12-06-2005 02:24									#31
	Full PM-box? Change here!

"Lancer, a lot of quality vintners are switching to screw tops because there is a shortage of quality cork. Spoilage rates have increased dramatically in the last decade because of the use of inferior cork. In addition, screw tops also allow leftover wine to be stored longer."

che, having wine left over is a very recent problem. However I just flip the cork down side up and beat on it until is seals the bottle. That keeps it fine for the day or two it will last.

I find that they don't put good wine into screw top bottles. Just cheap Gallo and Carlo Rossi. My father in law likes Carlo Rossi, but to me it tastes like candy with some alcohol added. Very poor quality stuff.

The only box wine I ever liked came in a 5 gallon box I bought at United Grocers. It was excellent. I had my gf from Switzerland staying with me at the time, and she didn't run out until the wine did. Guess she liked it too.

	12-06-2005 02:41									#32
	Support Apolyton, buy Civilization 2

quote: Originally posted by Park Avenue @ boann, talk about ditzy I hear Lidl's 3 bottles for £6 is quite good

well i never pretend to know something if i don't.
even if i will appear to be ditzy..

	12-06-2005 02:43									#33
	Support Apolyton buy from Amazon

quote: Originally posted by chegitz guevara Oz = Australia Consider getting a subscription to Wine Spectator, btw.

that sounds like a good idea.

so your saying i can buy a box wine if its australian wine and it will be good?.

	12-06-2005 05:44									#34
	Support Apolyton, buy Civilization III: Complete

quote: Originally posted by Spiffor Bordeaux is overrated overpriced export crap. We keep the good ones to ourselves

I'm not so sure. I have a couple of gorgeous bottles of Claret that I adore. I'm usually much more into the Burgandy for something complex or the Southern Rhone and Southern Regions for something a little rustic, but some Bordeaux bottles we get are rather nice.

My dad managed to find a case made by Chateau Margaux's but sold under and independent Chateau so as not to count towards their strict premier cru classification. It's a beautiful wine, obviously not up to their own label classification (as if I've ever tried it ) but still an amazing bottle, with quite some complexity and interest, but still a beautiful accompaniment to some good food.

I'm a big fan of Oz Shiraz/Cabernet's when I want something bog and bold, and a *huge* fan of New Zealand sparklers, especially when I want to show my friends that champagne isn't the be all and end all. I also like Chenin Blanc from the Loire and old German Rieslings from the Mosel Valley. Not such a fan of the Rheinland ones however, a little too petrol-like.

Over here, the French country wines are the best ones when you want a bargain - easy to find a £4 bottle that's beautiful. Because of the import cost, anything decent from Oz or California costs over £6 or £7, though I'm quite a fan of Californian Zinfandel.

	12-06-2005 05:46									#35
	Got spare money?

quote: Originally posted by BlackCat Eeeeuuwww - I guess that you also put cola in your Scotch single malt whiskey

There's nothing wrong with that. Adding Bell's or some other blended crap adds a lot of alcohol with little flavour. Adding a dash of a nice single malt gives a wonderful flavour to coke. I get a better drink, use half as much, and since it's less than twice the price, come off with more money

Glenmorangie and coke is one of the nicest things to relax with

	12-06-2005 05:54									#36
	Avatar Enlargement: We've got the solution

After all, Coke was made as a mixer.

	12-06-2005 05:55									#37
	Browse Apolyton AD-FREE

quote: Originally posted by boann so your saying i can buy a box wine if its australian wine and it will be good?.

In Australia, yes. In America, I don't know.

	12-06-2005 05:58									#38
	Support Apolyton, buy Galactic Civilizations: Deluxe Edition

quote: Originally posted by Spiffor Bordeaux wines taste like wood because of the wooden barrels. This taste has become trendy, and now the Bordeaux wineries (like the Australian ones BTW) artificially add wood flavour to their wine.

French oak adds complexities to the wine. In Oz they don't add artificial wood flavor, they use oak chips instead of oak barrels. You get just as much oak flavor with far less oak, since there's a huge demand for oak and a limited supply (just as there is with Portugese cork) and lower quality oak (and cork) are getting into the market..

	12-06-2005 06:08									#39
	Get a bigger avatar today!

quote: Originally posted by Drogue There's nothing wrong with that. Adding Bell's or some other blended crap adds a lot of alcohol with little flavour. Adding a dash of a nice single malt gives a wonderful flavour to coke. I get a better drink, use half as much, and since it's less than twice the price, come off with more money Glenmorangie and coke is one of the nicest things to relax with

Maybe there are some single malts that you can mix with coke, but really, are they worth it ? why not just buy a Jhonnie Walker red label ?

I would cry if someone poured cola into a Laphroaigh (and if it was mine I would be ready to do some killing . )

	12-06-2005 10:10									#40
	Lose 30 kilos (of popups)

I have never had box wine...

I don't know much about wine, but

~$20 for a bottle, the wine is generally good

~$5 for a bottle, the wine is generally bad...

JM

	12-06-2005 14:10									#41
	Avatar Enlargement: We've got the solution

quote: Originally posted by chegitz guevara French oak adds complexities to the wine. In Oz they don't add artificial wood flavor, they use oak chips instead of oak barrels.

Yep, that's the trend Bordeaux is taking (AFAIK, they haven't swooped so low as to add chemical flavouring substances). I call it artificial flavouring nonetheless.

And it doesn't add complexity to the wine, on the contrary. The taste of wood masks the subtelty of the taste from the fruit, and it homogenizes the wine's taste from yar to year, from winery to winery.

You can have a much better feeling of the wine's subtletly when there's no wood to ignore.

	12-06-2005 14:25									#42
	Support Apolyton buy from Amazon

I had a cask strength Macallan with a few drops of spring water after my magnificent salmon carpaccio yesterday. I thought I died and was in hog heaven

Now, wines. Aside from the usual Argentine, Chilean, Oz and SA beauties as well as cliche Bordeaux, I was recently suprised with the following:

1. Austrian whites. No, not Rieslings - some other name (they put in in a book at the local wine shop so that I remember), the label is very minimalistic design. So much berry flavor, so balanced acidity and a magical bouquet that you can't keep in a glass - it filled the whole room! (literally!)

2. Sicilian reds. Again, committed to "the notebook", so no name, but try them. Damn neat.

	12-06-2005 14:28									#43
	Support Apolyton buy from Amazon

quote: Originally posted by Jon Miller I have never had box wine... I don't know much about wine, but ~$20 for a bottle, the wine is generally good ~$5 for a bottle, the wine is generally bad... JM

Yet a 50cent bottle of lemonade and you can get a generally good bottle of wine for $5.50

	12-06-2005 14:31									#44
	Increase the size of your Attachments

quote: Originally posted by Park Avenue Yet a 50cent bottle of lemonade and you can get a generally good bottle of wine for $5.50

Say it loud,
I'm a hick and I'm proud!

	12-06-2005 14:32									#45
	Full PM-box? Change here!

Saras: you may want to try Hungarian/Romanian whites. Some are nice sweeties. A little pleasure for before the meal, or during the dessert

	12-06-2005 14:33									#46
	Support Apolyton buy from Amazon

quote: Originally posted by Spiffor Saras: you may want to try Hungarian/Romanian whites. Some are nice sweeties. A little pleasure for before the meal, or during the dessert

Problem is, there are no good hungarian & romanian wines here. They do ship some decent Bulgarians, though.

	12-06-2005 14:44									#47
	Support Apolyton, buy GURPS/ Alpha Centauri

quote: Originally posted by Drogue Adding a dash of a nice single malt gives a wonderful flavour to coke.

I also hear that the wine at communion is greatly improved by the addition of a dash of Irn-Bru. And that the flavour of a perfect Parma ham can be enhanced by sprinkling of some crushed cheese & onion flavoured crisps. I'd also wager that the gloom of a typical Caravaggio could be lifted by a spot of colouring in with a selection of day-glo marker pens.

I haven't actually tried any of those things. There are several reasons why, but probably the foremost reason is that I'm not A ****ING BARBARIAN!!!!!

	12-06-2005 14:47									#48
	Get a bigger avatar today!

LatG

	12-06-2005 14:49									#49
	Enter the AD-FREE zone

quote: Originally posted by Lancer I find that they don't put good wine into screw top bottles. Just cheap Gallo and Carlo Rossi.

A number of quality makers are using plastic corks, however. My own favourite Primitivo uses them, and we're talking £10-£12 a bottle stuff. It means you taste the wine, not the cork.

	12-06-2005 14:49									#50
	Support Apolyton, buy Alpha Centauri

It also means you have to buy another corkscrew.

