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BigLove
Nov 19, 2009

Cpt.Wacky posted:

What are the qualities of a good rosé? I've only had this local one and it seemed good, but I'm not very experienced with tasting.

4liters posted:

nice, crisp, and refreshing

4liters described them pretty well. They should be crisp, refreshing, clean, and in some cases, fruity. Light flavors, but not watered down. Lower alcohol content as well.

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Plastic Jesus
Aug 26, 2006

I'm cranky most of the time.
I prefer my roses bone-dry. I really like the ones from Provence, which often have a distinct strawberry element and beg you to eat shellfish while you drink them.

idiotsavant
Jun 4, 2000
Baudry does a very nice Chinon rose. If you're looking for Cali rose wait a bit and try to find Clos Saron's 2011 Tickled Pink; we bottled about a month ago & it's frickin' delicious.

4/20 NEVER FORGET
Dec 2, 2002

NEVER FORGET OK
Fun Shoe
My favorite rose wine: Domaine Tempier Bandol Rose https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1094681

It's gotten a bit expensive, but when you want something more complex and interesting from your Rose, there is no substitute.

4/20 NEVER FORGET fucked around with this message at 03:44 on Jan 10, 2012

Plastic Jesus
Aug 26, 2006

I'm cranky most of the time.

4/20 NEVER FORGET posted:

My favorite rose wine: Domaine Tempier Bandol Rose https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1094681

It's gotten a bit expensive, but when you want something more complex and interesting from your Rose, there is no substitute.

I loving love that wine.

pork never goes bad
May 16, 2008

So I got a delivery from The Garagiste a few weeks back, and have just begun to drink some of the wine I got. Last night I had this. Please ignore the horrible tee-shirt, and the fact that you can't see anything, really. It's 2010 La Chaussée produced by La Grange aux Belles. Obligatory CellarTracker link. I think liking this as much as I do makes me certifiably anti-flavor? Either way, overblown tasting note in CT is mine, and I really love this wine.

To the Rose question, Domaine Tempier is awesome. Couly-Dutheil in Chinon, and Gerard Boulay in Sancerre are also both very nice. Bodegas Mugar (Muga?) in Spain is very nice too. I think it is Rioja and about $10 or $15. I've already spent enough time on CellarTracker today to figure out which, but you should be able to find it.

ETA - I didn't like Baudry's Rose that much, but I suspect I had an off bottle and ought to give it another chance, especially considering how much I like the reds.

pork never goes bad fucked around with this message at 23:22 on Jan 10, 2012

Shooting Blanks
Jun 6, 2007

Real bullets mess up how cool this thing looks.

-Blade



YES. Sorry to break rose chat, but for the first time in awhile I've found one of my favorite inexpensive Spanish reds locally, Volver. At $8.50/btl, I'll probably be buying a case or three when I get my next paycheck.

gay picnic defence
Oct 5, 2009


I'M CONCERNED ABOUT A NUMBER OF THINGS
There was a bit of panic at work today, someone's chardonnay elsewhere in the Vale has already got to 10Be and we haven't finished our yield estimates on ours yet, let alone collecting samples for the winery. Could be a busy week next week.

Murgos
Oct 21, 2010

Shooting Blanks posted:

YES. Sorry to break rose chat, but for the first time in awhile I've found one of my favorite inexpensive Spanish reds locally, Volver. At $8.50/btl, I'll probably be buying a case or three when I get my next paycheck.

I like Volver a lot, still have a few bottles hanging around. Frankly, I'm fond of the $6-$15 Spanish reds in general, they are certainly some of the best wines at that price point.

smn
Feb 15, 2005
tutkalla
I'm a whisky/dark spirits lover but I do like a wine now and then also. I'm not too well-versed in wine in general as there is just too much stuff out there, but lately I've tended to gravitate towards Australian/Chilean shiraz or malbec when I want something heavy (and Amarone if I'm feeling rich), and French/Spanish cheaper stuff when I want something lighter.

