The Vine : Wine Country Tastings Blog

Tasting and tripping to wines fresh off the vine.

Just Order Whatever the Lady Wants - The Wine List Debate

» posted by Rich
on 30 Aug 2010

I see it more and more - the awkward moment when the server at the restaurant has to decide who to hand the wine list to, the man or the woman. The Wine Market Council study, sited in the story in the Seattle TImes, shows that woman now make up more the half of the wine drinkers in the United States. So why does it seem that the man is the default when it all plays out in the restaurants in the real world? Is it really a big deal?

I've seen servers avoid the issue by placing the wine list on the table then scurrying away. They are sure to place it at exactly the same distance from the man and woman to avoid any ill-favor. Let them work it out! I'll come back later and take the order and by then the wine issue will be resolved. Whew!

Is it an ego thing? Would a female date hand the male the wine list even if the server gave it to them first? If not, would the male's ego shatter like a Riedel glass into tiny bits? Does it really matter? Or is there something more at play here?

I don't know of a specific study, and I'm no Emily Post, but I think that the man gets handed the check at the end of the meal a majority of the time, no? Should guys be upset about that? Should women? I mean really? Can't a saucy dame afford to foot the bill? Or is this all about traditional etiquette that has existed since dinner service began? Women served first, salad fork first on the left, &c... Wouldn't the whole thing be a moot point if the server simply asked, "Here is the wine list. Who would like it?"

When I'm at a restaurant with the lady I always try to make the wine list selection a team effort. But if she grabs the list, that means she knows what she wants. Let it go, guys. If you haven't realized that your woman is smarter than you at this point, you're probably in trouble. You'll learn... don't worry.

Lots of questions. No answers. What do you think?

LINKS:
Female wine drinkers overtake men � who still get the wine list
- The Seattle Times

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The 100 Point Rating System Can Go Screw Itself - WineMatch.com Profile Wheel

» posted by Rich on 2010-08-30 21:01:34

The 100 Point Rating System Can Go Suck It -
The New WineMatch Profile Wheel Shows the Way

I don't know about you, but wine rating systems, particularly the 100 point system, seem to just confuse me. It's borderline useless and worthless. I mean, why have a 100 point system when just about every wine gets rated between 80 and 95? What's the matter with the school teacher grading from "A" (the best) to "F" (Fail)? Not good enough for wine snobs? [I know cool folks like 1WineDude use it].

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Bloggers Beware! - Business License Fees?

» posted by Rich on 2010-08-27 10:45:32

Did you guys catch the article the other day in the Washington Examiner online about how bloggers in Philadelphia are being required to cough up a $300 business fee? This fee, officially a business license fee, seems to be doled out to any blogger who's made any kind of money from their website - even if yearly "profits" are in the double digits!

Most bloggers are hobbyists with no thoughts of profit or business, but who also don't mind making the $20 in Google ads to help pay for the web hosting fees, &c... That's not to say that some bloggers don't make a business out of their websites, they do. Obviously there needs to be some kind of standards before Cities and States begin collecting $300 fees from everybody with a blog. I know the governments are hurting for cash... but come on, we all are! And we have to do something while we're sitting at home jobless! We blog.

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Hanna 2003 Two Ranch Red - TreeHouse Tasting No.44

» posted by Rich on 2010-08-27 07:03:43

TreeHouse Tasting No.44 - Hanna 2003 Two Ranch Red, Sonoma County

This wine confused me a little. At times I really liked it, and at others I though it was a bit soft. Then I though, "Hey, the softness is kinda nice..." and then I though, "...but it seems to die on the finish..." but then I thought, "...let me try another glass." Before I knew exactly what to think the bottle was gone!

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The Governator says: Get Pumped For Wine Month

» posted by Rich on 2010-08-26 11:22:52

Is it any wonder that the Governator, Arnold Schwarzenegger, loves California wine? I mean, really. Who better to represent big California Cabernet Sauvignon than the muscular, steroid-filled action star and Statesman? If you slapped a Napa wine label on him he WOULD be a bottle of Cab!

Anyway... Arnold has once again declared this coming month, September, to be California Wine Month. So lets get busy! Booyaa!

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Wine Competitions are Evil - NYCR says No More!

» posted by Rich on 2010-08-25 11:20:06

Keyword

[photo credit - Dave Falchek/thetimes-tribune.com]

A couple weeks ago I got into a "blog" discussion with 1WineDude about spitting at wine competitions and how a drunk judge is a bad judge. I agreed (mostly), but argued that after tasting fifty or sixty wines a worn palate is just as likely to cause bad judgment than being tipsy. Then recently I read how the New York Cork Report (NYCR) has declared that they will no longer participate in large-scale wine tasting competitions for a variety of different reasons, many of which I agree.

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