Archived material Access restricted Article
Rantburg

Today's Front Page   View All of Wed 11/05/2003 View Tue 11/04/2003 View Mon 11/03/2003 View Sun 11/02/2003 View Sat 11/01/2003 View Fri 10/31/2003 View Thu 10/30/2003
1
2003-11-05 Home Front
Aussie wine elbows French aside in U.S
Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.
Posted by Fred Pruitt 2003-11-05 00:02|| || Front Page|| [11138 views since 2007-05-07]  Top

#1 Here's one of those new Aussie wine buyers right here. Good stuff. :)
Posted by Laurence of the Rats  2003-11-5 12:09:53 AM||   2003-11-5 12:09:53 AM|| Front Page Top

#2 I had some of the Yellow Tail Shiraz at a dinner party this past summer. Very good stuff!
Posted by Mike  2003-11-5 12:25:52 AM||   2003-11-5 12:25:52 AM|| Front Page Top

#3 Please please keep boycotting French wines! White Burgundies are bound to go down in price--more for me! Y'all can drink that Aussi swill--but if I was in a boycott France mood--I'd drink Italian pinot grigios--but I hear reds are a different animal
Posted by NotMikeMoore 2003-11-5 12:45:16 AM||   2003-11-5 12:45:16 AM|| Front Page Top

#4 While we are at it you could try Spanish Rioja wine
and of course Jabugo ham who is considered best in world. Ironically, for years the French had managed to block its exporting to most of the EU alleging concerns of porcine plague (harmless to humans but not to pigs), now its consumption is considered chic in the French upper classes. Warning: outside Spain it is not precisely cheap.
Posted by JFM  2003-11-5 12:51:58 AM||   2003-11-5 12:51:58 AM|| Front Page Top

#5 NMM: You seem to be as knowledgeable about Australian white wine as you are on other subjects, i.e. not very much!

Young, ready to drink Australian white wines are THE best in the world. They are so far ahead of the rest that for years I have drunk nothing else.
Posted by Phil_B 2003-11-5 4:13:21 AM||   2003-11-5 4:13:21 AM|| Front Page Top

#6 Unfortunately for us patriots, Yellow Tail (any varietal) has no actual wine taste: chemical extract and wood chips seem to be the primary flavor components.

For real cheap and unpretentious, though, there is Spain. Esp. what the more interesting importers are bringing over from there these days (no more 100-yr-old spineless Riojas).
Posted by someone 2003-11-5 4:54:22 AM||   2003-11-5 4:54:22 AM|| Front Page Top

#7 Well, I buy Aussie wines out of support and curiosity now and then but anyone who thinks that the overpriced(of course)French wines are better than our own domestic ones doesn't know what they are talking about.
Posted by B 2003-11-5 8:04:03 AM||   2003-11-5 8:04:03 AM|| Front Page Top

#8 hmmm...didn't mean my above comment to sound derogatory towards the many terrific Aussie wines...was just saying that the French over rate themselves once again.
Posted by B 2003-11-5 8:13:05 AM||   2003-11-5 8:13:05 AM|| Front Page Top

#9 French wines are like Mercedes Benzes--they're a good product, no question, but wildly overrated and overpriced. With a Benz or a French wine, about 25% of what you pay is a premium for the name brand vs. a comparable product from another supplier with less cachet.
Posted by Mike  2003-11-5 9:02:45 AM||   2003-11-5 9:02:45 AM|| Front Page Top

#10 "(harmless to humans but not to pigs)"

-JFM, maybe that's exactly why the phrogs were afraid of it. LOL!
Posted by Jarhead 2003-11-5 9:43:50 AM||   2003-11-5 9:43:50 AM|| Front Page Top

#11 I had a nice well-priced Romanian wine this
past weekend. Having been in central and eastern
Europe a number of times. I new that you could
always get quality wines in country, but we
are now starting to see them on U.S. shelves.

This can only be good for competition.
Posted by J.H. 2003-11-5 9:44:37 AM||   2003-11-5 9:44:37 AM|| Front Page Top

#12 B: there are many overpriced French wines (pretty much anything from Bordeaux or Burgundy, for starters), but the best values on the lower end are also from frogland. (E.g. anything grenache-based brought over by one of the artisinal importers.)

