What Are Your Favorite Wines?
I don't necessarily know much about wine, but I do enjoy it and feel my pallet expanding. I also have not fully broken into banking, but I know many in the industry enjoy their wines, considering wine has always been popular. I love going out with people who know a bit about wine, so I can learn more. This is where you guys come in: what is your favorite wine? I enjoy white, dry wines with some minerality. I am also a fan of lightly oaked Chardonnays, but don't really like heavier oaked Chardonnays. I don't know as much about reds and rosés. Do you guys have any favorite regions, or grapes?
Do you guys collect wines? To drink, or to sell? People mainly collect red wines to age them and then flip them. This can come with high storage costs, if done properly, though now a days there are wine storage companies, who do this for you. Have you come across, or do you have an impressive personal wine collection?
What else do you think is important to know about wines? Reds should generally be served slightly above room temperature, and whites are often chilled. Reds should also usually be aired. Ultimately, it depends on the composition of the wines and people's preferences. These tendencies, however, are borne out of the fact that whites contain more turpentines and other volatile components, which cause the taste to be more intense than reds. Reds need to be decanted, because there are some compounds, which add to the flavor intensity when they are oxidized.
Finally, I have heard that you should never say reds go with this (e.g. red meat) and whites go with that (e.g. fish), because that is what amateurs say and its limiting. Do you agree?
Do you by any chance also listen to Cold Play?
Cold Play must be listened to with blueberry pomegranate martinis with a twist of lemon, or else you're doing it wrong.
Is Zima still on the market?
Its your life. Drink and eat what you enjoy.
I personally wouldn't drink a white wine with a filet mignon.
Fair enough! Just asking what people think, because I used to think about whites with steak, but have recently realized that it does not matter that much what the color of the wine is when pairing with food.
The wine matters quite a bit for fine dining and cheese pairing. For casual meals f-it.
Not really a wine guy but I usually drink lots of Port during the holiday season. I think it is meant for in between a meal and dessert and during dessert as well I believe, not 100% sure but that is how my family pours it. I'm sure you can find a guide online for basic pairings with food for optimal combinations, but drink what you like. Those types of rules are for people who take fun things way too seriously. What is fun about over analyzing alcohol? I spent years drinking natty lights and loved it
Though I want to do finance, I study chemistry. Wine has a very interesting composition, so I actually enjoy analyzing it. The nice thing about wine is that it can bring people together on one level when just drinking it, and on another, when you chose to analyze it with people. To each their own!
Wines from Montepulciano are definitely by far my favorites but in terms of what you can buy more regularly at a whole foods or something, I'd go with the Coppola Claret. It's 13 bucks and goes well with most meats (imo reds go really well with seafood but again, highly subjective)
I don't think I've ever had a bad Coppola. I like their Merlot.
If you're a fan of Merlot check out the Markstone Merlot from Trader Joe's. It's a "Trader Joe's exclusive" i.e. white label, from Napa (not sure who exactly produces it). $10 or so, one of the best Merlots I've had.
Nice, I'll definitely give those a try!
+1 for italian wines. also sangiovese is really good
I agree, Sangiovese is fantastic. Regardless of the price, I enjoy the grape.
Indeed, the Montelpuciano region wines are magnificent. In general, super tuscans are a fail safe as they are big and bold and go with most items.
So you say you don't know much about wine, and then proceed to spill all of your beginner knowledge to people that you assume have more knowledge (and presumably already know this)?
I like a good Cabernet, but it must cost more than $129.
Spilling the beginner knowledge so the ones with more knowledge can agree, or correct me, and the ones who don't know anything, but are interested can learn. I did recently read an article though that for many people price of a wine makes people taste it as better - price causes a very real placebo effect.
My price comment was a joke.
Does whiskey count? If not, then whatever is white and available at the time. My tongue has never been able to notice a difference in different wine brands. I wish I could, seems like it could be a fun hobby to get into.
I love whiskey too. The smokey-ness of some is really cool to me. I think noticing the difference between wines takes practice and you have to be conscious about drinking them.
Exactly, I have noticed differences with them, but not enough to differentiate in terms of quality. The good news is it helps to keep things cheap.
Check out wine spectator and wine enthusiast. Wine is pretty expansive and it really is about your personal tastes. Red with meat and white with fish and poultry are good guides, but you can definitely break them.
Take some trips to Oregon, California, New York, etc. I've done wine tours in Michigan and New Jersey as well. Great way to taste a number of wines, learn what you like and expand your palet.
Expensive =\= good or enjoyable.
I personally love Pinot, Riesling, Gewurtraminer. You might be different.
Enjoy!
Come on, let's not pretend NJ produces anything other than Moscato.
