Friday, March 26, 2004
I have greatest respect for Professor Bainbridge, who bestrides the legal wine community like a colossus. But his recommendations on wines and wine glasses favor the income non-deprived.
Allow me to recommend the poor man's substitute:
Pier 1 has an inexpensive, durable plain glass stemware collection. I bought ten each of the classic wine, classic balloon, and classic flute when they were on sale about six months ago. Now, the quality of manufacture is average; there are certain stems that are not properly finished. But on a budget, I can set a table for eight for any kind of wine they may want.
And it's absolutely true that even an okay glass makes the wine taste better, as anyone who's tailgated on an officially dry campus (like Ole Miss's) can tell you. Few things taste as bad in a plastic cup as a nice pinot noir.
Friday, March 05, 2004
The USM Symphony performed Beethoven's 9th last night. Overall, a quality performance: I thought the soloists were not as together as they could have been, and the french horns were lamentably weak. The chorus was phenomenal, though.
Monday, March 01, 2004
 You will perish of fits. Repeat this to yourself: "Things can work out even if I don't get my way. Things can work out even...."
What horrible Edward Gorey Death will you die? brought to you by Quizilla
Thursday, February 26, 2004
Obviously, I lied about the wine.
It'll be a weekly feature, okay, I love you, bye-bye!
Monday, February 23, 2004
Wines for today: Theme is Pinot Noir
Will drink again: Echelon 1998 Pinot Noir (light, fruity, smooth, with just a slight bite); the 1999 was good as well.
May drink again: Anapamu Pinot Noir (not as light, tart, rough finish)
Wouldn't serve to poor alcoholics: Gallo Sonoma Pinot Noir (dry, bland, weak nose, rough finish)
The Chalone group (producers of Echelon) produce some amazingly consistent Pinots. I think they're really among the best I've ever had (up there with Wilamette, which of course cannot be had in Hattiesburg). Anapamu used to be good, but the last few bottles I had were finishing very roughly, so I stopped.
The Gallo Sonoma wines I've always found disappointing: they're unrefined and overpriced, in my experience. This is a pity, since Gallo has produced a bunch of great winemakers and nice wines. But without exception, their pinot noir has been terrible, the four times I've tried it.
Friday, February 20, 2004
I'm thinking of making this my wine/entertaining/cooking blog.
Prof. Bainbridge has a four-point scale.
As we know, the fewer degrees a scale has, the more the ratings mean, because the standard is more rigorous.
My scale has three categories: I will drink this again, I may drink this again, or I wouldn't serve this to poor alcoholics.
Unsurprisingly, a lot of bad stuff falls into the bottom category: box wine, Mad Dog 20/20, etc.
A lot of good stuff falls into the second category: e.g., Dom Perignon, which is too expensive for whatever flavor differential it has over White Star. Also, anything by Cakebread (which are generally good wines, but not worth the sheckels- there is no way that a bottle of Chardonnay that tastes solely like oak is worth $36.00).
Most of the wines in the top category cost less than $35.00/bottle. Most are widely available. I am comfortable using most of these for cooking or drinking, although I prefer drinking. Every weekday, I will post one wine in each category. Let's see how far along I can get before running out of wines.
Monday, February 09, 2004
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