Gallo Winery Peddles Plonk Through PR

[Busboy]

Now, isn't COKE itself the quintessential mass produced, fabricated, replicated in response to marketing, over advertised, manufactured in a chemical lab product on the PLANET???

am I the only one smelling some hypocricy here??

←

I have a longer post to compose when I get a few minutes but, in the mean time I would like to suggest:

1) "Hypocricy" is a pretty loaded word to begin tossing around, and

2) That in my original post (and someone else's upstream post) that the word "pizza" be stricken and the words "Mrs. Busboy's lemon-rosemary roast chicken with cous-cous, tomatoes and cucumbers" be substituted, as a decent meal for which many are searching for a decent, cheap wine.

more anon.

Sdited to add: Rocks did deserve a bit of ragging for positing Coke as the alternative to Gallo, though.

Edited September 18, 2004 by Busboy (log)

[RobInAustin]

Sdited to add: Rocks did deserve a bit of ragging for positing Coke as the alternative to Gall, though.

←

Busboy, I stand behind the word "hypocricy". Rocks starts off demonizing Gallo in terms not suitable for print media, and then suggests Coke as a better alternative in the very same breath he decries his hatred for mass market manipulated foods.

Did you know that the state of Texas has BANNED the sale of Coca Cola products in every elementary and high school in the state because it is not suitable for a proper diet for kids?

For the record, Coke owns Dasani bottled watter. Do you KNOW what Dasani is?? Your local Coke bottler runs local tap water through a small filter, similar to what you might have in your own kitchen, and puts it into a bottle for a dollar plus a crack! for tapwater.....THAT is not "market manipulation?

BUT, Gallo is evil ?? I think he deserves more than a "ragging". I don't mean anything personally, but I am all about intellectual integrity.

Edited September 18, 2004 by RobInAustin (log)

[melkor]

Did you know that the state of Texas has BANNED the sale of Coca Cola products in every elementary and high school in the state because it is not suitable for a proper diet for kids?

←

I somehow suspect the state of texas feels Coca Cola would be better for school kids than Gallo wine...

[RobInAustin]

I somehow suspect the state of texas feels Coca Cola would be better for school kids than Gallo wine...

←

Well, that is true, but, my point was that Rocks "hates" manipulated mass marketed foods, and the state of Tx feels that Coke is not good for school kids either...yet Rocks advocates Coke.....

Though, ya know, maybe if the Baptists lightened up a little....well, never mind...

Cheers,

Rob

[Busboy]

Busboy, I stand behind the word "hypocricy". Rocks starts off demonizing Gallo in terms not suitable for print media, and then suggests Coke as a better alternative in the very same breath he decries his hatred for mass market manipulated foods.

Did you know that the state of Texas has BANNED the sale of Coca Cola products in every elementary and high school in the state because it is not suitable for a proper diet for kids?

For the record, Coke owns Dasani bottled watter. Do you KNOW what Dasani is?? Your local Coke bottler runs local tap water through a small filter, similar to what you might have in your own kitchen, and puts it into a bottle for a dollar plus a crack! for tapwater.....THAT is not "market manipulation?

BUT, Gallo is evil ?? I think he deserves more than a "ragging". I don't mean anything personally, but I am all about intellectual integrity.

←

Don is certainly capable of defending himself and I am sure he will do so. In the mean time, I'm quite willing to give him the benefit of the doubt and assume that he is aware of Coke's status as a faceless, marketing-driven corporation and chose it as an example merely because his mind was on his larger point. I expect that he wasn't consciously "advocating" Coke; if he was, I'm sure there is an interestsing reason why, and we can legimately stomp him senseless once he gives it to us.

In the mean time, ripping a single phrase out of a larger argument -- without giving the writer a chance to explain or backtrack -- and using it to launch ad hominem attacks on the writer should be left to the pros in Boston, Washington and, of course Austin this election season.

Not that I'm usually the voice of reason, but I find that this new wine I've been drinking has a mellowing influence, that just makes we want to sit back, relax and...buy...more...Red Bicyclette....

Edited September 18, 2004 by Busboy (log)

[Rebel Rose]

Perspective, please.

First of all, let's disagree with a concept, not "rag" one of our own. After all, you may agree with him on the next thread!

Secondly, don't forget that Texas is the home of Dr. Pepper.

[Rebel Rose]

Back to the oriiginal concept of the thread, Mark Sommelier put it well in the second post -- "Go global or die."

Does that appeal to you? Or not? And why?

[melkor]

Back to the oriiginal concept of the thread, Mark Sommelier put it well in the second post -- "Go global or die."

Does that appeal to you?  Or not?  And why?

←

I purchase globally, but I don't think I'd be thrilled to have Egly-Ouriet offering a Malbec from Argentina...

[DonRocks]

am I the only one smelling some hypocricy here??

←

You misspelled spelling.

Coke is a legitimate alternative to Gallo, just as McDonald's is a legitimate alternative to Applebee's, or Britney Spears is a legitimate alternative to Madonna, or whatever - it's all swill. If you're going to have a mass-produced product that's all about marketing polls and consumer taste preferences, you might as well save a couple bucks in the process - and I assure you more people like the Taste! of Coke more than any wine made by Gallo, or probably more than any wine made by anyone, but then again, you know what I think of Taste! as the final arbiter of quality.

My words stand as written. Read them more thoughtfully next time.

Rocks.

P.S. If it's the buzz you seek, you can always slug down a mouthful of Thunderbird or Night Train before dinner.

