What was the first glass of wine that told you wine is a bit different and
would be fun to explore? Mine was Bulls Blood. Took a girlfriend, who now
is my wife, to an Hungarian restaurant, a BYOB in Westport, Connecticut.
Went to a local wine merchant and he recommended Bulls Blood. Well, it was
perfect, and intrigued me from then on.

--
The journey is the reward.

"Rich R" > wrote in
m:

> What was the first glass of wine that told you wine is a bit
> different and
> would be fun to explore? Mine was Bulls Blood. Took a girlfriend, who
> now is my wife, to an Hungarian restaurant, a BYOB in Westport,
> Connecticut. Went to a local wine merchant and he recommended Bulls
> Blood. Well, it was perfect, and intrigued me from then on.
>
> --
> The journey is the reward.
>
>

my first good glass was actually a bottle. For some reason unkown to me
all these years later, I was in DC Liquors (OK I do know why I was in DC
Liquors!) I walked out with a bottle of Chianti Classico and next thing
I knew I was walking back into the barracks with a case.

Good stuff great memories. more of a drinking while playing cards on
Friday night, but it was a whole different thing than my taylor tawny
port expeditions through Georgetown.

"jcoulter" > wrote in message
...
> "Rich R" > wrote in
> m:
>
> > What was the first glass of wine that told you wine is a bit
> > different and
> > would be fun to explore? Mine was Bulls Blood. Took a girlfriend, who
> > now is my wife, to an Hungarian restaurant, a BYOB in Westport,
> > Connecticut. Went to a local wine merchant and he recommended Bulls
> > Blood. Well, it was perfect, and intrigued me from then on.
> >
> > --
> > The journey is the reward.
> >
> >
>
> my first good glass was actually a bottle. For some reason unkown to me
> all these years later, I was in DC Liquors (OK I do know why I was in DC
> Liquors!) I walked out with a bottle of Chianti Classico and next thing
> I knew I was walking back into the barracks with a case.
>
> Good stuff great memories. more of a drinking while playing cards on
> Friday night, but it was a whole different thing than my taylor tawny
> port expeditions through Georgetown.

Your story is intersting, and you should go into more detail. For instance,
you mention "barracks", so how did you get into the military, and what year?

Rich

On Sat, 22 May 2004 23:04:24 GMT, "Rich R" > wrote:

> What was the first glass of wine that told you wine is a bit different and
>would be fun to explore? Mine was Bulls Blood. Took a girlfriend, who now
>is my wife, to an Hungarian restaurant, a BYOB in Westport, Connecticut.
>Went to a local wine merchant and he recommended Bulls Blood. Well, it was
>perfect, and intrigued me from then on.

Age 16 I won a half of 1964 (my birth year) Pommard on a bottle stall
at a church sale of work. Kept it for a couple of years in an old
fashioned larder at home and had it on my 18th birthday.

Looking back at it, it wasn't all that great (probably 2/3 Algerian),
but it was certainly different. It opened up the possibilities of
wine.

As a student, didn't drink anything nearly as good till a friend (a
catering student) brought over a bottle of 71 Margaux and a 78
Mersault Perrieres which he had liberated from an obscure part of the
cellar of the country house hotel where he worked. He had been asked
to do the stock-take and neither wine were on the list - they had
probably belonged to the last owners of the building when it was a
house.

The Margaux was horrible, next nearest thing to vinegar, the Burgundy
started a love affair that I can't afford.

James

James Dempster (remove nospam to reply by email)

You know you've had a good night
when you wake up
and someone's outlining you in chalk.

