Can you taste the difference between wines?

[Rocker4Real]

I tried Hampton Water recently made by the Bongiovis. I admit, It doesn't taste any different to me than a 10 dollar bottle of Rose. What about you? Ever do blind taste tests?

[Turner Coates]

When I was in high school, my mom explained why she had a case of wine in the pantry. She told me it was "special" and cost over 100 bucks per bottle. She said it was for parties.
I replied that my friends probably got just as drunk on Boone's Farm at parties.

[Hellsinkey]

A lot of people in this country poo-pooh Australian table wines. This is a pity, as many fine Australian wines appeal not only to the Australian palate but also to the cognoscenti of Great Britain.

Black Stump Bordeaux is rightly praised as a peppermint-flavoured Burgundy, whilst a good Sydney Syrup can rank with any of the world’s best sugary wines.

Chateau Blue, too, has won many prizes, not least for its taste and its lingering afterburn.

Old Smokey 1968 has been compared favourably to a Welsh claret, whilst the Australian Wino Society thouroughly recommends a 1970 Coq du Rod Laver, which, believe me, has a kick on it like a mule. Eight bottles of this and you’re really finished! At the opening of the Sydney Bridge Club they were fishing them out of the main sewers every half an hour!

Of the sparkling wines, the most famous is Perth Pink. This is a bottle with a message in, and the message is “Beware!”. This is not a wine for drinking. This is a wine for laying down and avoiding.

Another good fighting wine is Melbourne Old and Yellow, which is particularly heavy, and should be used only for hand-to-hand combat.

Quite the reverse is true of Chateau Chunder, which is an appelation controllée specially grown for those keen on regurgitation. A fine wine, which really opens up the sluices at both ends.

Real emetic fans will also go for a Hobart Muddy, and a prize winning Cuvée Reservé chateau-bottled Nuit Ça Wugga-Wugga’, which has a bouquet like an aborigine’s armpit.

[TooOldToCare]

Nope. I'm not a wine drinker at all, but I will have a glass out at a fancy dinner sometimes. A bottle of Malbec from Argentina tastes the same to me as boxed red wine from the grocery store.

[GoodJudge]

A lot of people in this country poo-pooh Australian table wines. This is a pity, as many fine Australian wines appeal not only to the Australian palate but also to the cognoscenti of Great Britain.

I was going to ask where you quoted all that from but I'm guessing it's a Python sketch. Aussie wine is pretty damn good these days.

I did a wine tasting course years ago but my palate is about as un-sensitive as my hearing is after +35 years of watching bands at high volume. My wife, on the other hand, possibly could have had one of those super-taster quality testing jobs. That said, I can still tell alcoholic grape concentrate (e.g. the crap from Gallo) from decent wine.

[Hellsinkey]

A lot of people in this country poo-pooh Australian table wines. This is a pity, as many fine Australian wines appeal not only to the Australian palate but also to the cognoscenti of Great Britain.

I was going to ask where you quoted all that from but I'm guessing it's a Python sketch.

Yes.

[TravisBicklesMohawk]

Yes I can definitely taste the difference.

Not just the taste, but the overall smell of the wine as well. A glass of wine that smells like citrus is pure heaven.

[Mister Freeze]

I've shifted toward natural/low intervention wines over the years, which tend to be lighter in body. And usually European.

Whenever somebody hands me a glass of American wine at a party or something, it tastes so thick and heavy - full of sugar, chemicals, and other additives. It's also WAY more likely to give me a hangover.

Even most expensive California wines are shit.

[Mojo]

Wine is one of those things I just don't get. I've tried a ton of varieties over the years and I've yet to have a single glass of wine that made me want any more. It's always just fine, but nothing remarkable or even good, really.
I will say that I get it, at least. I used to think that all of the "oh, this has notes of cardamom" type bullshit was just cunts trying to be uppity, because I don't taste anything but sour sugar water. Then I got into scotch and realized that yeah, this shit is a wealth of different tastes and perceived tastes, so I'm sure wine is the same. My palette just isn't sophisticated enough to pick them out.

[Aerosmith87]

I can taste the difference between red and white.

I don't drink much wine at all unless i'm at a dinner or something. The only wine I'd actually drink is the Austrian Gruner Vetliner. I like that stuff and tolerate the rest. Don't waste your wine on me!

[DonJuanDeMarco]

I tried Hampton Water recently made by the Bongiovis. I admit, It doesn't taste any different to me than a 10 dollar bottle of Rose. What about you? Ever do blind taste tests?

