Wine, Scotch, Rum, Tequila, Vodka, and the like

[slappybrown]

Vega Sicilia is no joke man I'm jealous

[eddy]

So we went back to that SF Wine School thing for a special tasting event hosted by Vega Sicilia, one of the top Spanish wine producers. The lady presenting the wines was like Spanish Hallie Jackson, which was fun. But some of the wines they had on offer were outrageous.



And here is the price sheet for those who might want to order some of their products.

The bottle pictured is the first listed on the sheet.

Most of the people in the room - which included a lot of industry people - audibly sighed when they first looked at the sheet. Needless to say, this was the first and likely last time we'll be having any of their grape juice.

Father in law broke out $150 bottle of Napa valley realm tempest this weekend for a little celebration. Oh my, was that a treat.

[tifosi77]

No kidding, when everyone looked at the price sheet we were all real life confused_blink.gif guy.

[count2infinity]

I don't believe I've ever tasted wine that goes for more than $30 a bottle, let alone $150 a bottle.

[columbia]

10 year old Montepulciano (which was going for $350 at the time) was definitely good. Lady friend’s ex-husband originally paid for it.

[columbia]

PAWS' 2018 Elephant Grape Stomp, an Afternoon in TUSKany
http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/r ... =68strdcab


@tifosi77

[LITT]

teachers highland cream is currently available for 14.99/bottle. it is a blended scotch that allegedly retails for 2X.XX

excellent for the price

https://www.thewhiskyexchange.com/p/647 ... land-cream

[shafnutz05]

I don't believe I've ever tasted wine that goes for more than $30 a bottle, let alone $150 a bottle.

Yup. I can appreciate a really well-made wine at $25-$30 for the bottle. There is most certainly a point of diminishing returns when it comes to wine, and I would submit that it is right around that $30 mark. If I can get a wine with a 94 Wine Spectator (or similar) score for $25 a bottle, or a wine with a 96 Wine Spectator Score at $300/bottle, what's the obvious choice?

[count2infinity]

teachers highland cream is currently available for 14.99/bottle. it is a blended scotch that allegedly retails for 2X.XX

excellent for the price

https://www.thewhiskyexchange.com/p/647 ... land-cream

I'm guessing by the name it's a highland style blend?

[Silentom]

I think the most I've spent on a bottle is $28 for a Coppola Cabernet.

[tifosi77]

I don't believe I've ever tasted wine that goes for more than $30 a bottle, let alone $150 a bottle.

Yup. I can appreciate a really well-made wine at $25-$30 for the bottle. There is most certainly a point of diminishing returns when it comes to wine, and I would submit that it is right around that $30 mark. If I can get a wine with a 94 Wine Spectator (or similar) score for $25 a bottle, or a wine with a 96 Wine Spectator Score at $300/bottle, what's the obvious choice?

The choice is not obvious for some. You like what you like, but there are people to whom that two point and $275 difference is meaningful. (I am not among that group) Obviously, you're breathing rare air if you can crack a $300 bottle for your weeknight imbibing. That Vega Sicilia thing we did last weekend was really an outlier for us. But make no mistake: You could not only taste the difference in the wines, you could see differences.

It really depends wildly on the varietal and style of production, where the wine is from (both the producer and geography/AVA), your palate, and your budget. Generally, it's much easier to find quality at $20/bottle with Chardonnay than it is Pinot Noir.

Any idiot can find a good wine for $300 a bottle. Hint: Storage/aging issues aside, pretty much all wines at this price is going to be special; the trick is finding quality at 1/10 that price. For weeknight dinners, we live in the $15 range. I'll splurge and go up to $25-$30 for special occasions, or if I'm trying an ambitious new recipe. Cam Hughes aside, the wine clubs we used to be in were more like $30-$50 range, and those would go straight to the wine fridge for dinner parties. I think the most expensive single bottle we've ever bought was around $75.

