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I also drink wine daily at dinner and at supper. I usually drink it alone - as my husband works evenings.

I was raised in an Irish/Italian (first generation) household where wine was a staple at meals. Even the children had diluted wine...

Once I identify a particular wine that I enjoy at meals, like an Australian shiraz...I may return to buy two or three bottles. However, I too have MANY different bottles in my cellar as I am constantly trying new or unfamiliar wines.

AINTD, it's not suprising you're only seeing cork-tree corks. You live in cork-tree land and are drinking it appears mostly local wines. If you were drinking Californian and Australian wines I bet 25% or so of the bottles you opened would have a plastic cork in them <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I vote for the screwcap, it makes it nice and simple. Perfect wine all the time <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Yes, I've tried Marques de Caceres, it's pretty good. So you didn't like the Bodegas Montecillo?? I like that a lot and Wine Spectator named it one of the 100 best wines of 2001 ...

Oh, you said "You wouldn't be drinking a $100 (or even a $50 or $30 one) bottle sitting in the kitchen alone on a regular day with a regular meal." Actually I subscribe to the theory that a good wine makes any meal special. So yes, I'll pop open a $40 bottle of Arrowood with a chicken dinner, or a $45 Shiraz with a steak or something. Life is way too short not to enjoy good wine <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Kitty, I think it's so true that kids who grow up with wine being "normal" grow up as adults that see wine as normal. In my experience it's the kids that grow up being told "Don't touch alcohol! It's evil! Evil!" are the ones that go diving for the drinking parties as soon as they can, and go around slurping glasses at weddings.

Precisely, I didn't like Montecillo. And noone I know who tried it did. It's a pure speculation. You may have liked it, but I'm sure you haven't tried other spanish quality wines, then. You'd feel the difference. And for its price, there will be way more special wines, better than Montecillo. As far as I know, Parker has chosen only two spanish wines. One is this worthless Montecillo, and the other is from bodegas LAN, which is now being sold off. For the third wine country in the world, it is a bit odd result, two wines of 100? I bet that list is full of american and australian wines, though. Parker would be the last in the world to trust on wine subject for me.

How much does Cht. Margaux '96 cost in USA? And '98?

Actually I have tried many Spanish quality wines. I took Spanish for 6 years and was quite fluent in it for a while, and look out and help promote Spanish wines with my friends. Montecillo may not be popular with your friends, but it's very popular in the states <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> And I do enjoy it, even compared with other "Spanish Greats".

The Wine Spectator Top 100 list has tons of wines from all over the world. Their reviewers aren't just American, ya know <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> They have reviewers all over the world. Many of the wines are French (maybe even most it appears), many are Italian, there are Austrian wines, Australian wines, German wines. While they're not the end-all for wine judging by any means, the wines they choose are generally thought of as "quality wines" by people who judge wines. I know a number of professional wine tasters and when they review wines they're not asking "is this wine tasty to ME". They're asking "is this wine true to its type?" which is a different question. It could just be that you (and your friensd) don't like the flavor that Montecillo is aiming for, but that they're aiming properly.

Here's Robin Garr's review, he loves it too:
http://www.wineloverspage.com/wines/wt090897.htm

The Canadians voted it a top 10 wine:
http://pages.infinit.net/fmrsomme/top10.html

In any case, every one of us is welcome to love or hate any wine they wish <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> It could even be a cultural thing - that the types of foods you and your friends tend to eat tend to clash with that wine's flavors.

Here are a couple of links dealing with corks, screw caps, and synthetic stoppers.

Wine Spectator noted that many wineries are indeed using screw caps.

AWRI has, as noted previously, been testing various stoppers. An important quote from the article, "I was reassured by the fact that the performance of the synthetic closures was very similar to that of the normal corks, but without the taint."

In fairness, there were some problems with screwcaps, but that was due to not leaving enough head room.

I can't agree more on the detriments of the American, puritanical view of alcohol. I live in a dry county. This means no wine or beer can be purchased or publicly consumed in the county. What this encourages is irresponsible people to drive to the next county, drink as much as they can, then drive back. Or they bring back beer and guzzle it down in an out of the way place and then drive home. Not a good situation.

I've lived in Germany, Belgium, and Italy. In all the years I lived in each of those locations I never saw a drunken adult or teen (outside of Americans). The attitude is very healthy. We share wine as a bonding experience, not trying to dull our senses.

I too usually have a glass of wine in the evening. On an occasion I might have two. I prefer to savor the experience of a nice wine. Every month my husband and I join friends for a more formal wine dinner. It's a great experience. Perfectly paired food and wine. Good friends with which to enjoy it. Very nice.

On Montecillo, Wine Spectator and Parker: Montecillo is not just unpopular between my friends and myself. It's just not accepted in Spain at all. If you ask a person who dedicates hmself to the wine, and ask what's the best wine, he wouldn't say Montecillo for sure. It's just not popular. And I have NO idea on how the hell "Spectator" (what a name), has chosen it. Also, Parker and magazines that follow him, have been known here for REALLY biased reviews and marks, I mean REALLY. If there was a law against it, they'd all be in jail.

What are the Spanish greats?

Since when Austrian and German reds are on par with Spanish? French wine is the best, Italian must also be very good, but Spanish is right in there, closing the top three. Parker is just promoting whatever he sees fit. I never follow the "BIG" wine guides, the best are the smallest, since they are the most objective and independent. The smaller, the better. And if you happen to come across of a group of pure enthusiasts, then you're definitely in luck. They will tell you million times more interesting and rare information than Parker and similar can ever imagine (or share).

By the way, off topic a bit, wine is considered to be extremely good for the health. It has alcohol that ruins brain cells and liver - yes, but it also DRASTICALLY lowers the bad cholesterol. For years, everyone was wondering about how could the french eat so much unhealthy food (full of fat and cholesterol) and still have a tremndously low rate of heart attacks and related illnesses. As you might have guessed, it's because they drink a lot of red wine with their world-famous (but still unhealthy) food, that compensates the negative effects of it. It is good to know that what you dring is not only pleasant but also is good for your health to a certain high degree.

The Austrian and Germans weren't reds, silly <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> This was a "top 100 wines" not just "top 100 reds". so it included a Freie Weingartner Wachau Riesling from Austria, a Wolf Blass Riesling from Australia, a Thornbury Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand etc. It was just best wines across the range from whites to reds to Ports and Champagnes.

In fact, the wine chosen best wasn't from the US or France, it was a Tuscan wine:

Tenuta dell'Ornellaia 1998

http://www.winecommune.com/lot.cfm/lotID/64797.html

Only $130 a bottle if you can find it <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />