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I don't know, but if I were making an "American Only" BTG wine list, all but one or two of the whites would be from Oregon and in cool vintages.
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Aug 1, 2012 02:35
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Overwined posted:I don't know, but if I were making an "American Only" BTG wine list, all but one or two of the whites would be from Oregon and in cool vintages. Can't believe no one in this thread mentioned Teutonic Wine Company yet. They make some of the most distinctive new world Rieslings, IMO. Brooks also makes terrific Riesling. Cameron, Crowley, and Eyrie are making great Chardonnay. Tyson Crowley might be making some of the best QPR Chard in America right now. I also really like Edmunds St. John for Rhone blends and Gamay Noir.
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Aug 1, 2012 03:20
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quote:(I wish I could think of non-Napa Valley Cabs for the list, and I really wanted to put a Washington State cab on here, but the ones that came to mind - Januik, Woodward Canyon, Mark Ryan, Donedei, Andrew Will, L'Ecole, Hewitt, etc. all are too expensive for a BTG list. Makes me realize that I need to brush up on moderately price Washington Cabs.) Might look into Chateau Ste. Michelle Ethos Cab. One of my favorite Washington reds, and our cost is about $20-ish/bottle, so yours is probably similar. Edit: Going back and re-reading the original post, that probably doesn't fit with $9/glass, though a distributor might give a special deal if it's going to be sold by the glass - I know mine do. JetSet fucked around with this message at 03:43 on Aug 1, 2012 |
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Aug 1, 2012 03:39
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I don't know if you could hammer St. Innocent Pinot Blanc into the $9/glass range, but I would do something to make it fit. I also like Elk Cove's Pinot Blanc....a lot. I like Pinot Blanc from Oregon, if you can't tell.
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Aug 1, 2012 04:40
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Longtiem posted:One thing that always amazes me still is that a table of 4 guests will all order 4 separate glasses of 8 dollar wine, but be really taken aback at ordering a 40 dollar bottle of wine. Same price per glass really, comically better quality of wine, but people can never wrap their heads around it. btg is a scam in every restaurant, especially with whites. If our whites weren't kept at 40 degrees Fahrenheit no one would enjoy them. 4 separate glasses of the same wine? Then, yeah it's pretty silly. However, the only times I have ever seen everyone at the table order individual glasses is when everyone has different dishes. If my wife wants a Pinot to go with her roast chicken dish and I want a cab to go with my steak and the other couple has mussles and a lamb dish then making everyone drink some compromise choice is probably the worst option even if it's a 'better' wine.
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Aug 1, 2012 15:09
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Man, I have tried to make a all-american wine list more than a few times for this thread and each time I end up getting frustrated and deleting the whole thing, mainly because I don't know poo poo about California. Here is what I can say about Oregon though: Whites: Elk Cove Riesling or Pinot Blanc, as others have mentioned. Brooks Riesling - I think their Willamette Valley bottling is pretty boring but every other Riesling they make is truly wonderful. Crowley Chardonnay - Dude is knocking it out of the park on this grape, his fancy bottlings are great but even his Willamette Valley bottling is something special. Teutonic Wine Company - These guys are turning out some awesome Rieslings at around or under $20. Argyle: Their brut year on year is consistent and pretty good at $22-24. It ages surprisingly well. De Ponte Cellars Melon de Bourgogne: One of my favorite whites every year. Super fresh, perfect summer wine. Trisaetum Rieslings - they make a few different wines here, either single vineyard or quality designate. All of them are very good. Abacela Albarino - these guys are absolutely owning this grape in Southern Oregon. Probably my favorite wine period from that region. Cowhorn - For their Rhone whites, their Roussanne in particular. Cameron Chardonnay - Their $20 Dundee hills bottling owns. Reds: Eyrie estate grown Pinot Noir: awesome at ~$30. I'd go with that before Domaine Drouhin. Seven of Hearts WV Pinot Noir: Comes in around $18-20. About what you'd expect for complexity at that price point but the way this guy builds these wines, the acidity is never harsh and these are very easily accessible to anyone. I love his entire portfolio which also includes the "luminous hills" label. De Ponte Cellars 'dundee hills' Pinot Noir: Another one of my favorites year over year. Neighbors Domaine Drouhin. The winemakers grew up together. I love Domaine Drouhin but if I had to pick between the two I would always pick the De Ponte. Grochau Cellars Pinot Noir: All of his wines are really pretty with good acidity. His WV bottling is great at ~$20. He makes some Syrah and red blends that are very good as well. I'll try and come up with more later after I've had my morning coffee. Perfectly Cromulent posted:Can't believe no one in this thread mentioned Teutonic Wine Company yet. They make some of the most distinctive new world Rieslings, IMO. Brooks also makes terrific Riesling. Cameron, Crowley, and Eyrie are making great Chardonnay. Tyson Crowley might be making some of the best QPR Chard in America right now. Quoted for truth. Brickhouse also makes good Gamay Noir. Overwined posted:I don't know if you could hammer St. Innocent Pinot Blanc into the $9/glass range, but I would do something to make it fit. Same here... I don't know why Pinot Gris gets all of the attention it does when most of the Pinot Blancs I have had from Oregon are usually always more interesting.