[tifosi77]

PAWS' 2018 Elephant Grape Stomp, an Afternoon in TUSKany
http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/r ... =68strdcab

That actually looks like a pretty righteous organization.

[Lemon Berry Lobster]

I hope something cool happens soon so I can enjoy a bit more of my Lagavulin 16.

[shafnutz05]

That's fair...I get that there is a very small portion of the world that makes a huge difference for. To me, the quality gap between an $8 and a $30 bottle is way more noticeable than the difference between $30 and $120, for example.

Somewhat related, but I have to recommend Heartwood and Oak again. They deliver to PA, and I have tried so many wines I otherwise would have never gotten to taste. This is the option I would recommend:

https://heartwoodandoak.com/promos/wine-club

All that you have to do is choose red wine, white wine, or a mixed pack. Each contains 15 premium wines for the special introductory price of just $89.99 with FREE shipping.

These wines retail for up to $39.99 per bottle, and include Gold Medal-winners like delicate and layered 2014 Le Parlement Bordeaux Blanc, and enticing 2014 Bear Hug Barrel Select Cabernet Sauvignon.

Included with your first order are 3 bonus bottles of indulgent 2014 Les Chartrons Bordeaux Superieur Rouge, bringing your total to 15 bottles in your first shipment.


In your second shipment, we’ll include a FREE 7-Piece Deluxe Corkscrew Kit ($59.99 value).

After that, we’ll send 12 of our best wines for only $12.49 per bottle, plus $19.95 for delivery, every 12 weeks. There's no commitment—you can cancel anytime.

It really is an unbeatable deal for us. Many of these wines have been outstanding. I had an Ocean Breeze Pinot Noir (Monterey) that was fantastic last week.

[columbia]

PAWS' 2018 Elephant Grape Stomp, an Afternoon in TUSKany
http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/r ... =68strdcab

That actually looks like a pretty righteous organization.

There’s an HBO documentary on elephants, which first hipped me to PAWS. I shall donate at some point.

[tifosi77]

All of that aside, it's always fun to revisit this:



The best part is the double blind tasting they do early on where most people are not able to differentiate between Two Buck Chuck and a $100 Cab, and some are not even able to tell the (blind) difference between reds and whites.

[count2infinity]

[LITT]

teachers highland cream is currently available for 14.99/bottle. it is a blended scotch that allegedly retails for 2X.XX

excellent for the price

https://www.thewhiskyexchange.com/p/647 ... land-cream

I'm guessing by the name it's a highland style blend?

one of the distilleries it uses is ardmore, so yes-ish

[count2infinity]

My brother is buying me a Lagavulin 16 or Ardbeg Uigeadail as present for becoming a dad... can't wait to crack whichever comes my way open the day my little one is born.

[LITT]

i had the ardberg at hte whiskey festival this year, it was not as good as i had hoped. add a drop of water.

[count2infinity]

I've had both. He asked me what my favorite scotches were and those were the two I gave him. I probably could have went with a really pricey bottle and he'd have gotten it for me, but I know I really enjoy those two.

Ardbeg 10 is my normal, go to single malt.

[eddy]

been drinking and enjoying Big Horn Bourbon Whiskey from Willie's in Ennis, Montana. Very nice. Also had some nice runs with Col. EH Taylor. Those nights are often forgotten.

[Shyster]

I'm not a wine drinker at all, and I admit that most of the time I do buy wine I'm totally getting something from Château Screwcap.

[Shyster]

All of that aside, it's always fun to revisit this:



The best part is the double blind tasting they do early on where most people are not able to differentiate between Two Buck Chuck and a $100 Cab, and some are not even able to tell the (blind) difference between reds and whites.

On the same topic:

[tifosi77]

I'm not a wine drinker at all, and I admit that most of the time I do buy wine I'm totally getting something from Château Screwcap.

Absolutely nothing wrong with screw caps, if you aren't aging the wine. I think we had a screw cap wine last night.