Thread: My other distractions

If you think the upkeep of your razor is fun, you'll love keeping a reef aquarium! Any other reef fanatics out there?

My other major expense in life (that I can't afford properly!) is wine. Lately my favorites are Rhone varietals and Rhone wines -- Cotes du Rhone is a particular value, especially 2007 vintage. $10 will get you a pretty fantastic Rhone wine!

My #1 all-time favorite value wine: Protocolo Tinto. It's from Spain -- a tempranillo -- and amazing value at $6-10.
Andezon Cotes du Rhone: $10.
Delas Cotes du Rhone: $10

Anyone care to share some favorite value wines?

I gave the reef / salt water aquairium a try about ten years ago, it went well at first but then it turned into the money tank, it seemed to me that I was just dropping more and more money into it every day.

After about six-seven months I was done with it...



No more fish, just guns, gold and razors...

Favorite house wines:

Red
Farnese: Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
Torres: Sangre de Torro

White
Castello Di Arcano: Pinot Grigio
Dönnhoff: Riesling

My wine cellar is one of my other passions in life.

I started out training under a sommolier (sp) when I was ordering wine in AK. After I started culinary school I discovered beer Alot of my wine training gave me a huge start into beer and I found beer a much more enjoyable "Sport" The gatherings where more entertaining and less stuffy.

It seems more "done to death" nowdays but I really loved a good Pinot Noir, sense Sideways came out the wine seems to be all you find, and not many good ones anymore. But I haven't been looking as much as I used to, beer took over

Not a lot of wine drinkers in this forum, huh?

I had a great bargain wine the other day... Roustabout Meritage from Paso Robles. Available at Trader Joe's. I'm not usually a fan of what I can find at TJs bargain prices, but this one was pretty good! $6 or so.

Originally Posted by Otto

Favorite house wines:

Red
Farnese: Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
Torres: Sangre de Torro

White
Castello Di Arcano: Pinot Grigio
Dönnhoff: Riesling

My wine cellar is one of my other passions in life.

Got any cellar photos? My "cellar" is a 24-bottle wine fridge. Not bad for now....

Originally Posted by DwarvenChef

It seems more "done to death" nowdays but I really loved a good Pinot Noir, sense Sideways came out the wine seems to be all you find, and not many good ones anymore. But I haven't been looking as much as I used to, beer took over

I love the beer, too! My favorite easy drinker is Kona BrewCo Longboard Lager. For more flavor, I like the big stuff and Belgians. Speedway Stout, Schneider Aventinus, Val Dieu, Chouffe, Delirium... so much to love!

Originally Posted by bromion

Got any cellar photos? My "cellar" is a 24-bottle wine fridge. Not bad for now....

I'll see if I can get around to snap one; one of these days.

Don't get hasty there, I love inexpensive wine. There's a label called Red Dragon that's phenomenal. Another called "Bitch Wine" is also tasty, though it's usually a little above $10. Vampire is another great label. I don't know that I've ever spent more than $20 on a bottle of wine, and many of them stack up nicely to the $30+ bottles.

EDIT: For those of you considering getting into drinking wine, jump in! Don't let the snobbishness keep you out of it. If it tastes good, who cares how much it costs? The point is that you enjoy it! My wine professor taught me this, and I'll forever remember that as great advice.

The important thing about wine is that you like it. As long as it is within your budget it doesn't matter if it is a cheap or an expensive wine.
Cheap wine leaves more money for razors.

A lot of the more expensive wines are in my not so humble opinion hyped by wine writers that have gotten paid vacations to "Chateau le Carp"...

On the other hand one of the best wines I've ever tasted was a 1993 Chateau Ste. Michelle Cabernet Sauvignon. I wish I had bought more of that one...