Wine-savvy

[new2dabeat]

Cheers and may we all have a more bountiful 2006!

 

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Hear Hear!

 

And as a follow-on thread - what're you all planning on popping (bubbly-wise) for the new year? I'm starting to chill a case of 'J' (my personal California sparkling wine favorite) for the "house" sipping bubbly:

 

http://tinypic.com/j7t079.jpg

 

And then a handful of bottles of Laurent Perrier Grand Siecle for the actual toasting:

 

http://tinypic.com/j7t1ms.jpg

[Lipstick]

Ms. LipStick,  The Spanish Gate is good!  I had some while cooking spaghetti - of course, half of it went into the spaghetti! hehehe.

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FD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hahahahahaha Happiest of Holidays to you my fellow vino fan.

 

Hmmmm are you sure you liked the Spanish Gate? Eh bakit kalahati eh ginawa mong vinegar sa spaghetti mo?

[Lipstick]

Ms. Lips - I am so glad you decided to have that cup of coffee and wait so patiently for us. I hope the wait was worth it. Extraordinary as the wine was, it was no match for the company and ocnversation. What a range of topics we covered, and what a surprise to see what a small world it really is.

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Mr. Agxo3 .. was it worth it! Overly!!! Kahit walang wine. It was a treat to have met you and it is always a treat for me to spend time with the Winos. :thumbsupsmiley:

 

venerable Lipstick.

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Venerable naman sa yo .... ano ba yan. Parang akong Judge Judy nyan!

 

Wow!  You guys had a grand wine celebration!  I'm amazed how you guys could still be active at 3:30 in the morning after 5 wines.  I'd probably be snoring loud by the 3rd bottle. hehehe

 

Fantastic FRs from everyone!

 

Para hindi OT: this was a simple weekend, and since I wasn't sure of the preferences of our group, I got an ever reliable Montepulciano.  Medium legs, very fruity, some light woody tones.  Easy drinking.  Of course this is nothing compared to the friday to saturday wine marathon! hehehe  I guess no one made it to the Salcedo Saturday Market? hehehe  Cheers!

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Hey FD, you should join us the next time we get together. Does anyone have your mobile number? PM na para kasama sa stampita! :thumbsupsmiley:

 

p.s. Haha I did not make it to the Market that morning as you suspected.

[Lipstick]

now for celibacy, why are nuns and priests not crabby?

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Hmmm maybe because they are at the confessional box often?

 

 

The Bods??? parang pangalan ng sculpture yan ah - sculpture of what - I don't know!

 

at kelan ako naging object of anything dito aber?? If ever, please give me the handles of those gurlets para ma-PM ko naman :evil:

 

para hindi OT - I again bought a Dunnewood at WD yesterday because it was still on sale

pareng masi wala akong makita nung Sparkiling Shiraz.....

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Are you sure you really want me to PM you those NAMES????? :boo:

 

well we sure were rewarded for our obstinacy (not obscenity ha ) and we all enjoyed each other's company through that looonnng Friday night....and excuse me, your charm is not spectral but very alive and full-bodied (ayan, para hindi OT - like the full-bodied Niebaum-Coppola which has now ceased to be a spectre of our collective wishes)....and yes, those compromising situations are just a pigment (being art-minded now, I'd like to think ) of your mind's colorful canvass...

 

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Hayyy Bods, sana ang vino at charm na lang ang full-bodied sa akin. Man the holiday season has not only made me more than full-bodied ... more like overly-stuffed-bodied! Ackkkkkkkkkkk.

 

[Lipstick]

How is the wine scene (if any) in the Philippines? I live in California (just an hour away from "Wine Country" - Napa and Sonoma), so we're pretty much inundated with fruits of the vine here. You pretty much *can't* get away from wine around here - be it American (North, South, and Central), European (French, Italian, German, etc), African (yes, they have very good ones), Australian, and Japanese (sake is considered a wine, per it's production process - very big sake revival going on for the past few years).

 

I've also lived on Long Island (New York) and have done weekly runs out to the wineries out on the forks as well.

 

I'm going to be visiting the Philippines (Makati / Manila) in a few weeks (after a 20-year hiatus) and am interested in hitting any local wine bars, sample whatever selections are available.

 

Any recommendations from this group? What to hit, where to go, what to avoid?

