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caberham posted:
This could be a really long post, but I'll try to make it short! Clos Vougeot is one of 33 grand cru vineyards in burgundy (two more are being petitioned, Les St Georges in Nuits St George and Pommard Rugiens). Burgundy is divided in half, with the town of Beaune at its center. The northern half, the Cote de Nuits, contains the red grand crus and is slightly cooler than the southern half, the Cote de Beaune, where all of the white grand crus except one (Corton) are located. The entire cote is a generally east-facing slope and the majority of the grand crus are located midway up the slope. This isn't coincidence, as the soil depth really defines the grand cru vineyards. The lower slopes have significantly deeper soil that has much less overtly rocky soil and higher clay, therefore it holds more water, making for less intense wines. The upper portion of the slopes tend to have much thinner soils, which can lead to more austere wines. There are exceptions, of course, but it's a good rule of thumb. Clos Vougeot is a controversial vineyard because it takes up an enormous amount of area. I don't have any data in front of me, but it's about 50 hectares in size. The problem is that it runs from the midslope at the top of the vineyard all the way down to the road at the bottom of the slope. So there's a huge quality discrepancy depending on where you are located. The upper northwest corner that's abutting Musigny is the best spot, the soils are thin and chalky and the houses that have holdings up there include Mugneret-Gibourg and Leroy. The lower section is heavy alluvial soil, and it's the lowest grand cru in burgundy. So you have to be careful in Clos Vougeot, but often the pricing makes it clear. Leroy wines are stratospheric in cost anyway, but even Mugneret-Gibourg Vougeot can cross $300. I like the Bouchard choice, I much prefer their wines to Girardin. The director at Bouchard, Bernard Hervet, left them in 2005 or 2006 and is now the director at Faiveley. But the Bouchard wines haven't changed too much since he left. If you're not afraid of a bit of oak, they are well-made wines for their price point. The Faiveley wines have gotten waaay better since Hervet showed up and their lower end wines are affordable. You're going to have a hard time finding reasonably priced grand cru wines though. And generally the reds in the Cote de Beaune are cheaper than the Cote de Nuits. Look for village level wines from Volnay and Pommard. Bouchard and Faiveley both have holdings there. You can also sometimes catch deals from some of the better producers down there like Lafarge, DeMontille and D'Angerville, but it's tough. In my opinion, be really careful with the 2011 vintage, there are lots of problems. The 12s are great, but very limited supply and 13 was almost a wipeout in parts of the cote de beaune, which is more susceptible to hail storms than the north. From the north, you can sometimes find deals from some good producers. Look for Bruno Clair, who's a more traditional producer who can punch above his weight. Savigny can be a well-priced area as well, but the wines aren't normally as complex as some of the others in the Cote de Nuits. Simon Bize, Pavelot and Chandon de Briailles are all good producers. That's a start, I'll think of some more producers if you want.
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Mar 26, 2014 01:16
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Occasionally I hear the term "modern style" when describing wine, but I'm unsure what that means. Does that refer to the wine-making techniques used? I recently had a Washington cabernet sauvignon, and while it seemed good quality, it was different in taste/texture from other Washington/US cabs that I'm used to. It didn't have the gritty tannins, clearly defined structure, or pepper notes on the palate. It was soft and smooth, and while it had structure, it was a very blurry structure. I didn't get any spiciness from it either; it seemed more about fruit. Unfortunately I don't have any technical notes on the wine on hand. I was looking over this article, and one thing that jumps out at me is the pumpover vs. punch down technique. Is something like that likely why the above wine seemed so different?
