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The Wine Thread
- Thread starter Johnny Fila
- Start date
I've been a member if the Sebastiani wine club for a a few years, and last night pulled out an '02 Sonona Valley Cab Sauv from my little "cellar" (40 or so bottles in the back of my pantry closet). Lots of black cheeries up front with a big oaky finish. The buttery-ness of the oak was maybe a bit on the heavy side, but overall it was quite nice.
The night before, I also dipped into my "cellar" for something different (I need to get to the store to re-plenish my everyday stock). I came up with an '04 Rancho Sisquoc Cab Sauv. Rancho Sisquoc is a very small winery way off the beaten path in the Santa Ynez valley (inland of Santa Maria, CA). My wife and stumbled upon it at the end of a wine tasting trip about 6 or 7 years ago, joined the wine club, and have been very pleased with most of their products. Although they regularly produce Cabs and Merlots, their best wines tend to be Syrahs and Syrah blends. They are one of the rare producers that will do a Malbec on occasion, and it is typically excellent. Anyhow...this '04 Cab was not horrible, but certianly not one of my favorites. The fruitiness of cherry and currant was overshadowed by vegetal flavors - a result of grapes that were picked a bit too soon. Such is the crapshoot of wines.
The night before, I also dipped into my "cellar" for something different (I need to get to the store to re-plenish my everyday stock). I came up with an '04 Rancho Sisquoc Cab Sauv. Rancho Sisquoc is a very small winery way off the beaten path in the Santa Ynez valley (inland of Santa Maria, CA). My wife and stumbled upon it at the end of a wine tasting trip about 6 or 7 years ago, joined the wine club, and have been very pleased with most of their products. Although they regularly produce Cabs and Merlots, their best wines tend to be Syrahs and Syrah blends. They are one of the rare producers that will do a Malbec on occasion, and it is typically excellent. Anyhow...this '04 Cab was not horrible, but certianly not one of my favorites. The fruitiness of cherry and currant was overshadowed by vegetal flavors - a result of grapes that were picked a bit too soon. Such is the crapshoot of wines.
Perfect time to stumble upon the wine thread!
Can anyone recommend me a wine for linguine with white clam sauce?
I'm assuming it should be white, in which case I would usually just get sutter home or whatever, but I wanna step it up a notch...the lady is coming over, making me dinner ext...
Thanks guys!
Can anyone recommend me a wine for linguine with white clam sauce?
I'm assuming it should be white, in which case I would usually just get sutter home or whatever, but I wanna step it up a notch...the lady is coming over, making me dinner ext...
Thanks guys!
White, definitely. I'm not the biggest fan of Chardonnay, and would tend towards Sauvignon Blanc in this case. New Zealand Sauv Blancs tend to have flavors of grapefruit or other citrus which I find to be a nice balance against a cream sauce. You can typically find a few NZ choices in most grocery stores - look in the imported wines section, not with the rest of the Sauv Blancs. My favorite brand is Kim Crawford (big grapefruit flavors), but I have not yet had a NZ Sauv Blanc that I didn't like. Prices will probably be in the $10-18 range.
Although I tend to find them a bit whimpy generally, if you're looking for something on the subtle side, a Pinot Grigio might do okay if you want to keep an Italian theme.
Dude your awesome!
She just texted me... she wants to get the wine too....since I made dinner last time, so my pallet is at her mercy.
I think I'm going to buy a bottle anyway (it can't hurt to have another lying around) and you got me craving wine. I know a bit about beer and whiskey but I don't know jack about wine...other than a bottle will get me a lil hammered.
Getting into wine drinking, and learning about it, actually helped my palate open up for everything else. I can appreciate the subtleties of beer and good bourbon much better now.
Next time you drink wine, don't just gulp it down. Let it roll around in your mouth for a few moments before you swallow. Are there any flavors you can identify? Acidity? How long does the flavor last after you swallow? Does it excite one part of your mouth more than another? Often times the label on the back of the bottle will include notes from the winemaker about that flavors you might find in the wine. Take your time with it. Comparing two (or more) wines side-by-side is a good way to start noticing the differences in flavors.
A back-up bottle of wine is always a good idea - especially when it's dinner with lady
Warning: A wine habit can be expensive.
The best cheap red wine I've found yet is Target's brand cab/shiraz blend in the box. No aftertaste and nicely balanced.
