re: Wine Storage / Fridge

Just curious... why. Do you have 10 k in wine? Or you drinking it? Selling it later? What's the deal?

I have a 50 bottle magic Chef I bought from HD. It pops like a firecracker going off once or twice a day but keeps the wine at a good temp. I keep waiting for it to die after 12 years but it keeps on popping

If you are going to be in the South of France and want to learn more about French wine, head to Chateauneuf du Pape and the whole Rhone valley. Recommend, if you havent already, reading Adventures on the Wine Route by Kermit Lynch.

CdP, and syrahs from the Rhone, for my money and taste are tough to beat.

PS not to sound pretentious either but if you are bringing a wine to a restaurant that is on the restaurant's list that is not cool. But I suspect you meant, "if it was on their list"

It goes without saying that the wine that we bring is not on their wine list (although Commander's has a very large wine list), but thanks for the input.

We are going to Amboise (Loire Valley), Margaux & Bordeaux, Avignon (Provence), Lyon (Beaujolis) and Beaune ((Burgundy). Thanks for the book recommendation. Going to Chateau Palmer and Chateau Mouton Rothschild in Margaux.

Thanks. I will report back where we go. I will also have a blog while on our trip.

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Once you have a great bottle of wine, it is hard to drink the cheap stuff (not that all good wine has to be expensive). I have about 100 bottles in my EuroCave, so you can surmise that the average price is about $100 per bottle

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There is plenty of wine that is just as good for $50 or less. Above that is just for status or collecting mostly.

I don't disagree with your premises, but if you compare a Peter Michael Ma Belle-Fille Estate Chardonnay ($105) to a Cakebread Chardonnay ($40) or any other popular Chardonnay in the $30 - $40 range, you can definitely taste the difference. I used to think that no good bottle of Chardonnay should ever sell for more than $40 - $45 per bottle, until I tasted Peter Michael Ma Belle-Fille. You might like the the cheaper one, but I prefer the Peter Michael. Now, I don't drink Peter Michael every night or even once a month, but I do drink it on special occasions.

When tasting full body Cabernets or Cab Blends, taste a 2012 Quintessa Rutherford ($175) (Cab blend) and tell me it tastes the same as a $35 Prisoner Cab Blend (a cult wine) and I will tell you are are crazy. Again, it all depends on your taste and what you like to drink. I've tasted several wines without knowing the price and some I love and some I don't. For example, I am tired of Caymus and I think it has a funny taste, almost like an almond flavor, but Caymus Select or Reserve can sell for $150+ per bottle. I buy and drink what I like. If you can't taste the difference between a $15 bottle of Sterling Cabernet and a $90 bottle of 2007 Silver Oak, by all means, keep drinking the cheap stuff and save the Silver Oak allocation for me.

I will also say to venture out of your zone. Have 3 couples each bring one bottle to a dinner (makes 3 bottles total for everyone to taste) that cost between $40 - $60 per bottle. Everyone gets a blind taste (not a full glass pour), and then decides which one they like. For dinner, everyone gets a full pour of the one they like (unless everyone picks the same wine, ha ha). Great way to taste 3 quality wines for the price of one bottle and you might learn something. Just a thought. I have beer drinkers drinking Cabernets with their steaks now because they didn't know that wine could taste that good.

Yeah, you really ought to taste and get into some French, Italian, Spanish wines.

There is a whole world of wine out there under $50 from old world wineries that will make the hair on the back of your neck raise up.

Obviously, you know more about wine than I do. Didn't mean to insult you and certainly didn't know your profession. I don't pretend to be a wine expert, but I try not to look at prices. I try drink a lot of different wines and buy the wines that I like.

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Give me a $60 bottle of michael David rapture cab everyday.

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I will have to try that one. I would venture to guess that a $60 bottle of wine (that would probably cost $120 in a restaurant) would probably be above 90% of US wine consumers' budget for wine. I agree -- I have several bottles of wine in the $30 - $75 that I really enjoy. I love Red Schooner (a Malbec made by the Wagner family that sells for about $50). I also love Darioush Caravan ($40) and Joseph Phelps ($68). All can be bought in most stores. A lot of wine that I drink it small batch and limited distribution. Also, I am definitely not saying that all wine has to cost a fortune to consume or fit one's taste and budget.

I think we are probably on the same page. Thanks for the input.