Wine-savvy

[agxo3]

i was in THE valley yesterday visiting my daughter who lives in st helena, and to have my eyes checked. i was introduced to karen williams, co-owner of a wine shop specializing in local wines that rarely end up on shelves across the country. since i was set on picking up a few bottles, karen gave me a tour of their cellar. i ended up picking up the following (notice a few of imports ):

 

carter, merlot, truchard vineyard 2002

saxon brown, syrah, parmelee hills 2003

atrea, old soul red, 2002

coto de hayas, fagus, garnacha, angels share special cuvee 2002

dinnhoff, reisling, kabinet northelmer dellchen 2002

schloss gobelsburg, gruner vetliner, steinsetz 2003

macmanis, petite sirah 2004

pax, cuvee moriah, sonoma co 2003

melka, cj, cabernet sauvignon 2002

twenty rows, cabernet sauvignon 2003

ottimino, zin 02 van weidlich

pavi, pinot grigio 2004

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Interesting wine list! The local wines are truly local - they don't get much distribution outside of the local area, not even down south!

 

How long will you be here, eagleyes? If you'll be here another week or two, let me know and I can try to set you up with Noah Taylor in Yountville. His '97 zins were among the best I've ever had. Of course, he's sold out (in part due to me and my friends who bought up quite a few cases) of that one. The newer vintages, while IMO lesser vintages, are still very powerful wines. And his Los Chamizal cabs are wonderful wines.

 

Lots of other small (and large) wineries you can hit while you're around. I've got my list of faves - I'd be happy to share that with you if you want. Both Napa and Sonoma, and some Livermore (down in the East Bay, near Fremont, which is where I live) wineries as well.

[agxo3]

yeah pare - high-altitude na yan...anywhere from 2000 to 3000ft. elevation...

what are those wineries in the hills pare - baka we have them here...

 

now pinot...........SIDEWAYS na naman uli

how's the pinot brouhaha there?

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The pinot brouhaha continues. I've always liked pinots better than cabs but I strayed in years past. Now my tastes are broader and more universal - to include just about anything red!

 

The one I most remember from the Mendocino trip was Annapolis winery. Haven't been there in a while, so I'll have to go see if I can find my trip notes for the other wineries. Pacific Star was another, I think.

 

The wineries in the Santa Ynez Valley (where Sideways was filmed) are also higher up - about 1000 ft, IIRC. Foxen (where Thomas Hayden Church meets Sandra Oh) is good. Lots of people like Fess Parker (filming site of the bad wine, "dump the spit bucket" scene), but I don't. Firestone is good - they have an excellent cab. Again, lots of little ones.

 

Another relatively high altitude location is Paso Robles. Just now up and coming. Great syrahs, and at least one good pinot. Gotta get back there and buy some wines this time. Also hard to find outside the local area - up north here we see very few of the Paso Robles wines.

[igol ays]

How long will you be here, eagleyes? If you'll be here another week or two, let me know ...

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i'm local. i live on the next valley due east from napa.

i work in san ramon, technical director for THAT telecomm buying AT&T

 

let me know when you might want to go on a road trip to visit some wineries. i'll send you my number by PM.

 

speaking of sideways, there is a scene there that is waaaay out place. it's where they're walking on the road on the way to (or back from) the restaurant. that scene was taken on Hwy 12 in Rio Vista, close to the sacramento river.

[agxo3]

i'm local. i live on the next valley due east from napa. 

i work in san ramon, technical director for THAT telecomm buying AT&T

 

let me know when you might want to go on a road trip to visit some wineries. i'll send you my number by PM.

 

speaking of sideways, there is a scene there that is waaaay out place. it's where they're walking on the road on the way to (or back from) the restaurant. that scene was taken on Hwy 12 in Rio Vista, close to the sacramento river.

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Cool! Another local wino!

 

I'll give you a call a bit later this week......or next......the crises never end.....

 

What group are you in? I have a SoCal friend who works at the same company (marketing type) who visits your facility quite often. Actually, I think it's just an excuse to go play golf out at Wente.

[batibut]

Not really true. What "appellation controlle" or "denomination controli" really means is that the wines carry a regional appellation. A Bodeaux is from the Bordeaux region of France ONLY. A Champagne is ONLY from the Champagne region of France - from Spain it's a "cava", from other places it's a "sparkling wine". A Chianti is from - you guess it!, the Chianti region in Italy.

