Another pointless thread

Its an arms-race between wine-makers sadly, mostly driven by mass-market american & australian tastes (which says it all, really...).

The higher the alcohol content, the better it "tastes" to the average consumer at first glance. It also makes them ridiculously heavy, they don't mature over time, and you get pissed and pass out far too quickly.

Sadly its virtually impossible to find anything below 12.5% and often 13.5% nowadays. I find it quite annoying... and I'm hardly an OAP or a wine snob, just someone who likes to enjoy a bottle or two of decent wine.

Anyway, a quick google brought up this article which explains some of the technical reasons behind it all.

I think I resemble that remark Flossie!

You're right though - levels have crept up. That article you linked to summarises it nicely.

I've just done a spot audit of the reds cellar at Chez i-Berg, and noted that every bottle I checked has levels at 14, 14.5 or 15% alcohol
Mind you, I'd rather have an elegant, lower alcohol content red than a poxy one that has stratospheric levels.

It would have been noteworthy a decade or three ago (a la some of the old Hunter Valley reds - now they were ballsy) - now it's almost universal here.

Anyway, here's to yours!

Mmmm, pub carpet!

Where was I, oh yes, a quick check of our cellar revealed 2 push bikes, a roof box several boxes of junk and a large stock of French wine.

The ABV seems to be 12.5 to 13.5, this was all bought in France from the supermarkets.

Seems they do keep the good stuff and send the rest of the world the dregs.

I've noticed a distinct drop in the availability of German wines over the last few years, maybe theyre been crowded out by the Americans and Aussies, I used to like my German wines, the labels were so easy to understand, despite the fact they were in German.

Makes note: Must pay a visit to Germany.

It's true - we hardly ever see German wine here either. Luckily our daughter-in-law is German and a wine expert so she brings us some good stuff sometimes.

Wouldn't mind another trip to the Mosel though, to buy some wine from the producers. And to enjoy the scenery of course .

Ammends previous post:

Must make a visit to Lidl

A couple of year ago four of us borrowed a caravette to go to Le Mans for the 24 Hr race. On a budget, we came across a few shops selling red wine over 12% and under 1 euro a bottle. I can totally refute HG's claim that all the dregs are sent abroad.

Mmmmm ! And I bet there was a deposit on the bottle too ..............

I`m afraid the only German stuff I ever enjoyed was the Gewurtztraminer,TrockenBeerenauschlese,and some of the Spatlese wines - never got to try the Eiswein.
My dad used to get a visit quarterly from a bloke worked for a company called Ferd Pierroth selling door to door by the case - mostly muck sadly.I think they had a red - urrrrggghhhh ! If memory serves me well !

Still the upside is that my professor of oncology said "carry on drinking - it will not be a problem" - now that`s what I call good medical advice !!!!!

Don`t you just love Private health care ??

Tony

PS Jo`s discovered flavoured ciders in Asda ??? Raspberry ???? And others !!!!

Nah the Mosel is much prettier than Lidl .

I can recommend an excellent hotel should you want to go .

Flavoured cider ? What's wrong with apple? Or even better perry?

We visited a hotel in the Rhine that had a good wine cellar, they sold wine and gave free tastings (BIG mistake!)

Mind we did bring some nice wines home, if I can find the hotel site I'll post a link.

Just found, it's the Gasthaus Stahl in Dellhofen. recommended, the food's very good as well.

That sounds like a great way to run a hotel.

Here's some free wine. Oops, you're too drunk to drive. You'd better stay. That'll be another €200!

It's a superb hotel, we've been twice now and enjoyed both visits.

Yes, we did buy wine both times, but we had to check it was what we wanted several times in the cellar!

I'll add www.hotel-haus-lipmann.com to this recommendation of places in Germany. It is in Beilstein on the Mosel. A lovely hotel, staff speak English, and it is a great place to stay!.

I've bookmarked your link HG. Never know when we may want a few days in Germany.

Woooppppppppppppeeeeeeeeeeeeee

My electrical problem is solved and it was me that done it

I do hope you didn't confuse yourself with your avatar and try to recharge yourself from the mains!