How much wine?!?!?!?

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How much wine?!?!?!? - 7/25/2008 4:46:47 AM

pjaines

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How much wine do people here tend to drink during an average week?

Last weekend I went to a wine merchant in London and bought 12 bottles for short-term (immediate) drinking (BBQ etc). I was shocked to find that the wine gods had broken into my house and stolen 9 of the 12 bottles. Either that, or that they have been drunk over the last 7 days by my wife and myself. Jeez - I was thinking maybe that was a bit excessive. We had some friends round, but 9 bottles!!! Is that bad? Tell me its not bad, please.

That doesn't include the 3 bottles of wine I had with Wrighty when I met him in a restaurant when he came over to the UK this week.

I'm thinking I might need to ease off a bit. But its just so hard - a glass when you are cooking, a glass when you are eating, a glass for breakfast, a glass while you clean your teeth ......

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RE: How much wine?!?!?!? - 7/25/2008 5:20:56 AM

Serge Birbrair

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Paul, between my better half and me, 1 bottle a day on a normal day,
some more during dinners with friends,
2 bottles a day during some weekends / vacations

2007 total: 432 (107, 106, 106, 112 on per quarter basis)

2006 - 84 bottles per quarter

2008 - Q1:92, Q1:111
and those are only OUR bottles
:)

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RE: How much wine?!?!?!? - 7/25/2008 5:28:01 AM

Maestro

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There are three concerns related to the amount of wine one consumes, namely:

*) Burden of alcohol on the body (liver, breast cancer, etc).
*) Burden of wine on the wallet (not health-related, but a serious issue)
*) Onset of alcoholism (loss of control over one's ability to drink safely and in moderation)

As for the burden on the wallet, see my comments here.

As for the onset of alcoholism, I am not an expert, but I don't know anyone with a serious alcohol issue (drinking in the mornings, being constantly drunk, losing jobs, etc) who is focused on wine alone. Many say these people exist, and I can't dispute it, but they are not all over the map. On the other hand I know many people who struggle with alcoholism, but it seems to me that spirits and beer have been the foundation of it, and wine gets thrown into it as just an element of the problem. Nevertheless, if one starts getting the feeling that the drinking is overpowering them (e.g., must drink in the mornings, can't go a day without wine, showing up drunk to work, etc) one ought to look for help.

(I have been told to stay off wine for two weeks by my doctor for some unrelated medical reason -- and that started on Monday this week. Today is Friday and I am just fine. No uncontrollable desires, no bad feelings, no cold turkey, no nothing.)

As for the burden on the body (liver, breast cancer, etc.) I cannot comment. Again, if you stay away from beer and spirits, I can point at many many people here in Southern Italy who are 80+ and 90+ years-old, and who have had wine with their meals for about 80% of their days as adults. But the moment you add beer and spirits to the mix, you are on your own. Go talk to your doctor.

But these are just $0.02. I am not a doctor. CGRIMES should be the one to comment.

< Message edited by Maestro -- 7/25/2008 5:31:39 AM >

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RE: How much wine?!?!?!? - 7/25/2008 5:35:51 AM

pjaines

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I would just like to point out that I dont really drink wine for breakfast! That was a joke. I do actually have completely dry weeks now and then as well.

I think the subject is quite a serious one actually. My wife and myself usually drink wine with our evening meal probably 3 times during the week and then at the weekends tend to drink more. There is a big drive in the UK to get people to cut back on drinking and they have really focussed on the 'middle-class' wine drinker. I guess we can dress it up as being wine lovers but I guess a lot of us are actually chucking a lot of booze down our necks.

For me there is a difference between drinking with food (the French way) and drinking wine on its own without any food (the English are particularly bad at this). Although I guess a doctor would still say that all alcohol is bad for the liver.

< Message edited by pjaines -- 7/25/2008 5:39:25 AM >

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RE: How much wine?!?!?!? - 7/25/2008 6:01:11 AM

Maestro

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quote:

ORIGINAL: pjaines

I would just like to point out that I dont really drink wine for breakfast! That was a joke.

I know, I got that...

quote:

ORIGINAL: pjaines

For me there is a difference between drinking with food (the French way) ...

Why do only the French get the credit for that habit?

It is the norm in Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, and Croatia (that I know of)...

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RE: How much wine?!?!?!? - 7/25/2008 6:07:17 AM

pjaines

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Maestro, fair point on the other countries. I just chose France and England because my wife is French as she is amazed at how the English drink. We English think nothing of leaving work and starting drinking bottles of wine without food before staggering home at midnight with only a packet of peanuts in our stomach. We are not a nation known for our moderation and restraint when it comes to drinking.