 

That's different from the way American, Australian, New Zealand and other New World wines are marked, which is by varietal - cabernet sauvignon, suavignon blanc, chardonnay, etc. A Bordeaux is typically a cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, or merlot, or a blend of some or all. A Burgundy is pinot noir (red) or chardonnay (white). Chablis is chardonnay. Vouvray is chenin blanc. The Rhone varietals are grenache, syrah, mourvedre. Loire Valley wines are either chenin blanc or semillon.

 

Interestingly enough, the US now has what's called an AVA - American Viticulture Appellation - similar tothe French system. This was driven by some Napa Valley wineries that were upset with Central Valley (Fresno. Modesto, Lodi) wineries putting "Napa Valley" somewhere on the label to try to fool the unwary consumer into thinking these were Napa Valley wines. This from a local industry that has a couple of wineries producing "California champagne" in defiance of the French appellation laws.

 

As for "houses" on lables - lots of French wines carry a drawing of a house, chateau or castle on the label. Many are made by "chateaux" or estates and carry the name of the state. Hence the drawing of the house (or manor, or chateaux, or castle) that stands on the estate. Has nothing to do with quality.

 

Bonny Doon (Santa Cruz Mountains, just south of where I live) also has a wine with a house on the label - Big House Red. It's a blend, varies from year to year, but is blended for consistency and quality. Relatively inexpensive, drink now (doesn't get appreciably better with age). The "Big House" is a prison!  :cool:

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thanks agxo...parang may nabasa akong ganyan while studying IPL ah...hehehe something to do with the TRIPPS agreement ba or WTO? grabe last week ko lang inaral yon nakalimutan ko na. It applies to wine din pala. I'll look for that big house red...unang basa ko parang bad-ass red e..

[masi]

hello fellow wine-drinkers! when's the next wine eb?

 

i've been backreading and enjoying the trade of information. it's so nice to hear from people who know what goes behind those things they enjoy. i am, admittedly, rather clueless... and follow the "if it tastes good, then it must be good" mantra. so to know the itty bitty details is always very interesting.

 

keep em' coming.

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the paradigm applies to everyone here, i suppose... but it is taken to a higher level not just tasting but knowing what you are drinking... which makes this thread exciting.

 

reading through the list and the experience, there is so much to try and to learn..

[agxo3]

hello fellow wine-drinkers! when's the next wine eb?

 

i've been backreading and enjoying the trade of information. it's so nice to hear from people who know what goes behind those things they enjoy. i am, admittedly, rather clueless... and follow the "if it tastes good, then it must be good" mantra. so to know the itty bitty details is always very interesting.

 

keep em' coming.

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The best guide to drinking wine has always been your own personal tastebuds. Who's to say why you like a particular wine, or dislike another? One of my wine-drinking buddies is fond of 2-buck Chuck (Charles Shaw) and other inexpensive wines, telling me how great it is to pay so little for a drinkiable wine. I, on the other hand, prefer to drink a better-than-drinkable wine even if it means paying more and drinking less. To each his own. I think I'm converting him, though. He hasn't bought a case of chaep red in over 6 months, instead buying small lots of mid-priced, really good value, wines.

 

Wasn't always this way - I started out drinking Chianti (remember those bottles in baskets all the Italian restaurants used as candleholders? nah - you're too young!), Lancers, Mateus Rose, Boone's Farm.....back in the late 70's. Then it was California whites, mostly chardonnays. Then I went to France and drove through the Champagne and Burgundy regions, stopping at every "degustation" sign I came across, and discovered just how good a good wine really could be, and how expensive my tastes really were! That trip was also when I discovered Vouvray, chinon and other Loire Valley wines.

 

So I started reading, subscribed to the Wine Spectator magazine for a few years, started driving up to Napa and Sonoma regularly, discovered Livermore (much closer to home!), started buying case lots and futures and talking to the wine makers and just generally learning about wine. And started drinking more (and better) wine.

 

Now I have lots of wine trivia in my head, and even more wine in my (new! yay!) wine cabinet, most of which is (according to MY taste buds) really good stuff!

[bods1000]

hello fellow wine-drinkers! when's the next wine eb?

 

i've been backreading and enjoying the trade of information. it's so nice to hear from people who know what goes behind those things they enjoy. i am, admittedly, rather clueless... and follow the "if it tastes good, then it must be good" mantra. so to know the itty bitty details is always very interesting.

