tv commercials

[curious]

there are all kind of commercials on TV about different wines, some of which I don't see listed here.
How good are they, does the name matter? I know (I think) that it is the grape that is the name, Chards, Zins, P. Noir, but how much does that brand name play a part in the wine being a good choice?
I have seen lots of names mentioned here, that I have no idea of what they are.

[winoweenie]

Hi curios and welcome. The names that are advertised are, for the most part, large volume,low-end wines that are for mass merchandising. Lots of car ads on the telly also, but bet you know the difference between a Kia and a Lexus....Same with wines, the producer can either make the chard, pinot, or cab grape sing like Diana Krall or Ma Fletcher depending on his expertise.Happy holidays. WW

[Innkeeper]

Wines that are advertised on TV are imports and domestics that are owned by congomerates. That does not mean that they are bad. Many small wineries have been saved from going out of business by being acquired by the big guys. The goodness and or badness of all this is debatable.

As far as what you read here, there is a difference betweeen what to see on the Novice thread, and what you see of some of the others. On Novice and also on Food & Wine you will usually see types of wine that one may want to try or serve with a specific food. These are refered to as a pinot noir or as a Cotes Du Rhone, etc. On the other threads dedicated to specific kinds of wines you will usually find tasting notes (TNs) on specfice brands of wines.

[curious]

thanks for the info,
I had kinda suspected that they were at the low end of the totem pole. I have been reading as much as I can about wines, checked out all the wine sections here, to try to figure out what is what.
It will take a lifetime to learn about it all, but a nice hobby, break from studies.
I need to learn some new lingo, every field has its own jargon, initials and such.
I apologize for misspellings in my posts, but I refuse to open a dictionary for another week, I need a break from college writing.

[Innkeeper]

There is no way to learn it all. Like any other undertaking, the more you learn, the more you realize you don't know. Yesterday, I was reading some tasting notes (TNs) from various parts of Italy on another board. They left me glassy eyed.

Regarding lingo, a book with a good glossary would be a big help. I frequently refer to the one in Michael Schuster's "Essential Winetasting"; ISBN 1-84000-205-0.