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Thread: PE wine dork thread

  1. #51
    Member Vic2012's Avatar
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    I might have a corkscrew around somewhere. .....

  2. #52
    Member Teddy Vengeance's Avatar
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    Has anyone here tried any of those Georgian wines, the ones buried in a qvevri? I’m not sure what to make of them. Dusty, ashen. The wine version of lambic beer.

  3. #53
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    This evening I am going to open a bottle of Argentinian Tempranillo, which I have never tried before. It's from the large Mendoza region. In the past I have tended to try their Malbecs (which I like a lot) and the occasional Cab Sauv (okay), but I hadn't really come across a Tempranillo from there, so I was curious and picked up a bottle. We'll see how they fare against the dominant Spanish varieties - I've been a big fan of the Riojas I've tried since learning more of them right here on PE.
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  4. #54
    Member Sputnik's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Progatron View Post
    This evening I am going to open a bottle of Argentinian Tempranillo, which I have never tried before. It's from the large Mendoza region. In the past I have tended to try their Malbecs (which I like a lot) and the occasional Cab Sauv (okay), but I hadn't really come across a Tempranillo from there, so I was curious and picked up a bottle. We'll see how they fare against the dominant Spanish varieties - I've been a big fan of the Riojas I've tried since learning more of them right here on PE.
    If you like it, let us know what you had. The Mendoza region is fantastic. I'd basically try anything from there, Malbec and Carmenere in particular, though I imagine the Tempranillo would be great as well!

    Cheers!

    Bill

  5. #55
    Insect Overlord Progatron's Avatar
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    Sure Bill, it's a 2014 Zuccardi Q - and it's very nice so far! I suspect it would be better after a couple of years of aging, but it's still enjoyable. I had read that it was fairly tannic but I actually don't find that at all. I find that it's a bit on the juicy side actually... spicy too, with plums, strawberries, chocolate... at first I was concerned about a sharp alcohol in the nose, but as it breathed a bit it calmed down. I'm fairly confident you would like it, I'm glad I gave it a try, and I'll likely grab another if they still have it when I go next week.

    I find that I am an easy sell with the hotter climate wines. Some of those Chilean Syrahs I think I mentioned before are just outstanding.
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  6. #56
    Member Sputnik's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Progatron View Post
    Sure Bill, it's a 2014 Zuccardi Q - and it's very nice so far! I suspect it would be better after a couple of years of aging, but it's still enjoyable. I had read that it was fairly tannic but I actually don't find that at all. I find that it's a bit on the juicy side actually... spicy too, with plums, strawberries, chocolate... at first I was concerned about a sharp alcohol in the nose, but as it breathed a bit it calmed down. I'm fairly confident you would like it, I'm glad I gave it a try, and I'll likely grab another if they still have it when I go next week.

    I find that I am an easy sell with the hotter climate wines. Some of those Chilean Syrahs I think I mentioned before are just outstanding.
    Sweet! Sounds up my alley, I'll look for it.

    Did you decant it? If you pour the wine into a decanter about an hour before drinking, it will calm it down considerably; much as you noted it did anyway, but perhaps even more. I decant all my young reds, which is pretty much all my reds, and I find it improves them tremendously.

    I'm totally with you on the Chilean wines as well, though I'm not a huge fan of Syrah by itself. Chilean Carmeneres are generally great, and almost always a great value because nobody knows how great they are.

    Bill

  7. #57
    Insect Overlord Progatron's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sputnik View Post
    Did you decant it? If you pour the wine into a decanter about an hour before drinking, it will calm it down considerably; much as you noted it did anyway, but perhaps even more.
    Yes, always! In my big, lurching decanter that looks like a piece of modern art. It aerates it beautifully, but next to the Zalto glasses, it's definitely something that calls out for a more elegant 'upgrade'.
    Interviewer of reprobate ne'er-do-well musicians of the long-haired rock n' roll persuasion at: www.velvetthunder.co.uk and former scribe at Classic Rock Society. Only vaguely aware of anything other than music.

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  8. #58
    Member Sputnik's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Progatron View Post
    Yes, always! In my big, lurching decanter that looks like a piece of modern art. It aerates it beautifully, but next to the Zalto glasses, it's definitely something that calls out for a more elegant 'upgrade'.
    LOL! As long as it works (though in honesty I upgraded from a similar decanter for similar reasons... proving I have truly moved into wine-dorkdom)!

