I'm in!!!!!!!! c'est bonne idea!

After drinking an entire bottle, most people would be up for about anything!

hmmmm... yes, I'd seen these in our local grocery store here in SW France, (which looks eerily like the Safeway in the Marina district in my hometown of San Francisco), but I hadn't heard about the dating scheme. Although I don't watch much TV, I have to say I haven't seen any advertising for this -- no billboards, no magazine ads, nothing. I'll admit I'm not in the target market, (old, married, more than the maximum 2.5 children), but I'm not quite dead yet, and normally advertisements that feature wine catch my eye. Interestingly, the Soif du Coeur wine can be found not in the wine section, but in the large volume section! For you ignorant, over-fed, war-crazed Americans, that's the section in the regular grocery store that looks a lot like Costco, (ie. everything in supersized packages and shrink-wrapped in sets of four or more). It is the only wine to be found there, although it is available only in single bottle format. Even the 10 liter wine boxes are not in this section. It is as if nobody really wants to be associated with this sacrilegious abomination. I give it 3 months before it's never seen again in France. On the other hand, I think it would last quite a bit longer in the Japanese market... with maybe a little manga on the label...

Carl

Carl,

You're from San Francisco. The citizens like you are well-fed there (unless you are homeless and mentally ill, which I am assuming you are not because you are in France with internet access, I guess I shouldn't assume), and I assume (even though I shouldn't) that you are well fed in France. These San Franciscans (who are similar to you, I assume) tend to be a touch ignorant as they think that since they are liberal they know everything, and anyone who doesn't fart like them is an idiot. It's like being a born again, abortion hating republiclan, except you vote slightly different. As for "war-crazed," what is the point you are trying to make? People that shop at Costco love killing Iraqis? I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you are very drunk. Otherwise, you might want to back up your blathering, or maybe you should just come back to San Francisco and join the multitude of ironic hipsters who purposefully underfeed and somehow convince themselves they are better than everyone else. Many ride fixed gear bikes with no brakes ... I can blather too.

In conclusion: If you would like I will meet you in Nimes for a fist fight.

Yours,

Fats

Whoa boys, I don't want Vinography to be a platform for violence. Fats, do you think it's possible that Carl was not calling ALL Americans fat and war crazed, but simply speaking to the subset of the American population that actually does happen to be fat and war crazed? Not that a lot of them probably read this blog, but still.

Take it back a notch, folks.

My apologies, Alder. I mean no real violence, though I find no problem with a good old fashioned one on one.

I do not know who Carl was referring to with his aggressive statements about (as you presume) certain types of Americans. From his comment I can only assume that he was referring to those people who do not know what the "large volume section" of French supermarkets is. I admit, I did not know what it was until he explained that it is like Costco, but I don't think that my ignorance of French supermarkets proves that I am one way or the other.

I mean no disrespect to Vinography, and I am sorry that I am adding very little to the ongoing discussion of wine in this forum, but my momma taught me that when a person gets high and mighty, unless they are god, you call them out and tell them they need to explain themselves. Which is what I was attempting to do.

One day the fog will lift here in San Francisco.

No worries. My reference to violence was also tongue in cheek. Tone is so hard to capture in text and if this ain't a good example I don't know what is. Time for us all to open another bottle !!

P.S. If "adding to the ongoing discussion" was a criteria for posting comments on blogs, no one would ever do it. Frivoulous, especially humorous comments are welcome within reason.

Gentlemen,

Controversy? On a wine blog?? No way! Ok, I got a little carried away. Being an American in France has some ummm... special drawbacks. Although they love Americans here, let's just say they're not entirely thrilled with the current administration. (It's ironic that the biggest knock on the new French president is that he's too cozy with les Americains. If not for that, I guess his approval rating would be even higher than the current 65%!) So, whenever I socialize, (aka swill alcohol), with friends here in France, (and other parts of Europe as well), I end up having to defend the actions of a government I'm at odds with. (Yes, he's a bozo president, but dammit, he's my bozo president!) I rarely get a chance to vent my spleen about my imperialistic country, so... why not do so on Alder's blog? He won't mind. It's such a great political forum. Right?

By the way, let me reiterate that, by and large, the French people greatly dislike Monsieur Bush and gang, but still respect and admire the USA and its people. They do wonder though, how such undereducated, overweight people came to rule the world, (ok, that might be me ranting again). They also have a lot of respect for the quality of American wine, even though they have no evidence of it. The only American wine I've seen here is E&J Gallo and Kendall-Jackson. I kid you not. If those were the only American wine experiences I'd had, I think I'd have serious doubts about the U.S. wine industry, no matter what the critics said. Alright, I'll get off the podium now.

(Fats, Nimes is too far. Let's make it St. Emilion. You bring the gloves, I'll bring the wine glasses.)

Carl

St. Emilion? Nah, I don't like Merlot.

Yeah, not my favorite either. But St. Emilion is the most beautiful village in the Bordeaux area... and I wouldn't kick a Chateau Ausone out of bed, even if it is mostly Merlot.