A couple of weeks ago, I had a truly magic moment with wine. I mean something well above the usual, something that just tasted incredibly awesome, like all the good things about a 30yo sherried Speysider condensed into a wine glass. Interestingly enough, it was a 2007 Californian with 80% Zinfandel and the rest of something else (didn't pay too much attention when it was poured). The combination which made the effect was drinking it with pork ribs in a heavily caramelized sauce. Pure bliss.

This made me way more curious towards what the world of wine has to offer.How are the Zinfandels regarded in general? Was this a one-off or something that can be expected to happen again? What are your 'magical combinations' of food & wine?

gay picnic defence
Oct 5, 2009


I'M CONCERNED ABOUT A NUMBER OF THINGS
Here's some photos I've been taking while working on the vineyards at work

Some clown has grafted two vine varieties onto the one rootstock. If you look closely at the leaves you'll see they are a slightly different shape on either side of the trunk(s):
http://i.imgur.com/5hS8K.jpg
shiraz on the left, cab sav on the right

Shiraz at veraison. We'll probably start harvesting around the start of February:
http://i.imgur.com/vl9h3.jpg

Some wildlife
http://i.imgur.com/m3MbM.jpg

Ripping mulch in to a depth of 60cm in a trial looking at ways to reduce the effects of compaction from tractors:
http://i.imgur.com/WXtVE.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/IW7CM.jpg

Looking south across McLaren Vale:
http://i.imgur.com/3hMS3.jpg

Cpt.Wacky
Apr 17, 2005
Very cool, thanks for sharing. So the kangaroos don't eat the grapes?

pork never goes bad
May 16, 2008

smn posted:

I'm a whisky/dark spirits lover but I do like a wine now and then also. I'm not too well-versed in wine in general as there is just too much stuff out there, but lately I've tended to gravitate towards Australian/Chilean shiraz or malbec when I want something heavy (and Amarone if I'm feeling rich), and French/Spanish cheaper stuff when I want something lighter.

A couple of weeks ago, I had a truly magic moment with wine. I mean something well above the usual, something that just tasted incredibly awesome, like all the good things about a 30yo sherried Speysider condensed into a wine glass. Interestingly enough, it was a 2007 Californian with 80% Zinfandel and the rest of something else (didn't pay too much attention when it was poured). The combination which made the effect was drinking it with pork ribs in a heavily caramelized sauce. Pure bliss.

This made me way more curious towards what the world of wine has to offer.How are the Zinfandels regarded in general? Was this a one-off or something that can be expected to happen again? What are your 'magical combinations' of food & wine?


I read this post a few days ago and have been thinking about how to respond. There's a lot of space to talk about the questions you brought up! Down the rabbit hole and all that.

Zinfandel, like pretty much any grape, can make very nice wine. American Zins, especially in the low end of the market, can be pretty uninspired - flabby, jammy, sweet, and hot. But Zinfandel grown and vinified with care can be really excellent. I tend to prefer zin blends to straight zin. Ridge is a classic Zin producer, held in high esteem by almost everyone who is into wine. Their Geyserville bottling, usually 55-80% zinfandel, is probably the most regarded, but all are good. If you like the rich, inky extraction that Zinfandel is capable of, but want it without the jamminess in cheap zin, Robert Biale makes excellent wine of that kind. To be honest, from reading the pairing you describe, I think Biale might be right up your alley. I don't think we have exactly the same tastes! Zinfandel is called Primitivo in Italy, typically grown in Puglia. I am largely unfamiliar with it, honestly.

As far as magical combinations - there are thousands of good pairings, but there are obviously a lot of factors that go into it. Probably the single largest is the context. My favorite wine and food pair I've ever had was a light, acidic white wine with steak last October. They didn't go especially well together - in fact they were quite a poor pairing, though the acidic chimichurri sauce we had on the beef made it a lot better - but it was my fiancee's birthday, and was a good meal, and I had bought the wine specifically with her tastes in mind, and we had a great night. And that makes all the difference. As far as some classic pairings, though, you can't go wrong with Sauternes and Foie Gras, Botrytised wines (*dry or sweet) with blue cheese, red Burgundy with mushrooms (esp. truffles), Port with Stilton, Muscadet and oysters, and off-dry Riesling and spicy food (Thai is most often quoted).