Oregon and California are really spectacular. I would recommend to the OP to take a gf to Napa or Sonoma. Sounds lame when you're young but the food is out of this world and the wine is just amazing.
Not saying it's amazing, but it's easy and friendly to approach. Napa and Sonoma take planning and tastings at nice places is costly. Just saying.
Doing a wine tasting trip is definitely on my bucket list! People always say wine doesn't have to be expensive to be good, but never make the point that expensive is not necessarily good - interesting.
Wine spectator and enthusiast are good tips. A cool wine reviewing app, which you could also check out is Vivino.
unless you plan on turning into a wine snob, agree with TNA, go to some wine tastings (probably have some at your local total wine), if you really like it do some tours, and then just try different bottles, remembering what you like.
I've had wines that are $30 a bottle that don't taste as good as $10 bottles, price means shit. that being said, frog's leap is worth every penny.
I'm not big on whites, more of a red guy. next trip to the wine shop, get the following:
d'autrefois pinot noir oak ridge cab 19 crimes red blend decoy zin
all of those are inexpensive easy drinking reds. I would really recommend you do a wine tasting though or go to a wine bar and do a flight. I recommend tastings because they're more economical, and you might even meet a lady friend or two.
Carnivore (a cab sav you can get at the grocery store usually) is a great ~$12 bottle Joseph Phelps and Silver Oak wines are generally very good if you wanna really impress
Pinot Noir.. Peanut of the Night
I've had silver oak on a number of occasions and they are pretty good, but deff to impress. I'm big into Champaign right now and tasting different houses.
Wine is pretty fun and if you're interested, check out wine schools or the WSET. It's a product that you can experience both through drinking, but also through travels. It's a product with history, beauty and appreciation.
Find a good wine bar, post up and talk to the house Som. They usually love to show you cool shit if you have an interest. I used to hit up this place and got to know the whole crew. I stumbled out of that place far too many times.
Agree with a lot of the above. The worst mistake you can make is to let price cloud your judgment regarding taste. Its all a matter of individual preference and your particular experience.
I drink a lot of 90+ cellars because I'm a big fan of their business model-- it keeps the quality comparatively high and the price low. Plus your not being influenced by branding, price, aesthetics, ect.
As for branching out into reds, my vote would be to start with Malbec and pair it with a nice, juicy steak. Impossible to go wrong.
Thanks for the advice. Never heard of 90+ cellars. Definitely will check it out!
If you want to branch out into reds but are pretty skeptical overall, Pinot Noir is one of the most approachable wines. It's a lot less overbearing than Chardonnay is, and pairs well with just about everything in my opinion. It even works as a great marinade for sirloins, and also goes well with salmon too. It's pretty affordable, with a lot of great $15 bottles. Plus for some reason, women seem like to Pinot Noir a lot, so it's always a good bottle to keep handy for a special occasion.
Don't be afraid to try Merlot. Most blends have some Merlot in them. If you ever wonder to yourself why does your red taste so silky...it is the Merlot. Most wine's are blends anyway and if the grapes in a bottle are less than 80% of a certain varietal then they don't have to include what else is in it.
Price wise, everyone is sleeping on Merlot, I blame "Sideways".
I've tried all kinds of reds, from 10 dollars to 350 dollars a bottle. My personal favorite is Louis Jadot. 15 bucks at Public or Kroger.
I would recommend watching Somm and the follow up Somm Into The Bottle on Netflix. The first one just follows a bunch of Wine Nerds (i use this term lovingly) on their journey to become master sommeliers. Into the Bottle gets into the history of the big wine houses and has the characters from the first one sample all the wines they talk about. Honestly I've had wines all over the world and as crazy as it sounds i always come back to goddamn YellowTail. Cant beat the taste at that price point (12.99 for a magnum), and Aussies are the only people who call it Shiraz, so that appeals to my inner contrarian.
This sounds really good - looking forward to checking it out. (The show, not the YellowTail..)!
Pour moi:
Red: Chateauneuf-du-Pape
White: Pouilly Fume
Caymus 2012/2013 Cabernet. Changed my life.
Really liking pinot noir right now in the $15-$30 price range, mainly from Oregon: Adelsheim, Domaine Serene Yamhill (bit more $), Averaen, Elouan, Broadley, Van Duzer, Sojourn (Sonoma), Merry Edwards (Sonoma, more $)
My typical go-to for cab's in the $15-$25 range: Oberon, Franciscan, Benzinger, Freakshow, Alexander Valley
Budweiser
The wood is probably rotting and the pallet needs to be replaced.
Nobody has said Franzia yet?
