Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Is Your Wine Buying Out of Whack?

I drink more white wine than red. I eat more fish than meat, more Asian cuisine than any other kind, and while I know it's perfectly fine to drink red wine with fish, I don't like the combination. And boy do we eat a lot of chicken. (picture of a wine store in Paris, taken this summer by yours truly)

Not surprisingly (given the chicken) I have a fair amount of Pinot Noir, Syrah, and red Rhone blends in the house--all of which I think taste great with bird.

But I've been organizing my wine, and I'm struck by how much Cabernet and Bordeaux blends I have. And when I get emails, I am always tempted to buy more. It's like a sickness. And I wonder why, because some of my favorite whites (Riesling, Chenin Blanc) age well.

Do your wine buying habits reflect your drinking habits? It's easy for your wine buying to get out of whack. The offers come to your mail box, you see a wine on the shelves and sometimes you don't stop to think "do I need this wine, or do I already have 27 bottles just like it--with no plans to drink them anytime soon?"

When was the last time you took stock of what you enjoy drinking, what you buy, and what you have on hand in your cellar? And do you have any tips to share on keeping your wine buying in line with your wine drinking?

8 comments:

The Wine Barbarian said...

"I eat more fish than meat"

Just an FYI: Both fish, and YOU are "meat."

My eating habits are best not discussed in pleasant company.

As for my buying habits, they can be summarized in two words: Cheap & Red.

kevin said...

a few years back, i was buying a lot of wine...about 50% to lay down and the rest to drink. as i my job became more intense, i had less time to buy, so i starting drinking my "gems." and now and i have investment wines in storage. i drink what i buy. also, i buy by the case, and i have a targeted per bottle price.

Don said...

Spot on Deb - I've been going through exactly the same thought process. Our general preference has moved (fairly dramatically) toward white and our red preferences lean toward Pinot Noir and Syrah. Yet, I have a significant store of Cab, Bordeaux, and Brunello in storage.
I'm really having to fight the urge to continue purchasing even though it's unlikely I'll be able to drink my inventory in my lifetime.
I seriously need a 12 step program or something - maybe I can set up an email filter to trash those wine/winery offer before I see them!
.... DRHamp

Dave said...

I drink mostly Pinot Noir and Zinfandel. My taste in white wines (Chablis, White Burgundies) does not allow me to drink nearly as much as I'd like to.

Wine of Month Club said...

If anything I forget to try a range of white wines and I can certainly have red wine with a good piece of BBQ chicken or pork. Interesting points, that is certainty a nice photo.

cgomezmoreno said...

Spot on! I have exactly the same problem!

I don't know of a good way around it. I have decided to stop buying lately, but then the offers come in and it's tough to ignore them.

It's like an obsession!

Jack Everitt said...

Actually, I think it's normal for it to be out-of-whack. You tend to buy wines you're offered or see, which is not in the same percentages of what you're low on. So it's never really in-sync.

Except for those who drink narrowly, likely those who consume mostly Bordeaux reds.

Unknown said...

I have to laugh at the last comment. Red Bordeaux is the wine I often buy and never drink. My cooking just doesn't mesh with Bordeaux wines, so they languish in the rack.

Hopefully, they're aging gracefully.