Wine is fine...

[Rae Rodriguez]

I decided to get some wine after I got paid today.
I would've bought something much harder, but I have to work tomorrow.
I prefer sweet drinks that will possibly kill me lol.
What about you?

P.S. I'm almost sure this has probably been done before, and if so,
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y239/teanyrican/Raeness/Picture236x.jpg
please forgive me.

[Mike Smith]

Wine is fine, especially when it comes in a wine...BOX.

*edit*Cute frumpy face btw.

[Rae Rodriguez]

Wine is fine, especially when it comes in a wine...BOX.

*edit*Cute frumpy face btw.
I haven't had wine in a box in ages lol.

And thanks, that's my "please forgive me... by the way I've had a few" face. ;)

[cable guy]

I like red wine. Not too sweet though.

I tried to have a glass with dinner every night. My dad gave me several bottles of 3 Thieves.

But haven't had any for a couple of weeks.

[BlairH]

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y239/teanyrican/Raeness/Picture236x.jpg
please forgive me.
Argh! Cuteness! overloading! graphics! card!

[Rae Rodriguez]

Argh! Cuteness! overloading! graphics! card!
Mwahahahahaaa! :D

[Zissou]

Sweet drinks are blah!

I like wine, although I don't often drink it. It's much to refined and civilized for my bummish lifestyle.

I'm always of fan of stout and dark ales. Black Witch, Black Sheep, Smith's Imperal and Guiness are some of my favourites.

In the winter my booze of choice is rum. Mojitos are good for the soul. I prefer Appleton Estates, Havana Club Special, and of course, the ole standby Bacardi.

In the summer, I like gin. Nothing says class like gin and tonic. Taqueray is nice, and Sapphire has a refreshing herbal taste. I'm not above generic gins, but I'll take Beefeater over Gordons.

Yeah for alcohol!

[Rae Rodriguez]

Sweet drinks are blah!

I like wine, although I don't often drink it. It's much to refined and civilized for my bummish lifestyle.

I'm always of fan of stout and dark ales. Black Witch, Black Sheep, Smith's Imperal and Guiness are some of my favourites.

In the winter my booze of choice is rum. Mojitos are good for the soul. I prefer Appleton Estates, Havana Club Special, and of course, the ole standby Bacardi.

In the summer, I like gin. Nothing says class like gin and tonic. Taqueray is nice, and Sapphire has a refreshing herbal taste. I'm not above generic gins, but I'll take Beefeater over Gordons.

Yeah for alcohol! Ooooh, rum is awesome.
I have a sweet tooth, therefore I favor sweet drinks. :)
And I second the yay for alcohol.

[BlairH]

I don't drink much :(
I'm too insane as it is, so alcohol would only make things worse.

[Rae Rodriguez]

I don't drink much :(
Aww that's okay. I know plenty of people who don't drink much/at all.
Me, I do so once in a blue -- holidays, parties, today... b/c I hate my job, etc. ;)

[Mike Smith]

Ooooh, rum is awesome.
I have a sweet tooth, therefore I favor sweet drinks. :)
And I second the yay for alcohol.

It sucks because I'm really over drinking in my old age, but some you might really enjoy are Hypnotik and properly mixed Malibu Rum.

[BlairH]

It sucks because I'm really over drinking in my old age, .
Dude, you're only 4 years older than me!

[Rae Rodriguez]

It sucks because I'm really over drinking in my old age, but some you might really enjoy are Hypnotik and properly mixed Malibu Rum. How old are you?
I'll be twenty-five in May, though I still can't go into a liquor store without producing I.D. :o

[Mike Smith]

Weird server error.

[Mike Smith]

How old are you?
I'll be twenty-five in May, though I still can't go into a liquor store without producing I.D. :o

Heh, I'm 23 and back in the drinking days never got carded. If I saw you in line though, I'd card you. Though I'm sure you could cute your way into getting the drinks anyway.

[BlairH]

Though I'm sure you could cute your way into getting the drinks anyway.


I'm afraid I'm going to have to see some ID M'aam.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y239/teanyrican/Raeness/Picture236x.jpg

Ach! I don't need to see your identification.

[Rae Rodriguez]

Heh, I'm 23 and back in the drinking days never got carded. If I saw you in line though, I'd card you. Though I'm sure you could cute your way into getting the drinks anyway. I remember twenty-three. :p LOL!
Cuting my way never worked. If you add the fact that I'm 4' 11" to the fact I generally look young, it doesn't help. I try to show off my ink when I go out just to make it easier. It never works. :(


I'm afraid I'm going to have to see some ID M'aam.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y239/teanyrican/Raeness/Picture236x.jpg

Ach! I don't need to see your identification.
HAHA! If it were only as simple as a sad face.

[Sanagi]

I like to get juice and vodka and mix to suit my mood.

Mike's Hard Lemonade (as well as the other flavors) is my next favorite.

[Rae Rodriguez]

I like to get juice and vodka and mix to suit my mood.

Mike's Hard Lemonade (as well as the other flavors) is my next favorite. Screwdrivers are awesome.
Mike's Hard Lemonade is pretty damn good. :)

[GozertheGozarian]

Some good old fashioned 20/20 can't be beat for a cheap buzz. The orange and kiwi strawberry are good ice cold.

[Rae Rodriguez]

Some good old fashioned 20/20 can't be beat for a cheap buzz. The orange and kiwi strawberry are good ice cold.
Cheap buzzes are awesome. :)

[Sanagi]

Mike's Hard Lemonade is pretty damn good. :)
I like the new big bottles, with the cap you can screw back on. Although you feel like a bit of a lush drinking out of them. But hey, fair enough.

[howyadoin]

I like the new big bottles, with the cap you can screw back on. Although you feel like a bit of a lush drinking out of them.Don't forget the paper bag.

