Category:Wine Curmudgeon

Cheap wine does not cost $20

by Wine Curmudgeon Posted On

Note to Meredith Erickson at the New York Times: $20 wine is not cheap. It is past mid-priced and on its way to expensive.

I mention this because Erickson has put together a case of what she calls cheap wine, courtesy of the great Kermit Lynch. This is no criticism of Lynch, who is one of the world ?s great importers of French wine and could probably find value in $100 wine.

But Erickson does not say value. She says cheap, as in ?the only quantifier being cheap, but not cheap tasting. ? So why is only one of the wines in this case is less than $15? In fact, one of them is $20, one is $19, and two are $18. For the cost of those four wines, $74, I could have put together an entire case of wine that is actually cheap. Actually, you can do it. Just look at the $10 Hall of Fame.

I ?m getting exceedingly worn out from reading this kind of wine writing. I may have to do something about it. Be sure to read the blog on Friday.

Wine Curmudgeon gets all squirrelly

by Wine Curmudgeon Posted On

image As in the American Squirrel Wine Blog Awards.

I got an email this morning from a friend who told me I had been selected, and sure enough, there I am — Best Use of a Hat as a Prop in an About Post. (You have to scroll down toward the end to see it, right after the self-loathing award and just before the lifetime achievement award.) My thanks to whomever nominated me, which is all it took to get in. These are not quite serious, which is much welcome in the all too serious world of wine blogging. Next year, I want to win the award for best punk rock obit. Seriously.

And, as regular visitors here know, my hat is no prop ? I wear ?em all the time. Own almost a dozen ? fedoras, straws, you name it. And I have even written about them on the blog.

Thank you, Staten Island Advance

by Wine Curmudgeon Posted On

Lo and behold, they appreciate the Wine Curmudgeon in the New York City borough. Food editor Pam Silvestri has a brief Q and A with me in today ?s paper. All of my favorite subjects, like cheap wine and regional wine, are included.

True story: Silvestri sent me an email a couple of weeks ago asking to do the interview, and I thought it was a practical joke. I know more than a couple of people who would be more than capable of that, including setting up a fake email account. So how much of a curmudgeon does that make me?

I did call the number, and it was actually her. And we had a nice chat.

The Wine Curmudgeon enters the 21st century

by Wine Curmudgeon Posted On

image Yes, the Wine Curmudgeon is on Facebook, and has entered the world of social networking. I am told it is a key part of the future, and the people who have told me that (and you know who you are, dammit) usually know what they are talking about.

So look for me there ? my account is Wine Curmudgeon. We ?ll see how this works, part of my never-ending attempt to negotiate the marketing environment in the New Millennium. The catch, of course, is that I have to post updates, which I have not been very good about doing in the short time I have had the account.

And I can tell everyone right now that there is no chance ? ever ? that the Wine Curmudgeon will ever Twitter.

Lowering the drinking age to 18

by Wine Curmudgeon Posted On

Will lowering the drinking age to 18 cut drinking related problems among young people? This is, oddly enough, one of the newest and most interesting approaches to fighting alcoholism. The theory, as propounded by a surprising number of experts, including some police as well as university presidents who are part of the Amethyst Initiative, says it may be the best way to fight an unprecedented wave of binge drinking and similar problems among college students. Take away the legal barrier, and you ?ll take away a lot of the thrill and the incentive.

Or, as the police chief in Boulder, Colo., home to the hard-partying University of Colorado, told 60 Minutes: ?The abuse of alcohol and the over-consumption of alcohol and DUI driving…are the areas we’ve got to focus our efforts. Not on chasing kids around trying to give them a ticket for having a cup of beer in their hand."

After the jump, a few thoughts about lowering the drinking age and why I ?m writing about it.

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Wine terms: Cheap wine

by Wine Curmudgeon Posted On

cheap wineSay cheap wine to someone in the business, and they get insulted. I used to make that mistake all the time. Say cheap wine to a wine drinker, and their eyes light up. Isn ?t that why most of you are here?

That ?s because wine drinkers understand what industry types don ?t: That cheap wine is about more than a price. When it ?s done properly, it ?s a style of wine that is consumer friendly, well made, and offers value. Equally as important, cheap wine isn ?t associated with any of the snotty, winespeak, score-driven attitude that affects too much of the U.S. wine business.

It ?s also the Wine Curmudgeon ?s reason for being. After the jump, a few thoughts on what makes great cheap wine:

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Yes, anyone can write a wine review

by Wine Curmudgeon Posted On

The Wine Curmudgeon has always insisted that he is not better or cooler or neater than anyone else. Because I'm not. I just drink more wine. Writing about wine is not rocket science, even though so many people try to convince us that it is.

As proof, I offer this one-paragraph gem from Elyse Symons, a regular visitor here. It pretty much says everything that needs to be said.

?JanKris 2003 Syrah: Meh. When distracted it's OK, but when I'm actually paying attention to what I'm drinking it's like someone took really great grape juice and added a bottle of vodka. Ick. ?

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