My son and I decided to walk around the local wine and spirits shop today after our workout.
I’m like a fish out of water in such a place. I’m a beer guy, with maybe a couple of glasses of wine per year and champagne on special occasions (weddings and New Year’s Eve).
I’ll admit I know nothing about wine. I still get confused as to which one, red or white, goes in the fridge and which one does not. I have no idea if a pinot noir is white or red, and the same for a cabernet, as well as every other type of wine out there. It just never seemed worth the effort to get to know such stuff.
My favorite wine (I think you can call it wine) is sangria. Maybe that statement right there says something about my taste, and knowledge, of wine.
So I was curious to see what kind of sangria was available at the store, but I had trouble finding it. I didn’t see any section for it, as I saw for pinot noirs and cabernets, or Australian, or Spanish wines, among others.
When I asked the clerk, she was kind enough to walk me over to where the sangria was kept/hidden, and I noticed that the section was labeled “Economy”.
It was then and there that it hit me – I have no taste.
Especially when it comes to wine.
But it didn’t bother me in the least as I spent some time browsing through the various brands of sangria.
While I didn’t buy anything this time, the good thing is that the next time I go to the store I can act like I know what I’m doing and go right to the Economy section and pick up the biggest and cheapest bottle of Sangria I can find.
When I bring it home, I’ll put it in the fridge, even though I’m not sure if that’s where it belongs.
And when I’m ready for a glass or two, I’ll add in a little fruit, and I’m a happy cheapskate.
Borden's Blather 
I can be a bit of a wine snob but I also like don’t think there is anything wrong with Sangria!!!! I like both white and red on a hot summer day!!! It is rather funny that Sangria is always hidden like you said!!!
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I’m a bit jealous of people who know a little bit about wine, since it seems an enjoyable pursuit. glad to know that sangria is OK, even if it is hard to find!
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There’s always the option of making your own Sangrias. I had a friend who used to do that and they were delicious but the strongest sangrias I ever had, I seriously could only have half a glass. I found out later that she added a shot of vodka to each glass!!! A bit too much for me but she was definitely innovative!!
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I think my wife made Sangria once, and it was quite good. But we left out the vodka!
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Smart decision!!!!
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i would much prefer beer over wine too, Jim. I do get a kick out of watching some people act like wine connoisseurs when they have about as much knowledge about it as I do. (next to nothing) It’s the Emperor’s New Clothes in 2019.
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and choosing a beer used to be much simpler when I was younger – Bud, miller, rolling rock, coors…
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If you think you’re alone, perish the thought! Yellow Tail is a brand of wine essentially created for beer drinkers, who prefer less complicated, less pretentious, and just sweeter wines. They have been tremendously successful. You are NOT alone 🙂
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thanks for the reassurance, and for letting me know about Yellow Tail. I’ll look for it next time I am at the wine store!
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I was asked at an important client dinner to select the wine for the table. Having no knowledge of wines, I simply picked the most expensive hoping you get what you pay for. I was so embarrassed by the moment, that I then committed countless hour studying wine, vowing I would never be caught off guard again. I learned a few things I can pass along. 1. Nobody knows everything about wine. 2. You like what you like and it has nothing to do with price. 3. When you know a lot about wine, people stop asking you questions because your answers are too long.
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I can see how knowing a bit about wine could be helpful in business situations. Fortunately, given the nature of my job, I don’t have to worry about such situations. That being said, I would like to know a bit about wine at some point. And good to know there is no relationship between price and what I might like. I guess that means I can stay in the economy section! 🙂
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Wet Dog. Tobacco. Pencil Shavings. Cat Piss. 4 of the more ridiculous wine descriptors out there. Any one should get you in/out of wine conversation. My personal favorite: Tastes Like Grapes 😊
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when I read the label descriptions, it usually does seem over the top. I haven’t run across those descriptors, but they certainly don’t make me want to drink such wines. I’ll stick with yours – tastes likes grapes…
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Cheers, Jim
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Fun story. I always have sangria when I eat at a Portuguese restaurant. Brad was spot on when he affirmed that we like what we like and that’s all that matters. Wine snobs keep the companies in business and allows common folks like us to enjoy a good, $9.00 bottle of wine.
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I’m not sure if I’ve ever been to a Portugese restaurant, but we did drink a lot of sangria when we were in Barcelona a couple of years ago. Went perfect with the paella. And it sounds like I should be grateful for those wine snobs!
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I thought sangra is something you make with wine – like mulled wine – but that come ready-bottled these days too. (My husband isn’t a wine drinker either, but he likes his mulled wine.)
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I have come across a lot of recipes for sangria online, but you can also buy a bottle of it already made. I’ve heard of mulled wine, but I’m not really sure what it is.
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Heat it up with orange juice, cinnamon and other spices – like sangria, it’s sweet, but a hot version. Nicer with a tot of port in it too.
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sounds like a nice winter drink; thanks for the tips!
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I think it’s the sugar that does it 🙂
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is there anything that sugar doesn’t make taste better? 🙂
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In one of my previous incarnations, after the children were a bit older, I got a job with a catering company in business and first class lounges at Heathrow. I thought we just had to fill things up and keep the coffee machine going, with passengers helping themselves at the bar. But an Ameerican passenger said to me
‘Have you got a Merlot?’
I immediately pictured a bird of prey, it took me a moment to realise he was talking about wine, but I had never heard of merlot. He must have thought I was an idiot. I hope he’s not reading this comment.
Handy hint – merlot is a very popular red wine and the bird of prey is actually called a merLIN!
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I would have been in the opposite position, sort of. I’ve heard of merlot, but I would have had no idea if it was red or white. But I’ve never heard of a merlin (except for the wizard ) 🙂
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I love red wine, period. I can’t care what’s the name of the brand as long it taste good.
However… hi-five Jim, you and I have the same favorite. SANGRIA! ❤ 😋 The first alcoholic drink that made me drunk in Spain is Sangria. haha 😀
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We are also similar in that I much prefer red wine over white wine. And I agree, Sangria is the best. Sounds like you have some good memories associated with Sangria 🙂
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Plenty. I also watched two of my pet mouse exchange personalities after I let them think Sangria 😂
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This is delightfully refreshing! I’m not a wine snob either, but I have learnt grapes and I buy great wine at rock bottom prices because I use a German supermarket. Do you not have a taste for whisky? or Bourbon?
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sounds like a little knowledge has helped you. And I don’t drink hard liquor; it’s just beer, and the cheap stuff at that!
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It doesn’t matter what we call it, it’s alcohol. Yes, just noticing the grapes gives one the ability to drink good wine.
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I am such a wine snob. And make my own sangria. But each to his own which is what makes the world so interesting.
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and I’m jealous of people that know a lot about wine; it seems like a fun hobby to have. I just checked your site, and I came across several recipes for Sangria – is one of them your favorite?
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The red one for sure
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ok – that’s good to know. We’ll have to give it a try!
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