After a day of infectiously cranky moods, we have returned home to do a taste test of the champagne-type options for the wedding. We'd had hopes that we would like the cheaper prosecco, but it was very much not so. And of course, alas, in my reading around on affordable champagneish wines I realized that when people like us are buying champagne in bulk, affordable is a good shelf below what the wine fiend crowd means by affordable. They like to slum around in the $30 a bottle range, it seems, which is too rich for my blood, however much more delectable it may be.
Much as I enjoy drinking wine, I don't enjoy talk about wine. Whatever, it's a cliché, but so much wine discussion and writing is so sniffy and esoteric and condescending toward the non-cognoscenti that it makes me alternately cranky, itchy, and sad. I was browsing around the discussion boards at eGullet for mentions of the California wine we're getting, and found mention of it really only in the not-so-uplifting thread "Overheard in the wine shop," dedicated to the theme "Heard any howlers lately?"
And of course I am as fatuous a snob as the next snot-nosed fellow, and any day of the week you can hear me be a big, unfair, self-satisfied asshole on any number of topics. Any number. Lots. Let there be no confusion on this point. I'm a jerk and superior and horrible. But still, har-har rib-jabbing antics devoted to wine just depress me, somehow. Why does this brand of elitism get so particularly up my nose? Got me. But just lookit!
Anyhow, blah blah blah trashy sparkling wine rather than real champagne blah wine snob scorn blah still a big wad of money blah tastes good to me. And sampling bottles of fizzy alcohol is not a bad way to get over a glum wet Sunday, either.
Much as I enjoy drinking wine, I don't enjoy talk about wine. Whatever, it's a cliché, but so much wine discussion and writing is so sniffy and esoteric and condescending toward the non-cognoscenti that it makes me alternately cranky, itchy, and sad. I was browsing around the discussion boards at eGullet for mentions of the California wine we're getting, and found mention of it really only in the not-so-uplifting thread "Overheard in the wine shop," dedicated to the theme "Heard any howlers lately?"
And of course I am as fatuous a snob as the next snot-nosed fellow, and any day of the week you can hear me be a big, unfair, self-satisfied asshole on any number of topics. Any number. Lots. Let there be no confusion on this point. I'm a jerk and superior and horrible. But still, har-har rib-jabbing antics devoted to wine just depress me, somehow. Why does this brand of elitism get so particularly up my nose? Got me. But just lookit!
An amusing experience I had while working at a specialty wine shop. The date is December 31, 1999 and the phone rings. I answer it. A gentleman asks me, "I have a bottle of Champagne and want to know if it's ready to drink."He called it champagne. Even though it isn't even real champagne! Hahahahahahaha! Oh, go fuck a tree.
"OK sir. Who is the producer?"
"Ferrer."
"I'm sorry sir, who?"
"Ferrer. Gloria Ferrer from Sonoma."
"OK - (I am already stifling the urge to giggle because it isn't even real Champagne, however, I realize the label may say Gloria Ferrer Champagne Caves and assume he doesn't know it's Sparkling wine. I proceed)...
Anyhow, blah blah blah trashy sparkling wine rather than real champagne blah wine snob scorn blah still a big wad of money blah tastes good to me. And sampling bottles of fizzy alcohol is not a bad way to get over a glum wet Sunday, either.
