I think wine is about personal preference, and don't believe more expensive = better...
It was at a blind wine tasting that I realized 2 things:
1) I have cheap taste
2) alcohol is a social lubricant... At the beginning of the tasting, noone was talking to one another. Everyone was trying not to look stupid. By the end you couldn't keep people from talking, sharing opinions, getting to know one another. I guess what I am trying to say is... don't spit it out
Another thing I have noticed is that people influence how wine tastes...ok, maybe it is just me, but I have had the same bottle of wine with people that I love, and love to be around, and I have had it by myself... In good company, good wine tastes better.
That's all I got... I think if you had a different bottle of wine every day, you couldn't try them all... but I am still gonna try! Hope you do too.
I would say don't be afraid to ask questions, but I think you are already there
definitely will be trying out a whole bottle of coppolla's new wine, the blue label malbec, over dinner tomorrow night. as i mentioned earlier, got a taste of it recently and it was wonderful! however, was only a taste....were at the bar at our fave italian place, know everyone there, noticed the bottle and the bartender gave us a taste and had some damn fine interesting discussion about wines. already were into drinking mixed drinks tho that night.....so tomorrow will be the virgin bottle for us! can't wait!
....and 3 buck chuck isn't bad wine. The Shiraz and Chard have won many awards....including "double golds" for their respective classes. It kind of turn the wine industry on it's ear. A wine that scores 97+....for $3??? Wine snobs everywhere are probably in a panic! !
I love going to trader joes and getting the shiraz. for $2.50 i'm sold. I always have a few bottles sitting around.
Charlotte 00 Charlotte 03 Asheville 04 Atlanta 12 Greenville 16, Columbia 16 Seattle 18 Nashville 22
....and 3 buck chuck isn't bad wine. The Shiraz and Chard have won many awards....including "double golds" for their respective classes. It kind of turn the wine industry on it's ear. A wine that scores 97+....for $3??? Wine snobs everywhere are probably in a panic! !
I love going to trader joes and getting the shiraz. for $2.50 i'm sold. I always have a few bottles sitting around.
some day i must visit this utopia known as trader joes. :P have heard of it, know they are about...but there's really not one in a truly convenient location for us...so we've never gone, yet. someday........and a good bottle of wine for $3? sold!:D
i am sooooooo looking forward to kicking off the weekend with a nice bottle of mirassou pinot noir, $8.90, when i get home! it ain't the price, it's the taste!
If you live near a Whole Foods, check their website for awesome wine tastings....there is one in El Segundo, CA that has some sort of tasting every night...usually themed. They're about $10 for 5 tastings and there are yummy snacks to pair with for free :-) a few of us girls go every couple of weeks and it's a blast...i've learned a lot. i've done ports, stouts and chocolates, and various different wine tastings..highly recommend going if you can!
dunno what happened to my 'let's talk wine' thread :(...seems to have gone poof, or the search function isn't all that great, surprise, surprise.....;)
anyhoo....a nice inexpensive pinot noir - chilean - pepperwoodgrove. under $8 a bottle and goes down well. yum! looooovvvvvvveeessss me some pinot!
btw - i looked into it - trader joes in NY, not allowed to sell wine. forgot about that. bummer....
I've always enjoyed the Chilean Shiraz (I thought Shiraz was not just Aussie, but south of the equator? But what do I know? I'm a beer and vodka guy )
i think we've established that while shiraz may've originated as a term for a particular varietal of australian wine, that it indeed DOES refer to other regional wines....such as chilean, californian, whatever else....
i've obviously had australian shiraz, but also a few californian, and i too have had chilean shirazes. then i've had long island syrahs along with other regions of syrahs, which is bascially one and the same varietal, just different area of origination for the term. so sure syrah - france, shiraz - oz....but both terms are used for wines produces in other regions.
whew!
:P
i want me some wine! but i've been being *good*.....no drinkin M-Th. trying to limit to saturdays, sometimes a little on sundays....but fridays keep sneaking in too.
Just got back from my honeymoon, and the first 2 full days were spent in Napa/Sonoma. We tasted wines from 11 wineries, and shipped 20 bottles home.
