the grape, this wine is a lovely way to learn about Australian reds, bio dynamic vineyards, and great wine overall. Try a bottle for under 12 dollars and get excited like I am just simply in the know that this is only the beginning. It only gets better from here.

Best Value Cabernet

2010-10-16T19:19:00.001-06:00

McManis Cabernet is, hands down, one of the best value brand Cabernet Sauvignons on the market today. For under 10 dollars you will receive a wine that is not only, the expected: fruit forward, full bodied, well balanced Cabernet that has been on the market for many year now, but also a complex and expressive bottle that you rarely find for under 15 dollars. Raspberries, Oak, and an extremely pleasant nuttiness coat the palate and show off as if this wine wants its consumers to know how special it is. I am not sure what it is about this unique winery from Ripon, CA, but for a non-Napa Cab, this wine is truly a great value. I am rarely a fan of central coast wines or the cabs so often touted from places like Paso Robles but this is one wine that I really do enjoy and strongly recommend for all.

I know nothing about wine pairing

2010-04-06T20:54:00.000-06:00

So I was working the other day stocking shelves when a customer came up to me and asked if I could recommend a couple of good wines for her. I asked her what she was looking to spend and she said about 20 bucks a bottle.. She said she is looking for a good merlot and also a good chardonnay or pinot grigio Knowing the price range I took her over and recommended a bottle of Magness merlot. I personally do not drink merlots and went with my knowledge of the shelf tag used at other stores. Magness Merlot was given 92 points by Wine Enthusiast last year. While I never mentioned me ever having tried the wine, the customer was glad to take a bottle of wine with such a favorable rating. I then walked her over to the chardonnay's where I ran into the liquor store's wine manager. As I don't drink chardonnays much either I felt it best to have the wine guy recommend her the second bottle, which he did happily and I thought it was time to go on with my day.

But low and behold, next time I passed the wine desk the wine manager stopped me and asked me to take a test he made. Apparently in order to hand sell at this liquor store one is required to pass this 7 question test. Now I like to think that I know a decent amount about wine. I read books and I drink lots of wine and I absorb everything I can from everyone I can who knows wine. One look at this test told me I know nothing about selling wine. It wasn't the questions about naming the varietals from Bordeau or Piedmont or the grapes used in champagne and sparkling wine. The difficulties came in the questions about how one is supposed to qualify a customer.

Besides me failing to ask how many people will be served or whether the wine will be served with dinner or alone. Even my apparent mistake to use a question of preferred price range didn't bother me to find out. What has my mind boggled is the information that this wine manager uses with customers that I really don't think I will ever know. I never knew that the sauce is the main key in a dish concerning the pairing of wine. It is not enough to pair fish with a sauv blanc. One must know how the fish is prepared. Is it grilled? Poached? Seared? Fried? All of these have different possible pairings.

I just cant make my mind work in a way that makes a bottle of wine a key component of my meal. I know I am young but I love the taste of wine so much that I always put the wine first. It just doesn't add up to me to think "well, my chicken was prepared in a light olive oil sauce, I should probably pick a wine that doesn't stand out too much otherwise it will over power my chicken". I guess I am just not that proud of a cook.

So for now I think I am just gonna have to step back on this situation and let things be. I love my wine for what it tastes like by itself. Should somebody ever prepare a fabulous meal for me I will just let them decide on what wine goes best and start my learning from there.

Great Everday Wines

2010-01-25T14:32:00.000-07:00

Over the last few months I have discovered a number of new and quite tasty wines at very reasonable prices. Here are a few...

McManis and Insatiable Petite Sirah: I was reading recently in I believe it was a Wine Enthusiast magazine on starting a wine cellar. Most of the wines were from France or Italy but when it finally did get to California I was very surprised to see Petite Sirah as the recommended collectible from that region. After trying both the McManis and Insatiable Petite Sirah's I am starting to see what so special about this variety. The Insatiable is absolutely a treat. Extremely Spicy with lots of berry flavors. Definitely something I recommend everyone to try at some point. And at less than 10 dollars a bottle it shouldn't be a tough buy.

For what I feel is a little more of a traditional Petite Sirah arount the same price, I recommend the McManis Petite Sirah. The best way for me to describe this is to have you all imagine taking a bite of blueberry pie. Yes blueberry pie. I am not usually a big blueberry fan but this is really a treat.

Other great values from these brands come in their Cabernets, Insatiable's Red Blend, and McManis' Zinfandel.

Other everyday wines I have enjoyed that can be bought for 10 dollars and under include: House Red, Cable Car Cabernet, Grayson Zinfandel, and Chessman Cabernet.

I hope you try these and enjoy. Cheers!

New Favorite Wines

2009-12-18T20:17:00.003-07:00

So as some close to me know, over the last two and a half months I have been working for a wine distributor in Denver, CO. Over this time I have been able to try many of the wines this company has to offer. Here are a few that have really stood out to me and I highly recommend to everyone that loves wine.

I started off by trying to taste every Cabernet Sauvignon that we sell. This got a little ridiculous after a while but a few wines have definitely arisen as my favorites.

Barnard Griffin Cabernet Sauvignon: This is one absolutely beautiful Cabernet. Dry, Full Bodied, Incredibly Aromatic, and an absolute treat for the pallate. In the ten to twenty dollar range I beg you to try this wine. If you love a big, busty, beautiful Cabernet, this is a must have.

Magness Cabernet Sauvignon: Now many people recommend the Merlot first when this label is mentioned, but I tried the cab and was simply blown away. Like the Barnard Griffin Cab, it is big, full and dry. You feel the sweetness of the fruit in this wine immediately after it touches the tip of your tongue and the taste stays with you as the wine coats your palate and saturates your mouth. Also around fifteen dollars but drinks like a wine people often pay thirty for.

Rutherford Ranch Cabernet: Now I had the rare pleasure to try the Reserve Cabernet from this label. That is a near fifty dollar bottle and it certainly drinks like it. I was very pleasantly surprised to find that for almost 40 dollars less, the label has a standard cab that tastes like they must be using the exact same grapes from their reserve. Now as the trend continues being as how I prefer my wines to be dry, this is. But do not fear if you have a sweet tooth. The beauty of this wine just as with the last two, as soon as the wine hits the tip of your tongue, you taste an incredible medley of fruit and it has the finish to keep you thinking about how lovely that taste really is.

Zinfandel may just be my favorite variety of wine. Now it is typically not full bodied as I prefer my cabs to be but the spicyness and earthiness exibited across the board with these wines just feels like my tongue has found its soul mate. Here are a few Zins that I have tried and most definitely will purchase for years to come.

Rutherford Ranch Zinfandel: Now this wine has the most body of any Zin I have tried other than the Ravenswood. But what I like more about this wine than others I have tried is how fruit forward it is. The combination of fruit, tannins, and high alcohol content make this wine an absolute treat.

Grayson Zinfandel: I was so happy with this wine! I did not have high expectations as it was the first zin through my company I tried that sits near the bottom shelves in most liquor stores. For at or under ten bucks, the blackberries exibited through this wine are absolutely fantastic. Now blackberries are my favorite berries so I am biased but this wine is incredibly fruit forward but with a decent amount of body and the high alcohol to balance the taste, this instantly moved up near the top of my zinfandel list.

Cardinal Zin Zinfandel: For just a little over ten bucks you can try this fun and tasty zin. I was very relieved at how balanced and tasty this wine was. Before I tasted this I had tried two zins that I had high hopes for and was let down by how green and almost bitter they tasted. But not Cardinal Zin. Even with the crazy label attracting buyers, this wine does not disappoint.

Now I am getting tired and I'd rather watch some sports so I will continue this later.

To wrap up here are some other wines that I feel everyone should try. Adelshiem Pinot Noir. Kung Fu Girl Riesling. Barnard Griffin Fume Blanc. Gemtree Shiraz (best I've tried). Insatiable Pinot Noir (Spicy). Felsina Chianti Classico Riserva (well worth the price and great with italian food!).

Hope everyone has a great Christmas and New Year and that everyone comes out of both safe and happy.

Opening a Wine Bar

2009-11-22T20:31:00.003-07:00

So over the last year or so I have been thinking about what I would like to do when I get older. As I have landed myself already with a job in the wine industry I find myself wondering if I can expedite my plans. Now I still like to think in long term because I know that big change never happens fast. So this plan is still for up to ten years out although my goals are set for five years. I believe in the next five years I should be able to become in control of a home mortgage, vehicle expenses, and have enough capital saved up to pay for any and all start up costs minus the loan for the property itself.

