Any Serious Wine Drinkers Here?

[scottyb]

OK, I don't mean wine snobs?. I have a rather large collection of red wine. I like to take a few bottles with me. How do you manage your red wine during the hotter months? Whites are not a problem but reds can't be refigerated, but also can't take 100+ degrees in a coach. Just curious.

 

[ILH]

Our solution has been simple... drink!

During our big trip in July, we had quite a few bottles of red with us. For the few hours between campgrounds when the inside temp would get high, they were inside cupboards. I'm sure they elevated in temp somewhat, but frankly I didn't notice any degredation in taste.

Having said that, I wouldn't want to store them in the trailer between trips.

BTW, we bottle our own. At any given time I have between 50 and 200 bottles in my (house) basement.

 

[RoadJunkie]

We don't try to take "fine" wine with us as we travel. The motion during travel and temperature variances are just not conducive to maintaining wine. If we're in civilization, we buy as we drink and, if it's too warm, we place the red wine in our refrigerator for about 20 minutes to cool it. You do what you gotta do!

 

[RCF]

I'm not a wine snob, but do have a decent sized collection of red wines (approx. 100 bottles) that I store in a Vinotemp wine refrigerator (~50F) at home (for aging to drink later). For camping, I just put what I'm taking in the refer of the camper unless it's really cool weather, then it stays out. Short term storage in a normal refer doesn't hurt red wine, just doesn't allow it to age properly. Biggest problem with it for me is remembering to take itt out and let it warm up a bit prior to enjoying a glass!

Got any favorites you'd like to share? Always looking for recommendations, especially good "every day" wines ($20 or less).

 

[RollingHome]

We utilize a countertop solid state (Peltier Thermoelectric type) wine cooler. I keep the red & whites in it, it is set at 54F. When we leave home it turns off and keeps the wine below ambient (for several hours). It also slows heat absorption en-route and prevents oxidation. When we arrive at our destination we plug in, it turns on and cools to set point. I also take a red or two out when we plug in and allow them to reach ambient on the countertop which is the temperature I consume reds at in the evening with dinner and after. The whites of course are kept chilled at set point. This has been working fine for many years now. Be careful though, see below.

I don't do this in any Maryland State Park/s because in Maryland State Park/s the only campers who are permitted by law to consume alcohol are those campers in motor homes. We slugs in our junky 5th wheels and TT's are not permitted by law to consume alcohol, this evidently is because only those in motor homes can handle their alcohol. Chevy Chase's Cousin Eddy comes to mind, he could drink six pack, after six pack and wave as I'm hauled off, fined and kicked out of the MD State Park/s... Sure his $ 500.00 RV is better than ours !!! This is because the Motor Coach Association of America has a very strong lobby, we have none.

I am a wine snob - I won't drink any red which cost OVER $ 9.00/bottle... don't have to spend more... mucho blind taste test have proved this over and over. Last year in Baltimore MD, a $ 5.50/bottle took first place. Always thinking of others, I leave the expensive reds for those who have a better trained palette, nose, eyes and wallet .

I have made my own reds & whites, Okay, but I prefer to buy...

Happy RVing !

 

[wdk450]

You know if we ever decide to have a "Wine Rally" there is a county park campground (Napa), a state park campground (St Helena) and 2 county fair campgrounds (Napa and Calistoga) in our Napa valley here.

 

[JohnDar]

We're wine slobs. Our favorite white and red both come from a Michigan winery north of Traverse City. And available in most grocery stores for under $9.00 a bottle (even less on sale). But for pure alcoholic bliss and nasty wine hangovers, we guzzle from the 5 liter boxes. In the rig, we keep it stored in the cabinet under the side counter of the kitchen. Always tastes just fine.

 

[scottyb]

I can see carrying only a miminal number of reds or maybe picking them up along the way. We seem to drink a lot more whites in hot weather anyway. I could see our fridge being loaded with whites. I do like the idea of the solid state wine cooler. I will check that out.

Got any favorites you'd like to share? Always looking for recommendations, especially good "every day" wines ($20 or less).