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Mar 27, 2014 04:22
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There's a loooot of things potentially under that umbrella, and the term is loosely defined. That said, this is generally what people mean: 1. Fruit - Modern wines tend to be more about fruit character, traditional wines tend to be more about earth and other savoury flavours. 2. Oak - Modern wines tend to use a lot more new oak then traditional wines. Oak has a strong influence on wine, giving a richer mouthfeel with less freshness, and a variety of aromas such as vanilla, baking spice, roasted character, and many more. As an oak barrel is used, its influence greatly diminishes. 3. Ripeness - Modern wines tend to be riper than traditional wines. Some modern winemakers will often leave their grapes hanging long enough for them to raisinate on the vine. Extreme ripeness has numerous effects, including a jammier, less tart, sometimes dried fruit character; higher alcohol, more body, and possibly some residual sugar; lower acidity; and a different tannin character. 4. Extraction - The cold-soaking you mentioned is a relatively modern winemaking technique used to increase extraction of colour and flavour. Modern wines tend to be more extracted. 5. Reduction - This is avoiding contact with oxygen during winemaking. Modern wines tend to be more reductive, especially fresher, lighter styles, although this is far from universally considered a modern practice. Most modern winemakers would consider oxidation a fault in their wines. 6. "Clean"ness - Modern wines tend to be free of classic wine faults such as oxidation, brettanomyces, and if using a screw cap, TCA.
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Mar 27, 2014 05:32
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Kasumeat posted:There's a loooot of things potentially under that umbrella, and the term is loosely defined. That said, this is generally what people mean: Nice summation. For me, one of the most interesting things about wine is how loosely some of these concepts are defined, and the exploration of them can be really entertaining. A few examples I like - Oak - oak is really divisive in the wine world. With the move towards a more "international" or modern style, where the wines are made to be consumed early and focus more on fruit, the use of new oak gives more "polish" to the wines, but oak can be absolutely vital in helping soften wines that are more tannic. In Burgundy, two of the absolutely greatest producers, Domaine Romanee-Conti and Leroy use a tremendous amount of new wood. They both are often 100% new on their Grand Cru reds. They both also pick on the later side of the scale, but you would rarely hear anyone describe either producer as "Modern". Like anything, oak is a tool, and when used incorrectly it stands out. I think there's also a site specificity component to modern wines that doesn't get discussed all that much. With the explosion of wineries around the world in the last 20 years, I think there's less attention paid to trying to match variety with the site. As a result, you see tons of very deep soiled, valley floor areas that are planted with varieties and clones that don't necessarily match well. One of the things about deep soils (especially alluvial soils or clays) is their ability to hold water later in the season, delaying the vine's natural transition from a vegetative state to a ripening pattern. The result is that you're forced to pick later at higher sugars to achieve riper flavors. Couple this with global warming trends, and you see areas that may have had ideal climates for ripening starting to have hotter vintages than they've ever experienced. There's also a trend towards planting "international" varieties like Cab sauv and Chardonnay in places they've never been. A good example are some of the super Tuscans that are blends of Sangio, Cab sauv, merlot, syrah, etc. The traditionalists abhor this type of thing. Extraction - I've found a lot of traditional producers have a "built-in" cold soak where the lag between when the grapes are put to tank and when they start fermentation acts as a natural cold soak. But that is just a natural byproduct of a traditional technique - the use of native fermentations. Most modern producers are inoculating for both primary and malo because they think it makes for safer and cleaner wines (I tend to disagree). Another way to increase extraction is by the use of added enzymes and tannin. A lot of modern winemaking includes the use of pectolytic enzymes. They are added either at the crusher or early in the fermentation to break down the cell walls, releasing more grape material into solution. The enzymes that are used are typically marketed to increase color and tannin. Powdered tannin is used as well for the same general purpose, although tannin can help quite a bit with fruit that has significant rot. I think pumpovers vs punchdowns are also techniques that are typically ascribed to different camps, with punchdowns typically seen as traditional and pumpovers as modern. This falls down a little bit when you consider the oxygen needs of some grapes. Pinot is generally punched, but there are producers who pump it over. Bordeaux varieties are often pumped, but some small producers will stick with punches. Varieties like Syrah are divisive. Syrah has a tendency to reduce quite easily during fermentation, so it needs oxygen. You see both methods used by both traditionalists and modernists. Cleanliness - The conventional wisdom was that traditional wines were far dirtier than modern wines, and that is certainly true. The Rhone valley is well-known for bretty wines, lots of burgundies are bretty too. But an interesting trend is starting to happen in new world and modern wines. For one thing, the riper the grapes get before harvest, the more likely you are to see physical damage to the grapes. That damage is a great place to harbor spoilage organisms. Also, riper grapes tend to lack a lot of the nutrients needs for successful ferments, especially nitrogen, so later pickers are often adding significant amounts of yeast nutrients to their fermentations. The problem is that when those yeasts are finished with fermentation, any leftover nutrients are able to feed any other population that can utilize them. There's also a trend towards super clean facilities to avoid spoilage organisms, but you're starting to see that ultraclean facilities, once implanted with organisms, tend to get extremely virulent bugs. A good analogy is a hospital, that while normally clean, when it does get something, it gets something nasty. Think MRSA. So there is actually a trend upward in spoilage organisms like brettanomyces in some of the modern growing regions. Goddamn that's a lot of words. I'm done.
