Wine tasting starting on Friday night - who wants to join in?

[JanZ]

I thought I'd start a new thread on thi to see if anyone is interested in joining in. So far, it looks like just me Fio2, me and dh! It would be more fun if there were more of us!

As a starter, the suggestion is Jacobs Creek Shiraz/Cabernet - easily obtainable from most supermarkets and off-licences.

Dh (Bacchus) has put togeter a wee embryonic web site for the Mumsnet tasting. I'll copy and paste his posting to give you the link:

"Blast! Need to change my nickname now!

Bearing in mind the postings regarding the problem of "same wine everyone" I thought that rather than hang around waiting, people could start with a wine which I believe is fairly widely available - being Jacob's Creek Shiraz/Cabernet - while trying to work out/agree the best way to overcome the "availability" issue.(working on that). So I've put together a couple of pages specifically for this purpose, be gentle - I'm not a web designer - but you can try them, it makes a start - First Bash . You should note that the links back to Mumsnet only bring you back to main site.

More suggestions to follow later in the week."

I'll be buying our bottle of Jacobs Creek tonight (although we've had it before). Hope that there will be more of you lot joining in!

yes I will join in and get my dh to aswell

I'll try to get some too, but won't be able to post any comments until Monday. Come to think of it, that gives me the whole weekend to try it.

That's no problem Azure - that's why I said "starting" - as I realise that people will come to this at different times, and have different times that they can access Mumsnet.

If you have a look at dh's web site, you can get some ideas of what to think about and also download/print off a wine tasting template, to allow you to put some "order" to your impressions.

I'd kinda thought that it makes more sense if we do this sort of thing over a weekend, so Azure your idea seems spot on.

for some reason I'm not getting JanZ's pasted link so just in case, here it is again

Let's get tasting wine

Where there are more than one tasting together, would be very interested to hear about different comments, notes, likes, dislikes etc

For those of you on your own or who don't want to drink a whole bottle of wine, it might be worth at some point investing in a Vacuvin (this site gives more details ) which allows you to drink a couple of glasses and then keep the wine without it going off.

They're particulary useful for white wines, which go off more quickly than red. My dh thinks they are instruments of torture though!

Will have to do it on Saturday this week as we are having tonight and tomorrow night off the booze!

I would like to join you ladies/gentlemen the only thing is I don't really like red wine but I will buy a bottle just to do the tasting (found your DH web link very interesting JanZ). Are we doing it together at a certain time or just tonight?

mez75 - I think this is going to be a "put your thoughts done when it's convenient for you" type of thing, although in the interest of trying to make it a WEE bit interactive, I suggested "starting" the process tomorrow night, so that people had something to aim at/get the wine in for. We'll probably post some comments on tomorrow night and then see what others say as and when they get a chance to post.

But in fact, I'd advise (or rather, I know dh would advise) that you look at/taste the wine BEFORE looking at what other people have said. Otherwise it might get in the way of your own impressions. Once you've noted your intitial impressions, then have a look - and sometimes other people's comments can help clarify what you were trying to put into words (like dh's "rubber on the inside of a washing machine" analogy) (But I promise you - the wine on "tasting" just now is NOT reminiscent of "the rubber on the inside of a washing machine"!!)

We will be doing tasting of white wines in future - but it would be nice if we can help you identify the sort of red wine that you WOULD like to drink.

mez75 - good point about the red wine - I hadn't really thought about doing more than one wine just for the first time, but the principles apply equally to white.

I suggested this particular wine because I reckon it's fairly widely available but Jacob's Creek do a couple of "standard" whites too, with a similar availability. One of them might be a good place to start - if available you might want to try the Semillon/Sauvignon as it should be a wee bit more interesting than the straight Chardonnay.

As I say, the same principles apply, if I get a chance before tomorrow pm I'll do another page or two to give some specific notes on this wine.

Yup Batters that's the way it works - do remember though to make your notes at the time of drinking - I've often made the mistake of trying to remember things the morning after!

... by the way Bacchus, I'm planning on having duck breasts tomorrow night, so that will go nicely with the Shiraz/Cabernet. We'll just have to put off our normal "Friday night" bubbly. I'm not sure we have any in the house anyway!

Have just been to the shop and picked up a bottle of Jacobs Creek Shiraz Cabernet.

CD - will you be having your Jacobs Creek with your Goats Cheese Fondu?

No will have to have at lunch on Sunday instead. Oh hang on am out for lunch, will have to have evening instead.

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The more the merrier! (excuse the pun!)

BBBB - enjoy yourself!

Update: The Jacob's Creek Shiraz/Cabernet 2001 was £4.99 in Safeway this evening.

I presume we'll all end up with the same vintage - but it would be interesting if someone ends up with a different one!

.... anyone else going to be joining in?

I've got a bottle of Jacobs Creek Grenache Shiraz, don't know if that would be OK, not sure I can say much about it though, never been very good at describing wines.

Nope, the cork's staying firmly in the Jacobs Creek, DH has come home with another bottle of wine, which we were to drink whilst watching a DVD together but he has picked a couple of films that only he wants to watch (grrrrr men) so I am right off my wine now and going to bed to read my book (sob, sob, blub, blub, can you tell I'm pre-menstral too ).

PS In-laws coming tomorrow so may need the Jacobs Creek (both bottles) tomorrow evening after they are gone.

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