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Pirc
Jun 10, 2004

lol liqu0rz durnkz
Anyone familiar with how Total Wine runs their business? They are supposedly setting up shop in our town to sell wine, beer, and liquor and was wondering if they would be worth working for instead a competitor.

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Overwined
Sep 22, 2008

Wine can of their wits the wise beguile,
Make the sage frolic, and the serious smile.

RobertLeeYates posted:

Anyone familiar with how Total Wine runs their business? They are supposedly setting up shop in our town to sell wine, beer, and liquor and was wondering if they would be worth working for instead a competitor.

I worked for just about 4 years as a Wine Manager for TWM. It's not easy to work for them and I suspect it's gotten worse. What did you want to know about them, specifically?

Subtlet
Jun 10, 2004
You say that all the time
Good to see you back Overwined! What have you been drinking lately? I'm all excited about 2010 Mosel Riesling.

Murgos
Oct 21, 2010

paradigmblue posted:

Lately I've been getting requests for me to come to people's houses and do private tastings, pair wines for gourmet dinner clubs, and to select wines and host tastings for different charity organizations.

Sounds straight forward to me. Offer your services as a teacher instead of as a consultant. 40 or 50 bucks a head plus costs.

Instead of hosting a tasting you would be providing instruction on say, regional differences of selected single varietals.

Instead of pairing wines for a dinner you could be teaching what wines go with what dish during the course of a meal. Pointing out what makes this sweet wine better with this spicy asian food and maybe providing a contrasting example.

Does it mostly amount to the same thing? Sure, but the perspective is totally different. If you provide classes for a cost then people aren't going to expect you to provide the same service for free.

If you still find you have more work than time, up your fee.

Pirc
Jun 10, 2004

lol liqu0rz durnkz

Overwined posted:

I worked for just about 4 years as a Wine Manager for TWM. It's not easy to work for them and I suspect it's gotten worse. What did you want to know about them, specifically?

Actually it's the wine manager job that I was interested in. From what I can find out about the company on the Internet is that they work them long hours although the benefits are supposedly good. Do they get to choose any of the wines they bring in? Also, how important is it to sell their private label stuff that hopefully isn't garbage?

And now back to the subject of the matter: Wining.

Earthquake cab by Michael David winery out of Paso Robles. Weighing in at a hefty 15+ percent it lacked the darker fruit that I expected from California and reminded me more of a cheap barefoot cab that had a machismo complex. After years of steroids and and hitting the heavy weights of the gym, his character became boring and decided to make up for it wearing spiced vanilla cologne. Definitely an identity crisis. His brother the Zinfandel is definitely cooler.

Joseph drouhin in Chablis-vaudesir grand cru 2007. We've been penpals for a while and was excited to meet her. Never meeting anyone from Chablis I was super excited about her status as a sexy cru. Unfortunately when she stepped off the plane it was anyone but seducing. She was thatskinny fat girl who looked fine in her body compressing bodyarmor workout clothes, but once laid bare, she was more jelly than tone. I hugged her hopefully that she would surprise me. However, once we started talking in person her granny smith and (quince?) was just smothered by the thick dose of bitterness and French oak which did not do anything to make her pleasant in anyway. Where was that spark of electricity and vibrancy? Destroyed by years of no self confidence and McDonald French fries. At 24 retail I should have known better. If you want a more Burgundian style with oak I'd go checkout some of the cooler climate Washington chardonnays. Canoe ridge from chateau ste Michelle is easy enough to find.

Pirc fucked around with this message at 17:26 on Feb 2, 2012

smn
Feb 15, 2005
tutkalla

pork never goes bad posted:

I read this post a few days ago and have been thinking about how to respond. There's a lot of space to talk about the questions you brought up! Down the rabbit hole and all that.

Zinfandel, like pretty much any grape, can make very nice wine. American Zins, especially in the low end of the market, can be pretty uninspired - flabby, jammy, sweet, and hot. But Zinfandel grown and vinified with care can be really excellent. I tend to prefer zin blends to straight zin. Ridge is a classic Zin producer, held in high esteem by almost everyone who is into wine. Their Geyserville bottling, usually 55-80% zinfandel, is probably the most regarded, but all are good. If you like the rich, inky extraction that Zinfandel is capable of, but want it without the jamminess in cheap zin, Robert Biale makes excellent wine of that kind. To be honest, from reading the pairing you describe, I think Biale might be right up your alley. I don't think we have exactly the same tastes! Zinfandel is called Primitivo in Italy, typically grown in Puglia. I am largely unfamiliar with it, honestly.