Hands down the best single glass/bottle of wine I've ever had was 2007 Backus (Cabernet Sauvignon). You'll have to pay out the ass to get Backus, though: https://www.josephphelps.com/pages/club.html
Personally, my favorites are
Duckhorn: Anything they produce, all brands have solid construction (Decoy, Paraduxx, Goldeneye, Migration, Saddleback, Duckhorn). Pricing $20 (Total Wine) to $135 for Discussion (Grand Cru).
Pina: All reds, solid fruit flavors, complex structure, roughly 80 a bottle.
Moone Tsai: Reds are $90 to $250, and truly taste like raspberry jam, worth every penny. Their white is steep at $60, but also tastes like Pear/Peach nectar, almost a Sauternes type flavor profile.
If you haven't already, check out SOMM, a documentary on Netflix that follows 4 candidates attempting to pass the Master Sommelier exam, arguably one of the hardest tests to pass (at least by having one of the lowest passing rates for an exam).
I'm a novice in the wine game - there's so much to know, with US wines alone. I barely know anything about overseas wines, but slowly am soaking in knowledge one glass at a time.
Favorite wine that doesn't break your budget: The Prisoner, which is a red blend. Costs roughly $35-$40.
Gamay or Cote de Roussillon ... These guys are light but dry and can be really funky. Been big into these lately, off the beaten path of your traditional reds.
If you're looking for good, cheap wine, I would recommend giving the 6-10$ Trader Joe's wine. Some of the options there are pretty good and the price point is unbeatable. Buy 6 different bottles a week and you'll be knowledgeable in no time.
I go up to the finger lakes every year. Damiani, Atwater, and Lamoreaux make same tastu wines.
I do prefer red wines. As in italian I like Chianti, Valpolicella, Brunello...I do prefer full body, thick flavored wines. However, a friend of mine started importing wines from Spain and I found myself very fund into wines from the Canarie Island, as the soil is volcanic and the flavor that comes out from these grapes are amazing!
Turriga, Tignanello, Sassicaia, Castello Banfi and many more. It depend: white, red/fish,meat etc.
Petrus, Chateau Lafite, Chateau Margaux. Three options to blow your bonus on.
Stag Leap cab Moet & Chandon Imperial (I prefer tastewise over Dom, and it's a fraction of the price)
Haha, I guess Champagne is wine....
It's a sparkling wine, so.. yeah.
Peacock Sky from New Zealand.
Can't help it. Love the stuff.
I grew up on Château Fonrazade (Saint-Émilion). Stuff is so good with and reasonably priced. Probably 100+ bottles of that in my parent's basement at any given time.
Very surprised by the lack of Opus One or Cristal prestige whores.
Been learning a lot about wine over the past 2-3 years and I have to say the one varietal that really stood out to me is Amarone della Valpolicella. Unfortunately (from what I understand), Amarone's are produced through a more labor-intensive process from your traditional wines. I'm assuming this is why I find it difficult to find one any cheaper than $50 in a store (~$100 in restaurants)
It's a raisiny, full-bodied, rich in flavour.
I also enjoy garnacha (try navaherreros and la bruja, should be able to find it for ~$20/bottle), chateauneuf du pape, and beaujolais.
Would love to hear suggestions from others on wines I should try given my preferences above
Being Italian I have a bias but the winery 'Donnafugata' has some great red and white wine. Their 'mille e una notte' red is incredible
I like Opolo's mountain Zinfandel and Joel Gott's cab. A good Lambrusco never dissapointed as well.
Never really seem to see a lot of people talking about Malbec, but it is personally my favorite type of red wine to drink. Argentinian. In my opinion goes the best with spicier foods or meats.
I think a beginner should be concentrating on trying as many grape varietals at mid-range prices ($20-50, lets say) to get a feel for where their tastes lie. Obviously in the great wine regions of the world you find a ton of differentiation in terroir, but nebbiolo is vastly different than pinot noir is vastly different than aglianico.
But you should definitely go with something more than just the cheapest bottle if you want to get a sense for natural wines with no additives, which are very common in mass produced wines in order to get annual variations in the crop to conform to a more commercially-acceptable standard.
Wine (Originally Posted: 08/05/2011)
Hope this isn't too off-topic, but judging by the "name your penis after a movie" thread, I don't see why it would be. My parents' 25th anniversary is coming up, and I was hoping to get them a couple nice bottles of wine. They like sweet whites, and I'm aiming for either a couple bottles around the $30 mark, or one at the $50-60 mark. I'm not an expert on this because
a) given the option, I drink the driest red in the room, and b) being a student, most of my wine comes out of a box.
Since I'd imagine this place has a few more cultured people than some of the seedier corners of the internet I frequent, I figured it'd be a good place to ask. Any recommendations, preferably with a place it might be available in a regular suburb?