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Mar 27, 2014 17:15
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I have recently decided to get more into wine. I've always enjoyed drinking wine, and last summer I spent a lot of time "wine tasting" (aka spending a lot of time in tasting rooms with my friends who were talking about things like "fruity note" and "floral qualities" and "hints of butter and mango" and me going "uh huh, yup this one is delicious" or "this one is gross and gives me heartburn, where is the cheese? oooh! Look, they have breadsticks!"). But now I am looking at it more seriously and think it would be fun to learn about. So, my question is, when you are first starting out, what is a good way to track what you do and don't like? Should I keep a record, like a wine diary? Is this the kind of thing I should take with me tasting or should I sit home with bottles of wine and do it on my own because it's a faux pas to to pull out a notebook in the middle of a tasting? Are there any good books on wine that make for an interesting/informative read?
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Mar 27, 2014 22:57
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Loud Mouse posted:I have recently decided to get more into wine. I've always enjoyed drinking wine, and last summer I spent a lot of time "wine tasting" (aka spending a lot of time in tasting rooms with my friends who were talking about things like "fruity note" and "floral qualities" and "hints of butter and mango" and me going "uh huh, yup this one is delicious" or "this one is gross and gives me heartburn, where is the cheese? oooh! Look, they have breadsticks!"). But now I am looking at it more seriously and think it would be fun to learn about. Definitely take notes. It will help you out tremendously even when you don't know all the details. Nobody's going to yell at you for breaking out a notebook in the middle of a tasting, if anything it demonstrates that you're taking the subject seriously and aren't just there to get drunk. Smartphone tasting notes are kind of fun because you can get a shot of the label and add your comments, which makes it easier to find the wine later in a shop or to push it through an app like Delectable. That's how I started in wine blogging almost ten years ago, and it's matured into a great side job that includes selling articles and paid trips to wine regions. I can't promise the same success, but keeping organized notes (whether digital or manual, public or not) will really help you keep track of what you like and what you don't, and it will also be interesting over the years to see how your tastes change. Wine shops in my town were going through an Alto Adige binge a few years ago and I thought they were boring. Now I've got a handful of Gewürztraminer samples from that region sitting downstairs and I'm really excited to try them. Have fun. Don't let the haters keep you down. Enjoy wine with food as often as possible and drink plenty of water.
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Mar 28, 2014 00:53
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Thanks for the replies Kasumeat and Tempus Fugit. That's a lot of info to think about.Loud Mouse posted:So, my question is, when you are first starting out, what is a good way to track what you do and don't like? Should I keep a record, like a wine diary?