Thanks for your reply, for some reason I forgot about posting in this thread and didn't check back until now!

I've tried a couple of Zinfandels since,quite ok but nothing spectacular, seemed to work nicely with beef seasoned with black pepper though. Ridge sounds familiar but when checking a few of their bottles on their site, I didn't recognize the shape so maybe it wasn't that after all. I'll keep on looking, although I'm not sure if the experience can really be reproduced without the food 'key'.


pork never goes bad posted:

One thing to keep in mind when pairing wine and food is that often we have a fairly simple formula - white wine, fish; red wine, meat. This is not a great way to do things. Oily fish, like Cod, can often do well with red wine, especially if said Cod was salted, dried, and made into Bacalao.

This is most interesting - I have lived by the 'white for fish, red for anything else' mantra until now. Thinking about it, a fatty salmon with black pepper seasoning sounds like a good match for a red.

idiotsavant
Jun 4, 2000

smn posted:

This is most interesting - I have lived by the 'white for fish, red for anything else' mantra until now. Thinking about it, a fatty salmon with black pepper seasoning sounds like a good match for a red.

A lighter red - something like Loire Cab Franc, Frappato, Jura Plousard, etc. If you want to pair food well with wine focus more on basics like structure and acidity rather than various aromas that everyone interprets differently. Also sherry can be a very nice dinner wine as well; for example Amontillados are wonderful with pork dishes. Basically don't limit yourself to the conventional wisdom bullshit!!

Overwined
Sep 22, 2008

Wine can of their wits the wise beguile,
Make the sage frolic, and the serious smile.

RobertLeeYates posted:

Actually it's the wine manager job that I was interested in. From what I can find out about the company on the Internet is that they work them long hours although the benefits are supposedly good. Do they get to choose any of the wines they bring in? Also, how important is it to sell their private label stuff that hopefully isn't garbage?

They do make you work long hours, but the hours aren't what makes things grating. The atmosphere is very intense. The company is privately owned by a couple sharp guys that probably know your job better than you do. If there's a single day that you sat back on your heels because your dog died or your wife left you, they're going to know about it and it'll just make things harder for you. There is also ZILLIONS of pages of paperwork to do daily and again if you fall asleep at the wheel and start pencil-whipping things, they'll know.

The benefits are industry-standard, but I guess industry-standard is now industry-leading.

You have ABSOLUTELY ZERO input on what is carried. There was one wine manager I knew that made a few decisions about what came into his store, but he had been there for years and eventually got promoted. You will be told what will come in and where to put it.

How important are their private labels? They are EVERYTHING to the company. Every measure of your success is derived from your percentage of WD (winery direct) sales. You are NOT ALLOWED to admire any "national brand" (non-WD) wine while on the job. The quality is mixed. Some of the wines are actually legit and not contract swill, but there is plenty of contract plonk that you must push to make numbers.

Overall, I wouldn't recommend. Though I imagine if you have some fortitude you could consider it a stepping stone to greater things. They DO teach you the nuts and bolts of wine and spirits retail in a way that no other retailer will. This will help you if you decide to stay in retail.

Subtlet posted:

Good to see you back Overwined! What have you been drinking lately? I'm all excited about 2010 Mosel Riesling.

Thanks, Subtlet! As it turns out I am excited about 2010 Riesling as well. I am actually buying up some 2009s right now because they represent a great vintage and are being overshadowed by 2010s. I will buy and age some 2010s as well, though. I'm trying to exercise some restraint and let some good Rieslings age awhile because I love the flavor aged Riesling. I recently bought some JJ Prum Graacher Himmelreich 2009 and some Schloss Johannisberg 2009s. I usually don't buy Rheingau Rieslings, but I found this one to be really alluring.

consensual poster
Sep 1, 2009

smn posted:

This is most interesting - I have lived by the 'white for fish, red for anything else' mantra until now. Thinking about it, a fatty salmon with black pepper seasoning sounds like a good match for a red.

