So I decided that I should explore all facets of booze now that I'm 21 and have a credit card. I know there are some things out there that I like/love already. Wheat beers, unfiltered or filtered. Hefeweizens. Crown Royal. Johnny Gold. Cheap champagne. So I have now been checking out red wines. I picked up my first bottle, Los Rocas 2006 Garnacha. I thought it was a bit on the hot side after a glass here and a glass there. After about a weak of sitting there with the bottle stopper in it mellowed out and was absolutely to die for. Its up there in the 90's on the rating scale. I now see why. I than tried The Stump Jump 2006, which is a mix of Grenache, Shiraz, and Mourvedre. That stuff was absolutely delicious right out of the bottle. They are both complex but without being too acidic or dry. So now that this is becoming an interest I decided to pick up a random wine that was highly rated to see if I like it. As of right now, its just all right. Theres a lot of heat coming right from opening it and letting it sit in the bottle uncorked for a few hours. I heard that decanting for a half day or so really mellows out a wine and lets the hidden flavors come out when they mix with the air. My question is, how long can a red wine sit in a decanter before going bad? They don't have lids so I have to wonder how long its going to take to completely destroy the wine. I was also wondering if just leaving the bottle with a spout in it and uncovered for a few days will also do the same thing as a decanter? Any help would be appreciated because at this point I have no clue except for the 2 wines that I like. And the 3rd bottle I picked up tonight that was highly rated but is definitely to hot for me right out of the bottle after sitting there uncorked for a few hours.
I don't know the answers to most of your questions, but I have a suggestion that may help. We use a reusable stopper with our wines. It came with a pump piece that fits over one end and allows you to pump the air out, in effect re-sealing the wine. You can find these gadgets all over the place. Anyway, you could buy one of these and experiment with letting your wine sit out for a fixed amount of time. I've also found that price does not necessarily indicate good wine. Sometimes it does, but some of the best wines I've had are from the cheaper and more cost efficient end of the spectrum.
I saw the air remover doohickeys, but I'm not worried about the wine going bad in a bottle. The longest a bottle of wine will sit around here is from a saturday to the next thursday or friday. I'm the only room mate who drinks wine in my apt. so its not every night that I want to drink an entire bottle by my self.
Decanting is done for 1 or 2 reasons: 1 - To let the wine breathe. This, as you say, makes the wine more mellow and brings out some hidden flavours you wouldn't get if drinking a glass straight from the bottle. The change in the wine happens AS you decant, so there is no need to let it stand around for hours afterwards. Don't be too gentle when you decant - let the wine mix with some air. 2 - To separate wine and sediment. Some older wines have a little sediment in them due to little or no filtering in production. Can be a sign of good quality. The sediment is harmless but not great tasting. To decant, leave the bottle standing up for a day or two, then open and GENTLY pour into new container. Leave the last half glass with sediment in the bottle. What wines you like, serving temperature, decanting and how long you keep an opened bottle is a matter of taste. A total wine snob would not save leftovers or at least keep it in the original bottle with the cork in, for no more than a day. Enjoy!
I recommend going to your bookstore and browsing the wine intros for one you might like and buy it (and read it). If you are near a Total Wine store drop by and pick up one of their catalogs which contain oodles of useful information. Ultimately it is about your own experience. A lot of the old rules about wine and food pairings, etc., are no longer sacrosanct. Go with what you like. Don't be afraid to do a little research and splurge occasionally. But, don't be afraid to experiment with the less expensive wines. More expensive doesn't mean better, it usually just means rarer.
Just pinch your nose and gulp! Be sure not to stain the brown paperbag, that way it can be used over and over!
I'm no wine snob. I know nothing about the stuff. I've been known to drink a few 40s of cult 45 on occasion.
But Colt 45 is malt liquor. What you're looking for is Thunderbird or Mad Dog. Do they even make Thunderbird anymore?
Damn right its malt liquor! They still make mad dog, although I havent drank it since high school and remember having the worst drunk and worst hangover I ever had. I made many mistakes the night I drank mad dog.
If you like reds, Jay..you gotta try a Pinot Noir. I have some South African 2005 Gamekeeper's Reserve that is just marvelous. Oh, and if you don't finish the bottle, you can just pout the cork in, rather than leaving it in the open air. Most new red wine drinkers like Merlot or even a Syrah...I'm no snob, I enjoy all of them to various degrees.
I'll check some out. I've been taking the advice of the owner of the local wine shop. Although the Cabernet from last night wasnt that wonderful.
Ah, screw this wine stuff, Jay! If you are ever in my neighborhood, we will get snookered on some of the best damn tequila you never tasted!
Rick, I can no longer handle the smell of tequilla. Me and Jose go back a long time, I just dont remember most of it. After I spent the night vomiting on my self with absolutely no urge to remove my self from it, we dont hang out any more.