One thing to keep in mind when pairing wine and food is that often we have a fairly simple formula - white wine, fish; red wine, meat. This is not a great way to do things. Oily fish, like Cod, can often do well with red wine, especially if said Cod was salted, dried, and made into Bacalao. In this case the pairing is defined by the dominant flavors in the dish, and particularly by the "weight" of the dish. Similarly, an Indian curry with Lamb might well go better with a slightly off-dry white wine (like the Riesling mentioned above, or many others) than with any red wine because the match is between the wine and the curry sauce. It might be better to say - heavier flavors, heavier wine; lighter flavors, lighter wine. And that doesn't even get into some of the reactions foods will have with the tannin in red wine which can confound this, or the ways that aromatic notes in wines can correspond to aromatic notes in herbs and confound the traditional advice. You can usually get a good pairing out by cooking food traditional to the region the wine was made. So if you have a nice bottle of Barolo, a rich, pork based risotto would work well. Or a fatty tomato and meat based dish. Red Bordeaux often pairs well with lamb. Etc.

Crimson
Nov 7, 2002
This book is a must for anyone who enjoys wine with food. It's incredible. It even offers non-wine pairings. It has a list of most major types of food and what goes well with each, indicating the best pairings in bold. It also has a list of most wines, and what to eat with each. I use it daily at my restaurant. I've created some amazing wine dinners starting with this book as a guide.

gay picnic defence
Oct 5, 2009


I'M CONCERNED ABOUT A NUMBER OF THINGS

Cpt.Wacky posted:

Very cool, thanks for sharing. So the kangaroos don't eat the grapes?

They might eat a few leaves but mostly they stick to grass and chewing on the dripper line (to the endless frustration of the maintenance guys). Birds and foxes are the main grape eaters.

mikeh269
Mar 26, 2007

I am the English Stereotype.
Anyone who lives in London ought to give this ago: two nights ago I went to The Sampler - they have a shop in Islington and one in South Kensington.

They're fairly small wine merchants but their unique selling point is that they have lots and lots of wine to taste! Each shop has 10 Enomatic machines - 80 wines to taste! You top up a smart card and just wander around with a glass. The prices start at 30p and go up - they rotate all their wines through the machines and have one reserved for "Icon" wines which are of high value, things that most people wouldn't normally be able to try.


I ended up trying wines that I wouldn't normally try and picking up a bottle of Muscat which I'm not normally a huge fan of.

If you're around London the shops are definitely worth a visit - it was a very fun way to spend an hour!

The Oncoming Storm
Jan 21, 2012

Disregard fangirls, acquire yellow tree fruit.
So I'll admit I was pretty drat clueless about wine except that I knew I didn't like merlot (Or rather, it doesn't like me. Instant headache.) Then I moved in with two guys who really, really like wine. Like, they collect the poo poo, and they're members of wineries and stuff. I've tried a lot of wine since then, and I've found a few I like, mostly whites and roses.

But I gotta admit, my favorite wine so far is the stuff at the Olive Garden. It's called Roscato, aka Rosso Dolce, but damnit, it's expensive. There's online stores that'll ship, but the cost of shipping puts it to the point where I may as well just go to OG. I tried to find another Rosso Dolce, and TJ's had one, but it was absolute swill.

