It is interesting how and evening can turn out differently than you planned.

My wife and I were invited to another couples home to enjoy the warm evening weather and an outdoor fire Saturday night. This couple is not into wine and it is usually beer when we go over to their home. This time around I was told that they had some Corona and limes ready to go.

When we arrived, they asked if it would be alright if all 4 of us headed to a neighbor's home instead since they could not find a babysitter. We had never met this couple but agreed. Just as I'm walking up to the neighbor's front step, I'm told that I will get along with the husband because he is into wine also (my curiousity was piqued).

As we enter my attention is drawn to his vinotemp cellar. Now we're talking. He offered my wife and I some wine and that was the last I thought about the Corona. He turned out to be a very generous host and opened some very nice bottles for us including:

1989 Contino Rioja Gran Reserva
1988 ZD Cabernet Sauvignon
NV Taylor Fladgate 10 Year LBV Port

Oh and did I mention that this guy is on the Harlan mailing list but has not ordered anything from either the 2000 or 2001 vintages? We had a long talk about that.

Has anyone else had an evening which unexpectedly turned into a wine event?

VM

...If Only!
I had quite an opposite experience,
I was suckered into attending a dinner at a local no corkage Italian restaurant. I was informed by my friend, "Oh, you're going to love them, they are really into wine and they bring wine whenever they go to a restaurant." So, I am thinking people who BYO, right on, my kind of people! I brought, I don't know, a couple of Pinots, I think a Siduri and a Hartford Court (I prefer Pinot Noir with most non-red sauce based Italian entrees)and we meet, la-ti-da, small talk small talk, finally gets around to wine and I am asked "so what wine did you bring in your wine suitcase" *suitcase?* I pull out my Pinots as they bring out their Chianti with the straw on it, ygad, flashback! just like on Nana's table when I grew up! Of course, I happily shared however I am still convinced that this was a ploy carefully crafted by my dumb-as-a-fox friend (who I have known since I was 2!) to drink good vino!
Not that she ever needs a reason, if you are lurking here my dear vice principal wino*!!

*California education tax dollars at work!

*********************************
"From wine what sudden friendship springs!"

dreaded quote button..too close to edit!!

I also had a wine surprise once - the wrong way!

While living in Islamabad we had a friend from Karachi who loved tawny port, which we were not really into, and so we had none. I had managed to get some half bottles of 1985 Smith Woodhouse vintage port though, and opened one for him, which he seemed to enjoy. He mentioned that he always picked up a bottle of tawny and some other goodies when he flew home through London. He was also one of the richest men in Pakistan.

When we visited him in Karachi he mentioned that he would serve me something that I'd find very interesting, so I naturally thought it would be an old colheita or something similarly special. Instead, it turned out to be wine that one of his companies had gotten a licence to make locally!

Needless to say, it was not really drinkable, though I made an effort not to gag on it. He's an extremely nice fellow but I quickly realized that his tastes in wine ranged only from red to white. But on his next visit to Isbad he brought me a nice 10 year old tawny, and I opened several nice reds, so all was well.

Bruins rule! (please!!!!)

Bman,

This guy was debating whether to open a 1965 Quady Port from California instead of the T-F LBV. I tried to nudge him in that direction but in the end he was afraid that it might be bad and went with something safer.

VM

Interesting. I didn't know that Quady had been around so long.

Bruins rule! (please!!!!)

He has not ordered any Harlan 2000 or 2001? Hmm I wonder if he is still on their mailing list.

quote:

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Originally posted by Vino Me:
Has anyone else had an evening which unexpectedly turned into a wine event?VM

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Nope. But I once went to what I thought was going to be a stuffy yuppy married couples BBQ that turned into a tequila slamming frat-like party.

I've had evenings that were not *intended* to become wine events. But they were with fellow winos, so I should have known better.

most prominent example happened with a friend who has a 2,500 bottle wine cellar and 2,000 in wine storage:

Friend: So, what do you think of Ridge Monte Bello
Whiner: I've never really had more than a sip of it
Friend: Well, would you like to do an '84 - "let's see how far we get" Vertical?
Whiner: Ummmm......

a

P.S. We wound up drinking some nice wines that night, but I couldn't bring myself to say "yes" to the Ridge vertical, I thought I would be drinking too much nice wine of his. We did have a 1990 and 1991 Dominus however -- that was nice.

"What contemptible scoundrel stole the cork from my lunch?" -- W.C. Fields

Corona to me is lemonade - sparkling and colourless, with lime is nice. The fact that there is a beer called that and it goes with wine is incidental.

The TAA/TATW weekend is coming. Buy this wine Tedeschi Amarone della Valpolicella or you're a wimp.

Terps,

Well he did not order any 2000 and was still offered the 2001. I warned him that he might not be offered the 2002. I also graciously offered to help him out and take whatever he did not want if he is offered it again.

VM

A time & a place for everything. Beer & Beach go together. There's a reason the Corona commercials are usually set at the beach. An ice cold Corona with a lime wedge with your feet in the sand and the sea breeze in your hair can't be beat. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is great in the winter, but it's over the top when you're sitting on a beach chair sweating 50 feet from the surf.

A six pack is my goal on a hot afternoon at the beach. Anybody ever see Coronas in cans? Works better at the beach than in the bottle...

Cheers!

Cal Wine Guy

as someone born & raised in So Cal, yet went to college in the Pacific Northwest & been to the U.K. a few times... i agree with about 95% of what u said - i can enjoy a Sierra Nevada in any condition... its the other darker stuff that reminds me of school and winter - Amberbocks, Redhook's Winterhook, Mirrorpond, Fat Tire (well, i guess anything by the New Belgian Brewing Co...), etc... i just laughed at my buddies in WA when they whipped out Pacifico in 45' rainy weather - though, we were in college and drank pretty much anything, including a lot of Canadian piss since we were close to the border

Vino, Sounds like an excellent chance for you to be getting some Harlan!

Cal Wine Guy,

Loved your post. I think we'll have to start a new thread called "What is the Best Beer for the Beach?"

I'd vote for either clear bottle Becks or Kalik Gold.

My nod without giving it too much thought is probably Stella Artois.

I agree with all you "beer guys". When mentioning Sierra Nevada, I was not slighting it. I can pretty much drink it at any time too. I failed to mention Porters, Dopple-Bocks, etc. A double fermented Duvel Belgian Ale w/13% alcohol would put you on your butt in the heat.

Most Mexican beers are good on the beach. One must consider where they come from - after all, most of Mexico ranges from warm to hot, unless you're in the interior at higher than coastal altitude.

However, if I absolutely have to drink wine in the heat, I'd probably lean towards Pinot Grigio (on the rocks), or a dry Rose & soda or Sprite (about 50/50) also on the rocks.

Hmm... An occasional Mimosa is ok too.

Cheers!

I never liked Corona, for some reason. I think a Seirra Nevada Pale Ale is great for the beach, but I tend to go with a Bohemia (if I can find it) or Pilsner Urquell in the really hot weather. Kirin is also good in the heat.

a

"What contemptible scoundrel stole the cork from my lunch?" -- W.C. Fields

Best beach beer - red stripe.

Rolling Rock is also pretty good at the beach.
However, storage is the issue, just like wine. Rolling Rock is in a very light green bottle. Corona is clear. Beer will oxidize just like wine. If you've ever opened a bottle of Corona, & got the "skunk" smell, it's been in the sun. I never buy 6 packs, as they are in the tradional 6 pack open carriers. I buy Corona in the 12-pack or case. (Cases at Costco in L.A. are running about $21.00). A six pack in our local markets run from $6.50 - $8.00, and they are generally "skunky". Do the math. Buy at minimum a 12 pack in an enclosed box.

Cheers! See you at the beach!

Best hazy hot humid summer beer:

Hoegaarden or Wickse Witte

Welcome to Massachusetts - Be Fabulous and Say "I Do"

when it's hot, i don't want anything with too much flavour, and that's why Corona is my drink of choice...at least in Mexico. and i can't drink Sol it's just not THE SAME!
on home turf, well... i just bought 40 4packs of Ainger Weiss-Brau, so here is my summer home work
as far as neighborhood parties go - i choose not to get involved, things would get ugly and fast, they have in the past

no doubt about the red stripe. What is also cool is that in other countries, the bottle has an opener molder into the glass at the bottom of the bottle. So you simply stand the empty red stripe on top of the new, twist, and number two is ready! Ingenious.

One of the worst beers I've ever tasted.