[Rae Rodriguez]

Don't forget the paper bag.
It's just no fun w/o the bag. :p

[Sanagi]

Don't forget the paper bag.
That's always seemed like such an odd thing to me... Do people do that to avoid the charge of public drunkeness? Or is there some other reason?

[BlairH]

That's always seemed like such an odd thing to me... Do people do that to avoid the charge of public drunkeness? Or is there some other reason?
It's so that other folks don't know that they're drinking alcohol at 9AM in the morning :p

Of course "that guy" in To Kill a Mockingbird concealed a bottle of cola behind his paper bag.

[Mike Smith]

That's always seemed like such an odd thing to me... Do people do that to avoid the charge of public drunkeness? Or is there some other reason?

I always assumed it was done as homage to the chic 70's wino look.

[David O Burcham]

Last night I dreamed that I passed from the scene
And I went to a place so sublime
Aw, the water was clear and tasted like beer
Then they turned it all into wine (awwww... :( )


I like beer.

-- Tom T. Hall

[GozertheGozarian]

Many places have laws allowing drinking on the street as long as the label is covered and the liquid can't be seen.

[Rae Rodriguez]

Last night I dreamed that I passed from the scene
And I went to a place so sublime
Aw, the water was clear and tasted like beer
Then they turned it all into wine (awwww...)


I like beer.

-- Tom T. Hall That's lovely.

[Sanagi]

I always assumed it was done as homage to the chic 70's wino look.
Nouveau-retro-wino

[David O Burcham]

That's lovely.

The man is the greatest poet of the 20th century, imho!

Here's the whole song:

In some of my songs I have casually mentioned
The fact that I like to drink beer
This little song is more to the point
Roll out the barrel and lend me your ears

I like beer. it makes me a jolly good fellow
I like beer. It helps me unwind and sometimes it makes me feel mellow Whiskey’s too rough, champagne costs too much, vodka puts my mouth in gear
This little refrain should help me explain as a matter of fact I like beer

My wife often frowns when we’re out on the town
And I’m wearing a suit and a tie
She’s sipping vermouth and she thinks I’m uncouth
When I yell as the waiter goes by...

"I like beer!" it makes me a jolly good fellow
I like beer. It helps me unwind and sometimes it makes me feel mellow Whiskey’s too rough, champagne costs too much, vodka puts my mouth in gear
This little refrain should help me explain as a matter of fact I like beer

Last night I dreamed that I passed from the scene
And I went to a place so sublime
Aw, the water was clear and tasted like beer
Then they turned it all into wine (awwww...)

I like beer. It makes me a jolly good fellow
I like beer. It helps me unwind and sometimes it makes me feel mellow
Whiskey’s too rough, champagne costs too much, and vodka puts my mouth in gear
Aw, this little refrain should help me explain as a matter of fact...

I love beer


Yet, within Tom T. Hall's poetic verse can be found homages to the fermentaed concoction of another fruit...


"How old do you think I am?" He said.
I said, "Well, I didn’t know."
He said, "I turned 65 about 11 months ago."

I was sittin’ in Miami pourin’ blended whiskey down
When this old, gray black gentleman was cleanin’ up the lounge

There wasn’t anyone around ’cept this old man and me
The guy who ran the bar was watchin’ Ironsides on tv
Uninvited, he sat down and opened up his mind
On old dogs and children and watermelon wine

"Ever had a drink of watermelon wine?" he asked
He told me all about it, though I didn’t answer back
"Ain’t but three things in this world that’s worth a solitary dime,
But old dogs and children and watermelon wine."

He said, "Women think about they-selves, when menfolk ain’t around.
And friends are hard to find when they discover that you’re down.
He said, I tried it all when I was young and in my natural prime;
Now it’s old dogs and children and watermelon wine.

Old dogs care about you even when you make mistakes;
God bless little children while they’re still too young to hate."
When he moved away I found my pen and copied down that line
’bout old dogs and children and watermelon wine.

I had to catch a plane up to Atlanta that next day
As I left for my room I saw him pickin’ up my change
That night I dreamed in peaceful sleep of shady summertime
Of old dogs and children and watermelon wine.

If that ain't genius, I don't know what is!

[Rae Rodriguez]

Phoney, thanks for the lyrics. :D

And for the record, here's how much wine I've had so far.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y239/teanyrican/Picture243.jpg
Not enough. :p
Actually, I stop there. I don't want a hangover.
Wine hangovers are sooo bad.

[David O Burcham]

And for the record, here's how much wine I've had so far.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y239/teanyrican/Picture243.jpg
Not enough. :p


Where can we contact the next o' kin?

[Rae Rodriguez]

Where can we contact the next o' kin?
HAHA no worries, they're in the next room, lucky me.

[David O Burcham]

Just remember folks...

Don't drink wine, beer, or any kind of alchohol if you are on prednisone or any other doctor-prescribed steroid.

You're face will bloat like a Macy's Thanksgiving balloon!

(Me... 01-01-2006)

[Aaron Kashtan]

That's always seemed like such an odd thing to me... Do people do that to avoid the charge of public drunkeness? Or is there some other reason?

The story I've heard is that in puritanical New England, you were supposed to be ashamed of drinking and to not want others to know you were doing it. Therefore, liquor bottles were sold in brown paper bags so the drinker could hide his shame. This is also why liquor stores are euphemistically called "package stores."

[Rae Rodriguez]

Just remember folks...

Don't drink wine, beer, or any kind of alchohol if you are on prednisone or any other doctor-prescribed steroid.

You're face will bloat like a Macy's Thanksgiving balloon!
Ouch. Looks like it feels unpleasant. :(

[David O Burcham]

Ouch. Looks like it feels unpleasant. :(

Tell me about it! Normally I only have one chin and two cheeks.

Prednisone SUCKS!

[Rae Rodriguez]

Tell me about it! Normally I only have one chin and two cheeks.