From my experience of living on the continent it is almost unheard of to walk into a bar and just drink a bottle of wine. They almost always serve "tapas" style food even in the most basic French wine bars.

< Message edited by pjaines -- 7/25/2008 6:09:18 AM >

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RE: How much wine?!?!?!? - 7/25/2008 6:36:49 AM

Maestro

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quote:

ORIGINAL: pjaines

Maestro, fair point on the other countries. I just chose France and England because my wife is French as she is amazed at how the English drink. We English think nothing of leaving work and starting drinking bottles of wine without food before staggering home at midnight with only a packet of peanuts in our stomach. We are not a nation known for our moderation and restraint when it comes to drinking.

From my experience of living on the continent it is almost unheard of to walk into a bar and just drink a bottle of wine. They almost always serve "tapas" style food even in the most basic French wine bars.

I can't conceive of wine without food, apart from some rare moments of "meditation" (usually in the winter, and usually with an old bottle of Amarone in front of the fireplace).

You will see that for the virtual taste event I already put together a list of what we will be cooking to pair the wines with.

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RE: How much wine?!?!?!? - 7/25/2008 6:44:39 AM

pjaines

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Maestro, that is some damned fine dining you have suggested for the wines.

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RE: How much wine?!?!?!? - 7/25/2008 6:57:24 AM

J2K

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I'm glad you brought this up because I think about it often myself.
As far as the drinking goes, I try to space it out and only drink one bottle during the week, usually Wednesday and then have a few bottles during the weekend. Of course that doesn't always work. It seems like after all my reservations during the week, the dam breaks on the weekend. Especially if we have friends over.
The other issue is food. Now whenever me or my wife are cooking I immediatly think of which wine will go with the food and it sounds so good I have to open a bottle.
This past Wednesday I golfed and had quite a few beers then came home and had a glass of wine. So naturally I would want to take a few days off drinking. But Thursday I am cooking scallops and asparagus and all I can think of is "which wine should I open with this meal"?
When it comes to wine, I don't see it as an alcohol dependency, it just tastes so good!!!

Here are my stats over the last year and a half;
2007 - 164 bottles avg $15
2008- 86 bottles so far avg $19

As for the wallet....that's another story.

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RE: How much wine?!?!?!? - 7/25/2008 7:00:09 AM

J2K

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Check out Dave Attell's opinion on wine drinkers who think they have a problem. I think it's funny!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsOf6aegq1I

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RE: How much wine?!?!?!? - 7/25/2008 7:02:01 AM

Maestro

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quote:

ORIGINAL: pjaines

Maestro, that is some damned fine dining you have suggested for the wines.

Thanks... Just another day in Italy.

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RE: How much wine?!?!?!? - 7/25/2008 7:04:54 AM

Maestro

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quote:

ORIGINAL: J2K

Check out Dave Attell's opinion on wine drinkers who think they have a problem. I think it's funny!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsOf6aegq1I

Either I just discovered I am gay, or maybe it means nothing to me, since I don't think I have a wine problem...

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RE: How much wine?!?!?!? - 7/25/2008 7:11:16 AM

smahk

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I drink wine everyday with dinner. My better half drinks wine with dinner usually as well. On weekends, with friends - we'll open more bottles - soemthing with the appetizers, then with dinner and finally with dessert. So that puts us at about 7 to 10 bottles a week.

Our wine consumption has exponentialy increased with the addition of the wine cellar.

Each morning I peruse the TN. It takes a lot of self control NOT to open bottles in the AM after reading some of the mouth watering comments.

J2K - loved the clip - I feel totally vindicated!

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RE: How much wine?!?!?!? - 7/25/2008 7:14:08 AM

smahk

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Truffle risotto is my all time favorite - Black or white? I was in Milan last fall and had the most amazing black truffle risotto - and then had the white truffle risotto at a very small bistro in Rome. I am still dreaming of that dish.....

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RE: How much wine?!?!?!? - 7/25/2008 7:15:55 AM

GalvezGuy

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4-5 bottles per week is my normal consumption. My other half does not drink wine at all. If I am entertaining there will be 10-12 bottles opened that night. I also give away 5-8 bottles a month depending birthdays, etc.

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RE: How much wine?!?!?!? - 7/25/2008 7:16:27 AM

Maestro

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And since I never answered your original question...

Ballpark figure for our wine consumption (me and the wife) is about 250 bottles a year. That's 0.68 bottles a day. As I drink about 2/3 of each bottle, that puts me at an average of 2.73 glasses a day (unevenly distributed between weekdays and weekends).

