OT: calling all wine connoisseurs and wine snobs.

[Boozad]

 

Jack Daniels. I can drink it like water.

 

 

Oh man I drank a bottle and a half of JD on my 18th birthday and puked for England, now even the smell of the stuff makes me barf my ring up.

As for drinks it would be..

Beer: Carlsberg Export, Leffe (Blonde), Hoegaarden (1 Danish, 2 Belgian. Europeans!)

Whiskey: Glenfiddich or any highly priced single malt.

Wine: Turning Leaf, Jacob's Creek, Wolfblass - all red of course. Basically any new world red wine that costs more than £5 per bottle. Now that is something Europeans are at.

 

Speciality: Vodka, Khalua, Tia Maria, Guinness and Coke. All in the same pint glass.

[BrianR]

here in the niagara region, ice wine is the rage, insanely priced but tourists cant get enough

 

what's ice wine?

[szelim]

here in the niagara region, ice wine is the rage, insanely priced but tourists cant get enough

 

what's ice wine?

A type of dessert wine made from frozen grapes. Really sweet, not for me.

[seank]

Wine: Turning Leaf,

 

 

Swill.

[namisgr]

here in the niagara region, ice wine is the rage, insanely priced but tourists cant get enough

 

what's ice wine?

A type of dessert wine made from frozen grapes. Really sweet, not for me.

 

I agree - skip the ice wine and pour yourself a nice glass of port to have with dessert.

[nickwire]

ice wine is so thick, its like a syrup. much higher sugar content because the grapes cant be harvested unless its been minus 8 degrees for a minimum of 8 hours. no where near as much ice wine is made compared to regular wine so it costs a fortune

[FFB]

here in the niagara region, ice wine is the rage, insanely priced but tourists cant get enough

 

what's ice wine?

A type of dessert wine made from frozen grapes. Really sweet, not for me.

 

I agree - skip the ice wine and pour yourself a nice glass of port to have with dessert.

 

I think that depends on what you're having for dessert. If you're having a warm chocolate cake with a molten center, port is the way to go. But you wouldn't want to pair port with an apple tart. Ice wine and an apple tart is Same goes for lighter, fruit-based desserts. Port would overwhelm them, but ice wine can be a great complement.

 

And then there's the issue of ice wine not as a dessert wine, but as a pairing with seared fois gras. Absolutely heavenly!

[seanfingh]

Geverstraminer is another very sweet, but crisp white that pairs great with very spicy Thai and Sichuan foods.

[FFB]

A buddy of mine collects wine and swears by this stuff.

 

Screaming Eagle.

 

 

He's paying ten times what it's worth. Screaming Eagle is great wine, but it's no better than many, many other wines that sell for a small fraction of the price. The only reason it is as expensive as it is, is because it got "hot" at exactly the right time (in the early and mid-1990s) and was made in extremely limited qualities.

 

To me, Screaming Eagle is the epitome of the "ego" wine - one that people are buying because everyone else is impressed by it, and not because it is worth what is paid. It's one of the worst values on the market for wine.

[FFB]

I live in central California. I bartended my way through college in a high end fine dining restaurant and I have had a great love of wine for over 10 years. I have over 100 bottles around at any given time. I think for the money you cannot go wrong with California wines from the central cost Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo, etc. They can compete all day long with the Napa big boys but at a lesser price. Napa wines are world class but you pay extra for it being a Napa wine. Same thing for Sonoma but slightly less so.

 

It is hard to recommend a wine for someone when you don’t know their taste so I recommend that you just drink a bunch of wine. Get together with some friends and family, go to bevmo or Costco or wherever and pick up several bottles and have tasting parties.

 

I also go wine tasting at the wineries around Paso Robles a couple times a year and I am in several wine clubs.

 

In the end go with what you like, price does not mean all that much but I have to be honest, cheap wine can be good but it is still cheap wine. Like comic books there are deals to be had but you get what you pay for. I have paid $100.00 for a bottle I thought was garbage and I am drinking a $18 bottle right now that I think is heaven.

 

The only rule is that there are no rules, go with what you like!

 

Now I must return to my drinking.

 

One thing to add to this - I think the best way to get accustomed to wine when you're a beginner is to find a good, local wine store and talk to the owner. Tell the owner you're new to wine and want to become a regular customer, but that you're just learning the ropes. Give the owner an idea of what you want to spend per bottle and what kinds of wines you've liked in the past. The owner will know all of the wines he or she sells and can give great recommendations. They may even open and pour for you while you are in the store.

