Do you have a sophisticated sense of what wines are good or bad?

For me, it’s less of the “taste” of wine than it is the quality or finish that makes the difference.

I like a wine that is complex and full vs a wine that taste great (like punch) and leaves no impression. I call those bubblegum wines.

Excellent point. Even with my rudimentary wine tasting skills I do enjoy a wine that provides a uniqueness. Not just another punch.

Yippee! So… GA?

Unfortunately I’m banished to the land of Korea.. not known for its wines. Everything I try is an import.. lately I’ve been trying Australian wines…I know… not exactly wine country…... but they taste pretty good anyway… I’ve never been to Georgia if that’s what you’re saying with the “GA”
=D

:) If you like interesting reds, try a Malbec. It’s Argentine.

May be a difficult find here.. but I will definitely try it. =)

My favourite wine is Frankovka, which most connoisseurs (sp?) would not even look at, let alone drink.

My second favourite wine is some Bulgarian crap with artificial colouring that is sold in 5lt bottles at the local supermarket.

My dad produces wine. It’s supposed to be really good. Which is why I can’t stand it.

It’s all a matter of taste. And I generally don’t drink, so who am I to know?

A good wine is a wine you like.

I don’t like the taste of wine. My husband thinks he’s a connoisseur though.

My husband used to work for a gourmet wine house and we learned about good wine together. He is more of a beer connoisseur and I rarely drink alcohol anymore, but I can still appreciate a glass of a good Pinot Grigio.

Well I’m with most of you on it. Good is good. Bad is bad. I don’t swish it around, look at it.. sniff it.. all that.. either it tastes good or it doesn’t.

I am a wineo, born and raised. I’m very interested in wine, and I know a good deal about it. I know “good wines” enough to the point that the disgusting 12.00 jug of wine that my roommates drink all the fucking time (and leave uncorked, at that) makes me sad… and sometimes a little nauseous. I really hate that they think they’re so fucking sophisticated and whatnot because they’re drinking wine, even though they know nothing about it. When they buy wine, they go for the cheapest thing possible. If they have options within that category, they go with whatever label looks coolest.

It’s weird for you to simultaneously swear and talk about sophistication but yes, I see your point. Even I.. an amateur wine taster.. know to cork the bottle.. and never buy the jug.

Swearing has become more a form of emphasis than anything, and essentially everyone does it, so I have no problem juxtaposing the two. I also know in what context it is appropriate to use that kind of language and when it isn’t, and I don’t see why fluther would be one in which I shouldn’t.

I have to go through wine tasting classes for work so I know a fair amount about them. However, that doesn’t stop me from drinking $6 bottles of wine because i’m a broke college student that also happens to be a wino when it comes to getting drunk haha.

@TitsMcGhee – as my wealthy friend used to say when ordering wine, “I don’t know – just bring me the good shit!”

NaturalMineralWater – You say that Australia isn’t exactly wine country. Penrose enjoys a world-wide reputation and the world’s best known wine taster, Robert Parker, says that the best Sauvignon Blanc in the world is made in the Marlborough region of New Zealand. (In France, Sauvignon Blanc is known as Sancerre.)