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Mar 28, 2014 03:43
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benito posted:Definitely take notes. It will help you out tremendously even when you don't know all the details. Nobody's going to yell at you for breaking out a notebook in the middle of a tasting, if anything it demonstrates that you're taking the subject seriously and aren't just there to get drunk. Smartphone tasting notes are kind of fun because you can get a shot of the label and add your comments, which makes it easier to find the wine later in a shop or to push it through an app like Delectable. Tonight my car broke down, and next to the repair shop was a little wine/beer place. I chilled there for awhile while I waited for a friend to pick me up, and it got me thinking that I should revamp my old humour blog (myalcoholicfriends.com) to be about my foray into wines. I had my first French wine (that I know of) there. It was the Orian Swift "Locations F" red. I will probably have to research it a little more to find out more about it, but it was fruity, and smooth, got me really drunk about halfway through the glass (which may be because I've only had a total of 3 drinks in the last month) and didn't give me heartburn. The decriprion said it had "hints of lavender," and based on my experience with lavender before, in teas, gin, and soda, I would think that might give it a dryer quality and more tannins, but I didn't get that at all. But it was fun to think about!
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Mar 28, 2014 07:00
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Loud Mouse posted:I had my first French wine (that I know of) there. It was the Orian Swift "Locations F" red. Without ever trying Orin Swift's foray into France, I'm willing to bet it's a really atypical French wine. I wouldn't expect any other French wines you taste to be even remotely similar, especially with that strange blend (Grenache is not usually blended with Bordeaux varieties). Although what's important is whether or not you liked it! Lavender is a very typical floral note found in Grenache and Syrah, especially when they're from the Rhone Valley. It's unrelated to the dryness or tannins of the wine.
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Mar 28, 2014 09:02
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My beginner's tips: Wikipedia, youtube and the aroma wheel. If you're like me, you can smell just fine but you have no words to describe it. Also, you might prefer things to be organized and compartmentalized into neat categories in order to make sense of them. This wheel will help you put words to it:  It's just a place to begin though. It will bias your nose to only pick the aromas on the wheel, but it will help you develop your own senses. Youtube has tons of wine stuff, one fun place to start is with Oz Clarke and James May: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0z6kV-RIZM0 One of Oz' tricks here is to smell different stuff to exercise your senses. This is also important. You might not know how a lot of the stuff on the aroma wheel smells, go find it and have a sniff. The series also covers the fundamentals of wine making and the French system of appellations. This is where wikipedia comes in, it has great, informative pages on the AOC system itself and all the various appellations. When I first started out as wine-curious, I bought varietals trying to find out if I liked Merlot or if I liked Pinot Noir. In retrospect, this was a mistake. A Merlot from here and a Merlot from there can be completely different. The various regional styles of France, Germany and Italy are much more defining for wine styles around the world than the individual grape varietals are. While they are now regulated under national appellation rules like the French AOC, they are all based on historical tradition, centuries of trial and error, clever monks, crazy barons, market forces etc. So once you've had a bottle each from 8 or 9 of the old world regions, you have a better sense of the fundamental categories. Far from perfect of course, but it's a good way to start. Examples: Reds: Bordeaux Rhône Burgundy Barolo Chianti Rioja Whites: Burgundy Mosel Valley Sauternes One problem is that if you buy a bottle that says "Bordeaux AOC" it might not be that typical of the Bordeaux wines that define that particular style which in turn influences wine makers in many other places. So you might have to spend a bit of money and browsing time on each to get something that's right. If you only splurge on one good bottle a month, that will leave you plenty of time to read up on it before it goes down the hatch. It also helps a lot to give the wine the best chances to shine. Make sure it's near its ideal serving temperature and have something to eat with it. Doesn't have to be a dinner, it's better if it's something simple yet perfectly matched. Google is your friend here. This worked for me anyway, I am still a novice but I have some direction on my interest. I also learned a lot more about what I like - the most important thing was that what I like now is quite different from what I liked when I was trying to find out what I liked. Your preferences change as you experience new things. Ola fucked around with this message at 11:50 on Mar 28, 2014 |
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Mar 28, 2014 11:24