Prednisone SUCKS! *hug*
There, there. It's all over now. I hope. :(

[howyadoin]

That's always seemed like such an odd thing to me... Do people do that to avoid the charge of public drunkeness? Or is there some other reason?Nobody wants their neighbours to know that they're too po' to afford the good stuff.

[Rae Rodriguez]

Nobody wants their neighbours to know that they're too po' to afford the good stuff.
Screw that! If it does the trick, I don't give a crap if it's the "good" stuff or not.

[thik_3rd]

i hate wine. it's something i've tried to drink and like numerous times, but it just doesn't work for me. i always go into a bottle of wine thinking it will taste like some grape juice and will get me hammered.

but then again, i like a few bum wines like mad dog and cisco. so what do i know?

the best wines...
http://www.bumwine.com/bumwine/cisco.jpg
http://www.bumwine.com/bumwine/md2020.jpg

[howyadoin]

Screw that! If it does the trick, I don't give a crap if it's the "good" stuff or not.I didn't necessarily mean "good" as in "very expensive". I just meant "good" as in, "doesn't taste shitty".

[David O Burcham]

*hug*
There, there. It's all over now. I hope. :(

If only that were true. I'm looking at (at least) another year on it.

Sarcoidosis --

http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/sarc/sar_whatis.html

Fortunately, it's mild in my case and should clear up in a few years. Strangely, I haven't suffered any really bad side effects from the prednisone... except that the doc neglected to tell me that alchohol consumption will REALLY bloat me up and make my face numb.

I can handle the drug just fine if it will keep me healthy....

BUT NO BEER OR ROTGUT WINE!??!

:(

Cisco Kid WAS a friend of mine.

[Rae Rodriguez]

If only that were true. I'm looking at (at least) another year on it.

Sarcoidosis --

http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/sarc/sar_whatis.html

Fortunately, it's mild in my case and should clear up in a few years. Strangely, I haven't suffered any really bad side effects from the prednisone... except that the doc neglected to tell me that alchohol consumption will REALLY bloat me up and make my face numb.

I can handle the drug just fine if it will keep me healthy....

BUT NO BEER OR ROTGUT WINE!??!

:(

Cisco Kid WAS a friend of mine. :( I'm sorry to hear that.

[Zissou]

How old are you?
I'll be twenty-five in May, though I still can't go into a liquor store without producing I.D. :o

Twentyfive eh? I all goes downhill for there. Take my word and live! Live damn it! LIVE while you still can!

J/K - it's not that bad :)

You still get ID'd huh. Maybe that's because you're four feet tall. :p

[Rachel Grey]

... but whiskey's quicker.

[tricksterpup]

I picked up a nice Merlot the other night and it was really good.
Seriously, the brand was called Royal Bitch.

[Mike Smith]

Nobody wants their neighbours to know that they're too po' to afford the good stuff.

If anyone who drinks is running low on money, and thus can't afford the better drink, I propose to the drinker a good measure for consideration: Guiness.

This fine drink can double as both food and drink, even marinade for food (which you won't need since you'll only be eating Guiness). Watch your budget decline and leave more room for more expensive drinks.

If you are one of those finicky health nuts that can't be bothered to go without fruit, veggies, and other foods with nutrients...There is no shame in drinking Nadie Ice. 'Tis a sweet mistress.

[Zissou]

... but whiskey's quicker.


Suicide is slow with liquor.

[Rachel Grey]

Suicide is slow with liquor.

Take a bottle and drown your sorrows.

[nubly]

i cant get into drinking. tried it and just didnt turn out to be my thing

[Captain Bones]

I decided to get some wine after I got paid today.
I would've bought something much harder, but I have to work tomorrow.
I prefer sweet drinks that will possibly kill me lol.
What about you?

P.S. I'm almost sure this has probably been done before, and if so,
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y239/teanyrican/Raeness/Picture236x.jpg
please forgive me.

oh Please.
I had two battles last night. a couple of martinies, a few beers.

Based on scientific evidence I can assure that the following is true:

Wine is not good for you.

(oh the pain)

[hulahulk]

*walks into room, sees Howy*

Okay, this group is in good hands.


And as a bartender and consummate drinker, I must respond to the original post in that I prefer red wine. A nice cabernet savignon or merlot is sufficient. There are certainly plenty of good pinot noirs out there; and virtually hundreds of blends are out there right now that cover the entire spectrum.

Whites are good as well, but less versatile IMO. Although it does not matter to me if I have a white with salmon and a red with beef, for example. If I were to order a nice salmon dish, I think I'd actually prefer a red. Other fish, though, requires a white, of course.
As far as whites are concerned, I'm not a huge chardonnay fan, but I will drink it. I like reislings and pinot grigio's more than chardonnays. At work we have a nice Gavi (which by reputation are very light).

[Dan Apodaca]

If you are one of those finicky health nuts that can't be bothered to go without fruit, veggies, and other foods with nutrients...There is no shame in drinking Nadie Ice. 'Tis a sweet mistress.

Here, here. When faced with times of low funds, it certainly does the trick.

[Slam_Bradley]

Howy...let me know when the kids get their jammies on and go to bed. Then the adults can talk about real liquor.

Reminds me that I need another bottle of Woodfords.

[Lubichev]

Knob Creek. Or Woodford. Or Blantons. The best thing about coming to America was discovering all the great burbons. And those three all come from just one state.

I loov Ameerika!

[Rae Rodriguez]

I didn't necessarily mean "good" as in "very expensive". I just meant "good" as in, "doesn't taste shitty".
Ahh, okie dokie. :D

[Rae Rodriguez]

Twentyfive eh? I all goes downhill for there. Take my word and live! Live damn it! LIVE while you still can!

J/K - it's not that bad :)

You still get ID'd huh. Maybe that's because you're four feet tall. :p
Four-foot-ELEVEN, thank you very much. :p

[Lubichev]

Four-foot-ELEVEN, thank you very much. :p
You are the perfect height to wear the Mickey and Minnie Mouse costumes at Disney World. Not many people can boast to that fact.