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Welcome to the thread new2dabeat!

 

Hello winers!

 

We (me and my bride) had a great great time last Friday till Saturday dawn in the company of the thread owner, pareng Masi, Liberty, Lipstick and sulpot-bayan Agxo3. Many many thanks to all of you guys and gurlets. I am looking forward to our next pre-christmas eb.

 

:thumbsupsmiley:

 

Thanks Bods for your company at OMAKASE.  :thumbsupsmiley:  :thumbsupsmiley:  :thumbsupsmiley:

 

We'll be there next week with the kids. Promise.

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Pareng Storm!!!!!!!!!! Congrats again for winning in the NAAP sculpture division.

 

Ehermmmm I have joined fellow Winos Bods and Masi in being proud owners of a STORM dancer ---- I super duper luv my dancer!!! Worth the trade off for a BVLGARI ring. :thumbsupsmiley:

 

Thanks ..

Ok i'll be doing more readings here and more tastings back at the house .. 

any suggestions to get good wines at reasonable prices? I got a friend who sells wines, you think its better to buy there or at the mall?

:mtc:

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Whats a reasonable price range for you Autopimp? Normally Aussie, Spanish, Chilean and Californian wines give the most VFM (value for money).

 

Hello friends

 

ang sarap mag back read. dami kong natututunan.    i just drink and i hardly take time to "experience" the liters of wine i consume.

 

next time i get a midnight text from Lipstick, gigising na nga rin ako!

 

cheers!

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Hey friend!! Welcome to the thread! Luved our 5bottles of Wine and A Bibimbap Later session lat Friday!

[Lipstick]

kaka inggit naman kayo 

even though i was having fun myself on a short carribean cruise

 

only have one comment - next time, try a gewurztraminer, a riesling, or a pinot blanc with sushi and sashimi.

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Parang mas nakakainggit yang Carribean cruise na yan ah eagleyes! Make sure you do not break your leg while doing some form of bedpilates next time you are in Manila

 

It would be such a blast to have you guys living abroad in Manila all at the same time. Then we can hold the BAD WINE NIGHT! hahahahahahahaha.

 

Hmmm!  Gewurtztraminer!  I had several good ones from the Pfalz region and from here in Baden both in Germany.  A wee bit too sweet and fruity for my taste usually but I sometimes like having it after meals on a nice quiet night by the fire when I don't feel like contemplating on the hundreds of flavors in a sip of a more complex red.  Germany has a lot of good Rieslings.  Tip - if you want a German Riesling and you don't want it too sweet, look for "Trocken" on the label.  This label tells you you have a dry type of Riesling. 

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Hey HOL! Happy HOLidays. Sorry couldn't resist. :hypocritesmiley:

 

I'm craving for a Traminer Riesling!

 

PK (ayan, buti hindi ako nagkamali hehehe) we've been waiting for your appearance here for a long time   welcome! when can we see you para hindi ka na maging anonymous uli

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Hey Bods .... she's finally not anonymous anymore since you met her last Friday. :boo:

[Lipstick]

Bods, Masi, Lips, Storm - I finally dug up some pics of the now-infamous kitchen remodel - and here they are!!! Taken just after we got the last applicances in but before we got everything back into the kitchen. You can still see the shipping and consumer notification tags. 48" Wolf range with 6 burners and the griddle. Drop-down warming racks on the backsplash and warming lights in the hood. 4 fans in the extra-deep hood pulling 1200 cfm to keep smoke out of the kitchen even when doing lots of frying. Sub-zero fridge (freezer below) keeps my white wine (there - no longer OT!!!) well chilled - so much so that I have to take it out a half hour before dinner to let it come up to 55 deg F. The granite is from Brazil and is called typhoon green - nothing boring about THAT stone! And it hides those wine spills really nice!

 

I took out the small wine fridge I had under the counter in the old configuration in favor of the big Transtherm I got a few months back. I still have it, though and am trying to figure out where I can put it now.

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Hey hey hey ... what a great way to end the telenovela of a kitchen! It's beautiful Mr. Agxo3! Hmm somehow the kitchen counter conjures up other images in my head.

 

There is a good German wine supplier here called Brumms.  They even have a "Winery" which you can rent for private functions which is located in Horseshoe Village.  Look at their website for more info.  Some wines they sell is even rated by Wine Spectator.

