2020 Yellowtail Merlot: Flat nose consisting of a hint of grapes or strawberries you might smell walking by the fruit aisle in a grocery store. On the palette, the yellowtail merlot tasted as if someone strained grape juice into a cup of water, then served it at 75 degrees with a finish lasting as long as a virgins first time.
NV Woodbridge Cabernet Sauvignon: Intense welches grape juice aromas on the nose with a cough syrupy warm mouthfeel. No acid to speak of. I considered adding red wine vinegar to the glass so I could have a tinge of acid and flavor. Its length was the same as the yellow tail merlot.
I was surprised by the lack of wine options at this Christmas party I attended. Two members of the host family enjoy wine from time to time. They generally prefer napa cabs and bordeaux’s. So, I was quite surprised when I saw the wine offerings…
I had brought a bottle of Chateau d’Issan 2004, and I only had a small glass. The host thanked me for the wine I brought and noted how I always bring good wine to parties. She asked me to open it. I opened the wine and poured myself a half glass to try and give everyone else a chance to have some. Within 10 minutes the entire bottle was gone and I was left with the woodbridge and yellowtail. At this point I switched over to beer for the remainder of the night.
What do you normally do when you visit a party with no real wine options?
Hah, you’re right. This year it was totally unexpected. As I mentioned, the hosts typically have some drinkable wine, so this really caught me off-guard. Im gonna have to bring 3-4 bottles next year!
Our family used to gather under pop-ups in my daughter’s back yard for Christmas dinner . . . in Florida. And it was often hot.
I brought my Syrah one year but it was too big for the weather.
My mother asked for ice cubes and continued to enjoy the wine. I tried it and it was pretty good with ice.
Maybe these wines would have been a little more palatable with ice - it sounds like they couldn’t have been much worse.
What I bring depends on the crowd. I have a group good friends that host a few parties a year. I know quite a few guess that will be attending and their tastes in wine. If it is a large multi-generational party this calls for a nice QPR wine (Loosen Bros. DR. L Riesling for example) and a nice bottle as a gift. Smaller gathering I bring something more interesting.
In my experience even people that know/care about wine, often buy cheap industrial crap for certain events. Personally I think there are a bunch of better options for a little more cost, and I have a reputation to uphold.
Remember Bud Light is the most popular beer in the US. Most people slam down these cheap wines and wonder why they have a killer headache next day. I think we all know it takes work to find good wines. Most local wine shops are not showcasing wines we drink.
I’m in Maine. I bring one bottle of good wine to open everywhere I’m invited. Most people are not interested. If it winds up gone, I’m a happy man.
Then I switch. Please remember that Portland is the microbrew capital of the East Coast. Yeah, I know, Portland is the microbrew capital of the West Coast. No contradiction there. Just enjoy time with your neighbors.