Best bottle of wine I've had was an 06 Louis Latour Pinot Noir.
I'd like to try some really high end stuff sometime ($50+ bottles).
Best bottle of wine I've had was an 06 Louis Latour Pinot Noir.
I'd like to try some really high end stuff sometime ($50+ bottles).
I haven't seen that one before. I'll keep an eye out. I love NZ Sauv Blanc
Last night...
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2005 Laetitia Vineyard Reserve Pinot Noir. Opens with flavors of blackberries and cherries that give way to a long, full finish filled with white pepper. Nicely balanced acidity. This was a very enjoyable wine, and an excellent example of Pinot Noir from the central coast of California.
I am a big red-wine fan. One of my favorite (lower priced) wines is "Sangre de Toro"... a Spanish wine by Torres.
I haven't seen that one before. I'll keep an eye out. I love NZ Sauv Blanc
Wine Spectator gives Cloudy bay 2006 Chardonnay (I think..don't have it nearby) 90 or 91 points. Their Sauv Blanc is equally stunning.
As for pinot noir, I'm a self admitted pinofile. I just love Burgundy reds. Stunning wines. Big pinot production here in SWitzerland, although most reds are gamay, gamaret and garanoir. You'll find some interesting Syrah's that are more aligned falvour wise with Coe de Rhone as opposed to Australian or Californian Shiraz. Overall, Swiss wines are marginal. There are some interesting blends of gamay, garanoir, gamaerat and pinot noir that are occasionally interesting.
I am a big red-wine fan. One of my favorite (lower priced) wines is "Sangre de Toro"... a Spanish wine by Torres.
Funny. It used to be one my fav entry level wines several years ago when exchange rate made Spanish wines more affordable.
Since then I`m more focused in domestic Argentinian wines.
We're seeing more Argentinian wines in the US over the past few years. Lots of good malbecs at good prices. Do you have any favorites that you either know or suspect are shipped up here?
I understand that Argentinians love their beef, so I suspect that red wine is big down there.
Yes, national Malbecs are very good. It`s something curious mainly considering it`s a second rate grape in France (as a matter of fact, Malbec means "bad taste").
During my last trip to NYC last March I had the chance to see some. IIRC, Alamos and Alto Las Hormigas were there. Those are 2 of my personal favourites.
I didn't know that Malbec = bad taste; marketing must not have been too sophisticated when they came up with that one!
Thanks for the tip - I'll look for Alamos and Alto Las Hormigas.
I've tried the Alamos. I liked it a lot as well.
By the way, yesterday bought this Virtuoso Syrah from Sicily, Italy. Looking forward to try it. Has anyone tried it and can tell me about it?
By the way, if you click that link you come to the web page of the only company (state owned) in Finland allowed to sell beverages with alc content > 4,7%. I like the information you get there on the wines they sell. On the Finnish and Swedish versions of the pages there's even a more detailed description of the wine, but you go far with only the symbols. Do you have this system anywhere else? I hate it when you see wine bottles in e.g. airport shops and no information other than what's on the bottle is given.
Anyway, what is the largest internet site with information about wines? Or forum? I've tried to search a little, but I haven't been too successful.
By the way, yesterday bought this Virtuoso Syrah from Sicily, Italy. Looking forward to try it.
Has anyone tried it and can tell me about it?By the way, if you click that link you come to the web page of the only company (state owned) in Finland allowed to sell beverages with alc content > 4,7%. I like the information you get there on the wines they sell. On the Finnish and Swedish versions of the pages there's even a more detailed description of the wine, but you go far with only the symbols. Do you have this system anywhere else? I hate it when you see wine bottles in e.g. airport shops and no information other than what's on the bottle is given.
Anyway, what is the largest internet site with information about wines? Or forum? I've tried to search a little, but I haven't been too successful.
I have an online subscription to Wine Spectator. Lots of good tips and ratings.
Thanks, I checked out that site. It seems to have a lot of information but very little for non-members, and the membership isn't free. I'm not that into wines yet (I call a wine over 15 expensive) and don't drink wine more than a couple of bottles a month, so I wouldn't like to pay for a membership yet.
I'm a member on snooth.com, but the number of reviews is not that high. For instance, there was no review on the wine I mentioned in my last post above. Otherwise it's an OK site.
Other sites?
I used to be subscribed to this site several years ago:
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Lots of interesting info and nice short newsletters.
Don`t know if it`s still free.