 

http://www.brumms.com.ph/index.asp

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Welcome to the thread tokiojoe ... hope to see you round here often.

 

Thanks, N2DB! We tried, but unfortunately no space for an island unless we gave up the breakfast nook, which we really didn't want to do. Sink's pretty large - a Franke 39" double sink in stainless steel. Got a Bosch dishwasher, mainly because it's got the rep*tation for being one of the quietest on the market. And it's stainless steel, inside and out. Wanted the Fisher and Paykel double dishwashers but read some really negative reports about them, and the Miele was outrageous! Of course after all we spent, perhaps the difference would have been a small percentage!

 

I guess I should post a "before" picture as well, huh? Lemme see if I can find where I hid THOSE pics.

Thanks, Masi! Took much more work than I planned for, even with a general contractor on board. There's just no substitute for hands-on project management. We looooove cooking on that great range. We can BOTH be cooking away and not get in each other's way!

 

Speaking of which - wifey did a pot of spaghetti sauce the other night. Poured in a (large) cup of one of my good cabs (Retzlaff '98 - estate-grown Livermore Valley). Wow! Of course I had to have the cab with dinner. The bottle was open and it would have been a shame to waste it, right? Went through the rest of the bottle.    Am I a wino or what? That '98 is developing nicely. Needs another year to REALLY come into its own, but at this point, the tannins are integrating nicely, fruit is still not as forward as I'd like (but the cooking sure brought it out!). Loads of blackberries and black cherries with a touch of pepper (!) and a hint of black licorice. Since I'm not really sensitive to that licorice it must be more than a hint, but what do I know? A bit of smoke and a touch of stone fruit (plum and apricot???). Nice, but will get better over the next year or two. Good thin I bought two cases of the stuff.

 

We're doing a prime rib for Christmas dinner. I plan to smoke it on the grill, crusted with fresh-grated horseradish/kosher salt/crushed garlic/crushed black peppercorn. Planning to pop open a '99 Noah's (Lodi grapes!) zin, with a '02 Spenker zin (from Lodi) for backup. Aperitifs will be a nice muscat dessert wine, over ice with a squeeze of Meyer lemon juice (try it! you'll like it!). For dessert, a White House port (also from Livermore). In between, a nice honey-roasted ham, with maybe a J '99 pinot noir. My brother and his family are joining us, as are my daughter and her BF, so there will be plenty of us to drink up all that wine!

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I could almost taste the wine Agxo3 with your description! Hehe along with the prime rib. :thumbsupsmiley:

[preacher]

How do you differentiate between a Cab Sauv and a Shiraz?

[Spurt]

How do you differentiate between a Cab Sauv and a Shiraz?

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CAB SAUV & Shiraz are two different grape variety, Cab sauv is a premier red wine grape, this is a small thick skinned variety, descended from cabernet franc & sauvignon blanc. Shiraz (Australia) or Syrah (France) is also a red wine grape variety which accordingly originated from Shiraz-Iran.

[new2dabeat]

Welcome to the thread new2dabeat! 

 

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Merci beaucoup mademoiselle Lipstick

[new2dabeat]

How do you differentiate between a Cab Sauv and a Shiraz?

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Spurt answered this question, I just thought I'd post some basic suggestions to anyone interested in getting into wines. This, of course, is not meant to be a definitive procedure.

 

1) Find a retail outlet with a fairly good selection of wines; one that at least knows how to properly keep the wines (temperature, storage, etc) - don't worry yet about whether the staff is knowledgeable or not.

 

2) If you're not sure yet whether you're a 'red' or a 'white,' buy one of each. Again, don't worry about varieties, vintages, etc. It's likely you have a budget you need to stick with in any case, just make sure that they're both about the same price.

 

3) Go home and properly chill the white, and let the red 'settle' for a bit. Have a pitcher of water and/or some plain (no nuts, falvors, fruit components, etc) bread ready.

 

4) When the white is properly chilled, uncork both and let them sit for a few minutes (5-10 should be fine). Pour a glass of each and let that breathe for a couple of minutes.

 

5) Pick either one and bring it up, then give it a _gentle_ swirl or two. It's a wine, not a martini - no need to shake, haha.