There are tons of exceptions to this rule. So many exceptions, in fact, that it can hardly be called a rule. Aromatic, high-acid white wines are a great pairing with cured meats and other charcuterie. Riesling is a terrific pairing with fresh pork dishes, like a roasted pork loin. There are plenty of whites that pair well with chicken, too, and not just buttery chardonnay. A lighter red like the ones that idiotsavant suggested, a red Burgundy, or and Oregon Pinot Noir goes great with salmon.

Overwined posted:

As it turns out I am excited about 2010 Riesling as well. I am actually buying up some 2009s right now because they represent a great vintage and are being overshadowed by 2010s. I will buy and age some 2010s as well, though. I'm trying to exercise some restraint and let some good Rieslings age awhile because I love the flavor aged Riesling.

Putting in a big order for 2010 German Riesling at a local wine shop tonight. I just wish there was more of it. It's going to be gone from the market very quickly.

pork never goes bad
May 16, 2008


Today I am drinking 2003 Chateau Carbonnieux Rouge. Carbonnieux is an old chateau - constructed in the late 14th century and primarily operated by Benedictine monks. Wine was made on the property at this time, but winemaking fell by the wayside until the 18th century when it was replanted. Most of the vines in this wine were planted in the 1970s - average vine age for the reds is 27 years. Carbonnieux was confirmed as a Grand Cru Classe in 1959. It's located in the Pessac-Leognan region of the Graves, Bordeaux. Today the Chateau is owned by the Perrin family.

The roughly 50 hectares on the estate devoted to red wine grapes are predominantly gravelly soils, with limestone clay as the base. There is approx 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, with the balance Carmenere and Petit Verdot. In the vineyard, Carbonnieux focuses on low-intervention and sustainable vineyard practices. They follow primarily organic farming practices, but are not certified organic. In this vintage of Carbonnieux, 34% Merlot – 7 % Cabernet franc – 59% Cabernet Sauvignon is the composition of the wine.

The red wines ferment for 28 days, and are regularly pumped over during this process. The wines spend roughly 15-18 months in oak, 35-40% of which is new, are egg-white fined, spend a few months in bottle at the chateau and then are released.

2003 is not a well-regarded vintage in Bordeaux, all things considered. The reds from Pessac-Leognan tended to fair a little better than the whites. Though Carbonnieux is regarded as producing better whites than reds, in this vintage the red is supposed to be a little better in absolute terms.

Chris Kissack (of thewinedoctor.com) had this to say in 2005: "Château Carbonnieux (Pessac-Léognan) 2003: A nose of blackberries and butter here, indicating a very ripe fruit profile with some residual oak influence. Full and moderately creamy style on the palate, with decent tannins, which are ripe and nicely composed. There is decent acidity and blackberry fruit. This has a supple, attractive style. Rather good. Has potential. 16+/20 (October 2005)"

Robert Parker: "Carbonnieux’s elegant offerings frequently remind me of a high-class Burgundy more than a classic Graves. The 2003 reveals smoky, black cherry, and herb characteristics, a soft, plush texture, projected, open-knit aromatics, sweet tannin, and a long, broad finish. Enjoy it over the next 12-15 years.
Score: 89. —Robert Parker, April 2006. "

Given the reputation of the vintage, and the 89 from Parker, this wine (which is drinking really rather well now, could go a little longer, though probably won't hold up the 15 years Parker gives it), can be had for a song, often less than the current release. It smells a little older than it is, with some black tea, cedar and herbs on the nose. Blackcurrant-y fruit in the mouth. Tannins feel a little disjointed, maybe, but the finish is really great with juicy fruit and minerality to boot. It's a very nice wine for the price, and I give it 2 thumbs up!

Oh, and given the pairings talk, I'm drinking this on it's own before dinner. We're cooking Minestrone - I'll probably open a bottle of Merlot to go with that.

idiotsavant
Jun 4, 2000

pork never goes bad posted:

Given the reputation of the vintage, and the 89 from Parker, this wine (which is drinking really rather well now, could go a little longer, though probably won't hold up the 15 years Parker gives it), can be had for a song, often less than the current release. It smells a little older than it is, with some black tea, cedar and herbs on the nose. Blackcurrant-y fruit in the mouth. Tannins feel a little disjointed, maybe, but the finish is really great with juicy fruit and minerality to boot. It's a very nice wine for the price, and I give it 2 thumbs up!

