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callmecrazy · 19-01-2011, 15:26

The store shelves in the US are well stocked with cheap Australian wine... I didn't know they even made 'good' stuff

Relaxoffshore · 19-01-2011, 15:38

Very Cute thread.............Gotta luv iT

Knowazark · 19-01-2011, 15:39

While I have been known to enjoy a beer or two and the occasional rum, my own policy is to not drink any alcohol (or coffee) while on a passage.

The coffee screws with my sleeping and when on passage I want to be able to go to sleep when I am off-watch, not lie in a bunk trying to go to sleep until dropping off about 30 mins before I have to get up again.

The drinking alcohol thing ... well I've been on boats where the policies have been no alcohol at all on passage, the occasional drink on passage and free-for-all (but you bring your own). Personally I don't mind one or maybe two beers or a small rum as a sundowner on passage .. particularly on a perfect day or to celebrate a great run, but with some people one leads to two which leads to more which leads to trouble. Even on perfect days the weather can change pretty rapidly and having some alcohol in my system doesn't really help me operate and a boozed-up crew member is a liability.

I had one passage where the night we were approaching landfall on a busy coastline was toasted by half the crew (i.e. 2 of the 4 crew went on a rum bender ... they destroyed more than 1 bottle of rum between them and plenty of braincells). That made for a very long, stressful night for me without much sleep at all as the 4th crewmember wasn't very experienced. Was seriously unhappy about that incident indeed.

Kenif · 19-01-2011, 15:54

Yeah we do make good wine but tend only to export the stuff we wont drink.

I've always found clean skins to be a bit hit and miss.
For some unknown reason they always tend to taste better in the store than when you get them home or even open them a couple of months later.

SurferShane · 19-01-2011, 19:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by callmecrazy

The store shelves in the US are well stocked with cheap Australian wine... I didn't know they even made 'good' stuff

Funny too that some of the better marketed/popular labels over here can be bloody ordinary. If you know what you are looking for or find the right source there are some real gems going cheap.

SurferShane · 19-01-2011, 19:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kenif

Yeah we do make good wine but tend only to export the stuff we wont drink.

I've always found clean skins to be a bit hit and miss.
For some unknown reason they always tend to taste better in the store than when you get them home or even open them a couple of months later.

At under $5 I just don't complain. A lot are better than some you pay double the price for. Pay a couple of dollars extra and you start looking at stuff enjoyable to drink.
Good example around here of bargains are some of the Oakvale wines being run out at the bottlo near the berth at Honeysuckle Newcastle and the Draytons cleanskin Verdello and Chardonnay a bit further down the road in Hunter St. Might not be as good a value as buying rum by the gallon in the Caribbean, but still not bad drops and affordable on a cruising budget.

markpierce · 19-01-2011, 19:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by callmecrazy

Sundowners in the cockpit? I'll be right over!

What's a sundowner?

**boatman61** · 19-01-2011, 19:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by markpierce

What's a sundowner?

When the suns below the yardarm.... or in our case.. the spreaders.

markpierce · 19-01-2011, 19:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by boatman61

When the suns below the yardarm.... or in our case.. the spreaders.

OK! I thought (wished) it was a special, formulated alcoholic beverage.

callmecrazy · 19-01-2011, 20:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by markpierce

OK! I thought (wished) it was a special, formulated alcoholic beverage.

it is! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sundowner_(drink)

zeehag · 19-01-2011, 20:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by markpierce

OK! I thought (wished) it was a special, formulated alcoholic beverage.

that could be arranged.....unless someone already did that.....

**hummingway** · 19-01-2011, 20:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by SurferShane

Funny too that some of the better marketed/popular labels over here can be bloody ordinary. If you know what you are looking for or find the right source there are some real gems going cheap.

It seems to be the way of it. I lived in California once upon a time. Found a fabulous Zin for $3 a bottle. Went back the next week to buy a couple of cases only to discover it had won a gold medal at Orange County or some such thing. $8 for the same bottle. Mercifully I found a bottle on the back of the self still bearing the old price tag, grabbed a couple of cases and convinced them it was only fair they all should be that price. That accounted for a couple of brain cells at least.

markpierce · 19-01-2011, 20:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by hummingway

I lived in California once upon a time. Found a fabulous Zin for $3 a bottle. ...

I'm a Zin fan. Fortunately, my next-door, neighborhood winery, Viano Vineyards produces mostly Zins, costing between about $8 to $20 a bottle. I'm presently enjoying (savoring) a bottle of their $8 2006 (private stock) Zin. I rarely spend over $10 a bottle for any wine.

http://www.vianovineyards.com/

rgscpat · 19-01-2011, 20:52

What you do on your own boat on the anchor without hurting anyone else is one thing, and many sailors have a mellow party attitude, but,

lots of skippers have good reason to be extremely cautious/paranoid about having guests or crew on board with drugs because the skippers could be the ones risking fines or even the confiscation of their boat,

the fatigue from the motion of the boat, vibration (and noise, especially when motoring), and sun generally causes boat operators to become more impaired than they would with the same dose of alcohol or many drugs on land/while driving an auto, and

on a boat, you don't generally have the same protection from law enforcement personnel coming on board and searching that you do in a house on land.

callmecrazy · 19-01-2011, 20:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by markpierce

I'm a Zin fan. Fortunately, my next-door, neighborhood winery, Viano Vineyards produces mostly Zins, costing between about $8 to $20 a bottle. I'm presently enjoying (savoring) a bottle of their $8 2006 (private stock) Zin. I rarely spend over $10 a bottle for any wine.

I'm more of a red fan, I usually get whichever chianti is on sale, can't go wrong... rarely more than $8 or so

But in a pinch, there's always 2 buck chuck

best cheap wine on the market, and cheapest!