"Rich R" > wrote in
:

>
> "jcoulter" > wrote in message
> ...
>> "Rich R" > wrote in
>> m:
>>
>> > What was the first glass of wine that told you wine is a bit
>> > different and
>> > would be fun to explore? Mine was Bulls Blood. Took a girlfriend,
>> > who now is my wife, to an Hungarian restaurant, a BYOB in Westport,
>> > Connecticut. Went to a local wine merchant and he recommended Bulls
>> > Blood. Well, it was perfect, and intrigued me from then on.
>> >
>> > --
>> > The journey is the reward.
>> >
>> >
>>
>> my first good glass was actually a bottle. For some reason unkown to
>> me all these years later, I was in DC Liquors (OK I do know why I was
>> in DC Liquors!) I walked out with a bottle of Chianti Classico and
>> next thing I knew I was walking back into the barracks with a case.
>>
>> Good stuff great memories. more of a drinking while playing cards on
>> Friday night, but it was a whole different thing than my taylor tawny
>> port expeditions through Georgetown.
>
> Your story is intersting, and you should go into more detail. For
> instance, you mention "barracks", so how did you get into the
> military, and what year?
>
> Rich
>
>
>

It was 1970 I was in the Army studying Vietnamese at the Defense
Language Institute East Coast. the wine was IIRC 1965 after that a
friend suggested that I might like Beaujoulais and the rest is history.

"Rich R" > wrote in message
m...
> What was the first glass of wine that told you wine is a bit different and
> would be fun to explore?

I remember it like it was yesterday. 1972 David Bruce Chardonnay ($18US at
the time, which was a _lot_ of money). What a powerhouse! I tasted it
again a few years later and it had traded power for incredible complexity.
It's my index wine - kind of a benchmark that I may never achieve. Several
months later I tasted something similar in a Btard Montrachet that was a
bit pricier (~$24US).

As far as reds, it was Van Loben Sels 1970 Oakville Cabernet ($9US). Great
wine from a near perfect vintage. Had a little residual ML in the bottle,
so it was a bit gassy on opening and bottles tended to leak a little, but it
was rich and bursting with fruit when it opened up.

Awhile after this I experienced the 1970 and 1968 Heitz Martha's Vineyard
Cabernets. The 1970 was the best wine from that great vintage - better than
all of the first growth Bordeauxs - but 1970 was a stronger year in
California than it was in France (which wasn't too shabby either!). The
1968 Martha's is my benchmark Cabernet, and the best wine of _any_ type I've
tasted in over 30 years. Yes, it was that good!

Tom S

Tom S wrote:
> "Rich R" > wrote in message

>>What was the first glass of wine that told you wine is a bit different and
>>would be fun to explore?

My first was a German Mosel in 1961 and it was like drinking liquid
sunshine. I had never tasted anything so pleasant. Then I discovered
Burgundies. My first case purchased was Ch Bel Air and my second one
was 1961 La Tour. My life was ruined after than because all my money
was marked for wine purchases.



> Awhile after this I experienced the 1970 and 1968 Heitz Martha's Vineyard
> Cabernets. The 1970 was the best wine from that great vintage - better than
> all of the first growth Bordeauxs - but 1970 was a stronger year in
> California than it was in France (which wasn't too shabby either!). The
> 1968 Martha's is my benchmark Cabernet, and the best wine of _any_ type I've
> tasted in over 30 years. Yes, it was that good!


In 1994 I was working as a marketing consulting for a large company and
I was hosting a dinner one night with 8 or 10 people there and I ordered
a very large bottle of Martha's Vineyard. When I turned in my expense
report, my boss hit the ceiling that I would buy an $800 bottle of wine.
I told him that it fed the multitude but he was still bent out of shape.
I quit the company right on the spot and found another company that did
not have such reservations.

I have strong recollections of Grand Puy Ducasse 1978 - not necessarily a
great wine, but I remember holding a tasting in my rooms in college, and
this wine shone through with blackcurrants and sweetness. There were also
some stuning Pizzas from a great restaurant called Pizza Place (this was at
the University of Kent in Canterbury). That was in about 1991. I was
fortunate that the college cellars would let a humble student buy one case a
term at fantastic prices! It was the first wine that made me think - WOW -
here is something worth getting involved in - and indeed on leaving
university I started working for Oddbins. As an interesting aside, I was
invited by a university friend to the Inns of Court, where aspirant
barristers must dine, and this wine was served at dinner. I was pretty
impressed, but that was is 1994 and I quickly saw why - the 'sweet spot' of
fruit had dwindled (so often true for that vintage) and there was more
obvious acidity. They clearly had a few cases left and they thought that
they could use it on the lower orders!