So, wine goons, what can I find that's kind of like that Roscato? Because in my state, the OG's liquor license requires them to open the loving bottle and serve a glass before they let you take it home, and I don't want to drive around tipsy with an open container. Nor do I want to waste any. >.<

benito
Sep 28, 2004

And I don't blab
any drab gab--
I chatter hep patter

The Oncoming Storm posted:

So, wine goons, what can I find that's kind of like that Roscato? Because in my state, the OG's liquor license requires them to open the loving bottle and serve a glass before they let you take it home, and I don't want to drive around tipsy with an open container. Nor do I want to waste any. >.<

Availability will vary by state, but if you want a sweet, red, fizzy, Italian wine, there's a ton of Lambruscos out there that are very affordable. There's also something called Brachetto d'Acqui that's a popular dessert wine in that category.

Additionally, think about adding some crème de cassis liqueur to inexpensive white sparkling wine. You'll get a similar flavor and can brag that you're enjoying a classic kir pétillant cocktail.

The Oncoming Storm
Jan 21, 2012

Disregard fangirls, acquire yellow tree fruit.
I've seen some Lambruscos around here, mainly on the "wtf, we don't know, but it's cheap" shelf at Fred's. Something called "Riunite."

I'll keep a lookout for the Creme de Cassis, thanks!

pork never goes bad
May 16, 2008

I'm not sure if I should comment on dude who joined the same day he made his first post only to ask about sweet fizzy red from Olive Garden other than to say don't buy Riunite. I mean, gently caress me. I suppose if I'm not being a judgmental prick, I'd point to Ruby Port as a potential option. It has the advantage of staying in pretty good shape if you open it and have a single glass, and having lots of characteristics that are common with other high quality wines. The Oncoming Storm - perhaps look for Grahams Six Grapes Port as it is relatively inexpensive and very good for the price. As Benito suggested, Creme de Cassis and inexpensive bubbly is also a good idea.



Either way, and moving on, today I went out to dinner with my mum for her 50th birthday. We went to Spruce in San Francisco, which was very nice.

We drank three wines. Two are in the picture below (along with the card my mum got, I'm pulling this from a cellphone pic, sorry!)



The first wine we had was Chateau La Tour Blanche 2005 Sauternes (not pictured). This was an accompaniment to the Foie Gras that a few people had. It was very nice, but I did think it was a bit young, and it seemed a little flabby/low acidity.

I did not have the Foie Gras, so after tasting this I moved straight onto the 2007 Chateau de Puligny-Montrachet Les Folatieres. This was excellent, pale straw color, some lemon and stone fruits on the nose along with a little vanilla/oak. Acidity dominated in the mouth, the wine felt a little high strung in the glass. I was very happy with this, as I like high intensity acid-driven whites, but my family, who tend to prefer a rounder style of white wine, could have probably had a little more integration, a little more body, for their tastes.

We finished with a red. NV Chateau Palmer Historical Wine, 18th Century. Now, this is an odd wine. Roughly 85% Bordeaux varietals (roughly 50% Merlot, and 50% Cab Sav in this portion, classic Palmer), and 15% Syrah from Hermitage. As such, it's labeled as Vin de France. As soon as it's poured, you can tell you are not dealing with a normal Margaux. The wine is almost black. Black cherry, pepper, leather, bacon fat on the nose. Perhaps some tobacco? Or wood smoke? Something I can't put my finger on that is a little funky, a little animal. The palate is big, black, and bruising. Tannins definitely need more time in bottle, but there is an acidity underlying it all that makes this wine much more accessible than a lot of other young, Parkerised Bordeaux. There was a strong and distinct violet note to this. I really liked it, though I think I'd rather drink regular Palmer or a softer Margaux next time. (Kirwan? Malescot St Exupery? Alter Ego.)

4/20 NEVER FORGET
Dec 2, 2002

NEVER FORGET OK
Fun Shoe

pork never goes bad posted:

I really liked it, though I think I'd rather drink regular Palmer or a softer Margaux next time. (Kirwan? Malescot St Exupery? Alter Ego.)

What was the price of this wine? Problem with regular Palmer is us simple folk can't afford the poo poo. I have yet to taste a wine from Chateau Palmer for this reason. For the same price I can get two or sometimes even three bottles of Comtesse de Lalande or Pontet-Cantet. Not that I am even batting that heavy that regularly, but when I do get the occasional bonus check from work I tend to throw it at a couple bottles of fancy Bordeaux. Palmer has always been just out of reach.

