Your wine preferences & any changes over time?

[OakLeaf]

There are plenty of unoaked chards. Oak isn't what I don't like about them.

Two buck Chuck ... to me tastes like a wine costing double. I'm no snob either, I enjoy plenty of cheap wines, but that stuff to me is just nasty.

We used to drink a fair amount of Gallo Paisano, but they must have changed the blend or something, it's not as good as it used to be.

[TrekDianna]

Sadly for the purposes of alcohol purchasing, I am in Pennsylvania.

Sadly? Is that one of the states that can't have wine shipped?

[Bike Writer]

Are Chards still made with the "hint of grapefruit, citrusy fruit bouquet.. and aged in French Oak barrel..." blach! If I want the real stuff, I'll spend the money for real white Burgundy. The problem with Burgundy is that majority of the vineyards are rather small such that most labels do not produce in sufficiently large quantity. Just about every label is a rarity. Another varietal ruined alongside good zinfandel by the perceived market desire.

And I never could understand the hype about Beaujolais nouveau. Wait at the airport for the delivery from France, then have a wild party to swig that stuff down.

I'll stick to Voignier, Riesling, semillon, muscat, and few others for whites. No I'm not a wine snot. If two buck chuck is better than a Grand Cru or even a First Growth then I'll drink two buck chuck. Or something even from Gallo. Actually, Gallo being so big and with such financial clout, they can and do produce some really good wine.

The other day, I did pop a cork on a red Beaudeaux 1988. Cork was in excellent condition, wine had not oxidized, good clarity, good nose... Everyone liked it. Still have two maybe three bottles left. It actually outlasted oh never mind.

Oh yeah, white Burgundy, that's the real deal!

[Bike Writer]

Oregon Pinot Noir has been mentioned a couple of times in this thread. Can anyone give me a specific name that they recommend? I'd like to try a bottle or two. My price point is usually $10, but I'm willing to go up to $24 for the sake of trying something new. It's okay to tell me that I have to expand my price range, I just don't want to pay twenty bucks if it isn't any good.

roo4, if you're looking for a great deal on Pinots, try Castle Rock, it's not from Oregon, it's from California but it's a steal of a deal around $10-14 range. Best tasting low cost Pinot that is true to the grape in taste. You say you're willing to go up to $20, try Montinore Estate from the Williamette Valley in Oregon, can be found from $15-20. Here is my tasting note from December 2003 "elegant pinot, bright red color, good fruit on the nose, soft and silky, will buy again." Back in the day it was about $12 bottle, but the prices I quoted are current in various locations throughout the US.

I see quite a few folks like white wine and have ventured from Chardonnay. If you haven't tried this, you're in for a treat. Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, Marlborough District. It has a unique taste, gooseberries. It's dry but fruity. It's a crowd pleaser and makes a great poached dover sole if you splash some in the marinade and use that marinade to poach it in the oven. It gives a very unique taste to most any delicate fish without overpowering it. It can usually be had at Costco for a good price, usually in the $10-14 range depending on where you live.

[Owlie]

Sadly? Is that one of the states that can't have wine shipped?

Pennsylvania has some weird alcohol control laws. A former roommate had her mind boggled when she went a grocery store in Cleveland for the first time and discovered that you could buy beer! and wine! in the grocery store.

[OakLeaf]

You're from Ohio and you're calling other states' alcohol regulation "weird?"

[Crankin]

We also have weird alcohol laws. So, we joined a wine club that has an "agent" here. That's how they are allowed to ship here. Also, if we find a wine we like, and want to order it, we just go to our local liquor store and they order it for us. You can look into that. Of course, we don't have those state stores here, just regular liquor stores. Grocery stores don't sell liquor, either, except some do. I can't figure out how they do this, maybe it's grandfathered? Anyway, my grocery store does sell liquor and they do tastings every month, on Fridays, with cheese and crackers.

[roo4]

PA alcohol laws are strange. We have our own Wikipedia page attempting to describe them! As I understand it, wine can only be purchased from a state store. Mostly these are closed on Sunday's, but there are a handful throughout the commonwealth that have Sunday hours. We cannot have wine shipped to a private address. We can make arrangements with a licensed wine shipper to mail the wine to a state store, as long as that wine is not normally available in PA stores, and I think there is a limit of 9 liters per month. All the usually state taxes are levied.

There are a few grocery stores that sell beer (maybe wine, but the one in my town is beer only). These stores have separate dining areas, exits, and checkouts that are distinct from the rest of the store.