[Rae Rodriguez]

You are the perfect height to wear the Mickey and Minnie Mouse costumes at Disney World. Not many people can boast to that fact. I'll keep that in mind if I ever move to Florida. :rolleyes:



;)

[Mike Smith]

I'll keep that in mind if I ever move to Florida. :rolleyes:



;)


What, no love for California Disney?

[Lubichev]

I'll keep that in mind if I ever move to Florida.
How about Paris? Don't forget EuroDisney. The surliest place on earth.

[Rae Rodriguez]

How about Paris? Don't forget EuroDisney. The surliest place on earth. My French is crap.

[tricksterpup]

My French is crap.
yes, but you are still the Cat's Meow.
http://community-2.webtv.net/TJH_80/CATWOMAN/scrapbookFiles/importD38.jpg

[Rae Rodriguez]

What, no love for California Disney? Ooh! HAHA sorry, I forgot about Cali Disney! :o


yes, but you are still the Cat's Meow.
http://community-2.webtv.net/TJH_80/CATWOMAN/scrapbookFiles/importD38.jpg
Aww thanks. :)
But don't you eat cats for breakfast? :eek:

[Winslow]

This thread has convinced me to have some Merlot tonight . . .

[howyadoin]

Howy...let me know when the kids get their jammies on and go to bed. Then the adults can talk about real liquor.

Reminds me that I need another bottle of Woodfords.

Knob Creek. Or Woodford. Or Blantons. The best thing about coming to America was discovering all the great burbons. And those three all come from just one state.Not just one state - one county.

Bourbon County.

Otherwise it's not bourbon.

[tricksterpup]

Aww thanks. :)
But don't you eat cats for breakfast? :eek:
You know, there is a comment here, that I will just keep to myself. :rolleyes:

[Rae Rodriguez]

This thread has convinced me to have some Merlot tonight . . . Hurrah!


You know, there is a comment here, that I will just keep to myself. :rolleyes: Oh you. :p

[FunkyGreenJerusalem]

I haven't had wine in a box in ages lol.


I've never had it.

Because it's called Cask Wine, not wine-in-a-box.

[FunkyGreenJerusalem]

This thread has convinced me to have some Merlot tonight . . .

Fuck Merlot!

[Mike Smith]

I've never had it.

Because it's called Cask Wine, not wine-in-a-box.

Blasphemy!


Fuck Merlot!

Begorrah, doubly offended!

[Zissou]

Take a bottle and drown your sorrows.

Then it floods away tomorrows!

[FunkyGreenJerusalem]

Blasphemy!

Thhat's what it's called in Australia, and an Australian invented it and I believe holds patent, and that's what he calls it.

So it is you who is the blasphemer!




Begorrah, doubly offended!

Did Jesus drink Merlot?

Hell No!

So you're a double blasphemer - and there's no repentance allowed for that one!

[Rae Rodriguez]

I've never had it.

Because it's called Cask Wine, not wine-in-a-box.
okie dokie. :rolleyes:

[Captain_Video]

I can confirm that Wine is an evil temptress that only last night led me astray with its tempting wiles...I have such a headache.

"I never drink.....wine" Bela had the right idea

[Lubichev]

Doctors orders for drinking wine all night: 1 glass of cold water for every 2 glasses of wine. Get's me throught 1 3/4 bottles easily.

[cable guy]

I can confirm that Wine is an evil temptress that only last night led me astray with its tempting wiles...I have such a headache.

"I never drink.....wine" Bela had the right idea

I've had my worst hangovers when consuming too much wine.

[TigerDogg]

Wine is fine, especially when it comes in a wine...BOX.

*edit*Cute frumpy face btw.

omg, wine in a box! That reminds me of spring break where we go shore up on them suckas.

[Rae Rodriguez]

I've had my worst hangovers when consuming too much wine.
And today I've had one of my worst. No more sherry for me. Ever. :(

[Zissou]

And today I've had one of my worst. No more sherry for me. Ever. :(

You're a regular booze hound, aren't you? First vino, then Sherry.

Why were you drinking sherry? Blah! If you really want a true hangover you need to drink a few bottles of Mead. Nothing quite like Viking booze to make you rough around the edges.

[Callie]

Wine doesn't give me hangovers. Beer does. Beer hits me hard the next day. God I wish I didn't have three pints of ale last night. Bleh. I'm working today too.

I love a good glass of wine though. Prefer Reds to Whites. Merlots, Pinot Noirs, Beaujolais, Shiraz...all but cabernet. Chardonnay and White Burgandy are okay for whites.

Never had cask wine. The whole idea doesn't sound appealing. Although I've read that the new ones by Black Box are pretty good.

As for hard stuff, I like gimlets, margaritas, and kahlua-based drinks. Really like stuff with a lot of sweet and sour taste.

[Rae Rodriguez]

You're a regular booze hound, aren't you? First vino, then Sherry.

Why were you drinking sherry? Blah! If you really want a true hangover you need to drink a few bottles of Mead. Nothing quite like Viking booze to make you rough around the edges.I'm barely a booze hound. :rolleyes: I've never had mead. I'd love to try it.


Wine doesn't give me hangovers. Beer does. Beer hits me hard the next day. God I wish I didn't have three pints of ale last night. Bleh. I'm working today too.

I love a good glass of wine though. Prefer Reds to Whites. Merlots, Pinot Noirs, Beaujolais, Shiraz...all but cabernet. Chardonnay and White Burgandy are okay for whites.

Never had cask wine. The whole idea doesn't sound appealing. Although I've read that the new ones by Black Box are pretty good.

As for hard stuff, I like gimlets, margaritas, and kahlua-based drinks. Really like stuff with a lot of sweet and sour taste. Sweet and sour tasting liquor is awesome. Beer never gave me a problem... then again I could never drink more than three or four glasses... unless it was Guiness.

