# Free Wine Giveaway!!!!



## JohnT (Feb 10, 2015)

OK, 

So now that I have your attention, I would like to ask who here would be willing to join me in abstinence for Lent??

Every year I give up all alcohol beginning on Ash Wednesday and ending at Easter Dinner. Call it being religious, or simply call it a "break" from it all, I find that it is not that hard! 

So, for this year it would be from 2/18/2015 through 4/5/2015. A short time really!!! 

So who's with me?? So far, only Boatboy is willing...


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## Kraffty (Feb 10, 2015)

You guys have my complete support. I won't be joining you, but I'll cheer you on from the sidelines.
I gave up drinking from Sun. Night to Fri. Night every week about 4 years ago so I just sort of average out my lent over the year.

Mike


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## zalai (Feb 10, 2015)

If you would like to giveaway some of your wine for free to me , than I could give up drinking my own wine . No Welch's please !!! 
Thank you ,


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## Boatboy24 (Feb 10, 2015)

In the interest of full disclosure, I give myself one or two exemptions that are determined before the whole thing starts. Last year, it was the 2nd Saturday when we had friends coming over that I hadn't seen for a long time. The other was a couple times when I was racking where an ounce or so was tasted, just to be sure it was doing OK. I was surprised how easy it was, although I felt like the worst Irishman on the planet when I didn't have a pint on St. Patrick's day. We need to move Lent.


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## Steve_M (Feb 11, 2015)

Boatboy24 said:


> In the interest of full disclosure, I give myself one or two exemptions that are determined before the whole thing starts. Last year, it was the 2nd Saturday when we had friends coming over that I hadn't seen for a long time. The other was a couple times when I was racking where an ounce or so was tasted, just to be sure it was doing OK. I was surprised how easy it was, although I felt like the worst Irishman on the planet when I didn't have a pint on St. Patrick's day. We need to move Lent.



Jim,
There is a special dispensation just for Lent regarding St. Patrick's Day!

Steve


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## ffemt128 (Feb 11, 2015)

I have a defective calendar. It has Ash Wednesday listed as March 18...


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## sour_grapes (Feb 11, 2015)

Steve_M said:


> Jim,
> There is a special dispensation just for Lent regarding St. Patrick's Day!



Well, that would depend on your bishop...


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## JohnT (Feb 11, 2015)

Officially, Lent begins Wed 2/18/2015 and ends on Saturday, 4/4/2015 (inclusive). Mardi Gras (fat Tuesday) is 2/17/2015.

A few facts about lent.. 

- The 40 days of lent is meant to honor Jesus' 40 days of fasting in the desert just after being baptized. 

- From what I understand, the Pope has been know to gran special dispensation for the Irish on St. Patrick's day when it falls on a Friday. Remember, Catholics abstain from eating meat on Fridays during lent (on top of what they choose to give up). The special dispensation is to allow the Irish to have their corn beef.

- But lent (from Ash Wednesday through Holy Saturday) is actually 46 days.

- Lent does not include Sundays. This is because of the Jewish tradition of the Sabbath where Saturday was a day of rest. 

Christians moved their day of rest to Sunday and, keeping with tradition, that day of the week was excluded from lent. 

So, there are 6 Sundays between ash Wednesday and holy Saturday, and when removed this lowers lent to just 40 days.


I like to include the Sundays. The primary reason that I do this every year is to simply see just how easy it is to go dry for a period of time. Drinking on Sundays kind of defeats the purpose for me. I already know I can go 6 days without even thinking about a glass of wine, but just how easy is it to give it up for 46 straight days??? (OK, some years I end my lent fasting on good Friday, but 43 days is also good)

Another reason is that I also like to diet during lent and removing those calories helps. 

Finally, IMHO, doing something to honor "the man upstairs" may not help, but it couldn't hurt!

So, for those that want to join me, here are the rules.. 

*THERE ARE NO RULES!!* This is a personal choice!!! Include Sundays, Exclude Sundays, Give yourself 6 special days excluded from lent, it is all good!!!! My hope is that some will join me (for whatever reason) and that we use this thread to support one another. 

In the mean time, I have a party to plan on Saturday. I think that I will start off with a nice Opus One!


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## JohnT (Feb 11, 2015)

ffemt128 said:


> I have a defective calendar. It has Ash Wednesday listed as March 18...


 

Tee Hee... Nice try!


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## Bergmann (Feb 11, 2015)

I would like to join this, However, I gave up drinking once, It was the most terrifying 15 minutes of my life.


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## Elmer (Feb 11, 2015)

I fully support you folks who give up whatever you do for 40 days. I myself fast once a year per regulations.
To make it easier I will gladly hold onto that which may tempt you, to lessen the struggle.

(disclaimer-establishment is not responsible for lost or consumed "temptations")


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## sour_grapes (Feb 11, 2015)

JohnT said:


> - From what I understand, the Pope has been know to gran special dispensation for the Irish on St. Patrick's day when it falls on a Friday. Remember, Catholics abstain from eating meat on Fridays during lent (on top of what they choose to give up). The special dispensation is to allow the Irish to have their corn beef.



That may be true if you happen to live in the diocese of Rome. Again, dispensations are granted _by the bishop of your diocese._ In the US, lots of bishops have granted this dispensation in years where 3/17 is on a Friday: http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-03-15-lent_x.htm.


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## ffemt128 (Feb 11, 2015)

JohnT said:


> Tee Hee... Nice try!


 
Honestly, look... No wonder it was on sale for $4.95 at Pet Supplies Plus...


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## jswordy (Feb 11, 2015)

I use one of these to remove that pesky Lent.


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## JohnT (Feb 12, 2015)

Doug - At first I thought that you might have a Russian orthodox calendar (they have a different calendar), but nope. 

JS.. That's LENT, and not LINT!  


WOW! No volunteers other than boatboy as of yet???


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## ffemt128 (Feb 12, 2015)

JohnT said:


> Doug - At first I thought that you might have a Russian orthodox calendar (they have a different calendar), but nope.
> 
> JS.. That's LENT, and not LINT!
> 
> ...


 
Orthodox Easter is the week after traditional Easter this year. We actually celebrate both as my wife is Ukranian Orthodox. For Orthodox Easter we just have dinner with her side of the family. No easter bunny for our daughter that one. 

But nope, just a defective calendar.. LOL


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## JohnT (Feb 26, 2015)

Day 10, 

Figured I would give an update. 

for me, lent officially began on fat Tuesday. I normally do not drink on "school nights", so my last sip of wine was on the prior Monday. 

AND WHAT LAST A SIP IT WAS!!! I got my hands on this amazing chianti classico and spent a nice holiday evening slowly sipping my way through it. It was balanced, velvety, and extremely well rounded with just the right level of oak. Simple poetry in a glass! A bargain at only $40.

I plan on going dry straight through to good Friday and have already picked out a nice Stag's Leap Artemis to mark the occasion. 

In the mean time, going dry has proven to be rather easy so far. 

How ya doing Boatboy????


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## JohnT (Feb 26, 2015)

By the way, 


I really like the new avatar Doug. Is that your own original work??


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## Boatboy24 (Feb 26, 2015)

Going fine here. While I'm not 100% dry for these ~6 weeks, you could pretty much say I am. My last "official" drink was Fat Tuesday Eve. But while racking and topping up my 2014 Chilean Viognier the other night, I was left with a little less than a glass from the top up bottle. I had that last night, along with the diced apple and brie that didn't fit into my stuffed burger (the trio paired extremely well). My consumption is pretty much limited to taste testing (if required) in the lab. So that Viognier was more than I'll likely have in a single sitting until Good Friday. It was good though. Horton (here in Orange County, VA) makes a very good Viognier.


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## Boatboy24 (Mar 2, 2015)

32 days and counting...