I plan to start with a wine bar that also serves beer during sporting events. For said sporting events the bar will include several (tops five) high definition televisions as well as a proper wireless sound system to support. During regular hours the sound system will play, at a low volume, easy going music that can be adjusted to the wishes of the customers as I am a fan of most every genre.

As for the important part of the business, I think during these next five years I expect to have developed a near expert sense of what is right for a business. Through the work I am doing now I hope to establish connections to allow for the buying of many of my wines to be cheaper than typical distributor pricing. This will allow me to not be the typical over priced smug that dominates the industry currently. I expect to have a wide variety of wines with 20-30 that remain on the "by the glass" list at all times. In addition to these I also hope to have an addition 15-20 wines that are new or rotating based off of season or meal specials.

As for meals this business is not meant to be a restaurant. First and foremost it is about the wine. And as any wine drinker knows, the majority of time that one has a glass of wine in hand at home is when a plate of food sits in front of them. So appetizers and tapas and other small dishes will be available with advice on pairing for anybody that wishes it.

This is what I want to do with my life. I want to be the guy who has the place where people can go to relax and get away from the stresses of the day to enjoy themselves. I want to offer this at a reasonable price and I want to find a way to attract "regulars". From time to time I want to hold tastings or events for causes and other fundraising ideas. I want to become a part of a community and become something that the people can rely on and will want to promote.

I know that there will be more costs and more time involved than I will want to put in to my business. I plan to hire a small staff consisting of a "number 2" and 3-4 highly knowledgeable servers. (People that work with me need to know every wine in and out and be able to describe the aspects of the wine so that people can decide beforehand if it is something they will like) These will be well paid positions. I have always hated the idea of 3 dollar wages because of expectations of tips. Tips will be pooled and divided up or given to causes as I see fit. I don't expect to make my living off of tips.

I don't aspire to find a six figure job any time soon so I don't expect to have all the capital necessary to start this business. So for this I am open to the idea of either a few select investors and or a partner who shares my passion for this incredible beverage.

As for what I hope for down the road once fully established, I would like to acquire a full liquor license in which to provide scotch to my customers. There is something about the effort and skill that goes into making certain alcohols that I find incredibly interesting. Whether it be craft and specialty beer, wine, or scotch, there is something that the makers want to share with the drinkers and just like a novel, it is up to the person on the receiving end to decide what they will about it.

Welp. This is just something that I wanted to get written down so I have something to build upon when this process gets started. I welcome all criticisms and advice on this idea as well as any comments I can find of use.

Thanks and remember: don't wait to pursue your passion. Life goes by fast.

Colorado Wine Country

2009-09-26T14:57:00.002-06:00

Recently, I took a little trip to the heart of Colorado wine country. Here I found several things that made this trip worthwhile. See for quite some time now I have been hoping to visit an actual vineyard to see for myself all the workings of what all goes into creating a bottle of wine. I would love to have traveled to California to visit Napa Valley or Sonoma or really any of the regions out there. But I was unemployed, without a whole lot of money, and without many people to make the trip with me. Luckily for me, the press coming out of the western slope of colorado was very inviting.

And after experiencing some of these Colorado wineries, I must say that I was impressed. Now, to start off there is some bad news to get out of the way. Colorado is not a place for red wine. The wines taste too much like alcohol and not enough like wine. The cabernet sauvignons bite rather hard and do not show fruit very well in their flavors. Many of them have very interesting, earthy aromas, yet the inviting scents just do not translate to flavor. Almost every red that I tasted was dry. With Syrah, Merlot and Cab Franc dominating the red varieties, there isn't much sweetness in the grapes to begin with, but regardless, when an unbalanced, tannic, non-fruity wine is completely dry, it doesn't make for a very enjoyable experience.

Luckily though, the same is not to be said about the white wines. I am not one to drink white wine very often outside thanksgiving and other select holidays but I must say, after experiencing the Gewurztraminers and Rieslings of the West Elks and Grand Valley AVAs, I may have become more of a white wine person. Wines that I always took as too sweet and tart for my liking were surprisingly softer and more dry. Very pleasant aromas and just enough sugar to meet expectations made these wines more than I could have hoped for. So my advice to anybody interested in learning more about colorado wines, look into the whites. Even the Chardonnays came off light and buttery and while I am not a fan of the wine, they compare very well with many of the Chards coming out of california or other new world regions.

