Wine-savvy

[agxo3]

my orientation to alcohol was in high school; my father had a party at home and  my brother and i were designated bartenders,  essentially making sure there were glasses,  ice, cola and the other stuff. we got curious and we mixed gin and 7up.  that was a great mix buti  broke into hives after.  my initiation to beer was in college, i really found it too bitter to my liking.  but i figured if i drank more of it, it might just take better.  lo and behold, it did!!!    lately, beer is not kind to me.  i may have developed some form of allergy on some of it's ingredients and clogs my sinuses when i drink more than my usual 2.  but a bottle or two would still be good.  my beer of choice is draft, unfiltered,  but since there is none,  smb lite is my substitute.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Beer is high in what are called histamines - the stuff that causes allergic reactions - so you're reacting much as i would to pollen (I have what's called hay fever, which is an allergic reaction to pollen of various types). Try taking a non-drowsy anti-histamine when you drink beer. It should help. Wine also has hitamines but to a much lower concentration, which is probably why you don't react to wine quite the same way and to the same degree.

[masi]

Hahaha dahil wala akong FR eh ito ang contirbution ko for the day .... snatched it from Inquirer News Service.  Sounds like a real interesting place!

 

Lovin’ a Vigne

And the staff is impressively well-versed with vino lingo (owner Tita Trillo even sent her dining manager to France to acquire an appreciation and learn the language of wines). Ongoing is La Vigne’s version of the happy hour. On Mondays, Tuesdays and Saturdays, 6-8 p.m., guests can drink as much varietal wine as they can with free appetizer for only P495.

 

 

Mostly French

The duck was paired with apricot chutney. Indeed, Sotto seems to have mastered the art of balancing the deadly with the friendly to produce for the palate a heavenly aftertaste.

 

Inventive

 

Dessert at La Vigne is an event of its own. Chef Sotto’s wife, fashion designer Michi Calica, discovered Kazzie Sy, a creative, young pastry chef who can hold her own against the ingenuity of chef Jose. Once almost tied down by a famous red bakeshop, she was convinced by the Sottos to take the road less traveled (in her case, Yakal) to have the space to explore her creativity in pastries.

 

Kazzie’s chocolate cake (they call it Devil’s Foodcake) is soft and moist as it should be, but what got my attention was a miniature banig-looking peanut brittle-like flat candy on its side. No, it wasn’t peanut brittle, but caramelized carrot! After learning that Kazzie carefully molded each strip of caramelized carrot to form the woven texture of a mat, it felt like sacrilege to take another bite. (But I gave in anyway!)

 

Another creative invention of Kazzie is her Bibingka Pot De Crème. Pot de crème’s traditional flavor is vanilla, with chocolate a favorite variety, but Kazzie got adventurous and used salted egg and coconut milk to achieve a unique bibingka-ish flavor. For those of you who care for dessert but nothing too sweet, this is the perfect alternative.

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I had a light lunch at La Vigne today. I was utterly curious about the place that i could not sit on my pants literally, before the weekend starts.

 

A typical friday noon, with sporadic gusts of wind and rain. The usual pot holes on Buendia and flash floods along sections of Yakal Street. Traffic congestion piled up even before I could reach bianca's (yes bods, the wine bar across santis is still there).

 

Finally I saw the sign (not the song, again!) "La Vigne" and "Titania Wine Cellar, Inc.". It was the Anthony's of old. As I enterred, it was a familiar rustic sight albeit more orderly without the stacks of wine all over the place. I was met by August (the former manager of Magnum) and he showed me around including the "bodega" where cases of wine ran floor-to-ceiling. I told August that I was looking for a few bottles of Tempranillo and he showed me "Vina Albali Gran Reserva 1997". August asked me if I had lunch and replied to the negative. He said that I should try their fare and I obliged.

 

I considered a light lunch as I was keen on sampling the chocolate cake mentioned in the article. I ordered a New World Starter, duck breast, basmati and apricot chutney, greens with a coriander vinaigrette. I have to give credit to the way food was presented and the balance in the taste. It was art in itself. The coriander dressing was bright and lively topped by the sweetness of the apricot chutney! I was also served a basket of toast baguette with an arugula pesto dip (a novelty, as far as I am concerned!) The lunch experience was excellent, thus far!

 

I had a glass of Mouton Cadet Sauvignon Blanc 2002, vibrant citrus bouquet , golden hues(place was not brightly lit so it maybe deceiving), moderately sweet and dry with hints of raisins, chewy, balanced mouth and a smooth and seamless follow through. It was served in a signature Mouton Cadet glassware. (I read that in California, high lead glassware should have attendant health risk warning when sold. Is this true?)

 

I had my dessert and an Illy espresso. The choco cake, as described above, was abit tough and had a cup cake texture (segafredo's is still better) but the carrot banig was something you ought to try. It was served together with a vanilla sorbet which was crispy (frozen just right) on a basket of peanut brittle (see photo). The choco cake was quite a disappointment as I expected something more decadent than I!

 

Of course, the espresso finish will always be tops on my list. In the process, I met Tita Trillo (second meeting for me, I met her last December at Cork.) she gave me a 15% discount on food, wines and case orders! I also spoke with August (not Augustmoon!) and he said, it will be his pleasure to arrange a session with "Wine Savvy" peers.

 

My overall experience today was pleasurable! To me, true dining places are a run out from the beaten path... not in malls, please! I would go back to this place and give their full course a shot. Who knows the foie gras may turn out to be just as impressive. Sad part of the day was going back to the office!

Edited August 5, 2005 by masi

[masi]

a gesture of my generosity...

[floppydrive]

I had a light lunch at La Vigne today.  I was utterly curious about the place that i could not sit on my pants literally, before the weekend starts.

 

A typical friday noon, with sporadic gusts of wind and rain.  The usual pot holes on Buendia and flash floods along sections of Yakal Street.  Traffic congestion piled up even before I could reach bianca's (yes bods, the wine bar across santis is still there).

 

Finally I saw the sign (not the song, again!) "La Vigne" and "Titania Wine Cellar, Inc.".  It was the Anthony's of old.  As  I enterred, it was a familiar rustic sight albeit more orderly without the stacks of wine all over the place.  I was met by August (the former manager of Magnum) and he showed me around including the "bodega" where cases of wine ran floor-to-ceiling.    I told August that I was looking for a few bottles of Tempranillo and he showed me "Vina Albali Gran Reserva 1997".  August asked me if I had lunch and replied to the negative.  He said that I should try their fare and I obliged.

 

I considered a light lunch as I was keen on sampling the chocolate cake mentioned in the article.  I ordered a New World Starter, duck breast,  basmati and apricot chutney, greens with a coriander vinaigrette.  I have to give credit to the way food was presented and the balance in the taste.  It was art in itself. The coriander dressing was bright and lively  topped by the sweetness of the apricot chutney! I was also served a basket of toast baguette with an arugula pesto dip (a novelty, as far as I am concerned!)  The lunch experience was excellent, thus far!

 

I had a glass of Mouton Cadet Sauvignon Blanc 2002, radiant bouquet with some tinges of raisins, golden hues(place was not brightly lit so it maybe deceiving), moderately dry, balanced mouth and a smooth and seamless follow through.  It was served in a signature Mouton Cadet glassware. (I read that in California, high lead glassware should have attendant health risk warning when sold. Is this true?)

 

I had my dessert and an Illy espresso.  The choco cake had a cup cake texture but the carrot banig was something you ought to try. It was served together with a vanilla sorbet which was crispy (frozen just right) on a basket of peanut brittle (see photo). The choco cake was quite a disappointment as I expected something more decadent than I!

 

Of course, the espresso finish will always be tops on my list.  In the process, I met Tita Trillo (second meeting for me, I met her last December at Cork.) she gave me a 15% discount on food, wines and case orders!  I also spoke with August (not Augustmoon!) and he said, it will be his pleasure to arrange a session with "Wine Savvy" peers.

