Recipes

[Black Cat Back]

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@Venezia wrote:

Yoga (or some other form of exercise) might be better for dealing with stress than alcohol, but that's JMO.

If you're determined to use wine as a stress reliever, any cheap plonk will do.  No need to spend a lot on it; decent whites are usually cheaper than reds.

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I walk 90 min a day, I lift weights 3x a week for an hour, I'm very active and exercise.

I just want to have wine available in case it is needed for a variety of reasons.

[BExplorer]

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@Foggy morning wrote:

When friends and relatives have visited, even the non-wine drinkers, wanting to try a glass, enjoy a glass of Riesling.  Chilled.  It's a white wine and not too sweet.

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I agree with the Riesling suggestion for someone new to wine.  That is where I started and now drink bold, dry reds.  

[alliswell]

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@Venezia wrote:

Yoga (or some other form of exercise) might be better for dealing with stress than alcohol, but that's JMO.

If you're determined to use wine as a stress reliever, any cheap plonk will do.  No need to spend a lot on it; decent whites are usually cheaper than reds.

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Agreed!  

Or try Prosecco . . .  it's kind of like, an inexpensive champagne, very light and refreshing.

[Black Cat Back]

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@alliswell wrote:

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@Venezia wrote:

Yoga (or some other form of exercise) might be better for dealing with stress than alcohol, but that's JMO.

If you're determined to use wine as a stress reliever, any cheap plonk will do.  No need to spend a lot on it; decent whites are usually cheaper than reds.

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Agreed!  

Or try Prosecco . . .  it's kind of like, an inexpensive champagne, very light and refreshing.

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Thx.   Will keep that in mind.  Right now I can't afford anything but what is on sale.

[tedEbear]

@HotStreet-----Walmart has wine for 2.98. Sweet Red, Moscato.  It is called Oak Leaf.  Not bad.  Niece painted wine glasses and gave us a bottle of sweet red couple of Christmases ago.  I normally don't drink wine and those two are kind of gentle.------tedEbear

[BExplorer]

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@tedEbear wrote:

@HotStreet-----Walmart has wine for 2.98. Sweet Red, Moscato.  It is called Oak Leaf.  Not bad.  Niece painted wine glasses and gave us a bottle of sweet red couple of Christmases ago.  I normally don't drink wine and those two are kind of gentle.------tedEbear

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I am pretty cheap when it comes to buying everyday wine.  I have a very inexpensive red and a very inexpensive white I buy--the white is the Oak Leaf brand at Wal-Mart, the Sauvignon Blanc.  I love it!  

[IamMrsG]

@Black Cat Back Welcome to the wonderful world of wine!  It is a very interesting subject you're about to undertake, one that can initially seem overwhelming.  Please, please do not let yourself be intimidated by those who will want to impress you with all sorts of nonsensical information.  If you think of wine like most think about soft drinks, you’ll be fine.  What I mean is some like Pepsi, some prefer Coke and still others only drink 7Up. Wine is no different.

Whatever you do, do not let yourself be influenced by price or packaging. Trust me, there are real gems to be found in sale bins for less than $5. Do not ever be afraid to try!  That is the only way to learn what you like, or dislike.

There are those (who don’t know better) who will ‘knowingly’ stick their nose into the air when talking about screw tops or boxed wines. Many vintners actually prefer screw tops to corks these days. “Corked” wine (spoiled wine) comes from bad cork, hence the name. There are many perfectly acceptable wines packaged in boxes now – and they’re usually better buys and, with the sealed bladder inside the box, they ‘keep’ better. (I’ll get to that later.)

Red or white wine is a personal taste preference, just like Pepsi or 7Up. It might be a good starting point to think of red wines as berry-like, while whites are usually more crisp, like apples or citrus. One white wine, Sauvignon Blanc (especially Kim Crawford Marlborough) can taste like grapefruit juice. Pinot Grigio, a light, refreshing white, when chilled is particularly good on a hot Summer day. Some people like sweet wine, which is generally (but certainly not always) a white wine. Not all white wines are sweet, though.

There are a few descriptive words with which you might want to familiarize yourself. The two most common are ‘dry’ and ‘tannins.’ “Dry” wine, whether red or white, just means not sweet. The words ‘tannin’, or ‘tannic,’ tossed around by some folks to describe a red, to put in a much more simplistic term, hints at ‘puckery.’ Later on, as you progress, you’ll find out about ‘mouth feel,’ ‘finish,’ ‘nose’ and many, many, many others.

If all you want now is an occasional glass of wine at night, I suggest you look for those 6-pack individual serving bottles to begin. My rationale is two-fold: One, you won’t have to open a whole bottle of wine that could oxidize (go ‘off’) before you finish it. Secondly, save those little bottles and caps for the time when you will have a partial larger bottle to save!

A little oxygen can be a good thing for wine, but, conversely, too much is a killer of wine. In spite of all the fancy contraptions out there, the best way to save an opened bottle is to transfer the remainder to a container small enough to be filled to the top, thereby displacing the air inside (Which is why you saved those smaller wine bottles and their screw caps. It also explains why boxes with collapsible bladders inside ‘keep’ better).

Oops, I’ve gone on entirely too much about wine appreciation. Believe me, I could go on more , but I think you get the gist – I believe wine enriches life.  If, as you experiment, you have questions, I would be happy to help toward that goal in whatever little way I can.  I wish you well in your learning.  