I really want to get better at buying good wines from lovely Bordeaux vintages once I get some more spending money together, because it seems like you can get excellent value - very nice wines with some age on them at very reasonable price points.

I have a few bottles left of Renaissance '96 Claret, which was a terrible year according to the winemaker. Very unripe fruit, difficult harvest; he said he was tearing his hair out on the crushpad. 18 years later it's a delicate, graceful cab that you'd never expect from California. Buying Bordeaux seems like such a numbers shitfest that I'm sure there are plenty of good lower growths from bad vintages that can be bought on the cheap.

Overwined
Sep 22, 2008

Wine can of their wits the wise beguile,
Make the sage frolic, and the serious smile.

pork never goes bad posted:


Carbonnieux

Carbonnieux holds a really special place in my heart. When I was a young man and exploring big bold (over-extracted, over-sugared) red wines, I was working in my first Manhattan restaurant, an old steakhouse called Keen's in midtown. To this day, this is the most well-run restaurant I've ever been in. The GM there was fantastic and very wine-positive. She taught me a lot and got me to open my overly-opinionated mind about many things. Anyway, I can't remember the circumstances, but she asked me if I wanted a half full bottle of Carbonnieux Blanc to take home and I said hell no. White wines are for suckers. She pushed me to take it and I went home and drank it and had an epiphanic experience where I realized what balance is and how subtlety plays in good wines. I think I owe my white appreciation to that moment.

pork never goes bad
May 16, 2008

Overwined - that's awesome.

Idiotsavant: http://www.klwines.com/detail.asp?sku=1061746

Overwined
Sep 22, 2008

Wine can of their wits the wise beguile,
Make the sage frolic, and the serious smile.
Thought I would just post this little gem that I have been enjoying over the past few months:



This is the Dom. Matrot Bourgogne Chardonnay 2009. I have to give cred to my Asst. Manager for bringing it in. It's a great little find. You should be able to get this stuff for easily under $20.

The guy that sold it to us said this was better than their Meursault bottlings! Well, guess what, that's probably bullshit. But it is very good and represents a great value from an appellation that, let's be honest, no longer cares for the "v" word. The wine is definitely cut from the Meursault mold with a tinge of earthiness and some faint popcorn on the nose. The palate is much brighter than a traditional Meursault, with bright baked apples and a tinge of tropical fruits. There is certainly an oak and some malo influence (this might just be ripe fruit), but the acid and fruit is bright and graceful. An wine that really wants to be drunk and one that I feel many can appreciate. A good entree into the world of "pure" Burgundian Chardonnay.

It's imported by Vineyard Brands, a major US importer of French (and other) wines, so it should be easy to track down in your neck of the woods.

EDIT: I'm waiting for the 2010s to be released since it's supposed to be such a great white wine vintage in most of France. Don't get me wrong 2009 is also awesome, so if you can fine either, buy it.

Overwined fucked around with this message at 05:06 on Feb 8, 2012

Lolcano Eruption
Oct 29, 2007
Volcano of LOL.
How acceptable is it to store unopened wine in the refrigerator? Not long-term storage but keeping a couple of bottles for a week or two. I could use general advice but the wines in question are white; more specifically Chardonnay and Riesling.

Stitecin
Feb 6, 2004
Mayor of Stitecinopolis

Lolcano Eruption posted:

How acceptable is it to store unopened wine in the refrigerator? Not long-term storage but keeping a couple of bottles for a week or two. I could use general advice but the wines in question are white; more specifically Chardonnay and Riesling.

They'll be fine. The worst thing that will happen is that they'll throw some tartrate crystals or look hazy, and that's only going to happen if you've got wines from producers that don't cold stabilize.

gay picnic defence
Oct 5, 2009


I'M CONCERNED ABOUT A NUMBER OF THINGS
For a couple of years I put all my wines in the fridge over summer to protect them from the heat.