It's really domestic wines that are overpriced: try finding a Californian wine with actual varietal & terroir character for under $10. Almost impossible -- the only decent ones are genericized chemically-treated fruit bombs. On the upper end, maybe a handful of domestics are worth even $50+/bottle, yet it seems any schmuck with a trendy location and cellar guy can, armed with the right Wine Speculator (er, Spectator) reviews, get away with charging $150+...

Australia's not all that different. I'd say NZ is the more interesting wine area. But weren't they weasels too?

That said, there's always Italy.
Posted by someone 2003-11-5 11:34:32 AM||   2003-11-5 11:34:32 AM|| Front Page Top

#13 Hmmm...I notice that you didn't list any labels..just generalities. Give me the name of one REALLY good French wine, under $10 wine, that doesn't have sulfates in it, and then we'll talk.

That said, I agree with you about Italy.
Posted by B 2003-11-5 12:29:33 PM||   2003-11-5 12:29:33 PM|| Front Page Top

#14 http://www.howtobuyamerican.com/b-db-boycottfrance.shtml
Posted by Greg 2003-11-5 12:51:27 PM|| [http://www.howtobuyamerican.com/b-db-boycottfrance.shtml]  2003-11-5 12:51:27 PM|| Front Page Top

#15 B: I didn't list particulars because it all depends where you live, etc.: by their very nature these artisinal importers don't bring in a whole lot and any particular one won't distributed everywhere. But, for example, try if you can the 2001 Côtes du Forez "La Volcanique" by Odile Verdier and Jacky Logel. Gamay grown on volcanic soil, it has a wonderful stone-mineral undercurrent in its medium fruit. Couldn't be more different from Beaujolais. $9.

I don't know about sulfites, though, not having that allergy myself.
Posted by someone 2003-11-5 1:00:37 PM||   2003-11-5 1:00:37 PM|| Front Page Top

#16 It's really domestic wines that are overpriced: try finding a Californian wine with actual varietal & terroir character for under $10.

Blame marketing and vinters' ego for that. There are domestic bargains to be had, and not just California wines. You just gotta kiss a lotta frogs to find a prince, tho.
Posted by Pappy 2003-11-5 1:05:54 PM||   2003-11-5 1:05:54 PM|| Front Page Top

#17 Kissing frogs..lol! So true! Look, someone, the finest wines aren't going to be under $10. If they were so fine, the price would go up accordingly, no? So it's a dubious claim to be a wine "expert" of cheap wines.

All this talk caused me to open a $5.97 bottle of Australian Black Swan 2002 at lunch. Oh sure, it''s a little tinny at first..but it's smooth, mighty fine! Not bad for $5.97.
Posted by B 2003-11-5 1:31:30 PM||   2003-11-5 1:31:30 PM|| Front Page Top

#18 oops...it's the Merlot.
Posted by B 2003-11-5 1:32:26 PM||   2003-11-5 1:32:26 PM|| Front Page Top

#19 B: I'm not an expert at anything. There are good and bad wines at every price point, and interesting and uninteresting. There are dozens and dozens of good & interesting cheap Old World wines (I named one, as asked), and much fewer New World. Heck, it's true up and down the price spectrum -- a good $15 Rasteau (Rhone village) is IMO more interesting than pretty much any California syrah. And the inefficiencies in the distribution and marketing system keep things this way.

Put it this way: do you want to be Billy Beane, or Peter Angelos?
Posted by someone 2003-11-5 1:59:22 PM||   2003-11-5 1:59:22 PM|| Front Page Top

#20 Someone...I don't follow baseball...so your point was wasted on me.

Bottom line: There are PLENTY of good CA, Australian, Italian AND French wines....for all the reasons you stated above.

But using your own point...I see no reason NOT to boycott the French. I mean, where would you rather shop? Nordstrom's or Ann Taylor's? Both have good quality...but one has a bigger and better selection.

Meanwhile, I see no reason to kiss the frogs, in search of a prince.:-)
Posted by B 2003-11-5 2:34:08 PM||   2003-11-5 2:34:08 PM|| Front Page Top

#21 Mr Jarhead


My mother is french so I would be happy if you withdrew your comment.


To others:

The high price of French wines is key on their marketing strategy. If you want people believing you are the best bar none you have to put high price tags. The higher the price, the better a product will sell between sbobs and new rich.