Johnners

"Bill" > wrote in message
...
> Tom S wrote:
> > "Rich R" > wrote in message
>
> >>What was the first glass of wine that told you wine is a bit different
and
> >>would be fun to explore?
>
> My first was a German Mosel in 1961 and it was like drinking liquid
> sunshine. I had never tasted anything so pleasant. Then I discovered
> Burgundies. My first case purchased was Ch Bel Air and my second one
> was 1961 La Tour. My life was ruined after than because all my money
> was marked for wine purchases.
>
>
>
> > Awhile after this I experienced the 1970 and 1968 Heitz Martha's
Vineyard
> > Cabernets. The 1970 was the best wine from that great vintage - better
than
> > all of the first growth Bordeauxs - but 1970 was a stronger year in
> > California than it was in France (which wasn't too shabby either!). The
> > 1968 Martha's is my benchmark Cabernet, and the best wine of _any_ type
I've
> > tasted in over 30 years. Yes, it was that good!
>
>
> In 1994 I was working as a marketing consulting for a large company and
> I was hosting a dinner one night with 8 or 10 people there and I ordered
> a very large bottle of Martha's Vineyard. When I turned in my expense
> report, my boss hit the ceiling that I would buy an $800 bottle of wine.
> I told him that it fed the multitude but he was still bent out of shape.
> I quit the company right on the spot and found another company that did
> not have such reservations.
>
>

What is a "good" glass of wine? I'd been raised in a household where Charles
Krug Zinfandel was present at every dinner. However, my first "aha" wine
experience was with a 1974 Concannon Sauvignon Blanc, followed later by a 1978
Dehlinger Zinfandel. Those two wines let me know that there was far more to
wine than I had previously realized...

Mark Lipton

"Bill" > wrote in message
...
> Tom S wrote:
> > "Rich R" > wrote in message
>
> >>What was the first glass of wine that told you wine is a bit different
and
> >>would be fun to explore?
>
> My first was a German Mosel in 1961 and it was like drinking liquid
> sunshine. I had never tasted anything so pleasant. Then I discovered
> Burgundies. My first case purchased was Ch Bel Air and my second one
> was 1961 La Tour. My life was ruined after than because all my money
> was marked for wine purchases.
>
>
>
> > Awhile after this I experienced the 1970 and 1968 Heitz Martha's
Vineyard
> > Cabernets. The 1970 was the best wine from that great vintage - better
than
> > all of the first growth Bordeauxs - but 1970 was a stronger year in
> > California than it was in France (which wasn't too shabby either!). The
> > 1968 Martha's is my benchmark Cabernet, and the best wine of _any_ type
I've
> > tasted in over 30 years. Yes, it was that good!
>
>
> In 1994 I was working as a marketing consulting for a large company and
> I was hosting a dinner one night with 8 or 10 people there and I ordered
> a very large bottle of Martha's Vineyard. When I turned in my expense
> report, my boss hit the ceiling that I would buy an $800 bottle of wine.
> I told him that it fed the multitude but he was still bent out of shape.
> I quit the company right on the spot and found another company that did
> not have such reservations.
>
Bill,

Great story and great story telling.

Rich

I have appreciate wine and fine wine since 1979. That said I really came to
appreciate the aging of wine 2x in the past 5 years.

In 1999 I had a 1982 Cos d'Estournel that had been somewhat but not
perfectly stored. It was incredible and different than early releases. It
was then I realize I drank to much wine ...to early.

Then in 2004 I had the opportunity to acquire and consume a Dom Perignon
Recent Disgorged wine from 1975, 78 and 85. It was an incredible night. We
met a couple at a restaurant in downtown and in advance used Doms'
suggestion for the meals to serve with each. The restaurant prepared 3
different main courses in small qty and some appetizers. We had a great
night and really learned about the aging of Champagne. I was totally
unaware that they can evolve and become so complex.

I guess you can say I have had a 25 year love of wines but learn much in
recent years.

I might not enjoy the politics of France but when it comes to food and
wine...you gotta love them. Anyone tells you otherwise is a fool.


"Rich R" > wrote in message
m...
> What was the first glass of wine that told you wine is a bit different and
> would be fun to explore? Mine was Bulls Blood. Took a girlfriend, who now
> is my wife, to an Hungarian restaurant, a BYOB in Westport, Connecticut.
> Went to a local wine merchant and he recommended Bulls Blood. Well, it was
> perfect, and intrigued me from then on.
>
> --
> The journey is the reward.
>
>

"Rich R" in m...
> What was the first glass of wine that told you wine is a bit
> different and would be fun to explore? ...

I doubt I could add anything of interest to this enjoyable thread because,
unlike some things in life, or some people's fine-wine experiences, where
there is a clear first time, fine wine for me was a gradual continuum. My
parents were kind of obsessed with food and did all sorts of experimental
cooking. Their children were pressed into service as prep. cooks cutting
vegetables etc., which was OK because we liked most of what came out of it
all. (\My father also made beer with a single fermentation circa 1960 --
dangerous partly because it was illegal in California at that time,
amazingly, but also because it was explosive at that time (from the
long-lever control inherent in single fermentation). The garage was
forbidden at these times and the alarming random explosions from it and
flying glass made the point better than any parental instructions could.

My parents also enjoyed wine from various places, usually modest, and would
offer tastes to us children along with all the other strange food flavors
they made, and we didn't like it.. In my teen years I had no interest in
wine, the flavor seemed harsh. I would still try it occasionally, and in my
late teens noticed that it did seem to go with some kinds of food (I was
always cooking), and then at age 20, discovered to my surprise that I liked
some wines a lot, much more than others, and could pick out differences
among them, and most strikingly of all, enjoyment seemed only weakly
correlated with price. So I got books and did my homework for background
information. I also had the terrible misfortune of knowing various other
food and wine enthusiasts who encouraged and tutored my interest and led me
down the terrible slippery slope by which one discovers tastes one was
perfectly content without, and tries to get more of what satisfies these
tastes, spending money and precious time ferrying immature bottles around,
going to wine tastings, reading newsgroups and Web sites, etc. etc. Woe!

Max Hauser

Correction on the years for dom. 64,75 and 78
"dick" > wrote in message
hlink.net...
> I have appreciate wine and fine wine since 1979. That said I really came
to
> appreciate the aging of wine 2x in the past 5 years.
>
> In 1999 I had a 1982 Cos d'Estournel that had been somewhat but not
> perfectly stored. It was incredible and different than early releases.
It
> was then I realize I drank to much wine ...to early.
>
> Then in 2004 I had the opportunity to acquire and consume a Dom Perignon
> Recent Disgorged wine from 1975, 78 and 85. It was an incredible night.
We
> met a couple at a restaurant in downtown and in advance used Doms'
> suggestion for the meals to serve with each. The restaurant prepared 3
> different main courses in small qty and some appetizers. We had a great
> night and really learned about the aging of Champagne. I was totally
> unaware that they can evolve and become so complex.
>
> I guess you can say I have had a 25 year love of wines but learn much in
> recent years.
>
> I might not enjoy the politics of France but when it comes to food and
> wine...you gotta love them. Anyone tells you otherwise is a fool.
>
>
> "Rich R" > wrote in message
> m...
> > What was the first glass of wine that told you wine is a bit different
and
> > would be fun to explore? Mine was Bulls Blood. Took a girlfriend, who
now
> > is my wife, to an Hungarian restaurant, a BYOB in Westport, Connecticut.
> > Went to a local wine merchant and he recommended Bulls Blood. Well, it
was
> > perfect, and intrigued me from then on.
> >
> > --
> > The journey is the reward.
> >
> >
>
>

Rich R wrote:

> What was the first glass of wine that told you wine is a bit different and
> would be fun to explore?

It was a light and slightly off-dry Liebfraumilch and I was
probably 16, I didn't even have a whole glass.

