How to Select a Good Bottle of Wine

[french frank]

I had a friend who only bought wine by strength of volume

I would not by wine by strength, but I would not-buy-it by weakness. 8.5% is not much stronger than a strongish beer and, if you drink 1-2 pints of that, by volume that takes care of your 75cl bottle. 12%-13.5% would be my preferred abv for an ordinary table wine; a little stronger for a dessert wine.

Add: I took my receipt back to the Coop and the sub-manager said reassuringly that she would 'take care of it'. But she didn't appear to note the name of the wine (which was £7.49 per bottle)...

[Nick Armstrong]

I had a friend who only bought wine by strength of volume, but she lived in Crewkerne!

Can't decide if that means one should head to Crewkerne immediately as a breathless resort of unbridled fun and self-indulgence, or give it a wide berth...

[An_Inspector_Calls]

I misremembered what had been said here and thought it was Product of France, which I found quite acceptable today (having ignored the misremembered advice):


After lunch I studied my receipt to find the Coop had charged me £4.99 - a price I would not have countenanced, since I'm fairly sure it said £7.99 on the shelf (and, yes, I shall return to the Coop to discuss the matter with them).

Well I think I can rest my 'case'! A three-windowed garage does not a good wine make.

May I point out a strength of my method which I feel has not been appreciated. The next time some flunkie sommelier approaches (yes, granted, a rare event) with your selected bottle cupped in white napkin, in true Stephen Potter style, make sure to take time and count the windows. (Do not do this aloud!). Better still, if one has bifocals (purchase a pair of zero strength for effect) make a point of putting them on (from a case, of course) to read the label. If the window count passes 10 one can then sit back confidently and say, with gusto, "that will do nicely". Less: send it back!

"I misremembered what had been said here and thought it was Product of France, which I found quite acceptable today (having ignored the misremembered advice):" How many have you had?

[teamsaint]

Can't decide if that means one should head to Crewkerne immediately as a breathless resort of unbridled fun and self-indulgence, or give it a wide berth...

I recently visited Crewkerne on Business matters. No, really.
i think that, on balance, Anna's friend looks likely to be typical of the town......I reckon its safe till dusk......

[Osborn]

I had a friend who only bought wine by strength of volume, but she lived in Crewkerne!

Strength and volume surely? Crewkerne's legend of the Holy Grail refers to a bucket of 15% ABV purchased for 3 groats.

[amateur51]

I would not by wine by strength, but I would not-buy-it by weakness. 8.5% is not much stronger than a strongish beer and, if you drink 1-2 pints of that, by volume that takes care of your 75cl bottle. 12%-13.5% would be my preferred abv for an ordinary table wine; a little stronger for a dessert wine.

If you're planning to do any work of decent quality after lunch, I'd say that 12%-13.5% alcohol is not the way to go, hence my advocacy of a German riesling of the old school at 8.5% alcohol

There again, perhaps just a modest glass of your preferred tipple would be a workable compromise

We'll have to keep an eye on how the unrepentently dicatorial moderation of the proposed politics sub-forum correlates with the alcohol intake, I suggest

[teamsaint]

If you're planning to do any work of decent quality after lunch, I'd say that 12%-13.5% alcohol is not the way to go, hence my advocacy of a German riesling of the old school at 8.5% alcohol

There again, perhaps just a modest glass of your preferred tipple would be a workable compromise

We'll have to keep an eye on how the unrepentently dicatorial moderation of the proposed politics sub-forum correlates with the alcohol intake, I suggest

Well in my civil service days, anything remotely as low as 8.5 % at lunchtime would be considered as being rather unsociable.
Then again, the "work of decent quality" clause wasn't always enforced.
Happy days. I suppose that's why they invented Horse racing.

[amateur51]

Well in my civil service days, anything remotely as low as 8.5 % at lunchtime would be considered as being rather unsociable.
Then again, the "work of decent quality" clause wasn't always enforced.
Happy days. I suppose that's why they invented Horse racing.

this explains a lot, I reckon