Wine Whine 4 Winos

[HoneyB]

I wanted to ask about, and vent (aka whine) about wine in Playa in general. So as not to co-opt the other thread about bebidas (wine) para los adultos, I started a new one.

My experience with wine in Playa and other localities in the Yucatan has not been good (whine). Wine ordered at restaurants (by the glass or bottle) has been both indifferent in quality and pricey to boot (whine, whine). Drinkable and yet forgettable AND cheap is one thing. Drinkable and forgettable and expensive makes a wine that should have been drinkable and forgettable memorable in a bad way (whine). My impression is that mixed drinks are the safest bet. I like a good cold beer, but I'm particular about beer, too. I don't want a beer that resembles "making love in a canoe."

I have also bought bottles of wine at Wally World and Mega and lived to regret it (whiney music here). Brands I know and buy and drink (my dependable Australian standbys) as well as labels I've never seen, have been indifferent at best but mostly undrinkable (I suspect it's due to heat exposure). Red and white wines both have been disappointing. Lack of red and white leaves B distinctly blue!

When I think about it, I wonder how there can be ANY good wine down there. If the trucks are unrefrigerated, the wines are probably cooked between the port and the retailer. If they aren't cooked when they reach the retailer, if they sit on the loading dock for 30 minutes before entering the aire acondicionado, they're going to degrade. If they are being stored in a back room without AC, never mind, they're ruined.

So how do you get a good glass (or bottle) of wine? Don't tell me to go to a wine bar; I'm not going to spend $12 for a glass of wine. Should I stick with a mixed drink or the beer like "making love in a canoe?"

Beatrice, aka Abejita

PS - I think I got it all fixed but Sr. don Gato ran across the keyboard as I was typing.

[SUNBABY]

I would have to agree with you about the wine...but then again..I never could stand the taste of any wine....cheap or expensive.

[Tony&Cheri]

Wine is an aquired taste, and the taste aquired often depends on where you aquired it. If you like the big heavy reds or the dry, dry whites of California, it may take a while to appreciate the flavor of central and South American wines.

Both Argentina and Chile have really excellent vintages in moderate price ranges ($15-20 USD) They tend to be thinner, fruitier and more immediately drinkable that their American or European counterparts...but still good wine. Similarly the whites tend to be sweeter than northern wines.

Adjust your attitude and palate. Think of it as an adventure, not a comparrison and you may find some real treasures down here.

Go to Winery and Plus on Calle 8th across from the Walmart parking lot, or their new store at 10th Avenue and Calle 30th (right around the corner from the Luna Blue ) for a large selection of South American, European and American wines.

And as for restaurants and bars..it's just that there isn't that great a demand for wines down here. People on vacation in Mexico want margaritas and mojitos. It's all about the ambience.

Finally, don't think of it as making love in a canoe...think of it as making love in a hammock...much more regionally acceptable.

Papa T

[Babaloo]

i'm not sure if i understand the seemingly derogatory comment about "making love in a canoe"
I don't find it to be a bad thing at all - just a high risk of getting wet

Oh...and try the Boone's Farm Tropical...always on sale at Sam's.

[HoneyB]

Originally Posted by Tony&Cheri

Finally, don't think of it as making love in a canoe...think of it as making love in a hammock...much more regionally acceptable.

Papa T

doesn't work as a analogy to drinking bad beer - although I guess that air mostly has less flavor than water (if you are lucky).

I'm not looking for a particular style of winemaking just a wine that has not been cooked before I get to drink it. Different grapes demand different treatment in different places to make a drinkable wine. Different places practice a different taste aesthetic. The chardonnays of the US only resemble the white burgundies of France in that they are made with the same grape. A wine based on the chardonnay grape from South America will reflect both the soil and climate of the region and the taste of the vintner, and be different from US chardonnays and French white burgundies.

I do appreciate that in the heat, lighter wines are more refreshing - I live in Florida. Different is good. Mishandled is bad. It's encouraging to hear that drinkable wine is available. Maybe I just haven't found the right places to go?

B

[HoneyB]

Originally Posted by Babaloo

i'm not sure if i understand the seemingly derogatory comment about "making love in a canoe"
I don't find it to be a bad thing at all - just a high risk of getting wet

Oh...and try the Boone's Farm Tropical...always on sale at Sam's.

as long as you realize that you're f'n close to water.

Y'know, wine doesn't have to be expensive to be good.

But the Mad Dog 2020 trumps Boones Farm any day . . .

[Babaloo]

Originally Posted by HoneyB

as long as you realize that you're f'n close to water.

Y'know, wine doesn't have to be expensive to be good.

But the Mad Dog 2020 trumps Boones Farm any day . . .

oh no....you obviously have never had the Boone's Farm Tropical...

[Dan-0]

My wife, who's really not that much of a wine drinker, likes a Chilean wine called "Casillero del Diablo". I like it too, but I'm not much of a wine drinker either. I've noticed that Chedraui seems to have a decent wine selection at good prices. Chiliean wines get good reviews, as well as a lot of Spanish ones.