Posted by JFM  2003-11-5 3:46:55 PM||   2003-11-5 3:46:55 PM|| Front Page Top

#22 The last time I checked the French weren't a race. Maybe you meant Jarhead was being Nationalist?
Posted by whitecollar redneck 2003-11-5 5:30:52 PM||   2003-11-5 5:30:52 PM|| Front Page Top

#23 I believe chauvinist is the apropos term.
Posted by .com 2003-11-5 5:55:36 PM||   2003-11-5 5:55:36 PM|| Front Page Top

#24 Oh,so we're not talking about racism. That word seems to have as many uses and definitions as the F word in some quarters.
Posted by whitecollar redneck 2003-11-5 6:04:19 PM||   2003-11-5 6:04:19 PM|| Front Page Top

#25 Guys:

Not so rough on our friend JFM. He's on our side.
Posted by Mike  2003-11-5 6:15:59 PM||   2003-11-5 6:15:59 PM|| Front Page Top

#26 JFM - the offer is still open (always will be, in fact) to start a fund to drag you over here repatriate you and restore your rights! Of course, Sabine may be riding the next wave and we can all celebrate together at the Statue of Liberty and/or Eiffel Tower!
Posted by .com 2003-11-5 6:22:11 PM||   2003-11-5 6:22:11 PM|| Front Page Top

#27 JFM - no offense to your mom but I won't withdraw my comment - so get over it. Maybe lighten up on the oregon chai at starbucks there wild man.

Whitecollar is right, the french are not a race (the only race they've been a part of is the race to drop their guns and run), otoh this is the first time I've been accused of being a racist, I'm so hurt, oh well, guess I'll just have to deal with it. For the record, I am a proud U.S. Marine, a pro-American, and maybe that also makes me a nationalist, if so, so be it. Find me repugnent and a racist if you wish because I'm not PC, I don't really care either way. Or, as we say in the Corps - F*ck you if you can't take a joke. BTW - .com, I'm pretty sure chauvinism is the act of being discriminatory toward women, I've never been accused of that one yet but the day's not over yet bro ;)

I think ethnocentric is the word your all looking for.
Posted by Jarhead 2003-11-5 6:29:07 PM||   2003-11-5 6:29:07 PM|| Front Page Top

#28 I get pissy when people misuse terms that aren't deserved. No prob being Nationalist Jarhead, I'm one too.
Posted by whitecollar redneck 2003-11-5 6:36:11 PM||   2003-11-5 6:36:11 PM|| Front Page Top

#29 Whitecollar, I'm w/you. I am an unabashed Nationalist. However, Mike & .com say JFM's on our side, they seem to be straight shooters so I'll take their word for it & quit attacking our bro' JFM - so long as he doesn't taunt me a second time! ;)

Being tactful kind of sucks though - I had this great tie-in joke about pigs, truffles, and the French......
Posted by Jarhead 2003-11-5 7:57:55 PM||   2003-11-5 7:57:55 PM|| Front Page Top

#30 Hey! I like pigs!
Posted by Shipman 2003-11-5 8:25:10 PM||   2003-11-5 8:25:10 PM|| Front Page Top

#31 And no drunken Irishman cracks as I resemble that remark.
Posted by whitecollar redneck 2003-11-5 10:29:38 PM||   2003-11-5 10:29:38 PM|| Front Page Top

#32 Chauvinism was coined from the French minister who was a total nationalist--has nothing to do with sexism
Posted by NotMikeMoore 2003-11-6 12:07:57 AM||   2003-11-6 12:07:57 AM|| Front Page Top

12:32 alaskasoldier
08:34 Brian (MN)
07:53 B
04:42 Super Hose
04:08 Bulldog
04:01 Bulldog
00:12 NotMikeMoore
00:07 NotMikeMoore
23:56 NotMikeMoore
23:52 Uncle Joe
23:51 Alaska Paul
23:46 Grunter
23:46 NotMikeMoore
23:40 NotMikeMoore
23:36 Bomb-a-rama
23:34 NotMikeMoore
23:30 NotMikeMoore
23:29 Mike Kozlowski
23:22 Dev
23:19 marek
23:15 NotMikeMoore
23:04 NotMikeMoore
23:01 NotMikeMoore
22:55 NotMikeMoore









Paypal:
Google
Search WWW Search rantburg.com