I think I’m going to start saving “special” wine to drink at a later date rather than guzzling every bottle the day I pick it up.
I know, I know. Gasp. Big shocker.
Right now, I can’t seem to keep wine around longer than the night I buy a bottle…or two. It’s quick to get drunk, and it’s usually in the $6.99 (oh how I love you, local Chateau St. Michelle) to $10.99 range. ($10.99 if I'm splurging cause I'm too lazy to pick it up anywhere else rather than Man X – my favorite local mini mart that’s a block from my house and all the workers know me by name).
But this weekend, I went away on a little Memorial Day camping trip to Okanogan County. It was freakin’ hot; I lived in my bathing suit all weekend, and I tested out the new bike. God only knows how I managed to bike even a mile in the sweltering sun without a breeze to be had. (Not to mention helmets must have been made by the devil. Not only do you look uglier than crap, but they make your head sweat like a whore in church. Or Je in church. Bada bing. Wait, did I just call myself a whore).
So we went on a HUGE midday bike ride – we rode two miles, ok maybe one, into town to hit up the wine tasting rooms. I fell in love with a Gewurztraminer from Okanogan Estates Wines & Vineyards, so I bought a bottle to bring home. It was FIFTEEN NINETY NINE. This is a huge step up for me. And it feels sorta special, so I put it on my wine rack at home to save for a special occasion, instead of straight into the fridge to chill for
But then I got thinking… what constitutes a special occasion? Could a particularly rough week at work be cause for a celebration? I think so. But, I feel like I have those nearly every week. How about the day I outran the cops, pulled over really quick and started walking like I was out for a Sunday stroll, so they wouldn’t know it was me when they drove by? I saved myself at least a $100 from a ticket! That’s cause for celebration! Or do I actually have to keep the wine around for something big like a pregnancy or engagement? (If either of those have me in the equation, this wine is going to ferment before I get a chance to drink it).
I’m going to try to make it at least a week. It’s tough when you think everything is a “special” occasion and cause to crack a bottle of wine!
Do you save wine to drink at a special later date?
If so, where have you picked up some of these wines?
If so, where have you picked up some of these wines?
Currently Feeling: Pretty proud of my Social Media marketing presentation I gave last week that everyone keeps telling me how awesome it was. Super exciting.
Currently Anticipating: Launching a new blog project that the BF and I are working on. We'll probably have it up this week.
Currently Reading: The Sex Lives of Cannibals by J. Maarten Troost.
20 comments:
I couldn't save wine for the life of me. Wine is for drinking, not for hording. You can't take it with you when you die... and all that jazz. So drink up!
geez, I sound more and more like an alchy every day...
Amanda knows not to touch my Mannina Cellars Merlot. Other than that, I keep to the local $5 to $10 range. I think Snoqualmie has the best local budget wine, but C-Money Shaw takes best in show for the price.
i just got my hands on "the sex lives of cannibals" and i have no idea what it's about. i suppose i could read the back of the book...but is it good? i'm in need of a good read.
@liferehab
Good call! You CAN'T take wine with you. I think I'll put a maximum on the days I can save it.
@Paolo
LOVE C-Money Shaw's Sauv Blanc. I usually buy four bottles every time I'm there.
@wekeepsaying
It's pretty good! A quick read. I read most of it within a day. It's about a guy who moves to the Equitorial Pacific with his girlfriend for two years - thinks it's a tropical paradise, but realizes it's a bit of a dump, void from any sort of American luxury. He's a super funny writer. It's a great travel memoir.
I have several bottles that are for "special occasions." But I've had a tough time determining what that means and now my wine rack is full of wines I don't drink, because I"m not sure the occasion warrants it.
When we went wine tasting in the Sierras last year, my friend bought a bunch of wine and made a note of when to drink it: When we were together again, celebrating a new baby for one of the couples. Sure enough, that happened in February and we drank the bottle and remembered our trip.
Now I'm thinking I should just say screw it, throw a dinner party and drink up!
I love having nice wine around to bring out every once in awhile. We have about a dozen bottles that range from $25-$150 that we save for special occasions. We've either been given them as gifts or collected them on our wine trips. I think for us, a special occasion is generally when we can share one of these bottles with good friends, either at a dinner party or to celebrate something. I just think that good wine should go with good food and good friends. We did open one of our nice bottles of champagne on Saturday night to celebrate the new bikes!
I do this all the time! I have a wine rack full of "special" bottles that I do nothing with. In fact, when my old roommate and I moved out of our old place we had to discuss custody of the wines.
I'm not making that mistake now. Anytime people are over, it's time for the good stuff! If it's just me and the roomie, 2 buck chuck it is.
I usually keep a couple bottles around, but if I'm buying it there's a good chance I want it right then.
I think a bad work day or week totally qualifies.
Chateau Ste. Michelle's Riesling has been my go-to for YEARS, and I splurge $11 a bottle for it out here, even though I could easily find a comparable local wine from Virginia or Maryland. I just can't part with something that's loyally and deliciously stuck by me through thick and thin...
Honestly, I can't stand wine. The taste makes me gag. Though maybe I'll grow into it...
My wedding's gonna be crap too. I hate champagne so I won't be able to toast my bride. Haha.
It's hard to get a bottle for under $10 here in Canada-land. I definitely have a lot of cheaper wines I drink on, ahem, a daily basis.
I do have a couple of bottles that I'm saving for "special occasions", though some of those times have just been a wine + movie date night with the boyfriend. Drinking the saved wines makes any night feel a little bit more special. The ones we have saved are really great (but more expensive than we'd usually buy) wines... the kind you only pull out when people actually know and like wines instead of just to guzzle it (that's what the cheap stuff is for!). And a couple bottles we've picked up on our travels, which sometime we'll dip into to remember the good 'ole days of prancing around vineyards on vacation... *sigh
@Allegories
I think I'm all about the "screw it" mentality!
@lovingmy30s
You and Luke are one of the reasons I wanted to start saving bottles. I love that you guys do that!
@flipflops
DOUBLE THE PRICE?! Is it cause it's "imported." Lol.
@James
The fact that you hate wine and you're European boggles my mind. However, I think I hated the taste of wine when I was in my early 20s too.
wine = the new diet coke
champagne = special occasion
I'm not a huge wine drinker, so it's easy to save them for a special occasion. And by special, I mean getting the 3-year-old to bed on time! We get most of our wine straight from the wineries, just because they're so close, but I hear Trader Joes or Cost Plus are good places to go.
I came by to welcome you to SITS! We're glad to have you with us!
Can't help you with the wine question since I don't drink, my husband does enough for both of us.
Stopped by to welcome you to SITS!!
I'm not much of a wine drinker--I wish I were. I can never find anything sweet enough ... All of the white wines I've tried have been dry. Since I'm not twenty-one yet, I can't try anything at a restaurant, so I rely on what Husband buys, but he likes red wines and dry white wines.
I think you should save the bottle for when you have an amazing epiphany. A life-changing one, perhaps. (Now, don't go looking for them, Je. ;) They'll come when the time's right; then you can crack that baby open. Or, you know, you could always pop it open and get drunk enough that an epiphany is sure to come, anyway.)
I'm with you and I don't purchase any bottle of $10. I go to a local grocery store or this wine store by my house. And the more bottles we have, the faster we drink it.
@a girl named k
Best comment ever. You just inspired me to make a quote section in the sidebar of my blog.
To all of you people who aren't wine drinkers - WHAT?! You need to get with the program! Wine is the new diet coke. Duh.
@Flipflops Chateau Ste Michelle = OVERRATED. That's real talk.
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