[howyadoin]

Doctors orders for drinking wine all night: 1 glass of cold water for every 2 glasses of wine. Get's me throught 1 3/4 bottles easily.This is a pretty good rule of thumb for drinking any kind of booze really. Spacers are a good thing.

[K'Nort]

I'm barely a booze hound. :rolleyes: I've never had mead. I'd love to try it.

Mead will give you a worse hangover than sherry, so don't overdo it when you get the chance. That and barleywine are deceptively lethal.



Boxed wines are actually getting to be pretty good. And the Australians are still leading the innovations there. I think Delicato is one of the popular names now.

Something that's nice about them is that they stay relatively air tight, so you're not 'forced' to drink the entire bottle of red on one night. A factor when you live alone and have a standard office job.

[K'Nort]

From the Seattle paper this time last year. (Although it looks like it wasn't the Australians after all.)


On Wine: Premium wines from a box? Tasting is believing

By RICHARD KINSSIES
SPECIAL TO THE POST-INTELLIGENCER

In southern France, locals can buy their wines en vrac -- in glass -- at the neighborhood winery. They help themselves to tastes from several different tanks, each marked with contents and price. After making a choice, customers fill whatever containers they brought with them with a hose that looks exactly like the ones we use to pump gas into our cars.

This is wine at its primal best, no fuss, accessible and inexpensive. For many Europeans, wine is a staple at the table, like bread.

In this country, wine is treated more like a veal chop, special and expensive. But that may be changing.

Wine is slowly becoming part of American day-to-day life rather than a special-occasion affair. And while we aren't yet to the point of stepping up to a hose, grass-roots acceptance is growing for "boxed wines" or "quality cask wines" as they are variously called.

According to industry data, the category of premium 3-liter boxed wines (the 5-liter and larger boxes still are used only for the jug-style wines) has grown by 29 percent over last year while dollar sales have increased more than 60 percent. The Scholle Corp., maker of virtually every boxed-wine container used in the United States, plans to sell 3 to 4 million units this year. Not bad for a category that simply didn't exist here two years ago.

It is not uncommon to see 3-liter boxed wines selling at fine wine shops and even wine bars for $20 to $40. These are premium products, available for the equivalent of $5 to $10 a bottle, but comparable to wines that sell for $7 to $12 a bottle or more.

As acceptance and competition increases, many believe we soon will find boxes filled with even higher-quality wines. This concept may take some effort for many of us to wrap our minds around since there is a collective image of these containers holding the kind of wines that used to be sold in large glass jugs.

In Australia, the subject is no longer even news. More than 50 percent of all wine consumed in that country is from boxes and has been for years. In Sweden, it's more than 60 percent and the wine-snooty United Kingdom is fast approaching those numbers. Even (gasp!) the French have embraced the concept.

When -- inevitably -- it is fully accepted here, the box revolution will dramatically change the way we buy and drink our wine. Wine will be less expensive, more accessible and less mysterious and consumption is sure to go up as it has elsewhere. This could well be the great democratization of wine that so many of us have been waiting for. It certainly will be a boon to the industry.

The advent of the premium boxed-wine category in this country perhaps is better described as an evolution than a revolution. Many factors have aligned over time to make it possible.

Wine consumption is up but so is production and wineries are feeling the urgent need to move more wine cheaply. But they also understand that quality has become the yapping dog at their heels -- consumers have tasted the good stuff and they're never going back.

Alternative packaging is becoming common as wines are being marketed in "Tetra Paks," small glass jugs, plastic bottles and even cans complete with straws.

Then there is the fact that we have been liberated from the cork. Few of us are shocked to see a brightly colored polymer stopper, or better yet, a screw cap on a premium bottle of wine. It's a far shorter distance from screw cap to box than from cork to box.

The bag-in-the-box system was created 40 years ago by the Scholle Corp. of Northlake, Ill., for sulfuric acid battery electrolyte disposal. It was 25 years ago that the Australians decided it might be a good idea for packaging wine and were so successful with it that they often are credited erroneously with its invention.

Here's how it works: The inner bag is made of several layers of clear plastic film to which a spigot or tap is attached. After the bag is filled (the box is used only for stability and aesthetics) the wine is in a sterile and nearly anaerobic environment. But since the bag and the tap are not utterly impervious to oxygen, small amounts will enter the wine over time, causing the quality to eventually deteriorate. Oxygen doesn't enter the bag through use. The bag simply collapses as it empties, so if the wine is consumed within a month or so, the last glass should be in the same condition as the first.

The Scholle folks claim they are getting closer to solving the oxygen issue, at which time wines theoretically could be kept indefinitely, which opens up entirely new possibilities for even the finest quality wines.

There are many advantages to buying wine in a box, especially price and convenience. Since the producer can save up to 80 percent of packaging costs (as well as some shipping and storing costs), he can afford to sell the wine for less. The producers of Black Box wines say the $20 price of their boxed wines would double if they were sold in glass bottles.

A 3-liter box holds an amount equivalent to four 750 ml bottles yet it takes up not much more room and weighs little more than a half-gallon carton of milk. Wine can be drunk one glass at a time over a period of weeks or months so there is no waste. The package is lightweight, portable, very durable and wildly popular with boaters and campers who don't want to deal with glass. And perhaps best of all, no special tool is required to open it.

Presently the biggest obstacle to the category is, ironically, the box. Market penetration is slow and hard work mostly because many retailers can't get beyond the packaging. Ryan Sproule, creator of the first and most successful American-made box wine, Black Box, notes that in order "to get over the stigma of a box wine you need to be better quality" than what the buyer expects. Consumers, however, seem to be more open-minded.

The Australian Tindindi brand went from unknown to selling nearly 12,000 cases in about three months in the Northwest market alone. Black Box went from an idea to 250,000 cases a year in just over 24 months.

