agxo3

import the grapes man

Not a practical suggestion. The grapes have to be picked at a ripeness level the winemaker specifies (so the winemaker has to be on-site at harvest time) and they don't last more than a few hours before they're past the desired ripeness and sugar level.

Some wineries here in the US have tried importing grape JUICE from France and making the wine here - with not a lot of success. Letting the juice sit in cold storage for weeks while in transit does some really funny things to the flavors.

Or, you can import that fermented wine, and bottle it locally, at which point, I'd ask - why???? Other than the lower weight of wine in stainless steel tanks vs. in bottle, there's not much point since the labor intensive (and costly part) of the process is already done! Unless you're talking about wines of the 2 buck chuck genre - in which case, I'd say that's not even drinkable, so what's the point?

On a related topic - went tasting at a new (for me) winery yesterday. Place called Picchetti up in the hills above Cupertino. Century-old place, survived Prohibition by becoming a ranch instead. BUT - the wines were just okay. Nothing remarkable about them. The winer was the zin, made from grapes sourced from another property in Santa Clara County. Hmmmm - other than the ambiance of the place, nothing to recommend it.

Also went to Retzlaff on Saturday for the release of their 2006 Family Reserve. Only the 4th time in 30 years they've released a Family Reserve. Very small production (120 cases total), all grapes from the vines in their front yard. Lush, rich, smooth tannins. Still a bit fruit-forward, which should recede with aging, letting the tannins get more pronounced and balancing the wine out somewhat more. I would guess 3-5 years in the bottle. So I bought 2 bottles.

Finally inventoried my wine last week, and re-arranged my storage. I'm down to just over 20 cases (woohoo! That means I've been drinking more than buying!). Time to drink those '93, '94 and '95 Opus Ones, and the '96-'99 Rubicons. They're never going to be more ready to drink than now. I see a great series of summer wine sipping parties coming up.

wow that sounds like fun.

 

yup i like jazz - usually I listen to my jazz playlist when I'm working and I want a more mellow/controlled pace

 

 

 

 

 

where is Vino y Vida?

In Fremont, CA.

Experience Music Project, Seattle, WA

54 deg F, sunny

hi everyone - just curious where do you guys drink wine?

Whenever and wherever I can.....

Today, for example, is wine day at work! Late in the afternoon, when everything is winding down, a small group of us get together to sit, sip, chat and otherwise unwind from the long, trying, discouraging week.

I (and others) bring in some wine - sometimes tried and true old standbys, sometimes wines we know nothing about and want to taste, others bring in some snacks.

I usually have a glass or two with dinner, even at home. And every now and then, some of us friends gather just to sit around, bond, and sip some GOOD wine - one of us hosts.

Then there's the Vino y Vida wine bar down the hill from me. Audrey (the owner) has good taste in wines so we meet there sometimes.

John Lennon: The Life by Philip Norman

We had "1999" California Bordeux Blend wines last night hosted by a good friend from college. Masi was there. Liberty and Mrs. Storm were there too. Masi and Liberty came in late so they missed the first bottle, a JARVIS Lake William. The next bottle was a De Lorimier Mosaic Meritage Alexander Valley. The third bottle was a St. Clement Oroppas (very complex). We had a great night reminiscing the past. Liberty and our host were office-mates.

 

Past midnight, the conversation went about Pinot Noir and our dear host brought out a Ponzi Willamette Valley Pinot Noir from Oregon. It was great (Mrs Storm loved it) though we're no expert. What a bottle to end the wonderful evening at 2 am.

 

Paging Mr. Agxo.

The only wine you had that I am familiar with is the St. Clement Oroppas. (Oroppas is Sapporo spelled backwards - a Japanese firm bought St. Clement some time ago and renamed its top end wine.)

The typical Orpppas has great black fruit flavors, loads of smooth tannins and layers and layers of flavors, ending in a slight hint of sweet tobacco and dark chocolate, and a hint of smoke/toast from the oak.

Alexander Valley is to the east of Healdsburg in Sonoma County. It gets hot out there in the summer, but the nights are cool with some fog forming in the lower elevations. Great for syrahs, zins and some cab andmerlot. would be interesting to see what went into that meritage.

Jarvis Lake William? Don't know that one. Will have to go find a bottle to taste!

Oregon is gaining fame for its pinot noirs. The Willamette Valley had a climate very much like Burgundy in France so the French have been setting up shop out that way. Drouhin among others produces a very nice Oregon pinot noir, but I am finding some very, very nice examples of pinot from my local area as well!

Your welcome pare. Enjoyed the pleasure of your company and the stories. Wine EB tayo ulit.

 

Haneps ang event ni bos agxo! :thumbsupsmiley:

But wait, there's more!!!

------------------

Hola foodies and wineaux! Right on the heels of the barrel tasting yesterday, I took my brother for his birthday dinner tonight. It was the monthly vintners dinner at the Essanay Cafe in the Niles area of Fremont. (For the uninitiated, Niles was where Charlie Chaplin and Bronco Billy started their movie careers. Hollywood was an afterthought. The movie studio was the Essanay Studio.)

The wines were supplied by Becky Bloomfield of Bloomfield Winery in Brentwood.

Menu and notes:

First

Smoked Rainbow Trout

Russian banana fingerling potatoes, horseradish crème fraîche

Wine Pairing - Pinot Grigio

The pinot had mineral notes and a very dry finish. Perfect for the smokiness of the trout (smoked for 4 hours that morning!). Horseradish creme fraiche had just enough forseradish to give it a slight kick, but not enough to clean out your sinuses - and the slate and stone characteristics of the pinot grigio was a good complement.

Second

Stuffed Pimento Peppers

Goat cheese, Dungeness crab, sambal

Wine Pairing - Viognier

"Sambal" in this case was highlighted by Thai chili peppers. A nice hot, spicy edge to go with the creaminess of the goat cheese and crab. The fruitiness of the viognier set off the spiciness of the Thai peppers. Apricots and peaches out front. Toasted almonds on the finish - nice!

Third

Savory Citrus Salad

Carmelized blood orange, dandelion, pancetta, creamy Meyer lemon dressing

Wine Pairing - Chardonnay

Light on the blood orange, which I though was a shame - blood orange is one of my favorite flavors. The chardonnay had no malolactic fermentation, and aged for only a few months in neutral oak, so it wasn't the typical California chardonnay with oak, vanilla, butter, toast. Instead, it was citrus (white grapefruit, tangerine), tart nectarines, a hint of vanilla and a creamy texture.

Fourth

Grilled Lamb Chop

Creamy polenta, carrots vichy mint oil

Wine Pairing - Pinot noir

Lamb and pinot noir - what else could you ask for? Perfectly medium rare, a hint of mint oil to balance the meaty flavors. Bright cherry and red raspberry flavors in the pinot. Not a hint of the barnyard (yay!). A touch of smoke from the oak. I bought yet another bottle of this wine!

Fifth

Osso Buco alla Milanese

Braised cannelloni beans, gremolata, puree of Jerusalem artichoke

Wine Pairing - Syrah

A bit of a letdown, but still very nice. No bone! No marrow to pick out! What??? Oh well, hearty and flavorful (okay, the marrow was extracted and went into the sauce....). A perfect foil to the smooth, silky, robust syrah. Great dark fruit backed by smooth tannins. A touch of apricot hiding in the back - a nice little surprise...

Sixth

Strawberries and Cream

Wine Pairing - Sauvignon Blanc

A napoleon, really. Layers of crisp pastry with a very nice whipped cream, topped by fresh sliced strawberries. A surprise to pair it with a sauvignon blanc. The grassy herb-y characteristics played off the sweet cream, though. Not bad, but I night have chosen something else to pair with the cream.

Three hours of good food and good wine - a nice way to end the weekend, even if my neck is killing me!!!

Today was barrel tasting day in Livermore - 22 wineries were tasting wines out of the barrel - that is, the wines that were not yet ready for bottling, and needed some aging. It's really interesting to see what the wine is like before it goes into the barrel, and to go back later when the wine is released to taste it once again and see just how it's changed.

We only stopped by 7 wineries - Charles R, Wood Family, Les Chenes, Retzlaff, Rodrigue-Molyneaux and Deer Ridge.

Charles R was tasting the 2007 Syrah from grapes grown on their property. And for comparison, the 2006 was available as well. You can tell the consistency in flavors and style, but I think the 06 will age better thant he 07. The 07 does not have the same tannic structure, has a creosote edge on the back end, and has jammy fruit instead of clear notes like the 06.

At Wood Family, we tasted an 07 cabernet franc out of two different barrels. Same wine, but one barrel was new French (Vosges) oak, and the other a year-old neutral barrel. What a difference! the new Frnech oak was big, bold, tannic and smoky - but with all the bright red cherries that cab franc is known for. The neutral oak was much more subdued and rounded, with more integrated tannins. They wil be blending the two when they bottle and release the wine.

At Les Chenes, another syrah Again an 07 in the barrel and an 06 in the bottle. Both much more austere and tannic than at Charles R. I liked the Charles R wines better - I thought they had more fruit and more life.

Steven Kent had an two cabs - an 07 and an 08. AND an 07 petit verdot. Most memorable was the petit verdot. Normally a blending wine for cabs and bordeaux-style wines, this one stood out all on its own. Bright red fruit, smooth tannins, a hint of smoke. And I thought there was a bit of candied orange peel, which while unusual was more pleasant than disturbing.

At Retzlaff - wines I had tasted before - the 08 cabernet sauvignon and the merlot. 2 months does make a difference. The cab had much better integrated flavors, with the plums and black fruit coming forward and the tannins rounding out a bit. The merlot was a merlot - good but not exciting.

Not much to say about Rodrigue-Molyneaux - a bit of wine fatigue setting in. I usualy like thier wines but today I just could not get into them......

Finally Deer Ridge. Tasted an 08 cab. Smooth, bold fruit, tannins just beginning to build. Wonder what it will be like in 6 months. They also had a chocolate port they were tasting - and were sold out of. They're bottling more tonight. Maybe I'll go back tomorrow to pick up a bottle or two.

I'm tired - a nice day but my neck's been hurting (must be all that stress at work) and now it's really annoying me. Time to go get some rest........

Most of the Aussie wines we get here are from the Shiraz variety, and some Cab sauv and merlot. I think the shiraz would go well with the bbq sauce, specially if it's on the spicy side. I'd go with a monkey bay sauv blanc and slow roasted BBQ on a hot day also.

Hmmmmm.....I would not have thought of syrah with a spicy, vinegary sauce. The sauvignon blanc, maybe. Syrah with the tri-tip - now THAT sounds good!

ceasar, ranch will be fine

ceasar salad and with any light dressing

"Caesar" refers to the combination of the dressing AND the type of lettuce (romaine hearts). So if it has ranch dressing, or another light dressing, it's not a Caesar salad......it's a salad of romaine lettuce with a rach or other light dressing.......

thanks! Sana nagkita na tayo.. Am in Alabang only on Sundays. PM me your number just in case.

Yellow Tail I agree is one of the better-valued wines here. For the budget, may I add the Cawarrra from Lindemans, the Wolf Blass Bin series, Veramonte etc. If really scrimping, the Two Oceans can get you through those lonely nights thinking of South Africa while drifting off to sleep :upside:

 

Wine is definitely more enjoyable with food as long as you get the right combination but drinking and eating with your lesser-knowledgeable buddies is always a rollercoaster ride here You go from the sublime to the goofy with all those pairings. OTOH having wine with food in restaurants can always be a daunting experience here with the lack of sommeliers or just some trusty resto personnel giving sensible food/wine advice instead of just selling whatever wine they have.

I see Wolf Blass out here, along with YellowTail and a bunch of other Aussie wines. A number of them verge on the high end - some Coonawara wines, for example, and Penfolds. Overall, Aussie wines seem like a competent bunch of wines, and some are really quite good. One of these days I'll tire of the California wines (yeah, right! don't hold your breath for that!) and get to know the wine regions and the wines of Australia. But until then - I'll depend on you guys for recommendations whenever I want a wine from down under.

Spring has sprung, weather is warming up - I feel a BBQ event coming up soon! Recommendations for Aussie wines that would go with BBQ pork ribs and tri-tip? Not necessarily the same wine - in fact, I can't think of one that would go with both meats, but that's not a problem! There will be enough people eating and drinking that we can stand more than one wine for each meat.

di nmn ganun ka helpful.....