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RE: How much wine?!?!?!? - 7/25/2008 7:17:41 AM

Maestro

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quote:

ORIGINAL: smahk

Truffle risotto is my all time favorite - Black or white? I was in Milan last fall and had the most amazing black truffle risotto - and then had the white truffle risotto at a very small bistro in Rome. I am still dreaming of that dish.....

Either way would work but I am thinking that it will be Black Truffle Risotto.

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RE: How much wine?!?!?!? - 7/25/2008 9:31:31 AM

duck833

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I follow the general rule is that wine is like woman's breasts. One is not enough, two is just right and three is too many.

So I limit myself to two glasses two or three days a week. Some weeks no wine, some weeks a little more depending on functions, dinners out and if I am tasting in Dundee.

< Message edited by duck833 -- 7/25/2008 9:32:09 AM >

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RE: How much wine?!?!?!? - 7/25/2008 10:26:15 AM

Argentina Expat

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How much wine is too much. I have been enjoying wine for a number of years. I try to just drink about a half of a bottle with dinner each night. So that would be 3 to 4 bottle a week. If with friends maybe on the weekend another bottle. A interesting fact is the anti oxident that help your heart, disappears after one hour when the wine is open. This was pointed out to me by a Wine Maker so if you need this benefit drink your wine with in one hour no breath of the Wine. So my average cost is about $7.00 to $10.00 a bottle. I live in Argentina a every day type of bottle of wine here is 20 to 30 pesos. So my cost here is $21 to $30 US a week. Also I do collect some great bottles and they are between $75 to $140 US a bottle. I just bring thoses out for the special party or holidays. There are some great wines here in Argentina.

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RE: How much wine?!?!?!? - 7/25/2008 10:32:46 AM

Serge Birbrair

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Argentina Expat

A interesting fact is the anti oxident that help your heart, disappears after one hour when the wine is open. This was pointed out to me by a Wine Maker so if you need this benefit drink your wine with in one hour no breath of the Wine.

Can you enlighten us how exactly does it happen and please point us to the scientific studies confirming this wild theory. Without the proof, I believe this "fact" as much as I belived that masturbation causes extensive hair growth between the fingers.
:)

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RE: How much wine?!?!?!? - 7/25/2008 12:14:03 PM

fingers

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Serge Birbrair

I belived that masturbation causes extensive hair growth between the fingers.
:)

dammit, Serge, are you outing me again?

I don't believe the claim either. Anti-oxidant doesn't mean it's oxygen-soluable. It would have no effect on resveratrol levels.

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RE: How much wine?!?!?!? - 7/25/2008 1:10:18 PM

pault

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Right now I'm good for 3-5 bottles a week, mostly what I call PNP easy drinking with meals, Col crest melots, and the like, shiraz, cabs, red zins , chianti and bordeaux, not many whites , all in the low price but good reviews area. Adding better wines to cellar and trying differant stuff, which adds to consumption. Wife doesnt drink wine so it me , and me , :) finishing a bottle once its opened.

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RE: How much wine?!?!?!? - 7/25/2008 1:51:24 PM

jhannah27

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quote:

ORIGINAL: fingers

quote:

ORIGINAL: Serge Birbrair

I belived that masturbation causes extensive hair growth between the fingers.
:)

dammit, Serge, are you outing me again?

I don't believe the claim either. Anti-oxidant doesn't mean it's oxygen-soluable. It would have no effect on resveratrol levels.

I think the "winemaker" he was referring to was just trying to get him to drink more wine. Nice marketing ploy...

"Drink up quick, or you'll die of a massive coronary any minute!"

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RE: How much wine?!?!?!? - 7/25/2008 2:02:54 PM

mbannon

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I have at least 2 alcoholic beverages (usually wine, but not always) pretty much every single day. 3 is not uncommon and 4 happens occasionally, but I always berate myself for that unless it was a festive occasion. So that works out to about a bottle of wine every 2 days. My wife has about 1 drink per day, with much more variation as to the type of liquor.

Do I have a problem? Probably a little bit. As soon as I am "done for the day" and know I don't have to drive or think anymore, the first thing I'm doing is having a drink. But I'm not super concerned, and I often schedule evening workouts in order to avoid hitting the bottle too early or an early morning workout so I know I can't stay up very late. That helps a lot. I never think about alcohol at inappropriate times (at work, for example), but can't resist its call at other times (camping!).