Spatlese (middle sweetness) Riesling is probably your best bet. Actually, depending on how sweet they like it, you could go Kabinett (less sweet) or Auslese (more sweet).
I could name some producers but that's sort of useless because most are smaller so you'll just need to see what's available locally. Most wine stores will have at least 1-2 German Rieslings.
There are US Rieslings that mimic the German style, too. You just want to make sure you get sweet and not dry Riesling.
If you want to go dessert, there are loads of French white dessert wines that are sweet and will kick your ass in terms of complexity. The Graves region has more than a few. Sauternes is a specific white dessert wine that is generally regarded as the best white dessert wine type in the world. Tokaji from Hungary is right up there, too.
Good recommendations! I second especially the Riesling. Try to get a wine from the "Pfalz", an area in West Germany that is most known for its Rieslings.
or a muscat/moscato for something really sweet
If they only like sweet white wine, then they are obviously not avid wine drinkers and you would be wise to get them a different gift other than wine.
my 2 cents.
Not sure how this makes sense...they could have had all kinds of sweet white wine. Which in turn would make them avid sweet white wine drinkers.... or in other words avid wine drinkers...
If you'd like to try something special and a little off the beaten path, get them a German eiswein (ice wine). Very sweet, quite delicious, and the winemaking process is unique (the grapes are frozen while on the vine). Very few Americans know of it (in my experience, anyway) so it might be a nice surprise for your folks.
Fine Wines (Originally Posted: 05/04/2011)
I want to buy 2 bottles of wine for a couple mentors of mine (1 family friend + 1 professor) who helped me break into a top REPE shop as an analyst.
My family friend helped me much more and is around 31 years old. He's really into wines and I want to get him a bottle that runs somewhere between $100-150.
My professor wrote me a letter of recommendation and is just an all-around cool guy. I was thinking a $50 bottle. What do you recommend?
While your at it, you should consider pairing the wine with some fine cheese. When paired up, wine and cheese do their part to bring out the best in each other.For white wines, you want a soft cheese with a strong flavor. Red wines match best with hard cheese and moreso milder flavors.
Always as a general rule, the more pungent the cheese, the sweeter the wine should be.
Trust him... the man knows his cheese...
ya obv., unfortunately I was looking for opinions on wines. any suggestions guys?
Spring Mountain Vineyard has some great wines. You could do any of their Cabs for $50-75. Joseph Phelps has some solid Cabs as well for $50-75. Spring Mountain's 2006 Elivette is an amazing bottle that runs in the $125 range. Flora Springs' Trilogy is always a good choice too.
Why don't you find out his favorite wine?
For professor: Silver Oak Tignanello Leoville-Barton Cakebread Caymus
There are too many!!
Edit: my friends recommended Opus One (Napa)
I like Yellowtail Shiraz. It's a great way to save money over the cost of drinking beer. Why not buy them five 1.5 L bottles?
I really hope this is a joke.. You might as well give him a box of Franzia while you're at it too. As a person who loves wine, I would be insulted to receive a bottle of Yellowtail. Everyone knows that's dirt cheap. Plus, there are plenty of other alternatives that are better in that price range if you're budget conscious.
Franzia? Haven't heard of that- how does the cost compare to yellowtail?
Jordan Cab. Should be 55-60 for the latest. It's been served at state dinners.
Second Silver Oak, Opus One.
Cakebread is decent, but has a metal screwtop vice a cork, just like malt liquors sold at the gas station.
Hahahhaa IP do you also recommend Kendall Jackson? OP check out http://tv.winelibrary.com/. You can search the site and in the videos Vay-ner-chuk will give you his rating, other critics' ratings, and price. I've been loving a $20 bottle of Shiraz from Shilde vineyards - it tastes like a $50 bottle and I'm sure will rise in price soon
Opus One will run you 150-200 for an ok bottle, but it's a recognizable higher end california cult wine. Would be a good choice.
For a $50, I'd go with a cakebread, find an 07, preferably one that's a reserve.
I'll second this. I've given Opus One on a couple of occasions, and it has been very well received. Shows class, and that you know a bit about wine. Perfect for your wine guy.
Try getting your professor some liquor. Hard liquor is good because you have a few major, "safe" brands that will be well received, and you don't run the risk of the recipient being a wine fanatic who will discount the gift because it was the wrong vintage or vineyard. I have never met anybody who wasn't happy with a high end Johnny Walker.
It'll also last him longer (hopefully) and will appreciate more if he is not into wines. Honestly, unless you take a good amount of time to cultivate a wine palatte, he wouldn't be able to tell a $50 from wine in a box. But I would argue anybody can tell JW Blue from cornerstore rotgut.
