Wine Society

Ha ha ha! :D and a good time was had by all.

Yeah, well - if you're the kind of person (ref. the other thread today) that finds all wo/men sexy once drunk, that's not such a bad thing.

What's important is that there actually WAS a 'drinking society' to go to.

:p

An image from the last time I went to a drinking society :(

Okay, now 2 votes in this thread for the Ritz. Must look in! Thanks, Marycatherine.

The Ritz Carlton has a wine tasting/pairing club

Boo.... your rules are no fun :(

Who made the initiation rules? Initiation rites (and rights) are restricted to invited members :p

Ok ok I will join your group, Now for my initiation send me 2 bottles :(

Thanks Chairboy, but I'll have to wait till I'm more Qatar-wise, it seems :( This thread has scared off the wine-activity-initiative in me.

The thirst is another thing, though ;)

So which, according to you, IS a decent place (choice and cost-wise) to go to for wine? (I knew of Cellar and I know now of La Mer)

Brew your own ..... :O)

Choc - on all of your points, you wont find an argument with me - I would totally support such a venture. If you go firm with the idea, please feel free to get in touch.

Chairboy - this is still a newbie speaking. While I'm slowly getting a fair idea of what's available, I am still far from an expert of the bars here and their offerings. I've been to all of 4 or 5.

And yes, the cost is abominable. But the choice and the costs we'd have to live with anyway. I was asking about a wine club with organised activities simply because it would make it all a bit more fun.

(I've been to oenologist school, so it would have also kept me in practice. Okay, that's just an excuse :))

"I tell you why, chocaholic: there isn't any good assortment of wine available in Qatar. But go ahead and start your 'club' with Australian and South African 'wine.'"

Ah at last the sun comes shining through!!!! Choice as LP says and cost as I say indicate that there is no new ground to cover here - are you REALLY going to pay nearly QR400 for a fairly ordinary bottle of Gevrey to share with your friends or QR550 for a bottle of Montrachet for that bloke down the road .... well, maybe - who knows.

He he, that bit is true, LP :) I've seen the assortment usually available. Rather sad. And the prices are abominable!

However, I believe that to a certain extent, the range is up to the hotels. Four Seasons, for example, has a lot of labels that are 'exclusive' imports. (Needless to say, those are French and Italian ones.) I'm assuming that they have a set limit for exclusive imports, of course.

I have tasted here is like drinking frogs piss but alot more expensive!

I tell you why, chocaholic: there isn't any good assortment of wine available in Qatar. But go ahead and start your 'club' with Australian and South African 'wine.'

Welcome to Qatar. They unilaterally pass a law and then depending on the response of the locals they may pass another one that appears to make no sense, but appeases somebody.

There was a notice posted in the Ramada about this law allowing qataris to be served in national dress a while back.

LP - then that brings me back to my original question : why can't there be a Wine Club? (Okay, I should've used the word 'club' right away :) )

Chairboy, I don't go to hotels. But when I used to do it, all my Qatari friends wore western clothes. Maybe now it doesn't matter anymore. Did we get it?

Nobody can drink publicly. The hotel establishments that serve alcohol are named "Clubs". You have to have membership. And then it's not public anymore.

LP - you need to move your roadshow to the Mercure Hotel and the Manor Bar for a little bit of enlightenment - got it??

Expat - Really?! Hadn't heard of that! Then why do the bars so scrupulously check our passports?!

Removed....

Chairboy, no 'drinking' Qatari wears a thobe! Got it?

It was a big shock for me because when I lived here prior to the Asian games, Qataris could not be served alcohol in bars or restaurants, at least if the servers knew they were Qatari. Now it has changed.

LP - I'm sure a Qatari can drink like everybody else, but he can't drink PUBLICLY/legally, can he?

well chocaholic as i've said hehehehe this is his country :D

"A Qatari can drink as everybody. Only Allah will judge him if he is a Muslim."

Nationals in full gear have been banned for some time from even entering the Ramada bars let alone drinking - looks like the Ramada management got in there just before allah in the judging stakes .........sorry, off thread slightly.

Oh brit, you spoil every thread.

I mean the men. Not the women in abayas.

Somwer - I get the point :)

But I'm wondering more about the bar's standing in this. And aren't they taking a risk in circumstances like this?

A Wine a day, Keeps you Fine ! :(

you cannot provide alcohol for anyone else (Qatari or not). One could technically have BYO parties but then you are not allowed to travel with alcohol. It must be brought straight home from QDC within a specific time frame (within 2 hours from purchase, I think).

Nothing to explain. A Qatari can drink as everybody. Only Allah will judge him if he is a Muslim.

No need to explain chocaholic, if he's local then let it be :)

LP, you're going to be banned for saying that :p

Speaking of which, I saw a man in full thobe, alone in a bar. And I saw him drain 2 bottles of a red wine. He was speaking to an Australian next to him, and from the snatches of conversation that I heard, he seemed local.

This was a public place, mind you. How does one explain that?

Qatari ones drink the most.

The whole of QL is a 'beer group'?

...what if you have, among your other guests, Qatari ones?

Just asking.

There is such a group... but We kinda focus on Beer... ;)

I've been to 'grow shops' and the Hemp Museum.

Interesting!

But then, that was Berlin.

:)

to purchase alcohol for the consumption of the permit bearer. Technically speaking you can't even serve it to your guests (although this is not enforced).

chocaholic,

lol

Thanks, Nic, I'm getting there :) Unfortunately.

A Hemp Group LP ;p

Deal, can we discuss growing marihuana here?

but can be discussed for an internal use ;b

Wine is 'haram' according to Islamic law. Qatar is an Islamic country (?). Therefore anything connected with wine cannot be publicized.

chocaholic ,

i have tried to warn you... slowly, you'll get what i meant ;)

whine group would always be whining about wine in a demanding way!!

Plenty of whine groups, yes. Only wish they were as entertaining :)

I'm surprised at what you say about the groups on QL, really. I thought (hoped?) it was more liberal than that.

Does that also mean that a hotel cannot advertise (in magazines or newspapers) a wine evening?

'Whine group' yes, but not a 'wine group'.

I am sure that a 'wine group' cannot be advertized on QL.

Thanks, Pilgram! I thought the Cellar at Oryx Rotana was the only wine bar.

LP, I meant 'group' like the groups that are listed on QL. Do they have a legal status?!

The Wine Bar at La Mer in the Ritz Carlton hosts wine nights, where they do all the things you mentioned. Just call the Ritz Carlton.

lp, weather is gonna change soon, you will see wine at any coldstore, it would be called no more illegal!!

You're talking about a 'group/organization'. They definitely have a legal status. That would make it illegal. At home you can do what you want.

Illegal? Why?!

Wouldn't entry be based on Alcohol Permit/Passport, like at the bars?

Are there actually laws governing private groups?!

Such a group would simply be illegal!