The Auswine Forum

As the only person in the house that drinks wine, and with few acquaintances that enjoy wine, I am often left with the onerous task of finishing a bottle independently. When I do open one up, I normally have a glass or two per night until it's gone or spoiled. If I am particularly concerned about longevity I pour some off in to a 375 mL bottle to the rim and consider storing it in the fridge. I normally don't do anything too poetic while drinking it, and just ensure that I am in the right place and frame of mind to appreciate it, whatever that may be. But I am interested to hear what you do.

Do you drink with company? Mainly ever with food? Or perhaps you lounge pensively in a leather chair in front of an open fire?

How do you enjoy your wine?

All the above ways and more! But seriuosly I do enjoy the mix of food and wine with my partner. A good rare steak and an aged Cabernet with my partner is my idea of heaven. Only trouble is half a bottle is just not enough. I'm currently in Sydney on family business and there's no-one at home but me. The last 2 nights I have made a real mess of myself watching the footy with a fine bottle of red. It certainly make the footy more interesting by yourself.

Carl

Before I even think about opening a bottle I need to buy a sacrificial hound. There's a pet store that caters to wine enthusiasts near my apartment so that is my go to place on that front. The first cup is mixed with a stock (beef for hearty reds, chicken/duck for light reds, vegetable/fish for most whites) heated and poured into a foot spa. I set up two televisions and two bluray players next to one another. On one I play Sideways and on the other I play the Japanese remake. I dip my feet in the spa and and pour the second dose into a cup made of TCA infected corks. I let it infuse a while, slowly swirling while I contemplate the differences between the two films. I usually don't drink anything until I get to their first winery tasting. I sniff for muted fruit, wet paper, mould... pour a little on myself then gulp it down. Third, fourth and fifth cups are drunk rapidly. Final cup is poured and empty bottle smashed. Hound is sacrificed with broken shards, blood mixed with final cup. Overcome with guilt, I drink it between sobs, reflecting on what I have done. When finished a press a button next to my armchair which signals to my maid Coco that it is time for her to clean up the room. I go to bed and sleep like a baby.

I was going to joke I need an antique leather arm chair, fire place, and to be stroking a Spaniel to property enjoy wine... But as to Panda 9D... I don't even know where to go from that...

I might hazard a suggestion Mr Panda, that you have perhaps been in Japan too long?

timmspe wrote:As the only person in the house that drinks wine, and with few acquaintances that enjoy wine, I am often left with the onerous task of finishing a bottle independently. When I do open one up, I normally have a glass or two per night until it's gone or spoiled. If I am particularly concerned about longevity I pour some off in to a 375 mL bottle to the rim and consider storing it in the fridge?

Perhaps invest in a Coravin....

Cheers

Mike

Ahhh in a glass?

Mostly glass after glass after glass after glass after glass after galss after gaslss after gsals after sglas

daz wrote:Mostly glass after glass after glass after glass after glass after galss after gaslss after gsals after sglas

I was going to say "In a glass" but I think yours is much more amusing.

Orally.

Alright, point taken. However, enjoying wine 'with a glass' and 'orally' should not be taken for granted. There is a sport that is popular in some places, as you may know, where cask wine is consumed hands free and administered by a group of others. And I probably do not need to remind anyone about the tampons...

sjw_11 wrote:I was going to joke I need an antique leather arm chair, fire place, and to be stroking a Spaniel to property enjoy wine... But as to Panda 9D... I don't even know where to go from that...

I might hazard a suggestion Mr Panda, that you have perhaps been in Japan too long?

I'm more into Spaniards than Spaniels. Say Penelope Cruz. The list is long.

Drinking in company that appreciate wine enhances the experience for me, and I think it does for most people (especially for those who are seriously interested in wine). I usually drink with/after food, but will occasionally have a glass before food. I find that the best wine drinking experiences are those where the combination of company, food, environment, occasion, time of day, music, etc all come together. Rosés are better drunk in/near sunshine with lighter foods and frivolous company, an aged Cabernet is better with close company and a rich meaty meal by a fireplace in the late evening, for example. Nothing profound in that, but it takes a lifetime to work out which is the "perfect" wine for the particular company, particular occasion, particular food, etc - and for me, that's part of the fun of it. When the match works, it's fantastic, awesome.

...

But wow, an honestly inquisitive question about wine from the OP, and the above is the response it has received: only one or two even vaguely serious responses (from Chuck/Carl and Mike) out of nine people responding. And even when the OP chimes back in, with "alright, point taken", the stream continues. This thread is a perfect example of why Auswine sucks as a wine forum these days: irreverent to the point of meaninglessness. I don't know why I even bother visiting this site anymore...

If you are interested in a thoughtful response from multiple posters, timmspe, I suggest you find another wine forum to post on (they are easy enough to find).