EDIT: Just looked up the price, it's pretty drat expensive. (over $150) In that case then yes, I'd probably just go for their Grand Vin.

4/20 NEVER FORGET fucked around with this message at 10:24 on Jan 25, 2012

pork never goes bad
May 16, 2008

4/20 NEVER FORGET posted:

What was the price of this wine? Problem with regular Palmer is us simple folk can't afford the poo poo. I have yet to taste a wine from Chateau Palmer for this reason. For the same price I can get two or sometimes even three bottles of Comtesse de Lalande or Pontet-Cantet. Not that I am even batting that heavy that regularly, but when I do get the occasional bonus check from work I tend to throw it at a couple bottles of fancy Bordeaux. Palmer has always been just out of reach.

EDIT: Just looked up the price, it's pretty drat expensive. (over $150) In that case then yes, I'd probably just go for their Grand Vin.

I'm glad I tried it as it's an oddity, but I agree with you in general. Palmer's second bottling is really good, consistently very close to the Grand Vin, and at $50ish is not a horrid deal. The two Margaux third growths I mentioned are really nice too, and tend to be a little less, around $40-45, if you have not had them. I think that, on the whole, I am a fan of Margaux as a region above all other Bordeaux appellations. Perhaps I should look at Pauillac again.

mmiller1127
Dec 29, 2007
I'm looking for recommendations for a few bottles of wine to give as a gift. I know she purchases cases of $30/bottle La Crema Chardonnay as her standard bottle, sorry I don't know the specific year or location. Any recommendations for wines based off of this for $25-50 a bottle would be great. Thanks.

PatMarshall
Apr 6, 2009

It sounds like she enjoys creamy, heavily oaked, Cali Chardonnay; two that I've had success with it this category are Mer de Soleil and Ferrari Carano, although I don't remember exactly what they cost, I think they were in your price range. I'm on the east coast though, so my knowledge of California wines is pretty basic.

pork never goes bad
May 16, 2008

Mer de Soleil make an excellent unoaked Chardonnay as well!

As far as oaky Chardonnay goes, Rombauer is really prototypical of the butter-bomb style. For something that's on-style but, well, actually good, Grgich Chardonnay is very nice. Newton Unfiltered is also an option. Nickel and Nickel, Pahlmeyer, Ramey, Cakebread all have Chardonnay in your price range that people often like.

If you'd rather think outside the box a little, let us know and we can recommend great and accessible wine that she wouldn't necessarily buy for herself. That said, the ones you've been recommended are ones that will be similar to La Crema and generally a step up.

consensual poster
Sep 1, 2009

mmiller1127 posted:

I'm looking for recommendations for a few bottles of wine to give as a gift. I know she purchases cases of $30/bottle La Crema Chardonnay as her standard bottle, sorry I don't know the specific year or location. Any recommendations for wines based off of this for $25-50 a bottle would be great. Thanks.

I'd suggest a white Burgundy. It'll have some of the oak and fullness that she likes, but also have more depth and acidity. Depending on where you live, you can often find some pretty high end bottles from slightly older vintages that are being blown out at great prices.

For example, she could be drinking this or this for the same price as her fat, oaky Cali Chardonnay.

mmiller1127
Dec 29, 2007
I ended up sending her four bottles:

Grgich Hills 2008 Chardonnay
Chateau Fuisse 2009 Tete de Cru Pouilly Fuisse
Mer Soleil 2010 Silver Unoaked Chardonnay (Ceramic Bottle)
Olivier Leflaive 2009 Les Setilles

I would have gotten the two specific burgundies you mention but that website wasn't able to ship to the state I needed.

Thanks for the advice everyone, I'm sure she'll appreciate the thought you guys put into this.