	12-06-2005 14:51									#51
	Got spare money?

No it doesn't. Didn't your corkscrew come with instructions?

	12-06-2005 14:52									#52
	Support Apolyton, buy Galactic Civilizations: Deluxe Edition

My pen knife is irredeemably damaged now. The corkscrew is warped on it because of a plastic.

	12-06-2005 16:10									#53
	Support Apolyton, buy Galactic Civilizations: Deluxe Edition

quote: Originally posted by BlackCat Maybe there are some single malts that you can mix with coke, but really, are they worth it ? why not just buy a Jhonnie Walker red label ?

Because it's more expensive here and not as nice. Jonnie Walker Red doesn't have the flavour of a decent Scotch malt, IMHO, and I want as much flavour as I can. I once mixed Glenfarclas into coke, which is bordering on heathen, but it was a *beatiful* drink.

quote: Originally posted by BlackCat I would cry if someone poured cola into a Laphroaigh (and if it was mine I would be ready to do some killing . )

I've done that. Laphroaig is a little thin and harsh for my taste, especially for coke, but the peatyness can make for a pleasant mixer.

	12-06-2005 16:17									#54
	Support Apolyton or Terrorists Win

You do realise that they're burning your effigy on Islay, don't you?

	12-06-2005 16:19									#55
	Suffering from ads?

I'm not much of a wine person.

What I drink instead? Water and beer, mostly.

	12-06-2005 16:19									#56
	Support Apolyton, buy Alpha Centauri

quote: Originally posted by Saras 1. Austrian whites. No, not Rieslings - some other name (they put in in a book at the local wine shop so that I remember), the label is very minimalistic design. So much berry flavor, so balanced acidity and a magical bouquet that you can't keep in a glass - it filled the whole room! (literally!)

Semillon, Chardonnay or Savignon Blanc? There the other commonly used Aussie whites. With a balanced acidity and decent aroma I'd guess it was a Semillon - Savignon's often a little more acidic and Aussie Chardonnay's often buttery and lacking in any acidic flavour. Plus I love Semillon's aroma, flowers and fruits without the crisp harshness a Savignon brings.

quote: Originally posted by Lazarus and the Gimp I also hear that the wine at communion is greatly improved by the addition of a dash of Irn-Bru. And that the flavour of a perfect Parma ham can be enhanced by sprinkling of some crushed cheese & onion flavoured crisps. I'd also wager that the gloom of a typical Caravaggio could be lifted by a spot of colouring in with a selection of day-glo marker pens. I haven't actually tried any of those things. There are several reasons why, but probably the foremost reason is that I'm not A ****ING BARBARIAN!!!!!

But those wouldn't be true. Coke normally mixes well with whisky, but most people use a blend. So either I mix my coke with a tiny amount of flavoursome malt and a lot of grain alcohol, or I mix it with only the malt. I just take out the crap, and only add the good stuff.

It's like the difference between putting fishpaste and smocked salmon on toast. The toast may be cheap and the salmon expensive, but they still go well together, and taste a damn site better than putting crushed up fish and heaven knows what else with it. Similarly, I'd rather use half the single malt with coke than I would blended, get more flavour and have it go further.

At least I don't drink it on the rocks. I'm not that much of a heathen.

	12-06-2005 16:20									#57
	Enter the AD-FREE zone

quote: Originally posted by Lazarus and the Gimp You do realise that they're burning your effigy on Islay, don't you?

They're welcome to. Always preferred Highland or Speyside malts.

	12-06-2005 16:23									#58
	Support Apolyton, buy Alpha Centauri

quote: Originally posted by Drogue Semillon, Chardonnay or Savignon Blanc? There the other commonly used Aussie whites. With a balanced acidity and decent aroma I'd guess it was a Semillon - Savignon's often a little more acidic and Aussie Chardonnay's often buttery and lacking in any acidic flavour. Plus I love Semillon's aroma, flowers and fruits without the crisp harshness a Savignon brings.

Austrian, not Australian. Yes, AUSTRIAN, the last place you'd expect to make decent wine, eh?

	12-06-2005 16:28									#59
	Support Apolyton, buy Civilization 2

Ooooh, sorry I presume you mean Gruner Veltliner (sp?) then? All the Austrian wine I know is made from that.

	12-06-2005 16:58									#60
	Got spare money?

YES that one!