Catholic Online Forum

Really? Is it just Gauloises or is the ban wider?

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David L (CA)
"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.” - Groucho Marx

I will here confess a wine/liquor buying technique I sometimes use. As I hinted earlier, I am not tooooo fussy about what I drink (preferably not "plonk", but even some of that....). So what I have been doing is getting to know the managers of the grocery stores we patronize. When they put up a clearance display of the things that aren't moving, if appeals to me I might offer a flat amount for the whole lot. Recently I got not quite 5 cases for $150 - a little over $3/bottle, and it included wines originally priced at nearly $20. Others, maybe from $6 or so.

(I sort have built up a bit of a cellar, so I'm kind of out of the market for a while.)

This technique can also work on other merchandise as well. I recently purchased 15 2-packs of Finish Quantumatic dishwasher detergent for $2/each - about 1 year's worth. They were on the clearance shelf at $7, and normally go for around $11.

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Kent Wendler

Val if you make pudding shots for the casino bus ride you will be the most popular girl on the bus.

1 Cup milk
1 small envelope of instant chocolate pudding
1/2 cup vodka
1/2 cup Baileys
1 small container of creamy cool whip

Fold the ingredients together and then put it in those little to-go cups for dressing. About the 2 1/2-3 oz size. Then freeze them. Hand them out on the bus with spoons. Its like smooth icecream that makes you extra happy. We never charge for ours on the bus. We give them away (along with free beer) and it makes people want to come back for the next bus ride. After about three of them you dont want to stand too quickly.

If this is your first party bus organizing thing, make sure you have bottled water for the people on the way back. Dont give out any more alcohol.

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Elizabeth

"Jesus go before me and prepare the way"

Good to see you posting again, Kent; how are you doing?

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Andrew McAllister

Respect for the dignity of every innocent human being from conception/fertilization, without exception, without compromise, without apology.

One of the things I most enjoy about being a wine lover but not a connoisseur is that I can enjoy the cheap stuff without worrying about vintage, age, quality, etc.

The only criteria I have to concern myself with is "Does it taste good to me?"

Makes life a lot easier . . . buy a cheap merlot, taste it and if I like it, I drink it. If I don't, pitch it . . .

or give it to someone with even less taste than have I (though such a person may be quite difficult to find)!

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In Christ,

Jim B

I will consider your position if stated with firm, well-thought-out, quiet reasoning. Hateful diatribe, ad hominem attacks and shouted rhetoric don't impress.

How many times should I fold the envelope over, Elizabeth? Should I moisten the gum flap or is the clasp enough?

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Rob

That's pretty much my method.

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Bob C

David,

It's wider - it also applies to Gitanes.

French companies refuse to comply with Australian tobacco packaging laws that require "Smoking causes lung cancer" to appear on the packet as well as hideous photos of cancer ridden lungs, rotting teeth and gums, - you get the idea. These must take up at least one third of the larger faces of the packet.

Last year Parliament passed a new law that will abolish all branding on packets - all packets will be a plain olive green (still with the photos).

I suppose I shall soon be drinking Victory Gin.

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James Daly

"It is the Lord." (Jn 21:7)

Bob,



At the price the Yellowtail shiraz is good value. Yes, it's a little tart though. The merlot is smoother, but it might be a little heavy for you if you're mostly a white drinker.

The best wine ever made in Australia is Penfolds Grange Hermitage (oops, Penfolds Grange). But as I indicated above it's expensive.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grange_Hermitage

(Anything by Penfolds will be good. Easily recognised by the simple, stylishly elegant label.)

More affordably, an old favourite of mine (since my youth) is McWilliam's Mount Pleasant Philip Shiraz.

http://danmurphys.com.au/product/DM_731 ... lip-shiraz

You might like a red that's a little lighter and fruitier such as a Burgundy (oops, Pinot noir). They also come in whites and sparklings.

http://danmurphys.com.au/dm/search/dm_s ... a54ec935c7

One white that I tried recently and thought rather highly of was a pinot grigio made by De Bortoli. It was light and crisp (and the price was reasonable).

One of my favourite Australian whites (again, since my youth) would have to be the Wyndham Estate Oak Cask Chardonnay. I'd be very surprised if that weren't available in the USA.

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James Daly

"It is the Lord." (Jn 21:7)

PS

I should also mention Tyrells Wines. Anything they do should be worth trying.

http://www.tyrrells.com.au/

(I first discovered these at uni - much Tyrells Long Flat Red was consumed.)

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James Daly

"It is the Lord." (Jn 21:7)

I like both the Yellowtail shiraz and merlot.

But my wine preference is dry red so I am not put off by tartness. Rarely ever drink white. A merlot or local variatels chambourcin or cynthiana accompanies meals even when seafood is on the menu!

. . . and as I mentioned above, not being a connoisseur, I don't pay much attention to vintage, brand or age.

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In Christ,

Jim B

I will consider your position if stated with firm, well-thought-out, quiet reasoning. Hateful diatribe, ad hominem attacks and shouted rhetoric don't impress.

While I prefer a sweeter wine, I don't mind tart, but that bottle of Sharatz was bitter, maybe a bad bottle, I'll give it another try.

Thanks for the recommendations

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Bob C

Bob,

Rather than spend good money on a bottle you might end up not liking, there are a couple of things you might do. A lot of retailers offer evenings of free tastings, especialy if they are specialty retailers (eg a shop that specialises in Italian wines). Also, wine bars. (I don't know the situation in Florida, but here in NSW a liquor licence to sell beer, spirits and wine costs a certain amount; a licence to serve only wine is considerably less.) In a wine bar one can buy wines by the glass. By trying a few different things you can quickly discover what you don't like and then avoid it.

These days spoilt bottles are very, very rare. The wonders of modern chemistry have solved many problems.

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James Daly

"It is the Lord." (Jn 21:7)

Val,

Well, well, the things we learn. The good people of Portugal do indeed make shiraz. Infact the word "shiraz" is a Portugese word.

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James Daly

"It is the Lord." (Jn 21:7)

James,

Actually the local grocer frequently has wine vendors in offering tastes, and a member at the parish is a Wine distributor who deals in international wines as well as US Labels

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Bob C

Elizabeth,



Thanks for the recipe...if I don't use it this time around for any reason, I'll certainly use it at some point in my life. It's seems a bit early to me to be drinking but I don't personally see the difference between Vodka and Champage...there is just some sort of prejudice against the idea of Vodka in the morning but not mimosa's. Personally, if I'm getting up that early to start serving food and loading the bus than pudding shots will make it much less painful. It's just that there will be an awful lot of people on the bus. Maybe I'll save it for a baby shower we're giving in February to collect baby stuff for a pregnancy counseling center we're doing some fund raising for. ..we're inviting parishioners to bring baby gifts and will have a regular shower.

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Valerie Garcia
vals1990@yahoo.com

"Listen, O my son, to the precepts of thy master, and incline the ear of thy heart, and cheerfully receive and faithfully execute the admonitions of thy loving Father, that by the toil of obedience thou mayest return to Him ....." St. Benedict

We like wine and butter rum cordial.
A few years ago we started making wine, and after a few dismal failures (including one batch of really nice pear vinegar), we hit on a recipe for sweet grape wine that's cheap, easy, and won't be mistaken for paint thinner...

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Cynthia Gee


".....and finally, I suggest you follow Jesus Christ rather than Rush Limbaugh. The former will lead you to heaven, the latter won't." ~~~~~~~~~~~anonymous