bods1000 Posted November 16, 2004 Author Share Posted November 16, 2004 I guess I really got to work on that, huh? This week will be better, I hope, and the game of phone tag will end. California has over 2,000 wineries! Most of them only sell wines at the winery or tasting room, or via phone/Internet. On rare occassions, you will find them at a local liquor store or small grocery. Only the big guys (50,000+ cases a year) are distributed state-wide, and beyond. What I've found is that the small wineries have a higher percentage of goooooood wines, compared to the big guys. Cost is not always indicative of quality, but as the cost goes up the chances that the wine is good also go up. As a percentage, there are more good wines over $20 than in the $10-20 range, and yet more than in the sub-$10 range. That J Nicole's Vineyard pinot noir sells for $35/btl at full retail. I did hear that Ravenswood (a Sonoma county winery famous for its zins) is now selling a Shiraz from Australia for $10/btl. That means that at the discount stores it will go for less. If you can find this wine there, I would say it's worth a try. Ravenswood is a good winery.<{POST_SNAPBACK}> yeah Ravenswood is one of the big guns over there...if they're selling an Aussie shiraz it must be under another name...I'll check...mahal pala yang Nicole's kaya pala ganyan kasarap and cellar-worthy....I just opened my 2001 shiraz because I have no wine to drink last night and nanghinayang ako kasi it's good for 5 years or more...pero it was still worth it...what I'm saving up is the 2000 - it's the best I've tasted so far and... Pare don't get pressured by your wine search - ok lang naman Quote Link to comment
agxo3 Posted November 16, 2004 Share Posted November 16, 2004 yeah Ravenswood is one of the big guns over there...if they're selling an Aussie shiraz it must be under another name...I'll check...mahal pala yang Nicole's kaya pala ganyan kasarap and cellar-worthy....I just opened my 2001 shiraz because I have no wine to drink last night and nanghinayang ako kasi it's good for 5 years or more...pero it was still worth it...what I'm saving up is the 2000 - it's the best I've tasted so far and... Pare don't get pressured by your wine search - ok lang naman <{POST_SNAPBACK}>The Ravenswood shiraz seems like it's under the Ravenswood label. Apparently Ravenswood bought some land in Australia (and I thought the news article said in the Barossa Valley?) and gets the grapes from that area. How they ship over, I don't know yet. I would expect that they'd make the wine and bottle it there and then send it ove the big pond to here, but I could be wrong! A few years ago, Mondai started selling "Mediterranean" wine under the Vichon label. Turns out they were shipping the grape juice from Italy, making the wine here and bottling, which resulted in not-so-good wines. Vichon used to be a well-respected small label in the Napa Valley until Mondavi bought them and turned them into a schlock label. What was that shiraz you opened up? If I can find it here, I want to give it a try! Quote Link to comment
bods1000 Posted November 17, 2004 Author Share Posted November 17, 2004 The Ravenswood shiraz seems like it's under the Ravenswood label. Apparently Ravenswood bought some land in Australia (and I thought the news article said in the Barossa Valley?) and gets the grapes from that area. How they ship over, I don't know yet. I would expect that they'd make the wine and bottle it there and then send it ove the big pond to here, but I could be wrong! A few years ago, Mondai started selling "Mediterranean" wine under the Vichon label. Turns out they were shipping the grape juice from Italy, making the wine here and bottling, which resulted in not-so-good wines. Vichon used to be a well-respected small label in the Napa Valley until Mondavi bought them and turned them into a schlock label. What was that shiraz you opened up? If I can find it here, I want to give it a try!<{POST_SNAPBACK}> speaking of Mondavi, pare they were bought now by Constellation Brands for something like $2 billion. Robert Mondavi becomes some sort of a figurehead na lang pero talagang nagkaproblema yata ang Mondavi kaya nagpabenta....It's an obscure winery in the Margaret River in Western Australia called Moss Brothers - hindi pa yata siya masyadong widely-distributed dyan pero it's good - a bloody ripper of a wine - especially the 2000....Kung sa Barossa yang Ravenswood malamang mga big, bruising shiraz yung gagawin nila...the shiraz in Margaret River has a lot of finesse because the climate there is Mediterranean-like... Quote Link to comment