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Crimson posted:Without ever trying Orin Swift's foray into France, I'm willing to bet it's a really atypical French wine. I wouldn't expect any other French wines you taste to be even remotely similar, especially with that strange blend (Grenache is not usually blended with Bordeaux varieties). Although what's important is whether or not you liked it! So, what is lavender supposed to taste like in wine? I do a lot of cooking and drinking with lavender, and it usually has a sharp, bitter, herbal quality to it, and I didn't get that at all in this wine. Is it like some weird sort of abstract thing where it tastes like it smells? I'm sure the more I experiment with wine, the more I will notice things that I maybe just don't right now. I had little tasters of a couple other wines when I was deciding on what to drink. I didn't write down what they were though. One was from Oregon and one was from California. So, what you are saying is to get one type of wine, but from several different regions, and have like a "Merlot" tasting night. Makes sense, and sounds kind of fun. Also, I am putting up shelving in my dining room, and can't afford a wine cooler, but want to be able to store a couple bottles of wine. Do they need to be stored on their side/at an angle, or am I fine to store them upright if I am going to be drinking them in a few months to a year? Double also, I saw a few pages back (or maybe way in the beginning, it's all run together) that the best way to serve wine was to put red in the fridge for half an hour before serving and for whites to take them out 30min before hand. Is that true or does it vary?
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Mar 28, 2014 18:59
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Loud Mouse posted:So, what is lavender supposed to taste like in wine? I do a lot of cooking and drinking with lavender, and it usually has a sharp, bitter, herbal quality to it, and I didn't get that at all in this wine. Is it like some weird sort of abstract thing where it tastes like it smells? I'm sure the more I experiment with wine, the more I will notice things that I maybe just don't right now. Sharpness and bitterness are tastes, herbaceousness is an aroma. Careful not to mix these up! With a few exceptions, aromas (such as lavender) don't necessarily connect to taste in wine.
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Mar 28, 2014 19:42
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Loud Mouse posted:Double also, I saw a few pages back (or maybe way in the beginning, it's all run together) that the best way to serve wine was to put red in the fridge for half an hour before serving and for whites to take them out 30min before hand. Is that true or does it vary? Then I warm them up in the microwave! The exact temperature you want depends on the wine - both red and white should be warmer than refrigerators and cooler than room temperature (assuming a 70 degree room). Not sure if you have precise enough an instrument (like a thermapen) for measuring what temp your wine is at.
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Mar 28, 2014 20:54
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No Wave posted:After opening, I keep all my wines in the refrigerator as it lets them keep longer (if I'm really anal, I transfer them to little glass bottles with rubber stoppers so that there's only a minuscule amount of air in with the wine.) Wait, wut? Wine in the microwave? This sounds horrible.
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Mar 28, 2014 21:28
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Loud Mouse posted:Wait, wut? Wine in the microwave? This sounds horrible.
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Mar 28, 2014 21:51
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Loud Mouse posted:
No, not really. Get one or more from Bordeaux, read up on it, find out a little bit about the history, taste it, drink it, write it down. Next weekend/month/evening, do Barolo. Another time, do white Burgundy. Don't worry too much about which type of grape it is, because the old world regions are more defining to the various wine categories than the specific grape varieties. Loud Mouse posted:Also, I am putting up shelving in my dining room, and can't afford a wine cooler, but want to be able to store a couple bottles of wine. Do they need to be stored on their side/at an angle, or am I fine to store them upright if I am going to be drinking them in a few months to a year? Store them on their side. If it's in the dining room, make sure they're not exposed to direct sunlight. Your dining room is probably a little warm, but it'll probably be fine. Loud Mouse posted:Double also, I saw a few pages back (or maybe way in the beginning, it's all run together) that the best way to serve wine was to put red in the fridge for half an hour before serving and for whites to take them out 30min before hand. Is that true or does it vary? This is more or less what I do. A bottle might last a good while though, so I pop it in the fridge when it's getting too warm. I'd rather err on the cold side, because it heats up quickly in the glass anyway. Ola fucked around with this message at 15:18 on Mar 29, 2014 |
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Mar 29, 2014 12:34
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Ola posted:If it's in the dining room, make sure they're exposed to direct sunlight.
