Wine: pleasure and business

[Capitalist]

I'm seriously impressed with you Awryly [:X]. Are there any wine pundits you follow who you think are reliably good? I have bought on some pundits recommendations and the wine has been disgusting IMO.

[Awryly]

Hello, Cap. I knew you had a heart somewhere. Just a matter of finding the right bait. [}]

No, I don't follow a particuar 'pundit'. Some of them seem to make their recommendations at the end of a tasting where they've swallowed too much. Like share brokers, you've got to wonder whether they don't have winery axes to grind.

If I'm in the market for wine, which is not often, I'll read a range of opinion and do the consensus thing. I also have a son who has an haute cuisine restaurant. Since he sells to a reasonably sophisiticated, or indeed sophisticated (hic) clientele, some of whom are likely to have reliable taste buds au vin, I respect his opinions. He's usually there or thereabout.

But,like you, it seems I still have room for disastrous decision-making. I just try to make sure I remember the bad as vividly as I remember the good. And, as always, IMO is not necessarily IYO.

[Capitalist]

Thanks. But no point in dwelling on the bad decisions man. In terms of wine/markets/life, I don't let random incidents dictate the decision making process. If you do you're believing in, and succumbing to, non-existent malevolent forces sticking you with imaginary voodoo needles all day long. When random bad decisions hit me it doesn't bother me all that much. Instead, it will be a temporary annoyance, like when I can't get my goddamn hair the way I want it, or I step in a puddle or whatever.

Anyways I'm off to get a nice bottle of Pinot Noir .

[Awryly]

"Puddle" is not a good pinot noir.

[Awryly]

Anyone have shares in any of the wineries? And why?

[Awryly]

There's a neat new way of sampling overseas wines. Horror! Not NZ.

An outfit calling itself Pieroth Wines will come to your home and let you sample its products, most originating from French, German and Australian vineyards.

Had a tasting today. Have always wondered how to get into the Continental thing without spending zillions on crap wines. Of course, these guys have just a sampling of what's available - but you have to start somewhere. Their pinot grigio is amazing and the French cab sav a light world away from the OZ product - not necessarily in quality but in style.

Anyone else been approached by Pieroth?

[Awryly]

BTW, did you know know there is a single Aussie winery that produces as much wine as there will be in the NZ 'wine lake'?

[weasel]

The aussie wine industry is interesting. 5 companies comprise 60% of total production, and the rest comes from 1600 other producers. There is a new producer every three days!

[Farouk]

Farouk & Mrs F. drank a Ngatarawa Stables Cabernet Merlot 2001 last night, ($14.95 from the local "Smugglers" bottle store). It was magnificent. I'm going back to see if I can clean them out of the stuff, hopefully there are still some left.

[Awryly]

Come in, Ari. How did your lateral thinking work out?

quote:ari

Awryly...just a bit of lateral thinking required...I've emailed them and will advise in due course