 

Most people don't do this because they're afraid of looking ignorant. Don't be. There is no shame in being a wine novice, or even if you're not a novice, there's no shame in not knowing everything. A big part of the fun in the wine hobby is learning something you didn't already know. I've been collecting wines for well over a decade and I still go to wine stores and ask the employees/owners for advice. I have been able to find some amazing wines before they were well known by doing this. In fact, it was a conversation with the employees of my favorite online wine store (www.avalonwine.com) that got me to sign up for the Quilceda Creek Vineyard mailing list about ten years ago - still the single best move I've ever made as a wine collector.

[FFB]

Any California Cabernet from a decent winery will do for starters. BV, Mondavi, Stag's Leap, and Beringer are not too expensive (as long as they aren't the Reserve varieties) and pretty reliable.

 

For more adventure, try an Australian Shiraz.

Australian wines are the best in my opinion. Napa is next.

 

The French might have a thing or two to say about that!

 

And the Californians.

 

And Paul Golitzin and Charles Smith up in Washington.

[FFB]

My favorite red,

Rosemount Estate Diamond Label Shiraz

 

not the 04

 

I haven't had a bad bottle yet....apparently (by luck), I've never encountered the '04

 

Thanks for the heads up, I'll avoid it (thumbs u

 

I've had quite a bit of the 2004. There's absolutely nothing wrong with it. Is it the greatest wine ever? No, but they make almost a half million cases of it. It is remarkably good for a wine made in such quantities. It is a very good value wine for everyday drinking.

[FFB]

For high bang/buck ratio try Portuguese wines, I've tried some really great bottles for under $10. Also, non-Portuguese but one of my favorite reasonably-priced wines is Parducci's Pinot Noir.

 

Great advice. Portugal is making some wonderful whites and reds these days, aside from the Port wines that made them famous. Spanish wines are great, too. I love rioja, ribera del duero, viura, and albarino.

[FFB]

Any California Cabernet from a decent winery will do for starters. BV, Mondavi, Stag's Leap, and Beringer are not too expensive (as long as they aren't the Reserve varieties) and pretty reliable.

 

For more adventure, try an Australian Shiraz.

Australian wines are the best in my opinion. Napa is next.

 

Austailian wines CANNOT hold a candle to California wines, inclusive of Sonoma and other regions...so there!

 

(NOTE: This is not an opinion...this is a FACT!)

 

Can you name a single California syrah that could compare favorably with Penfolds Grange?

 

No. And THAT is a FACT.

 

Dollar for dollar, Australia blows away Napa for value. It's not even close.

[FFB]

I really dont know the differences between cabernet , merlot , shiraz or chianti. So every body if you will post up your top 3 or 5 of each if you will. I will be hitting up specs tomorrow for a couple of bottles.

 

A buddy of mine collects wine and swears by this stuff.

 

Screaming Eagle.

 

 

You might want to try a good Bryant Family cab as well...$1000 and up for many vintages in most restaurants...

http://www.winezap.com/Bryant-Family-Vineyard-Cabernet-Sauvignon/0/2884

 

Thats a little too rich for my blood.

 

What is your price range?

[FFB]

I really dont know the differences between cabernet , merlot , shiraz or chianti. So every body if you will post up your top 3 or 5 of each if you will. I will be hitting up specs tomorrow for a couple of bottles.

 

 

Merlot: fruitier and a bit sweeter

Cabernet: Dry

Shiraz/Sirah (Same grape): berries and pepper

Chianti: between Cabernet and Sirah.

 

In order from sweetest to dryest: Merlot, Chianti, Sirah, Cabernet.

 

Sorry Sean, but this doesn't make sense. All four of those are "dry" wines, meaning they are fermented until there is no residual sugar in them. I think you are mistaking "fruitiness" for "sweetness." There is a big difference. Taste a Sauternes next to a dry white bourdeaux and you'll see what I mean.

 

Even based on fruitiness, there is no way you can say that those four wines would rank in that order. All four of those wines can have tremendous fruit. Different producers using the same grape varietals can make very different tasting wines in different styles depending on many factors such as ripening/harvest date, quality of the grapes, terroir, vineyard management, winemaking techniques, tannin management, and innumerable other factors. I've had cabernet that was lighter bodied than syrah, and I've had merlots that were fuller bodied and more tannic than some cabernet sauvignons.

