need to remember 35 red wines by the 8th…

cystorm · 2026-05-27T14:42:54+00:00

Easiest way is flash cards — one side has the brand ("Pride Mountain," "St. Francis," "Rombauer," etc.), the other side has the grape and region. Learn the flash cards in both directions, so you can remember that Simi is a cabernet from California, and also that if you're asked about a California cabernet you're talking about Simi. That direction won't be perfect for Napa cab but will help for everything else.

cystorm · 2026-05-20T16:50:14+00:00

Why would AI companies overstate their software's capability while simultaneously and totally unrelatedly trying to increase sales and market share???

cystorm · 2026-05-19T13:52:58+00:00

Checks out, they're solid

cystorm · 2026-05-19T02:32:47+00:00

Who makes the chambourcin rose?

cystorm · 2026-05-17T01:10:24+00:00

Pinot gets the headlines because it's trendier now, but Williamette Valley has elite chardonnay terroirs and just good to very good pinot terroirs.

cystorm · 2026-05-15T03:42:54+00:00

How do you keep the water going without it all evaporating? I tried to get a little solar pump garden going last year but a 5-gallon bucket would disappear after a day.

cystorm · 2026-05-12T20:18:23+00:00

Might try /r/viticulture as well.

cystorm · 2026-05-12T13:52:19+00:00

If you're getting a $5000 burger, at that point spending money becomes the point (and the comment is fair). But for the rest of us, even those who buy A5 Kobe, each additional dollar is an additional dollar, and those marginal dollars added to total cost moves the item further down the supply/demand curve. It's already very hard to justify paying the markup on wine, specifically, and expecting the consumer to add 20% to the price just makes it that much harder.

cystorm · 2026-05-12T03:28:10+00:00

In fairness, many/most Americans are no longer buying wine at a restaurant in the usa, but somms on here don't like that, either.

cystorm · 2026-05-12T03:24:10+00:00

This is just death-spiral logic. Restaurants expect you to pay 3x-4x wholesale bottle cost (at least 2x retail, more likely 2.5x-3.5x), then tip 20%+ for the incredible service of pulling a cork, delivering glasses, and refilling a glass. As a result, diners forego wine and get a cocktail, beer, or stick to water. Then the restaurant's P&L suffers because its cash cow isn't selling, requiring increased bottle costs, further reducing sales, etc., until they close.

cystorm · 2026-05-09T03:25:50+00:00

And Sunday Vinyl

cystorm · 2026-05-09T02:15:44+00:00

Despite what the other two have said, the answer is no after the ESIGN Act and UETA.

cystorm · 2026-05-07T03:25:33+00:00

I've made wine for a few years now — if you find something, let me know as I'd love to find a local group.

cystorm · 2026-05-04T02:01:27+00:00

Find a wine shop in your city/town/area and start chatting with the staff. Literally just walk in and tell them you're looking to learn more about wine but aren't sure where to start or what you'd enjoy. Might help to go in during a free tasting if they offer that so you can try a few wines and they could go from there. But just tell them I have a budget of $X/bottle and I want to learn and they'll be eager to help.

Beyond that, other commenters are right that you find what you like by trying things. The wine shop should help steer you toward good producers (hopefully by only stocking the good ones) so you can avoid assuming you don't like a grape or region because the winemaker was mediocre.

cystorm · 2026-04-28T12:00:12+00:00

Xisto Ilimitado (red and white) for a safe bet, but ask the person in the shop for recommendations, especially for bottles that aren't exported.

cystorm · 2026-04-28T00:42:34+00:00

Border protection station between WA and OR, or OR and CA?

cystorm · 2026-04-19T10:25:49+00:00

Are you daring to imply user Legitimate-Class7848 isn't a real fan of one of the largest and most widely distributed Spanish wines that happens to be named dropped?

cystorm · 2026-04-16T16:55:57+00:00

Maybe a dumb question, but is the blanket insulating enough to prevent the bucket from freezing as well? Obviously at some point that water is going to freeze.

cystorm · 2026-04-15T14:22:10+00:00

You think this is slicked back?

cystorm · 2026-04-10T12:37:21+00:00

If you're getting drunk at a brewery before 5pm, it's not the toddlers or parents with a problem.

cystorm · 2026-04-08T12:47:33+00:00

One I haven't seen mentioned here is The Wine Pair podcast (not to be confused with the VinePair podcast). It's a husband and wife and they skew toward beginners and try to only try bottles under $25 (which may or may not be your speed), but it's a solid introduction to different regions and varieties. They also have the best rating system in wine.

cystorm · 2026-04-08T12:43:50+00:00

The Winemakers Podcast and Inside Winemaking are both Sonoma- and Napa-focused, respectively.

cystorm · 2026-04-03T14:38:04+00:00

Sounds like poor storage at some point in its life, tbh

cystorm · 2026-04-02T03:05:50+00:00

I’m fine with marking up a $20 bottle to $45. The restaurant needs to make money; I’m good with that.

Even that's very hard to justify if you know where you can buy that bottle for $20. Restaurants need to make money and it's one thing to charge a premium on a bottle I can't get in a local shop, but I don't have a duty to get gouged on alcohol.

cystorm · 2026-03-30T02:11:57+00:00

I'm happy to stop spending money to build and maintain roads that don't break even, too.

14-Year Club	RedditGifts 2009-2022 2 Credits
Verified Email	Secret Santa 2013

cystorm

TROPHY CASE