Life is good.
congratulations!
sounds like a wonderful honeymoon!
some day mr. dream and i plan on hitting up the cali wineries too....sounds like an excellent way to spend some time off.
share any faves of the lovely bottles you picked up...
Word to the wise: the '07 Pinot Noirs from the Napa/Sonoma area are stellar. They had the best season in 30+ years. Most wineries have not released them yet, but be on the lookout for them when they come out in the fall.
It was a great honeymoon. We headed to Carmel after Napa, and then to Sausalito. 10 days of great weather and awesome scenery. I put more pictures on facebook then should be allowed by law.
Word to the wise: the '07 Pinot Noirs from the Napa/Sonoma area are stellar. They had the best season in 30+ years. Most wineries have not released them yet, but be on the lookout for them when they come out in the fall.
It was a great honeymoon. We headed to Carmel after Napa, and then to Sausalito. 10 days of great weather and awesome scenery. I put more pictures on facebook then should be allowed by law.
great pics - i especially love the fourth one....beautiful! 6th one.... ....cheers to you too!
ahhhhhhhh....good to hear about the pinot noirs as that is my MOST fave varietal, and i do seem to favor the calis....so that's great news. i am a big fan of coppolla wines in particular, but i drink just about anything. :P to keep my consumption under $10 a bottle for everyday, i usually buy mirassou pinot noir, a cali wine.
we did the wine tour thing out east on long island last september i think actually 2007...i posted pics somewhere on the board. haha. see if i still have em on my photobucket.....
I've been getting into Port wines lately, Anyone have any recomendations for a good relatively cheap one?
Unfortunately, 99% of the time cheap port = bad port.
agreed ... while it depnds on your definition of "cheap", port isn't really something you can skimp on. There is no "Two Buck Chuck" of ports.
These are two I've bought in a grocery store and liked ...
Can usually find this for about $18-20 a bottle (sometimes it's up around $30 ... your store's club card savings program may vary) ... they carry it at Safeway here. It's pretty decent. The 20 Year is good, but, obviously, more expensive.
For sweet wines, they actually sell this at Costco for about $25 ... and, it's like crack. Royal Tokaji
"You're one of the few Red Sox fans I don't mind." - Newch91
"I don't believe in damn curses. Wake up the damn Bambino and have me face him. Maybe I'll drill him in the ass." --- Pedro Martinez
For sweet wines, they actually sell this at Costco for about $25 ... and, it's like crack. Royal Tokaji
That's some good Hungarian sweet wine right there! I generally hate anything sweet, but definitely enjoy the Tokaji, and not just because I'm Hungarian..I prefer the Aszu..
'I want to hurry home to you
put on a slow, dumb show for you
and crack you up
so you can put a blue ribbon on my brain
god I'm very, very frightening
and I'll overdo it'
I used to be big on the Pinots, especially from Oregon, but it's hard to find a decent one under $15 or even $20. Currently the best red wine bang for my buck have been from Argentina. Very nice and you can often find one for under $10 that drinks like an expensive one..good luck out there kids..anyone try Recession Red?
'I want to hurry home to you
put on a slow, dumb show for you
and crack you up
so you can put a blue ribbon on my brain
god I'm very, very frightening
and I'll overdo it'
I am part owner and manager of a wine boutique store. I have to agree with an early post, don't worry about the cost, you can find some real bargains out there that really work and compliment your pallet.
If you're just getting into wine and want to try a red, start with a pinot noir. They are generally lighter wines and are for the most part non-offensive. I would suggest a pinot noir out of Chile.
Another poster mentioned Argentina for a place to look. These are by far the best bang for your buck these days. I make good margin on them and yet they are all under $25 Canadian! Malbec grape varietal is really hot right now! A really really good Malbec is called Catena.....we sell it for $24 and everybody comes back raving about it. Another great choice from Argentina is La Mascota Cabernet Sauvignon. It's a big body red and again it sells for under $25.
If you're more of a white wine drinker I would say stay with a Sauvignon Blanc out of New Zealand. Some great choices are Kim Crawford or Villa Maria! Both sell here for under $25.
