Warning- This is a long post. Feel free to ignore. I’m seeking parent advice. Mom is late-60s, Dad is mid-70s, both set in their ways. They have always been great appreciators of food; both are fantastic cooks, nearly every meal growing up was homecooked and enjoyed together. They drank wine, but the cheap stuff: Sutter Home, Barefoot, Carlo Rossi etc.
Their enjoyment of food has increased in retirement. Both regularly bake bread (funny seeing them try to outdo each other) and cook constantly. I receive photos of their dinner at least twice a week.
But somehow, their lack of wine appreciation has gotten even worse. With dinner, my mom now drinks generic diet cola mixed with Popov vodka. My father favors “red wine”. Emphasis on the quotes. Last time I visited, he was drinking something labelled American Pinot Noir out of a magnum sized bottle (bragged he bought it for $8) that had been open for over a week. It was the color of motor oil, tasted of burned rubber, asphalt, and pain. Absolutely undrinkable. Worst of all, he was guzzling it with this beautiful platter of fresh raw oysters. A worse pairing, I cannot imagine.
I’m careful to avoid being snobby around them- I’ve never said a negative word about their drinking habits- my attitude has been: if they enjoy it, fine. But, as people who love good food, I can’t help but think that they would enjoy a decent wine as a compliment to a meal. So, the next time they got oysters, I bought them a bottle of Muscadet. Hardly said a word about it, just that I thought they would enjoy it with the oysters. They asked how much I paid and were scandalized when I told them $13. They did in fact really enjoy it, but I didn’t hear the end of the “expensive” wine I bought for the rest of my trip.
So how should I proceed? Should I just say nothing? After all, they’re happy drinking the cheapo stuff. But, knowing them, I think they would really find enjoyment in wine if they would just stop buying the absolute cheapest crap available. It could give them a lot of pleasure, and I would get to avoid their horrid stuff whenever I visit (I typically abstain or have beer). I’d be happy to provide the wine myself, but they were so horrified at my “wasting” nearly $15(!) on a bottle of wine.
These are the people who gave me a great love of food. I want to enhance their own relationship with food if I can. But is it worth it? Advice?
Aside…can’t imagine their reaction if they knew the kind of stuff I buy for myself…