Hi, and a few questions...

[milky]

Hi all,

I've been following this forum for a while now, and another which I notice quite a number of this forum's users also participate in. It's been very educating and fun reading the various posts. Now is the time for me to join in and ask some 'silly' questions...

My family is having a nice dinner tomorrow night to celebrate mum-in-law's birthday. We're going to a nice Italian restaurant in Adelaide's east. Planning to bring along a bottle of 2001 JC 'Johann' for the occasion. However, since it'll only be myself and my father-in-law doing most of the drinking, and one of use has to drive... i think we will not be able to finish the bottle.

Q1: It's perfectly fine for us to bring a bottle, then take whatever is not finished home, right?
Q2: Anyone think I should hold out the 2001 'Johann' a while longer (I have always been drinking relatively young red wines)?
Q3: I'm thinking I should double-decant to allow the wine to open a bit before drinking at the restaurant. Should I bother with this wine? If so, do I rinse the bottle with normal tap-water before putting the wine back?

Thanks in advance for any input!

[PaulG]

Hi and welcome, Milky!

In answer to your first question, as long as the restaurant has a BYO licence (and you have paid corkage) you should be able to take it home - just ask to keep the cork when they open it!

[Aaron Lovett]

And the answer to question 2 is: How long is a piece of string? The 2001 Johann is a great wine and is still a pup. If you like drinking wines young then I'm sure you'll like drinking this. However, I still think there is some benefit in holding on, but absolutely no problem in drinking now.

Question 3: Yes double decant for sure. This will help the wine open up before getting to the restaurant (plus you can check for any nasty TCA or cork faults at home rather than being unpleasantly surprised at the restaurant). Give the bottle a quick rinse for any sediment lurking at the bottom of the bottle, and dry as best as possible (a few drops of water won't hurt).

Hope you have a great night. Let us know how you get on.

[Aaron Lovett]

However, since it'll only be myself and my father-in-law doing most of the drinking, and one of use has to drive... i think we will not be able to finish the bottle.

While I'm at it, bottle of red contains about 9 standard drinks. The general guidleine for men is 2 standard drinks an hour, and then 1 every hour after to stay under 0.05. For women, it is one standard drink in the first hour. So unless you're dinner is 3+ hours, plan to take some wine home (hey, it may even be better the next day) or catch a taxi.

[fatdoi]

it depends how you like your wine.... if you want to drink it fresh, full of initial attack, 2 hours will do the job but for me with this big baby, i'll pop it around lunch time & leave it for 5-6 hours just to calm it down & bringing out the secondary flavours.... but all in all it'll depend on what style you like.....

[bacchaebabe]

Hey, with the standard drinks thing, that's a very broad guideline designed for people of equal size and weight. If you're a small man then go with the women's guidelines and if you're a big girl ('s blouse) go with the men's guideline and if you're a big man, go for your life.

I got a breathalyser a few years ago and when drinking with my friedns of different shapes and sizes, the readings really varied quite a lot despite us all drinking the same. The bigger you are, the more you can legally drink to be legal.

[milky]

Thanks for all the replies.

I reckon I'll open the bottle to breathe for ~2 hours (maybe squeeze in a sip of liquid oak), before putting it back to the washed bottle. Would be interesting to see how the wine develops over 3-4 hours...

Cheers!

[malliemcg]

Check your states drink driving laws also - some have a no open alcohol containers in the car. Stupid in the case of something in the boot, but depending on the type of cop you may or may not get and where it is in the car on the way home, you could run afoul of a technicality in the law.

[monghead]

Hey, with the standard drinks thing, that's a very broad guideline designed for people of equal size and weight. If you're a small man then go with the women's guidelines and if you're a big girl ('s blouse) go with the men's guideline and if you're a big man, go for your life.

I got a breathalyser a few years ago and when drinking with my friedns of different shapes and sizes, the readings really varied quite a lot despite us all drinking the same. The bigger you are, the more you can legally drink to be legal.

However, you know, you could be pretty s@%tfaced, and still be under 0.05, but in no shape to drive...

I reckon, if it is a couple (ie 2) of drinks, it should be ok, but if it is any more, catch a cab...

2c.

[daz]

F**** it, just pay for a taxi and enjoy yourself!!

[GraemeG]

While I'm at it, bottle of red contains about 9 standard drinks. The general guidleine for men is 2 standard drinks an hour, and then 1 every hour after to stay under 0.05.

Drink a lot of Rutherglen reds, do you?
14% is 8.3 std drinks, 13.5% = 8.0. Dunno what the Johann is, or how accurate its labelling, but gosh, someone else at the table is going to have a taste, surely, and you're eating as well, and it's going to be a long night, isn't it...?
Not worth blowing DUI, obviously, but note Bacchaebabe's comments.
cheers,
Graeme

[milky]

Well, the dinner came and went... and I ended up not taking the JC 'Johann'. Btw, I filed the info wrongly in my head, it was an 02, not 01... (02 was a great Barossa vintage, right?)

We went yum-cha at Ding Hao restaurant for early lunch, then went shopping. By the time we got home, I was only left with less than 2 hours to decant the wine. Not wanting to "under-do" the 'Johann', I decided to open a bottle of the (cellar door only) Coriole "Old Barn" 2006 Shiraz-Cabernet - yes, younger than the 'Johann', but I rather keep the 'Johann' to explore how it'll be like in a few more years (it's the only bottle I have, so better treasure it! )

Anyway, on opening, a sneaky taste of the "Old Barn" showed up tight and brooding... but i thought the amount of fruit on it would have this enjoyable after breathing for a while. It was decanted for ~1 hour, then (at the restaurant) left in a decanter for another 30 min. By the time we got to it, the wine had opened up a fair bit, showing nice fruit, and I thought the oak & tannin was balanced out nicely. It was smooth and had good palate weight. Overall, a very enjoyable wine in its youth!

On the issue of not finishing - we had a late inclusion for the meal, so we had 2.5-3 drinks each. So, after a 3 hour sitting, I was okay to drive (have tested before that I can afford 3 drinks in 3 hours easily ). So, a non-issue.

Twas a great night. Food was fantastic, and wine was v enjoyable... I'll post a review of the restaurant on the "Food & Wine" section.

Cheers for all the advice (that I have not taken!)