I was tidying up my kitchen
I took another delivery from Laithwaites on Friday and so was moving stuff around my kitchen. I don’t normally by cases of wine, let alone 3 cases in as many months, but they keep offering me “Bloody Good Dealstm”. I’ve got somewhere around £140 off 39 bottles. Or 39 bottles worth £280 for £140. Which all in all isn’t that bad a deal. And a cork screw. I’m probably not their most lucrative client.
The thing is I don’t drink alone (usually). I live by myself. And when I go to parties I often forget to take a bottle, or nip down to shops and buy a new one. If it’s a “everyones very drunk party”, no need to take a good wine. And if it’s a party such that you get there and the host puts your bottle on the shelf and you end up drinking some other wine I don’t see the point in taking one of your own good wines. Mostly it’s because I forget.
So I was tidying up, and thought it would be interesting to count my booze. Then being a two dot zero geek, I thought it would be more interesting to index it and run some stats.
You can draw quite a few fairly accurate conclusions of what I like to drink.
The full list is after the fold.
Some notes:
I’m pretty sure a good few bottles of vino are probably now undrinkable. I know bugger all about white wine, so I’m sure several of those bottles are vinegar.
Some of the older reds should be ok, although the ‘78 is probably toast. I’m torn weather to drink it or just to keep it as an old bottle.
You may think I’m a bit of a wine ponce, but really I know what I like and wing the rest.
I have no idea where some of these bottles came from
I have no idea what some of the wines are e.g. Gewürztraminer
A lot of the spirits are not full bottles, but left overs from parties.
So here is the full list of booze I currently have.
| Bottles | Wine | Variety | Age | Country | Colour |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Tittarelli Gran Vendimia | Malbec | 2006 | Argentina | Red |
| 4 | Reserve de Villecours | Cabernet Sauvignon | 2007 | France | Red |
| 4 | Casa Del Rio Verde | Merlot | 2007 | Chile | Red |
| 4 | Oxley’s | Shiraz | 2007 | Australia | Red |
| 9 | Domaine Du Mont Saint Jean | Pinot Noir | 2006 | France | Red |
| 2 | Brotherhood Winery NY | Pinot Noir | None | USA | Red |
| 1 | Casillero del Diablo | Shiraz | 2006 | Chile | Red |
| 3 | Conde Alegre | Rioja | 2007 | Spain | Red |
| 1 | Casillero del Diablo | Cabernet Sauvignon | 2006 | Chile | Red |
| 1 | Wolf Blass Yellow Label | Cabernet Sauvignon | 2006 | Australia | Red |
| 1 | Casillero del Diablo | Viogner | 2007 | Chile | White |
| 1 | Boschendal | Sauvignon Blanc | 2004 | South Africa | White |
| 1 | Heritage du Chateua Touraine | Sauvignon Blanc | 2003 | France | White |
| 1 | Marks and Spencer Oudinot | Cuvee Brut | None | France | Champagne |
| 1 | Cotes du Rhone Villages | Paul Jaboulet Aîné | 2005 | France | Red |
| 1 | Clement Meck | Gewürztraminer | 1997 | France | White |
| 1 | Laroche | Merlot | 2005 | France | Red |
| 1 | Haute Cabriere | Pinot Noir | 2003 | South Africa | Red |
| 5 | Haute Cabriere | Pinot Noir | 2000 | South Africa | Red |
| 1 | Afincado | Malbec | 2004 | Argentina | Red |
| 1 | Vergenoegd | Cabernet Sauvignon | 1994 | South Africa | Red |
| 1 | Casillero del Diablo | Merlot | 2006 | Chile | Red |
| 1 | Meerendal | Shiraz | 1978 | South Africa | Red |
| 1 | Lebonheur | Cabernet Sauvignon | 1991 | South Africa | Red |
| 1 | Rust en Vrede | Cabernet Sauvignon | 1985 | South Africa | Red |
| 1 | Chateau Beau-Site | Bordeaux | 1996 | France | Red |
| 1 | Covent Des Jacobins Bourgogne | Pinot Noir | 1998 | France | Red |
| 1 | Thelema | Merlot | 2003 | South Africa | Red |
| 1 | Neethlingshof | Cabernet Sauvignon | 1985 | South Africa | Red |
| 1 | Earnest & Julio Gallo | Chardonnay | 1997 | USA | White |
| 1 | Monarchia | Kekfrankos | 2002 | Hungarian | Red |
| 61 | Total | ||||
| 1 | Bacardi | Rum | |||
| 1 | Curacao | Triple Sec | |||
