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Christmas Wine II

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Following the link to Avery’s above, I’m intrigued by the differences in the way French and British merchants think their clients perceive a wine expert. Avery’s show a lady (possibly) in a call centre who can tell you all you need to know...

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Whereas Infinivin’s (probably) man in a call centre is merely a customer services agent...

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...and if you need expert advice you have to ask the gent (definitely) with the excellent moustache.

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When I first started contributing to this gentlemanly alcoholic's thread- and other similar pfm threads- I took your explications of how much hooch you consume with a whiff of snuff.

However, after a few more educational reads of your posts I am beginning to become seriously worried about your (collective) livers.

Moons ago I used to regularly overindulge- but for the past few years I have tried, usually successfully, to have five days of complete abstinence per week (on the trot), and usually do myself in for at least 4 or 3.

Now, given the amounts of the green stuff you lot evidently spend on hooch, I wonder whether you have already booked your liver transplants with your private hospital's eminent transplant surgeon- just in case.

You have driven me to substitute milk thistle seeds for vodka.
 
My physician told me as long as I stick to
three bottles a night at the weekend I would
be ok.If you're at all concerned @eternumviti
has a new range Lacryma Christi Eternum
it's no alcohol.Rest assured my hepar is in
good shape.
 
eguth said:
When I first started contributing to this gentlemanly alcoholic's thread- and other similar pfm threads- I took your explications of how much hooch you consume with a whiff of snuff.

However, after a few more educational reads of your posts I am beginning to become seriously worried about your (collective) livers.

Moons ago I used to regularly overindulge- but for the past few years I have tried, usually successfully, to have five days of complete abstinence per week (on the trot), and usually do myself in for at least 4 or 3.

Now, given the amounts of the green stuff you lot evidently spend on hooch, I wonder whether you have already booked your liver transplants with your private hospital's eminent transplant surgeon- just in case.

You have driven me to substitute milk thistle seeds for vodka.
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Says the man who started with a cognac thread...
 
eguth said:
However, after a few more educational reads of your posts I am beginning to become seriously worried about your (collective) livers.
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That sound you can hear is everyone nervously shuffling from foot to foot, wondering if you are talking about them specifically.
eguth said:
...for the past few years I have tried, usually successfully, to have five days of complete abstinence per week (on the trot), and usually do myself in for at least 4 or 3.
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I’ve not tried one day of abstinence on the trot for many years (except in certain unavoidable circumstances) let alone five, but doing yourself in seems a little extreme.

Personally I avoid spirits almost completely - as an ex-media johnnie I’ve seen those cause the downfall of way more folk than wine.
 
wacko said:
^^ yes I'm hoping that pretty much giving up the spirits will let me drink wine for longer.
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This strikes me as tantamount to an admission that you believe your liver is in a dangerous condition- even if you have not put this to yourself in these stark terms...

Dying from sclerosis of the liver is a most unpleasant way to go.

In an effort to be helpful, may I suggest that you resolve to, from now on, require yourself to drink 1/2 the amounts daily/weekly that you consider safe?
 
eguth said:
This strikes me as tantamount to an admission that you believe your liver is in a dangerous condition- even if you have not put this to yourself in these stark terms...
Dying from sclerosis of the liver is a most unpleasant way to go.
In an effort to be helpful, may I suggest that you resolve to, from now on, require yourself to drink 1/2 the amounts daily/weekly that you consider safe?
Click to expand...

Not that serious. But thank you for the advice.
 
This morning’s beard maintenance was interrupted by the clanking sound of the portcullis being raised. It was the delivery man from Lay & Wheeler. One of the few benefits of having a dodgy memory is that from time to time you forget you have placed an order, and it’s a pleasant surprise when it arrives. I saw this on their website last Thursday. ‘A client’ was selling ten bottles at what seemed like a good price for a ZH Rangen, so I grabbed four of them. I see the others have now gone, so perhaps I was right.

I’ve never had a Rangen before, so I’m looking forward to this. Obviously you can never have too much Alsace Grand Cru on hand, especially when it is for drinking sooner rather than later.

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Marchbanks said:
This morning’s beard maintenance was interrupted by the clanking sound of the portcullis being raised. It was the delivery man from Lay & Wheeler. One of the few benefits of having a dodgy memory is that from time to time you forget you have placed an order, and it’s a pleasant surprise when it arrives. I saw this on their website last Thursday. ‘A client’ was selling ten bottles at what seemed like a good price for a ZH Rangen, so I grabbed four of them. I see the others have now gone, so perhaps I was right.

