I would imagine at 31 I tend to be on the younger end of members on this board and as such my wife definitely loves having her friends over for girls’ nights. As is typical for these types of evenings, lots of wine seems to be served and among her group of friends, our house tends to get viewed as the ‘wine house’ if you will.
On Saturday, I happened to be home watching football as they kind of did an impromptu evening at our house and so I did not have time to go out and purchase wine for the event like I typically do (usually I go and get some mass produced, inexpensive but decent bottles as her friends don’t really care as to the quality of the wine). Additionally, I haven’t purchased a lot wine lately so the only real, reasonable options to serve were inexpensive but cool cellar defenders that I had. It pained me to watch her friends guzzle them like shots.
With that unnecessarily long anecdote out of the way, my true question is do most of yall keep wine suitable for an event like this on hand should it be necessary? I mean I feel like I should have a case of Mark West Pinot on hand at all times as a result of this. Some really cool duoros, bonardas, and even a baja nebbiolo I was excited to try unnecessarily went down the hatch.
Age has nothing to do with it. I don’t buy wine that I wouldn’t want to drink.This usually means I am serving $15-25 and up wine to my daughters, their friends, or whoever else walks in the house. It is more interesting than their usual drinks but the wines are enjoyed by all. I do make sure I have lower end wines in most categories so I am not opening Dom or Pavie with Thai carryout.
I have a half case that I got conned into buying at a tasting that was pitched to me as being free. I bought the cheapest stuff they were selling that I take to social events or have around for impromptu things where I know my better or more interesting wine will be wasted. It’s good to have some spares around that you would drink but wouldn’t miss. That’s a bummer though–you sound rightly frustrated and disappointed, but I guess it’s a lesson.
My wife (similar age) have these get together all the time as well. All her friends like sweet wines so it inevitably ends up being rieslings. I tried at first to have them try some variety, but in the end, i find the $6 riesling from costco makes them just as happy. so now we have a bunch of these in our fridge in the garage - for their visits.
What I’ve found is that the purpose of these ‘get togethers’ is to gossip/BS, and no one cares about the wine, so why bother…
aka ‘cellar defenders’. But for me the distinction is not my wife’s friends vs mine, but the oenophilic (?) sophistication of the guests and the likelihood of their enjoyment of the wine. And price is definitely in play, but not the only driver - I have expensive CA pinots that I’ll serve to guests who I don’t think will enjoy the AFWE wines that I now love, and in those situations I consider my cellar (such as it is) to have been defended! Drink my KB, but don’t touch the cru beaujolais!
I try to keep a few things lying around (especially some cheaper bubbles) and also occasionally find that I don’t care for something I’ve purchased several of (some garagiste mistakes, occasional over-oaked rioja, etc.) that I’ll throw in the mix. Every now and then one of her friends will engage me a bit on wine which will prompt me to open something ‘nicer,’ but I’m never sure if they are just being nice or really are interested…
On another note I poured a cool, funky duoro (Vale do bomfim) and one of the girls responded, “This tastes a little sour and heavy, do you have anything a little more balanced like Apothic Red?”
There really is not a non-snarky way to respond to that other than simply saying “sorry I don’t.” Ha.
Adelsheim Pinot Gris, various lower end blend Oregon Pinots from solid producers, wines I bought at absurd sales like 2003 Clarendon Hills Moritz syrah (not a wife book club fan favorite though), Ridge zin blends that I can replace at the grocery store, etc.
I have three non-cellar temp wine “boxes” (they’re nice wooden boxes with racking for 18 bottles) in our dining room. The top box is always understood as the “don’t have to ask, and not saving for any reason” box. Thus, if wife’s friends come over and want to pound vino my wife knows where to go.
Luckily my wife and her friends rarely travel empty handed. When they gather for playgroup (our daughter is 3) everyone seems to bring a bottle. But, I still keep a stock of NZ Sav Blanc and Cali blends on hand as cellar defenders.
I think there is a middle ground, where you could get inexpensive and easy-to-find wines that have mass appeal but also are not a total garbage.
New Zealand sauv blanc, modern QPR Spanish reds like Atteca, Can Blau, Las Rocas and so forth, estate rieslings, Ste Michelle and Columbia Crest wines, Erath pinot, Soave, etc.
That assumes that you care at all whether the ladies are drinking that caliber of wine rather than just whatever they already like (Apothic Red etc.). If not, then just get the cheapest stuff that makes them happy.
Yes, I usually have some inexpensive (but good) bottles around for those guests who want wine but are not picky. I started doing that consciously ever since a dinner guest once told me “I find your wines too strong; I prefer the wines of Tyrell.”*
I was pouring aged Bdx such as Lynch-Bages and Cos d’Estournel at said dinner.
As a 30 year old female, I find its a mixed bag for girl’s night. I like to have at least one “nice” bottle to share. Early in my wine drinking escapades people “sacrificed” good bottles to my amateur taste buds, so I in turn try to do the same.
I also like to keep some cheap easy drinkers on hand as well. These are wines that I have a case or 2 of that I would drink on my own, but I also don’t feel bad sharing with people who typically put ice cubes in their wine. What I serve depends on who is there, some people like the sweet wines, other like over the top fruity cabs. I try to cater what we serve not only to the food provided, but also to the crowd’s taste profile. If all else fails, I keep a bottle of Vodka in the Freezer.
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