| 2 | Gordon’s | Sloe Gin | |||
| 3 | Pimm’s No 1 | Pimm’s | |||
| 1 | Pimm’s No 3 | Pimm’s | |||
| 1 | Sauza Blanco | Tequila | |||
| 1 | Jose Cuervo Gold | Tequila | |||
| 1 | Reposado | Tequila | |||
| 1 | Waitrose | Brandy | |||
| 1 | Napolean | Brandy | |||
| 1 | Irish Mist | Liqueur | |||
| 1 | Tia Maria | Liqueur | |||
| 1 | Lupini gold | Sambuca | |||
| 1 | Bombay Sapphire | Gin | |||
| 1 | Hine Signature | Cognac | |||
| 1 | Ketel One | Vodka | |||
| 2 | Absolut | Vodka | |||
| 1 | Smirnoff Red | Vodka | |||
| 1 | Macallen (12yr) | Whiskey | |||
| 1 | Macallan Elegancia | Whiskey | |||
| 1 | Macallen Cask Strength (10yr) | Whiskey | |||
| 1 | Chivas Regal (12yr) | Whiskey | |||
| 1 | Woodford Reserve Select | Whiskey | |||
| 1 | Jim Bean Black (8yr) | Whiskey | |||
| 1 | Glendfiddich (15yr) | Whiskey | |||
| 1 | Glenrothes Sample Room (13yr) | Whiskey | |||
| 1 | Schonbrunner Gold | Scnaps | |||
| 31 | Total | ||||
| 2 | Westons Premium Organic | Cider | |||
| 1 | Bulmers Original | Cider | |||
| 20 | Stella Atoirs bottles | Beer | |||
| 4 | Stella Atoirs cans | Beer | |||
| 6 | Becks Bottles | Beer | |||
| 33 | Total |
1. Matt
I think you might, just might, have a problem right there. Not a drinking problem though, more of a… NOT drinking problem. Someone with that amount of booze lying around should, really, be an alcoholic.
Either way, the party’s totally at your place.
Regarding the “is it corked”? question, it’s probably not corked. But that doesn’t mean it’s not long past it’s drinking time. Here’s a quote that may be of use -
“Bordeaux, Burgundy, Napa Valley Cabernet, Barossa Valley Shiraz, vintage Port, Barolo, Barbaresco, Sauternes, Super Tuscans, Hermitage, and some German Rieslings above a certain price point are typically made to age”
Either way, I strongly advise you to either throw the ‘97 Ernest and Julio Gallo Chardonnay in the bin, or use it as part of a nice salad dressing.
2. Adrian
I don’t really drink white. I’ll just pour it to unsuspecting guests.
I might have to make sure they are drunk first.
3. Marc
“And if it’s a party such that you get there and the host puts your bottle on the shelf and you end up drinking some other wine I don’t see the point in taking one of your own good wines.”
Depending on the guests and party I would generally not open the wine but certainly be appreciative of it. Chances are that I would open it the following time you were round and if it was a success then credit you in front of the other guests at that point.
As a guest to a dinner party I usually take wines that are superior to the wines I buy for myself. It’s a gift after all.
If you do want your wine to be opened then I’d suggest a comment such as “I thought this would go well with the meal” as a hint when you hand the bottle over.
4. Adrian
I tend to not see it as a gift but more of a “You cooked the food, I brought the wine”
If I was going to bring a gift it would be flowers or chocolates.
And I’m not really talking about a dinner party dinner party, which is way to formal and I not sure I have every been too. I’m talking about dinner with mates. Which might be fancy or might not, but they are mates. I bring wine that
That’s also the reasons I have like 10 bottles about 10 - 30 years old. I don’t want to waste them for just any occasion. One can argue it’s a waste not drinking them either, but I just can’t bring myself to open them, just for a nice dinner.
5. Simon
I’ll take all the SA off your hands if you want to ship it :-)
Think of it as a birthday present
6. Adrian
Seems a bit silly to have it fly twice.
You can come drink it here.
Plus you have good proximity to plenty good SA wine. I’ll bring you some nice French.
7. Danzor
For someone who complains about not having enough time on his hands, this seems like the action of someone who is incredibly bored. What shall I do today? Oh I know, I’ll graph my wine!
8. Andrew
Your wine is 34% alcohol by volume?
