Brian - flip-flops and l’Evangile?
That’s really pushing it.
With SQN, sure. But with Bordeaux? Just unbelievable.
Clearly guidelines are needed. Desperately.
Ah I remember the first time we met Todd at the 2000 burgundy dinner. I came into the restaurant wearing shorts and a t shirt and everyone else was wearing dress shirts. I clearly broke all standards of etiquette. Can’t take this guy anywhere.
Geez, man, ascots are for the Jura. #amateur
Though ‘Rudy K’ hindsight has put a large cloud over those tastings.
Res ipsa loquitor…he does not have to prove anything wrong. The wines are all the proof. Not a lawyer but that is how I understand it.
True, but if I recall correctly, all the champagne and DRC came from Rosania’s cellar. I’m not sure how much of that he sourced from Kapon.
I’ve only been around Charlie for that single weekend. The list of his transgressions that weekend alone could fill a 3-volume set. He is one of the primary reasons this board so desperately needs codification of standards.
He means it is self-evident that you aren’t allowed to have that much fun
Jura tastings need one of those comically long cigarette filters & talking/chuckling through your teeth. If you visit there & don’t do this, they’ll think you’re a rube.
Here are my thoughts on this subject;
- I think that when you bring wine for others to try, there should be no strings attached; therefore if you are upset, because someone brought a wine of lesser value, or none at all, then you need to step back and ask yourself why you brought the wine. I bring wine because I really want to share the particular wine with friends since wine is meant to enjoy with others.
Now, if there is a theme and expectations and someone comes with, let’s say yellow tail, while others brought higher end stuff, then that may be a different story.
- I also think that to a small degree, everyone here who has brought a wine to share with others at dinner, really wants their wine to be received well for partially selfish reasons. Isn’t there always at least a little ego involved. I’m not saying that patting yourself on the back is everyone’s primary motive here, but at least subconsciously it is important to most of us that people really like the wine. I admit some disappointment when my wine doesn’t show up well or is flawed. I think we all take it at least somewhat personal, because we really want everyone to like what we brought because our wine is an extension of us. So, isn’t that a little bit about our ego. Hell, we’re only human
While there’s no shortage of high net worth people on this board as well as people with deep cellars who’ve been collecting for years, I think how people drink also affects what gets opened at balla dinners. I drink wine most days and likely average about $30-40 a bottle (or about $120-160 a week). If I just did balla wine events twice a month instead I could spend $250-300 a bottle. I think a lot depends on if you’re primarily a daily drinker or a special occassion drinker.
Personally, I like to read about these dinners, but I prefer to drink at home with less bottles and less people.
Only 3 volumes? He must have been on his best behavior!
The only way to definitively judge this would be to require people to post how many ounces of gold they were each wearing during the event.
I wasn’t aware you could justify your wine drinking by purchasing a budget car. Every day I come to the site and learn something new.
I wonder if it works the opposite way too? If you drive a Bentley, but you drink Yellow Tail, are you good?
I take it you were wearing white socks with the flip flops and shorts?
@Greg, Jim and others:
I admit it is different if it´s a tasting of (only) close and old friends who have already shared a lot of wines among them - or if other people are present, better or less well known to all, maybe the first time ever.
I´ve experienced all kinds of situations, from bottles brought that stunned all tasters … to huge (but predictable) disapointments when one brought a bottle that was either cheap crap, far too old, in desatrous condition … or all 3 together.
I once attended a tasting of (mostly) friends with one new participant who admitted that he simply doesn´t have anything worthy in the cellar to bring for us … and he insisted to pay his fair share … so we had to make a listing solely for him …
In the end absolutely ok for all of us.
I prefer to drink the Coche and La Tache at the same time and then swish it around before I swallow.
Gerhard,
I think it depends. If you’re just getting together with friends then I think everyone contributes and hopefully there will be some parity. My experience with tasting groups is they will equalize every ones contributions and people will pay the difference.
Nah the white socks would only apply if he was wearing Birkenstocks…in which case he would have been mistaken as a German tourist… 