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Mar 29, 2014 15:11
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that Vai sound posted:I think you forgot a "not" in that sentence. Haha oh god, yes! Thanks! Tragedy averted.
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Mar 29, 2014 15:18
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Loud Mouse posted:Also, I am putting up shelving in my dining room, and can't afford a wine cooler, but want to be able to store a couple bottles of wine. Do they need to be stored on their side/at an angle, or am I fine to store them upright if I am going to be drinking them in a few months to a year? Don't worry too much about storage at this point. Most bottles you buy under $50 are released when they are ready to drink. Certainly some can improve under proper conditions, but many will lose positive characteristics in a less-than-ideal environment over time. (I always hate going over to someone's house and they store a "special" bottle of wine vertically beside the stove.) Also, as you learn about wine, your tastes are going to change, and developing the skills to appreciate properly aged wines (and to spot flaws) takes a while. I've had Barolos from the 60s that were really boring because they'd been held onto too long. I had one from 1978 last year that I found disappointing, while the ones from the 80s were spectacular. However, if I buy a new release Barolo, it's not really going to be ready to drink for another ten years assuming that I keep it properly. It's not decorative, but my favorite low-cost solution is an ice chest (no ice in it) in a closet. It's not going to keep the wine at a specific temperature but the insulation will protect the wines from wild swings in temperature, which are really damaging.
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Mar 29, 2014 16:21
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Kind of a strange question, but do any of you who are used to tasting and writing about wine living in the Seattle area want a free bottle of wine provided you write up some tasting notes and impressions on it? My dad and uncle got a bunch of zinfandel grapes from the Dusi vineyard in Paso Robles and made red Zinfandel out of it and gave me a couple cases. It's their first attempt and I don't think it was that successful beyond making grapes turn into purple alcohol, but then again I could just not like Zinfandel (I mostly drink WA/OR reds). This is mostly for fun so if you live in Capitol Hill (where I live) or Bellevue (where I work) I can toss you a bottle. I promise I haven't poisoned it.
himajinga fucked around with this message at 23:34 on Mar 31, 2014 |
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Mar 31, 2014 23:31
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himajinga posted:Kind of a strange question, but do any of you who are used to tasting and writing about wine living in the Seattle area want a free bottle of wine provided you write up some tasting notes and impressions on it? My dad and uncle got a bunch of zinfandel grapes from the Dusi vineyard in Paso Robles and made red Zinfandel out of it and gave me a couple cases. It's their first attempt and I don't think it was that successful beyond making grapes turn into purple alcohol, but then again I could just not like Zinfandel (I mostly drink WA/OR reds). This is mostly for fun so if you live in Capitol Hill (where I live) or Bellevue (where I work) I can toss you a bottle. I promise I haven't poisoned it. If I were any good at wine yet I would totally take you up on that (I work in Kirkland). But sadly I'm still at "this wine tastes sweet" and "this wine doesn't" point. So I have absolutely no idea what I am doing or talking about or what makes for a good wine in any variety.
