Has This Happened To You?

WINE TALK
#1

Hypothetical situation (so as not to embarrass): You walk into a restaurant and see someone you know (a friend, wine buddy, etc.) and they are sitting with some other friends, wine buddies, etc. and they offer you a glass of what they are drinking. You oblige. Immediately you notice the wine is corked (or otherwise horribly flawed in some way) . . . and that the group has been enjoying the wine for some time!

What to do?

Your purpose there that evening is not to hang with these folks so your getaway from this situation can be swift.

Just wondering. And since this is a hypothetical please imagine all you want. Or provide real details of similar tragic events!

#2

I would tell Freemott that he has the palate of a yak.

#3

in that situation, I say nothing so as not to embarrass.
In a private setting, I’d be all over it.

#4

It depends…do these people know wine?

#5

I would offer up nothing freely. Now if I were asked…

#6

If it were close friends I would make fun of them. Especially since I have a very high TCA threshold.

Ive kind of been in that situation with people drinking dirty/bretty wine.

#7

+1
Unless asked my opinion, I would just thank them for letting me try the wine.

#8

I would do a spit take all over them and scream “how can you fools drink this tainted shit!”

But that’s the kind of friends I have. [shrug.gif]

#9

Interesting comment.
I don’t really see the two (TCA and Brett) as being similar, but maybe that’s just me.

#10

Since I can’t tell if its corked unless its really bad, I’d probably point the earthiness the wine has. [whistle.gif]

#11

My act:

Wrinkle my brow, make a comment about how ‘interesting’ the wine tastes, give a look of confusion, excuse myself and leave with an ‘enjoy the rest of the evening gentlemen…may you enjoy the rest of your wine experience!’. From there, get up and head to the bar/table/etc.

This tactic would surely leave at least one (if not all) of my friends with the thought that there was something questionable with said wine. Its all about the delivery…

#12

I guess it would depend for me upon who these people were and how well I knew them. I sometimes like to point something like that out by asking if anyone else thinks the wine might be just a little corked. That’s not to say it is always “just a little”, but that way there’s room for error and I don’t sound positive right off the bat. If nobody comes along I’ll then become a little more sure of myself, but stick to the idea that it’s not very pronounced.

#13

I think you do a disservice by not saying anything. Why not impart some of your knowledge and improve their future wine drinking experiences? I realize it’s delicate but to me it makes no sense not to speak up. If they are friends, they must know you are seriously into wine. Share the knowledge!

#14

After smelling it was corked or possibly corked I’d simply say, “Hmm, could this be a bit corky?” or something to that effect. If the table erupts with “No, its perfect, blah, blah” then I excuse myself and let it go at that. For all I know the idiots have been there since lunch and wouldn’t know La Tache from gasoline.

JD

#15

Depends on the crowd. If I know all of them I’d probably tell them. Maybe if that is their only bottle on the table I’d let them be though. [wink.gif]