 

 

pinakamganda tlga ay mag lagay u ng circular polarizing filter....

 

un ang da best....

????? Adding a filter adds 2 more air/glass transitions which are the primary cause of flare in the first place! The best solution to flare is to avoid light shining directly on the lens - and for that a good lens hood is helpful. A polarizer of any type is helpful in removing or reducing reflections from shiny transparent surfaces like glass or water, but for flare? Nope. A polarizer is also useful in darkening the sky but you have to learn to use it the right way to do that.

Yellowtail is available at around 375 to 400. Their marketing strategy is to move away from the traditional naming of wines and concentrate instead on delivering a drink that people will enjoy for a good price. Well for it's price, it's a good drink everyday wine.

 

OT: Bods, finally got to try Omakase in Casa Susana - Great sushi - omakase sutairu! Food is way way WAY much better than Wasabi.

Nothing wrong with naming the wines in a different way, but since the flavors, body and nose of the wine are affected by, and in turn affect, the flavors and aromas of the food you are eating with the wine you are drinking, then it's a good idea to give the drinker/eater some idea of what to expect. In that respect, noting somewhere on the label the varietal (plural if it's a blend) is most helpful.

Wouldn't be the best experience to try to match a smooth, well-aged cabernet sauvignon with well-integrated tannins and loads of black cherries and plums with, say, a slightly spicy, slightly vinegary smoked pork shoulder with a Carolina-style BBQ sauce. Just wouldn't go well together. Or to try to match a light, bright grenache with bing cherries and red raspberries on the palate against a medium-rare steak au poivre with crumbled blue cheese. Flip those two pairings, OTOH, and you have a match made in heaven!

I'm not a big fan of drinking wine in isolation. Good wine is meant to be enjoyed with food, and even more, is an experience best shared with good friends.

am new to red wine drinking... what is the best red wine you guys can recommend around the 400 to 600 peso level. Tried those 2++.++ ones and I did't really like them (again, I might have made the wrong choice in my selection coz like i said, i am a newbie).

Depends on your taste. Hard for me to say since I'm in CA, not Manila, but I would guess the Australian and New Zealand wines would be a good place to start. Is YellowTail available there? That's always a decent low to mid-priced wine. Not one to cellar, but certainly very drinkable now.

I personally like charbono, carmenet, cabernet sauvignon, pinot nor, syrah and petit syrah, depending on what I'm eating. Not too much of a fan of malbecs, although I've had some good ones. Zinfandels have to be in a certain style for me to like them.

But then again, I'm biased - I have easy access to all that California has to offer and that alone is more than I can taste and enjoy in several lifetimes.

^^^agree the blanc de blancs is NOT for special occasions

like you, i like domaine chandon as well

although i think i love the food in their restaurant more than their wines

I used to like their restaurant but ever since Philippe Jeanty left to do his own thing (and that was MANY years ago!) it just doesn't seem the same. Of course, I haven't been there in years, too, and maybe they have a new chef?

For a CA sparkler, you might want to try the Brut or the Brut Rose from J in Healdsburg. Very nice. I used to belong to their wine club and I'd get a couple of bottles through the year and a magnum for the holidays.

Sofia! I hope it's not like the movies produced by her daughter "Sofia", I don't get her movies. hehehe

Sofia is NOT a good filmmaker! But the Sofia wines are pretty good for what they are - lightweight, easy drinking wines. Not complex, not wines to put down and cellar - drink 'em NOW!

As you might know, Coppola split his winemaking opeations - Rubicon Estates (formerly Niebaum-Coppola and before that Inglenook) in Rutherford produces the upper end wines - Rubicon, Cask Cabernet, Captain's Reserve. And the Sofia wines which are kind of a anomaly. But Sofia is his daughter, after all......

The other half moved to Healdsburg in Sonoma County, the former site of Chateau Souverain. Nice place! Now called Rosso Bianco (or something like that....) it produces the more affordable wines - Director's Cut, Director's Reserve, what used to be the Diamond Series wines so named because the labels all featured a diamond-shaped design.

