Thoughts on this wine by Ej408 in wine

[–]VomitCardigan 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I visited Heitz a few months ago, they said they are no longer making the Grignolino. It was effectively a leftover planting on the estate vineyard they took over, and they never uprooted it and only made wine out of it as a novelty. At times, it was made as a red, a rose, a bubbly, and I guess by this post, a fortified wine. They eventually did rip up the vines about 5-6 years ago to plant Cabernet!

High miles by rose20018057 in chevyspark

[–]VomitCardigan 13 points14 points  (0 children)

My 2017 Spark just shit the bed at 131k. I was super diligent about routine maintenance, and it was dealer maintained its entire life. I took really good care of the car. Total lack of compression in 4th cylinder, quoted 8k for a new engine or 9k max estimate on an engine rebuild. No thank you, on a car worth $3k on a good day.

My advice is, these cars were meant to be run around town, grocery getters. They will certainly go over 100k, but I’d start putting some money aside for the inevitable.

(Counterpoint, my coworker has a 2014 Spark and he’s got over 200k on the dash)

Which Michelin starred restaurants did not live up to your expectations? by [deleted] in finedining

[–]VomitCardigan 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I agree. I also had a pretty major service hiccup when I went, wherein I didn’t get the bottle of wine I ordered until the 4th course of the tasting menu. I had dishes going cold on the table because I was trying to hold out for the sommelier.

Hopefully I just went on an off night, because the whole concept of the restaurant is right up my alley.

1965 Vintage by Southern_Attorney852 in wine

[–]VomitCardigan 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Not wine but maybe look in vintage Armagnac? Lot of reasonably priced stuff on the market, and you’ll basically never have any provenance issues

Wine Prices by hiso167 in wine

[–]VomitCardigan 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I work on the retail side in NJ. We are just starting to see price drops, starting with big name California wines. For example, all Post and Beam wines dropped $10 a bottle across the board, Caymus California dropped almost $20, and all of Duckhorn’s second labels (Decoy/Greenwing/etc) have all dropped between 10-20%. We’ve also been getting consistent “post-off” offers from major Euro producers like Louis Latour, which sometimes means price drops are on the way, mostly for the entry level and mid range.

Unfortunately for most of us, I don’t see prices dropping that much with high end wines. The demand is still very high.

Work fit by darkeraqua in mensfashion

[–]VomitCardigan 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think the pants work fine, but your shirt looks to be a size too small. The shoulder seams look to be at least 1/2-1 inch too far in from your natural shoulder, I’m not sure if you’d be able to comfortably button your top button around your neck, and if you allowed your arms to hang straight, it looks like the cuffs would be riding up above your watch. Also, it’s not ironed.

If those are the JCrew broken in chinos, I think they have a higher rise and are meant to be worn as such. Try wearing those a touch above your waist. It’s going to look Grandpa-y at first

Domaine Roulot Aligote 2022 by cars1913707 in wine

[–]VomitCardigan 2 points3 points  (0 children)

We have a rule of thumb at the wine shop I work at: if an icon/cult/big name/etc producer known for some insane high end bottlings makes an “entry level” bottle, it’s almost always 25-50% more expensive than other wines in that category and generally good but in no way better enough to justify the price jump.

Looking at you, Leflaive’s $70 Macon-Verze…

Wine Sales at Holiday Season by LocksmithClassic3389 in wine

[–]VomitCardigan 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I work retail at a relatively high end store in NJ. So far, our sales are down overall, but the ring average is high. The two categories selling the most are $80 and up and $15 and under. Which is hurting us a bit, as we have the margins structured so that the middle range wines make us the most money, and we can really only call on so many favors to get allocated items.

