OK let's all fess up and have some fun!

[jswordy]

How many of you have been sipping away at a glass of your own wine when you suddenly think,

"DAMN I MAKE SOME GOOD WINE!"

It attacks out of nowhere. I was sitting watching comedy last night with some scuppernong when I suddenly was gob-smacked.

"DAMN I MAKE SOME GOOD WINE!"

Had to have another glass then.

Fess up here or tell your personal stories of moments you were thunderstruck by your own handwork.

 

[JohnT]

There is a scene in star trek II (the wrath of kahn).

"Let me show you something that will make you feel young as if the world was new"

Kirk is then treated to a sight of true splendor.

"Can I cook, or can't I" is the next line.


That has been a tag phrase of mine that I use at times when I really am enjoying the fruits of my labor.... "Can I cook or Can't I".


Sorry about the star trek reference.

 

[dralarms]

The first time I opened a bottle of Niagara white, it was like this crap is good. Now where do I hide the rest?

 

[Jericurl]

Today is my birthday and Manthing took me out to eat.
I had a glass of wine with my dinner....it was ok. I let him taste it and he made a face.
When we got home, he opened up a bottled of our homemade wine and poured me a glass.
We both agreed it was better than what I had at the restaurant.
It makes be feel a bit giddy and also like it may be just beginners luck and a fluke.

 

[peaches9324]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Hope it was a good one!

 

[dralarms]

Jericurl,

It was not beginners luck. Ours is just so much better.

 

[DBAKER]

I scare myself most of the time (in a good way)

 

[bkisel]

My wife has been feeding my ego...

Me: Janet, isn't that your second glass of wine?
Wife: (guilt ridden) It's not my fault you make such good wine.

What's particularly nice is that her favorite is an inexpensive RJS VdV Pinot Grigio back sweetened with 500ML of home made simple syrup.

 

[the_rayway]

Happy birthday Jeri!

I was having a glass of my Malbec-Shiraz last night (John T - while watching the new Wrath of Kahn!) and I thought: "holy crap! I made this?!? Damn I'm good".

What a proud and incredulous feeling.

 

[Geronimo]

I was up north visiting relatives for a birthday party and I didn't bring any wine. Someone else had a 1.5 liter bottle of Cab that was shared and I had a small glass... it really lacked balance and congruence. The oak tasted like it was made up separately and added before bottling... like an oak tea. The fruit was washed over by alcohol. It was an odd experience. As the party progressed I was quietly scolded a couple of times for not bringing any wine.

Later than evening (back home) I emptied the decanter of Winery Series Syrah into my glass (an ordinary wine for my cellar) and it suddenly hit me! Wow, that's a good glass of wine! It's not just a pedestrian 3rd shelf Syrah... it's a little symphony of harmonious flavor! Then I was a little sad, because it would have gone great with the BBQ pork sandwiches at the party.

 

[Rocky]

As is usual, this is an interesting post by Jim, describing a phenomena that many of us experience. In the vernacular of winemakers this is called "cellar palate" which can roughly be described as "becoming accustomed to the wines we drink most of the time." The belief is that the palate becomes inured to the shortcomings of a particular wine or small group of wines and that wine becomes the standard. In the final analysis, to me it does not matter that I have "butchered" my palate with the "swill" I make if I like it. I tend to drink wine and whiskey (Rye, thank you!) and eat foods (Italian, mostly) that I like and not what an "expert" says is better or the best.

Lastly, I think there is an enormous benefit in being pleased with our own efforts and I think that is what people are describing here.

 

[the_rayway]

The wonderful thing about a palate is that it's yours. It likes what it likes! Just like the way a person perceives smell or colour. It's one of those amazing things that makes us so different. I always take reviews with a grain of salt - I'll decide for myself what I like and how I like it, thankyouverymuch

To me, part of enjoying the taste is also the pride which I take in making everything I make - whether jams, wines, meads, pickles, mustards - you name it. I'm also more critical of the things I make because I know the mistakes I made while making it.

I do really like it when someone else says "WOW, this is GOOD! You MADE this!?!" though.