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RE: How much wine?!?!?!? - 7/25/2008 2:21:54 PM

jhannah27

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quote:

ORIGINAL: mbannon

I have at least 2 alcoholic beverages (usually wine, but not always) pretty much every single day. 3 is not uncommon and 4 happens occasionally, but I always berate myself for that unless it was a festive occasion. So that works out to about a bottle of wine every 2 days. My wife has about 1 drink per day, with much more variation as to the type of liquor.

Do I have a problem? Probably a little bit. As soon as I am "done for the day" and know I don't have to drive or think anymore, the first thing I'm doing is having a drink. But I'm not super concerned, and I often schedule evening workouts in order to avoid hitting the bottle too early or an early morning workout so I know I can't stay up very late. That helps a lot. I never think about alcohol at inappropriate times (at work, for example), but can't resist its call at other times (camping!).

I feel like this stigma of "feeling guilty" about having a drink or two, whatever it may be, is an American thing. As mentioned here before, look at most of Europe, it wouldn't be dinner without wine.

So why is it then that we are all here confessing our sins, so to speak, trying to justify to ourselves that our enjoyment of wine is not really a problem? Even Jesus transformed water into wine, so how can it be sinful?

I say, as long as I am a fine, upstanding members of society, then who's business is it whether I drink 1 or 5 bottles of wine a day?

That's my thoughts anyway...sorry for the rant.

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RE: How much wine?!?!?!? - 7/25/2008 3:33:58 PM

Serge Birbrair

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quote:

ORIGINAL: jhannah27

I feel like this stigma of "feeling guilty" about having a drink or two, whatever it may be, is an American thing.

Yeah, I noticed that lots of folks in this country are concerned about the wrong things.

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RE: How much wine?!?!?!? - 7/25/2008 4:14:48 PM

Hollowine

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Am new to the forum, but this thread caught my eye. Am curious if anyone else is in my situation; I like to have a glass (sometimes two) of wine every night, but my wife drinks far less (one glass per week usually). I get the "eye" every now and again which means "your opening another bottle?" where she seems to think I am drinking too frequently (not too much, just every night). But to me, it is a part of my enjoyment, and considering the cellar is approaching 700 bottles, I either need to start throwing some grand parties or just try to ignore "the eye".

Anyone else have a spouse that doesn't really enjoy the hobby as much as you do?

Cheers!

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RE: How much wine?!?!?!? - 7/25/2008 4:27:47 PM

Maestro

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Hollowine

Am new to the forum, but this thread caught my eye. Am curious if anyone else is in my situation; I like to have a glass (sometimes two) of wine every night, but my wife drinks far less (one glass per week usually). I get the "eye" every now and again which means "your opening another bottle?" where she seems to think I am drinking too frequently (not too much, just every night). But to me, it is a part of my enjoyment, and considering the cellar is approaching 700 bottles, I either need to start throwing some grand parties or just try to ignore "the eye".

Anyone else have a spouse that doesn't really enjoy the hobby as much as you do?

Cheers!

Oh my wife enjoys the drinking. It is the buying that gets "the eye" in my house.

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RE: How much wine?!?!?!? - 7/25/2008 4:33:02 PM

jhannah27

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I am ashamed to say that I used to be that "stink-eyed" spouse before I really fell in love with wine. But before Serge revokes my board privileges...In my defense she was drinking $2 Chuck most nights. So that's not wine appreciation, that's just looking for a buzz. Since then, I have grown in my knowledge and appreciation of wine and she has slowly come to appreciate the better stuff as well, and now we enjoy a bottle (or 2) together.

Having a 700 bottle cellar, I am guessing quality or exposure to a range of wines is your issue here. I'm just sharing what brought us together on this issue.

< Message edited by jhannah27 -- 7/25/2008 4:34:31 PM >

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RE: How much wine?!?!?!? - 7/25/2008 4:42:27 PM

Hollowine

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To Maestro's point, I luckily solved that issue by letting her manage our mailing list allocations, one or two primo finds she signed up for on her own. She has a nice OCD trait where as soon as the email from certain wineries hits her inbox, she just orders our full allocation. I get the "Buyers Remorse Eye" when I'm caught sneaking in bottles to the house from my frequent business trips, something less common now that the airlines prohibit liquor from being carried on board...Thanks Terrorist A-holes!

We have been beyond the Two Buck chuck for some time, average is $20/btl now. What seems to be working is her palate leans toward Grenache so I'm trying to bring more Rhone, Rhone Ranger, and Aussie GSM's to the table. But alas, I often have to "take one for the team" and finish them off the second night.

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