Another pleasant surprise found on the western slope is the dessert wines. Many different kinds of port and muscat and other dessert wines are extremely enjoyable. Now being as these were pretty much the first dessert wines I have ever tried, for a pleasant, stomach easing, after dinner treat, these sugary, high alcohol wines are like drinking candy. I highly recommend the dessert wines from Stone Cottage Cellars in Paonia as well as those at Graystone and Garfield Estates in Clifton and Palisade.

To top off the experience, the landscape in the area is incredible. the mountains surrounding the valley look like something from another planet. Definitely like nothing seen in colorado. To add to the beauty of the area, the people are an absolute joy to talk to while tasting the wines they have to offer. The majority of these people love sharing their knowledge of wine and do a great job of recommending other places to go. Many of the wineries buy from each other and share each other's wines for tastings.

Overall, while I was disappointed with the selection of red wines, learning how enjoyable the white and port wines are combined with the beauty of the people and place made this little trip one to remember. This is something that I would definitely do again in the future.

First Taste Test

2009-08-09T19:27:00.000-06:00

As some of my friends know, I have tried a wine tasting before. The party ended up being nothing less than a wine tasting competition. twenty people with twenty bottles of wine and less than a bottle left after four hours. Not exactly the best way to learn anything about new wines. To date I still struggle to, in experiment, find any success in differentiating wines that I taste. Now yes, I think i've had enough wine to tell the difference between at Cab and a Merlot or a Zinfandel and a Pinot Noir. But when it comes to two Cabernet Sauvignons, I realized I have never sat down and made any effort to understand any of the wine tasting terms I learn in my books for myself. I know tannins means astringency and I know full-bodied refers to mouthfeel. I know smells and legs and acidity. But I am young and poor and I don't buy two bottles of wine at a time very often.
So with recent blogs and drinkings of the Columbia Crest wines I have enjoyed so much recently I figured It is time to figure out what is really going on with my taste buds and these wines. As I've mentioned before, Columbia Crest mass produces two main lines of wine; two vines and grand estates. My last blog described how amazed I was at how four dollars difference in price makes. I found a liquor store recently (Applejack's in denver, co) that provided me with cabs of each line for $5.99 and $7.99 (Two Vines, Grand Estates respectively). With these two wines at a price I could afford and a taste I am familiar with I have been able to break down what it is that I enjoy so much about these wines.
After two days I think I have found what I have been looking for. I think I can tell the difference between these two wines from the same winery. here is what I have taken from them:

Columbia Crest Two Vines 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon:
-Medium Bodied
-High Alcohol, High Acidity
-Semi-Sweet and Slightly Unbalanced (You can feel the initial tannin bite and the acidity really shows in comparison to the other wine.
-Smells Lovely; you can definitely smell the grapes but I think I could really smell the alcohol. This is only important in comparison to the Grand Estates

Columbia Crest Grand Estates 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon
-Full-Bodied
-High Alcohol, High Acidity (harder to taste the alcohol though with a full mouthfeel of wine and intensified flavors stealing your focus)
-More Dry than Semi-Sweet but very balanced for the price.
-Tannins; as expressed as in the Two Vines but the flavors seem to steal away my attention. (I only wish I had the ability at this point to know what kind of berries compliment the grape or what kind of grape blend this is).
-As with the Two Vines, this wine smells incredible. I love how I feel so frustrated at how to describe the difference between these wines in my olfactory. Both are sweet but the difference i feel has to lie in the acidity and body of the wine. Its almost as if I knew ahead of time that the Grand Estates was going to be more dry and full-bodied than the two vines.

So in the end I still enjoy both of these wines. In the end after a glass or two, both of these wines go down smoothly and incredibly enjoyable. Its just that for the first time in my wine drinking life I really feel that I understand the effort and hard work that goes into Grand Estates and I can see why a person would want to spend more money for this line from Columbia Crest Rather than just saving more money for a greater drunk. Welp, I think I know when i've said enough so I greatly encourage all to find these wines and try them out. Cheers.

columbia crest grand estates cab

2009-08-05T15:57:00.000-06:00

so not too long ago I tried out a Washington State wine. Columbia Crest Two Vines Cabernet Sauvignon. I really enjoyed this wine. It was mellow and very satisfying, especially because it only cost 6.99. I understand I am only 22 years old but i drink two or three bottles of wine a week and i have to say that I really do feel this Two Vines Cab should've cost at least 2 dollars more than it did. Then a few days ago I think I found out why the Two Vines was priced as such. The answer is Columbia Crest's Grand Estates Cab. I found it on sale for 7.99 and after seeing it recommended in Kevin Zraly's Complete Wine Course, I couldn't pass up the opportunity. I must say, I was actually speechless when this wine rolled over my tongue. I never expected Mr. Zraly to be so connected with my expectations. I will say safely that to date, that 8 dollars was by far the best buy I have ever made on wine. I strongly urge you to try this wine. even if you don't get it on sale. You will not be disappointed.