Lafite Rothschild
Multiply op's price range by 10 and then you are in the market for their cheaper wines.
For a bottle of yellowtail shiraz I'd pair it with a nice english cheddar cheese. Or Kraft sharp cheddar. Both pair exceptionally well and rival combinations that are much more expensive.
A nice Yellowtail with a fine Kraft cheese will definitely impress your mentors.
I love Allora wines, specifically the Trescas. Very boutique vineyard, everyone I know that has tried it has really, really liked it. Very smooth, with fruity notes (at least the vintages that I've tried).
https://www.alloravineyards.com/shop.asp
For 100-150 Graham's 1994 LBV, port is always great.
Why not just go to a quality boutique wine shop near you and ask them for their recs? When I want my tire changed I don't go ask my accountant how to do it...
IP cracks me up.
What is with the $100+ wine? I'd never spend more than $30 for a bottle and thats pushing it (Coppola- Claret or Hesketh - shiraz) both under $30 and taste great.
Yeah don't spend more than $60 on a bottle of wine. Doesn't get much better than that.
Nuit St. George. You should be able to get yourself a good year for around $150.
By which producer and in what vintage? Nuit St George is a geographical location, so just saying Nuit St Georges is like saying "Napa". Plus when you quote a French wine, you do have to quote the vintage because contrary to Californian wines, there are major differences year on year.
Back to OP: I would go for a good spirit (who doesn't enjoy a good bottle of scotsch or cognac?). Less chances you'll screw up + the gift will be enjoyed over a longer timespan.
There's no way this is a genuine question. When I was a college student and a newly minted graduate, the most expensive wine we'd roll out was Santa Margherita @ $20/bottle. Anything more costly was either a total waste of money or looked pretentious. (Actually, Santa Margherita looked a little pretentious).
You don't bring caviar to a church potluck. You don't bring lobster to a family barbeque with burgers and brats. You don't wear an Armani suit to an interview at a saw mill. And college students don't buy their friends $50 bottles of wine. If you want to spend that kind of money, give them something they can really use- like an Exxon Card or a Home Depot Card.
For the record, most normal people buy brick cheese generic, rather than brand name. ShopRite Hard Cheddar is a great pairing for Yellowtail Shiraz. For shredded, I am a bit picky and normally move a step up to Sargento..
IP, my Midwest brother, you are wrong on this one. A $40/50+ bottle of wine is not only appropriate in this case, but it is common. You can be frugal when it comes to your own personal shopping, and for gifts to friends/peers around the same age, but a professional gift should not come from that same frugal attitude.
An Exxon card is certainly useful, but as a gift in this situation it would be almost insulting. That's a gift HR gives to interns on their last day.
Again, college students should not be giving $50 bottles of wine. It looks pompous and pretentious. You don't bring Kobe Beef to a church potluck. You don't buy your son a Porsche for his 16th birthday. And you don't give $50 bottles of wine if you are a college student. Buy a $20-30 bottle (enough for a higher-end D.O.C.) and/or buy a basket of fruit and fine cheese that doesn't have an obvious price that a wine connoiseur would know if you must buy a gift.
Regardless, getting a job in PE and giving a friend a gift is like getting a brand new Ferrari from someone and giving the guy a $100 brick of cheese in return.
If you're going to give a gift, don't be pretentious. Be yourself. And the truth of the matter is that while you do want to give nicer gifts to others than what you normally buy for yourself, it is not like you've ever drank a $30 bottle. Even factoring in that this guy landed you a job and that you may eventually be able to afford $30 bottles of wine if you choose, you will still be living like a monk for at least a year until you make bonus.
For a working professional with a few years under his belt and a six figure salary, a $40-50 bottle of wine or $100 bottle of Champaign for a big celebration/thank you is an OK way to say thanks. For a graduating college student, it just looks... weird.
You need to figure out what type of wine drinker you are dealing with.
Lately, I'm a fan of Yellowtail [me and everyone else]. Also good is Irony Pinot Noir: Cali wine, inexpensive but very good. Jindalee also has some cool stuff, and their pinot grigio is my favorite right now. Shiraz is getting aggressively marketed lately, so even if they don't drink wine, it's a pretty good bet. Please, please, please, don't get the jug of Sutter Home at the corner liquor store.
You really don't need to spend too much money: the difference between a $6 wine and a $40 wine is very noticeable, but once you clear the $20 mark, it's a matter of taste: what do they like? The high end wines aren't necessary, and most people wouldn't even know the difference.
