Judging a Man By His Wine

[Rebel Rose]

Back when I was single, someone talked me into a blind date. Having been informed that I like wine, the guy produced a 1984 XXXLOCAL cabernet. Pretty much the worst producer in our area, and a 12-year-old wine at that. I was touched that he went to some significant effort to impress me, but aghast at the wine. It tasted like pureed asparagus. When he asked me what I thought, I exercised my dimple and said, "It tastes like, mmm, dinner in a glass!"

Add to that the fact that he serenaded me with some really awful guitar playing, and that date was a bust.

Is anyone else here influenced by the pheromones of wine? And before everybody gets their knickers in a twist, I would not judge a potential romantic partner totally by their taste in wine, but let's be honest, if you love wine, don't you notice?

Conversely, if you are a guy, would you go for Sandra Oh's cheeky, tight jeans strut behind the tasting bar, or Virginia Madsen's softfocus riff on the personality of wine? If you were dating an uptight schoolteacher, what would you pull out that would blow her socks off?

[Bill Miller]

I'm married to a pinot noir girl--we match very well. It is very sensuous to share a meal over a bottle of Oregon pinot. We also both like martinis with our caviar (different, I know,but it does things for us). A barolo girl would be very attractive. Sauvignon blanc would be a little turn on---pink zin.--we would not have a future.

[Varmint]

If you were dating an uptight schoolteacher, what would you pull out that would blow her socks off?

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Well, let me just pull out my . . . . er, never mind.

To get back on topic, I wouldn't try and impress her with wine, but I'd do it with my cooking. The reason for that is as much as I try to learn tons about wines, my horrible memory kills me. I can't remember varietals, vintages and appelations, let alone makers. I look back on my entire life of drinking wine (and I've drunk a lot), and I can't name more than 3 or 4 specific bottles that I've drunk. I can't recall how they tasted, either.

However, I can recall every single detail from dozens if not hundreds of meals.

Thus, I'd probably get something that I know I like (because it's in my merchant's database), and let her know that I focus on "value" wines that go well with my culinary creations. This will promptly be followed by her rolling her eyes.

[KatieLoeb]

I generally am the take charge type when it comes to wine in a relationship, but that's kind of to be expected I guess. However, I'm always impressed if a guy remembers that I like a specific style or varietal of wine and brings it or orders it again. But that would go for remembering any detail of my likes and dislikes and showing me that he was listening.

[Rebel Rose]

Were I not a lady and a forum moderator, I would say that you can pull out your pig for me anytime, baby.

Is there a future possibility of an annual Varmint's Pig and Pinot?

[Brad Ballinger]

Conversely, if you are a guy, would you go for Sandra Oh's cheeky, tight jeans strut behind the tasting bar, or Virginia Madsen's softfocus riff on the personality of wine?  If you were dating an uptight schoolteacher, what would you pull out that would blow her socks off?

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I'd go for Virginia, but it would have nothing to do with her wine knowledge.

On the whole, I think there is a whole lot more to bring two people together, keep them together, and have them grow together than wine.

When I was first dating my wife, she didn't share my interest in wine. Still doesn't. If you ask her if she likes wine, she'll say something like, "I like what Brad picks out for me," and that will be about it. But for our first Christmas, when we were dating, she gave me a bottle of B&G Merlot. No, not the best wine. But I was touched nonetheless.

[Busboy]

My wife turned me on to wine -- her father was a liquor distributor and back in the day used to serve Clos de Mouches as the house wine. I was a beer swiller.

I'm going to start a thread on this someday, but one thing that pisses me off is how ridiculously expensive an "impressive" wine is today. In my youth, a swell pair of Italian loafers (to go back to the thread subtitle) was twice as expensive as a good Barolo. Now, the equation is reversed, a "super Tuscan" is twice as expensive as the shoes.

That being said, if you want to impress a date or a client, the key isn't how expensive the wine is, it's how deep into the jargon you can get with the sommelier without getting lost. Anybody can order a $100 Chardonnay. It's being able to work the phrase "malolactic fermentation" into the conversation that makes you look cool.

What is malolactic fermentation, anyway?

[Rebel Rose]

What is malolactic fermentation, anyway?

We'll be getting to that soon in the 2005 Vintage Wine Blog.

[Bill Miller]

My wife turned me on to wine -- her father was a liquor distributor and back in the day used to serve Clos de Mouches as the house wine.  I was a beer swiller.

I'm going to start a thread on this someday, but one thing that pisses me off is how ridiculously expensive an "impressive" wine is today.  In my youth, a swell pair of Italian loafers (to go back to the thread subtitle) was twice as expensive as a good Barolo.  Now, the equation is reversed, a "super Tuscan" is twice as expensive as the shoes.

That being said, if you want to impress a date or a client, the key isn't how expensive the wine is, it's how deep into the jargon you can get with the sommelier without getting lost.  Anybody can order a $100 Chardonnay.  It's being able to work the phrase "malolactic fermentation" into the conversation that makes you look cool. 

What is malolactic fermentation, anyway?

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It sounds like bad milk--how does that relate to wine?

[jsolomon]

Conversely, if you are a guy, would you go for Sandra Oh's cheeky, tight jeans strut behind the tasting bar, or Virginia Madsen's softfocus riff on the personality of wine?  If you were dating an uptight schoolteacher, what would you pull out that would blow her socks off?

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Hmm, to blow the uptight schoolteacher's socks off? I think I would have to go with a cremant. But, the uptight schoolteachers in Nebraska are as likely to be tea-totalers as not.

The times I have gone on a date and pulled out all of the stops on the wine and food, I've had many dates say that I sounded gay or looked gay because I was actually tasting the wine and food. I was letting my palate discern and letting the food and wine speak to me.

Right now? My fiance prefers Bud Light. *sigh* She's coming along, though.

[KatieLoeb]

What is malolactic fermentation, anyway?

Paraphrasing Wine Lover's Companion:

It's a secondary fermentation, sometimes induced, where bacteria convert some of the malic acid in the wine to lactic acid (yes like in milk, butter or yogurt) and carbon dioxide. No more alcohol is produced. Malic acid is harsher than lactic acid so the wines tend to get smoother. Also creates diacetyl that smells like melted butter. This is literally what gives many California Chardonnays their buttery flavor (in addition to the oak barrels of course).

[Florida Jim]

Conversely, if you are a guy, would you go for Sandra Oh's cheeky, tight jeans strut behind the tasting bar, or Virginia Madsen's softfocus riff on the personality of wine? 

As Deon would say, both.

I like a very eclectic cellar.

Best, Jim

[*Deborah*]

I dated a guy who ordered some very nice Cab Sauv or other on our first date, and a tasty tasty Cinq Cepages on our second. The fact that he would only drink California wine gave me pause; the fact that he pronounced Cinq "sink" instead of ~ "sank" gave me a giggle. We hadn't enough in common to sustain anything (and I would have had a hard time foregoing BC, French and Italian wines in favour of California till death did us part, even if things were a bit more gemütlich), but I have to say that the day I tried the Turley Zinfandel that I remembered him raving about, I mentally raised my glass to him. And patted myself on the back for remembering.