I pay around 20$ in Florida for the Santa Margherita, same price in Montreal ( the gov. surtaxes all alcohol so I'm surprised it's not $30 here) ; you could probably get some online for cheaper than in your area. Our liquor board is run by the government and I order online, they ship 18 bottles for $6. it's well worth it. Shipping would be $12 but they pay half. Some cheaper pinot grigios can be pretty tasteless, imo... Here is a link that might be useful: Santa Margharita

I never received anything from him for a trade set up last year. I sent a box full of fruit tree cuttings and plants and he acknowledged he got them, even commented on plants and then....nothing. An email 8 months later with a partial excuse and still nothing. He gives trades a bad name.

I think switching to cognac at the end sounds great. And stinky cheese. Taste buds will be dulled, anyway, and something that requires little sips and more just glass holding sounds good. Re the heavy reds, sometimes you have to serve your menu. With the progression you have, a good cab with the meat sounds great. Even with small servings and sorbet, people's tasters will be tired and mellowed. Something bold is called for. This might be a time to try modern tech kinds of glasses, but if not, definitely aerate the wine. It makes a huge difference. If they will just pass, rather than giving it a chance, maybe try an old vine wine, like a Spanish granacha? Very full bodied and flavorful, very "red", some tannins but not heavy with tannins like a cabernet. Excellent with beef.

Interesting discussion. I do think it depends on your culture, and different cultures have different drinking traditions. However, America tends to have a big consumer culture with various trends being pushed. I'm a late boomer who grew up in a middle American small town, and most people did not drink that much, and when they did, it was beer or if you were into the heavy stuff, hard liquor with maybe a little soda water or a splash of a soft drink, aka "rum and coke." There was however, a big push during the 60's for sophistication among the masses via advertising. My folks got a very swanky bar set for a wedding gift, and both had recipe books for cocktails in their libraries. They lived in San Francisco for a while so became big wine drinkers before it was trendy. I grew up drinking wine, unlike most of my peers. I remember my folks being into making daquaris, which were a popular MCM drink. We also hung out with some folks from Russia/Eastern Europe who put vodka in everything! And some Italians and others who made their own dessert wines and liqueurs. Those days seem quite sophisticated to me looking back on them. I'm allergic to beer, and I remember in college always being the weird one out because I either drank wine, which seemed too fru fru in college, or a mixed drink with vodka, which was pretty expensive! That was before the days of every kind of "cooler" and mixed drink being packaged and sold like soda pop. Hard root beer, hard fruit sodas, hard lemonade, etc. That is definitely driving today's younger generation's taste. I love all the mixed drinks, but they are expensive and full of calories in which I can no longer indulge. My bladder can't take much alcohol either. So, as usual, youth is wasted on the young. I wish I had lived in the days where I could have both the money and occasion to indulge in a cocktail or two on a semi-regular basis. Too often, and it isn't that special, IMHO. But can add a fun twist to a social gathering of friends.