BiziBB

Dear FTers, particularly TB members:
Can I respectfully request that you consider, in light of the

• success of the Travel Photography subforum,
• 'Alcohol-free' TB thread; and
• flourishing alcohol-related threads in OMNI,

to move existing discussion of drinks to a diningbuzz subforum, or somewhere other than the present mixture of OMNI and DiningBuzz?

Need:

• I feel that I am (virtually) doing 'dry' FTers a disservice by reviewing drinking options in OMNI.
• This week's release of Grange is exciting for those of us who will be trying it now, or buying it as an investment / cellaring.
• Some global FTers have some interesting stories and topics, and it would be easier to locate these topics in a forum/subforum/thread than through thousands of OMNI topics each month.
• Liquids restrictions on flights and our global tastes generate questions on 'is it safe to pack xxx' and 'how/where to buy yyy'

Evidence: Techgirl's suggestion and gleff's evidence (thread links) speak more eloquently of the need than me.

Need I repeat other comments in other threads, that such a move could be analogous to the GLBT subforum (which seems to be humming along well).

OMNI (IMO) has been given a bad rap recently, and as this proposal is primarily related to the enjoyment and buying/transport/discussion of drinks enjoyed prior/during/after travel, I hope that you can consider that some of this discussion relates to enjoying a drink as a recreation somewhat connected to travel for business or pleasure - and deserves a place of its own.

FMH1964

I too would support such a forum. One topic that could be highly relevant for flyertalk users would be the comparison of duty free prices for alcoholic beverages at various airports. I am currently working in the wine trade and have been collecting since 1985.

the_traveler

I agree that a dirinks/beverage subforum is a great idea. Not everyone is OMNI eligible, and while we get a bad rap, why exclude those not eligible from contributing (or even seeing) discussions about drinks.

FT is worldwide, and members travel worldwide, so knowlege should be shared with all members, not just some members!

And why have some threads in OMNI, some in Dining, some in UA, some in LH, some in TravelBuzz, etc... - why not have them all in one place? If someone is interested, they will know where to look.

bhatnasx

Although the thread you've referenced is a few years old, I wouldn't see any problems with a subforum or a standalone Beverage type forum...and threads do show the need...

erdehoff

As a wine enthusiast who can't see the OMNI forum yet (and might not have time to seek out wine threads in that forum when I do), I think that's a great idea! ^

Cholula

You're only a week away from experiencing the wonders of OMNI.

So keep the faith.

In the meanwhile, I'm also a recently converted wine enthusiast.

When you've received OMNI access, why not start a thread titled something like "The Definitive Wine Discussion Thread" where we can all share our wine experience?

If and when a beverage forum/subforum is ever formed, we can switch the thread over there for all to share.

SanDiego1K

Is there anything that keeps us from having wine threads in the Dining forum? I've just looked at the descriptor, which says:

DiningBuzz!
A forum for general restaurant and bar discussion.

When I look at the topics, I see some that are food specific:

• Asparagus - is there a more delicious vegetable?
• Best Hot Dog
• Fish Sauce - oooomami!
• The Egg Thread

Why not a wine thread?

Most of the destination specific discussions have been moved to the destination forums, leaving the dining forum for the more general conversation. It seems to me to be the ideal place to discuss wine and alcohol, or brands of water, teas, coffee, or anything else beverage related.

gleff

In fact, a couple dozen results come up when I search the DiningBuzz forum for threads with "wine" in the title. ^

cblaisd

I agree completely.

BiziBB

If I have reviews of a particular wine or other beverage, independent of a location, is OMNI the best place, considering it is not tied to a particular bar, airline lounge, airline flight or city/destination restaurant?

If the particularly interesting experience happened in one of the above, do I post in the appropriate Travel & Dining Destination (e.g. Australaia/South Pacific), even though FTers may be interested in the topic independently of Sydney/Australia/South Pacific - or in the interest of the general FT readership do I post in OMNI or DiningBuzz?

Say I have tried one of gleff's nominated tipples in techgirl's original thread, which I did today... Penfolds Grange.

I tried it at a special event in Sydney, so Travel & Dining, Sydney/South Pacific might be the best existing place - but maybe OMNI will have a better, existing wine thread.

I suppose if nobody cares enough, nothing will be done, and it is up to me to hide it in the Australia travel forum or throw it into OMNI.
If we are all happy to leave things as they are, I suppose we can try FT Search and see if that is a better alternative to having drinks discussions in one place.

After thirtysomething shiraz tastings today, I am too cheerful to worry.

Cholula

Dining Buzz would also work for the thread and I considered it yesterday when I suggested OMNI.

The reason I went the OMNI route is that I envision this discussion/recommendation thread on wine to focus on collecting wines for personal consumption and not on just what wines to order with what foods when dining at X or Y restaurant.

I see this thread wandering all around the wine spectrum from what restaurants have the best wine lists to where to buy fine wines to discussions on new and unusual varietals, cellaring techniques, the latest in wine paraphernalia, whatever.

If this kind of a thread wouldn't be considered too general or off-topic for Dining Buzz then I'd be happy with it living there.

Be easier to find than in OMNI for sure.

SanDiego1K

Cholula, what you describe seems to me to be appropriate for the Dining Forum. Perhaps Talkboard could discuss whether to make the description of the forum clearer so that it is evident that it is acceptable to post there?

The current description says:

DiningBuzz!
A forum for general restaurant and bar discussion.

Perhaps even a simple change of bar to beverage would suffice? And since there is already food discussion, as apart from restaurant discussion, perhaps "A forum for general restaurant, food, and beverage discussion" would be even better.

It appears to me that we've got the necessary infrastructure, and simply need to give ourselves permission to take advantage of it. I've got no horse in this race, so if Talkboard thinks otherwise, so be it.

Cholula

Good suggestion and thanks for the input.

Let's see where this thread and the one on sober travelers leads and then we may be able to accommodate most everyone with just a few tweaks in existing forums.

BiziBB

Any improvement is appreciated, in not having to dig through several places, or to be confident that posting in DiningBuzz will be appropriate if it is not a place-specific topic.

I really enjoy this topic, obviously, but also see the value of more seasoned FTers' comments, as it is apparent that locating topics in good places can make a big difference to the exposure and response to any posting.

Perhaps the question is, 'what does having a drinks forum signify about us?' (just kidding )

the_traveler

We enjoy FT?