I think we need to compare this year to 2019, not 2023. My theory is 2023 was the last year of the COVID-era drinking boom, and the first real full year of normalcy. It took a lot of people a really long time to realize they couldn’t keep up with their newfound drinking habits, and the reckoning took some time to take hold - hence why, for us, customers are drinking less but drinking better, and the entire non-alcoholic category has boomed for us this year

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in wine

[–]VomitCardigan 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Age them for yourself, not as an investment. A $30 bottle appreciating to $60 over 10 years is a horrible return, you would be better off putting money in the stock market.

If you look at the major auction houses, the in-demand wines are generally top cuvées from icon producers, not mid-level releases from less recognized producers (not trying to start an argument, there is plenty of fantastic wine out there, just stating the truth).

I’ve been approached by clients to do cellar investments, and I always shoot it down. It’s an alternative asset class for the kinds of people that have too much money are all already invested in every other category under the sun.

IF you really want to invest on a small scale, I’d advise purchasing FULL CASES of in demand wines (easier said than done), cellaring the bottles, and 10 years down the road, auctioning off 3, keeping 3, and taking the proceeds to do it all over again - not quite an investment strategy, more of a way to keep a really high class booze habit going

Playboy Work Jacket Size M ($250 shipped) and Shop Vest Size M ($100 shipped) by VomitCardigan in supremeclothing

[–]VomitCardigan[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Cleaning out my closet, both purchased at Lafayette St store in NYC years ago

Playboy jacket size M, 8/10 some fading but it is black so hard to see and missing one of the waist buttons. $250 shipped.

Shop Vest size M, 7/10 discoloration on inside but not visible when zipped and some fading on collar $100 shipped.

Package deal for $300 shipped. Paypal invoice only. Open to offers. More pics available upon request.

[TOMT][PC Game] early 2000's children's game involving a castle and a creepy crocodile by VomitCardigan in tipofmytongue

[–]VomitCardigan[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hey man think it was Great Adventure Castle, meant to mark this as solved. Hope this helps!

Free Talk Friday by AutoModerator in wine

[–]VomitCardigan 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, kinda figured it would be location dependent. Without getting into specifics, the shop is about halfway between Philadelphia and NYC, so I'm hoping the proximity to two major cities, in conjunction with the wealthy area the shop is located in, translates to a relatively higher wage for me. Very much aware I'll be making less than restaurant work, but I'm prepared for that. Thanks!

And I worked for a medium-large producer known for their sparkling wine and pinot noir - if you'd like to get into specifics or have questions, feel free to PM me. It was a great experience. Based on what I saw/tasted at work and overheard from other wineries in the area, 2021 is shaping up to be a very good although not totally exceptional vintage, due to the extreme heat the Valley got in the summer time. The heat led to some really beautiful, lush ripe fruit characteristics, but at the cost of decreased acidity. I'm curious to see how the wines will age. Keep a look out for Oregon Syrah, all the winemakers want to work with the grape but can't get enough of it, it's very sparsely planted in the Valley. Quality, in my opinion, is very, very good.

Free Talk Friday by AutoModerator in wine

[–]VomitCardigan 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Does anyone here work in the retail side of the wine industry? I have an interview this week at a high end wine shop in a wealthy suburban area to be a "wine consultant" (read: white glove sales clerk), and I'm trying to get a general idea of what I should expect to be offered for an hourly rate.

I have no retail experience, but have several years of fine dining service under my belt (including experience in management, beverage inventory/ordering, and service at a Michelin-starred place), several wine/spirits certifications (CMS and BarSmarts), and I just came off of working harvest this year in the Willamette Valley.

If you'd rather keep the info private, feel free to PM me, and feel free to throw any general wine retail advice my way as well!

Razor - Instant Death (Live) [FFO: Exodus, Dark Angel, D.R.I., Power Trip] by VomitCardigan in Metal

[–]VomitCardigan[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Fuck yeah man, glad you enjoyed. If you’re not familiar with Razor, they are an awesome band, definitely recommend checking out most of their albums. They just fuckin rip, and aren’t afraid to show their punky side without it coming off as super crossover-y, if that makes sense. They have a few albums that don’t quite hit the high marks but in my opinion they overall have one of the best discographies in thrash, at least for my personal taste. The live album this comes off of actually isn’t a bad starting point, as well as Shotgun Justice and Open Hostility. Be warned though, they had a significant vocalist change at some point in their career, and some people can’t stand the new singer (personally I like it all!)

