<p>JHS,seeing your also a Philly person, have you tried the new to PA wine service run by former PLCB Chairman Jonathan Newman? Free delivery,no sales tax, and decent wines at good prices,very similar to Chairmans selections…WTSO.com</p>
<p>"$20-40 is on the low side for any currently drinkable, high-quality California, French, or Italian reds, but you can get some great Portugese or Spanish wines in that range. (Probably Argentina or Chile as well, but I don’t know the precise labels much.)"</p>
<p>Interesting … Australian and South African reds not on the recommended list. My experience is the same. I can’t find an Australian or South African red I like despite numerous attempts. Are those countries keeping “the good stuff” at home?</p>
<p>Speaking of screw tops, I just realized I wrote “can” instead of “cab” in a previous post but I can assure you I have no canned wine - not yet anyway. </p>
<p>Thanks for the Gewurtz recommendation JHS - will keep a look out for that.</p>
<p>Pleased to say no one has disagreed with you, cartera(post96) that the gift of champagne would not be expected if one was bringing a wine for dinner. I said the same thing back on page 4.
Part of the dispute in this thread is not where champagne might be appropriate, but simply if champagne is wine. Some have argued it is not.</p>
<p>Cartera, I’ve actually seen canned wine at a local upscale grocery. No kidding. It was in small metal cans (Tree Top juice- like cans). :eek: I have no desire to try it for some unexplained reason. :p</p>
<p>Price is relatively meaningless because it really depends on the source. Is $20-40 wholesale, retail, Costco (wholesale plus max 14% or per JS the alcohol is marked up 9%), wine shop price, etc.? For reference, a bottle of Opus One was $90+ at one local Costco, and more than $200 at the winery (I’m not saying that Opus One is a good wine).</p>
<p>Younghoss, here is a tricky question: what does Pasek make? Per your definition, it is not wine, but they say it is.</p>
<p>My definition? Oh my goodness, no.
But since you have asked, I can offer the following examples defining champagne as wine:
barticulate.com -bartender’s guide
Encyclopedia Britannica
merriam-webster dictionary
the free dictionary.com
macmillandictionary.com
oxfordlearnersdictionary.com
and wikipedia</p>
<p>I am not familiar with Pasek- unless you mean Pasek Cellars Winery. If that’s who you mean, I would guess they make, wine? Curious to know though, why the brief definition of champagne(post 46) that I provided has bearing on a Pasek product? Not being sure about Pasek, I’m not sure I understand your question.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Wow. Remind me never to have the temerity to bring wine to YOUR house, JHS! 
Your are clearly a real oenophile. I, alas, am merely a sot. (Staggering off to kitchen to open another bottle of Two Buck Chuck… 
)</p>
<p>Folks, I like California wines, don’t get me wrong. It’s just that it seems that no one ever seems to recommend European wines–especially non-varietals-- these days, so it might be a little more off the beaten path to consider something like an Italian red. Or Spain or Portugal. (Unless, as I said, you have knowledge of the more interesting California wineries, and access to their products.)</p>
<p>Anyone know what the case price is on Night Train Express? It just kills me to pay $3.90 for a bottle of wine. Any chance I can get this under three bucks if I order a case or two?</p>
<p>I think Boones Farm will get you to your price point. ;)</p>
<p>I’m concerned that Boone’s Farm products might upset my tasting senses, which are accustomed to higher-end products like Night Train and Thunderbird!</p>
<p>If you get Night Train in the pint, you’ll have some leftover cash to get yourself 2 cheeseburgers from White Castle</p>
<p>Ok, so I went to two stores with my carefully compiled list from you folks and was appalled at what they offered as “high end.” So I went to the third store and asked the guy, who immediately asked me some of the questions you did: what does the person want? what’s your price range? etc etc</p>
<p>I went with Pinot Noir, based on a prechampagne controversy consensus, and he recommended two from Oregon’s Willamette Valley, one whose name escapes me at the moment and one from 90+, which apparently relabels awared winning wines under their own label but you don’t know where they are from. Price is equivalent for both.</p>
<p>He was pushing the 90+ as a good value good wine. It has a screw top, which even I know is not impressive…</p>
<p>So, valued oenophiles, which one should I get?</p>
<p>Skip the screw cap</p>
<p>There is nothing wrong with screw cap. It is tighter, less air. Many high end white wines have screw cap now.</p>
<p>Screw caps are fine for wines that are for current consumption…They are not so good for wines,particularly red, that are stored for future consumption…</p>
<p>stradmom - Perhaps this will help you decide.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.northwest-wine.com/Oregon-Pinot-Noir.html?gclid=CL7d3fynq60CFYFx4AodPS8dsg[/url]”>http://www.northwest-wine.com/Oregon-Pinot-Noir.html?gclid=CL7d3fynq60CFYFx4AodPS8dsg</a></p>
<p>Yay to Oregon Pinots! Many of them are not designed to be aged. They are supposed to be enjoyed sooner rather than later, so screw cap is perfectly fine. This description of the fabulous 2010 Pinot says, “Enjoy now though 2014”:</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.wvv.com/products/core/#2[/url]”>http://www.wvv.com/products/core/#2</a></p>
<p>BTW, Willamette Valley Vineyards makes stellar Pinot Noirs. If you want a different Pinot, try their Whole Cluster. The 2009 (I think) we had the other day was is very rich and smooth. So sad that WVV’s head Winemaker passed away :(</p>
<p>Many Oregon wineries are going with screw caps and synthetic corks. Natural cork is expensive! And, of course, you don’t have to risk the wine getting corked, and if you’ve ever had corked wine, that’s a very good thing. [Cork</a> taint - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia](<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cork_taint]Cork”>Cork taint - Wikipedia)</p>
<p>If you’ve NEVER had corked wine, that’s also a very good thing!</p>