I am sure that all of you experience this: you are known to your friends/family as 'a wine snob' (well, ... that is too harsh a word, ... let's say 'a wine experienced person').... so u either get no wine for your special occasion (birthdays,get-togethers, and so on) from them or u get a great bottle, or a novelty wine gift of some sort. Then there is the situation that a person has heard that u like wine so when they come over to visit, the couple gives u a sh*& wine and u put it amongst your other prized/desirable wines in your cellar. How long does that bottle stay in your cellar and what do u do with it...?

If I recieve a bottle I dont want to consume from someone I give it to my roomate. He'll drink anything.

those bottles are saved for when we have already had to much to drink andeverything tastes the same.
no point drinking the good stuff when loaded

Poached pears!

Never. Cook with it or drink it when you don't want to crack another good bottle because it is too late in the evening.

If it's crap, I don't want to give it to someone else! If they've told me that they like it, that's different but too dangerous otherwise because then they'll think that's your style and they'll either hold you in contempt or you may get a similar bottle from them some day.

Cooking works. Or if there's some kind of large event where there are lots of people and they're drinking that kind of stuff anyhow. But it's amazing how good a bad wine can be when it's used for a marinade or reduced to about a cup.

Greg, so true. Many good derivatives can come from bad wines but when it comes down to it, if it is not acceptable for drinking, then it shouldn't be used to cook.

However, it it is an acceptable wine but just that you don't like that particular grape, then it is, as you say, ok for marinades, reduction sauces, etc.

quote:

Originally posted by Ogopogo DUDE:

How long does that bottle stay in your cellar and what do u do with it...?

Would I re-gift, never.

If it is a nice wine that simply does not fit my palate, (see zin among others) I would take it to a themed off-line, or pull it out when friends or family are coming over that I know enjoy this style. Hey, it saves me from buying this style of wine.

If it were truly a very poor bottle (which has happened) I insist we open it up and enjoy it with all the other wines being poured for the evening and thank the giver for their contribution. I have noticed often the giver ends up drink the wine.

There are a ton of wines I wouldn't drink but I'd cook with. Mostly because I don't drink wines that don't interest me. I wouldn't cook with wines that aren't sound.

Re-gifting is just tacky. I wouldn't be surprised to see some here do it.

There's always pizza and burgers.

I can't say I've never re-gifted wine, I just don't recall having done it in the past several years. I have plenty of friends and family who like the non-serious stuff just fine, so there's always a good chance to open the Barefoot, Sutter Home, or whatever.

I don't think I have ever re-gifted a wine. If I don't like it I simply give it away to friends who aren't that serious about wine but not as a "gift".

I don't ever give it away. As some prior posts have said, there is just about always a point for me where a bottle can prove to be useful, whether it is after having already consumed a lot and having the taste buds dulled, or using it as a bottle for a large party where people do not expect much.

quote:

Originally posted by Gigond Ass:
I wouldn't cook with wines that aren't sound.

Absolutely true!

I don't know what it is but most people gift me dessert wine. Meanwhile, I'm not a fan of dessert wine (with some exceptions). So I have a collection of gifted dessert wine.

However, i wouldn't regift a wine because my friends depend on me as the guy that knows about wine. If I regift a wine on someone and it ends up being horrible, that would just be wrong and would tarnish my reputation.

Instead, I open such bottles at the end of a long night of drinking. This way, no one cares what they're drinking.

I have a rack in the cellar dedicated to the crap people bring me. Perhaps that is harsh, but, well, its crap. I do have a handful of friends who are not wine people, but go out of their way to get some nice stuff for me and I appreciate that. It is a very, very, small handful that go that extent, most people simply don't care and assume wine is wine.

I don't like to re-gift junk as I don't want to be seen as cheap or not caring. At my last party I simply served a junk bottle someone brought me alongside what I was normally serving. The reaction once they tasted both back to back was priceless. I expect to receive something a bit better at the next get together.

quote:

Originally posted by calgarydetail:
those bottles are saved for when we have already had to much to drink andeverything tastes the same.
no point drinking the good stuff when loaded

Exactly...

In Ontario as long as the product is sold at the LCBO we can exchange it for another product of equal or more value without a receipt, so that is what I do. Probably the best aspect of a bad monopoly.

Ogopogo DUDE,

If I was a relative of yours I would play it safe and get you gift certificates for pedicures.

quote:

There's always pizza and burgers.

That's not an excuse for substandard wine!!!!

I got YellowTail as a gift. It is perfectly acceptable for wonderful marinades and for cooking. Against my better judgment, I actually opened a bottle to drink one evening. I couldn't do it so I cooked with it.

I got something called "l'Amour" or some such. No idea what it is. That will also be for cooking or for marinade.

Or for sangria. I've never actually made it, but why not? It's on my to-do list this summer.

...good one...!

quote:

Originally posted by spo:
Ogopogo DUDE,

If I was a relative of yours I would play it safe and get you gift certificates for pedicures.

Have one cooler that is accessible to guests. That is where Pinot Grig, KJ, Yellow Tail etc. get stored.

When there is a party tell the folks to pick what you want. Keeps my investment down, and folks think that is greta that they can select their own wines. Some times is the same stuff they gave to us.

I would let the first sight of it be my last.

But practically speaking, like most people just said, I would bring it to an event where people will slam it down like a pint of beer.

If you give it away as a gift, it may switch ownership a few times, and you wouldn't know know who will end up being the next victim. Think about karma.

I have not and would never re-gift a wine. If I know it is something I will not drink, then my appreciation for the gift would demand sharing on the spot (with other wine of course)!

Olive Oil
1 chopped onion
6 cloves chopped garlic
2 cups crushed tomatoes
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon tomato paste
Salt, pepper, oregano, thyme, basil
1 cup red wine


I've been on a Bison meat thing lately and that's a good addition.