Did I just wander off-topic?

 

[pjd]

I realized a couple years ago that I really preferred drinking my own wine over any of the commercial wines available (at least in my price range). That being said, I discovered a wonderful old vine Zinfandel that retailed for $25.00 that I liked well enough to buy a whole case to take back to Pennsylvania where it is unavailable. I have been very selective of when and where I share that wine. I took some to a party last summer along with several bottles of my own. the last bottle standing with anything in it was the commercial old vine Zin. still love it but my guests preferred my homemade wines!

 

[cimbaliw]

SWAMBO and I spent a week in SF/Napa last October (see picture to the screen left), we simply could not find a Chardonnay that matched ours. It's downright humbling.

 

[ckvchestnut]

Happy birthday Jerry! Well Ray explained it well and it can also be flip side... We like what we like and while 99% of my family loved my custom crafted chocolate elderberry wine... My daughter told me that my sister HATED it and wouldn't drink it and gave it to her fiancée who loved it. I was a bit miffed but what can u do? She liked the cheap chocolate shop wine I brought at Christmas but not my wine... Go figure! It's all on tastebuds I guess! I'll be giving wine and labeling it to her husband from now on. If he wants to share with her that's his perogative.


Carolyn

 

[JohnT]

Happy birthday Jeri.

RW, I know the opinions of "experts" do not count for much, but if you fear that you have cellar pallet, I find a second opinion matters.

When I have a wine that I made that makes me want to sit down after drinking it, I tend to second guess myself. Is this really good (or am I simply getting used to certain flaws)?

Entering wine into competitions is a great way to confirm things. I especially like those competitions that forward the actual reviews of the wine. I see is as a great way to continue my endless journey for that elusive perfect glass of wine.

 

[the_rayway]

Hey JohnT, I can't say that I'm super concerned about CP as I like my wine, I like the store-bought wine I buy, and I like some wines more or less depending on what I personally like/dislike.

However, I'm really hoping to find some competitions up here in Canada that I can enter over the next few years. Just the excitement of entering a wine of my own would be over the top! Getting constructive feedback would be fantastic too. I recently found a wine making club here in the city, so I'm looking to try my wines past some of their people too. I think it is good to know if your product is attractive to a wider audience.

My note about critics was geared towards the differences in peoples palates and experiences. A food critic says "the meat had too much garlic", because they are not a garlic fan - but to my garlic-loving palate it tastes just right! Or they say that the main character in a movie was underdeveloped - but perhaps that's exactly the way they are supposed to be

 

[JohnT]

Rayway.

Entering competitions is great fun... If you win.

The advise I give to anybody entering these events is this.. Take it all with a grain of salt. If you hang too much of yourself on your wine, and are very protective of it, then competitions are not for you.

The very first competition I entered, I came up empty and it made me doubt the quality of my wine (a bad thing), however, I did receive an honest critique (some of which I found helpful and some which I found completely unfounded).

There have been several critiques that have influenced my wine. There have been many times where suggestions were made for improvement that I had never considered. In this way, the competitions were a great learning experience.

 

[jswordy]

IMO "cellar palette" is a creation of those who wish to categorize people into castes (very common to the wine scene, I am extremely sad to say), and I never thought that more fervently than I think it now after having spent the past several months entering contests each month with wines made from non-elitist grape varieties. There are just so many tastes and so many conclusions, even from star judges.

The judges' comments are amazingly diverse. The finish of one of my wines that won a silver medal was described by the three judges as "short," "lingering" and "long and deep." This is not an uncommon result. If trained judges have this spread of impressions, imagine how diverse it is among common wine drinkers.

The wine community is a conformist place, after all, and so there is very little room for something new or an outlier taste that is beyond what the experts have told everyone is supposed to be good. Contests, then, serve to reinforce the conformity rather than celebrate newness. I'm doing a run of them now mainly so I know where I'm at relative to the mainstream.

I still put more emphasis on comments from people at gatherings and friends than I do contest results, though the medals are nice to have. But I do love to open a bottle and surprise myself.

 

[the_rayway]

I'm going to conform to the non-conformist wine community.