Ravenswood Vintners Blend 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon

2009-07-26T14:33:00.000-06:00

My parents enjoyed this wine more than I did. I'll admit as with the Cellar No. 8 Zin this wine softened and opened up more to me with a piece of sharp cheddar but I don't like having to do this with Cabs. I drink plenty of ten dollar cabs that taste quite good on their own. Now while the cheese really only serves the purpose of softening Tannins so that I can experiences the flavors more easily, I just like having a glass or two of wine in the evening. So as far as Ravenswood, while perfectly tasty and as expected for a ten dollar Sonoma cab, I think i'll keep looking.

Cellar No. 8 Zinfandel 2006

2009-07-24T15:28:00.000-06:00

I liked this wine. It's Cheap, only about 9 bucks. I found this wine by itself to have a significant presence of tannins and taste quite astringent or bitter. Once i grabbed a nice piece of sharp white cheddar though the wine transformed completely. The cheese completely softened out the tannins and left me with a soft, medium bodied, beautifully flavored wine. Excellent buy for the price.

"These wines..are all...so good!"

2009-07-24T10:27:00.000-06:00

Over the past couple of months I've had the pleasure of getting to view a very good movie, Bottleshock. This is a movie about the first great California wines coming of of the 1970s and one in particular that actually, in real life, won the first international blind wine tasting in Paris. This movie is not good because of its screenplay or even its very decent acting complemented by actors like Alan Rickman or Bill Pullman or the new Captain Kirk, Chris Pine. This movie is good because if you like wine going into this movie, you will be left after viewing it loving wine. And most likely thinking about the next possibility of a trip to California to see this incredible piece of land.

This movie got me thinking though. Why isn't wine as popular as beer or hard liquor. There are so many advantages of wine, red especially.
Number one: It's CHEAP! With the ever increasing number of vineyards and wineries going up around the country and the ideal climate existing for every type of grape, you don't have to spend more than 10-15 bucks to find very good wine. And I mean very good wine. Just the other day I had a Columbia Crest Two Vines Merlot from Washington State. It was incredible. I am not particularly a merlot guy and still the flavors of the grape came through the wine with very subtle tannins to give me, a very novice wine drinker, an incredible pleasant outcome. The best part though. I payed Seven bucks for that wine. yeah. Drunk for seven bucks!
Number two: It tastes really good! And regardless of what your tastes are like, there is a wine out there for you. Some people really cannot stand the tannins in wine that give it it's astringent, bitter feel. I think that is why Franzia exists, even more so, Arbor Mist. These are wines that taste hardly different than juice. And while their alcohol contents are significantly less, most women find themselves as intoxicated as they want while drinking.
Number Three: Food tastes so much better with wine! and vice versa! Many wines like a pinot gris or noir almost seem to need food to enjoy them properly. There really isn't a whole lot that can top off a wonderful thanksgiving turkey dinner but trust me, add a nice pinot grigio and you may just be surprised.

Alright now I could go on all day discussing how much cheese adds to wine or what chocolate does to it or how awesomely lucid the drunk is compared to other alcohols but I feel the need to digress as my bias plays into this a lot. The downsides of wine are simple. The two main ones that come to mind for me personally are first, wine can leave you with a pretty wicked hangover. I do not experience this much as I am aware of how easy two bottles of wine can go down if you are not paying attention. But yes if you drink too much red wine, you will suffer a rather painful headache the next day most likely. The second obstacle to increased wine drinking is that its really hard to drink at a bar. Nobody goes out with there friends to the club and asks the bartender for five house cabs. Nobody sits down to watch a football game with there burger and chardonnay. Now don't get me wrong. Your bar conversations will be much more productive if you were drinking the house cab and that burger might just taste pretty good with the right wine. But its not something people are used to and certainly don't want to experiment with. I wouldn't expect you to.

But what I do expect from you is this. Next time you're at the liquor store take a stroll down the wine aisles and have a look at how affordable some of these wines are and if you give it a shot, most likely you will not be disappointed.