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Aug 2, 2012 01:38
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No love for Cameron reds? The first time I tasted a Cameron Pinot Noir it was a revelation. EDIT: I guess it'd be REALLY hard to get one of their Pinots in the $9 a glass category.
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Aug 2, 2012 04:04
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Murgos posted:4 separate glasses of the same wine? Then, yeah it's pretty silly. However, the only times I have ever seen everyone at the table order individual glasses is when everyone has different dishes. Well, my personal solution is to have two separate bottles and drink two glasses of wine each. Food pairing is cool, but doesn't really reign supreme over bad vs. good. 10 dollars a bottle really will make a difference, the majority of the time. I am also a huge idiot so don't forget that. Overwined posted:No love for Cameron reds? I mean don't feel too strict about it, it goes from 6-12 I picked nine as an average, not a law. Here's the restaurant and wine list, creep away: http://www.districtcommonsdc.com/downloads/clientuploads/district-menu_35_1536513574.pdf I did not make it, for the record. One thing that really bothers me is no bottle discount. Also I don't understand why there are bottle only wines that cost the same as a BTG wine bottle... Why bother having them? Save some space and reduce mental effort on the part of the guest by just cutting them, no?
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Aug 2, 2012 05:38
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Overwined posted:No love for Cameron reds? Love Cameron Pinot Noir. Arley's Leap is consistently one of my favorite mid-price Pinots in Oregon. Sells for $35 - $40. Abbey Ridge and Clos Electrique are great and have the structure to age if you are willing to shell out $60. Speaking of Cameron and restaurant pours, they sell the Giovanni white blend (Pinot Blanc/Pinot Gris) in bag in box containers for restaurants, I believe. It would be a solid glass pour choice. What's the rule of thumb for determining the cost for a glass pour?
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Aug 2, 2012 05:54
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Perfectly Cromulent posted:
There's really not one rule of thumb, due to different pour sizes and markups. Generally restaurant by the glass pours are either 4oz (6 glasses per bottle) 5oz (five glasses per bottle) or 6oz (4 glasses per bottle). Target pour cost (which is the cost of the glass to the restaurant divided by the price to consumer of that glass) ranges from 20% to 40%, depending on the restaurant and the cost of the glass. A restaurant may run very low pour cost on cheap wines, but then run a high pour cost on a more expensive glass because they can still make more dollars profit on the glass than on the cheaper selection. I can't speak for anywhere else, but in my market, 28% pour cost and a 5oz glass pour is pretty standard.
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Aug 2, 2012 08:30
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Subtlet and I hung out tonight and drank a 2010 Cameron 'Dundee Hills' Pinot Noir that was absolutely smoking. Amazing QPR at $25 a bottle. I buy a few Cameron Pinots year on year. They make good stuff. I can't wait to see what their top end 2010's a like.
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Aug 2, 2012 08:45
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Perfectly Cromulent posted:What's the rule of thumb for determining the cost for a glass pour? Speaking simply, the cost of the bottle = cost of a glass. It varies slightly but it's a really common rule of thumb.
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Aug 2, 2012 11:31
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Hey guys, I need some software of sorts to start organizing what wine I buy, when to drink etc. It would be good to have something that automatically had reviews of the wines added in there too - to educate myself a bit. Any suggestions? Edit: I am on a Mac, but I was thinking something like that would be SaaS with a thin interface? Edit the second: And yes, my google-fu isn't that bad, but there's tons and tons and tons out there - which should I pick? Happy Hat fucked around with this message at 14:40 on Aug 2, 2012 |
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Aug 2, 2012 14:36
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Happy Hat posted:Hey guys, Cellartracker is the de facto standard in the space, and for fairly good reason - it's by far the best option currently.
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Aug 2, 2012 16:11
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Aug 2, 2012 16:12
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pork never goes bad posted:Cellartracker is the de facto standard in the space, and for fairly good reason - it's by far the best option currently.