I’ve never had a Rangen before, so I’m looking forward to this. Obviously you can never have too much Alsace Grand Cru on hand, especially when it is for drinking sooner rather than later.

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Excellent background on : openingabottle.com
 
wacko said:
Excellent background on : openingabottle.com
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Thanks for that - I also found this on frw.co.uk (or Freeman, Hardy & Willis as I always find myself thinking)

‘This ought to be absorbing to follow over the next 12-15 years, though I confess I am not sure of the contexts in which I would serve it other than with a rich meat pate, with foie gras, or solely for self-indulgent meditation. David Schildknecht, Wine Advocate May 2011’

My italics - sod the rich meat pate or foie gras, because self-indulgent meditation is what wine is for, duh. Add some Monk, Mingus or Evans or Frisell and what better way is there to spend an evening?
 
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CROFT VINTAGE PORT 2003
Following on from my earlier post (#347) I now say, from memory, (me being on one of my 6 1/2 day on-the-trot- abstinence binges) the seawater superlative 'fabulous' - this quip resulting from my most recent 2003 Croft sip (last Sat).

My 18-year-in-bottle gem is even better after decanted from my Georgian decanter (with its lozenge stopper removed- now that you have asked)- back into the Croft bottle.

I have about two fingers left whence the bottle is empty after my binge ends this Sat. Any of you like to join me?
 
eternumviti said:
I'd love to, dear boy, but I 'aven't finished me '63 yet.
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I bought two of those. They must have been among my earliest buy-to-keep purchases, back at the tail end of the seventies. I seem to remember they cost about £13 each. One was dispatched along the way - I remember it being stupendous - then a friend invited me to share his bottle of Taylor Something (possibly also ‘63, equally fine.) I told him that one day in the future I’d return the favour with my remaining Croft. Of course, he got married, moved elsewhere and we lost contact. Around fifteen years ago, I reneged on my promise and decided to open the bottle. The cork had disappeared inside and the contents (undrinkable of course) were being held in place by the cap alone. I realised then that Dionysus watches us all, and makes sure there are consequences for anyone who goes back on their word.
 
Marchbanks said:
I bought two of those. They must have been among my earliest buy-to-keep purchases, back at the tail end of the seventies. I seem to remember they cost about £13 each. One was dispatched along the way - I remember it being stupendous - then a friend invited me to share him bottle of Taylor Something (possibly also ‘63, equally fine.) I told him that one day in the future I’d return the favour with my remaining Croft. Of course, he got married, moved elsewhere and we lost contact. Around fifteen years ago, I reneged on my promise and decided to open the bottle. The cork had disappeared inside and the contents (undrinkable of course) were being held in place by the cap alone. I realised then that Dionysus watches us all, and makes sure there are consequences for anyone who goes back on their word.
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My heart goes out to you over this tragedy. Doubly sad if you stored it on its side, with white paint upwards.

I have had many unfortunate crumbling experiences drawing vintage port corks using my huge, beloved Campagnolo corkscrew. I stopped using it. Then tried many others, none of them satisfactory until I bought a cheap chinese one from Aldi. This has a wide, deep worm and the normal pull- down levers. I discovered that to get it to perform well on vintage port it is necessary to pull down EXTREMELY slowly, as slowly as humanly possible. Since then I have not had a single cork crumble.

The best site I have found is, suprisingly, a Swedish one....www.vintageport.se.

If anyone is looking for a great general guide to vintage port I can recommend, from my port library, Andrew Jefford's 'Port- An Essential Guide to the classic drink', Merehurst Press, 1988. You should be able to find a second hand copy fairly easily. Several available now at www.abebooks.co.uk at around £3- some with free shipping.

Jefford is especially perspicacious on pre - decanting procedure. (ISBN 1-85391-017-1)```````````````````````````````
 
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eguth said:
Dying from sclerosis of the liver is a most unpleasant way to go.
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What is the most pleasant way to go? I think my father had a 'good' exit: woke up one morning not feeling too good, passed out, taken to hospital and was pronounced dead on arrival. He smoked like a chimney up to the age of 65 or so, when the increasing cost of ciggies forced him to choose between booze and tobacco. The booze won. Thereafter, up until the day before he died, he got through half a bottle of whisky a day.

eguth said:
In an effort to be helpful, may I suggest that you resolve to, from now on, require yourself to drink 1/2 the amounts daily/weekly that you consider safe?
Click to expand...

I am extremely abstemious by the standards of many on this thread. If I cut down any more, I'll be teetotal.
 
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