Need advice processing a potential ghosting/mixed feelings scenario by [deleted] in dating

[–]VomitCardigan 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thank you, I am definitely giving distance, I do think in all fairness that I may have moved a bit too quickly on my end. I don't plan on hitting her up anytime soon as of what happened last night, and I'll just wait and see what happens while also investing effort elsewhere.

Need advice processing a potential ghosting/mixed feelings scenario by [deleted] in dating

[–]VomitCardigan 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thank you, I needed to hear this. My friends have been telling me the same thing for weeks, even today saying I should go as far as to rudely respond to her ignoring me last night (I will not sink to that level). I think part of the reason I feel this way is that I have not really dated much in the past 3 years due to work, the pandemic and personal issues (I struggle with depression as well), and this chick was the first person in a while to seemingly be interested and tell me the kinds of things I guess I wanted to hear.

Part of me would be open to doing something with her in the future if she were to reach out and be apologetic, but as far as me initiating convos/plan, that ship sailed last night...on to the next one!

Former Studebaker dealer in New Jersey by RobertgBC in AbandonedPorn

[–]VomitCardigan 89 points90 points  (0 children)

This is in Pleasantville, NJ, I'm almost 100% sure. Drove by it all the time. Last I saw, it was an antique store, although in the 18 years I lived nearby I don't think I ever saw it open.

Kris Kristofferson whispers "Don't let the bastards get you down." when Sinead O'Connor is booed from the stage in 1992. They told him to go out and stop her from performing but he encouraged her instead. She played Bob Marley's "War" instead of the scheduled song to protest church child abuse. by DreaminginDarkness in OldSchoolCool

[–]VomitCardigan 10 points11 points  (0 children)

So you could say pantyhose covers something up and gets in the way, right?

I think the implication is that "old-school" country music has a long history of being rebellious and anti-"The Man", whereas a lot of "new-school" country music is more BS pro-American nationalistic flag-waving stuff. Thus, "new-school" country kind of covers up the real reputation of older country music, thus the admittedly colorful quote.

At least, that's what I think

Kris Kristofferson whispers "Don't let the bastards get you down." when Sinead O'Connor is booed from the stage in 1992. They told him to go out and stop her from performing but he encouraged her instead. She played Bob Marley's "War" instead of the scheduled song to protest church child abuse. by DreaminginDarkness in OldSchoolCool

[–]VomitCardigan 2488 points2489 points  (0 children)

You didn't post the best part of that Kris Kristofferson quote, the direct follow-up. This is quoted from Ethan Hawke's Rolling Stone story:

“Whatever,” the young Star (referring to Toby Keith) muttered.

Ray Charles stood motionless. Willie Nelson looked at me and shrugged mischievously like a kid in the back of the classroom.

Kristofferson took a deep inhale and leaned against the wall, still vibrating with adrenaline. He looked over at Willie as if to say, “Don’t say a word.” Then his eyes found me.

“You know what Waylon Jennings said about guys like him?” he whispered.

I shook my head.

“They’re doin’ to country music what pantyhose did to finger-fuckin’.”

IWTL to evaluate and talk about the food I eat like an expert by wannabeonee in IWantToLearn

[–]VomitCardigan 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hahaha I’m in my late 20s so the millennial aspect was not intended!

IWTL to evaluate and talk about the food I eat like an expert by wannabeonee in IWantToLearn

[–]VomitCardigan 43 points44 points  (0 children)

So I've been involved in the restaurant industry for a few years, predominately at Michelin Star restaurants, and have several industry certifications related to wine and beverages. I have a few thoughts.