 

My overall experience today was pleasurable! To me, true dining places are a run out from the beaten path... not in malls, please!  I would go back to this place and give their full course a shot.  Who knows the foie gras may turn out to be just as impressive.  Sad part of the day was going back to the office!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Great FR!!!! So when is the La Vigne WEB?

[pinoy_strigoi]

Ei Masi:

 

Don't eat and drink alone. Isama mo kami ni Bods para masaya. Food is best enjoyed when partaken by another, and another and another and another.

[Lipstick]

of course not, a merlot is the type who would play and tell no  tales, if you know what i mean!! :evil:  for the lables and the vintages, that is the most difficult question ever raised to me!!!  i have a short memory and i dont remember ( i should work for gma's government para walang squealer!!!! ).  that is why it is always important to talk the the wine shop owner or the sommelier.  for the tempranillo and the pinot noir, you have to get it from barcino (backread na lang senorita!).  the pinot noir was a 1998 Raimat, but i am sure i will come across a better pinot and i will let you in on it!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Nyah! Maldita pala ang merlot! At maganda ka ngang candidate para sa gobyerno ni GMA! Ahahahahahahahaha.

 

Try a viognier, or a sauvignon blanc (Marlborough or other Kiwi would be good). Sauv blanc is also called fume blanc - I think the Mondavis made that name up to distiguish sauv blanc from cab sauv.

 

Or a white bordeaux or a chablis (both are chardonnay but not done up oaky with lots of toast and vanilla as is the California style).

 

An off-dry Vouvray would hit the spot too!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

*scribbling down notes* Thanks Agxo3! The fume blanc sounds interesting as well as the chablis. Now to go hunt for a nice one!

 

you hit it on the button, pare. We'll give the guardian bar wench carte blanche to enslave and empower us as long as she doesn't leave us hehehe...

 

Could you enlighten me what that tatlong beses was - isang lang talaga and that was when agxo was here and lana and ms. m were supposed to attend. Ayan, nawala na tuluyan si lana....

 

also add a little watermelon to your diet of fruits as it reportedly adds a lot of whomp!

frankly I havent tried those asparagus spears when you know-what....spearing, yes.....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

AWARD! for the 1st statement!

 

Naku if I enlighten you I would have to backread all 100pages na naman! Basta tanggapin mo na lang!

 

Watermelon is a discovery .... No wonder!

 

 

You are definitely NOT a merlot chick, Lips! Lessee - racy, spicy, perhaps a bit floral, certainly a lot of depth, but still light and lively, and a touch of sweetness, and bubbly! bubbly! A lightly bubbly (pettilant) demi-sec Vouvray! I also have tried a bubbly syrah, and that would fit the bill as well, although that was a tiny bit weird.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

awwwwww ... I wanna give you an award too but am afraid am blushing wayyyyy too much!

 

 

Weird in a good way or bad way?

 

sabay na natin yung Victory Party mo dun sa Plonk Night hehehe

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I repeat, I AM NOT ATTENDING THE PWE! :grr:

 

there you go, lipstick!!! you are truly Her Royal Winess of  this thread!!! para ka Head of (drunken) State with your (reisling) kabinet and close-in security following and protecting you from dust, impurities and other contamination!!!!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hahahahaha why do I feel like the madame of the house of wino prostitution? As if! :lol:

[Lipstick]

Here's an FR, so here goes nothing....

 

Was at a business meeting last night, and was in the presence of a very fine senorita, a Torres Gran Coronas Reserva 2000.  She had nice sexy legs, nice aroma, with a deep red color and a little purple on the edges.  Boy, she was a complex one that tickles the whole palate.  Had tones of pepper with an oak finish.  She's 85% cabernet sauvignon and 15% tempranillo.  At 5 years old she's just at the right age for drinking.

 

She went very well with the corizo Pamplona and the cheese.  Would you believe she even complemented the paella negra and arroz ala Gambas?

