Merry christmas deaders

Hope you have a wonderful holiday party season, fantastic christmas and new year celebrations and get to sample awesome wines. Thanks for supporting the facebook group and helping to make it an offline success as well - with the Dead Red events.

No idea what 2009 has in store for us... but hang in there cause i reckon we might have a few things up our sleeve to enjoy. Stay tuned.

chink chink pop cheers sniff sip .... wait .... mmmm xx

Dead Reds Wake 3 - charity

It's not everyday you get to hand a few dollars over to a charity of choice. But today we do.

I've been a tad slack sorting out the finances after the last Dead Reds Wake 3. Apologies. The tin has sat here staring at me to move it, shake it and generally do something with it. But I hadn't. Well hadn't - but have now.

It's good news to report that after all the catering, glass purchases and general advertising / publication expenses we are sending $450 off to two charities. Doesn't sound much, but remember we only take $10 at the door :)

The two charities selected are Movember for Prostrate because so many of the guys in the group are participating (in face I'd love for yo all to post a piccy of how you are going) and the second is the Cancer Council (SA) for their Breast Cancer Research.

Happy giving :)
xc

From humble beginnings...

To members of Bring out your dead reds

Well, we reached another milestone today. We can now proudly boast over 200 members in the "Bring out your dead reds" Facebook group. Its great to see!!

For the newbies amongst us we've had 3 offline events in the past year that we call "Wakes".

There are fotos and videos posted so you can see what we get up to at these Wakes - but basically its about opening and enjoying old wine (with fingers crossed they haven't gone off but sometimes they have!!). The next one isn't due til March 09.

I'd love to hear from people o/s who like to also hold an event at this time (a global wake).The group loves to share fotos of bottles opened/tried. Check the convo's - it's been fascinating. And of course - please participate in the discussions, such as:

Love of wine, in six words
Wake 3 Suggestions
What is the oldest bottle of wine in your cellar (cupboard)?

Enjoy yourself... xc

Dead Reds Wake 4

To members of Bring out your dead reds

It's a long way off but I needed a target. So the date is set.

But hey, I also need some help. Dead Reds Wake 3 couldn't have happened without the support of a great crew - do you want to help make Wake 4 special?

To note, here's the date:http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=42622196321

For the next wake we've had a few ideas brewing, like fashion parades whilst we "sip/ taste"... punter judging (people's choice), bigger after party with music/DJ, and a possible international hook up with fellow dead redders not living in Adelaide.If you want to be involved in helping to make a unique, fun event happen (globally)... just for the love of it , please let me know. I'm on charlie@charliedesign.net.au

Hope that next bottle your crack open is even better than the last - keep the dead ones for the events :) xc

Wine Flavours

To members of Bring out your dead reds

I love groovy things and this website is just that. So, how do different wines taste? This website gives you the flavours as a visual representation...This visualization then attempts to show the strength of these relationships. The authors culled descriptive flavor words from over 5,000 published wine tasting notes written between 1995-2000 in a major Australian wine magazine.

This is the result:http://tashian.com/wine-flavors/

Awesome! xc

Quite frankly, this is a group who enjoys their wine.

Tasting it, talking about it, sharing it, laughing over it, learning about it, you name it, we just enjoy it. And there's certainly not a single wine professional amongst us - we're all happy amateurs (although we'll happily listen to anyone who knows what the heck they're talking about!!).

The anticipation of opening that bottle and experiencing the first taste, checking if it's still a glorious beauty or a ghastly beast is something you need to experience. The expression on faces, the anticipation, the cry out when it's a goodie - or a disaster - is hilarious.

Just when one committee member uttered the words that we may not get many more deads (gasp shock horror), out came to the event another four or five from the 1970's (with the top three deadest being amongst them). The rest were scattered through the 80's and 90's. We had over 30 bottles to the event!! And I still think there are more to unearth.

Now, at this particular Wake, thanks go to Marc for bringing along the Steve Maglieri, voted by (judge) Miles Crawley as the nights winner as being best taste, best preserved, best everything. The punters who got to sample it still have stars in their eyes. It was yummy.

The Woodley Burgandy (1970, 1Pint 6FL OZ) simply didn't have the same reaction from the crowd and (judge) Jim Manning agreed. The beautifully aged and tragic bottle had obviously lived a tough life, gone green around the edges and may have enjoyed a more welcome entry into the world if it had been opened in the 70's, when it was made. Alas a lost treasure. Brought to us by Sean, the singing Irishman, who was happy to just have a bottle to take part!! An awesome DEAD RED! A winner.

Stay tuned for the next event. Planned for February 2009!
xc

Photos will be posted to the wall.
Plus, check the new blog: http://deadreds.blogspot.com/

====================================
Big thanks to:
Jim Manning and Miles Crawley as judges

Steve Davis as our MC and roving mike. Love ya style !!!

