The Chances We Take With Old Wine

If you have ever had the opportunity to taste and/or drink old red wine you know it can be hit or miss.  Well, I decided to try a 1987 Orlando Alexander's Coonawarra Cabernet.  Believe me this was a huge miss.  I have to admit, looking at the bottle I thought there was a small chance it could be okay-ish.  The cork came out fine.  Didn't crumble but there was definitely staining right to the top.  When I poured it in the glass it looked brick red which is expected for an old red.  I swirled it in the glass like the typical wine wanker to 'give it some air' of course.  I can tell you here and now it did not need air.  It needed resuscitating.  It was dead, kaput, lifeless and it smelt terrible. Regardless, I decided to taste it.  Guess who need resuscitating after the taste.  I really can't describe the taste except to say it was not good and if you happen to have some, try it now, and I mean get off your computer and try it now.  You may be lucky enough to have a couple of good bottles but be prepared to do what I did and pour it down the sink.  There is always a risk that older wines will be 'over the hill' but believe me, when you get the chance to taste old red wine, do it.  It could well be a hit.  'Til next time and remember to live simply, laugh often, wine alot.

Gold, Silver or Bronze. Let The Consumer Decide

Reading the local rag today, the results of a wine show were published indicating which wines won a gold, silver or bronze medal.  In case you didn't know, in the wine show world this doesn't mean a wine came first, second or third.  It is based on a point scoring system.  The more points, the better the medal.  Surely there must be some good wines amongst the ones that didn't win a medal...surely. Believe me there are. These wine shows have their place, but the judges are normally experts about wine whether it be the technical side of making the stuff, being able to identify flaws with it or how it is supposed to taste.  They make a decision on how good the wine is in their opinion only.  How often do people go into a bottle shop and see a heap of medals stuck to a bottle and think it must be good so, they buy a bottle?  They totally disregard the bottle sitting beside it because it doesn't have the same amount of bling or no bling at all.  My opinion is that the medals must influence a persons decision about a wine.  I challenge any wine judge or even a wine journalist to tell me I should like a wine because he/she likes a wine.  Do yourself a favour.  If you get the opportunity, go along to wine tastings at your local bottleshop or visit a couple of wineries, taste a few different wines and form your own opinion.  Taste is a personal thing, don't you think?  'Til next time and remember to live simply, laugh often, wine alot.