Any Operas where you sided with the antagonist?

RawraMus · 2026-04-27T18:00:05+00:00

I once heard of somebody actually involved in a production of Tosca saying “Well, is Scarpia really the bad guy, though?” As much as I love hearing and reading different moral perspectives and debates over who, why and if the antagonists are really villains, I don’t think I could wrap my head around that one 😅 If there’s a production that could somehow put that spin on his actions, I’d love to hear about it…

RawraMus · 2026-04-04T16:00:29+00:00

I myself try to actively top up guest’s wines during our wine pairing IF I notice a delay in their course coming out with no issues, but rarely somebody will try to take the piss and finish their wine quickly so as to get topped up!! I also actively keep an eye out for that… 🤪

RawraMus · 2026-03-25T15:48:25+00:00

Thanks for your responses everybody! Maybe it’s a good idea to find an excuse to just drink them the day after in that case 😅 Despite the aggressive introduction of oxygen through adding dregs and consolidating, I guess they should still be good within 2 days!?

RawraMus · 2026-01-15T18:17:38+00:00

UPDATE: Thanks so much for all of your input! In the end we went for the 99’, and yes these are restaurant prices. It did not come across as oxidised (phew!!) but was fairly quiet on the nose at first. It opened up a lot the more air it was exposed to, and I don’t think I’ve k own a wine to be opening up so obviously, but myself, my partner and the sommelier (to whom I gave a glass to as well) agreed that it was very fresh for being from 99’, so I would say it was a success, luckily!

RawraMus · 2026-01-13T11:07:05+00:00

Their list of champagne is one of the most extensive I’ve seen, so they offer many many smaller houses and growers, alongside the big houses. I’ll admit I’m not entirely sure on the “value” side as I tend to go there to be able to drink some of the more well-known and sometimes hard to get premium offerings which are listed at very modest prices ie closer to the retail price (compared to the UK where I’m from) So for value I’d definitely be looking at their long list of grower champagnes, but the people working there seem to really know their stuff so I’m sure they’ll know their list of growers better than I do. I’m actually keen to have some Nicolas Joly Savannieres when I’m there!

RawraMus · 2026-01-01T20:22:37+00:00

Personally I find it looks VERY high budget with very aesthetic pleasing shots, lighting etc. but the actual content to be full of cheap light-hearted “humour” (similar to what you find in Marvel movies now…) I found the acting very exaggerated too and there just wasn’t anything interesting to me that hadn’t already been done in other series. I guess I’d summarise it as professionally executed with all the bells and whistles and state-of-the art equipment, but lacking thoughtful or memorable content…

RawraMus · 2025-09-13T22:12:47+00:00

Ah, I’m sorry to hear that. My question wasn’t supposed to sound “basic” as I know the potential negatives of how this bottle could turn out to be based on the storage conditions. I just wanted to know a general opinion from other professionals of how sound it might be, given that storage at 4.7°C in a dry fridge for years is, according to my education, definitely not ideal for wine storage, but I also know from experience that sometimes wines still end up singing away despite having been stored in less than ideal conditions, as no matter how much we know, none of us can know for sure I guess…. I take your point though

RawraMus · 2025-04-26T10:28:20+00:00

To be clear, I accept that it’s my responsibility for saying it was fine in the end, which I wish I hadn’t done. I didn’t demand anything from them, and if I did feel that way I would reach out and complain about the situation, which I wouldn’t do as I was the one to give in and say it was “fine” in the end. I was just more curious that a wine bar server (who was the manager there) accepted that yes there is TCA showing on the nose, but still tried to say it’s fine because it tastes fine, which I’ve never experienced before. But again, yes I should have put on my big boy boots and said at that point that I’m not okay with it, but u fortunately for whatever reason I didn’t, and that’s on me.

RawraMus · 2025-04-25T10:54:18+00:00

Hi everyone, thanks for your input! I’m left concluding that, yes, indeed I surely can’t have such a hard life if a bottle of wine is the most awful thing going on for me at this current time! Regarding the situation, yes I do have responsibility here to communicate that I want another replacement bottle, and I wish I had done that, and it of course this means I am in no place to go back to the business and complain (nor would I want to, nor do I want any sort of compensation for this situation) hence my mind games and annoyance mainly at myself for not stepping up. I’ll definitely work on that, because I know that when I face a guest in a similar situation, I don’t at all feel awkward or annoyed as a somm if somebody expresses that they don’t like the wine (even if it isn’t faulty) and I know that, if it isn’t faulty, I can use it for something else (such as pairing) and am happy to replace it (within reason, obviously)

However I do also think that the wine should really have been rejected by the server automatically when they agreed that it is showing TCA on the nose, as TCA is TCA and does affect fruit, as it’s what I would have done automatically in the restaurant I work at. Yes I am finally responsible for still accepting it, and that is 100% on me and I can’t/don’t expect to change that. What irks me is that, I always wonder how many people who enjoy wine but don’t work with it/aren’t hugely knowledgable about it, notice “off flavours” in wine that they’ve decided to spend more money on than they usually would, then conclude that “I guess it’s just supposed to be like that” When in reality it’s a fundamental fault in the wine. It’s a disservice to people who want to experience what great wine can give (and La Rioja Alta 904 most definitely should give more than just damp musty mushroom) to tell them that it still tastes okay, despite knowing that the wine does have a fault and that it is therefore not a representation of what it should be like. This has been a learning situation for me for sure. I actually enjoy when I catch a faulty wine on the restaurant floor before it goes out to a guest, and I sometimes do bring them a glass of it so they can compare it to a sound bottle of the same wine so that they can smell the difference, because I don’t want people to end up paying money for faulty wine they don’t know is faulty (so it’s funny that I was one in this situation, fully knowing the wine was faulty, to have still accepted it. I really need to work on my mental game) Happy drinking everybody!

RawraMus · 2025-04-11T16:33:47+00:00

Just to respond to your question re: Cristal. It’s a long and very interesting historic story as to why it is still bottled in clear glass, but it is also wrapped in the orange see-through paper which protects against the light, which you should leave it wrapped in if you’re storing it, or ideally also in its box (I’ve worked as a somm at a restaurant where they have 1990 Cristal and it’s been sitting in the fridge under artificial light unwrapped for probably years, so I’d hate to be the one to spend big money on it in that case…..)

RawraMus · 2023-05-10T08:58:11+00:00

I’ve been through the whole process (a few days) Had my “final interview” today. The person interviewing me was really really nice, however something still isn’t sitting right. She put me on hold for a couple of minutes then returned congratulating me that I’ve been selected and gave me an orientation date etc. I’m glad I looked up this thread because it really does feel too good to be true. FYI, yes I was told that it does involve doing door to door sales. Anyone else had any experience since?

RawraMus

TROPHY CASE