 

6) Now put your nose into the glass and breathe in the resulting scents. This act accounts for the majority of how you perceive the wine's character - its flavor and esence. You can 'taste' the wine before actually putting it in your mouth.

 

7) Now take a sip - and take some air in with it, almost like you're slurping noodles but not quite. Gently swish the wine around your tongue, for as much coverage as you can manage, tip to back. It's not mouthwash, so be gentle

 

8) Now _taste_ the wine - don't swallow it. Let the elixir play around in your mouth, gleefully slapping some taste buds here and there. Don't worry about taste / scent terminologies. Do you _like_ it?

 

9) Spit or swallow (focus folks, this isn't The Bedroom area of MTC ), then cleanse your palate with some water and/or bread.

 

10) Pick up the other glass and repeat.

 

11) Now - do you "like" the white one? Or the red one?

 

12) Once you've expressed a preference (you're gonna have to, no one can say they like both equally, one of them's gonna be more appealing to you than the other), THEN pay attention to what variety it is.

 

13) Go back to that wine retailer and purchase two more bottles of the same variety but DIFFERENT producers and/or vintages.

 

14) Go home and repeat the tasting regimen with the three representatives of your chosen variety (the orignal selection plus the two new ones). This will now give you an idea of subtle differences within the same variety and will help develop your palate's ability to distinguish within the same variety. You can even try "blind taste testing" yourself. Pick the one you prefer the most out of the three and use that as your base for the next step.

 

15) Go back to the wine retailer and purchase two more bottles - one each of other varieties within your selection (again, we're assuming you've gone down the red-or-white route). For example, if you started with a Chardonnay (white), then get a bottle each of a Riesling and a Viognier.

 

16) Go back home and repeat the tasting regimen. Again, you should arrive at a decided preference for one over the others.

 

17) Repeat the buy-taste-rotate variety-taste regimen as often as your budget/toime permits. The ultimate result is that you would have formed a decided preference for a specific (or range of them) variety. The best part is that you've arrived at it on your own, without preconceptions of what you "should" drink or enjoy. You're also much better equipeed knowledgewise in that YOU KNOW why you prefer one over the other, and that you can tell one from the other by taste.

 

18) Once you're comfortable on that end, do it all over again from step 1 with the other branch (red wines if you originally opted to go down the white wine route).

 

19) Remember, while a good guide, the whole red-wine-with-meat, white-wine-with-fish mantra is NOT a rule. Again, enjoy what you like.

 

20) Share your thoughts and findings with like-minded enthusiasts, the more the merrier! :thumbsupsmiley:

 

Cheers!

Edited December 27, 2005 by new2dabeat

[agxo3]

Go away f9r a few dyas and the board is overflowing!!!!! Belated Merry Christmas to all! I hope you all had as good a Christmas as I did. My daughter came up from LA to visit, with her BF in tow. Nice guy. Music exec. Had him ROFL watching TFC and GMA Pinoy TV.

 

Did the prime rib for Christmas dinner - that off-the-Web rcipe is just plain great! makes me look like a great cook! Didn't do the zin with it (althoug in retrospect, I should have!!!) Had a 2002 Niebaum-Coppola Blancaneaux to start, with cheese, crab/artichoke dip and smoked fish (salmon and trout). My bro brought over some lumpia shanghai he whipped up, and some desserts.

 

For dinner (the prime rib, some old-fashioned Chinese-style ham - yeah, the salty stuff!, and some regular ham, we had a '92 Retzlaff cabernet sauvignon. Oooooh, what a treat! Jammy with loads of black berries, a hint of smoke, some plum, a big burst of raisin and enough tannins to hold it all together. And it went well with the prime rib, but not so well with the ham. Oh, well, live and learn.

 

Desserts (leche flan, creme brulee, fresh-roasted chestnuts, a mango mousse cake to die for were paried first with a German eiswein, followed by a whiskey tasting - an 8 yr old Karuizawa from Japan, 12 yr old Chivas Regal, 15 yr Johnny Walker and a 21 yr Johnny Walker to top it all off. Ended the night on a high note with a California zinfandel port. Sweet berries, hints of bittersweet chocolate, a touch of leather, and a hint of apricot.

 

New Years' is coming up! We'll be at my brother's house. I'm bringing some Big White House port, and a nice (relatively young) cab. Have a safe, raucous, Happy New Year, all!