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Apr 1, 2014 01:43
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himajinga posted:Kind of a strange question, but do any of you who are used to tasting and writing about wine living in the Seattle area want a free bottle of wine provided you write up some tasting notes and impressions on it? My dad and uncle got a bunch of zinfandel grapes from the Dusi vineyard in Paso Robles and made red Zinfandel out of it and gave me a couple cases. It's their first attempt and I don't think it was that successful beyond making grapes turn into purple alcohol, but then again I could just not like Zinfandel (I mostly drink WA/OR reds). This is mostly for fun so if you live in Capitol Hill (where I live) or Bellevue (where I work) I can toss you a bottle. I promise I haven't poisoned it. Edit: One other thing I would add is that the high sugar content means low acid. Low acid creates flatter tasting wine. that Vai sound fucked around with this message at 03:36 on Apr 1, 2014 |
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Apr 1, 2014 03:33
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Loud Mouse posted:If I were any good at wine yet I would totally take you up on that (I work in Kirkland). But sadly I'm still at "this wine tastes sweet" and "this wine doesn't" point. So I have absolutely no idea what I am doing or talking about or what makes for a good wine in any variety. Yeah, I'm a beginner as well and really have only had any sort of deep exposure to Washington wines since I live here and my and my partner's parents are both really into WA wine. Consequently I drink a ton of Bordeaux blend and CS/Merlot/Syrah/etc. with the occasional Riesling/Chardonnay and feel like I know what the deal is with those varieties. I'm trying to branch out, but I really haven't had much exposure to California wines and have probably only ever drank trash Zin at parties or whatever. himajinga fucked around with this message at 18:29 on Apr 1, 2014 |
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Apr 1, 2014 18:24
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himajinga posted:Yeah, I'm a beginner as well and really have only had any sort of deep exposure to Washington wines since I live here and my and my partner's parents are both really into WA wine. Consequently I drink a ton of Bordeaux blend and CS/Merlot/Syrah/etc. with the occasional Riesling/Chardonnay and feel like I know what the deal is with those varieties. I'm trying to branch out, but I really haven't had much exposure to California wines and have probably only ever drank trash Zin at parties or whatever. Pretty much. I've noticed that there are a few Washington/Seattle area goons in this thread. How do you guys feel about maybe getting together this spring/summer and going to do some tasting in Woodinville and help each other become more educated? Could be neat to get a group together. Or tell me to gently caress off, whatever.
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Apr 1, 2014 20:39
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Loud Mouse posted:Pretty much. I'd be down.
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Apr 1, 2014 20:45
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Drinkin a Spätburgunder from Ahr. It good.
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Apr 2, 2014 20:53
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Are things like TBA much cheaper in Germany than they are in the states generally?
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Apr 3, 2014 18:26
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himajinga posted:Are things like TBA much cheaper in Germany than they are in the states generally? In the north, No. edit: in HH.
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Apr 4, 2014 00:28
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himajinga posted:I'd be down. Cool. Maybe on a Sunday sometime.
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Apr 4, 2014 00:43
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Hello there e-friends, I was hoping one of you could help me out. There are these guys called the Rare Wine Company, and they made a bunch of kick rear end Madeiras. I am going to be ordering the Charleston one, but the one I really want is the Stratford Hall one: http://www.rarewineco.com/rare-wine-co-historic-series-madeira/lee-family-stratford-hall/ I especially want this because my wife and I got married there, and the Lees were known for the madeira it would seem. These bottlings were raved about so obviously I gotta get my hands on them. The only people I see who can get them are wine sites based in California that don't ship to VA. Help me goons!
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Apr 4, 2014 01:19
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breakfall87 posted:I especially want this because my wife and I got married there, and the Lees were known for the madeira it would seem. These bottlings were raved about so obviously I gotta get my hands on them. The only people I see who can get them are wine sites based in California that don't ship to VA. Help me goons!
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Apr 4, 2014 03:47
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breakfall87 posted:Hello there e-friends, I was hoping one of you could help me out. There are these guys called the Rare Wine Company, and they made a bunch of kick rear end Madeiras. I am going to be ordering the Charleston one, but the one I really want is the Stratford Hall one: Have you thought about visiting a local wine shop and seeing if they can special order it for you? Also, if you're close to DC or Maryland, see if you can get it shipped there?
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Apr 4, 2014 16:21
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breakfall87 posted:Hello there e-friends, I was hoping one of you could help me out. There are these guys called the Rare Wine Company, and they made a bunch of kick rear end Madeiras. I am going to be ordering the Charleston one, but the one I really want is the Stratford Hall one: The RWC madeiras are quite good for the money, they do a great job of approximating significantly aged madeira for a fraction of the price. If you run out of options, I suppose you could have them shipped to me and I can repackage them and send them to you. PM me if you want.