agxo3 Posted November 17, 2004 Share Posted November 17, 2004 speaking of Mondavi, pare they were bought now by Constellation Brands for something like $2 billion. Robert Mondavi becomes some sort of a figurehead na lang pero talagang nagkaproblema yata ang Mondavi kaya nagpabenta....It's an obscure winery in the Margaret River in Western Australia called Moss Brothers - hindi pa yata siya masyadong widely-distributed dyan pero it's good - a bloody ripper of a wine - especially the 2000....Kung sa Barossa yang Ravenswood malamang mga big, bruising shiraz yung gagawin nila...the shiraz in Margaret River has a lot of finesse because the climate there is Mediterranean-like...<{POST_SNAPBACK}> Yup - big news here that Mondavi got bought out by Constellation. Not yet sure if that's good or bad. The original plan was to split the company into the high-end labels and the mass-market labels, and sell off the mass-market side. Constellation apparently made it a rquirement that it was all or nothing. Robert Mondavi has had a history of family in-fighting, which from all reports, is what started the company down this path. The other Mondavi brothers, Peter among them, still own Krug. Many years ago, Robert and Peter who at that time jointly ran Krug had a big fight that turned into real family feud. The result was that Robert left the family business to start Mondavi Winery. That was 30+ years ago. Krug is still a family business, while Mondavi just got sold to a conglomerate. The Rothschilds must be pretty unhappy! Opus One, which is a joint venture between the Rothschileds of Chateaux Lafite fame and Mondavi, and produces a really high end wine ($105/btl at Costco last weekend), is part of the sale. I'll look around for the Moss Brothers shiraz. Maybe I'll go looking for the Ravenswood to see what it's like as well. Quote Link to comment
Lipstick Posted November 17, 2004 Share Posted November 17, 2004 Hi Bods and wine afficionados! I've been back in Sydney and have gulped over 10 bottles of red and 5 bottles of white. I say gulp because I can't taste a thing and can't even recall what I drank. Since my hubby passed away everything has just lost it's taste. Sorry to be morose but what I meant to write is I'm going to be able to share my vino experiences in the days to come as I spend more time in Syd and my taste buds come back. Quote Link to comment
agxo3 Posted November 18, 2004 Share Posted November 18, 2004 Hi Bods and wine afficionados! I've been back in Sydney and have gulped over 10 bottles of red and 5 bottles of white. I say gulp because I can't taste a thing and can't even recall what I drank. Since my hubby passed away everything has just lost it's taste. Sorry to be morose but what I meant to write is I'm going to be able to share my vino experiences in the days to come as I spend more time in Syd and my taste buds come back.<{POST_SNAPBACK}> Lipstick, sorry to hear about your loss. Not surprising that nothing registers right now. It takes a while, then slowly you work your way out of the fog. If it helps, we're all here for support, even if we're miles and miles apart physically. Quote Link to comment
bods1000 Posted November 18, 2004 Author Share Posted November 18, 2004 Yup - big news here that Mondavi got bought out by Constellation. Not yet sure if that's good or bad. The original plan was to split the company into the high-end labels and the mass-market labels, and sell off the mass-market side. Constellation apparently made it a rquirement that it was all or nothing. Robert Mondavi has had a history of family in-fighting, which from all reports, is what started the company down this path. The other Mondavi brothers, Peter among them, still own Krug. Many years ago, Robert and Peter who at that time jointly ran Krug had a big fight that turned into real family feud. The result was that Robert left the family business to start Mondavi Winery. That was 30+ years ago. Krug is still a family business, while Mondavi just got sold to a conglomerate. The Rothschilds must be pretty unhappy! Opus One, which is a joint venture between the Rothschileds of Chateaux Lafite fame and Mondavi, and produces a really high end wine ($105/btl at Costco last weekend), is part of the sale. I'll look around for the Moss Brothers shiraz. Maybe I'll go looking for the Ravenswood to see what it's like as well.<{POST_SNAPBACK}> I don't have any skinny on their latest vintage (MB Shiraz) - haven't tasted it myself. Their best was the 2000, then the 2001 turned out as less superior although 5 cases din ang kinuha sa akin ng German expat na yun. Try looking for their Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot - the best was the 1998 - if you can get your hands on it... pards what wines does Constellation Brands carry? Isn't it that Mondavi also jointly-ventured with the Chilean Errazuriz? Caliterra ba yung ginawa nila? Quote Link to comment
bods1000 Posted November 18, 2004 Author Share Posted November 18, 2004 Hi Bods and wine afficionados! I've been back in Sydney and have gulped over 10 bottles of red and 5 bottles of white. I say gulp because I can't taste a thing and can't even recall what I drank. Since my hubby passed away everything has just lost it's taste. Sorry to be morose but what I meant to write is I'm going to be able to share my vino experiences in the days to come as I spend more time in Syd and my taste buds come back.<{POST_SNAPBACK}> I've been reading your posts in the MailBox and we commiserate with your loss....we highly appreciate your passing by the Thread...do hang on - wounds heal and taste buds return Quote Link to comment