Cpt.Wacky
Apr 17, 2005
My corkscrew broke off in the cork last night. It was a wing-style corkscrew. Any suggestions on a decent replacement?

pork never goes bad
May 16, 2008

I like this one: http://www.amazon.com/Double-Hinged-Waiter-Style-Corkscrew/dp/B0000AV1B9/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1329154822&sr=8-1

Lots of people like the Screwpull ones if you have a little more cash, and want something a little easier.

gay picnic defence
Oct 5, 2009


I'M CONCERNED ABOUT A NUMBER OF THINGS

Cpt.Wacky posted:

My corkscrew broke off in the cork last night. It was a wing-style corkscrew. Any suggestions on a decent replacement?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rafqCGfVj2I&feature=related


or:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ubeLgY4vWA

Cpt.Wacky
Apr 17, 2005
Thanks, I managed to dig out around the broken bit enough to twist it out with pliers. Then I put a drywall screw through the cork and used a claw hammer to pry it out.

idiotsavant
Jun 4, 2000

Cpt.Wacky posted:

Thanks, I managed to dig out around the broken bit enough to twist it out with pliers. Then I put a drywall screw through the cork and used a claw hammer to pry it out.

Life finds a way :angel:

Lolcano Eruption
Oct 29, 2007
Volcano of LOL.
My Ah-So cork puller also broke yesterday trying to open up a bottle of Moscato d'asti. To open it, I pushed the cork down into the bottle with a knife honing steel. Time to stop getting gimmick cork pullers and just get a screw one, I suppose.

How do you guys feel about wines from Texas? With liquor and beer I always try to buy locally, you know, 'Texas pride' and everything. However, I just have a hard time determining whether they are actually good or not.

Cpt.Wacky
Apr 17, 2005
It seems like the "worm" being hollow like a spring instead of solid like a screw is the preference. I'll probably get the waiter-style since it's cheaper and there are too many of the Screwpull models to sort through.

I didn't want to push the cork into the bottle because I reuse the bottles for homebrew.

Determining whether it's actually good? Drink it, like it? It's good!

Lolcano Eruption
Oct 29, 2007
Volcano of LOL.

Cpt.Wacky posted:

It seems like the "worm" being hollow like a spring instead of solid like a screw is the preference. I'll probably get the waiter-style since it's cheaper and there are too many of the Screwpull models to sort through.

I didn't want to push the cork into the bottle because I reuse the bottles for homebrew.

Determining whether it's actually good? Drink it, like it? It's good!

I tried a couple different Texas vineyards around here in the Hill Country. None of them were particularly amazing. I suppose I'd better give them a few more decades to refine their techniques or something, I just really like supporting local businesses.

pork never goes bad
May 16, 2008

The waiter style are fine, I had a Screwpull in the past and prefer the waiter's in the end.

Re: Texas wine, Benito is a goon with a wine blog. He has had two wines from Becker Vineyards in Texas which he said nice enough things about.

benito
Sep 28, 2004

And I don't blab
any drab gab--
I chatter hep patter

Lolcano Eruption posted:

I tried a couple different Texas vineyards around here in the Hill Country. None of them were particularly amazing. I suppose I'd better give them a few more decades to refine their techniques or something, I just really like supporting local businesses.

Thanks to pork never goes bad for the mention. I haven't had a lot of Texan wine (I'm far more impressed with Mexican wines from Baja California if we're talking about some unexpected places in the region), but I do have a sister site that lists a lot of wine bloggers from around the southeast and the south. Plenty of Texan writers listed at Winebloggers In The South who write a lot of reviews of local wines, interview the winemakers, etc. Ditto for Virginia--for some reason, if you're writing about wine in Virginia, you're mostly writing about wines from that state. Get to a place like Tennessee or Florida, and you spend 99% of your time writing about wines from everywhere else in the world.

I try wine from all sorts of weird places (Moldova most recently), and sometimes things are surprisingly good (New Mexico) and sometimes things are really bad (Belarus). Wine has been made in Texas for a really long time, but I don't think it's found its special grape variety (or blend) that really works. The Bordeaux-style blends are interesting but it's a bit too hot.

Eco RI
Nov 5, 2008

NOM NOM NOM OM NOM

Lolcano Eruption posted:

I tried a couple different Texas vineyards around here in the Hill Country. None of them were particularly amazing. I suppose I'd better give them a few more decades to refine their techniques or something, I just really like supporting local businesses.

I worked there for 3 years as a winemaker in the Hill Country. Texas wine has about as much of a chance to compete nationally as Missouri, Virginia, or other states where you shouldn't grow winegrapes. As far as contemporary winemaking goes, Texas has been making wine about as long as Oregon or Washington, but can't seem to figure out issues like disease control or varietal/rootstock optimization.