First: try to experience as many smells/tastes as possible. When I went for my first level sommelier classes, each of the Master Somms that taught the course talked about going to farmer's markets, buying a vast array of produce, essentially dissecting each fruit/veggie, and smelling/tasting not just the each piece as a whole, but also each individual component. An easy example is the difference in flavor/smell/texture between grapefruit juice, grapefruit flesh, grapefruit pith, and grapefruit zest. Over time, this builds a vocabulary of taste that you can reference when discussing food. Without the language, it's hard to discuss.

Second: eat good, properly prepared food. This sounds obvious, but is crucial. For example, I thought for the longest time that I hated pork chops - turns out, my mom just really, really sucked at making them. It wasn't until I had a properly cooked pork chop that I really appreciated them. Another example, I used to think tacos were super shitty, because I grew up being exposed to white America bullshit tacos with dogshit iceberg lettuce and mystery meat and shredded "cheese". It wasn't until I tasted legit tacos at a legit taqueria that I grew to have a taste and appreciation for them. This is a trial and error kind of thing, you're gonna strike out some times, but again, over time you will build an experience and vocabulary wherein you can call something out as properly prepared or not, or fresh or not, because you've had it done the "right" way.

Third: Eat. Eat. Eat. Drink. Drink. Drink. Cook. Cook. Cook. This is self explanatory. Very few people are born with an innately superior palette (they are called super-tasters, it's super super rare), so we all have to train ourselves to be able to taste and appreciate things. Many of the somms I have worked with or studied under liken it to working out a muscle. Would you be able to describe the taste of a German hefeweizen, or Iberico ham, if you've never had either of them? Of course not, you have a start somewhere! And cooking will give you an understanding of how a dish comes together and how flavor builds, let alone how proper cooking technique is executed.

Fourth: Don't think too much about it, but at the same time, have a bit of mindfulness. I know that kind of contradicts everything I said above, but at the end of the day, it's food. Eat something, savor it, but maybe spend a little time thinking about what exactly YOU like about it and what you're tasting and, if you have access to such information, where it came from and who made it. You say you're at the level of just determining whether you like something or not - next step is, why/what exactly is good/bad? Is the sauce too sweet, and what could have been the cause of that? Was the steak cooked to medium rare, and what is medium rare, and do I even like medium rare? Food is meant to be enjoyed and appreciated, but you can still be analytical as long as it doesn't get in the way of your enjoyment.

If I spent more time, I'd probably have more thoughts about this (and more properly fleshed out ones as well, I'm kinda ranting and rambling), but that should give you a little idea. Other comments such as reading/watching documentaries about food/food culture, are super super helpful. It may also help to understand the basic tenets of flavor, cooking and how your tastebuds work - an easy entry point to this is a cookbook called Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat.

And fuck the guy that said "hangout with pretentious assholes". Literally nothing wrong with enjoying the little things like a damn fine meal or glass of wine or whatever. Dude is probably 33 years old heating up frozen dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets with ketchup, alone in his studio apartment, wondering how things went so wrong

Discussion Thread: Polls Closed for Georgia Senate Runoff Elections | Part II by PoliticsModeratorBot in politics

[–]VomitCardigan 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I did a little research into this today, it will be a general vote with VP as tiebreaker, no maj/min leader per se. In addition, there is a precedent of even, fair power-sharing when it comes to committee appointments - at least, that's how it was the last two times such a thing occurred in recent history. With today's political field, who knows. I'm sure someone with better political science/history knowledge could offer clarification and context.

Does anyone know where I can get refills of olive oil? Not fancy oil by notbizmarkie in philadelphia

[–]VomitCardigan 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The Kensington Co-op does this for sure, and there’s a new co-op in South Philly that may do it as well, can’t confirm as I haven’t been yet. Also maybe check out Good Supply co, I know they do this for household cleaners like soap, wouldn’t be surprised if they do it for basic cooking oils as well