NO Scarlett wines, Storm, sorry! But the blanc de (du??) blanc is a very competent sparkler that works well for general everyday drinking. I wouldn't serve it for a special occasion, though. For that I'd go with a Schramsberg or Domaine Chandon (if going Californian), Veuve Cliquot or Perrier-Jouet if French. Or a not-so-common sparkling Vouvray! That would be nice.....

wag ka kumain ng rice.

di lang rice. pati na bread, cake - anything with bleached (processed) flour. also refined sugar, and really ANY kind of sugar. all those carbs metabolize ino - guess what? FAT!

avoid fatty meats as well, but nothing wrong with pork as long as you trim the fat - so NO lechon, lechon kawali, crispy pata, chicharon.....

lean pork, lean beef, chicken WITHOUT the skin, fish (NOT crab or shrimp)....all okay.....

Hi Agxo!

 

This made me realize that the flavors of whites are still foreign to me. hahaha

 

Great chronological comparison of the Rubicons! Did they produce the reisling you mentioned or was that from a different winery? How does it compare with the Rhine Valley Rieslings?

Hi FD!

The reisling is indeed produced by Rubicon Estates. This is the second year they're produced this wine, I think. It's part of the "Sofia" line of non-reds. Sofia wines also include a sparkling wine and a rose.

California reislings are very different from the German and Alsatian reislings - more citrus-y, less "sweet fruit"-y. Also, they tend to be more dry than most German reislings, although I've had some bone-dry German offerings. This one has 0.5% (according to the server) residual sugar - enough to cut the dry alcohol character but not enough to make it sweet. There are some off-dry (as in, rather sweet for MY taste) California reislings but I'm not really fond of those wines. If I wanted that kind of wine, I'd go for a German or Alsatian offering, or for a Vouvray instead.

Just got my shipment! 2 2005 Rubicons and a 2007 Blancaneaux.

Blancaneaux is the Rubicon of whites. 58% rousanne,31% viognier, 11% marsanne. The structure of a rousanne with the floral notes of a viognier. Not sure what the marsanne contributes......

I'm not much of a fan of viogniers because they are so perfumey, but in small doses that floral note is not bad! And the "sweetness" of the fruit balances the tanginess of the rousanne very nicely. Some shale and other mineral notes, peach and a hint of vanilla. Citrus and honeysuckle on the nose. A nice addition to the few whites I keep around just for those rare occasions where a white works better than a red.

Went to Rubicon Estates (formerly Neibaum-Coppola - still owned by FF Coppola, but renamed) to taste the newly released 2005 Rubicon. I've got one of every Rubicon since 1995 - and I get two of the 2005 in my next shipment.

Tasting notes - a (very) small percentage of petit verdot adds character to the cabernet sauvignon that makes up the rest of the wine. No cab franc this time around, nor malbec, nor merlot, all of which have been included at some point or another in the blending of other vintages. The petit verdot grapes were fermented along with the cab in the oak fermenter rather than being blended in later. Fermented in the barrel then left to age. The wine is big and bold, with intense blackberries on the palate, leading to cassis and some black plum. Smoke and red cherries on the nose. Drinks really well right now, but I expect it to age well for another 5-7 years. I do not expect it to last much beyond that, however, making it not the BEST of the Rubicons in my wine fridge.

Let's see -

1995 - my wine conversion moment. This is when the lightbulb goes on and you say - "So THAT's what good wine is all about!"

1996 - a bit of a let down. Still a good wine, but not up to the standards set by the '95

1997 - Wow! Rubicon is back! Not as fruit forward, but loads of black fruit balancing the tannins.

1998 - Ooooohhhhh - not a good year for grapes in Napa. NO Rubicon produced this year. Grapes just not good enough. I tasted another '98 cab from the area - tart, very light tannins - didn't last more than a couple of years.

1999 - Napa cabs rebound and have a fantastic year. Big, heft tannins. I think this ought to be ready to drink right around NOW..

2000 - Good, middle of the road Rubicon. Kinda like the '96.

2001 - See 2001

2002 - A revelation. Wow! Much like the '95 but not as fruit forward. Should be ready to drink next year.

2003 - Not bad! Not as good as '02 but very nice. Drink in 2011-12.

2004 - See 2000. Good but not great.

1995, 1999 and 2002 are best of the best.......