 

That was some great bottle!  Had me smiling through dinner!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Woweee! Parang nalasahan ko yang vino dahil sa kwento mo floppydrive! Great review! Non-wine expert friendly too! :cool:

 

Yup.  then if the foie gras is bad it should be called "foo grease".

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Uyyy nabuhay ang GhostInAShell natin! Sawa ka na sa VIP section?

 

 

hmmm.... this thread is pretty quite.... must be PROHIBITION!!!!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I was just checking if the board would experience less SERVER BUSY stats if I stopped posting here!

 

that's a SOBERING thought, pare.

cheers!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

And I was also checking if you boys would miss me if I stopped posting a few days.

 

Mwehehehehehehhehehehe. AWARD na naman!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

now that's truth well-told hehehe

cheers on this vastly rainy and wet morning!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

haha haha haha kay ati naman it's "the work, the work, the work!"

 

I had a light lunch at La Vigne today.  I was utterly curious about the place that i could not sit on my pants literally, before the weekend starts.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Addik!!!!!!!!!!!!! Di ka rin nakatiis! I was supposed to have dinner there last night but I opted to enjoy a bottle of wine in a ore cozy place

 

Which brings me to my vino FR. Naks para naman di ako mapagalitan ni Bods na puro walang kwenta post ko dito

 

We had an italian red in the interesting bottle of a 1998 Cantina di Montalcino Brunello di Montalcino. I had this drop sometime last week (haha may kapatid palang bote) however the difference last night was it was served at about 18degrees C so it tasted slightly different (better!). It was still full bodied but I could taste cedar as opposed to generic wood/oak. This italian baby was rich and velvety, still had that licorice essence (probably due to that amalgamation of cherry-blackberry-blackcurrant flavors) I tasted the first time however the fruit seemed more attractive last night and the acidity a little more well balanced. And while we did not drink it out of a flute, this one definitely had good legs despite the glass-challenging situation! All in all a case of lovelier the second time around. :heart:

 

Oh and the color was a deep purple-red! hehe. I never quite pay attention to the color and I can't quite smell the bouquet since I am often more intoxicated by my special companion's scent.

[tentacle]

hindi ka naman nang-iinggit nyan, ms. tentacle

well I will look for it here. Kung wala, wine na lang uli!

 

would you remember how much does a bottle cost?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

120 Thailand Baht.

[masi]

Ei Masi:

 

Don't eat and drink alone.  Isama mo kami ni Bods para masaya.  Food is best enjoyed when partaken by another, and another and another and another.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

kasalanan ko pa pala ngayon na di ko kayo simama ni bods! e kasi kayo para kayong mga "convent girls" kailangan ipagpaalam pa sa madre para lumabas!!! mabuti pa yung mga yaya nila d na!

 

hey, guys, what do you say if we have a tempranillo or a merlot tonight!

[pinoy_strigoi]

kasalanan ko pa pala ngayon  na di ko kayo simama ni bods!  e kasi kayo para kayong mga "convent girls"  kailangan ipagpaalam pa sa madre para lumabas!!! mabuti pa yung mga yaya nila d na!

 

hey, guys, what do you say if we have a tempranillo or a merlot tonight!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

hehehe. merlot ba? yung Mistrial mong alak pala, di pa nagagamit. Pwede pa yun na pampatay sa ipis.

 

 

Ms. Lipstick: Medyo weary na ako sa VIP, ala namang bago dun. I'm on the mountain biking thread. Para naman di masayang ang biskleta ko. Syempre after a long ride, masarap uminom ng vino ni senor masi.

[masi]

hehehe.  merlot ba?  yung Mistrial mong alak pala, di pa nagagamit. Pwede pa yun na pampatay sa ipis. 

Ms. Lipstick:  Medyo weary na ako sa VIP, ala namang bago dun.  I'm on the mountain biking thread. Para naman di masayang ang biskleta ko.  Syempre after a long ride, masarap uminom ng vino ni senor masi.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

merlot-din tayo nyan !!!

[Lipstick]

hehehe.  merlot ba?  yung Mistrial mong alak pala, di pa nagagamit. Pwede pa yun na pampatay sa ipis. 