I bought a bottle awhile back. I'm not a big rose fan in the first place. It's decent but like most rose's it is too sweet for my tastes. I add a couple ice cubes to rose or even to white wines to lower the acid levels.

I'm not a wine snob but I enjoy it with a meal. If you wanna give it a shot, here is basic wine 101:
Cabernet Sauvignon goes with red meat. Start with something from Napa Valley.
Chianti with Italian. Italy.
Pinot Noir with roast chicken. I like the Oregon wines.

$20-30 is the sweet spot. Anything under $20 is probably going to be sweet or sour or a blend. Some are decent though. These are New York prices! I'm sure in Ohio or whatever you can get Jordan or Groth cab for 10 bucks at the local gas station.

[Rocker4Real]

I tried Hampton Water recently made by the Bongiovis. I admit, It doesn't taste any different to me than a 10 dollar bottle of Rose. What about you? Ever do blind taste tests?

I bought a bottle awhile back. I'm not a big rose fan in the first place. It's decent but like most rose's it is too sweet for my tastes. I add a couple ice cubes to rose or even to white wines to lower the acid levels.

I'm not a wine snob but I enjoy it with a meal. If you wanna give it a shot, here is basic wine 101:
Cabernet Sauvignon goes with red meat. Start with something from Napa Valley.
Chianti with Italian. Italy.
Pinot Noir with roast chicken. I like the Oregon wines.

$20-30 is the sweet spot. Anything under $20 is probably going to be sweet or sour or a blend. Some are decent though. These are New York prices! I'm sure in Ohio or whatever you can get Jordan or Groth cab for 10 bucks at the local gas station.

Maybe a 20 dollar bottle isn't that much better than a 10 dollar one.

[DonJuanDeMarco]

Maybe a 20 dollar bottle isn't that much better than a 10 dollar one.

I think there is a difference. In my experience, the cheaper the wine, the more sugary and syrupy it is.

For around $20 you should be able to find any of these that are good:
Cloudline Pinot Noir
Joel Gott and Josh are easy to find and usually good
Uppercut Cab
Black Stallion Cab
Butter Chardonnay

Just trying to help my fellow Sludgers here. Feel free to report back! If you still don't like any of these then let's stick with the whiskey and beer.

[Metal Sludge]

I'll be the first to admit that I am not a wine connoisseur. But I do drink a lot of it.
However, it's no longer possible to tell a good wine by price, or the way it is bottled.
In my 20's (in the 80's), if wine had a screw top, or cost less that $12.00, that was not something you should be drinking.
But those days are over. There are tons of great wines that are really cheap, and some of them have twist tops.
Trader Joe's has dozens of them.
Wine comes from everywhere and they are great. It's not just France, Italy, and California anymore.

I prefer whites, Chardonnay being my favorite. I don't really like anything sweet.
I can taste the difference in different wines, but they aren't usually better or worse. Just different.

[MattleyCrue]

Big wine fan I prefer Italian reds.

I drink about 3 bottles a week and I always buy interesting bottles priced between $20-$35 a bottle. On special occasions or holidays will go bigger $80-$120 a bottle.

A great value is Bonanza which is made by Caymus it’s around $25 and absolutely fantastic!

[Nate S Axel]

Big wine fan I prefer Italian reds.

I drink about 3 bottles a week and I always buy interesting bottles priced between $20-$35 a bottle. On special occasions or holidays will go bigger $80-$120 a bottle.

A great value is Bonanza which is made by Caymus it’s around $25 and absolutely fantastic!

Did Wegman's have a wine selection? Could you still get a discount?

[MattleyCrue]

Big wine fan I prefer Italian reds.

I drink about 3 bottles a week and I always buy interesting bottles priced between $20-$35 a bottle. On special occasions or holidays will go bigger $80-$120 a bottle.

A great value is Bonanza which is made by Caymus it’s around $25 and absolutely fantastic!

Did Wegman's have a wine selection? Could you still get a discount?

They have their own liquor store called Century Liquor that I order from! I use instacart on their site and get it delivered right to my house!

[cowpins]

A great value is Bonanza which is made by Caymus it’s around $25 and absolutely fantastic!

That's six bottles of Winking Owl From Aldi. Buy a bottle and let us know what you think.

[DemonFilth2001]

A great value is Bonanza which is made by Caymus it’s around $25 and absolutely fantastic!

That's six bottles of Winking Owl From Aldi. Buy a bottle and let us know what you think.

Winking Owl is a great bargain. You can get obliterated for $10.

[Black Stuff]

sure, either I like it or it sucks hahahah.

Not a wine guy though, sometimes give me a headache