As far as producing wine and getting it to market, I suspect that almost all of it is imported either from a foreign country or another part of Mexico. Drinking wine is not a part of the culture in Mexico, and probably even less so in the Yucatan. At my brother-in-law's very elegant Mexican wedding a few years ago, we toasted the happy couple with... Boone's Farm!

I recall reading about a wine shop in Playa that gives free samples. All the wineries in the vicinity of our home in the U.S. do so. So, hopefully, you'll find a place to sample some wines or you'll find something at Chedraui.

Have you finished those cabinets yet? Better get to it, girl!

[Cosmo]

We like the Santa Carolina fron Chile, about $10 US in the shops on Cinco...

[HoneyB]

Originally Posted by Babaloo

oh no....you obviously have never had the Boone's Farm Tropical...

Stawberry Hill is the crowning glory of Boones Farm, IMO. And then there is Sierra Mist. . .

[HoneyB]

Originally Posted by Dan-0

My wife, who's really not that much of a wine drinker, likes a Chilean wine called "Casillero del Diablo". I like it too, but I'm not much of a wine drinker either. I've noticed that Chedraui seems to have a decent wine selection at good prices. Chiliean wines get good reviews, as well as a lot of Spanish ones.

As far as producing wine and getting it to market, I suspect that almost all of it is imported either from a foreign country or another part of Mexico. Drinking wine is not a part of the culture in Mexico, and probably even less so in the Yucatan. At my brother-in-law's very elegant Mexican wedding a few years ago, we toasted the happy couple with... Boone's Farm!

I seem to have recalled reading about a wine shop in Playa that gives free samples. All the wineries in the vicinity of our home in the U.S. do so. So, hopefully, you'll find a place to sample some wines or you'll find something at Chedraui.

Have you finished those cabinets yet? Better get to it, girl!

I've had that Chilean - tasty!

Yeah, I figure that it's got to be a transportation/storage issue. I haven't looked at other similar delicate perishables (apricots or peaches maybe) but I'm sure the issues are the same. Finding adequate selection hasn't been a problem - there seems to be plenty there to choose from, but quality has been worse than hit-and-miss (not quality of type or vintner, quality issues post-production - heat exposure).

The upper cabinets have been hung and have doors on them, so they are crammed with stuff that was in closets or in bags on the floor. The first corner cabinet has been placed on the floor. I'm glad that beast wasn't a wall cabinet - it weighs 80 lbs! Today it's raining and overcast so my husband is going to work on ducting for the range vent in the attic, so there won't be any more cabinet progress. I'm working on gathering tools and materials together in some semblance of order and and attacking the film of drywall dust that coats my word. Too much fun eh?

B

[HoneyB]

Originally Posted by Cosmo

We like the Santa Carolina fron Chile, about $10 US in the shops on Cinco...

another good Chilean. I hadn't thought about it but the shops on cinco probably turn relatively high volume on the stock. That can be helpful for quality preservation.

Thanks for the tip.

B

[banzoomba]

I remember when we stayed at Barcello......the buffet had self serve Wine on tap......I don't mind cheap wine.....but this was undrinkable

then we had dinner at their Spanish resturant.....beside Monica being freaked out by the shrimp with their heads still on ....the dinner was good.....they had a house red and white, we each ordered a glass of the red....the waiter came to the table to pour our glasses.....the bottle was full but had no cork and the bottle had no label....and after we took a sip we soon found out.....it was the same stuff from the tap

its funny because I have to taste and deal with wine every day.....as much as I love it......I kinda take a vacation from wine in Mexico.....unless we are out for a fancy dinner like steak at Chicago Don's

[HoneyB]

Originally Posted by banzoomba

its funny because I have to taste and deal with wine every day.....as much as I love it......I kinda take a vaction from wine in Mexico.....unless we are out for a fancy dinner like steak at Chicago Don's

It seems safer overall. What do you do that makes you have to taste wine every day? It sounds interesting!

B

[Bumper]

Many of the higher end restaurants in Playa have quite good wine lists. Chicago don Jose, for instance has some real treasures. For every day drinkin' plonk though, we've had reasonable luck with Chilean offerings from any number of stores in Playa, including Wally World. The Chilean stuff has improved dramatically in the last few years, and much of it is really very drinkable. Some of the more recent entries from Argentina are very good as well, especially the malbecs.

[Tony&Cheri]

Originally Posted by Bumper

Many of the higher end restaurants in Playa have quite good wine lists. Chicago don Jose, for instance has some real treasures. For every day drinkin' plonk though, we've had reasonable luck with Chilean offerings from any number of stores in Playa, including Wally World. The Chilean stuff has improved dramatically in the last few years, and much of it is really very drinkable. Some of the more recent entries from Argentina are very good as well, especially the malbecs.

Agreed. CDJ has a nice wine list and even includes some California wines (pricey but good). And the higher grade/price malbecs are IMHO coming close to some Napa Valley reds.

I notice no one has commented on the practice in Playa (Mexico?) of serving reds slightly chilled. I have a good friend who is a self-admitted wine snob who was horrified the first time I took a bottle of red wine out of the refrigerator down here, but eventually came to appreciate it in the 90 degree summer heat.

Papa T