Hmm, I guess some just don't take wine discussions as seriously as others? I enjoy a laugh from a forum as much as a serious discussion, hopefully this forum has room for both, and I hope the OP didn't take any offense.

I'm definitely up for highbrow contemplation and seeking profound matches of fine wine, food, company and music, but other times it's just a casual glass of wine with my wife or friends and neighbours... "wine?, oh yeah, it's decent, that's nice, anyway what were you saying?"

I think the comment 'How do you enjoy your wine?" was just ripe for the picking, and many pounced (reminded me of spam actually, but wasn't).

Anyway, my answer? "All sorts of ways, it's great fun, endlessly evolving and intriguing. But sometimes I just prefer a beer."

Cheers
TiggerK

Wow, what a variety of responses. I suspect some are a little tongue in cheek ......which is NOT how I enjoy my wine, BTW

It depends to a degree how much you have been infected by the wine bug. There are some misguided people that suggest that drinking on your own implies alcoholism - I simply think of it as a contuation of the learning experience that I have been on for 20 years now.

I am drinking on my own as I type this. It's a Carldenn reserve chardonnay 2008 (a small Perth Hills producer), and it is part of my continued exploration of wine in general, and WA wines in particular. It's not too bad BTW, in the moderately oaked, fruit dominant style from a warmer climate. For the price, pretty good, and the main reason I am testing it out is that I will be returning to the establishment in question in the near future, and considering more purchases.

Regardless, I much prefer to share a wine, especially with a person or people that have a similar interest in, and analysis of, the wine as I do. The discussion flows, the wine is centre stage for that brief moment, before you delve back into the issues of the day, or the food that you (or someone else) has prepared to match the wine. And that match provikes more wine related conversation ..... and the cycle repeats.

It also depends on your circumstances. If you are a wine buff and you live alone (as I do most of the time), how do you rally around sufficient quantities of people on a regular basis to help you drink your wine in company? I keep a set of empty screwcapped half bottles so I don't feel compelled to drink the entire bottle on opening, and that works well - not just alone, but when hosting a dinner party and your guests (or the chef) are ready to change wines.

Now, did someone call for a serious answer to this post? All good.

Allan

Thank you, dingozegan. Thanks also to Carl, Allan, TiggerK and Mike for your contribution. I originally planned to make the title of the thread 'how do you drink your wine.' Then I thought that that would taken far too literally, and that 'how do you enjoy your wine' would be a much safer option (apparently not). Admittedly, I was still expecting 'sniff, sip, and swallow etc.' to be somewhere in the mix, but fortunately most of these 'witty' responses have been a lot more inventive. Panda 9D, daz. I started living in a wine region at the beginning of the year, and am new to wine. Previously, I was unaware as to how fantastic it can be. I can see that most of the time, the best way to enjoy wine is simply to enjoy wine, but why not check for suggestions and new ways to enhance the experience from time to time. It might have been an irrelevant question, but then again, you don't know what you don't know.

While I can't speak for other guilty parties, I can't even begin to fathom what came over me when I wrote that senseless bilge. I can only guess that my subconscious intention must have been to hurt the OP and undermine any attempt at serious conversation on the board. For all of this I am truly sorry. But there are ways to enjoy being sorry.

First of all, before issuing an apology I like to buy some sherry vinegar, a typewriter ink ribbon and a pot of venus fly traps...

Serious answer: With other people that dig wine, preferably at night. I don't drink wine alone unless I have to get stuff ready for work or am tasting someone's range for work.

dingozegan wrote:Drinking in company that appreciate wine enhances the experience for me, and I think it does for most people (especially for those who are seriously interested in wine). I usually drink with/after food, but will occasionally have a glass before food. I find that the best wine drinking experiences are those where the combination of company, food, environment, occasion, time of day, music, etc all come together. Rosés are better drunk in/near sunshine with lighter foods and frivolous company, an aged Cabernet is better with close company and a rich meaty meal by a fireplace in the late evening, for example. Nothing profound in that, but it takes a lifetime to work out which is the "perfect" wine for the particular company, particular occasion, particular food, etc - and for me, that's part of the fun of it. When the match works, it's fantastic, awesome.

...

But wow, an honestly inquisitive question about wine from the OP, and the above is the response it has received: only one or two even vaguely serious responses (from Chuck/Carl and Mike) out of nine people responding. And even when the OP chimes back in, with "alright, point taken", the stream continues. This thread is a perfect example of why Auswine sucks as a wine forum these days: irreverent to the point of meaninglessness. I don't know why I even bother visiting this site anymore...

If you are interested in a thoughtful response from multiple posters, timmspe, I suggest you find another wine forum to post on (they are easy enough to find).