As a general rule, you'll find that the average Texas winery lacks the level of talent that wineries in the larger wine producing states possess, which compounds issues with producing wine with sub-par fruit. That said, they all aren't terrible producers; Becker, Grape Creek, and the high-tier Llano Estacado all have great wines for where they are made. Just manage your expectations and understand that you'll be paying a premium for a local product and not superior quality.

PerOlus
Jan 26, 2003

We'r even, señor!
Why is red wine making my tongue turn black?
Disgusting picture of tongue here.

My spit is black as well. It doesn't seem to happen to my friends.

Cpt.Wacky
Apr 17, 2005
Have you consumed Pepto-Bismol or anything containing bismuth? The combination with sulfur (sulfites in the wine) seems to be the leading theory.

Has anyone seen that Maynard James Keenan documentary Blood Into Wine? Do his wines live up to the hype, or anything others from Arizona? I missed a chance to see A Perfect Circle play in Seattle last year and they had some fancy wine tasting event right before the performance each night. :(

PerOlus
Jan 26, 2003

We'r even, señor!

Cpt.Wacky posted:

Have you consumed Pepto-Bismol or anything containing bismuth? The combination with sulfur (sulfites in the wine) seems to be the leading theory.


Hmm I don't think so... I drink loads of milk (around 1-1.5 liters a day), could that have something to do with it somehow?

Subtlet
Jun 10, 2004
You say that all the time

Cpt.Wacky posted:

Has anyone seen that Maynard James Keenan documentary Blood Into Wine? Do his wines live up to the hype, or anything others from Arizona? I missed a chance to see A Perfect Circle play in Seattle last year and they had some fancy wine tasting event right before the performance each night. :(

I saw the documentary, and I really enjoyed most of it. I tasted through a few of their wines last year, the 2008 Arizona Stronghold Mangus, the 2006 Merkin Vineyards Chupacabra, and the 2007 Caduceus Primer Paso. I thought the Primer Paso was really solid, and I am pretty interested in trying more like that. The other two were decent as well. Since they're cheaper, I still think they're worth checking out if you're curious.

Crimson
Nov 7, 2002

Cpt.Wacky posted:

Have you consumed Pepto-Bismol or anything containing bismuth? The combination with sulfur (sulfites in the wine) seems to be the leading theory.

Has anyone seen that Maynard James Keenan documentary Blood Into Wine? Do his wines live up to the hype, or anything others from Arizona? I missed a chance to see A Perfect Circle play in Seattle last year and they had some fancy wine tasting event right before the performance each night. :(

Caduceus Naga is a great Sangiovese based blend. 2010 AZ Stronghold Nachise is wonderfully aromatic, gamey and spicy. Probably gonna run that one by the glass. The rest of Stronghold's lineup can be really hit or miss. The Bordeaux blend Lozen is pretty tasty, if expensive for AZ wine. Their Rosé Dayden is god awful in my opinion.

Pillsbury's lineup is actually fairly impressive across the board, with most being quite light but complex and delicious.

Mountain Sky is a newer winery, their reds are ok, with the best one being their blend from Paso Robles grapes sadly enough. The whites are not that good.

Tekne
Feb 15, 2012

It's-a me, motherfucker

New wine drinker here. Recently had a 2009 Pascual Toso Malbec that both smelled and tasted very strongly of violets, but didn't overpower the other elements of the wine. That was my first "wow, this is good" experience with grape juice. Do you guys have any suggestions for bottles in the ten to twenty dollar range with distinct notes that are still pleasant to drink? I like both red and white.

idiotsavant
Jun 4, 2000
Uh, a whole lot of poo poo from the Loire and or Languedoc/Rousillon and maybe Spain and etc etc etc. Try to find something from Domaine Baudry or Domaine Rimbert or like a bajillion other vignerons. It seems like a great time to be drinking wine to me.

edit: White - get you some Muscadet from Domaine de la Pepiere. You don't need their top cuve, you need the $13 poo poo that you chug on a summer day.

consensual poster
Sep 1, 2009

Tekne posted:

New wine drinker here. Recently had a 2009 Pascual Toso Malbec that both smelled and tasted very strongly of violets, but didn't overpower the other elements of the wine. That was my first "wow, this is good" experience with grape juice. Do you guys have any suggestions for bottles in the ten to twenty dollar range with distinct notes that are still pleasant to drink? I like both red and white.