Edited to correct wonky spacing.  

[Black Cat Back]

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@IamMrsG wrote:

@Black Cat Back Welcome to the wonderful world of wine!  It is a very interesting subject you're about to undertake, one that can initially seem overwhelming.  Please, please do not let yourself be intimidated by those who will want to impress you with all sorts of nonsensical information.  If you think of wine like most think about soft drinks, you’ll be fine.  What I mean is some like Pepsi, some prefer Coke and still others only drink 7Up. Wine is no different.

Whatever you do, do not let yourself be influenced by price or packaging. Trust me, there are real gems to be found in sale bins for less than $5. Do not ever be afraid to try!  That is the only way to learn what you like, or dislike.

There are those (who don’t know better) who will ‘knowingly’ stick their nose into the air when talking about screw tops or boxed wines. Many vintners actually prefer screw tops to corks these days. “Corked” wine (spoiled wine) comes from bad cork, hence the name. There are many perfectly acceptable wines packaged in boxes now – and they’re usually better buys and, with the sealed bladder inside the box, they ‘keep’ better. (I’ll get to that later.)

Red or white wine is a personal taste preference, just like Pepsi or 7Up. It might be a good starting point to think of red wines as berry-like, while whites are usually more crisp, like apples or citrus. One white wine, Sauvignon Blanc (especially Kim Crawford Marlborough) can taste like grapefruit juice. Pinot Grigio, a light, refreshing white, when chilled is particularly good on a hot Summer day. Some people like sweet wine, which is generally (but certainly not always) a white wine. Not all white wines are sweet, though.

There are a few descriptive words with which you might want to familiarize yourself. The two most common are ‘dry’ and ‘tannins.’ “Dry” wine, whether red or white, just means not sweet. The words ‘tannin’, or ‘tannic,’ tossed around by some folks to describe a red, to put in a much more simplistic term, hints at ‘puckery.’ Later on, as you progress, you’ll find out about ‘mouth feel,’ ‘finish,’ ‘nose’ and many, many, many others.

If all you want now is an occasional glass of wine at night, I suggest you look for those 6-pack individual serving bottles to begin. My rationale is two-fold: One, you won’t have to open a whole bottle of wine that could oxidize (go ‘off’) before you finish it. Secondly, save those little bottles and caps for the time when you will have a partial larger bottle to save!

A little oxygen can be a good thing for wine, but, conversely, too much is a killer of wine. In spite of all the fancy contraptions out there, the best way to save an opened bottle is to transfer the remainder to a container small enough to be filled to the top, thereby displacing the air inside (Which is why you saved those smaller wine bottles and their screw caps. It also explains why boxes with collapsible bladders inside ‘keep’ better).

Oops, I’ve gone on entirely too much about wine appreciation. Believe me, I could go on more , but I think you get the gist – I believe wine enriches life.  If, as you experiment, you have questions, I would be happy to help toward that goal in whatever little way I can.  I wish you well in your learning.  

Edited to correct wonky spacing.  

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IamMrsG

You are too kind!   Thank you for taking the time to give me such a great lesson!   I so appreciate your respect for my lack of knowledge.  Your instructions really help me to understand.  

I did see the plastic Sutter's Home in boxes (screw cap) and thought that might be what I need first.  I don't even own a cork screw!!   I am leaning toward the Zinfandel white or the Pinot Grigio.   I will go back to the store this weekend and pick one.   

Thanks again for your thorough reply.

Thank you everyone for helping me.

[jewel3]

If you want to begin enjoying wine, know that it is an acquired taste. Beginning with Pinot noir (red) is a good place to begin enjoying reds as it is a light summery wine without the heavy tannins or barrel flavoring from aged or more complex reds like Cabernet. Ancient Vine Zinfandels are fruity and delicious and Merlot is easy to drink, too. Red is not chilled but after you open it, if it has a chance to sit for awhile (a few minutes or an hour) it will taste smoother.

As to whites, Riesling is very fruity and a good place to start as is Pinot Gris or Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon blanc. An absolutely delicious, but more expensive, white for beginners is the Rombauer Chardonnay which tastes just like butter. No kidding, it is true. It has converted many newbies to wine drinkers. If you buy a bottle of white, chill it, pour it, and know that if it sits for awhile, it becomes smoother. 

Wine drinking can can be as complex or even as ostentatious as one chooses to make it but it does not have to be. It can be your fermented food that feeds your gut micro biome. 

You can learn a lot on line but a convo with a wine merchant or sommelier will get you the best results. Have fun!

[Sooner]

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@Hot Street wrote:

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@alliswell wrote:

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@Venezia wrote:

Yoga (or some other form of exercise) might be better for dealing with stress than alcohol, but that's JMO.

If you're determined to use wine as a stress reliever, any cheap plonk will do.  No need to spend a lot on it; decent whites are usually cheaper than reds.

---

Agreed!  

Or try Prosecco . . .  it's kind of like, an inexpensive champagne, very light and refreshing.

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Thx.   Will keep that in mind.  Right now I can't afford anything but what is on sale.

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I think that is a really bad idea.  There are LOTS of ways to relieve stress other than drinking.  That can be a slippery slope for many people, and might wind up causing way more issues than stress.