 

Pinot Noir and Red Zinfandel are in the middle of that scale, in that order, between Chianti and Sirah.

 

Pinot noir is usually the lightest bodied varietal among the commonly found varietals (I'm excluding gamay and some others and focusing only on the most common varietals in the US), although some producers make fuller bodied, more extracted pinot noir. Zinfandels are usually high in alcohol, very ripe, and very dark in color, but not tannic.

 

 

Best to find a good local wine store/source and ask lots of questions. If they act snooty, get the hell out of there and go somewhere else.

 

Agreed. (thumbs u

[FFB]

Well, Cata, while there have been many recommendations two important things are letting the red wine breath (this was brought up) but also serving it at the right temperature.

 

As far as breathing the wine can be decanted or it can be poured from several inches above the glass (aim for the center). Check Goolge for "letting wine breath" for tips.

 

Then with temperature, the old adage that red wine should be served at "room temperature" should be discarded unless you live in a castle or a cave!

 

Depending on the wine the serving temperature for reds can vary from about 59F to 68F. Just hit Google and search on "red wine temperature" and you'll find many hits on the first page that will break this down for you. It is actually better to serve it a little on the colder side of the range as it will soon warm up in the glass.

 

I remember being at an Italian restaraunt on one of San Francisco's rare very warm (about 90) days. The restaraunt was hot and, I ordered a bottle of red first thing. As I suspected, it was as hot as the room. A guaranteed "alcohol" hit that is very unpleasant. They were a bit confused when I sent it back to be refirgerated for about 20 minutes. Never went back there - was in Portrero area.

 

So it IS possible that some of the wines you have tried may actually be much more to your liking if they are allowed to breath properly and are served at the right temperature.

 

Also - do not try to be sophisticated by cupping the wine glass in your palm. All that does is warm the wine up.

 

 

Great advice.

[FFB]

Is collecting OK? My small collection of Mouton Rothschild wines:

 

 

1986!!!!! That one is a keeper!

 

You'll want to drink up that 1992 ASAP. It's probably too old already.

 

It's time to drink the 1985s and 1987, too. Tick tock, tick tock.

[PovertyRow]

Tick tock, tick tock.

 

Hannibal?

[P Keel]

I live in central California. I bartended my way through college in a high end fine dining restaurant and I have had a great love of wine for over 10 years. I have over 100 bottles around at any given time. I think for the money you cannot go wrong with California wines from the central cost Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo, etc. They can compete all day long with the Napa big boys but at a lesser price. Napa wines are world class but you pay extra for it being a Napa wine. Same thing for Sonoma but slightly less so.

 

It is hard to recommend a wine for someone when you don’t know their taste so I recommend that you just drink a bunch of wine. Get together with some friends and family, go to bevmo or Costco or wherever and pick up several bottles and have tasting parties.

 

I also go wine tasting at the wineries around Paso Robles a couple times a year and I am in several wine clubs.

 

In the end go with what you like, price does not mean all that much but I have to be honest, cheap wine can be good but it is still cheap wine. Like comic books there are deals to be had but you get what you pay for. I have paid $100.00 for a bottle I thought was garbage and I am drinking a $18 bottle right now that I think is heaven.

 

The only rule is that there are no rules, go with what you like!

 

Now I must return to my drinking.

 

One thing to add to this - I think the best way to get accustomed to wine when you're a beginner is to find a good, local wine store and talk to the owner. Tell the owner you're new to wine and want to become a regular customer, but that you're just learning the ropes. Give the owner an idea of what you want to spend per bottle and what kinds of wines you've liked in the past. The owner will know all of the wines he or she sells and can give great recommendations. They may even open and pour for you while you are in the store.

 

Most people don't do this because they're afraid of looking ignorant. Don't be. There is no shame in being a wine novice, or even if you're not a novice, there's no shame in not knowing everything. A big part of the fun in the wine hobby is learning something you didn't already know. I've been collecting wines for well over a decade and I still go to wine stores and ask the employees/owners for advice. I have been able to find some amazing wines before they were well known by doing this. In fact, it was a conversation with the employees of my favorite online wine store (www.avalonwine.com) that got me to sign up for the Quilceda Creek Vineyard mailing list about ten years ago - still the single best move I've ever made as a wine collector.