Gary, Why is there a forum for politics on this website?

[CaneBandit]

The white anchovies from Spain are the best. I will happily take yours. Thanks!

Racist!

 

[Raoul2]

No problem choosing red wine with seafood. My choice of red with seafood would probably be a lighter bodied red like Pinot Noir rather than a big Cab or Syrah. Those latter wines could overwhelm the more delicate seafood flavors.

My biggest hangup with red wines is that they are often served too hot.
“Room temperature” is a myth as red wines are designed to be served at about 58 degrees F. That’s the way they are stored in wineries or in home storage refrigerators. This temperature allows them to stay fresh and refreshing rather than hot and tired.

At bars and restaurants I rarely order a red wine by the glass. Why? I look immediately to see where the wines by the glass are stored. 90% of the time they are on the counter behind the bar under the lights with their corks placed back in the bottle after opening. Probably 75 degrees F under the lights.

But, if the bar keeps its open red wines in a separate wine refrigerator, now you’re talking. That’s a sure sign that the bar/restaurant knows what it’s doing. Check it out during your next visit to a bar or restaurant!

I find ordering wines at restaurants to be a terrible value. A while back I ordered a bottle of Châteauneuf-du-Pape in one of the restaurants in the lobby of the MGM Grande. The price was $350. A few days later after googling it to buy a bottle for home, the price was about $80. I'm not winesnob or expert, but I do find that the quality of wine at most bars is almost always substandard.

 

[cortez55403]

I find ordering wines at restaurants to be a terrible value. A while back I ordered a bottle of Châteauneuf-du-Pape in one of the restaurants in the lobby of the MGM Grande. The price was $350. A few days later after googling it to buy a bottle for home, the price was about $80. I'm not winesnob or expert, but I do find that the quality of wine at most bars is almost always substandard.

I agree with you on quality and especially on price.

In general, restaurants make way more money on alcohol than they do on low margin food offerings. Say your Chateau-Neuf is $75 retail. the restaurant probably paid $40-50 wholesale for the bottle, perhaps less if the restaurant purchased a large volume for its “by the glass” program. The markup will likely be 3 or 4 times the wholesale price, eg $150 on the wine list.

Vegas is notorious for even higher markups. Why? People are either on vacation and feeling free with money or they are at a conference where expense accounts are paying for the wine. Also, Vegas restaurants don’t offer “corkage fees” for customers who bring their own wine. They don’t allow it. In Cali, restaurants often allow you to bring your own wine for a corkage fee of $25 or so. I do this quite frequently.

However, the biggest ripoff in Vegas is bottle service for hard liquor. People pay $250 for a bottle of Grey Goose that is $30 or so retail. I don’t get why people would do this. But, they do all the time in the Vegas nightclubs. It sexy and fun. But what a ripoff!

 

[CaneBandit]

I agree with you on quality and especially on price.

In general, restaurants make way more money on alcohol than they do on low margin food offerings. Say your Chateau-Neuf is $75 retail. the restaurant probably paid $40-50 wholesale for the bottle, perhaps less if the restaurant purchased a large volume for its “by the glass” program. The markup will likely be 3 or 4 times the wholesale price, eg $150 on the wine list.

Vegas is notorious for even higher markups. Why? People are either on vacation and feeling free with money or they are at a conference where expense accounts are paying for the wine. Also, Vegas restaurants don’t offer “corkage fees” for customers who bring their own wine. They don’t allow it. In Cali, restaurants often allow you to bring your own wine for a corkage fee of $25 or so. I do this quite frequently.

However, the biggest ripoff in Vegas is bottle service for hard liquor. People pay $250 for a bottle of Grey Goose that is $30 or so retail. I don’t get why people would do this. But, they do all the time in the Vegas nightclubs. It sexy and fun. But what a ripoff!

They buy big bottles to get laid.

 

[krvanness]

No problem choosing red wine with seafood. My choice of red with seafood would probably be a lighter bodied red like Pinot Noir rather than a big Cab or Syrah. Those latter wines could overwhelm the more delicate seafood flavors.

