I don't know much about wine. I've never tasted a white wine that I liked but have had some red wines that were pretty good, but I can never remember which ones I liked and which I didn't so my chances of choosing a bad one are quite high. I have tasted some expensive wines and have bought some that ranged from about $10-40 a bottle and I can't say that the taste rises with the price of the bottle.
I suppose that some wines are overpriced simply because the vineyards can do that but that isn’t the chief reason for the more expensive wines. It’s true, a sauvignon blanc is a sauvignon blanc because it’s a grape until it’s made into wine. It’s who is producing the wine, whether the grape is harvested during a prime or “vintage” year and how many bottles are produced using that particular grape during that year and it’s peak maturity date. Companies like Paul Mason bottle millions of bottles each year of varying grapes and to me, could easily come with a screw off cap because frankly, the gallon containers actually do and the box wines they produce are contained in plastic. Nothing special going on there. No matter the grape, it’s just wine. But, a Chateau Margaux Bordeaux is from a specific house (chateau) and a specific vineyard using a specific grape using a specific soil pH and contents in which there are only so many bottles prepared and stored until the eventual sale. The sale dates are dependent upon the wine’s maturity date and acceptability according to the house’s code of excellence. Note: A standard botttle of Chardonnay is vastly different from say, a bottle of Black Opal (Australian) Chardonnay. It’s the same basic grape but the soil and production procedures of them and the number of bottles prepared for any year warrants the higher price for the Australian version. On one hand we have a decent wine which is sold by the millions of bottles and on the other, a few thousand or less are ready to go after several years of maturing. Let’s face it, supply and demand takes the stage in all sales of any product whether it’s a widget or a bottle of water and with wine, it’s no different but with a good wine, it’s not like a widget which is stamped out by a machine. It’s an art and the aesthetics of it from the planting of the seeds to it’s eventual containment in the casks is all too important in the pricing of it. Note 2: Not unlike cars or a pair of pants, some wines are expensive because of the label and a past history which, sorry to say, doesn’t mean you’re drinking an expensive wine, just an expensive label.
I sure enjoy wine and have a glass or two with my evening meal, some times lunch. I am particularly fond of the different Cabs as well as Pinot Noir's & Zinfandel. In my opinion, no one country has a lock on good quality wines. Australia and New Zealand for example have some out standing wines, as well as Argentina & Chile. Of course France & Italy are still in the wine business but no longer dominate like they once did.
Nope I'm tee-total... Just don't like the smell or taste of alcohol of any type. My husband OTOH can drink for both of us..and probably a few more as well...and has always enjoyed red wine..although lately he's began to get an intolerance towards it in the form of hives ( same if he eats grapes now, which has always been a favourite of his) ..so he's sticking to beer and JD now...
I tend to think of wine as food and not a alcoholic beverage. I never enjoyed the sweet ports & sherries that some folks enjoy as they sit by the fireplace.
I drink red wine fairly often with meals and strong cheeses. Rarely do I drink whites, however. I once enjoyed the ports and sherries as dessert courses, but I never drink those anymore. I generally drink Merlot, although Cabs are nice as well.
I'm not a wine connoisseur at all, but my wife likes semi-sweet wine with a spaghetti dinner out. However, years ago I did drink some Boones Farm Strawberry Hill Wine at times. Wife and I like Bud Light and always have some bottles of that in the frig. I always related wine drinkers as the very upper-class to rich types. People who watch NFL aren't sitting around the tv drinking wine.
It may sound contradictory in nature but I served under the tutelage of Yves Durant and consequently received a Sommelier’s certification but I not longer drink alcohol of any kind.
Oh really. Imagine a wine company who spends millions of bucks for advertising to no one. I do not think that’s going to happen. One reason that wine companies could not advertise during an NFL game or Super Bowl is that Anheiser-Bush buys the category rights for many of the games. That said, here’s one that might be a bit more informative: https://wtop.com/wine-of-the-week/2019/02/wine-of-the-week-super-wine-pairings-for-super-bowl-food/
Wine companies as you call them, do very little advertising. I have never seen a winery advertise on TV.
Wine "companies" as I call them can be anything from the winery and or any other company which helps in the production of said label to the open market. One such ad that you obviously have not seen is linked below. Do Note: Dunno if you're trying to refute the idea that wines can be advertised on TV or simply haven't seen them as you suggested but do a little homework if you will. I'm trying to work with you Lon, not against you for heavens sake! https://vinepair.com/wine-blog/12-wine-ads-show-america-love-wine/ https://www.masslive.com/drinks/2013/11/wine_press_top_5_wine_televisi.html
No Bobby---What I don't agree with is that wine only has appeal to the upper class or wealthy , Snob appeal? BTW Who is the Upper Class?