    Bill

  9. #59
    Insect Overlord Progatron's Avatar
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    My wife went to the "Muddy Paws" wine festival today in Niagara, an outdoor wine lovers festival where people are encouraged to bring their (well behaved) dogs. There's also a small forested hike between two of the wineries that partake in it. I don't know what she was more excited about - relaxing with wine on the winery grounds on a beautiful July day, or the fun of meeting and playing with literally hundreds of happy dogs!

    Anyway, tonight we opened a lovely 2017 Pinot Noir from Meiomi in California. Far deeper in colour, more opaque, and silkier in texture than I am used to from Pinots, this one is a real delight! Dark cherry and mocha flavours slightly dominate the usual strawberry, and a host of other smaller flavours could be found as the wine breathed more. Personally, I found it quite exquisite as far as Pinots go. I often find them pleasant, but a bit too light for my tastes - not so with this one. My wife remarked that it would be fun to stump someone taking their Sommelier's exam by asking them to taste and identify this one.
    Interviewer of reprobate ne'er-do-well musicians of the long-haired rock n' roll persuasion at: www.velvetthunder.co.uk and former scribe at Classic Rock Society. Only vaguely aware of anything other than music.

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    Sarotto
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  11. #61
    Insect Overlord Progatron's Avatar
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    So I've had two more bottles of the Meiomi Pinot. It's been a while since I've gone into repeats so quickly! But I really do love it.

    Also enjoyed a big, bold, juicy Monastrell by Finca Bacara called Time Waits For No One (with an amusing skull-and-crossbones label). Wow! It's jam-packed with flavour and just about everything else a bold red can have. It's like drinking a big basket of dark berries. I am definitely seeking out another bottle before they're gone from the local shelves.
    Interviewer of reprobate ne'er-do-well musicians of the long-haired rock n' roll persuasion at: www.velvetthunder.co.uk and former scribe at Classic Rock Society. Only vaguely aware of anything other than music.

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    Currently enjoying a bottle of 2013 Rocca Sveva Valpolicella Superiore Ripasso... this is really nice. Powerful nose of cherries and vanilla with a plum and blackberry flavour. Silky and juicy! Like it a lot.
    Interviewer of reprobate ne'er-do-well musicians of the long-haired rock n' roll persuasion at: www.velvetthunder.co.uk and former scribe at Classic Rock Society. Only vaguely aware of anything other than music.

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  13. #63
    Member Sputnik's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Progatron View Post
    Currently enjoying a bottle of 2013 Rocca Sveva Valpolicella Superiore Ripasso... this is really nice. Powerful nose of cherries and vanilla with a plum and blackberry flavour. Silky and juicy! Like it a lot.
    Valpolicella is such an under-rated wine in North America. This one sounds lovely, I'm going to make note and look around for it. Good call!

    Tonight we're having a La Cattura Tuscan red with lamb. It is 90% teroldego, 10% syrah, unusual for Tuscany, but not for this little region, which I gather is closer to the coast. We've had this before, but never with lamb, so if this is a good pairing we're going to get more.

    Bill

  14. #64
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sputnik View Post
    Tonight we're having a La Cattura Tuscan red with lamb. It is 90% teroldego, 10% syrah, unusual for Tuscany, but not for this little region, which I gather is closer to the coast. We've had this before, but never with lamb, so if this is a good pairing we're going to get more.
    Interesting, Bill, I've never had teroldego!
    Interviewer of reprobate ne'er-do-well musicians of the long-haired rock n' roll persuasion at: www.velvetthunder.co.uk and former scribe at Classic Rock Society. Only vaguely aware of anything other than music.

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  15. #65
    Member Sputnik's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Progatron View Post
    Interesting, Bill, I've never had teroldego!
    Well, don't go crazy looking for one just yet. The bottle we had tonight was terrible, and I actually think it was a bad bottle. I remember the wine being much different, and tonight's bottle was watery and virtually tasteless. We don't get many bad bottles, but I'm almost certain this was one. It's not a pricey wine, so I'm not crying about it (we cracked a nice Portuguese wine as a replacement and it was fine). But I might mention it to our guy at the store we bought it, and if he's willing to replace it, I'll give it another shot. Otherwise... there's lots of other fish in the sea.

    On another subject, we succumbed to Facebook marketing and actually joined Naked Wines. So far, I have to say, it's been quite good. The Portuguese wine we drank tonight was from them. We gotten 18 bottles so far and I think the average price we've paid is about $6/bottle. Haven't loved everything we've had, but nothing has been awful and we liked some enough to buy more. And surely all have been worth more than $6/bottle. Anyone else do a wine club or have experience with Naked Wines?

