My in laws are not drinkers. To my father -in law drinking wine is a total waste of money. This is a man who does not lack for anything but cannot enjoy the finer things in life as he is, simply put a pennypincher. I had them over on the weekend and brought out a bottle of cloudy bay which i paired with some pan seared scallops etc. He kept asking for more and more.No problem.When the bottle was gone he was still in the mood for more. I brought out a bottle of Bollinger NV and we proceeded to enjoy it. He then asked how much does this cost? When i told him he almost fell out of the chair "WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND WOULD SPEND THAT ON SOMETHING YOU PEE OUT". Of course i expected this as he has no class at all, but he continued to drink the balance of the bollinger and both my in-laws were in festive moods. My conclusion was simply that with my money or other people's he can enjoy good wine, but with his own money he would never ever spend it on wine.Sad really.Anyone else with similar stories.?

My father recently asked my grandmother (his MIL, and a notorius penny-pincher) what she's saving her money for? She said she's saving it for her old age. She'll be 90 next week.

"In America, first you get the sugar, then you get the power, then you get the women!" --Homer Simpson

Funny you mention the in-laws. I just recently broke their habit of pouring ginger ale into their wine! My rule there is "Do it with yours, Not with my wine". They don't.

Here's how you get back at your father in law. Next time bring a nice bottle and a 3$ jobby (Citra or something). Have him taste both. If he likes the good one, you won't hear that rant again and if he likes the powder wine, bring that from now on...just for him.

The funny thing is, my inlaws after 2 years of training have become quite appreciable of the wine I bring now and even throw out tasting charateristics. Amazing.

Oh, where oh where to start. Just a few gems for now:

Father-in-law (though a good guy) falls solidly in the penny-pincher mode. All wine must come out of a jug. Reds are often served cold. That's actually not a bad idea as dulling the tastebuds definitely improves them, but before we give him too much credit, consider that jug whites are generally served at room temperature. Mother-in-law mainly buys Kendall Jackson Chard (and we're glad to have it given the alternatives) for 2 reasons: a friend once told her it's good, and this "expensive" purchase annoys the penny-pinching father-in-law.

Restaurants can be a real experience, too. They'll order a glass of whatever the cheap varietal of the year is (currently merlot and chard), but it was much more fun before varietal names took over because they'd always ask for burgundy or chablis (as in Carlo Rossi $5.99 per gallon). In nicer restaurants the server would assume they wanted was, well, Burgundy or Chablis. Few restaurants offer these by the glass, so the server would go on to suggest very expensive French bottles. Despite the predictable exchange, I never had the heart to explain why they and the waiter were completely talking past each other.

Final story, my wife and I went to SF last year (with obligatory winery stops). MIL requested that we bring back several bottles of "Cheap Charlie's". We didn't want to carry back a lot of wine, so we limited our purchases and the 2 Buck Chuck didn't quite make the cut.

Hey Prof, I liked your stories. Your inlaws will be pleased to know that Gallo still makes "Hearty Burgundy" in 1.5 liter jug format ($7.99 I believe), although the French put an end to their "Chablis Blanc" some years ago.

Odd enough, the Hearty Burgundy is mainly petit syrah and has no pinot noir.

During the birth of my first son, I cracked a bottle of Bollinger in the hospital room. My father in law said the wine was "ok, but not as good as Bright's President Champagne." In Canada, Bright's is kinda like Baby Duck. $7US/btl.

Another good one (mother, not in-law)..... my mom was babysitting a few months ago and I guess felt like having a glass of wine. She found a re-corked 1/2 bottle in the fridge and had 2 sips and poured it down the sink as it was "too strong". This was the remainder of my last bottle of 1990 Beaucastel that I had the night before. It was full to the cork and would have been beautiful with my steak the next night.

The last one... my aunt waters down her wine. Every time I make a mistake and hand her a glass of good wine, she adds 50% tap water. She has done this with Ridge Zin and a few other $20-40 wines. My stupidity for not having a bottle of crappy Boujolais on hand.

the first time i went to my in laws, i took a very nice pinot. they poured it in to water glasses, added wink and ice. then they complained about it and got out their own riunite (did i even spell that right?). now, i bring 2 bottles.....one for my wife and i to drink, and one for them.

First, it's important to know they are straight-laced Ohio republicans...

1. Long ago we're visting Napa on their first trip here. We were in Beringer or Inglenook, can't recall which. Anyway, my father-in-law stood in the back and snapped a picture of the tasting bar. Little did he know, until he got home and had the film developed, that there were two guys standing at the bar with their backs to his camera. They had their hands on each other's butt.

2. Out for a full day of wine tasting on another of their trips. Maybe too full of a day because mommy-in-law got up in the middle of the night and puked her guts out. Next morning after breakfast she asks, "What wineries are we going to today?" What a trooper.

3. Sister-in-law's first visit. We're driving up US101 from SFO when she demands we make some winery stops before going home. Who needs to freshen up from a cross-country flight?

4. Next, on a trip back to small town Ohio. Mother-in-law wants to show me they're kinda in the know there, too. Against my better judgement she convinces me to order wine while we're out to dinner one night. So the waitress asks if I want red of white. When I ask for red thinking, "Oh, oh, Heart Burgundy" she then asks, "Do you want that warm or cold?" (I opted for "warm."

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It's not over-supply. It's under-consumption. Do your part!

My in-laws are Asian, so if it’s not sweet out comes the great taste equalizer - ginger ale or sprite. As for glassware it not an issue water glass, plastic cup or Styrofoam it’s all the same.

Needless to say, I have pretty much given up trying to get them into red wine, although my FIL will try port and I’ve got a “late harvest” cabernet franc we’re going to try some weekend. For the most part their preferred wine choice for special occasions is ice wine and fortunately they are also willing to buy. Over the years I like to think I have worked diligently to broaden their tastes with rieslings and gewürztraminers from Germany/France. But I think my greatest discovery was Moscato d’Asti – low alcohol, sweet and bubbly (Sprite with style - quite enjoyable actually). This was such a hit that they bought a case and in many respects this has become the house wine.

Overall I can’t complain, because much of my white wine experience has evolved from trying to find unique wines that suit their off-dry to sweet preferences.

In laws or my parents -- they're the same. When I first started dating my wife, I went to her parent's house to find a bottle jug chablis out on the counter next to an empty ice tray. 'Nuff said.

Of course my mother thinks that the greatest innovation in wine preparation is those little plastic ice cubes that you freeze that keep your crappy $3.00 champagne from warming up.

My inlaws are better now. They've upgraded to Yellow Tail Shiraz and Chardonnay, but I almost passed out when they offered me a glass of Cakebread chard at their house the other day. If I could just get them to understand the concept of QPR...

"The world needs ditch-diggers, too, Danny!"

it's true about the oldsters and the sweet juice, they can't live with out it.
i'm lucky, my m-i-l is living with me and i get to experience it on daily basis. she never missed the opportunity to point out lack of sugar in wine , any wine. but does she know and love her rieslings by now! i only wish i could slip her a spumante those days are gone forever. i do kind of dig the fact that she braggs to her girlfriends about the wines she drinks. cute!
god bless old people.
p.s. bobh, thanks for making me laugh.
Free Martha!

quote:

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Originally posted by Golf&Zin Nut:
In laws or my parents -- they're the same.

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Time to break out the "Happy Birthday Uncle-Daddy" cards.

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The ultimate result of shielding men from the effects of folly is to fill the world with fools. -Herbert Spencer

Now Pauly, that's funny!!

LOL@ Pauly. I didn't know you had Ozarks in Australia.

My ILs appreciate good red wine when I serve it and will even buy. No complaints. With white wine they like it "dry", which means tight and fruitless (don't try a German reisling on them!). I can't complain though, they buy!

My father, on the other hand, is always ready to order a caraffe of the house red. This usually means a 1L caraffe of crap served at the most mediocre restaurants in Montreal (he lives there). When I suggest we order a real bottle for as much as $40 he balks. The nice thing is though that if I pay, he's ok with it.

drth- there's no teaching your FIL. Cheap is cheap. He likes good wine but there's no way he'll see the value in it. So sad.

Great thread, BTW. A lot of laughs.

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Yes, but I came here for an argument.

Oh! Oh! I'm sorry, this is abuse.

stories like these are why i don't open the wines i like amongst non wine drinking friends and family. I save 'em mainly for the off chance there's an Off Line, or if a wine drinking friend and myself want to open a bottle or two.

Oh, and remind me to never get married.

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AIM: Drunken Mariachi

I don't have any In laws yet and apparently that is for the best. I do however have the cheapest, tightest, ultra penny pinching father known to planet earth. He does not drink wine because it is to expensive. I fear two buck chuck might even be to much for him.
I guess that is why I am the complete opposite. You see I am only but 21 years of age. I have just begun to learn of my love for wine. I however did make it a point to deliberately show him the receipt for my 2000 bordeaux splurge.
It was two bottles of each first growth and 2 bottles of Petrus. In wine terms I got a great deal only spending $6000. But to him I pissed away $5999. But I have my wine and most importantly my happiness and he has Natrual Ice beer. I do pity him.

Ex-mother-in-law......Ice cubes in a '61 Bordeaux.

Dick

This is all about these folks being from another generation. It is probably worse here in Europe, where, for instance, my grandparents spent their youth during war time.
It's not just wine, they live all by their principles:

1) the best meat is the cheapest/fattiest. It gives the best calories/money ratio.
2) The finest restaurants are those where the average meat portion overlaps the plates by 50%.
3) Organic food is the greatest scam on earth. It's really just a wrinkly apple for the price of two shiny ones.
4) Wine is not supposed to cost more than €1,50. It's only those arty-farty types that pretend to taste anything out of this expensive €10 stuff.
5) Food is NEVER EVER to be disposed off. If it's green, hey, kids in Africa would still be glad to have it....



industria virtus mediocrorum

THRAWN, I respectfully suggest you backtrack quickly on those receipts. You will be written out of the will if you demonstrate your a freewheelin spender on wine , of all things. You see when my father in law saw two wine cellar's in my basement his ears started to turn red and then i saw smoke billowing out of the top of his head.He believes , very sincerly that i am certifiably insane and unfit to manage my finances as a result of the "fancy fridges and what's in them".Funny thing though ,i think he is fundamentally troubled as he does not want me to enjoy the fruits of my labour.Trust me his daughter and grandchildren lack for nothing, so no one can go there. Any way i am just continuing my rant.

I guess I'm luckier than most. I love my MIL.
The last time she came back from Europe, she brought me a 2000 Lynch Bages, as the guy in the wine store said it was pretty good. Along with that a couple of Cuban stogies. My wife (her daughter) goat an Eifel Tower T-Shirt.

She was over recently & asked for a glass of Chardonnay. For most guests (aka freeloaders - people who know we have good wine), we offer a Clos du Bois Chard. I was in a good mood & poured her a 2001 Peter Michael Chardonnay. A little young, but she raved over it. She came back a few days later & complained that she couldn't find any, but she brought us something that the guy in the wine store said was good, as she wanted to show her appreciation. It was in her car, so I went out & got it. I'd say a case of Lewis 2002 Reserve Chardonnay filled the bill.
Her only request was that she'd like to try it sometime!

I am a lucky guy, and I don't even like Chardonnay!

I had to throw a different spin on the typical In-Law stories...

My MIL might have one of the most bland palates in the world. Uses the world's least flavorful tomato sauce (which I think is just tomato paste), hates garlic, and eats this awful creation on holidays with stuffed liver and some weird seasonings....

The bright spot: she loves good Champagne. So for Christmas, she bought us a bottle of Duval-Leroy Brut NV Paris Label. But the highlight of the day was her purchase for group consumption: 1995 Veuve Cliquot La Grand Dame. I only had a glass but it was wonderful!

I will add though - as the closest thing the family has to a wine expert, I was required to guess its price before I could have my glass...

My parents were Gallo Spañada and Lancer's types when we lived in Northridge, CA, oh so many years ago. Then there was the occassional sip of Mogan David or Cold Duck at Thanksgiving...no wonder I didn't take up this habit..er..hobby until just a few years back. Nowadays, Dad enjoys the shiitake out of my stuff, but has the ever-present box of Franzia Merlot under the bar just in case I run out (I make sure that I never do).

In-laws, well that's a different story. FIL is a well traveled albeit not-to-sophisticated country gentleman with an appreciation for high-end scotches, whiskeys, tequila, and sherries. He enjoys my wine, and I don't mind sharing it w/him. (Step)MIL is a lovely Chinese lady - former restauranteur - that likes sweet wines, only in such small quantities as to parch a hummingbird. More for me!

"This wine should be eaten, it is too good to be drunk."
Jonathan Swift

Drthvader, I would go back if there was a will to be had. I most likely will inherit nothing. I have two other brothers and one house does not add up to much when it is split 3 ways. Besides it is worth it to see the smoke protrude through his ears as well.