Christian Pipe Smokers

I've always been fond of this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YFab-c1zho

It is usually best to avoid concord grape wine.


Most reds are drinkable, and a guy can prefer one more than another. But concord wine is very distinct and divisive. You'll either love it or hate it, and most drinkers who enjoy wine will push the glass away after one sip.

However I have a friend who makes his own wine from concord grapes that he grows himself, and somehow his home-brew is worthy of a second glass.

My homemade muscadine wine, made from my back yard mini-vineyard, is more of a rose', which I guess is a "red". Anyway, I'm told that it's very decent.

I have also become a fan of Chianti...It is a great warm weather/sitting on the porch wine. I also like it with lighter meals, sandwiches and salads and such.

Bloodhound wrote: 16 Nov 2022, 11:32 I have also become a fan of Chianti...It is a great warm weather/sitting on the porch wine. I also like it with lighter meals, sandwiches and salads and such.

That's the key difference between many American wines and their European counterparts. European wines tend to be acidic because they're meant to be consumed with food. American wines tend to be alcoholized grape bombs with high sweetness and low acidity and can be drunk alone. They both have their place, just not really for me anymore.

Hugo Drax wrote: 16 Nov 2022, 11:57

Bloodhound wrote: 16 Nov 2022, 11:32 I have also become a fan of Chianti...It is a great warm weather/sitting on the porch wine. I also like it with lighter meals, sandwiches and salads and such.

That's the key difference between many American wines and their European counterparts. European wines tend to be acidic because they're meant to be consumed with food. American wines tend to be alcoholized grape bombs with high sweetness and low acidity and can be drunk alone. They both have their place, just not really for me anymore.

When I was a kid, my mom would make spaghetti, and get a bottle of wine for her and her friend or date to drink. She always got a bottle in a woven straw and said it was Italian wine to go with the dinner. I remember her saying it was "Cheap Wine" It looked like this. But there are good Chiantis to be had and I like them both alone or with food

Bloodhound wrote: 16 Nov 2022, 12:10

Hugo Drax wrote: 16 Nov 2022, 11:57

Bloodhound wrote: 16 Nov 2022, 11:32 I have also become a fan of Chianti...It is a great warm weather/sitting on the porch wine. I also like it with lighter meals, sandwiches and salads and such.

That's the key difference between many American wines and their European counterparts. European wines tend to be acidic because they're meant to be consumed with food. American wines tend to be alcoholized grape bombs with high sweetness and low acidity and can be drunk alone. They both have their place, just not really for me anymore.

When I was a kid, my mom would make spaghetti, and get a bottle of wine for her and her friend or date to drink. She always got a bottle in a woven straw and said it was Italian wine to go with the dinner. I remember her saying it was "Cheap Wine" It looked like this. But there are good Chiantis to be had and I like them both alone or with food

When I was a kid, our friends drank this wine and then used the bottles for candle holders. I can still see the caked-up wax drippings that ran down in multicolored cascades.

Nice folks, good memories.

Bloodhound wrote: 16 Nov 2022, 12:10

Hugo Drax wrote: 16 Nov 2022, 11:57

Bloodhound wrote: 16 Nov 2022, 11:32 I have also become a fan of Chianti...It is a great warm weather/sitting on the porch wine. I also like it with lighter meals, sandwiches and salads and such.

That's the key difference between many American wines and their European counterparts. European wines tend to be acidic because they're meant to be consumed with food. American wines tend to be alcoholized grape bombs with high sweetness and low acidity and can be drunk alone. They both have their place, just not really for me anymore.

When I was a kid, my mom would make spaghetti, and get a bottle of wine for her and her friend or date to drink. She always got a bottle in a woven straw and said it was Italian wine to go with the dinner. I remember her saying it was "Cheap Wine" It looked like this. But there are good Chiantis to be had and I like them both alone or with food

The best Italian Chianti has a black rooster on the neck label. Seriously.

For a domestic Merlot, hunt for a Hahn, or a Chatom. Superb Merlots!
For Pinot Noirs, I'm still exploring those as they are supposed to be good for the heart.
For Italian (other than Chiantis with a black rooster on the label) l recommend Friuli (modestly priced) and Barbaresco (in the $30 range).

I agree that Apothic is good stuff---Gallo is so large they can make anything they want and Apothic is one of the best they produce.

For Zinfandels, I find the Old Vine types are mellower than the standard fare.
For a domestic Claret, Cribari is my favorite---I can't get any here unless I go drive out to the winery because all the bottles are shipped to the East coast. The first sip is brutal but it improves with each sip. By the time you reach the bottom of the glass (or bottle) it's damned tasty!
Claret is funny that way.

For domestic Ports, I like both Ficklin and Quady. Ficklin's Tawny Port goes really well with popcorn.

Those are just off the top of my head