Ms. Lipstick:  Medyo weary na ako sa VIP, ala namang bago dun.  I'm on the mountain biking thread. Para naman di masayang ang biskleta ko.  Syempre after a long ride, masarap uminom ng vino ni senor masi.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Naks weary na si GhostInAVinoBottle natin sa VIP

 

merlot-din tayo nyan !!!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

uyyyyy witty tayo this morning ah!

[masi]

Naks weary na si GhostInAVinoBottle natin sa VIP

uyyyyy witty tayo this morning ah!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

witty? more like a dolphy-panchito humor! now witty is ala Jay Leno!!!!

 

sige now that pinoy is out of the vip thread, i will assume his h(a)unting activities... bagay kaya ako dun o baka ma-warning ako dun! hehehehe.

 

last night was johnny come blackey for me... 3-double shots, no wine (had that lunch time) swaying to the music of the "dario" crew at jills... nice music but i've seen better places! the crowd lacked the umph of say... giraffe or dreambar. sayang wala na yun.

 

oh, the partagas cubans added to the fun of the evening much to the chagrin of the girls in the other tables. well, if they didnt like my cigar smoking, they could simply kiss me... aaaaaaaarrrrrrrggggggghhhhhhhhh!!!

[pinoy_strigoi]

Naks weary na si GhostInAVinoBottle natin sa VIP

uyyyyy witty tayo this morning ah!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Oo nga e. buti na lang may wine thread. Someone posted something about german wines a few pages back. My brothers and I finished two bottles of Riesling last Sunday. Qualitatswein mit pradikat. Very good and very sweet. Told Masi the other time that the sweeter the wine of a country, the more boring the people. Kaya matamis ang alak ng Aleman dahil boring yata sila. Not like the French, Spanish and Italian wines, complex and exciting. LOL

[masi]

Oo nga e.  buti na lang may wine thread.  Someone posted something about german wines a few pages back.  My brothers and I finished two bottles of Riesling last Sunday.  Qualitatswein mit pradikat.  Very good and very sweet.  Told Masi the other time that the sweeter the wine of a country, the more boring the people.  Kaya matamis ang alak ng Aleman dahil boring yata sila.  Not like the French, Spanish and Italian wines,  complex and exciting. LOL

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

pare pinoy, the german wines just like the only 2 dance steps you know ... sweet and very sweet!!!hahahaha!!!

[Lipstick]

witty?  more like a dolphy-panchito humor!  now witty is ala Jay Leno!!!!

 

sige now that pinoy is out of the vip thread, i will assume his h(a)unting activities... bagay kaya ako dun o baka ma-warning ako dun!  hehehehe.

 

last night was johnny come blackey for me... 3-double shots, no wine (had that lunch time) swaying to the music of the "dario" crew at jills... nice music but i've seen better places!  the crowd lacked the umph of say... giraffe or dreambar.  sayang wala na yun.

 

oh, the partagas cubans added to the fun of the evening much to the chagrin of the girls in the other tables.  well, if they didnt like my cigar smoking, they could simply kiss me... aaaaaaaarrrrrrrggggggghhhhhhhhh!!!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I love Conan!

 

Hehe Masi, post lang ng post pare .... warning? I wouldn't worry about it

 

Jill's isn't much of a place it's just the music for the thungderbirds like me that makes the place worth dropping by every now and then. Walang oomph ba? Eh kasi wala kami ng mga gurls ko doon eh! Award! Kidding aside, Jill's is nice to go to when you are with a semi-large group of friends as opposed to Giraffe or Dreambar na you can go alone or with just one companion and it'll still be fun.

 

You wish the girls would kiss you!!!!

 

Oo nga e.  buti na lang may wine thread.  Someone posted something about german wines a few pages back.  My brothers and I finished two bottles of Riesling last Sunday.  Qualitatswein mit pradikat.  Very good and very sweet.  Told Masi the other time that the sweeter the wine of a country, the more boring the people.  Kaya matamis ang alak ng Aleman dahil boring yata sila.  Not like the French, Spanish and Italian wines,  complex and exciting. LOL

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Oh dear, I like sweet wines so that must make me a BORING person!!!! :boo: What a discovery! Mwehehehehehehehe.

