I purchased a bottle of wine (at least I think it's wine) at a garage
sale and am trying to identify it. Thanks for any help. Here's the
only details I have: the glass bottle is cast or embossed (?) with the
word "bernardine" with a cross above it. The labels are mostly gone
and quite old. There's a label just under the cork that has a bunch
of latin on it and is hard to read. On the back are the words
"distributed by Kraus Bros., New York, N.Y." Thanks for any help as
to what this might be. If it's worth $300 or less I'll just drink the
damn thing.

(Steve) wrote in news:cba22c64.0310262111.7b5f9a60
@posting.google.com:

> I purchased a bottle of wine (at least I think it's wine) at a garage
> sale and am trying to identify it. Thanks for any help. Here's the
> only details I have: the glass bottle is cast or embossed (?) with the
> word "bernardine" with a cross above it. The labels are mostly gone
> and quite old. There's a label just under the cork that has a bunch
> of latin on it and is hard to read. On the back are the words
> "distributed by Kraus Bros., New York, N.Y." Thanks for any help as
> to what this might be. If it's worth $300 or less I'll just drink the
> damn thing.
>

is there raised glass with two crossed keys? If so you have for certain a
bottle of Chapoutier's La Bernardine Chateau neuf du Pape, but don't expect
much from a bottle in that condition. and no I doubt highly if it is worth
$3 much less 300

In article >, jcoulter
> writes:

>is there raised glass with two crossed keys? If so you have for certain a
>bottle of Chapoutier's La Bernardine Chateau neuf du Pape, but don't expect
>much from a bottle in that condition. and no I doubt highly if it is worth
>$3 much less 300

Indeed, the only Bernadine I know of. Usually a decent enough CdP, retails for
about $20US. Definitely on the "drink-young" side of the CdP scale, not one of
the big ones that closes down and ages. Even with perfect storage, I'd be leery
of a la Bernadine more than 10 years old. With no provenance, $3 is about
right.

Steve, while I wouldn't have high hopes, it certainly won't hurt to try it. Let
us know. Vintage will probably be on cork. Maybe you'll get lucky and it's an
'89 or something, *might* just be a good wine.

Dale

Dale Williams
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Well I opened the bottle and took a sip. The cork had already fallen
in and decomposed somewhat. But it tastes great. I know nothing
about liquor but it tastes like a fortified wine or a brandy or a
liquer. Fruity and spicy. Thanks everybody for the info. I just
hope I'm not drinking a 500 year old bottle that I could have sold for
a million dollars! Does anyone know when the Bernardine Monastery (I
assume that's where this was made) started making wine? Do any of
their bottles go for a big money?

In article >,
(Steve) writes:

> I just
>hope I'm not drinking a 500 year old bottle that I could have sold for
>a million dollars! Does anyone know when the Bernardine Monastery (I
>assume that's where this was made) started making wine? Do any of
>their bottles go for a big money?

Well, the fact that it had an obscure NY distributors label on it probably
diminishes likelihood of it being a special ancient bottle. Plus using special
bottles and corks didn't become common till a few hundred years ago. And "big
money" is spent only for recognizable wines- I've never heard of anything from
a "Bernadine Monastery". You're pretty safe, I seriously doubt you could have
gotten $10 for it.
Dale

Dale Williams
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