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Apr 4, 2014 16:59
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Hi wine-goons! I'm incredibly boorish when it comes to wine, as I'm still a wine newbie that tends to like my wine fruity and sweet. I'm typically a beer and spirits person but after a recent trip to Napa and Sonoma, I started having a new appreciation for wine. However, because my father was incredibly lucky and had foresight, he has multiple cases of assorted 1982 wines and champagnes that he bought as that was my birth year that have been sitting in our basement since he bought them. I have no idea how or when I'd even start drinking because I feel that my experience isn't sophisticated enough to really enjoy, since I've been hearing that it was a great vintage year. The selection includes a case of about 10-15 of assorted French Bordeaux wines that I've been told should be excellent, a case of champagnes that I haven't even looked at and another case that I haven't even looked into to see what it is. Luckily, they seemed to have held up pretty well, as we've split a bottle of 1982 Dom Perignon on my 21st birthday that didn't have any issues and a bottle of 1982 Salon champagne two years ago that still even had some bubble to it. Therefore, my real question is what are some affordable French Bordeaux wines that I can start out with so that I'm not intimidated by my stash? I'm looking through the good wine under $20 blog, which is a great start, but I have no idea what other wines would be a good stepping stone/approximation.
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Apr 8, 2014 23:25
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Had this last night, was amazed. It's quite hyped, all the blogs are etc but it's definitely worth checking out. First wine I've ever tasted from Lebanon as well. It had the tobacco/leather thing of Bordeaux and the refreshing juiciness of Rhône along with dried fruit, dates and red berries. I was so sad when the bottle was empty. Warmly recommended!
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Apr 19, 2014 08:30
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I got Sowietskoje Igristoje (COBETCKOE ИГPИCTOE) sparkling wine from Latvia as a birthday present from a friend's friend. Does someone know if this a wine I can inflict on others? Or should I use it as fuel for my alcoholism?
Lucy Heartfilia fucked around with this message at 20:59 on Apr 22, 2014 |
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Apr 22, 2014 20:53
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Lucy Heartfilia posted:I got Sowietskoje Igristoje (COBETCKOE ИГPИCTOE) sparkling wine from Latvia as a birthday present from a friend's friend. Does someone know if this a wine I can inflict on others? Or should I use it as fuel for my alcoholism? One of the worst wines I ever had was Советское Шампанское, "Soviet Champagne" from Belarus. Smelled like a sour beer but was also grossly sweet. I would recommend trying it in a safe environment where you've got some backup wines (and fresh glasses, and some mouthwash), but it's not the kind of thing I'd save for a special occasion or romantic dinner. I got hate mail one time for pointing that out, but to be fair I'm really willing to try anything and have very much enjoyed wines from the former Soviet Republic of Georgia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Slovenia, etc.
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Apr 22, 2014 21:58
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Ok, thanks. I'll prepare my friends for what they have to expect then. Heh. I'm really curious though, cause it's wine from Latvia. Didn't even know they could produce wine so far up north.
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Apr 22, 2014 22:04
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Lucy Heartfilia posted:Ok, thanks. I'll prepare my friends for what they have to expect then. Heh. I'm really curious though, cause it's wine from Latvia. Didn't even know they could produce wine so far up north. People grow grapes and make wine in Scandinavia. If you're willing, you can make native wine anywhere in the world (like my home state of Tennessee). However, just because you can doesn't mean you should (Tennessee).
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Apr 22, 2014 22:30
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Yeah, some of then non-vinifera grapevines are pretty cold tolerant, they just have that overpowering foxy, grape jelly flavour as opposed to the flavours of traditional grape varieties. I guess some people just like the idea of the winery/vineyard lifestyle despite living pretty close tot he arctic circle. Assuming the climate is suitable though, some of these countries are starting to improve their wines as technology and trained winemakers become more readily available.
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Apr 23, 2014 00:07
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