 

Amazing how "small" a 39" sink looks in a photo 

 

Yeah, heard that about the Fisher and Paykels - too bad because it's a neat concept. Maybe Miele or Bosch will come up with their version soon.

 

Would love to see the 'before' shots. People typically don't appreciate the full impact of a remodel without seeing what it was like before the goodies were put in 

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Still looking for those "before shots". they're here somewhere on my HD.......too late for me if Bosch or Miele come up with their answer to the F&P. but, I like what I got, so I'm content.

 

Wow Pare, ang ganda tsaka ang laki!!!! :thumbsupsmiley:

 

Very nice layout. And I thought our kitchen is big.  

 

Bought an Australian Shiraz, 2003 Hardys Nottage Hill. I'm not sure if it's good. I'll serve it on our next EB here in our house.

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I like a big kitchen - the better to cook in! You have a nice kitchen, Storm!

 

Will that Hardy's survive until my next visit? I hope so! But in any case, I'm already plotting what to bring next time around!

 

 

Boy, you guys out there get the best of the best!!!!  I've been doing the rounds for a personal wine ref and I am limited to very few choices.  A Haier (the cheapest in the lot which still goes at P14k andyou only get it for $125), Toshiba (P19k which looks like a medicine cabinet), GE Signature series (best looking with a stainless steel/glass fron door (for P20k).  All these have a capacity of 25 bottles. The 50-bottle Vino cab sells at P35K.

 

Oh there iss one more, the Viking brand (24bottle) (by indent order) which looks like a personal ref, selling at P120k!!!!! :grr:

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All seem pretty small - I'd go with the GE myself, if those were MY choices! I don't trust the Haier, know nothing about the Tishiba and the Viking is just plain overpriced (even here!).

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

 

Finally got to pop open a bottle of Banrock Station Sparkling Shiraz!!!!!  Truly a remarkable experience!!!!  Unusual and out of character!

 

Deep almost black color, hardly any but a hint of the typical rich nose of a shiraz (perhaps due to it being chilled), peppery spice, dark berries and plums.  Body was everything to expect from a "sparkler"!!!! A clash of the expected fruitiness of your bubbly and the fullness and spicey body of shiraz!  Lingering flavors of cocoa at the tail!

 

Smooth, lovely and RED!!! Just the way Christmas should be!!!!

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Sounds like a great bottle. Now if I could just find some here.........

 

Oh there are some who make them here in RP already, but are in prototype stage.  The controls work fine.  Temp is maintained very well, but need tweeking in terms of aesthetics. 

 

Merry Christmas to everyone!

Agxo, your kitchen is BEAUTIFUL!  Top of the line appliances blending well with the cabinets.

Cheers and may we all have a more bountiful 2006!

Ms. LipStick,  The Spanish Gate is good!  I had some while cooking spaghetti - of course, half of it went into the spaghetti! hehehe.

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Thanks, FD! Spanish Gate???? (Yeah, I know - backread!!!)

 

Hear Hear!

 

And as a follow-on thread - what're you all planning on popping (bubbly-wise) for the new year? I'm starting to chill a case of 'J' (my personal California sparkling wine favorite) for the "house" sipping bubbly:

 

http://tinypic.com/j7t079.jpg

 

And then a handful of bottles of Laurent Perrier Grand Siecle for the actual toasting:

 

http://tinypic.com/j7t1ms.jpg

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Hey N2DB! I see you like the J sparkler as well! I used to be a member of their wine club. They would send me at least two bottle of the bubbly a year, AND a magnum for New Years'!!! I miss that club - maybe I'll join up again, and drop one that I currently have.

 

Hey hey hey ... what a great way to end the telenovela of a kitchen!   It's beautiful Mr. Agxo3!  Hmm somehow the kitchen counter conjures up other images in my head.

Welcome to the thread tokiojoe ... hope to see you round here often.

I could almost taste the wine Agxo3 with your description!  Hehe along with the prime rib.  :thumbsupsmiley:

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Now why am I not surprised you'd think of OTHER uses for that counter? :boo:

 

Tell you what - on my next trip out there, if you'll help me go shopping for the food, I'll do the prime rib and we can have one hell of a eat-fest drink-fest EB!!!

