I wanted to title this, I like my wines like I like my women; ready to pass out. But she who must be obeyed suggested that she might be seeking consultation from her attorney (who happens to be her father) so you have the General Audiences title above.
One of the great things about living here is that there are so many good wines at good prices. These are not epic wines, but perfectly servicable wines. Most restaurants offer wines by the glass or the pichet (2-3 glasses in a carafe) and generally they are perfectly acceptable for five or six euro. Better still, you can order a very nice bottle in almost any restaurant for less than 20 euros. At that price, it is pretty easy to order a bottle with dinner and not think about it too much. Contrast this with most restaurants in the US. In the US you feel like a complete cheapskate if you do not order an expensive wine. Most restaurants wont even have bottles under $30 or if they do, it is the white zinfandel. I think American vintners could really take a lesson here. If the US will ever become a wine culture, then you need to make it more accessible. I do not want to break the bank every time I head out to a restaurant.
There may be a reason for this however. I am convinced that all the crap French wines go to America. They have had it in for us since Chateau Montelena took home the goods in a blind tasting back in 1976. Still, I can go to my local grocery store and pick up a Gigondas for 6 euro that is better than 90% of the ones I would get in Maryland for four times that. There has to be a reason. Perhaps they figure that because we will eat compressed chicken parts and cheese food product that we wont know the difference. And they are probably right.
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