Dana

Let's see, was it the Annie Green Springs when a teen? Nah.

By college I was quite the beer man. After, as I worked in restaurants and
bars, I learned the difference between Pouilly-Fume and Pouilly-Fuisse. I liked
wine, knew a bit, but it didn't grab me.

I guess the wine that made me sit up and REALLY take notice was I think 1991,
at Easter dinner. My friend's husband served a 1982 Ch. Gloria with the lamb.
Layers of complexity I had never dreamed of. Since then I've had '82 Gloria a
few times, now I think of it as a good but not great mature Bordeaux. But will
always have a soft spot for it.
Dale

Dale Williams
Drop "damnspam" to reply

"Rich R" > wrote:

> What was the first glass of wine that told you wine is a bit
> different and would be fun to explore?

Having drunk wine roughly since age 16/17 (the legal minimum age
in Vienna, Austria, is 16) without thinking much about it -
remember, Austria's a wine producing country -, my first encounter
with wine that told me there's something different and worth
exploring were two French red wines I had in Zurich, Switzerland,
at a friend's home, back in 1974, when I was 21: 1971
Moulin-à-Vent (Swiss Mövenpick bottling), and 1966 Chteau
Malartic-Lagravière, Cru Classé des Graves (today AOC
Pessac-Léognan).

Both were so much better than anything red I'd ever had
experienced in Austria, that this was my kick-off to get into
wine.

M.

Salut/Hi Michael Pronay,

le/on 28 May 2004 06:07:21 GMT, tu disais/you said:-

>> What was the first glass of wine that told you wine is a bit
>> different and would be fun to explore?

>at a friend's home, back in 1974, when I was 21: 1971
>Moulin-à-Vent (Swiss Mövenpick bottling),

What an extraordinary coincidence. One of the first really good wines I ever
bought was Moulin à Vent Ch Moulin à Vent 1971. It had a light slightly hazy
sediment, but if the bottle was stood up for 48 hours before being drunk and
decanted carefully, the sediment was no nuisance.

I blessed it in fact because it meant that the wine (which was on sale at
Christies South Kensington) was sold for FAR below its value. A real snip at
about £2 a bottle.

I drank the last bottle in 1989 just before we moved to France.

--
All the Best
Ian Hoare
http://www.souvigne.com
mailbox full to avoid spam. try me at website

"Ian Hoare" > wrote in message
...
> Salut/Hi Michael Pronay,
>
> le/on 28 May 2004 06:07:21 GMT, tu disais/you said:-
>
> >> What was the first glass of wine that told you wine is a bit
> >> different and would be fun to explore?
>
> >at a friend's home, back in 1974, when I was 21: 1971
> >Moulin-à-Vent (Swiss Mövenpick bottling),
>
> What an extraordinary coincidence. One of the first really good wines I
ever
> bought was Moulin à Vent Ch Moulin à Vent 1971.

Speaking of coincidences, one of my earliest fine wine experiences was also
a 1971 Moulin á Vent! (Louis Jadot ~$5US)

Now all we need is a fourth for Bridge... ;^)

Tom S

Tom S wrote:

> Speaking of coincidences, one of my earliest fine wine experiences was also
> a 1971 Moulin á Vent! (Louis Jadot ~$5US)
>
> Now all we need is a fourth for Bridge... ;^)

I'll join your bridge foursome, Tom, but the closest I've come to a '71
Moulin á Vent is an '85 Jadot Beaujolais-Villages... ;-)

Mark Lipton

Mark Lipton in ...
> Tom S wrote:
>
> > Speaking of coincidences, one of my earliest fine wine experiences was
also
> > a 1971 Moulin á Vent! (Louis Jadot ~$5US)
> >
> > Now all we need is a fourth for Bridge... ;^)
.. . .

I saw Tom S's posting when it appeared and almost responded then -- 1971
M-á-V for me too. In 1976. It was one of my first memorable wines. (1971
and to some extent 72 were prominent on the market for some time, as I
remember, for Beaujolais.) The Ch. M-á-V label is familiar too (I have some
in storage, more recent) and that might even have been the particular 71
that I tried in 76, but I'm not sure about that.