"People are so willing to try it," says Seattle native Jill Beaven, owner of the Tindindi brand that is rapidly becoming the darling of the local boxed-wine set. "I'm astounded at how well people have responded to it," she gushes.

Dan McCarthy, co-owner of the upscale McCarthy and Schiering Wine Merchants in the Queen Ann and Ravenna neighborhoods, agrees. "The customer is ready for it," he says of his success with wines such as Tindindi and Black Box. He does admit, however, to having "raised quite a few eyebrows" when he first stocked the wines.

A wine bar is perhaps the last place you'd expect to find a bag-in-the-box wine, but Cliff Willwerth, owner of the tony Impromptu Wine Bar in Madison Park, is unapologetic about pouring Tindindi as his house wine. "We find the best wines at the best prices, so why not?" he says.

For the entire U.S. wine industry, from producers to retailers and restaurateurs, the writing is on the wall. As the Euro erodes the buying power of the dollar, boxed wines may be the only way European producers can remain competitive here. Information like that doesn't go unnoticed by the corporate Goliaths. Drool collects at the corners of their mouths as they study the numbers. Expect the battle of the boxes to begin.


BUYING BOXED WINES

These are some of the most available 3-liter, bag-in-the-box wines. But look for several other offerings from Italy and France to hit the shelves shortly. Remember -- each box holds the equivalent of four standard wine bottles.

Black Box was established barely two years ago as the first brand to offer premium California boxed wine. It now leads the category with 250,000 cases annually. Wines include: Black Box 2002 Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon, $20; 2001 Sonoma Merlot, $20; 2003 Monterey Chardonnay, $20.

Tindindi brand of South Australia, which was founded by Seattle native Jill Beaven and her Aussie husband, Andrew, is the current rising star of the premium boxed-wine category in the Northwest. Tindindi offers a 2001 Limestone Coast Cabernet Sauvignon ($22) and 2004 Limestone Coast Chardonnay ($22).

Teft Cellars was the first to offer a Washington boxed wine. Teft now offers 4-liter boxes (equivalent of 5.5 bottles) of Non-Vintage Washington State Cabernet/Merlot ($22) and 2003 Washington State Chardonnay ($23).

[howyadoin]

Something that's nice about them is that they stay relatively air tight, so you're not 'forced' to drink the entire bottle of red on one night. A factor when you live alone and have a standard office job.You haven't seen those stoppers you can put on a bottle of wine once it's been opened?

http://www.modulstudio.it/Regali/Regali_personalizzabili_SetVino.htm

http://www.wineaccessory.com/screwpull2.html (scroll down to S4402)

They make a pretty airtight seal.

[K'Nort]

You haven't seen those stoppers you can put on a bottle of wine once it's been opened?

http://www.modulstudio.it/Regali/Regali_personalizzabili_SetVino.htm

http://www.wineaccessory.com/screwpull2.html (scroll down to S4402)

They make a pretty airtight seal.

*Puts hands over ears.*

lalalalalalala

[howyadoin]

*Puts hands over ears.*

lalalalalalalaSeriously, they work very well. My parents are big wine drinkers (and makers), and they use 'em all the time.

[Zissou]

I'm barely a booze hound. :rolleyes: I've never had mead. I'd love to try it.

I brewed a batch of mead in my basement around Christmas, and I a few bottles the other night. It's not bad, but it's an acquired taste. The kind that I make is not very strong, probably around 7% alcohol, infact, I should have used more honey this last batch, it's kind of weak. I used a new yeast this time too, which apparently has a rather pungent taste. K'Nort is right though:


Mead will give you a worse hangover than sherry, so don't overdo it when you get the chance.

[FunkyGreenJerusalem]

(Although it looks like it wasn't the Australians after all.)

It still counts as Australian.

I mean c'mon, that's the most Aussie thing ever:
"Yeah, they use these bloody bags in boxs for the battery acid"
"Fair Dinkum?"
"Bloody Oath"
"Hmmmm, I reckon you could store wine that way"
"Strewth"
I just hope they washed out the inside of that battery acid bag before putting wine in it that first time.

From Battery Acid storage, to wine storage - it's the sick sort of Australian genius that brought you the hills hoist and the Black Box.
So I will take full credit, on behalf of my nation, for that invention.

And it's Cask Wine, not Wine-in-a-box, because it was invented for adults, not children.

[K'Nort]

Well we've been calling it Wine-in-a-box for enough decades over here that it's not changing. It's being officially marketed as "boxed wine," but they're not attempting cask. Americans would just think coffins.

And the original boxed wine like Franzia easily could have substituted for battery acid in a pinch. *shudder*

[Callie]

Yeah, to me, boxed (cask) wine has always been what you sell to people who also buy large amounts of Boone's Farm, MD 20/20, Thunderbird, and Ripple.

I use a wine stopper myself to stretch a bottle of wine. It's a big crystal fish. :) This one: http://www.mikasa.com/control/product/~product_id=T8235900

[FunkyGreenJerusalem]

Well we've been calling it Wine-in-a-box for enough decades over here that it's not changing.

God forbid your country be right for a change.

Don't you feel like your drinking a kids toy?



It's being officially marketed as "boxed wine," but they're not attempting cask. Americans would just think coffins.

Why?

Does the concept that some words have several meaning not sunk in over there yet?
I mean, I don't like it either, but that's the language.
(actually, I saw an interview with an comedian (not American) saying american audiences are the hardest to work with, because if you don't get the word exactly how they say it (windshield/windscreen) then they don't know what you're talking about, and won't make the mental connection. He went on to say that Germans who speak English as their second language do a better job of putting it together).



And the original boxed wine like Franzia easily could have substituted for battery acid in a pinch. *shudder*

I feel that way about most cask wine still.

[howyadoin]

Y'know, I doubt very much that "The Cask of Amontillado" was about a fucking box of wine.

