Fine tuning of one's wine cellar

[Tamara]

I went wine buying yesterday. Wine buying tends to relax me to a degree and it got me out of the house for a while.

We have a liquor outlet around here and yesterday's selection were rather decent. Lots of close outs. Picked up some Texas wines, various French, Spanish, Chilean or Argentinian ones. A case and a few more bottles of a domestic that I found makes a wonderful table red. Three cases, about $122.

One of the French wines I picked up was J.P. Chenet Merlot-Cabernet at $2.50 (in mass, $3.99 for 1 bottle) a bottle. It was .........interesting..........in that it was better than the standard local fare $3.33 bottle types (Cul de Sac and Oak Leaf) but no where near the outlet types of the same price, $3.33, such as Ste. Genevieve and Ryan Patrick Redhead Red.

It's not that it had a bad taste but rather just not impressive at all.

As such, I now have 5 bottles in my "cellar" that will probably only be used when the table wines are depleted and I don't want to open my more expensive wines. They sit on an upper rack, a counter style Pier 1, probably my first rack from long ago that now serves as an overflow, because it was found that it was the only rack they would fit on. It's an odd shaped bottle, like that of brandy, with a huge base.

Oh, well, live and learn and I have found out, no wine is totally worthless. If it is undrinkable, it can always be used for getting burnt food off the bottom of pots.

[Doktor]

You do realize that 99.9% of the wines are not to be cellared?

Even if you do, you have to have right conditions, not the rack in your kitchen.

[Tamara]

You do realize that 99.9% of the wines are not to be cellared?

Even if you do, you have to have right conditions, not the rack in your kitchen.

Well, everything is relative. First of all, my "cellar" are 2 44 bottle racks in the living room.

Secondly, since wine is about the only alcohol I drink, I have around, most of my wine is not destined to be around for years.

Finally, with my bitter palate, the rougher, even if somewhat spoiled, appeal to me.

[Doktor]

You might need the services of these fine men and women...

[Tamara]

Well, had some of the J.P. Chenet Merlot-Cabernet today and didn't notice the mediocreness.

Maybe it was a good bottle or I am getting use to it........or perhaps the Gods are playing tricks on me to convince me to go buy a case.

[Stitch]

I don't know if you have this is Texas, but we have a liquor outlet here on the West Coast called BevMo; I know they have a "$0.05 Wine Sale" on a regular basis, you might want to check that out: BevMo! - Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Chardonnay, Champagne, Port, Dessert wine

[Dreadnought]

Im guessing this rules out Mad Dog, Reunite, Boon Farms and several other brands of Panther Piss.

[Stitch]

Im guessing this rules out Mad Dog, Reunite, Boon Farms and several other brands of Panther Piss.

Along with California favorites Ripple and Thunderbird . . . . .

[DOR]

Tamara,

Try this: open one of the bottles of so-so (red, fairly heavy) wine in the morning, and drink it with dinner. Generally, it will improve the taste by a significant degree.

[Tamara]

Tamara,

Try this: open one of the bottles of so-so (red, fairly heavy) wine in the morning, and drink it with dinner. Generally, it will improve the taste by a significant degree.

Can you keep it in the frig for that? Around here, there are fruit flies and other little buggers.

[DOR]

I've been wanting to say this for a long time . . . (*Ahem*)

Put a cork in it.

Sorry.

Popping the cork and the putting it back in allows enough air in to do the job, particularly after 8-10 hours. If you use a decanter, slip a baggie over the top. I'd only put it in the refrigerator if the house is pretty warm. It slows the process, but over the course of an entire day not too much.

[Tamara]

I've been wanting to say this for a long time . . . (*Ahem*)

Put a cork in it.

Sorry.

Popping the cork and the putting it back in allows enough air in to do the job, particularly after 8-10 hours. If you use a decanter, slip a baggie over the top. I'd only put it in the refrigerator if the house is pretty warm. It slows the process, but over the course of an entire day not too much.

Okay, I'll give it a shot someday.

[Stitch]

I've been wanting to say this for a long time . . . (*Ahem*)

Put a cork in it.

Sorry.

Popping the cork and the putting it back in allows enough air in to do the job, particularly after 8-10 hours. If you use a decanter, slip a baggie over the top. I'd only put it in the refrigerator if the house is pretty warm. It slows the process, but over the course of an entire day not too much.

I believe that's called "letting the wine breathe", correct?

[DOR]

Yes, that's right.