Committee members on tables:
Karen Foster
Paul Prince
Darren Richards
Michelle Williams
Kay Walker
Lee Ryan
(sob that Steve Thomas couldn't join us)

Dana Malach who did a superb job with the photos on the night.

Bruce Gannon for his expert "Door Bitch" role. We all thought he was serious!! eeek.

The Earl venue
Mercato catering - nom
Willabrand nibbles - nom nom
Steve Davis coffee sampling - nom nom nom

and a special mention to Trevor Cologne (my man) who had to put up with me leading up to then event and did a great job of just being there when needed! He also did a supurb job as video guy on the night though (there's a lot of funny footage we're sorting through).

Investment Advice

If you had purchased $1000.00 of Nortel stock one year ago, it would now be worth $49.00.

With Enron, you would have had $16.50 left of the original $1000.00.

With WorldCom, you would have had less than $5.00 left.

If you had purchased $1000 of Delta Air Lines stock you would have $49.00 left.

But, if you had purchased $1,000.00 worth of beer/wine one year ago, drank all the beer/wine, then turned in the cans/bottles for the recycling REFUND in S.A, you would have had $214.00.

Based on the above, the best current investment advice is to Drink heavily and recycle.

Let people you care about know... and tell them to Start Now!!!

Dead Reds Wake 3 Update

So, what wine are you bringing? I know you all loved my 1966 Auldana St Henri Claret last time (not!!), so this time I thought I'd bring a 1984 Orlando Jacobs Creek Claret!! Can you top that? The challenge has been set!!

Let's see how we go. I've heard of bottles with floaties and even a Port called "Phark" that might get an opening... so, am excited!! Someone's got an 1998 Poet's Corner and we had a 1998 Lenz Moser Cabernet Franc somehow left over from the last event we'll open as well.

We also have our offical "door bitch" (Bruce) on hand who will be making sure each couple (pair) enters with a bottle. Don't panic, you won't be tossed out on your ear if you don't bring one - you will however be asked to purchase a $20 bottle from our wine supplier at the door (from Bruce). **Don't forget entry with any bottle is $10 per person.

Now, about the wine supplier. We have hooked up with a guy who will provide some fabulous wine deals on the night (and possibly into the future as well). So, you'll have a chance to have a taste on the night and order some... well worth it.

As always it takes a few extra players to make events like this fall into place. Previously we've had Yalumba, Toop & Toop, Piper Alderman lawyers, however for this round I'd like to acknowledge the following people and companies who have been outstanding in the support:

Firstly Karen and Princey from
http://www.princessfashionhouse.com
have been a great with contacts and event planning support. Thanks heaps!!

Dana has secured the produce of
http://www.willabrand.com
which will be there for tasting also on the night. Yummy - can't wait!!

and Steve is providing a coffee alternative. So, you need to give that a try on the night too. Yes, we'll have a barista and everything!!

Finally, we have catering by Mercato's (yum!!) http://www.ilmercato.com.au
and they've provided a donation towards the raffle.

Raffle? Yep, rather than the auction, we have a raffle with some wines and gift vouchers this time... all proceeds and profits from the night will go towards Breast and Prostate Cancer Research. Hence the boobs & balls name. Get it? ah haaa

Catch ya friday @ the Earl in Parkside, from 7pm. Don't be late!!
xc

ps there's an image on the event page and link to pub website to help with directions :)
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?profile&id=606666685#/group.php?gid=16116545564

Red wine is for drinking

Dead Reds Wine Group has been formed to celebrate (and send off) the “dead” red wines from our cellars. Do you have any in yours?

These are the wines we’ve been keeping for that special occasion but perhaps we’ve kept them a little too long. They are now ten years old, or older.

What do you do with such wine?

Wine that might still be a corker, or simply “corked”? Worry no more.

Bring out those Dead Reds to share with fellow wine hoarders and their beloved old drops, for an adventurous evening of wine tasting.

Some will be sublime. Some will be vinegar.

That’s what the night is all about.

A prize will be awarded to the deadest Dead Red and the most alive!

Join us and find out how old that bottle can go?

The next "Wake" is listed via FaceBook

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=28035571687&ref=ts

Welcome: Group Beginnings

On the eve of a special dinner party, which was to boast a Penfolds Grange, the challenge was set to find a wine that could match such a pedigree red. Alas, all the “special” old wines in the cellar were too old to risk. And that’s when the seed was planted for a special night dedicated to brave wine tasting – to boldly drink what should have already been boldly drunk!

The idea was shared on Facebook and the Dead Reds Wine Group now has over 150 members. Quarterly events are held called “Wakes”.

Wakes are evenings of sensory highs and lows, and animated conversation where you will hear such Dead Reds-inspired turns of phrase as:

Gnarly ancient Barossa vines produce treasures! Crawford

What is wine? Pleasure, pure pleasure! Gianluca

Nectar of god, hangover from hell. Trev

Makes boring people interesting beyond belief. Jeff

Winter, Cosy Fire, Red-in-hand, sweet desire! Fiona