[smilingcat]

Of all the different states I've visited, Utah takes the case for having the strangest liquor law on the books. Not only is it strange, they keep changing it to confuse you even more... Pa not too horrible nor is Mass. Both at least do not keep changing it every year. Or Ks. another horrible laws.

oh back to the original question. Yes my taste in wine has changed. Cheaper!! but still good wine. mostly from California.

[zoom-zoom]

In my 20s my wines of choice were sweet…muscato, sweet rieslings, etc. Now I can't stomach anything that is not DRY. Even medium-dry is too sweet. Just the thought of muscato makes me queasy. I also am a big fan of IPAs -- the hoppier, the better. Used to like wheat beers, but I find most of them to be too bland, nowadays.

[shootingstar]

I am not sure about the rest of the Northwest Pacific areas, but British Columbia does produce 4-5 different blackberry wines. Even the Germans (direct from Germany, not immigrants) I met, found it unusual and good.

It tastes like a light port (not that I drink other ports).

[Owlie]

You're from Ohio and you're calling other states' alcohol regulation "weird?"

Ohio's never struck me as odd. Granted, if we wanted to go to Whole Foods or Bigg's that were in Warren Co. to pick up beer on a Sunday, we had to wait until noon, but Hamilton had no such restriction. I have no idea about buying higher-proof liquor or anything, because I've never done it. (Cuyahoga's regulations were pretty odd, though. The Giant Eagle with the liquor agency in it was strange.)

But at least we can buy beer at the grocery store!

Trying to buy beer here with an out-of-state driver's license is fun.

[emily_in_nc]

I'm from North Carolina, where wine and beer can be purchased in all grocery stores (but not before noon on Sundays -- blue law still on the books) EXCEPT in dry counties. There are still a few of them left, but not around any of the major cities or anywhere I've ever lived. For liquor you have to go to state-controlled ABC stores, which are closed on Sundays. This is what I'm used to so I'm always surprised when we're traveling in states that sell liquor in grocery stores. Just looks odd to me, though it's fine w/me.

Have lived in Kansas since this summer, which is even stranger -- beer only available in grocery stores (no wine), and only 3.2% beer at that. All the same brands you're used to, including ales, have a 3.2% version for Kansas (and maybe some other states?) I had NO idea. For liquor, beer, and wine, you can go to commercial liquor stores. Not sure if that's still 3.2 beer or the regular stuff as I haven't bought any there. Since we're in KC, we just hop over the border to Missouri, and beer/wine/liquor is all available at Costco, where we're members, and not in the reduced alcohol level. Needless to say, we buy our supplies there!

[OakLeaf]

Retail liquor was privatized in Ohio 15 or 20 years ago, but all the wholesale buying is done by the State, and the private liquor agents must sell at the price the State sets. Many liquors aren't available in Ohio. Sometimes a distributor will petition for them to sell a new liquor and the Bureau of Liquor Control may decide against it if they don't think it adds anything to the range of beverages already available here, or they don't think it would sell well enough to justify the quantity they'd have to buy. I'm not sure how the laws about the space work, honestly - standalone liquor stores sell beer, wine, snack foods, etc., without any type of partition, but grocery stores that have State liquor agencies have a partitioned-off space. (Maybe you have to be 21 to even go in the store?? I know you have to be 21 to go into the grocery store partitions.) Socialized drinking, is what it is, but privatized retail.

Retailers can buy beer and wine direct from the distributors, but they can't sell it for less than a 20% markup. (Tobacco prices are regulated the same way).

The cut-off for liquor is 20% alcohol, so many fortified wines can only be sold in liquor stores. On the other hand, there are plenty of diluted hard liquors on sale where beer and wine are sold. I can't imagine how hard up one would have to be to drink that stuff! Pre-packaged mixed drinks can be sold at places with low licenses, too. I don't *think* we have 3.2% beer any more, though I'm really not sure about that.

Everything is local option, so if someone wants a new liquor license, or wants to transfer a license they own to a new location, the precinct gets to vote on it. There are Sunday licenses for both bars and package sales, but it's a separate license, so not every retailer makes the investment, and not every Sunday license application is approved by the local voters.

Maybe they should've kept Prohibition and done it all under the table. It was so much simpler then ...

[roo4]

Bike Writer, thanks for the recommendations! I'll look for them next time I'm in the wine/spirits store.