On Apr 10, 11:16�am, "Mydnight" > wrote:
> On Apr 10, 10:56 am, "Gary Childress" > wrote:
>
> > Today at Costco I spent $35.00 for a bottle of Franciscan Magnificat.
> > The most I've yet spent on a bottle of wine. *I sure hope the stuff is
> > good!!
>
> Most of the stuff, especially around here in China, I buy is around
> 10USD. *There again, the wine quality is more akin to the 5USD range
> with a mark-up. *I have yet to find anything that doesn't have that
> "cheap wine" flavor sans a bottle of Malbec from Botega
> SomethingorOther a few months ago. *Ya'll pray for me in my newfound
> voyages into the universe of wine, please. *I'll need all the luck I
> can get.
>
> So much more difficult than tea.

That "cheap wine" flavor is more than likely the result of chemical
additives. Wine in the $5-$15USd range made in the USA is usually
made at a plant that resembles Dow Chemical more than a winery. These
wines rarely see any time in barrel and go from grapes to bottle
within a few days hence the need for chemical additives to stabilize,
preserve and "age" the wines by chemically manipulating the flavors
and tannins.

> That "cheap wine" flavor is more than likely the result of chemical
> additives. Wine in the $5-$15USd range made in the USA is usually
> made at a plant that resembles Dow Chemical more than a winery. These
> wines rarely see any time in barrel and go from grapes to bottle
> within a few days hence the need for chemical additives to stabilize,
> preserve and "age" the wines by chemically manipulating the flavors
> and tannins.

Granted. But, I live in China currently. All of the stuff I drink is
imported at least, regardless of quality. Locally made wines here
resemble strong, bitter grape juice and DO SUFFER from adulteration of
all kinds, I'm sure. They have recently found all kinds of bad things
in the locally made beer, not to even mention the wine; foul
concoction that it is. Most of the things I have found have been the
lower end of the spectrum from some decent vineyards. So I hope I'm
not ingesting too many additives in my quest for understanding. I
know I did with tea.

On Apr 10, 11:37 am, "Mydnight" > wrote:
> > That "cheap wine" flavor is more than likely the result of chemical
> > additives. Wine in the $5-$15USd range made in the USA is usually
> > made at a plant that resembles Dow Chemical more than a winery. These
> > wines rarely see any time in barrel and go from grapes to bottle
> > within a few days hence the need for chemical additives to stabilize,
> > preserve and "age" the wines by chemically manipulating the flavors
> > and tannins.
>
> Granted. But, I live in China currently. All of the stuff I drink is
> imported at least, regardless of quality. Locally made wines here
> resemble strong, bitter grape juice and DO SUFFER from adulteration of
> all kinds, I'm sure. They have recently found all kinds of bad things
> in the locally made beer, not to even mention the wine; foul
> concoction that it is. Most of the things I have found have been the
> lower end of the spectrum from some decent vineyards. So I hope I'm
> not ingesting too many additives in my quest for understanding. I
> know I did with tea.

Hmm. I thought Chinese tea had little additives, if any. Am I
wrong? I've drunk my share of Dragon's Well tea after visiting as a
tourist the farm where they picked and boxed it. Other teas from
China, I've trusted to not have 'additives."

Don't want to change the topic, but just wondering.
Thanks.
Dee

> Hmm. I thought Chinese tea had little additives, if any. Am I
> wrong? I've drunk my share of Dragon's Well tea after visiting as a
> tourist the farm where they picked and boxed it. Other teas from
> China, I've trusted to not have 'additives."

If you want to get into it, a recent report found various heavy metals
including lead in LongJing (dragon well) tea at market. It also found
huge quantities of pesticides/herbicides as well as coloring,
flavoring, and scent additives. The adulteration of tea has caused
most people to give up drinking the more popular types and simply
drink "Pu'er" or countryside grown teas.

I visited Hangzhou in 2004 (home to Dragon Well) and was taught by my
friend's aunt how to pick the better quality leaves. We picked a
bunch, cooked it up, and drank it fresh there. I think that was maybe
some of the best Longjing I have ever experienced...but that still
doesn't count for the pesticides and other stuff that's in the soil.

China is a scary place.

On Apr 10, 12:02 pm, "Mydnight" > wrote:
> > Hmm. I thought Chinese tea had little additives, if any. Am I
> > wrong? I've drunk my share of Dragon's Well tea after visiting as a
> > tourist the farm where they picked and boxed it. Other teas from
> > China, I've trusted to not have 'additives."
>
> If you want to get into it, a recent report found various heavy metals
> including lead in LongJing (dragon well) tea at market. It also found
> huge quantities of pesticides/herbicides as well as coloring,
> flavoring, and scent additives. The adulteration of tea has caused
> most people to give up drinking the more popular types and simply
> drink "Pu'er" or countryside grown teas.
>
> I visited Hangzhou in 2004 (home to Dragon Well) and was taught by my
> friend's aunt how to pick the better quality leaves. We picked a
> bunch, cooked it up, and drank it fresh there. I think that was maybe
> some of the best Longjing I have ever experienced...but that still
> doesn't count for the pesticides and other stuff that's in the soil.


I read in the Wikipedia about the town where you live.
As a result of your information about China teas, and some little
research I did about them, on a whim, I threw out all my Chinese teas,
even the Pu'er. Today I bought a box of organic Darjeeling tea from
the Tumsong Estate http://www.chamong.com/garden.htm

I'll be turning over a new leaf.
Dee

Happy b-day your lardship-- For my 60th
I bought Eredi Virginia Ferrero Barolo 1937 and 1943 for $205. Since I was
the former broker for these wines, I was charged 10% above the store's cost
by a merchant friend---As Dale will attest the 43 was very good and the 37
was long gone.

I charged myself $150 for a Chave Ermitage "Cathelin" as a treat. That was
the importer's cost.......
"Dee Dee" > wrote in message
ups.com...
> On Apr 10, 12:02 pm, "Mydnight" > wrote:
> > > Hmm. I thought Chinese tea had little additives, if any. Am I
> > > wrong? I've drunk my share of Dragon's Well tea after visiting as a
> > > tourist the farm where they picked and boxed it. Other teas from
> > > China, I've trusted to not have 'additives."
> >
> > If you want to get into it, a recent report found various heavy metals
> > including lead in LongJing (dragon well) tea at market. It also found
> > huge quantities of pesticides/herbicides as well as coloring,
> > flavoring, and scent additives. The adulteration of tea has caused
> > most people to give up drinking the more popular types and simply
> > drink "Pu'er" or countryside grown teas.
> >
> > I visited Hangzhou in 2004 (home to Dragon Well) and was taught by my
> > friend's aunt how to pick the better quality leaves. We picked a
> > bunch, cooked it up, and drank it fresh there. I think that was maybe
> > some of the best Longjing I have ever experienced...but that still
> > doesn't count for the pesticides and other stuff that's in the soil.
>
>
> I read in the Wikipedia about the town where you live.
> As a result of your information about China teas, and some little
> research I did about them, on a whim, I threw out all my Chinese teas,
> even the Pu'er. Today I bought a box of organic Darjeeling tea from
> the Tumsong Estate http://www.chamong.com/garden.htm
>
> I'll be turning over a new leaf.
> Dee
>
>
>