As a recipient, I would consider Yellowtail Shiraz and a brick of ShopRite or A&P Cheddar a fine gift from a college student/ newly minted grad after I helped them find a job if they felt they needed to give me something, but this guy being a wine connoiseur would probably be looking for something with less generic taste and maybe an extra $10-15 would probably need to be spent for an interesting find- but not $50. There is no need for a recent college grad to go out of his way to pretend he has lots of dough by buying something extravagant. The gift should reflect both you and the recipient. Maybe try to find something he might not have seen before- like a wine from a weird country (like Kenya or Peru or something like that) that still has a good taste. See if you can try a glass for yourself before you give it to him- to make sure it's kosher.
If you want to spend more, pair a $20-30 bottle of wine with one of those European cheese/chocolate/fruit baskets. Or just spring for a bottle of Champagne, for which a $50 or even $80 price point somehow seems a little less ridiculous. Done.
I'm still convinced this is a troll post. Talk of wine beyond the $30 range on a forum populated largely by college students is, IMHO, just as absurd as folks here talking of six-figure cars, $2K suits, and $5K watches. Nobody really drinks, drives, or wears this stuff besides a small minority of people who are incredibly passionate about this stuff and a bunch of random insecure people. Just because a handful of people here (those who are currently working) might be able to afford that kinda stuff doesn't mean we're pretentious and dumb enough to spend money like that. I- and most people- would rather spend my money on retiring early, hang gliding, Wisconsin farmland, Ben and Jerry's ice cream, or donations to the Salvation Army which helps destitute families in the NYC area get back on their feet (also tax deductible if you itemize- and you will after your first year).
When the day is over, I am going home to my $12 1.5 L bottle of Shiraz and settling for $20-30 wine bottles/ $60 Champagne bottles when I want to give gifts and/or share wine- just like most working professionals do. I choose to spend my money on- and save my money for- more important things.
^ Yeah, I don't think this is a troll post. Of course all that other shit is ridiculous ($1k+ suits for entry-level, $1k+ watches, etc.), but I think this guy wants to send a genuine gift. My advice, go to Lot18 (pm me an e-mail address if you need an invite), and get a $70 bottle for $35.
For your average college student, I would agree with you IP ($50+ is too much, especially $100+, even for a gift). We don't know the poster's financial situation, though, and the amount he suggested might be fine for him. In any case, I suggest Lot18 for the huge discounts.
I threw a party at a bar- and covered a couple hundred dollar tab- when I transferred from middle-office analytics into a more front-office role. Folks in the MO- perhaps making more than your mentor and also a few from rich families- thought that was kinda extravagant. I'd been working for two years at that point. For a college kid to give a $100 bottle of wine, it looks just as bad.
Do yourself a favor, buy the mentor a more-reasonable-seeming $30 bottle of wine or $70 bottle of Champagne, and save your money to buy the PE firm a keg of Yuengling, Leinenkugels, or some other quality but unpretentious beer on some late Friday afternoon. Show up with a keg at 5PM and a bunch of plastic cups, and you'll make a lot of friends. (Or if it is a more conservative firm, maybe donuts at 8AM).
LOL, while IP's other frugal preachings had some sense....he's got to be trolling here! I lived in a third-world country, and even there MIDDLE CLASS wouldn't consider a $50 bottle of wine excessive in a similar context. There is a difference between frugal and cheap. Living in hoboken is frugal (ok), buying shitty wine for someone who actually knows wine is cheap (not ok). I respect your values, but what entitles you to set the standard on what's an acceptable price for X and what's "pretentious"? Some people think paying $300 for hand gliding is a waste of money, others a $30 bottle of wine... Just because you don't place value on good wine doesn't mean no one else does. If the guy has the means to spend the money and enjoys it, it's not for us to judge. Also, please don't generalize and speak for others. If I helped a student get a job and appreciated wine, I would prefer getting nothing over yellowtail. It just shows that you are cheap and have no sense of social etiquette. Now, if you said you can pick up a great bottle for $30 that's comparable to one for $50 (which is doable if you know what you are doing), that'd be decent advice. But don't draw lines in the sand and write 5 paragraphs dissing a kid for attempting to shell out just twenty bucks more (!) than your proposed "standard". peace
Also, if you came from a third world country and you could afford $50 wine, you were probably rich by its standards. I grew up pretty well by US standards, and my parents kept a $10 1.5 L bottle of Gallo at home. They would buy a $20 750 mL bottle of wine to bring to parties.
I am perfectly fine with someone giving me a bottle of Yellowtail and a brick of ShopRite hard cheddar. In some ways, I would prefer it to a $50 bottle from a college kid, as it would make the conversation less awkward, and I would have to cover up the fact that I'd be selling it on Ebay. (Haha, ok, no I'm not quite that cheap.) The fact that the OP is coming to folks here for advice and that I do happen to have a lot of experience working in industry and drinking wine with folks in industry. You typically don't show up to a party with more than a $30 bottle of wine to share with others.95% of the folks in this country agree with me; probably 70% of the folks who work in banking/PE/Hedge Funds would agree with me that showing up with a $50 bottle of wine to a party is pretentious. Heck, most Americans- let alone college students- don't even know that wine can cost $50/bottle.