 

keep em' coming.

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the good thing about wine is that we get to learn new things everyday - there's such a wealth of knowledge about it...

 

we were all clueless too before...but with the Internet and all these literature, we get to be abreast of things...

[bods1000]

most people don't agree on the reason for punts on wine bottles. the most common explanations being:

 

1. has historical glass blowing technique significance

2. makes the bottle less likely to topple over

3. serves to strengthen the bottle, particularly in case of sparkling wine

4. they can make bigger bottles for same amount of wine

5. for sediments

6. help to sell wine to people who believe that a deep punt is an indicator of a high quality wine  

 

check out alt.food.wine punt faq: http://pweb.netcom.com/~lachenm/puntFAQ.html

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you're quite right pare - there are bottles with good-sized punts but taste acrimoniously disappointing...on the other hand, their cheap price should have given me a clue hehehe...

[bods1000]

The pinot brouhaha continues. I've always liked pinots better than cabs but I strayed in years past. Now my tastes are broader and more universal - to include just about anything red! 

 

The one I most remember from the Mendocino trip was Annapolis winery. Haven't been there in a while, so I'll have to go see if I can find my trip notes for the other wineries. Pacific Star was another, I think.

 

The wineries in the Santa Ynez Valley (where Sideways was filmed) are also higher up - about 1000 ft, IIRC. Foxen (where Thomas Hayden Church meets Sandra Oh) is good. Lots of people like Fess Parker (filming site of the bad wine, "dump the spit bucket" scene), but I don't. Firestone is good - they have an excellent cab. Again, lots of little ones.

 

Another relatively high altitude location is Paso Robles. Just now up and coming. Great syrahs, and at least one good pinot. Gotta get back there and buy some wines this time. Also hard to find outside the local area - up north here we see very few of the Paso Robles wines.

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pinot noirs are so rare here....and those available, if any, I doubt would be that good...

 

they say that Oregon pinots are excellent - how true is this, pare?

[bods1000]

thanks agxo...parang may nabasa akong ganyan while studying IPL ah...hehehe something to do with the TRIPPS agreement ba or WTO? grabe last week ko lang inaral yon nakalimutan ko na.  It applies to wine din pala.  I'll look for that big house red...unang basa ko parang bad-ass red e..

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i don't think that Bonny Doon is available here - but there are a lot of bad-ass reds out there too

[warpspeedo]

I like this thread, there is a lot that I can learn from all of you wine drinkers. Greetings...

[agxo3]

pinot noirs are so rare here....and those available, if any, I doubt would be that good...

 

they say that Oregon pinots are excellent - how true is this, pare?

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Oregon pinots are great! Joseph Drouhin is a really good French (Burgundy) producer, and he's set up a winery in Oregon. I think Oregon pinots have great depth and subtlety, but are friendly enough to drink now instead of hoarding them for a while. My next long distance wine trip is going to be to Oregon to meander through the valleys tasting pinots. Maybe later this year (during the fall, maybe) or spring next year. Stay tuned for a report.

 

Check this out -- http://oregonpinotnoir.com/1___all_wines.html

 

I've only tried one of these - the Amalie Robert Dijon clone. Yummmmmmmm!

 

And this -- http://www.winesoforegon.com/

 

Lots of wineries to explore!!!

[bods1000]

I like this thread, there is a lot that I can learn from all of you wine drinkers. Greetings...

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thanks, pare!

 

do stick around.....

 

I gather you're not a wine drinker yet....

[bods1000]

Oregon pinots are great! Joseph Drouhin is a really good French (Burgundy) producer, and he's set up a winery in Oregon. I think Oregon pinots have great depth and subtlety, but are friendly enough to drink now instead of hoarding them for a while. My next long distance wine trip is going to be to Oregon to meander through the valleys tasting pinots. Maybe later this year (during the fall, maybe) or spring next year. Stay tuned for a report.

 

Check this out --  http://oregonpinotnoir.com/1___all_wines.html

 

I've only tried one of these - the Amalie Robert Dijon clone. Yummmmmmmm!

 

And this -- http://www.winesoforegon.com/

 

Lots of wineries to explore!!!

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I doubt if there are any Oregon pinots here...yun ngang pinots themselves are scarce around these parts and what we have available here do not, I believe, give justice to the magic of that grape...