Don't give Kevin wine anymore, please

[digitalq]

He seems to think that if he has a wine glass in front of the camera it gives him license to make noises, spit, gurgle and constantly smack his lips.

I was trying to get caught up this weekend by watching ep. 111 to 114, but I almost gave up on 112 halfway through because I was going to scream if i heard *smack* *gurgle* *smack* *spit* one more time.

Perhaps we should ask Alex if he enjoyed the wine at all, since he didn't make any noises?

Hey Kevin, could you just drink the F'ing wine?

Chris

[spiri]

I didn't notice that at all.

[masherscf]

This spitting was just nasty. Anything you have to spit out to get the right taste isn't worth it. The problem is that alcohol dulls your senses. Wine tasters figured they could taste longer if they spit out the wine.

That why I like tasting beer. Beer you have to drink it to get the right taste. You only taste the first two beers.

[ariastar]

This spitting was just nasty. Anything you have to spit out to get the right taste isn't worth it. The problem is that alcohol dulls your senses. Wine tasters figured they could taste longer if they spit out the wine.

That why I like tasting beer. Beer you have to drink it to get the right taste. You only taste the first two beers.

When I've gone wine-tasting (being near Napa and all...), I don't spit. The way I see it is that if a wine if only good while 10,000% sober, then it's not going to be very good by the time I'm finished with half a glass. I don't think most people understand the point of swirling some wines, what to look for when looking at it, etc.. Perhaps if the wine guy could show them how to properly taste it on an episode?

[tokenuser]

When I've gone wine-tasting (being near Napa and all...), I don't spit. You have just hit the problem here. Kevin is not wine TASTING, he is wine DRINKING.

You would assume that he had already tasted the wine, found it not to be corked (gone off), and approved the pouring of the rest of the wine.

Spitting wine is fine for tasting. In fact it is recommended - the evaporating alcohol carries the scent of the wine to the nose an intensifies the flavour FOR A TASTING.

Swirling the wine, sniffing the wine, examining the corona (of the wine, not sticking a lime wedge in a cerveza), swirling again, sipping (with the slurping sound) to aerate the wine as it enters the mouth, swirling the wine around the mouth so that it activates all tastes centres of your tongue, etc., Kevin get all of those right. What he gets wrong on the tastingis that he should have a bowl of coffee beans on hand to cleanse his nasal pallate between sips, because after the first sniff his nose is saturated and any of his other high brow wine tastin' shenanigans are wasted.

At the end of the day, when it comes to DRINKING the wine he gets is wrong. Take a sip, draw it between your teeth (again to aerate the wine), rest it on your tongue, SWALLOW. Spitting it out is a waste of good wine.

I am guessing he has red wine at room temperature as well - because that is common knowledge right? Wrong. Red wine should be served at CELLAR temperature - approximately 16C (64F). So if you don't have a wine cabinet/cooler, you should always throw red wine in the fridge for 30 min or so before opening to allow it to chill a little (but not as much as white wine).

As far as wine drinking goes, by keeping his mouth shut and just drinking (what are probably very nice wines) Alex is showing himself to be far smarter than Kevin as far as wine goes.

[ariastar]

You have just hit the problem here. Kevin is not wine TASTING, he is wine DRINKING.

I know. You just mentioned that anything that needs to be spit to get the flavor right isn't worth it, and it made me think of tasting.


You would assume that he had already tasted the wine, found it not to be corked (gone off), and approved the pouring of the rest of the wine.

Spitting wine is fine for tasting. In fact it is recommended - the evaporating alcohol carries the scent of the wine to the nose an intensifies the flavour FOR A TASTING.

I know it's recommended, though it's not my preferred method. When I drink wine, I'm not going to spit and wait for evap. When I do tasting, I want to know what I'm going to be tasting when I actually drink. Right or wrong, it's what I do.


I am guessing he has red wine at room temperature as well - because that is common knowledge right? Wrong. Red wine should be served at CELLAR temperature - approximately 16C (64F). So if you don't have a wine cabinet/cooler, you should always throw red wine in the fridge for 30 min or so before opening to allow it to chill a little (but not as much as white wine).

I'm odd like this - certain things I like at room temp, such as certain wines (merlot, but not shiraz), and cranberry juice. It does give a different flavor. But ports? Must be cool.


As far as wine drinking goes, by keeping his mouth shut and just drinking (what are probably very nice wines) Alex is showing himself to be far smarter than Kevin as far as wine goes.

