Food and drink
None of this is expert advice. It's what people worked out for themselves, usually the hard way — what actually helped, and what they'd tell someone standing where you are. Take what fits and leave the rest.
If you only read a few
Buy boxed wine like Bota Box or Kirkland Signature to get a large volume of decent wine at a low price.
It is cheaper by volume, can be stored in the fridge for weeks without spoiling due to lack of oxygen, and does not require finishing a whole bottle at once.
- One person prefers Kirkland Signature over Bota Box.
2 people, independently
Make hard cider using apple juice, sugar, and yeast for a cheap, drinkable result.
Even poor wine recipes can produce drinkable results if given time.
- Any wine consumed in under a month will be terrible.
- The recipe takes about 4 weeks to be ready.
one person who lived it
Gift two bottles of wine so the recipient can share one at the event and keep one for later.
The receiver gets a full bottle for themselves while also having one to open with the giver.
one person who lived it
- Gift one red and one white wine to provide options based on meal pairings or personal preference.1
Buy Winking Owl wine at Aldi for $2.69 per bottle.
It is made by the same producers as Gallo and is considered good for the price.
one person who lived it
Pour a taste of the wine upon service to check for faults or temperature issues.
Wines may have faults, be too warm, or need time to settle in the bottle.
one person who lived it
Serve boxed wine in a nice carafe or decanter.
Guests may not realize it is boxed wine.
2 people, independently
Premix signature drinks or punches before guests arrive and serve them from pitchers to mask the taste of cheaper alcohol.
As long as the punch is tasty, guests will not care about the quality of the booze.
one person who lived it
Do not pair Pinot Noir with Feta cheese.
The saltiness and funk of the feta make the wine taste weird.
one person who lived it
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Add Sprite or soda to pre-mixed drinks right before serving.
So it doesn't go flat.
one person who lived it
Use smaller boxed wines or cube packs for easier transport in beach bags or for stealth drinking at parks.
Smaller boxes fit easier in beach bags.
one person who lived it
Decant awkward or rough-tasting wine to round out its edges and make it more quaffable.
Decanting rounds out rough edges.
one person who lived it
Add sugar to dry wine if you prefer it sweeter, disregarding social norms.
It is better to drink wine you enjoy than to comply with unnecessary rules while drinking wine you dislike.
- It is considered socially improper.
one person who lived it
Return opened wine if it does not suit your taste, even if it is not technically faulty.
Most restaurants allow this; they will sell good wine that you dislike and dump bad wine.
one person who lived it
Sell used wine bottles and corks to homebrewers after rinsing off labels.
New bottles cost about $1-2 each at homebrew stores.
one person who lived it
Keep a bottle of cheap wine visible on the counter to signal to guests that you like wine.
This encourages family members to buy you expensive wine for holidays.
one person who lived it
Avoid wearing lipstick or heavy scents to wine tastings.
Lipstick is difficult to clean from glasses, and strong scents interfere with smelling the wine.
one person who lived it
Make Old Fashioneds using Evan Williams Whiskey, orange, and Angostura bitters.
It makes 30ish old fashions and is a very popular cocktail most people like.
one person who lived it
Recognize that wine experts can be fooled by visual cues and labels.
Experts gave nearly opposite ratings to the exact same wine when served in differently labeled bottles.
one person who lived it
Store red wine in the refrigerator to extend its shelf life, taking it out before serving to warm it up.
Lower temperatures slow down the chemical processes that cause wine to go bad.
one person who lived it
Do not assume expensive wine prevents hangovers.
Hangovers are not caused by wine quality.
one person who lived it
Focus on patience and temperature control in home winemaking.
Rushing can result in hazy brews.
one person who lived it
Infuse low-quality vodka with fruits or peppers in jars to create unique drinks.
It turns low quality vodka into pretty neat drinks with relatively low effort.
one person who lived it
Serve red wine cooler than modern room temperature, around 16-17°C.
Historically, 'room temperature' referred to cooler cellars (16-17°C), not modern heated rooms (21°C).
one person who lived it
Ensure juice used for fermentation does not contain potassium sorbate.
Potassium sorbate inhibits fermentation.
one person who lived it