Hummmm. One of my cousins-in-law is a wine snob, and soon to be a card-carrying
sommelier. She might agree that taste is arbitrary, but that taste is important
in wine. I agree. There are wines that taste good, and wines that don’t.
Sometimes it’s an arbitrary distinction, sometimes it’s not. I don’t think the
love of wine, or whisky and whiskey, is a way to separate and demean those who
don’t agree. There is good wine, and good whiskey and whisky, and there is
rotgut. Over here we call Scotch whisky Scotch, but in Scotland, they call it
whisky, as though it were the only one. That said, I never went into a store
that sold whisky where I didn’t see a prominent display of “Black Jack”, i.e.
Jack Daniels black label. Apparently them Scots like them some whiskey.
I should cut my refrigerating friends some slack, as depending on where one
lives, red wine may be too warm at room temperature. As I recall, it’s supposed
to be 55 degrees (F) or thereabouts, and most rooms are warmer than that. The
past couple of weeks here, for example, room temperature might have been as
warm as 80 degrees (F). A rule of thumb I have since learned, and which works
fairly well, is to take white wine out of the fridge 30 minutes before
drinking, and put red wine _into_ the fridge 30 minutes before serving.
Works with beer, too, if you don’t have a cool place to store beer that’s
supposed to be consumed at less than “blue mountain” cold. (Semi-obscure Coors
reference.) Take it out a half hour before drinking. Gets it just about right.
And if it’s important enough, and in my cousin’s case it is, get an electric
wine cellar that keeps it correct. I’m actually thinking of getting a small one
for my beer. Those pints of Fraoch Heather Beer really ought to be enjoyed at
the proper temperature. <g>
--Bob Whitmire
Certified Neanderthal
On Jul 9, 2014, at 6:55 PM, Moose <olymoose@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>> And please don’t blame us as a nation for ice cubes in wine. Only the
>> ne’er-do-wells and rapscallions do that, and a very few folk who should know
>> better. Joan and I once took a very nice bottle of Pino Noir to the home of
>> some friends, and were horrified when the hostess took the bottle and said,
>> “I’ll just stick this in the fridge and chill it down.” Gives me the shivers
>> every time I think about it.
>
> The latest thing I'm seeing on-line and in shops we visit when traveling is
> special "Wine Cubes", made of various metals, stones, etc. I suppose
> inappropriate cooling without inappropriate watering down may be an
> improvement?
>
> "Ah yes, I detect a hint of fine Carrera marble, blah, blah, blah ... and a
> slightly stoney finish."
>
> Then again, all "Taste" is essentially arbitrary, a way for one group to
> separate itself from another, and elevate or demean themselves and each other.
>
> [Heads down! Incoming from OZ!!!]
--
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