Thank you for an informative reply, Mac. You have a great farming lifestyle, one I can relate to. Wine and good food go together. I could easily finish off a bottle of wine with a stranger at the bar while waiting to be seated at my table at a restaurant. Cooking a proper meal every night and eating the way you do is very European. My only concern about wine-drinking is the sulfites in wine. What is your opinion on this?
As I mentioned elsewhere, a nightcap is recommended for a good night's sleep. I occasionally have a bourbon (American whiskey, that is) while I read before I sleep. The Queen of England has a glass of champagne, I hear. I will try a Glenmorangie. Although Scotch has a smokiness that is absent in bourbon, it can be incredibly smooth.
I am retired as of 21 May 2021. I have previously farmed in Northumberland (officially England but north of the Roman Wall) - 2 farms; south of Moree, NSW, Australia; the Black Isle, Scotland and near Castelo Branco, Portugal. An interesting life and probably unique owning and working five farms in four different countries. All really on a shoestring. Borrowed heavily on all except for Portugal but inflation and hard labour improvements allowed us to sell well. My wife of just over 50 years was a full partner in all the activity. She always looked after the house and the ornamental aspects of the farms. Still does. Housewives never really retire do they?
We only drink with meals apart from my nightcap. Definitely not wine before one, but no objection to others doing so. I would need to know exactly what I was going to eat and which wines would accompany the courses before risking wine beforehand. A dry sherry or, something few people think about, a Brandy and water is a good aperitif. A good Cognac and water - choose your percentages of each after some experimentation, is ideally better than any old brandy, but expensive. In Australia, hosts would ply you with beers and then nothig during or after the meal. Never got used to that.
I am a bit surprised at your remark regarding our eating style being "European". We have never come across anybody else who eats this way. I accept the well to do would have dinner in times past. We got into it because I did not want a big lunch when I had to do a lot of physical work immediately afterwards. I think most Brits still prefer their main meal in the middle of the day.
There has "always" been sulphur in wine. Do a Google search on its use, history and the reasons why it is used. I thought I might give you a link, but there are quite a few interesting ones come up. Top of the list was this one though
The Bottom Line on Sulfites in Wine | Wine Folly and being a U.S. link probably enough for most folks on here.
The story about the Queen and Champagne is an urban myth. Whisky comes in an enormous range of flavours and smokiness or lack of it. As a general rule those made on the islands off the west coast are heavily smoked, whilst those from mainland Scotland (not to be confused with Mainland Orkney) have less or no smoke - which is controlled by the amount and time of peat used to dry the malt before distilling. That is a simplification and plenty of info out there if you want to know more.
I have my preferences, and as noted my two favourites are only a few miles apart. There are also some I definitely do not like, and it tends to be a regional thing. Similarly there are many wines (again regional) that I do not like. Yet, I have tried my best to find a wine from Spain (sacrilege when living in Portugal) that I did not like. I failed despite buying some of the cheapest I could find in occasional raids across the border.
More than happy to continue this discussion with you. It is rare to find someone who believes in "wine and good food go together".