My biggest hangup with red wines is that they are often served too hot.
“Room temperature” is a myth as red wines are designed to be served at about 58 degrees F. That’s the way they are stored in wineries or in home storage refrigerators. This temperature allows them to stay fresh and refreshing rather than hot and tired.

At bars and restaurants I rarely order a red wine by the glass. Why? I look immediately to see where the wines by the glass are stored. 90% of the time they are on the counter behind the bar under the lights with their corks placed back in the bottle after opening. Probably 75 degrees F under the lights.

But, if the bar keeps its open red wines in a separate wine refrigerator, now you’re talking. That’s a sure sign that the bar/restaurant knows what it’s doing. Check it out during your next visit to a bar or restaurant!

I know what you mean. There's a good seafood place (rare in GA) down the strip from my shop. They always serve Red's in a chilled glass. I DO LOVE a good Pinot Noir. What I meant about the room temp was, as the glass sits out it the chill obviously fades, but that's OK with a Red, IMO. Not so much with a White, but that's just me.

 

[801canesmxer]

6882 and I rarely agree on anything political. But, he is a very knowledgeable wine merchant. Fun guy. We have had several exchanges on wine-related topics.

As to pairing wine with anchovies, I’d go with very welled chilled crisp white wines from Spain or Italy in the $20 range.

From Spain, look for an Albariño from Galicia on the Northwest coast....fresh, sharp, uncomplicated. It’s acidity balances the salty anchovy taste. Fun.

From Italy, I love Greco Di Tufo from the Campagna region near Mt Vesuvius. Also fresh and clean. Think of lunch on a hot day near the sea. Platters of grilled fish, tomatoes and anchovies on the side for those who love them.

Enjoy!

I can't stand the taste of wine but enjoy reading your knowledge on the subject. We visited my mom a lot when she lived in San Fran and visited the Korbel facilities a few times. I could tolerate the champagne a bit better but was not thrilled with the taste of that either. I'm a non cultured country boy that would rather have a glass of sweet tea with my meal.

 

[cortez55403]

I can't stand the taste of wine but enjoy reading your knowledge on the subject. We visited my mom a lot when she lived in San Fran and visited the Korbel facilities a few times. I could tolerate the champagne a bit better but was not thrilled with the taste of that either. I'm a non cultured country boy that would rather have a glass of sweet tea with my meal.

Part of my fun with wine is the ongoing opportunity to learn more and more about this global business and product. When I’m fortunate enough to travel internationally, I often visit vineyard properties as part of the tourist experience.

Growing up in San Francisco area, wine was just a normal part of local industry and culture. My parents drank some with dinner most nights. So did their friends. We were a blue collar family, so the quality of wine was modest. But we all enjoyed it nonetheless.

As I came of age, I sampled the entry level wines of the age: Gallo Hearty Burgundy, Lancers, Mateus, etc. I thought they were all terrific...and they were to me. Now living in Napa, grapes are simply part of the physical landscape and wine is a big part of the culture. It’s not considered as “fancy” in any way. Rather, it’s part of the agricultural heritage of the area and the hospitality of the region.

 

[canes4life61]

Must be a liberal wearing pink panties...

Thanks for proving my point!

 

[central17]

No problem choosing red wine with seafood. My choice of red with seafood would probably be a lighter bodied red like Pinot Noir rather than a big Cab or Syrah. Those latter wines could overwhelm the more delicate seafood flavors.

My biggest hangup with red wines is that they are often served too hot.
“Room temperature” is a myth as red wines are designed to be served at about 58 degrees F. That’s the way they are stored in wineries or in home storage refrigerators. This temperature allows them to stay fresh and refreshing rather than hot and tired.

At bars and restaurants I rarely order a red wine by the glass. Why? I look immediately to see where the wines by the glass are stored. 90% of the time they are on the counter behind the bar under the lights with their corks placed back in the bottle after opening. Probably 75 degrees F under the lights.

But, if the bar keeps its open red wines in a separate wine refrigerator, now you’re talking. That’s a sure sign that the bar/restaurant knows what it’s doing. Check it out during your next visit to a bar or restaurant!

Big fan of Pinot Noir's