The Oncoming Storm
Jan 21, 2012

Disregard fangirls, acquire yellow tree fruit.

pork never goes bad posted:

I'm not sure if I should comment on dude who joined the same day he made his first post only to ask about sweet fizzy red from Olive Garden other than to say don't buy Riunite. I mean, gently caress me. I suppose if I'm not being a judgmental prick, I'd point to Ruby Port as a potential option. It has the advantage of staying in pretty good shape if you open it and have a single glass, and having lots of characteristics that are common with other high quality wines. The Oncoming Storm - perhaps look for Grahams Six Grapes Port as it is relatively inexpensive and very good for the price. As Benito suggested, Creme de Cassis and inexpensive bubbly is also a good idea.




Welp, I never said I was anything but a noob (both in forums and in wine.) I don't have deep pockets, so I'm looking for the best of what's available to me. I've had 5 dollar bottles that outshone 17 dollar bottles, y'know? But I can't help that OG managed to stock a wine that didn't suck (for once.) I've had a lot of trouble with reds in the past so to find a red that sat well was quite a pleasant surprise. I'm going to keep my eye out for the Lambruscos, and when I finish this bottle of Tawny Port I've got, I'll likely grab that Six Grapes Port.

Tonight it's a rose from Sokol Blosser. Pretty tasty. Not too dry, just a little bit sweet.

benito
Sep 28, 2004

And I don't blab
any drab gab--
I chatter hep patter

The Oncoming Storm posted:

Welp, I never said I was anything but a noob (both in forums and in wine.)

If you're interested in wine, go to a bunch of public tastings and keep at it. You'll encounter a lot of things you don't like, and at some point certain things will click. Keep an open mind and enjoy what you like, but don't be afraid to try something new once in a while. I've tried thousands of wines, but I wouldn't say that I have a perfect palate. Keep searching, and you'll figure out some interesting styles to follow.

As I'm typing this, I'm sipping on a 2004 Super Tuscan. I don't know why people get angry about this style, but the age and grape combination is making me very happy. Il Borro 2004, 50% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Syrah, 5% Petit Verdot. If this were a Sonoma or Paso Robles red blend people would be praising it rather than grumbling about French grapes in Italy.

BastardAus
Jun 3, 2003
Chunder from Down Under

4liters posted:

They might eat a few leaves but mostly they stick to grass and chewing on the dripper line (to the endless frustration of the maintenance guys). Birds and foxes are the main grape eaters.

I love Riesling. The bone dry type. Can you recommend some of the really dry vintages from your area?
Seems Eden and Clare Valley plus some old Howard Park Tasmanian numbers get all the press, but I'm often left wanting.

BastardAus fucked around with this message at 12:32 on Jan 27, 2012

BastardAus
Jun 3, 2003
Chunder from Down Under
Also, what is it about French Champagne? Every time, including a $45(AU) bottle I had yesterday, it tastes musty and old. Maybe the Croser sparkling I had as a younger man ruined it for me, but I hate Champagne now, give me a cold climate Australian or Spanish 'sparkling' anyday.

gay picnic defence
Oct 5, 2009


I'M CONCERNED ABOUT A NUMBER OF THINGS
Pewsey Vale Contours is pretty good. Pikes, O'Leary Walker, Paulettes and Crabtree are all pretty good Clare producers. Try Richmond Groves aged released Watervale rieslings if you can get to their cellar door in the Barossa. A lot of the Tassie Rieslings have a bit of residual sugar in them. 2011 wine can be a bit hit and miss. If they were on the ball in the vineyard and kept the disease at bay its one of the better vintages in recent times due to the cool ripening conditions retaining natural acid in the wines. If not, they wont be much good. 2010 was a pretty god vintage in most areas too.


Due to the recession in Europe they aren't selling as much over there so a lot of the stuff is being pulled off shelves and sent our way. If it is not shipped in refrigerated containers it will suffer due to the temperature variations in transit. Sometimes you'll get bottles that are sweeter than expected because the Bruts destined for the US has more sugar in it than the Bruts we normally see.

