You know you're in a, "Wine Rut" when...

WINE TALK
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…you lay awake in bed at night contemplating the opportunity cost of all that silly fermented grape juice sitting in your cellar. Yeah…that happened a few nights ago. I was thinking many things, including the balance of my investment account with that money invested (and not spent on wine), the money that could’ve been invested in my family and activities with them, etc. etc. See what I mean? I haven’t had a great bottle with family or friends in what seems like a long, long time. WINE RUT

How would you complete that sentence? Have you been in one?

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You realize that this is not productive thinking?

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when you start a thread like this.

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It is one of those things that happen, or don’t but looking for it won’t help and might actually hinder it.
You may try tasting out of your comfort zone. It has worked miracles for me. Another option is new friends but I would recommend to save that for a later option.:slight_smile:
In all seriousness, relax. Don’t look back. Don’t contemplate numbers. No good will come out of that. Go into a retail shop and engage someone knowledgeable about something you know zero of. Italy? France? South America? I don’t know your drinking proclivities so forgive me. If it ain’t happening, make it happen.

Cheerios!

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You know you’re in a, “Wine Rut” when…

  1. …when you finally make a cherished mailing list and don’t care.

  2. …when you don’t care which stemware your spouse pulls out to go with the evening’s vino.

  3. …when you don’t have the energy to toss the cork up onto the cork shelf.

  4. …when your morning wine hangover is the best part of your day.

  5. …when you do a blind tasting and keep answering, “I don’t care which one this is.”

  6. …when you think “Chateau Ennui” would be a good name for your winery.

  7. …when you don’t want to have people over because going to the cellar would be such a pain.

  8. …when you say, “Let’s just order cocktails” at your favorite wine oriented restaurant.

  9. …when you say to yourself, “As long as this stuff pours well and assumes the shape of its container, that’s enough for me.”

  10. …when you can taste the Brett in everyone’s cabernet.

Bonus: …when you name your favorite glass but don’t care what the name of the wine is.

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I think this kind of thing happens with any hobby, not just wine. There are peaks and valleys. There are times when you enjoy it more than you thought possible and times when you question everything. Hang in there. Perhaps take a break, enjoy some beer or cocktails and spicy food and come back with renewed enthusiasm.

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Maybe what you need is a little bit of THC.


P Hickner

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I’ve been in several ruts. Each time I come out of the rut, I’m never quite as fully intrigued as I was prior. I think this could be due to not being local with my core group of wine friends, so the desire isn’t there as much. I’ve reduced cellar by rough a third, and truly wouldn’t mind reducing another third. While I enjoy having the wine, I would rather have the money for other things.

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When that wine that was a revelation a few years ago and you bought cases of, now is being handed out to friends and will never be purchased again. Yes, I am talking about rose’.

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Funny, I’ve never been in a wine rut. It’s a lifestyle, part of my daily existence, not really what I would call a hobby. I enjoy drinking wine alone, with my wife and with my friends. I never second-guess money spent, you could almost do that with anything. My bike. My new car. My kid’s college. My wife’s jewelry. Spend within your means on all things, balancing daily enjoyment with investment for the future.

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I see wine as more of a binder between people instead of the focus of a get together. That staves off the burn out you feel in other hobbies.

Wine is also a relaxation aid at the end of my day. It’s not about the alcohol although the relatively small amount (compared to whiskey or hard liquor) does help since it’s a sedative.

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Just think, your wine is much less likely to depreciate than Beanie Babies.

There is hope yet.

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[welldone.gif]

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I agree with every word of this (except for the new car part. I’m hoping my trusty '94 Landcruiser will last until we don’t need to own cars anymore. Though if I do break down and buy a new car, I won’t regret it.)

If you have a well-balanced cellar, there’s always something there that hits your sweet spot when dinner time rolls around. If you’re in a rut, you’re probably buying the wrong wines.

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Bravo Anton D.

Actually never mind I really don’t care about your or any other wine related post any more.

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How to break out of a wine rut:

Spend an evening drinking really good and varied wines with really good trusted friends. Who bring really good wines.

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you are just as excited to drink a pint or fill a growler with champagne.gif interesting beer

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All this discussion of rutting makes me a bit uncomfortable.

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And what, exactly, was wrong with his post? I thought it rather funny.

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Great posts so far. I think, as I reflect, I’m realizing I enjoy wine that is properly aged that wine drunk young. Just even a few years back, I liked younger wines more. As a result, I’m buying wine today and laying it down and not drinking much of it. Money goes out, wine comes back, but gets laid down and not enjoyed. It almost feels like money flying out the door with no “return.” I think it’s as much a result of a lull while my cellar ages. All that, or I haven’t had any THC! :wink: