rbond- Is she your ex-MIL because of the ice incident?

G&Z nut- If you had a hot sister could I date her?

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Yes, but I came here for an argument.

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

Grossie, only if he had broken up with her first

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

This is a great thread. I'm laughing over several of the posts. Very funny. Almost felt as though I was attending an "in-laws encounter group."

Not to be a cub scout, but my father in-law is largely responsible for my growth as a wine collector and active drinker. The guy has been unbelievable. He buys and shares with us Shafer, Opus, Viader, Cinq Cepage, Paoletti, Pomerol, Caymus, Phelps and all kinds of other unique and curious wines that knock your socks off. You name it, and he pours it.

The retailer, which we sometimes also purchase wines from, is amazed that he buys these great wines for all the kids in the family (over 21) to enjoy.

He drinks gin with a twist of lemon, likes a quick taste of what he is pouring, and that is about it. He is a generous fellow that likes to share is good fortune and great wines with his family.

GKM

We have dinner with our in laws almost every Sunday. They are all fun to hang out with and are very generous. The thing that gets me is that I can't, for the life of me, get my BIL and SIL to experience my passion for wine. Sure, they like to drink it, but they won't pay for a bottle over $10. They don't have a problem drinking it when they are at my house though. But when I go there, most of their wine is crap. My BIL pays over $30 for his Bombay Saphire gin and I keep it in stock for him. The big thing that kills me is that he buys one bottle of the 2001 Hanna and tells me he is saving this for a special occasion. It's 20 bucks for pete's sake. I wanted to try this before I found some to buy for myself. I finally did, but I went by what I read on these boards.

Another thing is that my wife and I have been with the same tasting group for three years now and we can't get them to attend. Even when it is at our house. Are they intimidated? I think so. They always have some kind of excuse. It bugs me and I take it very personally.

A little off topic, but is there some way I can plead my case on how to appreciate the world of wine? They just don't get it.

Ok, I'm done! Whew!

Cheers to GrapeFriends!

my inlaws are terrific.
Father in law collected wine. Had some delicious Burgundies with him, including Nuits St. Georges, Gevrey Chambertin, Meursault, etc.
Funny story about mother in law: We go to a nice restaurant. Order some good wine. Waiter pours it (some red, can't remember) and mother in law yells at the waiter for filling the glass too high, explaining how she learned about wine drinking in France, and how you have to leave the air in the wine glass, etc. Then, after the waiter leaves, she puts some ice cubes in the wine.

Irwin

"Life is short....start with the dessert."

Wino, by BIL ans Sil are freeloader's. They will gladly "try " my wine , but at there place they bring out the real good stuff, MIKE'S HARD LEMONADE, incidentally, these are my in- laws kids, so that explains it all.If i am going to one of their houses, i just bring my own bottle, however when that happens mine is always gone, yes i share but i do the pouring, their token bottle just never gets opened.

Well I'm lucky in way, and unlucky.
F-I-L is a recovering alcoholic (hasn't drunk booze in over 15 years), and even when he drank, it was Rye and ginger ale. He never comments when we drink, but he has commented once or twice about the amount of wine I have. M-I-L drinks low tannin reds, pinot noir, beaujolais, merlot is pushing it. Cab or shiraz are way too tannic for her. And of course it has to be cold, otherwise out come the ice cubes. For whites, she thinks sauv. blanc is too acidic, she likes german riesling (sweetness) and chablis (real stuff not gallo). Oaky chards (e.g. California or Oz) are out of the question.
So whenever we go over, it's either beer or inexpensive but decent red.

My parents are completely different. Mom is a chain smoker and can't taste anything. She doesn't like reds, too tannic (even beaujolais). She's not fond of sweet whites (i.e. german rieslings), but loves sauvignon blanc and chardonnay,oakier the better. And they have to be served ice cold. She'll often put ice in it anyways.
Father is much better. He appreciates and loves any wine I serve, and has come to realise/understand quality wine with some age to it. But his mainstay at home is beaujolais (swears by it, even with BBQ steak) or Canadian Pinot Noir (specifically Pinot Noir). Only exception is that he loves Amarones.
For whites, swears by Riesling (Canadian only). No Sauv. blanc or chard. And he prefers his riesling off dry/late harvest. I've tried to covert him to german riesling, but so far no success. He loves it when I serve it, but will not buy it (no more expensive than the Canadian Riesling). The good part in this is that he will often buy more expensive reds for holidays (e.g x-mas) and often 1er cru red burgundies (although alway too young to drink). And he will often buy me expensive bottles (after asking for suggestions) like 97 or 2000 vintage ports, high end Oz reds(Dead Arm or Blue Mountain) or high end Amarones. I do reciprocate once in a while, but I prefer serving him some of my stuff and see his face.

I know I digress but the wife has evolved alot since I got into wine. Her red had to be really tannic, and white was overoaked chard. Now she appreciates nice pinot,bordeaux reds, chablis, german riesling, new zealnd sauv. blanc. Only need to get her to like Nebbiolo/Barolo/Barbaresco

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Just Bob:
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.

Bob;
I understand your perdicament. I have a similar situation. It is a fact that a lot of Asians do not a certain enzyme that processes Alcohol. It affects some than others. The simptoms range from immediate red face to passing out. If my wife takes a sip of red, she will be out before the glass returns to the table.

Anyway,
My FIL is actually the opposite of all the stories I have heard so far. Whenever i am with him he will only drink the best available. He will only drink about a half a glass but wants to taste good wine. My last trip back to the US I was loaded with Angelus 94, and a few CNDP's and a few Finca Dofi's and Clos Erasmus.
The best part is my wife can't complain. I tell her they are for her dad

My mother-in-law has generously offered to open her last bottle of 1971 Mouton-Rothschild in a few weeks in celebration of my move into a new house. It's probably over the hill, and I know the storage conditions have been less than ideal, but a nice gesture all the same!

MIL likes her chardonnays. Step FIL used to drink wine but now only has Bombay martinis (He built a very nice wine cellar in the basement of their home which is now almost completely empty – a real shame). They are both aware of my interest in wine, and have bought me gifts accordingly: Silver Oak, d’Yquem, Banfi, BV GdL, etc. When we go to restaurants with them I usually have to order by the glass, as I prefer red over white and MIL always order a chardonnay. My SIL’s husband complains that whenever he visits them, they always open really cheap, crappy wine for him, but so far that hasn’t been my experience!

As far as my own parents, I have been on a quest for the last few years to improve their wine-drinking habits. My dad used to only buy cheap, jug type wines. Not anymore. I have opened their palates to better wines, and they have become a bit spoiled. They now realize a crappy wine when they taste it. They are still on the low end of the QPR scale though: their wine fridge is stocked with low-priced goodies such as Paringa, Falesco Vitiano, Ch. St. Michelle, and Concha y Toro. They won’t spend the dollars to buy anything above $20 a bottle for home consumption, so I tell them they are missing out on some of the great high-end experiences. At restaurants they will always buy a bottle or two of wine, but usually from the lower-priced offerings. But they have a few nice wines stored away that I’ve bought for them as birthday or Christmas presents over the last few years. I’ll know I have succeeded in my quest when they start buying Phelps Insignia or Pichon Lalande for their wine fridge.

I’ve also hooked my dad into calvados. He loves the stuff.

__________

I’ve also hooked my dad into calvados. He loves the stuff.

_______

My father as well- he loves to buy the bottles with the apple inside. The "Normand Hole " is a pretty funny antecdote.

My in-Laws are not that bad wine wise. They generally drink wines that have good QPR but nothing over $15. Though my MIL has an interesting habit. Every month the big Stockholm newspaper rates all the new releases. Since the monopoly only releases 20 or so new wines each month there is always a rush on the ones that get a good rating. Knowing this she doesn't try to get this month's winners but she cuts out the articles and carryings them around in her purse. Then she goes through a whole ritual of asking the salesperson for the winners from previous months. Hoping that they will have ordered more after the initial rush. Thus out-cunning the other consumers.

The good part is that she always gives me an Amarone for X-mas. It has lead to that I have a nice vertical of Masi Amarone.

I see much of my situations in this thread. FIL is also sober for quite a few years now and all he ever really says it that he would like a glass of merlot every once in awhile. He buys beer (and on occasion wine) when my wife and I are coming over. He always has something for us. MIL likes one wine - Clos Du Bois chard. I have tried to "expand her horizons" but it doesn't matter. So all I do is go to Costco and make sure I have Clos Du Bois when she is coming over. She is very happy that way. BIL is cheap. Very cheap. Will be happy to drink the good stuff we bring, but will never bring any of his own. At my sons' baptism I had to make a run for more wine (we were at my in-laws and went through the eight bottles that my lovely wife thought were too many) and bought some decent Cal Cabs. He made sure that his glass was FULL the whole time and even made sure that he was able to get one last chug (gulped down the whole glass he just poured himself as he was walking out the door). Always get the "What are you opening next?" from him when he is at my home. My SIL is over at the house a lot now that she is attending college near us and likes white, but is trying to appreciate reds. She is always very appreciative of anything we pour for her. So we gave her a couple of nice bottles of white for her and her boyfriend for their Valentine's Day dinner.

On my side, my mom drinks whatever we pour. She likes just about anything, but is really starting to tell the difference between various"qualities" of wine. She is very gracious when buying birthday and Christmas presents for us - always a very nice bottle or two. My step dad drinks vodka. He might have a half a glass of wine on a special occasion. My BIL (sister's husband) is a chef who worked in the Napa Valley before his current position in Palo Alto. He did some work during crush in a winery as well, so he has a good appreciation for wine, and always brings some real nice bottles for any occasion. My brother always brings wine (some good, some almost good, but he is trying!!).

Definitely a mix between the two families.

quote:

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Oh, and remind me to never get married.

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I was thinking the same thing DJ! Actually, it was more along the lines of, "Screw it! There's no way I'm getting hitched!" lol

Futronic; it would be o. k. to get hitched if it was to gmchughs'avaliable sister- in law.Sounds like you and your future father in law would build up a nice collection of brunello's

Post #100 was a tad long, so this will be a little shorter...

WineO -

If they don't get it, they don't get it. If they wanted to get it that would be one thing, but it sounds like they don't want to get it. Quit wasting your time.

My wife listens to hip-hop and rap on occasion. I don't get it and don't want to get it. She quit trying to get me to get it. Wasn't worth the time or effort.

Sorry all you Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliot fans out there....

My FIL is cheap – but a spendthrift next to my MIL who’s the type who would split up a 2-ply roll of toilet paper just to get another roll – and from the old country. He only drinks wine that he’s made himself. (I don’t think he’d get a rating higher than a 70 for it ).

Sometime last year, I served him an Australian shiraz that he actually he said was good. Usually his spectrum of criticism/praise ranges from “terrible” to “not bad.” He had a hard believing that the wine came from down under, though.

I have to give him credit in that he at least tries the wines I serve. This past week-end, I had him taste his first ever CNP. I think it was his favorite so far.

My MIL prefers sweet wines but she can’t handle her alcohol. Nothing stronger than a Moscato D’Asti for her.

Because I love my in-laws, and these stories are hilarious! My situtaion: FIL is a creation of habit. Wine of choice- Woodbridge cabernet. He is generous, indeed, overly so, so it isn't a frugality issue (although I will add it's within his blue-collar budget). He appreciates QPR wines -- 01 Hahn meritage, Liberty School, etc. -- but mid- to high-end wine is wasted. Same with MIL, but they indulge my illness with wine books and accessories. So, we bring some QPR wines and hope to impress, but I always have some Woodbridge in reserve.

Veni, Vidi, Biberi . . . .

When my father inlaw found out i donated a petrus to an auction, my mother in law had to put his heart medication on the night table just in case. When i told him i got a tax receipt his pulse rate returned to normal., But he still runs around with his buddies saying hair will grow on the palm of his hand before he would spend a dime on wine.So sad a person with means who thinks he is poor.What a sickness!

Vin's Dad,

you're right. I pretty much quit trying. But....every once in a while I try. Man it drives me crazy.

Cheers to GrapeFriends!

quote:

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Originally posted by drthvader:
Futronic; it would be o. k. to get hitched if it was to gmchughs'avaliable sister- in law.Sounds like you and your future father in law would build up a nice collection of brunello's

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Good point! Hey gmchugh! Is your sister-in-law a.) cute?, b.) available?

The thread is dying! We can't allow this. I would contribute, but I don't even have a girlfriend. In any case, my father once brought a bottle of DRC Montrachet to my aunt's house. First, they complained that it was not cold enough. Then they said that the color was odd, more like olive oil than white wine. Then they proceeded to mix it with Sprite. Last time my father brought wine to their house.

i've never heard of mixin wine w/ soda. what's that about?

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AIM: Drunken Mariachi