I disagree to an extent. If someone knows the basics of wines and tasting (which is why I think it's be cool to see the wine guy show viewers how to do this, since the guys do seem to drink more wines lately), then there's not really a right and wrong way to drink it as long as you enjoy it. I never understood how some wines are declared better than others and the palate not refined if someone likes a bottom-wine. What each person likes if different. You may be able to tell the difference between higher-end wines and lower, and still prefer the taste of the lower. Or you may like the different flavor you get by gulping rather than sipping.

I don't know, I just grew up drinking wines at holidays as a child, and was around both those who taught me the "proper" way to taste, and those who just took a large mouthful, and I saw both sides enjoy it equally, even if each took away something different.

So I believe the smart way to drink wine is the way you enjoy it rather than how everyone else says you should.

[vahnx]

I didn't notice any gurgling or spitting.

[tokenuser]

I know it's recommended, though it's not my preferred method. When I drink wine, I'm not going to spit and wait for evap. When I do tasting, I want to know what I'm going to be tasting when I actually drink. Right or wrong, it's what I do.If I enjoyed the wine I was tasting, I will swallow, but when you are tasting a lot of wine, it doesn't take long to get plastered on the samples. Most of the time I am driving, so drinking and driving is a bad combo. Spitting allows you to get the taste, but not consume the alcohol.

Regarding chilling - there is always a preference ... but room temp does not mean 84F in a California kitchen. Some wines are better chilled than others. Merlot I can do warmer, but Shiraz really comes into its own if it is chilled a little cooler.

Dessert wines should also probably be chilled (Muscats, Late Harvest Reislings, Petite SYrah, etc) - but Port? Good port is like good brandy (actually a good port is fortified with good brandy :) ), and should be room temp as well. Heathen.

BTW - I used to live near two extensive wine growing regions. Our favourite group trips where cellar doors tours with accompanying picnic/BBQ.

[ariastar]

If I enjoyed the wine I was tasting, I will swallow, but when you are tasting a lot of wine, it doesn't take long to get plastered on the samples. Most of the time I am driving, so drinking and driving is a bad combo. Spitting allows you to get the taste, but not consume the alcohol.

See, I'm never the driver, so I'm okay getting plastered. :)


Regarding chilling - there is always a preference ... but room temp does not mean 84F in a California kitchen. Some wines are better chilled than others. Merlot I can do warmer, but Shiraz really comes into its own if it is chilled a little cooler.

I keep my place around 64.


Dessert wines should also probably be chilled (Muscats, Late Harvest Reislings, Petite SYrah, etc) - but Port? Good port is like good brandy (actually a good port is fortified with good brandy :) ), and should be room temp as well. Heathen.

Yes, I do like port cooler. :P Brandy I keep in my liquor cabinet and drink as-is.


BTW - I used to live near two extensive wine growing regions. Our favourite group trips where cellar doors tours with accompanying picnic/BBQ.[/QUOTE]

Which ones?

[tokenuser]

Which ones?

In Australia - Melbourne Hills / Dandenongs, Victoria.
Boutique wine country, much like the Washington wines in the US.

In US - Temecula, SoCal.
Big area for Zinfandels. Not a favourite of mine, but other varietals as well.

My mother now lives in Newcastle (NSW, Australia) and is a 30min drive from the Hunter Valley. Lots a great wineries in that area - many of which export to the US. Wyndham Estate is one of the more common ones you might be familiar with. My uncle also has a vineyard in the area ... so thats a great place to crash after going tasting.

We also travelled to the South Australian wine country (Barossa Valley, Adelaide Hills) on vacation. The Coonawarra region (same area) is amazing, and my absolute favourite wines in the world come from that region. Look for a Wynns Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon - make it 5 years or older (they age very well). It will cost you about US$25/bottle, but is ranked as one of the world best wines.

In US, we didn't make it up as high as Sonoma, but did take weekend trips north of LA to SLO and Paso Robles. MUCH better wine than what we found in Temecula.

I also travelled through the wine regions in France (Bordeaux, Champagne), and Germany (Rhine Valley).

BUT NO MATTER HOW FAR, OR HOW WIDE I ROAMMMMMMMM.
I STILL LIKE AUSSIE WINES FROM HOMMMMMMMMMMMMMME.

[masherscf]

The way I see it is that if a wine if only good while 10,000% sober, then it's not going to be very good by the time I'm finished with half a glass.

Math police! Pull-Over!

[tokenuser]

Math police! Pull-Over!
:) kinda like being only a little pregnant.

[masherscf]

:) kinda like being only a little pregnant.

Well, the only way I could think of to get 10-times as sober as usual would be to have someone stomp on my balls. That's pretty sobering.

[therage800]

I can only imagine...

[goku_yugi]

Kevin doesn't need a lot of things but there you are. Its not fun if kevin is not drunk.