What is your method for choosing wine?

Of course there’s more bottle variance in lower level wine. Actually I didn’t read anything in that piece that would tell me WHAT level the wine might be at other than the production sourcing revealed and a presumption about that kind of marketing.

I look after my favorite additives [ just joking! ] ::

https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?c=ecfr&sid=e616cf652c2a16d768ed4c4873ad2cb0&rgn=div8&view=text&node=27:1.0.1.1.19.12.343.7&idno=27

Didn’t know I was Martha’s target customer, yet Groupon found me for her. Talk about a package deal to rope you in!!!

Isinglass - sounds safe for vegans :grin:[quote=“Midlife, post:33, topic:366”]
Didn’t know I was Martha’s target customer, yet Groupon found me for her. Talk about a package deal to rope you in!!!
[/quote]

So each bottle got at least 15 points!

I hope you don’t mind me linking your reply here. I’m a thread reviver :slight_smile: and this thread seemed applicable. I’ve been wanting to ask a few questions or have a discussion about wine, but don’t want to alarm the off-topic police and everyone else by going on about non-related subjects.

I really like champagne & sparklings, but have not enjoyed other wines as much. 1) I don’t like a lot of it, because there’s so much out there and I don’t always choose well 2) It’s complicated and I never know what I’m supposed to be looking for when I drink it. 3) It seems too late in the game to try to makeup for ignoring it all these years. Where to start? 4) It seems like an expensive habit. I mean how do you really learn about wineries without going to them?

With that said, a curious thing is happening. Since I’ve been getting into drinking sake more it’s making me curious about and wanting to enjoy wine a bit more. I’m a sake novice and still have to google like crazy (which is why I’m slow on reporting about it @beefnoguy :relaxed:) but for some reason I get it more and am able to pick up the nuances, flavors, aromas and enjoy the previously baffling act of food pairing. Some of the sake tasting notes and descriptions mention wines, like Chenin Blanc and possibly Reisling, which makes me even more curious about wine tasting. I think it helped me pay attention and enjoy the wine pairing at Majordomo in DTLA. But I know those wines were only the tip of the iceberg and there is more superior product out there to discover.

Anyway, back to Rieslings. :wink: Your post is really helpful. Thanks for mentioning best regions for certain wines. That seems like a good start. Dry Rieslings are something I’ve been seeing (or just noticing) mentioned on the board recently. I tend to like sweeter wines, but when I say that people try to push a sweet Riesling or dessert wine on me. That’s not what I mean - I’m talking about less dry, tart, acidic (astringent?) and more subtle, crisp, hints of fruits or reds with cherry, chocolates, peppery notes.

Anyway, thanks for responding!

:grapes: :wine_glass:

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You may be looking for dry, fruity wines. Beginners often confuse fruitiness and sweetness.

:+1: …but I do like a little bit of sweet, hence the sake luv.

My wife’s favorite wines right now are bone dry old world Rieslings. Mainly Austria and Germany. Very good value in Austria. I don’t know how to pick them either.

We go once a month or so to Hi Times. We take pictures of wines at restaurants we’ve ordered and enjoyed. The staff there is very knowledgeable and they remember us now. It’s been a great resource to ask experts about wines if you don’t know how to pick.

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Definitely never too late to get into the “game.” I’ve only been interested in wine for about 18 months and while there is TONS out there, in a short period of time you can learn enough to at least be decent at picking a wine off the shelf. Even then, there are constantly going to be surprises, both pleasant and unpleasant. You learn much the same way as you learn about any other kind of food. Read articles online, follow the wine equivalent of FTC (Wineberserkers is pretty good), try out bottles at K&L, Winehouse, etc., go to tastings, talk to the somm at your local restaurant, etc. Before you know it, you’ll start picking up knowledge about what you like and what regions / styles you like.

Def no need to ever go to a winery if you don’t want to. Depending on the area you live in, I can recommend some shops with reasonably priced tastings on a weekly basis.

As for expense, it’s like eating out…doesn’t have to cost a lot, but it certainly can!

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Good tips @js76wisco! Thanks!

Thanks for putting it in perspective @DTLAeater & @js76wisco. I tend to be impatient or get frustrated with myself - like there’s other worlds out there and other people no more sh__ about it than I do. :relaxed:

Oh yeah, your replies remind me, I stopped receiving newsletters from DomaineLA on Melrose (next to Calif Chix Cafe). I’d been shopping there since they opened, but @LAgirl hipped me to their $15 tastings w/snacks from local chefs. I gotta’ get back on their rotation.

:wine_glass: :cheese:

They haven’t had a Sunday tasting for a while, but I bet they will have several in the near future w/ the holidays coming up. If you feel like driving a bit further (to Los Feliz), LOU always has tastings on Sat. & Sun. afternoons (plus a couple nights a week too). No nibbles involved, but he has some interesting wines and lots of knowledge.

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Oh okay, cool.

We actually lived above BottleRock at the Met Lofts in DTLA temporarily last year. The owner was really friendly and chatty and would try to order whatever we wanted. They also had tasty bar food. The building had an entrance door to the shop, but it got so we wouldn’t go during weekday days, because if he was working we would get snockered with his complimentary pours. :crazy_face:

…I just looked them up and they’re gone! I thought they were doing well. The owner said they were so busy around the holidays they would stop doing tastings. But they had a big pre-thanksgiving sale. Boy it’s tough running a business in L.A.!!!

This is not wine, but breathes and changes profile like a wine. We will always be eternally greatful to Mr. BottleRock for introducing it to us.


I’m not an ale fan (hubby is), but this had none of the strong aftertaste some ales have, instead it has wonderful coffee, orange peel and dark chocolate notes. :heart_eyes: Whole Foods has it now and they’re also selling small 4 pks which is great for parties.

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Today my method is going to be value. Kenneth Volk still has their Mystery case deals left and we blew through 3 of them already. $144 for their 2010-2015 well rested juice. A ridiculous value at supermarket wine prices. The only question is if we are coming back with 2 or 3 cases.

We were members for years way back when and always liked to stop in for tastings. If you happen to be in the area, you want a case.

Edit: 4 cases and a magnum later lol

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I can’t imagine you could buy a better bottle of wine for $13. Kermit Lynch online shop free delivery over $125 is a real find.

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Wow, nice find!

$11 if you shop around. Alcohol’s a bit high for my taste.

I trust Kermit completely

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