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Aug 2, 2012 16:54
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Crimson posted:Speaking simply, the cost of the bottle = cost of a glass. It varies slightly but it's a really common rule of thumb. Yikes. So glass markup is about 5x. Thanks.
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Aug 2, 2012 18:52
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Not sure if posting something like this in this thread is ok, but if not... sorry  Been a while since I posted in this thread. I know there are some industry peeps here (or at least there used to be). Anybody have some contacts for the grape harvest/vendange in France? I've been a volunteer farmhands on 8 or so different farms all over Europe for a little over a year now and am currently farmhanding in the UK. I've got some English/German/Italian speaking references and am just looking to pick or load crates for. Any advice would be cool. I'm planning on just heading over to France around end August with some broken French and a dictionary, but would obviously prefer to organize something beforehand. edit: Dual US/Italy citizen, so no visa/legality issues! moflika fucked around with this message at 19:16 on Aug 2, 2012 |
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Aug 2, 2012 19:13
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moflika posted:...I'm planning on just heading over to France around end August with some broken French and a dictionary, but would obviously prefer to organize something beforehand. First buy The Winemaker's Essential Phrasebook at least then you'll know winemaking vocabulary to go with your broken French (Portuguese, Italian, German, & Spanish). Then check out the group "Travelling Winemakers - Living the dream!!" on Facebook and Harvest Intern. There should be a couple leads at least.
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Aug 3, 2012 05:26
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pork never goes bad posted:Cellartracker is the de facto standard in the space, and for fairly good reason - it's by far the best option currently. Thanks again - it was actually quite good and usable! 
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Aug 4, 2012 15:46
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drat. I drank a bottle of '94 Schloss Schönborn Kabinett last night, and it was transfigurative. Slight breeze off the river, a pretty girl to split it with, who could ask for more? If you say a '95, I'm coming for your balls through the monitor.
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Aug 4, 2012 16:51
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Stitecin posted:First buy The Winemaker's Essential Phrasebook at least then you'll know winemaking vocabulary to go with your broken French (Portuguese, Italian, German, & Spanish). Thanks, definitely some stuff to check out!
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Aug 4, 2012 19:10
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moflika posted:Thanks, definitely some stuff to check out! By the way, that whole concept is super cool and you're super cool.
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Aug 5, 2012 07:42
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Don't want to fill this thread up with too much of my crap, but I've been looking around and it looks like the Champagne and Beaujolais regions have a ban on mechanical harvesting. Since I'm looking to pick, anybody aware of any others?
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Aug 8, 2012 00:58
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moflika posted:Don't want to fill this thread up with too much of my crap, but I've been looking around and it looks like the Champagne and Beaujolais regions have a ban on mechanical harvesting. Since I'm looking to pick, anybody aware of any others? I think almost all AOC (or AOP whatever the gently caress) regions of France have a strong hand-picker showing. I can't think of a single one where you could go and have trouble finding wineries that refuse to auto-pick. I mean, if you want to be hardcore about it and break your back in the offing, you can go work the harvest(s) at Sauternes.  In Italy you can find some big commercial ventures that I'm sure have auto-harvesters, but again the prestige appellations all hand-pick. In general in Italy stay away from Veneto and like Puglia. Everywhere else the majority hand pick. The same can be said for Germany, though their large commercial ventures are LARGE COMMERCIAL VENTURES. And the hand-picking here can be treacherous. Not like "ow I scraped my knee" treacherous, but "ow I fell down 300 feet of raw slate and now I'm dead" treacherous. EDIT: The Languedoc and some of central Loire would be the only regions of France that tend to be highly commercial that I can think of. Bordeaux is pretty drat commercial and I'm sure they have wineries that use auto-harvesters, but there are also shitloads that don't. EDIT2: Here's a picture looking up one of the steeper vineyards, Bernkasteler Doctor. Yes, in the tradition of black humor the Germans have called one of their more deadly steep vineyards "The Doctor". (The Bernkasteler part is the village prefix). 
Overwined fucked around with this message at 01:44 on Aug 8, 2012 |
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Aug 8, 2012 01:39
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That's good to hear. All I was going on up to now, is to avoid Bordeaux like the plague. I heard the pay in Italy is worse than in France, and there is less chance of being provided with room and board like in France. Italy would be nice since I speak the language. Gotta go where the dough is! Totally forgot about Germany. It's my best language after English and they tend to have the have the latest harvest out of all wine countries, so I might try to fit them in. Now let's hope that I don't spend more money looking for work than I make working :/
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Aug 8, 2012 12:25
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Well good luck to you. I think what you're doing is pretty cool. Could we convince you to keep a sort of online journal about your experiences here? Poster 4liters did that when he was interning in Tokaji (Hungary) and Australia. I'm sure most people would love to hear about what you're doing, myself included.
