Would you share your wine with a fly?

I'm with most of the rest of the guys. A fruit fly or two is no problem whatsoever. Houseflies are a different issue altogether.

I voted yes, but it somewhat depends on the bug. Gnats and smaller creatures are flicked out of the glass. If a palmetto bug plopped in, I might have second thoughts.

I'm male and, yes, I would. I rationalize that the alcohol would kill whatever god-awful stuff the fly is carrying. Now if one got caught in the last few drops, I'd probably just toss it.

I'm surprised that no one has questioned the premise that flies are dirty. Where is the evidence, folks? Yes, you've seen them clustering on various unsavory items, but just like cockroaches I expect that they're fairly fasitidious about personal hygiene, probably more so than most humans. I'd guess that the bacterial ecology of the wine glass itself isn't appreciably different from what you'd find on the fly. And, yes, I'd also expect the wine to take care of any bacteria or viruses that come from the fly.

Not that rational thought has much to do with people's reaction to insects in most instances...

Mark Lipton

Mark, it's worth mentioning that the common house fly can carry diseases; including typhoid fever, cholera, dysentery, and anthrax.

County agents here in New Jersey teach the same cautions that I learned from them in Wisconsin many years ago. For example,

Filth flies often feed and lay eggs on garbage, manure and carrion before contaminating human foods and food preparation surfaces by landing on them. When feeding, house flies regurgitate their stomach contents onto food to liquefy it before ingesting it. They also may contaminate food and surfaces by defecating on them.

More details from the Illinois Department of Public Health at, for example, [url=http://www.idph.state.il.us/envhealth/pcfilthflies.htm]this site.

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He won't drink much and the alcohol will kill anything harmful - LOL!! Just keep sipping. javascript:emoticon(':lol:')

I voted Yes for me, but also put a vote in as Yes (female) as the brains of the operation is very clear that in these situations it's her wine and no fly is going to lay claim to it.

On the subject of Cockroaches, I almost got the chance to eat one in Kakadu, Northern Territory (Australia). The Aussie ones smell like almond/marzipan when scared and apparently they taste the same when cooked. Someone 'liberated' the beast before it made it near the barbecue though I guess it would have to go some to beat the green-bottomed ants though, which are still the most refreshing thing I've ever tasted.

regards

Ian

"Just keep sipping."

Welcome, Paula -- great to see a new name here.

And, I love the thought, and try to emulate it every single day.

Regards, Bob

From wine drinking/fishing trips from the Amazon Basin to the Kenai Penisula to the Jungles of costa Rica there are lots of flying critters out there. Whether or not I would pour it out would depend on: 1. The value of the wine. 2. The ability to refill the glass with the same or better. 3. And how long had the party been going on when it happened.

I bartended for about 20 years down here in New Orleans, and anybody who ever has, knows that it is almost impossible to keep fruit flies out of some of the liquor bottles. Mostly the bourbon. You get over it.

[James Roscoe]

I bartended for about 20 years down here in New Orleans, and anybody who ever has, knows that it is almost impossible to keep fruit flies out of some of the liquor bottles. Mostly the bourbon. You get over it.

Excellent! Welcome both of you to the forum! We need some bartenders around here. Heck we could use any sane people around here.

This joke works better orally than in written form but:

Have you heard about the termite who walked into the bar and asked "Is the bartender here"

I'm not going to pretend that flies are fantastic, however as a winemaker I have seen what occasionally gets accidentally crushed (and not necessarily removed during fermentation , and I think flies are not the biggest concern, therefore, remove from the wine - Yes, then drink away.

Welcome Randy -- you've got a great deal of experience in the drinks world, it appears -- I don't remember another bartender with your experience on the site.

Chime in whenever you feel like doing so.

Regards, Bob

Bob Ross,
Like your use of the emoticons.

I've voted maybe, because, like others have pointed out, it depends on the size of the fly. I've flicked fruit flies out of the glass but if a house fly or blow fly landed in my glass (and they only way they'd do that would be if they were woozy from fly spray or sick or dying) then I'd definitely tip the icky contents out.

I shall draw the line at Scorpions.

With a Gnat or Mosquito , but very reluctantly with a Dragon Fly .

Not a problem for me. No reason to throw the bathwater out with the baby, fly that is.

Flies, and doubtless a lot worse, get into the wine even before fermentation. I read that there have been vine infestations so bad that the bugs actually affected the flavour of the finished product. So I see no logic in a 5 or 10 second rule.

Is there a statistician in the house? My stats are a bit rusty now, but from a quick eyeballing of the poll results I'd say there are no significant gender differences.

[Jenise]

I'm with you, Randy: among regular posters, females are a significant minority. We must have a lot more lady lurkers than we realize.

I cannot contain my outrage any longer. I am deeply offended by this post and all its ramifications. This is a clear insult to all gender-conflicted and alternative lifestyle people in the world. Or at least the wine world. Or at least this board.

Where are the slots for transgender people? Don't they get a vote? Don't they have a say in this? Why are we ignoring them as if they don't exist?

What if you're confused or conflicted about your sexual orientation? Shouldn't there, at the very least, be an "I'm not quite sure" or a "I'm a woman trapped in a man's body" or "I can't afford the surgery but I know I'm a woman whether I have a prominent Adam's Apple and excess body hair and a really deep voice or not."

And let's not forget the bi-sexuals either!!! Sure, they're not so much conflicted as they are interested in getting action from both sides (and maybe at the same time!). I mean, that's hot! Just think about... oh, sorry, got a little off track there.

Anyway, you get my point. Where's the outrage?

Flies, and doubtless a lot worse, get into the wine even before fermentation. I read that there have been vine infestations so bad that the bugs actually affected the flavour of the finished product. So I see no logic in a 5 or 10 second rule.

Is there a statistician in the house? My stats are a bit rusty now, but from a quick eyeballing of the poll results I'd say there are no significant gender differences.

If you ever had the distinct pleasure of tasting Ontario wines from a few vintages back, during the famous Ladybug infestation, you'd definitely sense the presence of bugs in wine. Every time we'd come across one in competitions it was immediately known---smelled exactly like peanut butter, oddly enough. Not nuanced, mind you, or a mere whiff, but like sticking your nose down into a jar of Jif.

Yep, from first hand experience I can tell you it's amazing sometimes how much insect and animal matter manages to find it's way into the old fermentation vat. Flying and crawling insects, arachnoids of varied types, snakes, field critters, birds...like making sausages: people usually don't want to know.