The job at the liquor store has afforded me proximity to alcohol on a regular basis, which has created a new familiarity with wines and spirits. So far it has not contributed to an increase in consumption, simply a diversification in what I drink: occasionally I’ll try some Buffalo Trace or Weller (I’ve had both the Green and the Old 107 (Red), and prefer the Green, with its less aggressive bite and lower alcohol content). Having learned how desirable it is, I bought a bottle of Blanton’s at one point, which I have yet to open. These bourbons are a step up from my old standby, Jim Beam, and I’ve learned to appreciate the difference.
On the wine front, I’m exploring reds at the lower end of the price range. I’m staying away from the California reds, even though my love of the movie Sideways attracted me to the cult of the CA pinot noir. My aversion has to do with a neurotic belief that Roundup and other chemicals are more widely used in the U.S. than in other countries. And something about the overwhelming popularity (as evidenced by what people buy at the store) of brands like Apothic (actually a Gallo brand, I discovered), Meiomi, Coppola, and Josh wines make them less interesting to me.
Instead I’ve decided to try South American and French wines. I just bought a $9.99 Brazilian wine that Patrick recommended (yet to be tried), and I found the organic Argentinian malbec Bousquet, pictured below, to be a really nice tasting buy at a little over $10. The French Chateau Du Bois de la Garde was recommended by a Frenchman I struck up a conversation with and was, predictably(!), quite nice.
The other two pictured below, one French, one Argentinian, were borderline undrinkable, for me, at about the same price point. The French was more like $7 or $8. Harsh … bitter …. unsubtle. I was surprised about the Alamos, since it seems to sell well.