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## kevinlfifer (Mar 2, 2015)

I'm with Bermann


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## ffemt128 (Mar 3, 2015)

JohnT said:


> By the way,
> 
> 
> I really like the new avatar Doug. Is that your own original work??


 
Sorry John, Haven't really been on the forum the past few days and just saw this now. Not my art work. My Father and Stepmom had a local artist do this for me and my wife and gave it to us 2 Thanksgivings ago. I have it hanging on the wall in my office.


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## Boatboy24 (Mar 11, 2015)

Almost half way there!!


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## JohnT (Mar 11, 2015)

for me, 23 days to go (I end this on good Friday). So far it has been pretty easy.

Me and my borthers took my nephew out for a steak. This 98 pound kid devoured a 48 ounce steak (with potatoes). During dinner, I tried an O'Doul's for the first time. Wow did that taste like garbage! Think I will just stick to my iced tea for the duration.


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## Boatboy24 (Mar 11, 2015)

JohnT said:


> During dinner, I tried an O'Doul's for the first time. Wow did that taste like garbage! Think I will just stick to my iced tea for the duration.



I hear ya. I'm on water with lemon. It helps to detox the liver (supposedly).  I tried some of this last year: 







It sucks. I may give one of the whites a shot this year if I get desperate. Or maybe make a sangria with it.


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## JohnT (Mar 23, 2015)

Day 35. Only 11 days left! (my lent began on 2/17)

3/28 will mark the 40th day, but I am going to take this to 4/3. This means my lent will be will be for the full 46 days. 

Yup, 35 days and doing fine... 







Once Easter is over, then bottling begins. I have to admit, I am looking forward to bottling this year. What a great excuse for a party! I also have that "mini crush" of Chilean grapes to look forward to. Ahhhh, it wont be long before I feel like a winemaker again!


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## Boatboy24 (Mar 23, 2015)

With all the stress of getting this house ready for market, I took Saturday night off. We were going out with friends we haven't seen in a while, I'd been working 11+ hours a day on the house and packing, blah, blah, blah. By about 4:00 Saturday afternoon, I'd decided I really needed to go for a run in the woods and have a glass of wine (or two) that night. It worked. I'm reenergized with the house and ready to finish up Lent. Didn't make it all the way this year, but close enough for government work, as they say.


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## jswordy (Mar 23, 2015)

For the spring equinox, I "lent" my friend a carboy to make more beer. Does that count?


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## wineforfun (Mar 23, 2015)

I am with Jim. I "lent" a bottle of wine to my sister.............which we both enjoyed.


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## JohnT (Mar 26, 2015)

Day 38... 

It just occurred to me when I looked at my current avatar, that I honestly do not remember what wine tastes like... 

I guess I will find out in just 8 more days!!!!!!


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## Bergmann (Mar 29, 2015)

Well to spite my earlier proclamation. I also have given up wine for lent. For 41 days all I have had is Mead


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## jswordy (Apr 3, 2015)

Y'all ought to be feeling parched by now, aintcha????


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## JohnT (Apr 3, 2015)

Waaaaahooooooooo!!!!!!

PullIng the cork on a 2008 Stags leap tonight!!!

Sorry, I am fresh out of Welch's so I guess I am just gonna have to make do.


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## Kraffty (Apr 3, 2015)

Congrats to all you abstainers, time to climb back off that wagon for a while.
Mike


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## Boatboy24 (Apr 3, 2015)

Kraffty said:


> Congrats to all you abstainers, time to climb back off that wagon for a while.
> Mike



I fell off early this year. Hit my head and forgot I was ever on the wagon.


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## jswordy (Apr 3, 2015)

JohnT said:


> Waaaaahooooooooo!!!!!!
> 
> PullIng the cork on a 2008 Stags leap tonight!!!
> 
> Sorry, I am fresh out of Welch's so I guess I am just gonna have to make do.



John be like, POP, then next, "Where'd that all go so soon?"


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