An open letter to ALL Novices who use the board

[winoweenie]

I've noticed that for the last 6 to 12 months there has been fewer and fewer postings on tastings by novices on this board. This is distressing as your notes are EXTREMELY important to others who are just getting into wine. Whether it's on a Sutter Home White Zinfandel, 2-Buck Chuck or whatever you're drinking please share your thoughts with us. Some of you seem to think you need a degree in journalism to post. Nothing could be further from the truth. Every person on this board started out with absolutely no idea of the wonderful world of wine. My own experience started as a confirmed martini drinker who occassionally had some Johnny Walker Red, then the Black, then Cutty Sark, J&B and finally some Single Malts. Occassionally I bought a 3 litre jug of Gallos' Chablis or Burgaandy and then one July market in San Fransisco a waiter suggested I try a nice wine with dinner. The wine in question was a 1968 B.V. Reserve and the lights came on.
Be someones help up the wine ladder. Share your tasting notes. I know not everyone has the facilities nor resources to drink 1st or 2nd growth Bordeauxs but there's a heck of lot more bottles of 2-buck sold than those dudes and the level pf enjoyment they give is just as great as the Lafites. There's no such thing as an insignifcant wine. Share your tasting experiences and help educate the next wino to the next level. And please remember when you get an answer from a question from someone on the board, a simple "Thank You" is always appreciated. Off the soap-box. WW

[This message has been edited by winoweenie (edited 07-23-2007).]

[Drew]

THANK YOU!! Here, Here..........

Drew

[brappy]

I know I'm falling short.... I'll work on it....

[AltaJoe]

I'm new to the board, so naturally I'm a little reticent, but I'll give it a whirl. On Friday afternoons, a bunch of us get together and drink a myriad of wines that we mostly find on-line.

I'll pass this forum on to the others. It will be interesting to see their comments.

[dananne]

Please do, and welcome to the board!

[winoweenie]

That's EXACTLY what I'm talking about. I'm sure this will be far more relative to the new wine drinker than a review of a 1982 Lafite. Sometime I fail to post on a wine if I think it's too hard to find or too expensive now. ( By the way I paid 39.95 on futures for the 82 Lafite along with the other 1st growths so when I did post on them in the past this is the price reference I used.). Looking forward to your post AJ and add my warm welcome to the board. WW

[hotwine]

Big welcome from here, too.
Thanks for the soapbox WW. Nicely said.

[AltaJoe]

Being a newbie, where exactly should I post reviews? In the past few days I had an outstanding $24 Zin and a pricey for me, $33 Sancerre.

For what its worth, these are at the high end of my budget as my strike zone is under $15.

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Thank God for:
balzac-store.com
winestilsoldout.com

[Innkeeper]

You get put a TN for Zin on the Zinfandel thread, and a TN for the Sancerre on the Loire thread. And, welcome!

[jessicamumme]

Thank you for the warm welcome! I am always a tad hesitant to post something being new to the wonderful world of wine.

I am having a wedding reception Aug 11 and trying to track down my white and red wine choice (one of each). Here in Oregon in the Willamette Valley, we sure do have a myraid of wonderful wineries. However, not knowing what I am doing, it is a bit tricky to choose exactly what I want [img]http://wines.com/ubb/smile.gif[/img]

Any ideas on a great case idea for one white selection (preferably a riesling) and one red (no preference).

I am excited to begin trying so many different wines, and posting my opinions on here. I am very, very excited indeed.

-Jessica Mumme

[Thomas]

Jessica,

One of the best ways to make your choice is to go to the wineries and taste. It's a good outing and a great way to decide.

[Innkeeper]

Hi Jessica and welcome to the Wine Board. You didn't mention price point. Usually for weddings people are looking for something around $10-$12. Surveys have show that the too most popular wines for crowds are Chardonnay and Shiraz/Syrah. You have many choices for these made right in your home state. King Estate has a second line that should fit right in.

As Foodie suggested, the best advice is to go to the winery and taste. You can do the same with a reputable retailer.

Don't forget to get a sparkler for the toast. Spanish Cavas are very nice at available at the same price point.

[jessicamumme]

Thank you both so much for your information and insights! My husband and I are heading to "Sweet Cheeks" winery in Crow, Oregon - about 10 minutes from where we live in Eugene - Friday evening to taste some dry riesling and a red. Price point would be 10 - 20. Any suggestions on how much to get for 100 drinkers? [img]http://wines.com/ubb/smile.gif[/img]

I will absolutely post my novice notes as to what we try and my impressions here on the board either tomorrow night, or Saturday. [img]http://wines.com/ubb/smile.gif[/img] Wish us luck tasting tomorrow evening! [img]http://wines.com/ubb/smile.gif[/img]

-Jessica

[Innkeeper]

I would get a case and half of red, and a half case of white. Don't forget the case of bubbly too.