    Bill

  16. #66
    Insect Overlord Progatron's Avatar
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    I've never joined one of those clubs, but I must say for six bucks a bottle, I also wouldn't complain about a lackluster performer. We ended up watching a movie after dinner, so we are on to another bottle - you guessed it, it's the Meiomi Pinot. I couldn't oversell this wine if I tried.

    We've also been watching and enjoying Vine Talk, hosted by Stanley Tucci - a rather enjoyable (if 'fluffy') series. I don't learn a lot from it, but it's a good bit of fun for the wine lover all the same.
    Interviewer of reprobate ne'er-do-well musicians of the long-haired rock n' roll persuasion at: www.velvetthunder.co.uk and former scribe at Classic Rock Society. Only vaguely aware of anything other than music.

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  17. #67
    That's Mr. to you, Sir!! Trane's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Teddy Vengeance View Post
    Any other fans of the noble grape here? I’m interested in hearing about favorite styles, grapes, locales, defining experiences.
    Couldn't you have said cork instead of dork on the title??

    Quote Originally Posted by Progatron View Post
    Barolo, Amarone, Carmenere, Cabernet Franc
    While I'm just discovering the Amarone wines, those other three are my fave vines for making wines, along with Pinot Noir (Bourgogne) and Pinot Gris (ex-Tokay) for whites

    Carmenere are particularly interesting (I've never drank a Chilean Carmenere I didn't think was excellent or even "not ready to drink yet", but I've yet to taste a non-chilean Carmenere

    As for the Cabarnet Franc, it's my utmost faves when made correctly in Chinon, Saumur Champigny or St Nicolas De Bourgueil

    Quote Originally Posted by Zeuhlmate View Post
    Southafrican and Australian wines are generally not my favorites either.
    Can't drink the South African wines, and it's the main percentage (+/- 50%) on offer in the Netherlands
    As for the Australians, I don't like how they do wines: they make them according to survey and taste sessions about how the public likes them, and this gives very drinkable wines, but without any "soul" (Jacob's Creek was really good at first in the early/mid 90's not matter the vine sort, but grew very average the next decade)
    Last edited by Trane; 08-17-2019 at 07:52 AM.
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  18. #68
    Insect Overlord Progatron's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Trane View Post
    Carmenere are particularly interesting (I've never drank a Chilean Carmenere I didn't think was excellent or even "not ready to drink yet), but I've yet to taste a non-chilean Carmenere
    I believe the vast majority of them are now produced in Chile, despite originating in France, and made in small quantities elsewhere. Which is fine, because I too love (or at least really like) every one I've ever tried from there. I'm a big fan of a lot of the Chilean and Argentinian wines in general, they tend to appeal to me. Give Chilean Syrah a try if you haven't - those are splendid.
    Interviewer of reprobate ne'er-do-well musicians of the long-haired rock n' roll persuasion at: www.velvetthunder.co.uk and former scribe at Classic Rock Society. Only vaguely aware of anything other than music.

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  19. #69
    That's Mr. to you, Sir!! Trane's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Progatron View Post
    If you are not going to drink the whole bottle, you can re-cork it and put it in the fridge to help keep it fresh for a few days. It won't keep forever though, the oxidation has already begun. And make sure you pull it from the fridge in plenty of time to have it at or near room temperature when it comes time to drink it again. Some serious wine drinkers out there think red wine should have a very slight chill - full-on room temperature is too warm. I'm not one of those people, but opinions vary of course.
    Red wines are to be drunk at once, because even those vaccuum pumps (like the Vacu-vin) don't really work once the bottle's been opened... The next day won't be the same. This can help with "closed" red wines, working a bit like a decanter.
    I'm not a fan of fridging red wines, but cellar temperatures are always better than living-room temperature (u-you can always stock your bottle horiziontalon the ground (especially it tiled) before opening it in a dark corner of the kitchen

    However dry white wines support quite well a couple of days in the fridge with the vaccuum pump.
    Sweet white wines don't even need to be recorked when going back in the frudge (but of course it's better to avoid food odor transfers)

    Quote Originally Posted by Vic2012 View Post
    I might have a corkscrew around somewhere. .....
    Don't you have a Victorinox Swiss army knife somewhere??

    Quote Originally Posted by Sputnik View Post
    Chilean Carmeneres are generally great, and almost always a great value because nobody knows how great they are.
    Indeed, there is a weird twist to that vine's story

    It's actually a minor french-origined vine (apparently from the Bordeaux area) that got planted in Chili in the early 1800, but when the phyloxera wiped out most or all of Europe's vines, most of the vines transplanted across the planet made the trip back home.... except the Carmenere, that was forgotten about. Even the Chileans had forgotten about it until some 30 years ago.