If you like your Aussies red's, may I suggest trying anything by D'Arenberg or Peter Lehmann (my personal favourite wine maker). For high end stuff you can't go wrong with either winemaker, especially if you like Shiraz! Eight Songs by Lehmann $65 here or Dead Arm by D'Arenberg $75 are amazing Shiraz!
For the poster asking about Port. I really like Offley 20yr old. It sells for $55 Canadian so in the US that should be about $5
Hope this helps a little, if you have any questions anyone, don't hesitate to PM me
Adolescence in essence is all about trust.
Leaving is for the answering machine.
my only *point* was....there ARe winemakers outside of oz calling their syrahs/shirazes....shiraz. :P even sennin above refers to yet another cali winemaker and their shiraz. that was all. whether they are 'incorrect' to do so or not, point is....they ARe putting it on the bottle label....so indeed, there ARE wines not from oz that are called shiraz. whether they note it's a 'clone' or not.....still using the name. a rose by any other name would still smell just as sweet.
and Syrah.....is named for a region in France....where it originally came from. I'm not sure where 'shiraz' came from.
Well not exactly ... Syrah grape is actually produced mostly in Rhône area in France. Some of the famous wines from Rhône and made with syrah grapes are Croze-Hermitage, Châteauneuf du Pape, Côte Rôtie ... They are not pure syrah wines but blends which is often the case for french wines.
The name may be coming from a town in Iran named Shiraz where similar grapes were coming from. But ADN studies (that's crazy) revealed it's a combination of two other french grapes in Rhône area.
For those who like sweet wines for dessert or even with foie gras (he he he), I suggest to try Gewürztraminer and especially those with the appellation "vendanges tardives" (late harvest). Though they may be quite expensive outside France.
One of the best wine I had was coming from Napa Valley. It was a pinot noir but I can't remember from which wineyard.
Another excellent one was a Château Le Châtelet 1992 (Saint-Emilion Grand Cru from Bordeaux area) I received as a gift when I turned 30. I shared it with friends two years ago and that was just amazing.
I worked at a liquor store in the late 80's, and I bought a bunch of bottles of wine and kept them stored for 10-15 years......most of them were still good when I opened them.
If you have the self-control, buy a few bottles of cabernet and forget about them for 10 years....it'll make you like like a high-rolling pimp when you bust them out in 2019!
I worked at a liquor store in the late 80's, and I bought a bunch of bottles of wine and kept them stored for 10-15 years......most of them were still good when I opened them.
If you have the self-control, buy a few bottles of cabernet and forget about them for 10 years....it'll make you like like a high-rolling pimp when you bust them out in 2019!
Merlot By Berringer Founders Estate is good, and only $6-8 a bottle. Make sure it is the FOUNDERS ESTATE though as the other Berringer isnt that good. :-)
My friend was going to see Eddie last night. Since he was in Vegas, I gave him 5 Grand to gamble with. I told him I wanted it all to go on Black. Bastard! PhillyCrownOfThorns-11-2-12
Comments
It was at a blind wine tasting that I realized 2 things:
1) I have cheap taste
2) alcohol is a social lubricant... At the beginning of the tasting, noone was talking to one another. Everyone was trying not to look stupid. By the end you couldn't keep people from talking, sharing opinions, getting to know one another. I guess what I am trying to say is... don't spit it out
Another thing I have noticed is that people influence how wine tastes...ok, maybe it is just me, but I have had the same bottle of wine with people that I love, and love to be around, and I have had it by myself... In good company, good wine tastes better.
That's all I got... I think if you had a different bottle of wine every day, you couldn't try them all... but I am still gonna try! Hope you do too.
I would say don't be afraid to ask questions, but I think you are already there
Let's just breathe...
I am myself like you somehow
I love going to trader joes and getting the shiraz. for $2.50 i'm sold. I always have a few bottles sitting around.
Charlotte 03
Asheville 04
Atlanta 12
Greenville 16, Columbia 16
Seattle 18
Nashville 22
some day i must visit this utopia known as trader joes. :P have heard of it, know they are about...but there's really not one in a truly convenient location for us...so we've never gone, yet. someday........and a good bottle of wine for $3? sold!:D
i am sooooooo looking forward to kicking off the weekend with a nice bottle of mirassou pinot noir, $8.90, when i get home! it ain't the price, it's the taste!