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Aug 8, 2012 12:47
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I'll definitely try if I have access to internet. Keep in mind that my wine knowledge extends to being able to tell the difference between drinkable table wine and crap. Example day: Pick grapes/carried crates, drank a bunch of wine, passed out. 
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Aug 8, 2012 15:37
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No, see, that's what I want to hear. I know how wine tastes, it's all I do every day. I want to hear about the men and women that work in the vineyard. Gimme some of that rustic pastoral poo poo.
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Aug 8, 2012 23:55
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Rustic pastoral poo poo example = took brix and did punch downs, picked grapes for 4 hours in the blazing hot sun on the second pass, destemmed & foot stomped, had lunch and a nap, took brix & did punch downs, had a beer and dinner, collapsed in bed. Variations on picking/destemming include: cleaned poo poo, pressed, moved wine around, despaired over powdery mildew and bird damage. It's sort of interesting, but it's a lot better to experience it than to read about it. Not to say harvest journals aren't cool, tho
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Aug 10, 2012 00:53
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Alright, at the risk of catching poo poo for this, I have to ask. I like a lot of different wine...mostly cabernet sauvignon. However, I don't like buying a bottle and having to drink the whole thing in two days...I'll usually have a glass with dinner or at night watching tv and that's it. So, I've heard of this black box wine...it's $20 at my local liquor store for a box that is equal to something like 3 or 4 bottles, and the ratings seem pretty decent, decent enough to try it once for sure, at least, since I'm usually dropping at least 12 bucks on one bottle. Also, from googling it says it can last for up to a month or longer, is that true? Any recommendations, advice?
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Aug 10, 2012 02:54
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It's not bad, certainly better than Franzia, etc, but nothing special. There are a handful of boxed wines in the same price range, and for what you are looking for, they would be perfect. The juice isn't gonna blow you away, but it's definitely drinkable. Edit: in my experience, the whites tend to be better than the reds.
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Aug 10, 2012 08:27
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nwin posted:Alright, at the risk of catching poo poo for this, I have to ask. I've had some decent boxed wines before, and I'd agree with the statement that whites are a better bet. There was a surprisingly decent 2010 zinfandel boxed wine at Trader Joe's for a while, and I also had a pretty good bag of white (some black and white bag, I can't remember the name) that was also from TJ's. They do last much, much longer, although depending on the design some air can get into the bag while you pour. I'd say give it a shot, worst case scenario you make a bunch of sangria.
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Aug 10, 2012 19:22
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It's absolutely workable, and I unashamedly will buy black box chard for a party where conviviality is prized greater than detail.
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Aug 11, 2012 22:40
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How can I determine if a wine is oaked or not? I needed a dry, unoaked Sauvignon Blanc this morning for cooking and I didn't see any markings on any of the bottles.
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Aug 12, 2012 21:09
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Probably 99% of Sauvignon Blanc is dry and unoaked. Oaking isn't very popular with that particular grape. Some will stir the lees to round out the sharp acidity though. This is most common in California. If you're cooking with it any cheap <$10 bottle of CA Sauv Blanc will do.
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Aug 12, 2012 21:20
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Beautiful. I picked up a bottle of Barefoot Sauvignon Blanc and that's exactly what you described.
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Aug 12, 2012 23:08
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I'm in Healdsburg on vacation. I'm more excited to go drink beer than go tasting at wineries. Did Bear Republic yesterday and going to hit Russian River Brewing today. I went out tasting a couple days ago with Ridge being my favorite stop. Their 2007 Montebello is really good poo poo, as is most of their wine really. The rest of the stops were pretty boring, ended up going with a group and I wasn't dictating our course. Lots of Zinfandel in dry creek, and I'm not really a fan to begin with.
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Aug 13, 2012 16:14
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Did you check out Unti? That's a favorite of mine in the area.
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Aug 13, 2012 16:37
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I went tasting in the Woodinville, WA "winery district". Only had a short time so we didn't stop many places. I got to see the Sky River Meadery which was awesome. Then we went to the Cougar Crest tasting room. I'm still not very experienced in wines but it was nice to have the place to ourselves and chat with the guy about the wines. I also discovered that I love port.
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Aug 13, 2012 17:32
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