Epictetus

I have to admit that I did the same. Shortly after I knew I was being dishonest. It was an attempt to try to change my drinker identity, from problem binge drinker always finding bother, to wine connoisseur. I still binged and now my obsessive nature became obsessed about wine, videos, books, courses. It was a disguise, a lie. One I never admitted.

My wife says the minute I have one she can see the change in my face. Anyway don't mean to hijack the thread.....but

what's crappy about wine? It contains alcohol.

saoutchik

I was not a big wine drinker but of course I could be if that was what was available. I really disliked the way drinking too much of the stuff was normalised, wine o'clock etc. I think there has been some push back on that recently.

Daisybelle

Wine was my poison, I drank wine like it was going out of fashion,

Red wine stains, gives you dark teeth, a clown's mouth and the hangover from hell.

White wine is like acid, smells vile and rots your teeth.

Kaily

The worry that even a box is never enough...

MindfulMan

I was a WSET Level 3 Somm. My final alcohol binge cost at least $5000.

We used to do wine tasting parties with a big group of friends. I was usually the one who sipped, drank sensibly, and left sober enough to drive legally, every time. My friends were shocked when I was the one who ended up in rehab. What they didn't know was when I got home, I'd shakily down vodka until i.passed out cold. Every time.

I still go to wineries with this group....as the designated driver. As they taste, I smell. I can still do wine pairings using just my nose and eyes. I need someone to tell me about the acidity and tannins because I can't get that visually or through smell, the rest I can reconstruct. I'm really good at it.

Wine is a wonderful addition to life. For normies drinkers. I'm an alcoholic, so of course no matter how sensual, to me it's deadly poison. I haven't the slightest desire to drink it. But I don't need to deny others who are not problem drinkers the pleasure that wine can drink, nor do I resent them. It's a chapter in my life that is over.

I took another group of friends tasting in the Sierra foothills. One of the group is clearly an alcoholic. The rest got a little tipsy and had a good time.

Wine itself isn't inherently evil, but it is to us.

Tetrax

Urgh. The horrible box red wine I was drinking at the end (red so I could hide it in my room) still makes me gag to think about it. I was holding my breath and gulping it down the last time, I seem to recall. Jeez.

August252015

Sure, I drank wine and enjoyed it. Then I didn't - then I drank vodka and especially didn't enjoy it.

Focusing on the negatives of all that? Not helpful to me. So much more deliciousness to think about and enjoy. Like the coffee I have in the morning (too much) and the sparkling water with lime I drink all day long (wayyy too much but low sodium can be countered). All the spills, stains, sickness, et al is just .... my past.

Plenty of people- most- can enjoy the lovely parts about good wine. I can't. It's just fine. Next subject...

Preciousguppy

I think this is a good thread; if it’s useless to some, why not just move on.

I drank wine, hated everything about it, smell, taste, withdrawals, but didn’t care, wanted the buzz.

The mere sight of it makes me sick now; I’m pleased to be reminded.

gettingsmarter

I used to buy the cheap hangover juice by the jug and take huge chugs right from the jug. I sure was classy.

August252015

^^PG - because different thoughts are good...

noaddedsugar

STDragon

Drinking alone, hiding in some corner of the house, thinking no one knows, avoiding social gatherings, not remebering family events.... what a dark place.

DriGuy

I tried to keep my image intact by drinking the more expensive whisky. I had a friend in college who said his dad drank a lot, but the doctor said, it was OK, because he drank good whisky. What a load of nonsense! However, more expensive brands do give you a more expensive hangover.

WaterOx

Brave man. I simply cannot foresee a day in my future like this.

WaterOx

That's what I was thinking.

ZeroDawn

WeThinkNot

I only drank wine if there was nothing else available, I absolutely hated the stuff.

Years ago I took my ex up to Napa for a weekend getaway. During the tour our guide was telling us that wine could be paired with any type of food. I decided to be a wise ass and asked him which wine is good with bacon.

The guide took me up on the challenge and told me he had the perfect wine for it. He poured me a glass and...…..the wine tasted like bacon. I am absolutely not joking. How in the world you can make wine taste like bacon is beyond my comprehension but this place pulled it off. It was disgusting, just thinking about it now almost makes me retch.

lessgravity

There's plenty of people I met my life who have a fine appreciation of wine, indulging it responsibly and even if they over-consume sometimes, aren't problem drinkers like me. Towards the end of my drinking days one of my phases was a double bottle of the cheapest Pinot Grigio I could get. I would often also order a second, just in case two bottles of wine weren't enough.

That's not anyone else's problem but mine. Wine has a long and ancient history, going back to Roman times and so forth. My problem is my problem, it's not wine's fault.

Stayingsassy

I don’t get the romance of it. I used to avoid red wine because by the end of the evening my husband would comment on my teeth, I’d look in the mirror and I had a ghastly look: dark teeth, crimson cheeks, lazy eyes: I looked horrible. Shouldn’t we look good when we’re living it up? Lol.

Then beer is sedating and bloating and mixed drinks made me seriously crazy. Just cray. Paranoid, aggressive, weepy, unable to walk, imagining things, flights of fancy, just crazy **** that my husband, friends and random innocent bystanders had to put up with.

My drinking was essentially “inflicting myself on others.”

Oh right...wine. .

So I honestly have drifted from some friends because of their female obsession with wine. I am near wine country as well, near the foothills, Napa and some famous vineyards. It’s unreal out here. I can’t escape this ****. My friends don’t stop with it.. the wine talk, the get together aka wine binges with friends, the wine collections, the wine connoisseur ********. I decided to hang out more with certain folks at my gym, with some of the more intense programs, and some of the women my age, there is less “binging on alcohol” fantasy talk. It doesn’t jive. You can’t do 60 minutes of CrossFit after finishing off four bottles of wine with three girlfriends the night before. Trashing your body on the reg isn’t as common at my gym.

Sorry I’m just ranting again. .

Numblady

All the stupid pretentious “look how cheeky and bold we are, seriously are you noticing our awesomeness?” labels that people think are so clever....