Wine At Posh Restaurant

[norrahe]

Inspired by this thread, can any of you wine buff help me with this one?

A contractor I worked with a couple of years ago use to buy wine as an ‘investment’ and had it stored for him. He use to brag how much it was worth and every year use to buy a few cases of ‘bougalais’ he said he had some that was several years old and he thought was worth a small fortune.

Forgive me but I thought a ‘New Wine’ this would have been totally worthless?

It depends on the wine, the vintage, and the winery.

These days wine is not a very good investment, as many of the major wine houses are not doing so well and some harvests are proving difficult with global warming.

[lexington_spurs]

I was burglerd yesterday found it this morning, currently waiting for emergency window repairers to get here

so you're getting robbed a second time?

sorry to hear that mate, remember to set the man traps next time you're out.

if the conversation over dinner slows up a bit, you can always tell her about that nice patio you built just after the previous girlfriend vanished? Women love creative men who are good with their hands!

[expat]

It is generally white for fish because usually fish is more delicate than meat. There might be some exceptions if the fish is very meaty but as a good rule white-fish is the best pair. If in doubt always go for italian wine, the base standards are higher than in other countries.

Somewhat chauvinistic of Francko: what on earth does he mean by "the base standards"? If he means health and safety, run-of-the-mill Italian wines do not have a good record for undeclared and even illegal additives. If he means taste, many inexpensive Italian red wines are rather thin for today's palate.

Italian wines are certainly on my list, and in my house, but "special" only to an Italian

If you do have to buy in complete ignorance, try this:
1. red with meat, white with fish; and usually with chicken too. Also BTW cuts through a curry whereas red fights it and loses.
2. If the house wine is no good, the restaurant is no good. No shame in drinking the "house", you are just trusting the restaurateur. If there are several house wines, take a more expensive one.
3. If buying a bottle (and you are 100% in the dark), buy the second-cheapest, or third-most-expensive.

In so far as you are able to tell me you disagree with what I say, so far are you able to ignore it.

[gingerjedi]

I always avoid Italian wine, maybe I’m not spending enough? I find South American and Australian reds are best in the sub £4.99 category.

[Francko]

Somewhat chauvinistic of Francko: what on earth does he mean by "the base standards"? If he means health and safety, run-of-the-mill Italian wines do not have a good record for undeclared and even illegal additives. If he means taste, many inexpensive Italian red wines are rather thin for today's palate.

Italian wines are certainly on my list, and in my house, but "special" only to an Italian

Well, surely there are and have been quite a lot of scandals in companies not respecting the rules but as a principle the rules are much more stricter in Italy for wine making. So even the cheapest wines (Tavernello in the plastic box) is still much better than the cheapest french ones. At high levels they compete hand in hand. It's more of a marketing thing that french wines are posher and more luxurious but in reality they are just about the same range, just as spumante-champagne. You only get a very limited selection of italian wines in England so I don't think you can say that they are "thin", you can surely find any type you need.

[Mich the Tester]

Well, surely there are and have been quite a lot of scandals in companies not respecting the rules but as a principle the rules are much more stricter in Italy for wine making. So even the cheapest wines (Tavernello in the plastic box) is still much better than the cheapest french ones. At high levels they compete hand in hand. It's more of a marketing thing that french wines are posher and more luxurious but in reality they are just about the same range, just as spumante-champagne. You only get a very limited selection of italian wines in England so I don't think you can say that they are "thin", you can surely find any type you need.

I'm with Francko on this one, but I have no idea what the selection of Italian wines is like in the UK. Here in NL it's very good, and you'll generally get much better value for your euros from Italy than France.

[Bumfluff]

It went well overall, picked a £30 bottle of red and it was fine, though 2 gin and tonics were £23 at the bar ! The meal was amazing best I have eaten in a posh restuarant and was well worth the money, staff werent snobby at all but really nice and helpful, I'm going to book it up again. Total bill was £204 for 2 that included wine and 12.5% service charge so not to bad, expensive but I didnt feel wripped off. I didn't fancy my guest though to be honest so didnt follow that through, but good company

[AtW]

Total bill was £204 for 2 that included wine and 12.5% service charge so not to bad, expensive but I didnt feel wripped off. I didn't fancy my guest though to be honest so didnt follow that through, but good company

[Bumfluff]

We went 50/50 on the bill, I'm such a gentlemen

[AtW]

We went 50/50 on the bill, I'm such a gentlemen

No wonder you are posting now rather than in late afternoon tomorrow...