I have always had a soft spot for Beaujolais, and especially M-á-V, since
that first encounter.

Salut/Hi Max Hauser,

le/on Fri, 28 May 2004 22:35:06 -0700, tu disais/you said:-

>Mark Lipton in ...
>> Tom S wrote:
>>
>> > Speaking of coincidences, one of my earliest fine wine experiences was
>also
>> > a 1971 Moulin á Vent! (Louis Jadot ~$5US)
>> >
>> > Now all we need is a fourth for Bridge... ;^)

>I saw Tom S's posting when it appeared and almost responded then -- 1971
>M-á-V for me too. In 1976. It was one of my first memorable wines.

I have to say that's an extraordinary coincidence.

>The Ch. M-á-V label is familiar too (I have some in storage, more recent) and that might even have been the particular 71
>that I tried in 76, but I'm not sure about that.

Amazing.

>I have always had a soft spot for Beaujolais, and especially M-á-V, since
>that first encounter.

I'm afraid that my wonderful experience with the M-Ã*-V, made me that much
more jaundiced when I look at much of the wine produced today. Up until
recently, I'd not found any that deserved the name (but I have to confess I
didn't look too hard) in my opinion. However some Beaujolais-Villages from
Jean-Claude Lapalu near Brouilly, at the insanely high price of ‚¬14 a bottle
has completely reconciled me!

There IS a good side to the current reaction here in France against
Beaujolais Nouveau. It means that some of the more astute growers are now
going back to making real wine again. "Hurray", say I. Would that it were
true in Burgundy too.
--
All the Best
Ian Hoare
http://www.souvigne.com
mailbox full to avoid spam. try me at website

"Rich R" > wrote in message
m...
> What was the first glass of wine that told you wine is a bit different and
> would be fun to explore? Mine was Bulls Blood. Took a girlfriend, who now
> is my wife, to an Hungarian restaurant, a BYOB in Westport, Connecticut.
> Went to a local wine merchant and he recommended Bulls Blood. Well, it was
> perfect, and intrigued me from then on.
>
> --
> The journey is the reward.
>
Egri Bekaver (Sp?) was the name I believe - Bulls Blood. My son and I were
obsessed with it in the late 70's. Then the quality dropped off somewhat.
I'll have to check on it again.

My first real discovery of wine --

About 1972, my college student son arranged a birthday dinner for me at a
nice restaurant near the campus. He got a young bottle of Mouton
Rothschild, 1969 I believe, and the restaurant provided corkage. The wine
was good but in 30-40 minutes on the table it had metamorphosed and a lovely
aroma engulfed the table.We have had many good wines since then but we both
call that our introduction to good wine.

SJF

"SJF" > wrote in message
news:FWxzc.2091$Gy.1093@fed1read03...
>
> "Rich R" > wrote in message
> m...
> > What was the first glass of wine that told you wine is a bit different
and
> > would be fun to explore? Mine was Bulls Blood. Took a girlfriend, who
now
> > is my wife, to an Hungarian restaurant, a BYOB in Westport, Connecticut.
> > Went to a local wine merchant and he recommended Bulls Blood. Well, it
was
> > perfect, and intrigued me from then on.
> >
> > --
> > The journey is the reward.
> >
> Egri Bekaver (Sp?) was the name I believe - Bulls Blood. My son and I
were
> obsessed with it in the late 70's. Then the quality dropped off somewhat.
> I'll have to check on it again.
>
> My first real discovery of wine --
>
> About 1972, my college student son arranged a birthday dinner for me at a
> nice restaurant near the campus. He got a young bottle of Mouton
> Rothschild, 1969 I believe, and the restaurant provided corkage. The wine
> was good but in 30-40 minutes on the table it had metamorphosed and a
lovely
> aroma engulfed the table.We have had many good wines since then but we
both
> call that our introduction to good wine.
>
> SJF
>
Long story but good reply,

I am keeping this one.

Rich R.