Dont drink Champagne. You can get tassie sparklings that are the equal of any French prestige cuvee for a fraction of the price. Try Arras, Heemskerk, Bay of Fires etc.

gay picnic defence fucked around with this message at 12:46 on Jan 27, 2012

consensual poster
Sep 1, 2009

BastardAus posted:

Also, what is it about French Champagne? Every time, including a $45(AU) bottle I had yesterday, it tastes musty and old. Maybe the Croser sparkling I had as a younger man ruined it for me, but I hate Champagne now, give me a cold climate Australian or Spanish 'sparkling' anyday.

There's a good chance it is old and probably heat damaged from lack of proper shipping and storage. What were you drinking? Do you get much in your area aside from the overpriced, mass-market poo poo?

Overwined
Sep 22, 2008

Wine can of their wits the wise beguile,
Make the sage frolic, and the serious smile.
However, you should note that many totally fine Champagnes have a yeasty flavor that you don't get in any other wine.

gay picnic defence
Oct 5, 2009


I'M CONCERNED ABOUT A NUMBER OF THINGS
You'd hardly describe that as musty though, would you?

gay picnic defence
Oct 5, 2009


I'M CONCERNED ABOUT A NUMBER OF THINGS

Perfectly Cromulent posted:

There's a good chance it is old and probably heat damaged from lack of proper shipping and storage. What were you drinking? Do you get much in your area aside from the overpriced, mass-market poo poo?

If its $45, its probably the entry level offerings from the big houses, so yeah mass market poo poo.

paradigmblue
Oct 12, 2003
Quick question -

I live in a small town, and have started to get a reputation as "the wine guy", due to my weekly tastings I host at a local restaurant and a weekly 20 minute radio show I do about wine.

Lately I've been getting requests for me to come to people's houses and do private tastings, pair wines for gourmet dinner clubs, and to select wines and host tastings for different charity organizations.

While I love wine and talking about wine, I'm also very busy, and I can't keep doing all of these events for free. Are there any guidelines for what appropriate compensation is for these services, or am I out of line even thinking about charging?

If I do wind up charging, should I get a business licence? If any of you wine pros can help me out I would appreciate it.

consensual poster
Sep 1, 2009

4liters posted:

Dont drink Champagne. You can get tassie sparklings that are the equal of any French prestige cuvee for a fraction of the price. Try Arras, Heemskerk, Bay of Fires etc.

Do you mean don't drink Champagne generally, or don't drink Champagne in Australia?

gay picnic defence
Oct 5, 2009


I'M CONCERNED ABOUT A NUMBER OF THINGS
The second one.

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Crimson
Nov 7, 2002

paradigmblue posted:

Quick question -

I live in a small town, and have started to get a reputation as "the wine guy", due to my weekly tastings I host at a local restaurant and a weekly 20 minute radio show I do about wine.

Lately I've been getting requests for me to come to people's houses and do private tastings, pair wines for gourmet dinner clubs, and to select wines and host tastings for different charity organizations.

While I love wine and talking about wine, I'm also very busy, and I can't keep doing all of these events for free. Are there any guidelines for what appropriate compensation is for these services, or am I out of line even thinking about charging?

If I do wind up charging, should I get a business licence? If any of you wine pros can help me out I would appreciate it.

I get paid $150-200 for parties of generally about 12-20 people, for about 4-5 hours of work. This includes selecting wines before hand, and doing a small presentation at some point teaching them about wine (usually focused on the particular region of their wines for the evening). I'm also part of the service team, maintaining everyone's glasses. And I generally just hang out and schmooze with them, people always have 1,001 questions about wine.

The charge is also not from a tips pool, but rather a built-in sommelier charge that goes directly to me. You are absolutely not out of line charging! People get paid decent money to do this. My situation is a little different because I'm an employee of a hotel, and the sales team sells my services. But I hope this helps, you definitely should be getting paid for your expertise and time.

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