You say you grew up in a different country where $50 wine was the norm in the circles your family ran in. I grew up in the US. Trust me- UFOInsider and I know what we're talking about when we say that in the US, you start running the risk of looking pretentious if you spend too much more than $30 on a bottle. (Again, somehow Champagne is different- $30 spent on wine is like $80 spent on Champagne)
Sure, but anyone can come up with the money for it if that's what they're passionate about. The guy with the most expensive glider at Ellenville lives in a trailer on a hill near the launch site and earns his living by harvesting venison for hunters. It is a much different situation with fine wine which is a consumable good rather than a one-time capital cost, especially if you are giving a gift, especially as a college student. You can easily get a higher-end DOC bottle for $20. ~$30 is generally the most expensive they serve up at US restaurants. I want to know where you shop where $20 doesn't get you a very high quality bottle of wine and $30 doesn't get you a pretty darned unique vintage.IP - 30-50 tops
OP - go with an 07 merlot from nappa, that simple
You're all reading way too far into this. $150 for a family friend is not outrageous. It's about 3 tanks of gas.
For wino friend: Groth Reserve Cab (Red) or Flowers Chardonnay (White)
For professor: St Supery Meritage Elu (Red)
Don't buy Opus One: Much better wines available at that price point. I know several people in the wine business and Opus One's popularity is something of a humorous topic (could just be jealousy of brand value but I think it's more geared toward wondering why people would pay so much for just a pretty good wine).
100% agree, I'd never buy opus one for myself, but as a gift, it's a safe bet. Which is why I recommended it: the brand is so popular.
It's like JW Blue: better scotches exist at lower price points, but the brand almost counts for almost as much as the product itself. Not to say I'd turn down JW...
Opus One is where you should be leaning. Someone earlier mentioned Cakebread Cab for a slightly less expensive alternative, and that's correct. They're both superlative wines and you can't go wrong. Only someone who is really into wine will appreciate the Cakebread for what it is, though. If you're not sure, go with the Opus One, because even those who don't know wine know the name.
Edit: Just went back through the comments and noticed Sterling Archer mentioned St. Supery. Didn't know anyone on WSO was aware of St. Supery, but it's fantastic (exceeding difficult to find outside of Napa, however). For this reason, you might still be better served going with the Opus because of name recognition. However, the St. Supery is a better wine for less money, so if your guy knows wine it's a way to save a buck and get him a better bottle.
Very useful thread.
Stick with red wine. Napa Cab is always good. Silver Oak is always respectable. 06 pinot was especially good.
If you know for sure they happen to like white, Kistler is the only way to go.
Its always nice to buy a reserve too.
On scotch - JW blue is such an obvious choice. Macallan 18 would be much more appreciated by anyone who actually enjoys scotch.
Just go to a store that specializes in wine and buy the bottles that are in that price range. Only red wine.
Mostly agree with IP. Getting a $150 bottle is overdoing it. Strongly suggest Stag's Leap Artemis at $40/bottle. Better than most $100 bottles I've had.
Groth cab is a solid option as well. BV makes some damn good wines too that run anywhere from $10-$125. Silver Oak is always reliable.
IP if I had helped someone out to that level and they did I buy them a decent bottle a '94 Grahams LBV for a Director who helped me get an internship, I would be insulted if I were him and I received a $10 dollar bottle of wine, at that point I would prefer a nice thank you note.
I'm a guy who likes cigars, connoisseur sounds pretentious in this case, if someone gave me a $6 The Edge Maduro by Rocky Patel that would be fine analogous to a $30-40 wine, if someone gave me a $3 Macanudo Claybourne Cafe, I would be insulted, now it is a perfectly good cigar, but it is so cheap to give one is an insult.
1.) College students can't afford to give $100 gifts- if they can, it's probably not their money to give.
2.) Giving someone a $100 bottle of wine for a PE position is like giving someone a Benjamin as a thank-you for them giving you a Ferrari.
3.) A $100 bottle of wine is pretentious in just about any circle in the US.
4.) Like a bunch of college kids on WSO know anything about wine that costs more than $40, anyways.