Let's just breathe...
I am myself like you somehow
On a separate note, I drink my red wine at about 5C-10C, way below room temperature. Can't stand warm wine
Whatever you are, be a good one --Lincoln
anyhoo....a nice inexpensive pinot noir - chilean - pepperwoodgrove. under $8 a bottle and goes down well.
btw - i looked into it - trader joes in NY, not allowed to sell wine. forgot about that. bummer....
Let's just breathe...
I am myself like you somehow
i think we've established that while shiraz may've originated as a term for a particular varietal of australian wine, that it indeed DOES refer to other regional wines....such as chilean, californian, whatever else....
i've obviously had australian shiraz, but also a few californian, and i too have had chilean shirazes. then i've had long island syrahs along with other regions of syrahs, which is bascially one and the same varietal, just different area of origination for the term. so sure syrah - france, shiraz - oz....but both terms are used for wines produces in other regions.
whew!
:P
i want me some wine!
Let's just breathe...
I am myself like you somehow
Life is good.
Typo Man: "Thanks kidz, but remembir, stay in skool!"
congratulations!
sounds like a wonderful honeymoon!
some day mr. dream and i plan on hitting up the cali wineries too....sounds like an excellent way to spend some time off.
share any faves of the lovely bottles you picked up...
Let's just breathe...
I am myself like you somehow
Word to the wise: the '07 Pinot Noirs from the Napa/Sonoma area are stellar. They had the best season in 30+ years. Most wineries have not released them yet, but be on the lookout for them when they come out in the fall.
It was a great honeymoon. We headed to Carmel after Napa, and then to Sausalito. 10 days of great weather and awesome scenery. I put more pictures on facebook then should be allowed by law.
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=3 ... 1148441001
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=3 ... 1148441001
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=3 ... 1148441001
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=3 ... 1148441001
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=3 ... 1148441001
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=3 ... 1148441001
Just a taste
-B-
Typo Man: "Thanks kidz, but remembir, stay in skool!"
great pics - i especially love the fourth one....beautiful! 6th one....
ahhhhhhhh....good to hear about the pinot noirs as that is my MOST fave varietal, and i do seem to favor the calis....so that's great news. i am a big fan of coppolla wines in particular, but i drink just about anything. :P to keep my consumption under $10 a bottle for everyday, i usually buy mirassou pinot noir, a cali wine.
we did the wine tour thing out east on long island last september i think actually 2007...i posted pics somewhere on the board. haha. see if i still have em on my photobucket.....
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/d ... C06580.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/d ... gazebo.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/d ... nebarn.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/d ... yvines.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/d ... column.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/d ... eglass.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/d ... barrel.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/d ... wvines.jpg
thereya go!
Let's just breathe...
I am myself like you somehow
Typo Man: "Thanks kidz, but remembir, stay in skool!"
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=769776790&n=2
Unfortunately, 99% of the time cheap port = bad port.
Typo Man: "Thanks kidz, but remembir, stay in skool!"
agreed ... while it depnds on your definition of "cheap", port isn't really something you can skimp on. There is no "Two Buck Chuck" of ports.
These are two I've bought in a grocery store and liked ...
Can usually find this for about $18-20 a bottle (sometimes it's up around $30 ... your store's club card savings program may vary) ... they carry it at Safeway here. It's pretty decent. The 20 Year is good, but, obviously, more expensive.
For sweet wines, they actually sell this at Costco for about $25 ... and, it's like crack. Royal Tokaji
"I don't believe in damn curses. Wake up the damn Bambino and have me face him. Maybe I'll drill him in the ass." --- Pedro Martinez
Day 1:
http://www.frankfamilyvineyards.com/
http://www.summerswinery.com/
http://www.augustbriggswines.com/
http://www.jessupcellars.com/
http://www.hillfamilyestate.com/
Day 2:
http://www.moshinvineyards.com/
http://www.aristawinery.com/arista/index.jsp
http://www.mauritsonwines.com/
http://www.ferrari-carano.com/
+ 2 more tastings provided by the Wine Country Inn:
http://www.hagafen.com/hagafen/index.jsp
http://www.vengevineyards.com/venge/index.jsp
If you want a port worth killing for, checl out the Frank Family Zinfandel Port.
http://www.frankfamilyvineyards.com/ind ... ngState=MA
Is it cheap? God no. We bought a bottle and I think it cost us $65. But oh MAN is it tasty.