Lipstick Posted November 18, 2004 Share Posted November 18, 2004 Ola Agxo3 and Bods, thank you for your very kind words and thoughts. Tomorrow este tonight pala (it's already quarter to 2am here) am going to do some serious wine drinking (I think), should have an amateur's report over the weekend. Hehe. Cheers! Quote Link to comment
sally bogna mathay Posted November 19, 2004 Share Posted November 19, 2004 wounds heal and taste buds return well said, bods! the poet in you thrives in this thread!!! Quote Link to comment
bods1000 Posted November 19, 2004 Author Share Posted November 19, 2004 Ola Agxo3 and Bods, thank you for your very kind words and thoughts. Tomorrow este tonight pala (it's already quarter to 2am here) am going to do some serious wine drinking (I think), should have an amateur's report over the weekend. Hehe. Cheers!<{POST_SNAPBACK}> cheers, too!Hey, there's a Wine Festival there in Sydney this Nov. 25 - read it's gonna be a mammoth event....sure wish we were there!Hang on, mamaLips - we love you here! Quote Link to comment
bods1000 Posted November 19, 2004 Author Share Posted November 19, 2004 wounds heal and taste buds return well said, bods! the poet in you thrives in this thread!!!<{POST_SNAPBACK}> now look who's talking!the Bangkok poet is back cheers, pare - how are things? Quote Link to comment
bods1000 Posted November 19, 2004 Author Share Posted November 19, 2004 ok I read something about Constellation Brands: It turns out that Constellation, which is based in NY, is the world's biggest wine producer - they passed Gallo a year or so ago. They grew big mainly by acquisition but they are known for their hands-off approach to the wineries they buy. Agxo, get this - among their labels is Ravenswood - so it makes sense that Ravenswood is venturing into the Aussie bush because Constellation also owns the Aussie labels BRL Hardy and Banrock Station. Their other labels are Almaden, Inglenook, Vendange, Talus, Turner Road, Covey Run, Ste Chappelle, Alice White, Cribari, Paul Masson, Dunnewood (!), Farrallon, Franciscan Oakville Estate, Estancia, Mt Veeder and Simi and some others.............. Quote Link to comment
bods1000 Posted November 19, 2004 Author Share Posted November 19, 2004 Here are the other behemoths in the wne world and the labels they carry: E&J Gallo: Anapamu, Frei Brothers, Louis Martini, Mirassou, Rancho Zabaco, Turning Leaf, Ecco Domani, Redwood Creek, Livingston Cellars, Carlo Rossi, Wild Vines, Copperridge, Ballatore Spumante, etc... Bronco Wines:Charles Shaw (Two-Buck Chuck ), Forest Glen, Montpellier, Grand CRu, Silver Ridge, Rutherford, Crane Lake, Napa Ridge, etc.... The Wine Group:Franzia Boxed wine, Concannon, Glen Ellen, Corbett Canyon, Austin Vale, Costa Verde, Morassuti, etc..... Quote Link to comment
agxo3 Posted November 19, 2004 Share Posted November 19, 2004 Interesting how many well-respected labels are owned by comglomerates, eh? You're right - Constellation does have a good repurtation for being pretty hands off and giving the labels leeway to manage themselves. Given the internal feud between the low-end and high-end parts of the business, however, how they strike the balance will signal the fate of the different labels. Interesting also that Constellation now owns the Inglenook brand. The old Inglenook winery was bought by Heublein in the 70's after which it degenerated from being a premium wine outfit to a schlock, mass-produced, low quality, box-wine label. They've got quite a mix ranging from high-end "good" wines to mass market supermarket labels. Francis Ford Coppola (of Apocalypse Now and Godfather fame) bought the old estate and vineyards back in the 80s. He's slowly bought up the properties around the estate, re-assembling just about all, if not all, of the original vineyards as established by Swedish sea captain Gustav Neibaum, who established the winery that came to be known as Inglenook. Hence the name Neibaum-Coppola. Which reminds me - I have a couple of '95 Mondavi zins (and at least one '92 and '93!) hiding under the house somewhere. The '95 vintage is considered the best of the '90s for Napa Valley zins. Time to open and savor them! Those and the '95 BV zin I bought on the same wine tasting trip.Well, the holidays are here and what better way to celebrate and engender good cheer than to open and share a good bottle of wine? Thanksgiving is coming, and we're having dinner at my brother's place - so let's see what we're bringing to the table....... for the turkey - Champalou Vouvray (an off-dry petillant would have been good, but I couldn't find one so the off-dry still wine will have to do) for the white drinkers, J Nicole's Vineyard pinot noir for the red winos. A bottle of J bubbly to start (with appetizers). A full syrah (Fenestra '98? Neibaum-Coppola '99?) after dinner (with cigars). A nice Passito de Pantelleria (which one? choices, choices!) with the cheese or the pumpkin pie........my wife will be driving me home!!! Zins don't go too well with turkey. Too bad. Quote Link to comment
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