Also tasted the new reisling - very, very nice! Almost rose in characteristics, and will stand up to lightly smoked or cured meats such as ham, so should be a good summer picnic wine.

Also stopped by the new Michael Chiarello restaurant in Yountville for late lunch/early dinner. Bottega takes up the back quarter of the ground floor of the Vintage 1870 building. Napa Style (also owned by M.C.) took over the wine store in the back building. Not cheap but excellent food. The proscuitto with "pasta fritta" and a small cup of lambrusco to cut the richness won the appetizer sweepstakes - my wife had the burrata with shaved and fried artichoke hearts. Good but more conventional. For dinner she had the sea scallops with pureed garbanzos (not hummus - more Italian in flavor) and roasted cauliflower. I had the flatiron steak with parmesan garlic fries on a pepper coulis. A great ending to a good day of wine tasting.

They contain aspartame - artificial sugar like splenda, equal, etc.

My physics teacher taught me to "never believe EVERYTHING you read, see or hear". He taught me to investigate, scientifically and methodically, claims that were being passed on to me as truth. The conclusion one must reach, even if it does NOT align with one's political, religious, or ideological views, is the conclusion that is supported by a prepoderance of evidence that is derived methodically, and scientifically, in a tracable, well-documented manner. Hence, the following --

Aspartame (generic name for Equal) and sucralose (generic name for Splenda) are totally different.

On the subject of sucralose, Wikipedia says:

"It is manufactured by the selective chlorination of sucrose (table sugar), in which three of the hydroxyl groups are replaced with chlorine atoms to produce sucralose."

"Splenda usually contains 95% dextrose (the "right-handed" isomer of glucose - see dextrorotation and chirality), which the body readily metabolizes. Splenda is recognized as safe to ingest as a diabetic sugar substitute"

and

"Sucralose is the only artificial sweetener ranked as "safe" by the consumer advocacy group Center for Science in the Public Interest.[9][10] According to the Canadian Diabetes Association, one can consume 15 mg/kg/day of Sucralose "on a daily basis over a ... lifetime without any adverse effects"."

and

"“In determining the safety of sucralose, the FDA reviewed data from more than 110 studies in humans and animals. Many of the studies were designed to identify possible toxic effects including carcinogenic, reproductive and neurological effects. No such effects were found, and FDA's approval is based on the finding that sucralose is safe for human consumption.”[12] For example, McNeil Nutritional LLC studies submitted as part of its U.S. FDA Food Additive Petition 7A3987, indicated that "in the 2-year rodent bioassays...there was no evidence of carcinogenic activity for either sucralose or its hydrolysis products...."["

Whereas, for aspartame, Wikipedia says:

"Aspartame is the methyl ester of the dipeptide of the natural amino acids L-aspartic acid and L-phenylalanine. Under strongly acidic or alkaline conditions, aspartame may generate methanol by hydrolysis. Under more severe conditions, the peptide bonds are also hydrolyzed, resulting in the free amino acids.[4]

In certain markets aspartame is manufactured using a genetically modified variation of E. coli."

Yikes!!!!

and regarding claims of health risks associated with aspartame, Wikipedia says:

"An elaborate hoax disseminated through the internet attributes deleterious medical effects to aspartame. This conspiracy theory claims that the FDA approval process of aspartame was tainted[3][4] and cites as its source an email based upon a supposed talk by a "Nancy Markle" at a "World Environmental Conference".[4][29][3] Specifically, the hoax websites allege that aspartame is responsible for multiple sclerosis, systemic lupus, and methanol toxicity, causing "blindness, spasms, shooting pains, seizures, headaches, depression, anxiety, memory loss, birth defects" and death.[30]

The dissemination of the Nancy Markle letter was considered so notable that the Media Awareness Network featured one version of it in a tutorial determining the credibility of a web page. The tutorial concluded that the Markle letter was not credible.[30] Betty Martini, who posted similar messages to Usenet newsgroups in late 1995 and early 1996,[4] claims that an unknown person combined her original letter with other information and redistributed it as Nancy Markle.[31] [32] She believes that there is a conspiracy between the FDA and the producers of aspartame.This conspiracy theory has become a canonical example discussed on several internet conspiracy theory and urban legend websites.[33][34][4] Although most of the allegations of this theory contradict the bulk of medical evidence,[3] this misinformation has spread around the world as chain emails since mid-December 1998,[4] influencing many websites, such as those citing an association between aspartame and systemic lupus.[33] It has become an urban legend that continues to scare consumers."