I am a Costco addict. I buy anything 90+ in the $10-15 range for every day. I'm not big into scores but I use them as a bench mark. If I like a bottle, I go back and buy more. I have tons of wine above $20 but only drink a bottle or two on the weekends. I pull out a really nice bottle on special occasions.

 

[Crumgater]

We've joined a few wine clubs now... which ship us way too much wine - many in the $20-30 "special wine" range. So... at our house, EVERY day is special!

I put the whites in the cooler with the other frosty beverage options, and the reds in the cabinet. So far, we don't have the 100+ heat to worry about where we are, so that's not a problem. Plus, they're only going to sit in the warmth for a day or two at most before they get consumed, so I don't think there's really enough time for much degradation in the wine's chemistry.

One of our favorite summer sipping whites is Maryhill Winery's Viognier (WA state/Columbia Valley). A crisp, fruity white. As DH put it... "I could drink this all day". We're heading to the WA State park at Maryhill next week... a great place to camp, right on the Columbia River. I'm sure we'll find ourselves at the winery at some point during the trip... have to put that membership to good use!!
-T

 

[Manzan]

We do have some really good wines in WA and you do not have to be a snob to enjoy them. And there are some other wines e.g. "Two Buck Chuck" from Trader Joes. (Not my favorite--in price it reminds me of Thunder bird which we drank in college when we were out of money--similar in quality also.) I have no problem at all putting a bottle of red in the refrigerator or freezer to get it to a drinkable temperature or below. Uncork it, pour and let it come up to temperature.
Just re-read this post. I really don't want to remember Thunderbird--after all, that was fifty years ago among other reasons!

 

[RollingHome]

Scott, Our solid state wine cooler is made by Cusinart (private reserve beverage cooler or similar ???). It holds 12 bottles horizontally and 2 or 3 can be squeezed in the front vertically. The temp is adjustable, it has internal lighting with a smoked glass door and over all it looks really nice, especially at night lit and it’s full. It’s an 18" cube and fits nicely on our counter top. Put a cushion behind the door for travel. Try Lowes, they had some.
To all - I’m surprised no one commented on the fact that the Maryland State Government only allows folks in motor homes to consume alcohol in state parks – 5vers, TT’s & others are considered to be drunken trailer trash and incapable of holding their alcohol by the Maryland Government. i.e. you & me. To me there is something nice about a thin stemmed glass full of wine, a candle lit and enjoying a nice dinner with Patti or friends... not in Maryland State Parks though... it's against the law unless you are in a motor home ! That law really irks me :-(

 

[scottyb]

I read it and understand your frustration. I didn't comment since maryland isn't on my radar. I suppose every state has some quirky laws. Some of them really stick out and show how lobbying pursuades the lawmaking process. I assume it has something to do with being a motor vehicle or something? I doubt if it would slow me down much, at least inside the RV. I rarely pay attention to stupid laws like that and do what I want to do anyway.

It's kind of like a seat belt law. If I want to be a mouron and not wear one, so be it. I'm not endangering anyone else. Yet in Texas, as I'm getting written up for not wearing one in my 7600 lb C-3500, some dude with nothing more than cutoffs with his babe in a bikini, can drive by on their Harley (w/o helmets), and be perfectly legal. Doesn't make a bit of sense. It's nothing more than a "Cash Cow". I'm not condoning not wearing them, and in fact have been wearing one since before they passed the law. Remember when they were stuffed under the seats because nobody was using them?

More closely related is the 3 tier alcohol sales in Texas. It causes us to not be able to purchase wine from retailers, over the internet(However, there are ways). They passed a law that says we can purchase it from a winery, since our wineries can ship outside the state, just not from a retailer. We can't buy hard liquor in a Grocery store, can't take a bottle of wine to a restauraunt if they sell hard liquor. The alcohol wholesaler's lobby is very strong in Texas.

 

[RCF]

I hear ya' on the stupid law(s) Tom! Obviously, I'd never have/drink alcohol where our wonderful gov't says I can't, nor would I have a weapon in places where they tell me I can't be prepared to defend myself if necessary . . . And I still believe in the tooth fairy too!