With 37 posts you obviously are a long-time contributor here. This format of Auswine Forum is the third I've been a part of, my post count having been reset as a result of a change of screen name when the current format was introduced. There are no rules for the enjoyment of wine of any variety or style such as, "Rosés are better drunk in/near sunshine with lighter foods and frivolous company, an aged Cabernet is better with close company and a rich meaty meal by a fireplace in the late evening". So frivolity is only to be practised or enjoyed whilst drinking rose and aged cabernet when you're trying to crack onto a sheila you fancy? PFFFTT. Go suck up the fun at Starforum, see ya, wouldn't want to be ya. Whackheads like you make me feel like pouring my glass of wine down the drain and having a big glass of whisky instead to regain a sense of reality and humanity, dull my sensitivity to nitwits who probably don't even pay for subscription to wine information sites.

Copiously ...

Auswine has retained it's character and is the place to discuss Australian wine on the interweb - and if anyone can point me to better let me know. I like it here as it's relaxed, unpretentious and people take the piss without (normally) getting annoyed. Panda's post was funny, non-offensive, and maybe Python-esque (unless you are a hound). The problem now is finding something new to say on wine but I enjoy the TNs and should post more myself. I wish I were your side of the world as I would do every offline. Thanks to Sparky upsetting the UK Wine Forum there is a Grange offline being planned in London and TNs will be posted here ...

daz wrote:
With 37 posts you obviously are a long-time contributor here. This format of Auswine Forum is the third I've been a part of, my post count having been reset as a result of a change of screen name when the current format was introduced...

Thank you for confirming my suspicion that a person needs to have a certain amount of forum 'cred' before they can be taken seriously, and that a forum member's worth is related to the number of forum postings they have made. By the way, dingozegan seems to have been visiting this forum since as early as September 2009. Does that count for anything? Pettiness aside, I haven't found a better alternative, and I still find the forum worth reading occasionally.

It doesn't matter how many posts you have...daz has 900+ and he still thinks cork is airtight .

I think a lot of people are just having fun...hard to take forums too seriously.....they're definitely worth reading and contributing to but no point in getting bent out of shape. Forums are terrible places for people that don't like hearing a different opinion. The forums without those different opinions, the ones people call a "circle jerk"...those die off..why? They're boring, there is nothing to learn, there is nothing to talk about...

There aren't many forums out there that talk about Australian wine...I think there are two..and the other one has been really slow lately..There are two other private ones that require a paid membership so no idea how those are going...

There are other ones out there that barely touch Aussie wine.....but I don't think you'll find responses any different...Some responses will be serious..others will not be...

I think the point is, if the poster has only 37 posts since 2009... why suddenly chime in with:

"This thread is a perfect example of why Auswine sucks as a wine forum these days"

Which is effectively the same as directly insulting all of the posters like Daz, like myself for that matter, like TiggerK, Dan_Smee, Ian4sir, Waiters Friend, Sparky, Rens, etc etc etc and all the others who DO post regularly

Apart from wanting to join an offline (! why, if we are all such idiots, I cant even fathom) this is the first post this person has made since February.

If you dont like the forum, why suddenly jump in to say nothing except how much we suck?? Its not a question of "posting cred" its a question of bl**dy politeness

That this thread could cause a dummy spit is incredible. Dingodezan, if you haven't found valuable information here since 2009, I doubt you'd find it anywhere. I personally hope you stay around because with gems like "Rosés are better drunk in/near sunshine with lighter foods and frivolous company, an aged Cabernet is better with close company and a rich meaty meal by a fireplace in the late evening..." I'm sure there are any more cliches we can learn from you.

'Drinking alone' - I must have a problem then...I dont mind at all chilling out with a red while cooking dinnner, watching a game of AFL...the Ashes etc when the wife and kid are out or asleep.

Sorry if my "orally" reply touched a nerve. I thought it was bloody funny. So, to un-suck my reply, I like to drink wine over dinner and with my wife, family and friends. If I'm out and about, I don't mind a glass without food.

There, the Auswine forum has been saved! Hurrah!

Cheers, Travis.

Firstly Dingo is a friend of mine.Obviously I’m biased but he’s very considerate, incredibly passionate about wine and even makes a mean drop. I honestly think if we all held a massive offline, we’d collectively get on famously.
Actually, that’s an idea, an Auswine offline extravganza (Perth, QLD, Sydney, Melb, etc all convene in Adelaide…La Paulee style )
What do you think Gavin??

Secondly, while I also felt Dingos comments were heavy handed (I really enjoy this forum), I understood the original premise of his post.
A new poster (timmspe), trying to engage, ending up with mostly piss takes as replies seemed inappropriate (to me anyway) given the circumstances.
One of the best things of this forum is newbies are typically welcomed and rightfully made to feel at home.

Sam, i understand what you mean but I’m sure Tigger, Mong, Dave etc (who know Dingo well) would say the same as me and prefer that we write this off as one of those online squabbles not worth continuing.
Timmspe, be sure to keep posting here mate, we’ll laugh about this at a future offline for sure 

To answer your question.. I love banter with bigger groups, and the Grape Mate tastings are classic, but how I most enjoy wine is typically less than 6 people, in a relatively relaxed/quiet environment. Preferably afternoon as I’m a terrible fader at night. #oldbeforemytime
In fact I joined 3 other forumites for a while one Sunday afternoon recently, it was great and only 4 of us meant 2 glasses each of each bottle. That’s v important to me as the second glass always shows me something more/different than the first. And it means I don’t have to sit painfully waiting for a single serve to evolve in the glass. Which I cant be arsed to do at the best of times.

Cheers
Old man Michael

Banter and taking the piss is all part of the fun, but timmspe (the OP) hadn't received a single serious response in those first 10 response posts, and I thought that was a little inconsiderate/impolite/unfair. Perhaps his question wasn't worded to others' tastes, but it seemed a legitimate query to me that deserved a considered response.

Striking a balance between taking the piss and serious discussion about wine (and everything in between) is obviously the ideal and I felt Auswine was off-balance on this occasion - which seems to have become a more common trend on Auswine in recent years.

Panda 9D wrote:I personally hope you stay around because with gems like "Rosés are better drunk in/near sunshine with lighter foods and frivolous company, an aged Cabernet is better with close company and a rich meaty meal by a fireplace in the late evening..." I'm sure there are any more cliches we can learn from you.

Clearly, I offered that as an example (and certainly a clichéd example) to illustrate a simple point: that individuals explore combinations and find those they like (which may change with time), and that's part of the fun of wine. Obviously it wasn't meant as a rule for everyone (nor as some kind of personal ideal of mine).

sjw_11 wrote:

"This thread is a perfect example of why Auswine sucks as a wine forum these days"

Which is effectively the same as directly insulting all of the posters like Daz, like myself for that matter, like TiggerK, Dan_Smee, Ian4sir, Waiters Friend, Sparky, Rens, etc etc etc and all the others who DO post regularly
Apart from wanting to join an offline (! why, if we are all such idiots, I cant even fathom) this is the first post this person has made since February.
If you dont like the forum, why suddenly jump in to say nothing except how much we suck?? Its not a question of "posting cred" its a question of bl**dy politeness

I was not attacking individuals, but commenting on the culture of the forum (I'd hope it's possible to do that without indirectly insulting every regular poster, and in no way did I ever intimate - or do I think - that people here are "idiots"). (BTW, it doesn't look like any of the regular posters you mention - apart from yourself - contributed to this thread prior to my post. If they had done so, then quite probably the OP would have received a considered response sooner, and we wouldn't even be having this discussion.)

Perhaps stating that "Auswine sucks as a wine forum these days" was too harsh, and my last comment antagonistic - an over-the-top response out of frustration perhaps. In fairness, I do appreciate that (at least a core of) people gain wine-related value from this forum, and certainly not all threads here are like how this one started out. If we are talking about politeness, though, I don't consider the initial response that timmspe received as particularly polite. Pointing this out (and in the way I did) perhaps overstepped the mark, but at least the thread now has some actual discussion about wine in it (even if a little vitriole in the mix), and addresses the original query, so thanks to timmspe for the OP, and TiggerK, Waiters Friend, Polymer, Travis and Michael R for your responses. May the culture of Auswine continue in the vein of those responses. Peace.

Get a sense of humour

daz wrote:Get a sense of humour

Another grumpy 4am post daz, go to bed! He already has a good sense of humour.

dingozegan wrote:

sjw_11 wrote:

"This thread is a perfect example of why Auswine sucks as a wine forum these days"

Which is effectively the same as directly insulting all of the posters like Daz, like myself for that matter, like TiggerK, Dan_Smee, Ian4sir, Waiters Friend, Sparky, Rens, etc etc etc and all the others who DO post regularly
Apart from wanting to join an offline (! why, if we are all such idiots, I cant even fathom) this is the first post this person has made since February.
If you dont like the forum, why suddenly jump in to say nothing except how much we suck?? Its not a question of "posting cred" its a question of bl**dy politeness

I was not attacking individuals, but commenting on the culture of the forum (I'd hope it's possible to do that without indirectly insulting every regular poster, and in no way did I ever intimate - or do I think - that people here are "idiots"). (BTW, it doesn't look like any of the regular posters you mention - apart from yourself - contributed to this thread prior to my post. If they had done so, then quite probably the OP would have received a considered response sooner, and we wouldn't even be having this discussion.

(obviously my emphasis added)


Well mate if you werent attacking individuals before you sure are now... Sorry not individuals, just me.
Fine if it is just my posts which are crap obviuously I should stop posting... far be it from me to ruin the forum for you.