 

I don't know about the boring bit with Germans but I sure do know that they are such pervs!

[boibastos]

120 Thailand Baht. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I e-mailed Bei Otto and they referred me back to Schneider and Sohn. Nakaka-depress.

[masi]

I love Conan!

 

Hehe Masi, post lang ng post pare .... warning?  I wouldn't worry about it

 

Jill's isn't much of a place it's just the music for the thungderbirds like me that makes the place worth dropping by every now and then.  Walang oomph ba? Eh kasi wala kami ng mga gurls ko doon eh!   Award!  Kidding aside, Jill's is nice to go to when you are with a semi-large group of friends as opposed to Giraffe or Dreambar na you can go alone or with just one companion and it'll still be fun.

 

You wish the girls would kiss you!!!!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

 

now...now... what was i thinking or not thinking last night? imagine, i went to jill's and didn't care to invite you and your girls!!!! must be the effect of that not so good as written choco cake i had for lunch! dangerous to go to dreambar alone (wag painumin si pinoy!) ... hehehehehe

 

conan, well sometimes i would watch him but his guests are not as exciting. even pamela anderson would wear something "decent" when appearing in conan's show :upside: but be more "revealing" in leno's!!!

 

post in VIP? hell, i might like it so much i might not post here anymore? (did i hear someone yell, good riddance!!! )

[agxo3]

  awwwwww ... I wanna give you an award too but am afraid am blushing wayyyyy too much!

 

 

 

Weird in a good way or bad way?

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I seem to have that effect on a lot of women. Making them blush, that is. i wonder what it is? Could be all that wine, perhaps?

 

Anyway - weird. Yup - just a bit off center. Not quite what you'd expect, and not just in a "that's different" kinda way, but in a "now THAT's different" kinda way, if you know what I mean. It's good - I LIKE weird. Gotta be a bit strange to be more than a bit creative, I always say.

[hint-of-lime]

you better stay quiet on that St. Hugo as some beguiling lurker here might perk up hehe...

what are the more popular Coonawaras? maybe they have some here.....your description makes it look interestingly similar to Margaret River....Barossas are excessively alcoholic so if I need a big kick I go look for one - Grant Burge was the last Barossa I had.

"reasonable" just doesn't describe it, pare - more like lugubrious - as in chug-a-lug 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Some of the more popular wineries in Coonawarra are the following:

 

Balnaves of Coonawarra

Banks Thargo

Bowen Estate

Brand's of Coonawarra

Flint's of Coonawarra

Highbank

Jamiesons Run

Jim Barry Wines

Ladbroke Grove Wines Pty Ltd

Leconfield Coonawarra

Orlando - Russet Ridge

Parker Coonawarra Estate

Redman Wines

Rymill Coonawarra

S.Kidman Wines

Stonehaven

Zema Estate

 

Some of the more extensive wineries source their wines from different areas of Australia. Penfolds and Wynn's are examples of these. I think I saw Wynn's Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2001 in Pricesmart Alabang during the time I was in the country several months ago.

 

 

As for that question on the Aventinus Weizenbier, you can get it easy enough in Germany, however, I don't think I've ever seen it in the Philippines. So sorry! Pricesmart did have some Victoria Bitter on stock at the time I saw the Wynn's. Hehehe! VB! Oi! Oi! Oi! Anyway, enough of this. I know it's off thread. :thumbsupsmiley:

