Am I a wino?

[Goldstone1976]

My comment here is that a massive percentage of the finest white wines in the world are made with Chardonnay.

Well, it's so subjective, isn't it? What Parker likes, Broadbent hates, with Robinson somewhere in the middle. As a variety, I prefer Riesling (Wachau, Kamptal, Mosel and Alsation) to Chardonnay. Sure there are some stunning Chardonnays, but if I'm ever asked for advice by a novice of what to choose off a wine list in a restaurant if he wants to impress his date (and drink something half decent) I almost always steer them to a dry(ish) Riesling over a Chardonnay - it's less likely to be really bad, in my experience.

I'm not sure that I agree that a massive proportion of the finest white wines are Chardonnay, but certainly a decent proportion.

 

[SIMMO SAYS]

New Zealands Sauvignon Blanc for me, the drier the better----a bottle a night is often not enough

 

[Gullys Cats]

I love the stuff, red, white, rose, fizzy, merlot, champagne, cava, shiraz, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Noir, Blue Nun, cheap, expensive (>£5).
Chardonnay, however, I find tastes like cat's piss.
I possibly even prefer wine to beer.
I almost cannot eat a meal without a glass of the grapey stuff.
Does this make me a wino?

yes

 

[Goldstone1976]

New Zealands Sauvignon Blanc for me, the drier the better----a bottle a night is often not enough

Oh, I really like SB too. The point I was responding to was that Chardonnay is the variety in most of the world's best white wines. I think there's a decent case to be made for Riesling for that honour. There are some excellent kiwi Sauvignons, but it would be tough to say that SB as a variety made a lot of genuinely profound wines - they're made for early drinking (unless blended with Semillon in Bordeaux sweet wine - Sauternes as an example) whereas both Chardonnay and Riesling can, if vinified correctly, improve for two, three, or even more decades. I'm still drinking some 71 and 76 Rieslings from Alsace, though the VTs and SGNs are now lasting better than those with less residual sugar.

 

[Hillian1]

A Woman drove me to drink
I never thought to thank her.

 

[SIMMO SAYS]

Oh, I really like SB too. The point I was responding to was that Chardonnay is the variety in most of the world's best white wines. I think there's a decent case to be made for Riesling for that honour. There are some excellent kiwi Sauvignons, but it would be tough to say that SB as a variety made a lot of genuinely profound wines - they're made for early drinking (unless blended with Semillon in Bordeaux sweet wine - Sauternes as an example) whereas both Chardonnay and Riesling can, if vinified correctly, improve for two, three, or even more decades. I'm still drinking some 71 and 76 Rieslings from Alsace, though the VTs and SGNs are now lasting better than those with less residual sugar.

My early drinking starts about 4pm

 

[Goldstone1976]

My early drinking starts about 4pm

 

[Icy Gull]

You can't beat a good Chablis IMO. Unfortunately the French tend to keep the best for themselves and you have to pay serious money to get a really good quality one in the UK in my experience.

An average Chablis is always a disappointment, and I have been disappointed on far too many occasions.

 

[Footsoldier]

I drink a bottle of red a night. BLOSSOM HILL - Cabernet Sauvignon. Very nice indeed.