“I’ll be pouring some excellent Cab Francs today.”
Whatever happened to “We’re tasting some excellent Cab Francs today?” Everyone seems to be pouring everywhere these days. Am I the only person who thinks that this sounds strange? What would the equivalent be with chocolate chip cookies? “I’ll be placing some excellent chocolate chip cookies today?”
Perhaps it’s the “me” part – I’ll be pouring – that seems odd. It’s a little like when a waiter says “my marzipan is really delicious” or “I’ve got some amazing Chimichangas.” I’m sure you do. Or maybe it’s just that the term pouring seems to imply vast amounts of liquids gushing forth as in “it’s not just raining, it’s pouring!”
Pouring wine rapidly and in huge volumes doesn’t seem to be strange at all on the internet; in fact it’s de rigueur. A quick browse around most wine sites reveals wine being poured in ways that would put NASA velocity tests to shame. Is the subject really so boring that it needs to be tarted up by pushing the limits of fluid mechanics? Are the stock photo people really that bored? Was a stunt sommelier employed for any of these shots? Do I hear Eric Burdon and War playing Spill the Wine somewhere?
Obviously there are a lot of unanswered questions here, so before I really scare myself and become Andy Rooney, the candidates for the most Extreme Pour of 2007 (in no apparent order) are:
Kapture Group Inc.
Not a wine site, but the Kapture Group sells equipment to help capture moments of vinous mayhem like the typhoon in a glass pictured here.
New York Times
Eric Asimov’s blog is called The Pour so it should come as no surprise that they have a strong entry. A real study of contrasts here as a heavy rope of wine appears to be breaking the surface of an otherwise tranquil glass. Sediment be damned – get it in the glass!
Nat Decants
Is that a giant red wine Cobra threatening Natalie MacLean’s wholesome head? Watch out Natalie!
67 Wine
Not a lot of action here but a lot of wine. Do still waters run deep? The half-full half-empty debate certainly has no room here. No! Fill it to the brim! Let it be known that the people of 67 Wine are not stingy!
Dining on the Vine
Given the apparent lack of gravity, I would call this site Dining on the Moon instead of Dining on the Vine. Is that a bottle or a hose? Waiter, please bring me the 1990 La Tâche and a mop!
Royal Doulton
The quintessential British tableware maker weighs in with a classic Poseidon Adventure pour. Either that or they’re introducing a line of Chablis coloured baby Baboons in crystal.
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Comments
Spice Nittoon
I guess no two wines are spilled alike. “Dining on the Vine” is the most objectionable. “67 Wine” is immodest but too subtle to be irreverent.
Those pours look that way after I have poured too much wine for myself.
Nice Spittoon. So many wines so little time …..to enjoy each one!
67 Wine is a perfect demonstration of my pet peeve which concerns the way some restaurants pour wine: so much wine in the glass that it’s impossible to swirl the contents to enjoy all those delicious aromas. Of course you could swirl anyway and risk ruining your clothes, the tablecloth, and staining your dining companions!
I don’t want the spittoon, I just like gratuitously entering competitions
I don’t see that you’ll need a spittoon if you pour like that – you’ll barely have enough in the glass to sniff
Very nice spittoon. The generous pours are good if you are ordering them at a restaurant but for a wine judging, that is way too much.
IF that is REAL wine, they should be arrested for such waste. Don’t they know there are thirsty, (not necessarily starving) people in this world that would do almost anything for that spill! I would love that spittoon in my shop, right next to your Grape Varieties Chart. I make my customers spit into a tin bucket right now. Would add a little class to the place. thanks for the pics, nice photography by someone.
Too many look like me after too many!
I think all of the photos took time and energy and creative thinking, not to mention the wine itself, coutos to all of you. but i do certainly hope that the wine that was used was also consumed and not wasted, after all someone put thier time, effort and sweat into the making of the wine. Weather you have decided it was good or bad wine if it were athe only wine that was avalible to drink it would have transformed itself from “bad to good” right under your nose.
Again, great job on the photos. They all should win some category they all send a different message.
Happy Holidays to All and to All a Good wine