Was it the glass or the food?

[Grape Stuff]

I had a bottle of Washington Syrah with a Steak on the bbq this summer, and loved the wine. Really Really good. I bought 2 more bottles, and took one to a birthday party last week where the food selection was "bring your own appetizer", and the only glasses they had out were those short plastic punch glasses you see at weddings.

Needless to say, the wine seemed marginal at best. It lost it's depth and complexity, and hardly had a finish.

The bottle wasn't bad or corked, just not nearly as exciting as the first time.

Was it the glass? or the food? or both? or was I dreaming the first time I had the bottle?

Harry

[White Wine Lover]

I have a similar problem sometimes when I do winery tours. A wine might taste really good to me when I'm at the winery, so I grab a bottle, but then I get it home & it sometimes doesn't taste as good. Maybe I'm just caught up in the atmosphere at the winery, or maybe I've visited too many wine tastings in one day!

Donna

[Innkeeper]

You didn't say what the appetizers were. Chances are that they, the glasses, and the ambience all played a role. There is also the economic rule called the law of diminishing returns. The idea is that you won't like the second thing of something as much as you did the first. With wine, I have found that you either accept this and grin and bear it, or let many bottles of other wines come between your first and second of a particular one.

[Grape Stuff]

The appetizers (that I ate) were anything from smoked salmon, to nachos, to bbq meatballs, and way too many handfulls of Peanut Butter M&Ms [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/biggrin.gif[/img] I know mentally the plastic cups really bummed me out, and of course the host was so quick to grab the bottle, went outside to the drink table, opened it for us, pured two cups to the brim, and came quickly, with a big grin came back inside to hand them to us. Very kind...but it's hard enough to swirl in a plastic cup, let alone one that's only a 1/4 inch from the top.

Oh well, I guess one lesson is not to bring nice wine to a party where wine is not appreciated, and second, it's simply amazing how wine changes with the surroundings.

Harry

[ShortWiner]

Maybe temperature was an issue as well? (Or PB M&Ms?) I also often find it hard to really enjoy wine when I bring it to parties. Too much going on, hard to serve it well, etc.

[This message has been edited by ShortWiner (edited 11-13-2003).]

[Innkeeper]

When it comes to parties, and we're hosting three over the holidays, this is what we do. We prepare the principal meat or fish, and maybe some breads. We tell the guests to bring the rest (veggies, covered dishes, salad, bread, etc). Of course we provide the wines.

We put out enough glass wine glasses for everyone, albeit some are very utilitarian. The wines we serve are the best we can find for under $10. Last year the Crow Canyon Cab was a huge hit. It is available this year too, along with the syrah. You can get unwooded chardonnay at that price point that people will go wild over too. We serve four bottles of red to one of white. Have a great holiday season all.

[Georgie]

and what were those dates and times again, IK?

[winedope1]

Georgie- I think you've got the right idea! and I'm even closer than you...WD

[Kcwhippet]

It would be a close one between us, WD. I'd hop up 495 to 95 and go from there.

[winedope1]

true, KC. Sounds like it would be worth the trip !!

[tandkvd]

Sounds like you may need more wine IK.

I wonder if my family would miss me for a couple days while I made a road trip to Maine [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/biggrin.gif[/img]

[This message has been edited by tandkvd (edited 11-14-2003).]