There's a LOT more where that came from, and it is possible to search for, and find, CREDIBLE SCIENTIFIC studies on both substances. It's fun to indulge in speculation and conspiracy theories, but when it comes to health issues, I would look only to MULTIPLE CREDIBLE SCIENTIFIC STUDIES that come to the same conclusion. Why did I choose to quote Wikipedia? Because the sources cited are verifiable, and because Wikipedia summarizes in one place what I would have had to go to multiple sources to get.

Came from Betsy W opening. Found the Don Luciano Cab Sauv (hints of cherries) from Spain to my liking than the Mouton Cadet Bordeux.

Mouton Cadet is, from what I can tell, the lowest grade Mouton wine. They charge a lot for it because of the name but IMO it;s really not up to their standards. But I guess they figure us non-French can't tell good wine from swill......you'd be much better off spending your money on a good Oz wine instead! Don't know Spanish wines well at all - not too many available here and those I do find tend to be tempranillos and riojas. A few garnachas. Spanish cabs are rare here, perhaps because there are so many California cabs to compete against.

Opened at Savage 2006 pinot last night and was afraid it would be bad. The wine had seeped up the cork and had leaked a bit - typically a sign the wine's been "cooked" - as in overheated while in storage - and the first sip seemed to confirm that. There was a tart ashy flavor - but after 15 minutes that went away and it got drinkable. Decent, but the flavors are a bit muted. Guess it's a bit cooked, but since we were having a very strong flavored beef stew (fennel, rosemary and thyme being the dominant flavors) it worked.

Looks like the art openings are catching on. Down with the usual swill they serve! Interesting wines now. Los Boldos, Tyrell, Wolf Blass, etc are quite good value wines and eminently drinkable.

 

Ok this has nothing to do with wine. I've been watching this show THREE SHEETS on Travel and Living and it was only last Monday that i got to learn what XO, VSOP, and VS mean hehehe. In the host's foray into cognac country in France, he got on to explain that XO means Extra Old (at least 6 years aged), VSOP Very Special Old Pale (at least 4 years) and VS Very Special (at least 2 years). VS naturally is the one used in mixed drinks. Not too old to learn something new, ok hehehe.

For those curious what Three Sheets means, it is a slang term (maritime lingo, in fact) to denote being royally and riproaringly drunk :sick:

 

cheers! and when drinking, try not to get to that point of hoisting three sails...

Speaking of Three Sheets - did anyone of you catch the Philippines episode? Pretty funny in some parts. Did the high-proof local stuff. And the flavored liquors (yuck!). That Hobbit bar was featured. And some dive in Malate.

Went exploring yesterday - in Brentwood, a small town in east Contra Costa county. Used to be purely farming country subt in the past decade lots of new housing development. Too bad, since a lot of the orchards have been uprooted to make room for cookie cutter houses.

Stopped by a tasting room on 1st st., and found Becky Bloomfield, owner of Bloomfield Vineyards haning out. So we tasted her wines, and chatted a bit. I ended up tasting 5 of her wines - a viognier, 2 chardonnays ('06 and '07), a syrah, and a pinot noir. Viognier - floral, perfumey, fruity, melon/honeydew, very light citrus, light oak. Just okay, IMO, but then again I am NOT a viognier fan. I liked the chards - very little oak, no malolactic (second) fermentation, so no butter and vanilla. Very light toast. Bright, lemon-y, candy-sugar note. Popcorn (not buttered popcorn) in the '07. Syrah was nice - big, bold, dense, high alcohol (15.9%), but in the end, not memorable. The pinot was very nice - light, delicate, just a touch unrestrained but no barnyard, bright cherries and other red berries, a hint of smoke. Layered with a bit of coffee and dark, dark chocolate.

Ended up buying the '06 chard and the pinot. Not bad for an afternoon of just goofing off.

Had dinner at a local restaurant. very nice for the location, but not a destination. But we'll be back - Brentwood still has a lot of orchards, and cherries will be coming in beginning in May.