9. Andrew
Agree with Chopper, I typically take a better bottle of wine that I buy for myself, reasons: - the dinner usually costs much more than the wine - I wouldn’t want them to make a worse dinner just because guests are coming around (by the same rationale you use for buying a worse wine) - I wouldn’t want them opening the wine I brought in the weeks/months following the dinner, remembering it was from me, and thinking it was a crap wine - I wouldn’t want people coming to a dinner party I hold and bringing crap wine
10. Andrew
I should group my comments…..there are no New Zealand wines in your collection. Admittedly the NZ whites are much better than the reds, however there are some good Pinot Noirs you can get in the UK now.
11. Grumpyoldman
Good to see such a high percentage of French Wine. However you don’t have any Chateau Neuf or Margaux!
You seem to be entirely missing any Italian wine! Try a good (i.e. expensive Barolo, Sangiovese and Amarone).
12. Adrian
@Danzor, I did whilst watching sport on a lazy Sunday. Cut a guy some slack.
@Andrew (comment8), I worked it out at 9 units a bottle I think
@Andrew (comment9), I didn’t say I take crap wine, and I agree I hate it when I cook dinner and someone brings Jacobs Creek. I take good wine, of something I have had before (often a Casillero del Diablo or Wolff Blass or something in that region). But I wont take my Haute Cabriere for example, which being my favourite wine, I would be remiss if it wasn’t drunk. As I said, both because I want to drink it and because I want to share it. I have taken it to dinners where I know it is going to be opened. It isn’t about crap wine over good wine, it’s about buying a nice bottle of opening one of my bottles which generally I want to taste. I only have too Brotherhood Pinot Noirs from New York for example. I’m not going to take one when I might not get to drink it. That said, given the recent Laithwaites purchases I now have plenty of good wine I probably don’t mind taking.
@Andrew (comment10), As you say they are mostly whites which as you can see I barely drink, and to be honest only have on hand for guests who want some. When I have to buy white for a dinner party (cause I’m told to bring a white) I normally buy Kiwi or Saffer. I do like the Mount Difficulty Pinot Noir (which as you can see from the graphs is my favourite variety) and have had some stunning Kiwi Pinot Noirs. I’ll often get these when going to Dinner parties as the Saffer selection in off licenses can be rather poor. I just don’t have any at home, because the Saffer wines I’ve bought at duty free in JHB or got as gifts from Saffers visiting, and for the rest, the Kiwi wines aren’t cheap and I’ll often go with South American now days with the Malbecs being stunning and Casillero del Diablo making some rather fine wines too.
@ Grumpyoldman I have a high perecentage of French mainly because of the Laithwaites purchases. I think I have heard of Chateau Neuf but generally I buy New World wines as they are sold by the variety and I know what I am getting more easily. French wines are quiet confusing and if I am honest tend to have more of a clique snobbish thing going for them (which may not be true, but it’s my perception). I generally have very little idea about Italian and Spanish wines so when purchasing I kind of go with what I know. I’ll keep an eye out for those three though.
13. Andrew
I misunderstood you comment “I don’t see the point in taking one of your own good wine” to mean that you wouldn’t take a good wine but would instead take a random (read “crap”) wine you bought at the shop. I now understand that you would actually buy a high quality wine from the shop, rather than pillage your cellar.
And I am sure that you are aware (from your experience) that by publishing this, all your friends that have read this will now scrutinise your wine “gifts” in all future invitations to dinner.
14. Adrian
It does depend on the event. If say it’s a big BBQ/party where everyone is going to be pretty wasted anyway, then I’ll probably take something quiet ordinary.
If it was dinner at a friend I would take something good to very good. Probably not my 1978 though.
Hopefully by reading this my friends will all open my wine.
And as I said, I don’t take wine as gifts. Gifts are flowers and chocolates. Also toolboxes (great housewarming gift). I take wine to be part of the shared experience.
15. Andrew
Fyi…lie the bottles down, keeps the corks moist and reduces the chance of corkage.
Whenever I have dinner parties, we seem to finish my wine and the guests wine.
16. Adrian
I know, all the older wine is lying down. Not sure I have the space for the rest, although, cause a stand takes up space. Although I could probably fit one in. Maybe I should try find a nice one and you can give it to me as a birthday present.
Whenever you have dinner parties …. hmmmm …. I recall Christmas at your place which was great, but I must not have made it onto the list for all your other dinner parties.
Note to self: Keep the cheap wine for Andrew ;p
17. Andrew
As soon as we have a dinner table (well, it will be more like a kitchen table), we will have a dinner party. No doubt you are your fine wine will be invited.
18. Danzor
Fair enough. Sport IS incredibly boring. I would probably start pointlessly graphing stuff as well if I had to watch it.