Are distinct notes a requirement? In other words, are you trying to learn more about picking out different flavors in a wine, or just drink some new and interesting stuff?

I'd recommend a Cru Beaujolais. They'll run you about $15-20, but many of them drink way above their price points. Domaine Du Vissoux Cuvee Traditionnelle is a good example. Their Vieille Vignes (old vine) Beaujolais is even better and is also under $20, I believe. Most Beaujolais will have a floral character akin to violets or roses, bright red berry fruit characteristics, and sometimes a pronounced mineral quality.

There's quality German Riesling for under $20. Idiotsavant's recommendations are always good, especially the Muscadet. There are so many ways you could go here. Where do you live? Do you have access to a quality wine shop? Developing a relationship with a wine merchant and getting to know the local wine geeks are two of the best ways to get into wine.

gay picnic defence
Oct 5, 2009


I'M CONCERNED ABOUT A NUMBER OF THINGS
Its been a really good vintage here so far. The weather has been really mild, which surprisingly has resulted in very fast ripening. Shiraz yields are down a bit but the quality is really good. Everything else looks to be doing nicely too. The boss has already called it the best since 1998 which has been the best Australian vintage in recent years.

The downside is that everything is being picked quickly so I have to find another vintage somewhere colder :argh:

4/20 NEVER FORGET
Dec 2, 2002

NEVER FORGET OK
Fun Shoe

Perfectly Cromulent posted:

Do you have access to a quality wine shop? Developing a relationship with a wine merchant and getting to know the local wine geeks are two of the best ways to get into wine.

This is a good suggestion. Find a wine shop, talk to the owner/whoever works there, tell them the wine you liked and what you liked about it and what price you are willing to pay for wine. They will be able to steer you toward at least a few suggestions. Drink the wines he sells you and keep basic notes on them and whether you liked them or not. Go back to the same retailer and tell him what you thought. Through doing this he will be able to guide you to stuff you will probably end up falling in love with.

I went the route of buying whatever looked/sounded cool for a while and it was nothing but heartache. Once I got hooked up with a good wine shop he was able to show me the good stuff all over the world in a much quicker amount of time. (I would say cheaper because I was buying less plonk, but the amount I started spending on the good stuff quickly balanced that out :))

Tekne
Feb 15, 2012

It's-a me, motherfucker

Perfectly Cromulent posted:

Are distinct notes a requirement? In other words, are you trying to learn more about picking out different flavors in a wine, or just drink some new and interesting stuff?

I'd recommend a Cru Beaujolais. They'll run you about $15-20, but many of them drink way above their price points. Domaine Du Vissoux Cuvee Traditionnelle is a good example. Their Vieille Vignes (old vine) Beaujolais is even better and is also under $20, I believe. Most Beaujolais will have a floral character akin to violets or roses, bright red berry fruit characteristics, and sometimes a pronounced mineral quality.

There's quality German Riesling for under $20. Idiotsavant's recommendations are always good, especially the Muscadet. There are so many ways you could go here. Where do you live? Do you have access to a quality wine shop? Developing a relationship with a wine merchant and getting to know the local wine geeks are two of the best ways to get into wine.
They're not a requirement, but I like when you can immediately identify something familiar out of the typical wine taste. As for your criteria, both are things I'm interested in, and we can lower the price bar as well. I'm guessing there are good, if hard to find, wines there too.

I'll look for the suggested bottles when I go on my next wine run. They shouldn't be hard to track down here in CA's Bay Area. The local chain stores tend to have pretty extensive selections, as far as I can tell, but finding an actual wine shop is a good idea.

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pork never goes bad
May 16, 2008

Tekne posted:

They're not a requirement, but I like when you can immediately identify something familiar out of the typical wine taste. As for your criteria, both are things I'm interested in, and we can lower the price bar as well. I'm guessing there are good, if hard to find, wines there too.

I'll look for the suggested bottles when I go on my next wine run. They shouldn't be hard to track down here in CA's Bay Area. The local chain stores tend to have pretty extensive selections, as far as I can tell, but finding an actual wine shop is a good idea.

If you're in the Bay Area, go to a K&L. Redwood City or San Francisco. If you let us know more specifically where you are, I know a few of us are in the Bay Area and could recommend a solid shop. Edit: Thirding Muscadet as a SOLID option in your price range.

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