[RobInAustin]

Busboy,

What a great posting this was.  It was substantive, a joy to read, and a great job of capturing a moment in time that would have otherwise been lost forever.

Putting on my contra-cap, what does "better" mean?  Tastes better?  Not to me.  I submit that the wines you had did not taste better alongside that pizza than a Coke on ice would have. 

Before anyone starts lambasting me, think about this, no, really, actaully think about this question before cutting my head off...

no, really, think about this...

what actually TASTES better with a greasy pizza, a glass of cheap wine, or a glass of Coke?

This thread isn't so much a slap against Red Bicyclette, or even Gallo, or McDonald's; it's a continuation of my hatred of mass-produced food, of anything having a taste that can be fabricated, replicated in response to a marketing poll, or manufactured in a chemical lab.

Here is where I stand on this issue.

Cheers,

Rocks.

←

These are your exact words. I thought about this, REALLY thought about this. I stand by my smelling hypocrisy (tho I do apologize for not noticing I misspelled "hypocrisy"). You bash "cheap wine" but not Coke? Where is the "hatred" for the Coke?? Nowhere...

Now, if you had chosen "mineral water with lime" or fresh brewed Iced Tea instead of Coke, it might have been different.

Edited September 19, 2004 by RobInAustin (log)

[tanabutler]

For some reason, the whole marketing thing smacks of copycatting Bonny Doon wine labels.

But boy, have they got a long way to go.

[LittleWing]

Now, isn't COKE itself the quintessential mass produced, fabricated, replicated in response to marketing, over advertised, manufactured in a chemical lab product on the PLANET???

am I the only one smelling some hypocricy here??

←

I admit that I had the same initial response as RobinAustin. You should all check out the article in the latest Food issue of the New Yorker by Malcolm Gladwell - "Personality Plus: How corporations figure out who you are."

Unfortunately, after going to the website, I don't think that article is online. But bascially, it talks about why we like certain foods more than others, mostly using ketchup as an example. More related to our topic, it also talks about Coke manufacturing its product using the same types of taste trials as Gallo. The researchers discovered that, with Coke, all of the separate flavors combine, so you can't pick out a single one, while the supermarket brand has flavors that are identifiable (aka vanilla, nutmeg, etc.) - one stands out above the others. Since Coke's flavors amalgamate in this way, Coke has a taste that always outperforms generic colas in taste tests.

Try to find the article anyway, even if you don't care about the taste trials, because its one of the best food-science articles I've read in a while. I love Malcolm Gladwell.

Ok, back on topic - I'd rather have Dr. Pepper with my pizza than swill wine. But I have yet to taste Red Bicyclette, and I probably won't buy it. Maybe because I'm a snob, but I think its because I can find better wines out there for the same/similar price. Check out the Amano Primitivo (Italy)- i believe i bought it last week for $9.99.

PS. If we are having a cheap tasting in DC, I'm there.

Edited September 19, 2004 by LittleWing (log)

[Fritz Brenner]

Thank you, Busboy!  You know, it might be fun to start a thread called Eminently Drinkable Plonk.  Maybe all wines under $10 ( as in 9.99 and under).  What do you think?

←

i love that idea. and the title....

[DonRocks]

These are your exact words. I thought about this, REALLY thought about this. I stand by my smelling hypocrisy (tho I do apologize for not noticing I misspelled "hypocrisy"). You bash "cheap wine" but not Coke? Where is the "hatred" for the Coke?? Nowhere...

←

Rob,

Okay, fair enough, I plea guilty to ambiguous writing - but not hypocrisy!

Cheers,

Rocks.

[Fritz Brenner]

Busboy,

What a great posting this was.  It was substantive, a joy to read, and a great job of capturing a moment in time that would have otherwise been lost forever.

Putting on my contra-cap, what does "better" mean?  Tastes better?  Not to me.  I submit that the wines you had did not taste better alongside that pizza than a Coke on ice would have. 

Before anyone starts lambasting me, think about this, no, really, actaully think about this question before cutting my head off...

no, really, think about this...

what actually TASTES better with a greasy pizza, a glass of cheap wine, or a glass of Coke?

This thread isn't so much a slap against Red Bicyclette, or even Gallo, or McDonald's; it's a continuation of my hatred of mass-produced food, of anything having a taste that can be fabricated, replicated in response to a marketing poll, or manufactured in a chemical lab.

Here is where I stand on this issue.

Cheers,

Rocks.

←

This may be a dumb thing to say, (or pickiness about word choice..) but I'm just wondering about the phrase "what actually TASTES better...." It seems like the matter of taste is *so* subjective, that it's not really possible to make a statement about Coke tasting better than cheap wine. Or great wine. Or beer, or.... Your arguement, I think, stands firm without trying to appeal to some universal "taste," because even though many may agree with you on Coke tasting better than plonk with pizza (or whatever else), there will be dissenters. And dissent on that issue alone may keep readers from digesting the overarching arguement you make.

[RobInAustin]

i love that idea.  and the title....

←

Then check out that thread I started, with that title!

Cheers,

Rob

Edited September 19, 2004 by RobInAustin (log)

[RobInAustin]

Rob,

Okay, fair enough, I plea guilty to ambiguous writing - but not hypocrisy!

Cheers,

Rocks.

←

Ok, fair enough for me, I can accept ambiguous. Your next trip to Austin, the first bottle of wine is on me. I recant "hypocrisy".

cheers,

Rob