And that's the point. A college student giving a gift for a PE job is either going to be seen as cheap or pretentious. If you give a $10 bottle of wine or a $50K BMW, at least you'll only be seen as one. With a $100 bottle of wine, you'll be seen as both.http://www.freakonomics.com/2010/12/16/freakonomics-radio-do-more-expen…
In Europe we've got real wine culture and good wines. Suggest Chateau Mouton Rothschild, Chateau Lafite Rothschild, Chateau d'Yquen, Chateau Petrus, Chateau Latour... Their good years start at over 1-2k€ and this can go up to infinite. People tend to think it's stupid to spend that money on wine but don't agree on that, especially when you see young bankers spending 500$ on club's bottle service where you get crppy vodka bottles that would cost you 30$ at any supermarket. If you are ready to spend 500$ on shtty 30$ vodka "premium brands", then go for the real premium alcohol and buy 2k$ Chateau Petrus bottles at the supermarket, that's a better deal.
IP> I agree with you on a lot of concepts when it comes to saving. I am very diligent about my personal finances.
But for the love of god, do not give someone a bottle of Yellowtail. There is nothing pretentious about a college student giving his mentor a gift. If this mentor got him a job at a REPE firm (where he is probably making >120K all in first year), its a non-expense to give him a decent $50 bottle of wine. It isn't the same as "giving a Benjamin as a thank you for giving a Ferrari". A bottle of wine plus a nice card is a great way to say thanks for their work especially as this is a very common gift. I am in college and I take a decent bottle of wine to me when invited to a dinner by family friends or house warmings. I come from an immigrant family of middle class means and even there a $50-$100 bottle of wine isn't pretentious.
Giving an Exxonmobil or home depot card will look ridiculous. Are you familiar with the work behavioral scientists have done with social contracts? In social contracts, its better to not give gifts with direct monetary value than to give gifts that are of sentimental value. You don't give your friend who helped you move into your apartment $5 dollars. You might give him a bottle of wine. When you give them a Exxonmobil card of $50 they equate their work directly to $50 bucks. They don't think there is any sentimental value to this gift. A decent bottle of wine to a wine enthusiast shows that the OP remembered their interests and went out and gave a thoughtful gift.
There is a way to be a classy, spendthrift individual. And a way to be a grubby cheapskate.
Dude, I AM a college kid (well was 3 days ago) and I have given $50 bottles of wine. My friends ARE college kids and we give $50 bottles of wine. So your assertion that college kids don't give a decent bottle of wine is moot. I am not a kid of privilege either considering I covered the majority of my college costs myself.
Your social circle in college =/= everyone's social circle in college. I guess I got lucky that I didn't get laughed out when I took a ~$60 dollar bottle to a mentor's house during a dinner. According to you he should have thought of me as a prick.
Not everyone treats every facet of life as a cost minimization game. Some people enjoy wine. If OP's mentor likes wine, its absolutely fine to give him a decent bottle. I would rather get a bottle of water than a bottle of Yellowtail tbh and I am not even a huge wine guy.
IP is trying his hand at trolling.
+1. I thought he was joking for the first 5+ posts....
Alright, I am not going to argue with a mid-20 year old that drinks yellowtail instead of beer in order to save a couple of bucks.
But I assure you, you are a bigger cheapskate than I am a pretentious punk.
Agreed on spirits, wine can be a risky gift if you don't know his tastes. But for the love of god please don't EVER buy JW Blue.....charging $200 for a blended whiskey is like gang rape on times square. As a rule of thumb, always choose a single malt for gifts.
Lt. Archie Hicox: [picks up his glass of scotch] There's a special rung in hell reserved for people who waste good scotch. Seeing as how I may be rapping on the door momentarily... [drinks his scotch]
Find out what kind of wine they like, then search online to find something similar but from a lesser-known wine producing country (South Africa, Australia) to make the gift unique. If your friends a wine lover he'll probably have tasted most nice good American wines that are readily available. Many online international retailers are quite solid, you just need to put in a bit of effort.
Dude save yourself the money and get the guy a card that mentions the impact that he's made on your life and how much you appreciate his help and guidance - that's all mentors are looking for from their students. There's no way to do this non-awkwardly. If you give him an inexpensive bottle, you look cheap. If you give him an expensive bottle, you put him in the awkward position of having to accept an expensive gift that he wasn't looking for from someone who hasn't even started his career yet.
Just get a good Yellowtail shiraz man. It's decent enough ya dig, wrap the shit up in some good paper, put a bow on the packages and you're good to go.
What are some good spirits/wines to get bosses? (Originally Posted: 07/25/2013)
I'm interning and want to get my bosses alcohol when I leave. Any good picks?
Were they in fraternities? If so, Congress to relive the glory days
Buy a 750 of knob creek. This is, of course, if they are male and whiskey drinkers.
Ask an admin what they drink or ask them.
Buy them Breckenridge bourbon, arguably the best bourbon around for under $50
Bailey's Irish Cream!!! everyone luvs chocolate :)
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