Do I tend to repeat myself, repeat myself? But I do think that half class or quarter class is more than most people have. James, I'll try the Black Box and see what that's like. Thanks for the tip. And Kurt ... I cracked up at the story of your Italian friend and his lush wife. You're right, box wines sound like the perfect solution! He can get the wine cheap, not worry about the quality, and she gets to get polluted without any hassle!
P.S. One trick I learned from growing up in a dysfunctional family: Disguise everything. Tell your Italian friend that he can pour the wine into a carafe or an empty bottle and nine out of every ten people won't know the difference.:)