Typo Man: "Thanks kidz, but remembir, stay in skool!"
That's some good Hungarian sweet wine right there! I generally hate anything sweet, but definitely enjoy the Tokaji, and not just because I'm Hungarian..I prefer the Aszu..
put on a slow, dumb show for you
and crack you up
so you can put a blue ribbon on my brain
god I'm very, very frightening
and I'll overdo it'
put on a slow, dumb show for you
and crack you up
so you can put a blue ribbon on my brain
god I'm very, very frightening
and I'll overdo it'
Also can't go wrong with the Italian Brunello di Montalcino - usually a bit pricier, but worth it!
http://www.strummersphotography.com
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If you're just getting into wine and want to try a red, start with a pinot noir. They are generally lighter wines and are for the most part non-offensive. I would suggest a pinot noir out of Chile.
Another poster mentioned Argentina for a place to look. These are by far the best bang for your buck these days. I make good margin on them and yet they are all under $25 Canadian! Malbec grape varietal is really hot right now! A really really good Malbec is called Catena.....we sell it for $24 and everybody comes back raving about it. Another great choice from Argentina is La Mascota Cabernet Sauvignon. It's a big body red and again it sells for under $25.
If you're more of a white wine drinker I would say stay with a Sauvignon Blanc out of New Zealand. Some great choices are Kim Crawford or Villa Maria! Both sell here for under $25.
If you like your Aussies red's, may I suggest trying anything by D'Arenberg or Peter Lehmann (my personal favourite wine maker). For high end stuff you can't go wrong with either winemaker, especially if you like Shiraz! Eight Songs by Lehmann $65 here or Dead Arm by D'Arenberg $75 are amazing Shiraz!
For the poster asking about Port. I really like Offley 20yr old. It sells for $55 Canadian so in the US that should be about $5
Hope this helps a little, if you have any questions anyone, don't hesitate to PM me
Leaving is for the answering machine.
Well not exactly ... Syrah grape is actually produced mostly in Rhône area in France. Some of the famous wines from Rhône and made with syrah grapes are Croze-Hermitage, Châteauneuf du Pape, Côte Rôtie ... They are not pure syrah wines but blends which is often the case for french wines.
The name may be coming from a town in Iran named Shiraz where similar grapes were coming from. But ADN studies (that's crazy) revealed it's a combination of two other french grapes in Rhône area.
For those who like sweet wines for dessert or even with foie gras (he he he), I suggest to try Gewürztraminer and especially those with the appellation "vendanges tardives" (late harvest). Though they may be quite expensive outside France.
One of the best wine I had was coming from Napa Valley. It was a pinot noir but I can't remember from which wineyard.
Another excellent one was a Château Le Châtelet 1992 (Saint-Emilion Grand Cru from Bordeaux area) I received as a gift when I turned 30. I shared it with friends two years ago and that was just amazing.
the more you explore
the more you will find out
it's about finding your personal best tastes
mostly about what you prefer
quality & variety are key
alla that, and you'll be drunk more often
it's a win win situation
If you have the self-control, buy a few bottles of cabernet and forget about them for 10 years....it'll make you like like a high-rolling pimp when you bust them out in 2019!
it's all about the collection
surprise is a key factor
A good restaurant is a great sourse for wine recommendations. A waiter/waitress that knows their shit will never steer you wrong.
Our table wine J Lohr Cab.
Have put away a case of each to break out in 2018.
Hope they are still good.
Storing them in a cool, dark, slightly humid room in our basement.
Trip to Italy to see PJ last tour: Bologna, Turino, Pistoia. Great wine experience and wonderful concerts.
"Free Shipping" SPEEDY MCCREADY
My friend was going to see Eddie last night. Since he was in Vegas, I gave him 5 Grand to gamble with. I told him I wanted it all to go on Black. Bastard! PhillyCrownOfThorns-11-2-12