[hint-of-lime]

pare pinoy, the german wines just like the only 2 dance steps you know ... sweet and very sweet!!!hahahaha!!!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Well, I guess you can say that for their whites, which I must admit are quite sweet. The Germans have always been very well known for their Rieslings, among other things. What is not well known, though, is that they do produce reds of very good quality. These, however, are overshadowed by the popularity of their whites and the popularity of the French, Italian, and Spanish reds. Just last night I had an excellent 2003 Spätburgunder from Baden and a 2000 Dornfelder from Ahr in the Pfalz. Spätburgunder is essentially a Pinot Noir. German Pinot Noirs used to be (and, I must admit, to some extent still are) "white wines with color", sweetish and dull. They often were made into pink "Weissherbst" wines, occasionally even as pink ice wines. In recent years though, ambitious producers have joined the search for the holy grail of red wine, with low yields, higher must weight, extraction, and tannin levels, and maturation in new oak. These serious red wines are all the rage, and sell at serious prices with astonishing speed. Some truly fine pinot noirs have thus started to emerge. A few weeks back, I also had the privelege of trying a Limbürger Cabernet Sauvignon 2001 from Sasbach and it had the depth and complexity to rival some of the best Aussies I've had. I've also had this prejudice from German wines before I got here and I have slowly made a turn-around. Oh, yeah, Germans may not be the most exciting of people - I've certainly met warmer people at other parts of the globe - but just like the wines, I've learned not to generalize as some of the friends I've made here are quite spontaneous and funny! I think it goes with the beer.... Hehehe! Prost! :thumbsupsmiley:

[mark4882]

i like quiza wine from sweden its sweet and delicious

[floppydrive]

Some of the more popular wineries in Coonawarra are the following:

 

Balnaves of Coonawarra

Banks Thargo

Bowen Estate

Brand's of Coonawarra

Flint's of Coonawarra

Highbank

Jamiesons Run

Jim Barry Wines

Ladbroke Grove Wines Pty Ltd

Leconfield Coonawarra

Orlando - Russet Ridge

Parker Coonawarra Estate

Redman Wines

Rymill Coonawarra

S.Kidman Wines

Stonehaven

Zema Estate

 

Some of the more extensive wineries source their wines from different areas of Australia.  Penfolds and Wynn's are examples of these.  I think I saw Wynn's Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2001 in Pricesmart Alabang during the time I was in the country several months ago. 

As for that question on the Aventinus Weizenbier, you can get it easy enough in Germany, however, I don't think I've ever seen it in the Philippines. So sorry!  Pricesmart did have some Victoria Bitter on stock at the time I saw the Wynn's.  Hehehe!  VB!  Oi! Oi! Oi!  Anyway, enough of this. I know it's off thread.  :thumbsupsmiley:

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

{Scribble, scribble, scribble} Wow! Thanks for this list! Most of the time, when it's Aussie, it's usually Shiraz. What are the recommended wines from Coonawarra? CabSav?

 

I think I had a Shiraz Stonehaven 2001 three weeks back (black label with a red "S"), but found it "bitin"- too young maybe? Not worth writing about here.

[masi]

well guys and gals, since this thread has been pretty sober the past few days, let me, in wine vernacular, cut the foil.

 

saturday night was pretty cool due to the winds and monsoon rains, around 25-degrees celsius (i had so much time in my hands that i even took the ambient temperature in the lanai!) and i expected a pleasant experience in my wine.

 

i opened a Vina (vinya) Albali Gran Reserva 1997 (100% tempranillo). i was pretty surprise to see the cork stained with a light pink color, lighter than the pink in lipstick's avatar. it was a radiant ruby and a vibrant nose of cherry and oak, mid dry as its legs were not falling as long. mouth was balance, no strong taste except for a teasing sweetness, which was literally hanging on the tip of the tongue. true to its form, the tempranillo is an evolving varietal. the flavors were growing as the wine breathed -a truly pleasing experience.

 

i lit a H. Upman (Cuban) half corona, which was also rich earthy, leather, cedar, spicy. some tapas, mushrooms in oil and garlic, sauteed schubligs, and uni sashimi, courtesy of my buddy, BODS! :thumbsupsmiley:

 

we were only 2 but there was so much life that night. :thumbsupsmiley:

 

 

BODS, pare, THANK YOU!

Edited August 8, 2005 by masi

[masi]

check out this link:

 

http://www.winewritersxtra.com/Wines/newsH...&FP=201&FP=2000