    Can't find a bad Carmanere (never did), but it doesn't mean it's automatically a c$good choice with whatever you'll be eating, but as a stand-alone drink, it's a great idea.

    Quote Originally Posted by Progatron View Post
    I believe the vast majority of them are now produced in Chile, despite originating in France, and made in small quantities elsewhere. Which is fine, because I too love (or at least really like) every one I've ever tried from there. I'm a big fan of a lot of the Chilean and Argentinian wines in general, they tend to appeal to me. Give Chilean Syrah a try if you haven't - those are splendid.
    I'm much less enthralled about Argentina (or Uruguay, FTM), though, but the jury is still out.

    I'll give Chilean syrah a chance, but I'm not that big of a fan when the spanish or french make a syrah-ony wine... Which is why I haven't tried the Chilean one ... so far
    Last edited by Trane; 08-17-2019 at 07:57 AM.
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  20. #70
    All Things Must Pass spellbound's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Trane
    As for the Australians, I don't like how they do wines: they make them according to survey and taste sessions about how the public likes them, and this gives very drinkable wines, but without any "soul"
    I think that is similar to what is happening in the US, except in the US they never poll for opinions on the wine. Here, they just say, "We've got a lot of dark red, sweet, fruity wine here. Let's convince people they like it." What we end up with is a whole lot of Lowest Common Denominator wine, when instead we should still be making wines that appeal to oenophiles and connoisseurs. It wouldn't surprise me if the US still has good wines, but they are the ones only rich people get. The rest of us never even see them. Maybe we export the good stuff. About 30 years ago, any moderately priced US wine you bought was bound to be good. No longer. Now when I want a dry red, or a wine with any acidity whatsoever, I find myself looking through the wines of France, Spain, and Italy, which are often tasty and can be more affordable than many from just over the hill (California). In the US, "dry" has become meaningless, because vintners (or their marketers) put the word on the labels of sweet swill. That's just grape juice with alcohol. I suppose if I'd never had better, I wouldn't miss better. Perhaps the LCD trend is driven by young people with little wine experience, and unscrupulous winemakers.
    We're trying to build a monument to show that we were here
    It won't be visible through the air
    And there won't be any shade to cool the monument to prove that we were here. - Gene Parsons, 1973

  21. #71
    Insect Overlord Progatron's Avatar
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    ^^^ I've had some pretty nice wines from California and Oregon over the last couple of years. But they were the pricier ones, not the $15-20 shelf pulls. We usually get a couple of those for special occasions - anniversary, Christmas, etc.
    Interviewer of reprobate ne'er-do-well musicians of the long-haired rock n' roll persuasion at: www.velvetthunder.co.uk and former scribe at Classic Rock Society. Only vaguely aware of anything other than music.

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  22. #72
    All Things Must Pass spellbound's Avatar
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    I do the same. Get good wine for special occasions. But regular table wine, to me, is best from other countries.
    We're trying to build a monument to show that we were here
    It won't be visible through the air
    And there won't be any shade to cool the monument to prove that we were here. - Gene Parsons, 1973

  23. #73
    That's Mr. to you, Sir!! Trane's Avatar
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    When it comes to Alsatian wines, whether dry or "vendanges tardives", I'm really into the Pinot Gris (ex-Tokay), with Gewurtz second and Riesling third (not much into that "petroleum" nose & mouth) , but I've found a very impressive compromise between Pinot Gris and Riesling that's called Tête à Tête (head to head)

    The white label is dry, the black is moëlleux and the latter is a sure hit with women
    my music collection increased tenfolds when I switched from drug-addicts to complete nutcases.

  24. #74
    Member since March 2004 mozo-pg's Avatar
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    I haven't had a drink since 1988 but I have some fine black hash in my possession that I'm about the greatly enjoy tonight!
    What can this strange device be? When I touch it, it brings forth a sound (2112)

  25. #75
    Insect Overlord Progatron's Avatar
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    Wife sent me to the store today to pick up a bottle of Giraud Tradition Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2015, after she tasted it at her recent French wine professional course and insisted that I'd love it (Gee, you think? ) so I'm looking forward to that.

    On a wildly different note, also grabbed another bottle of Barahonda organic Monastrell-Merlot blend, a lovely Spanish I tried last weekend and thought was delicious, especially for the price. (The one with the bees on the label.) Anyone else tried this?
    Interviewer of reprobate ne'er-do-well musicians of the long-haired rock n' roll persuasion at: www.velvetthunder.co.uk and former scribe at Classic Rock Society. Only vaguely aware of anything other than music.

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