[FunkyGreenJerusalem]

Y'know, I doubt very much that "The Cask of Amontillado" was about a fucking box of wine.

And I doubt the season of spring has anything to do with those metal coils in my matress, but they both have the same name.

[howyadoin]

And I doubt the season of spring has anything to do with those metal coils in my matress, but they both have the same name.But seasons and metal coils are completely different topics altogether. Wine boxes and wine casks (http://image18.webshots.com/19/5/10/8/197251008WFGrEq_ph.jpg) aren't.

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=cask

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=wine%20cask

[FunkyGreenJerusalem]

Well I typed Wine Cask into wikipedia and got this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Box_wine

I know it has box in the title, but the article explains all.

I also reccomend going to the final link in the page.
The fact someone added an entry for Goon Of Fortune on wikipedia makes me happy.

[Mike Smith]

Technically, and speaking as a pro-America usurption of all products, it should be wine cask. There really is no way of arguing against what should be standard convention. That being said, by American tendency to bastardize things such as the Queens Tongue and such, I find wine box much fitting. It flows easier in conversation and it's just a silly preference, like using the US measuring system over metric.

[howyadoin]

I also reccomend going to the final link in the page.
The fact someone added an entry for Goon Of Fortune on wikipedia makes me happy.I'd really like to try that.

The phrase "cork taint" gave me pause, though.

[howyadoin]

Technically, and speaking as a pro-America usurption of all products, it should be wine cask. There really is no way of arguing against what should be standard convention. That being said, by American tendency to bastardize things such as the Queens Tongue and such, I find wine box much fitting. It flows easier in conversation and...... and it is a box. A cask is a barrel.

it's just a silly preference, like using the US measuring system over metric.Now there's an interesting issue. Most of the bottles I've seen in my various visits to the States were metric sizes.

[FunkyGreenJerusalem]

I'd really like to try that.

The phrase "cork taint" gave me pause, though.

It is a fun game, and it saddens me that I haven't played it in about five or six years.

I disagree with the disqualification rule of "Can't stand without help". We never practised that one - if you needed help standing you needed help standing, as long as you could drink, you could play.

One time though we played on a hills hoist which had a slight bend in the pole, so when you spun it, it favoured stopping on one side. I'd only had two swigs and the poor/lucky bastards on the other side could barely stand.

[Mike Smith]

... and it is a box. A cask is a barrel.

Now this is interesting, as I was lead to believe otherwise after a thread of similar nature. The ballyhooing of the tasteless Americans was...incorrect?

[howyadoin]

I disagree with the disqualification rule of "Can't stand without help". We never practised that one - if you needed help standing you needed help standing, as long as you could drink, you could play.I think that's only fair - as long as the spirit is willing, that's the key.

[howyadoin]

Now this is interesting, as I was lead to believe otherwise after a thread of similar nature. The ballyhooing of the tasteless Americans was...incorrect?I'm not sure what you're getting at here, but let's just say that I think calling a box a cask is like referring to health as "wellness".

[FunkyGreenJerusalem]

Now this is interesting, as I was lead to believe otherwise after a thread of similar nature. The ballyhooing of the tasteless Americans was...incorrect?

I just think calling somthing "in-a-box" is wrong, and enjoy goading Americans.

But the man who invented called it a cask, and so a cask it shall be.
That's whats good about inenting and patenting somthing - you get to name it.

But anyway, when googling cask wine to see who was right (which was pointless as I can only use google.com.au so it probably gave me different results to Howy) I came across this story of cask wine gone wrong from ninemsn.com

Life in jail for cask wine killer
Tuesday Jan 24 08:36 AEDT
A man has been sentenced to life imprisonment after a jury found him guilty of murdering a boarding house flatmate during a fight over a cask of wine.

Brisbane man Ismet Alagic, 26, pleaded not guilty in the Queensland Supreme Court last week to the murder of James Kay, 23.

He had pleaded guilty to manslaughter which meant if the jury was not convinced he killed Mr Kay intentionally, they could find him guilty of the lesser charge.

However, after deliberating for only two hours, the jury delivered the guilty verdict to murder.

Justice George Fryberg immediately sentenced Alagic to life in jail and told him this would be an opportunity to reform his ways.

In his opening trial address, prosecutor David Meredith told the jury that on August 25, 2003, a fight broke out between Mr Kay and Alagic at the boarding house in inner-city Bowen Hills.

The fight was believed to have started over a cask of wine and who should drink it, Mr Meredith said. It was alleged the pair scuffled but Alagic submitted and they hugged and made up.

However, the court was told moments later Alagic, who was drunk at the time, armed himself with a kitchen knife and fatally stabbed Mr Kay 11 times.

As Mr Kay's family sobbed in the back of the courtroom, Justice Fryberg read out a statement of remorse by Alagic.

"I think it's horrible what I have done," he said in the statement.

"Initially I had a lot of trouble accepting that I was the one who stabbed James.

"I feel very sorry for James' family and I know that they would be devastated."


Personally I like the bit where the Judge sees life in prison as a chance to reform.
To what point says I!

[howyadoin]

But anyway, when googling cask wine to see who was right (which was pointless as I can only use google.com.au so it probably gave me different results to Howy) I came across this story of cask wine gone wrong from ninemsn.comWow, that guy must really like shitty wine.

[Callie]

The term must be a regional thing. I've never heard it called wine-in-a-box. Just boxed wine. A cask to me is a barrel or another similarly shaped container. Never thought of it as being someone's coffin (its synonym is casket, not cask).

[Rae Rodriguez]

The term must be a regional thing. I've never heard it called wine-in-a-box. Just boxed wine. A cask to me is a barrel or another similarly shaped container. Never thought of it as being someone's coffin (its synonym is casket, not cask). Same here. I've heard it called wine-in-a-box, nothing else (until this thread). Wine's pretty new to me anyhow.

[Mike Smith]

I'm not sure what you're getting at here, but let's just say that I think calling a box a cask is like referring to health as "wellness".

I'm just entertained by the differences in regional dialects or "local color" as Mark Twain put it for the English language. Like at my undergrad there was a "Health andWellness" course offered, which you're analogy reminded me of. You'd almost expect Satchmo and Ella Fitzgerald to come in singing a verse of Let's Call the Whole Thing Off at times. A funny one that I see is that for "classy" things in some parts of the US, spelling is switched to a European format. There are movie theaters all over the place, but seldom does one see the swanky Performing Arts Theatre of (__Fill in City or Generous Contributor Here__).




Personally I like the bit where the Judge sees life in prison as a chance to reform.
To what point says I!

That's the part that had me laughing too.

[FunkyGreenJerusalem]

Same here. I've heard it called wine-in-a-box, nothing else (until this thread). Wine's pretty new to me anyhow.

Well now you've got a new fact to impress and entertain at parties.

And for the doubters, top any argument with this: The wine cask was invented by Tom Angove of Angove's, a winemaker from Renmark, South Australia, and patented by the company on April 20, 1965.

[Rae Rodriguez]

Well now you've got a new fact to impress and entertain at parties.

And for the doubters, top any argument with this: The wine cask was invented by Tom Angove of Angove's, a winemaker from Renmark, South Australia, and patented by the company on April 20, 1965.
Oh I didn't doubt. I just never heard it called that is all.

[Slam_Bradley]

Wine in a box is good for making Sangria. Which will keep the chicks from whining while the men drink real liquor.

[K'Nort]

Wine in a box is good for making Sangria. Which will keep the chicks from whining while the men drink real liquor.

And Dom.
.....

[phicks]

For those actually interested in wine, I highly recommend New Zealand's Villa Maria Sauvignon Blanc:

http://villamaria.co.nz/search.php?wineid=24

[howyadoin]

Wine in a box is good for making Sangria. Which will keep the chicks from whining while the men drink real liquor.You are a wise man.

[Slam_Bradley]

You are a wise man.

Thank you. I had a hard time deciding between chicks and dames, though.

[howyadoin]

Thank you. I had a hard time deciding between chicks and dames, though."Broads" would've worked, too.

[Rae Rodriguez]

"Broads" would've worked, too.
Yeah really. :rolleyes:

[howyadoin]

Yeah really. :rolleyes:Heh. What about "wenches", then?

[Rae Rodriguez]

Heh. What about "wenches", then? I prefer broads.

[howyadoin]

I prefer broads.Me too!

.

[Rae Rodriguez]

Me too!

.
I hope we're talking in the same terms.

[i_mmmchocolate]

Wine in a box is good for making Sangria. Which will keep the chicks from whining while the men drink real liquor.

This, for whatever reason, reminded me of an old Wanda Syke's comedy stand up show.


She was doing stand up for a crowd of hardcore feminists once, and ended it by saying, "I got to go home, ladies: I have to rush home to cook dinner and give my man or@l s3x!"

[Rae Rodriguez]

This, for whatever reason, reminded me of an old Wanda Syke's comedy stand up show.


She was doing stand up for a crowd of hardcore feminists once, and ended it by saying, "I got to go home, ladies: I have to rush home to cook dinner and give my man or@l s3x!" I typed up a rant very similar to that once. It pissed off a lot of (stupid) people. :evilsmile

[i_mmmchocolate]

Hilarious rant!

[Rae Rodriguez]

Hilarious rant! I'm all for empowerment and all that crap, but some broads take it waaay too far, you know?

[i_mmmchocolate]

I'm all for empowerment and all that crap, but some broads take it waaay too far, you know?

Yep, I'm pretty much neutral on those sorts of issues.

[Rachel Grey]

Just so long as it's not "bitches" or "hoes". Those are castration words.

[howyadoin]

Just so long as it's not "bitches" or "hoes".I save "bitch" for appropriate occasions.

[thik_3rd]

i save "bitch" for every bitch i talk to.

[FunkyGreenJerusalem]

Oh I didn't doubt. I just never heard it called that is all.

I didn't mean you, I meant more those standing around at your next soiree, shocked and impressed with your vast knowledge.

[Rae Rodriguez]

I didn't mean you, I meant more those standing around at your next soiree, shocked and impressed with your vast knowledge.
HAHA!! :p
Me + Soiree = :confused:

[howyadoin]

Me + Soiree = :confused:You get confused at parties?

Maybe it's all that wine you're drinkin'.

[Slam_Bradley]

I prefer broads.


How about "skirts?" I'm nothing if not flexible.

[Greg Blackman]

I try not to touch alchahol, it interfears with all the marijuana in my system.

[Dr. Hfuhruhurr]

How about "skirts?" I'm nothing if not flexible.


Nah, broads don't like being called "skirts." They prefer "dames."

[Rae Rodriguez]

You get confused at parties?

Maybe it's all that wine you're drinkin'. LOL!!! No, I mean to say that I'm not much of a "soiree" person.


How about "skirts?" I'm nothing if not flexible. Skirts. I like that one, too.

[Slam_Bradley]

Skirts. I like that one, too.


Skirts it is. Anything for you.

[Rae Rodriguez]

Skirts it is. Anything for you. Anything? :cool: :cool:

[borateen]

I thought I'd resurrect a two-year-old thread rather than start a new one. I hope no one minds.

For the wine enthusiasts out there, I've got a recommendation question. My wife really enjoy Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc, but around here you're looking at about $20 per bottle. That's a bit more than we care to spend on wine. Can anyone recommend anything remotely similar but not quite as pricey?

[sHayden]

I generally drink beer. I enjoy Asahi Super Dry quite a bit, and for some hobo-ish reason I like Gennessee Cream Ale.
I don't go much for wine or liquor except for Bloody Mary's with Tabasco Brand mix and Svedka Vodka.