[masi]

In the last few days, I've been having uneventful wines. It started with this bottle which Bods, Storm, Liberty and I consumed at Churchils on the penultimate nite before Christmas! It was supposedly an Australian Shiraz (the label skips me, though!). That bottle was simply one to forget!!! :grr: Good thing that Bods, Storm and Liberty were there to make the evening pleasant! :thumbsupsmiley:

 

Fast forward to Christmas dinner at Taal Vista Hotel. I had a couple of glasses of a supposedly Spanish 2003 Tempranillo!!! Again, I forgot the label which effectively dictated an uneventful bottle. :grr: It had everything that would resemble a "green" merlot and nothing of a tempranillo!

 

I guess, the year wouldn't end without my share of bad wine!!!!

Edited December 29, 2005 by masi

[masi]

Since my brother is in town for the Holidays, I worked the kitchen one evening to prepare dinner.

 

Started, with a tomato-mozzarella basil pesto salad on a romaine bed topped with alaskan smoked salmon (courtesy of my brother) and capers. Oven roasted lemon-thyme chicken and char-grilled "delmonicos' style angus steaks.

 

Dessert was flown in from NYC, Junior's cheesecake and some leche flan.

 

Since I was the only drinker, I managed to consume only a bottle of a 2002 Woodbridge Mondavi Sauvignon Blanc which was light golden in color with a light but vibrant citrus flavor -- really went hand in hand, with the salad!!!!

[new2dabeat]

Welcome back agxo!

 

Sounds like you had a blast on all fronts

 

Re: J - yup, been an avid drinker of that for years, though I've never joined their club. I should probably look into that.

[storm]

Welcome to the thread new2dabeat! 

Pareng Storm!!!!!!!!!!  Congrats again for winning in the NAAP sculpture division. 

 

Ehermmmm I have joined fellow Winos Bods and Masi in being proud owners of a STORM dancer ---- I super duper luv my dancer!!!  Worth the trade off for a BVLGARI  ring.  :thumbsupsmiley:

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Many thanks sis Lipstick. I enjoyed your company (with some good wines of course) with PK, the ad peeps and Bods that night that I missed buying my wife a gift. I got her Jadore perfume set the following day, though, just in time for Christmas eve.

 

I like a big kitchen - the better to cook in! You have a nice kitchen, Storm!

 

Will that Hardy's survive until my next visit? I hope so! But in any case, I'm already plotting what to bring next time around!

 

Tell you what - on my next trip out there, if you'll help me go shopping for the food, I'll do the prime rib and we can have one hell of a eat-fest drink-fest EB!!!

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The Hardy's is forgettable, too much tannins and a little bit sour. I'll use what's left to cook tahong or mussels tomorrow.

We can do the prime rib in our home. I just got a Prahova Valley Romanian Cav Sauv 2000.

 

In the last few days, I've been having uneventful wines.  It started with this bottle which Bods, Storm, Liberty and I consumed at Churchils on the penultimate nite before Christmas!  It was supposedly an Australian Shiraz (the label skips me, though!).  That bottle was simply one to forget!!! :grr:  Good thing that Bods, Storm and Liberty were there to make the evening pleasant! :thumbsupsmiley:

 

Fast forward to Christmas dinner at Taal Vista Hotel.  I had a couple of glasses of a supposedly Spanish 2003 Tempranillo!!!    Again, I forgot the label which effectively dictated an uneventful bottle.  :grr:  It had everything that would resemble a "green" merlot and nothing of a tempranillo!

 

I guess, the year wouldn't end without my share of bad wine!!!!

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Hahaha . Had a wonderful night with you guys.

 

All in all. Nothing beats Agxo's wine. Hindi makalimutan ng misis ko. :thumbsupsmiley: :thumbsupsmiley: :thumbsupsmiley:

 

Happy new Year!!! Cheers.

[Lipstick]

Many thanks sis Lipstick. I enjoyed your company (with some good wines of course) with PK, the ad peeps and Bods that night that I missed buying my wife a gift. I got her Jadore perfume set the following day, though, just in time for Christmas eve.

 

The Hardy's is forgettable, too much tannins and a little bit sour. I'll use what's left to cook tahong or mussels tomorrow.

 

We can do the prime rib in our home. I just got a Prahova Valley Romanian Cav Sauv 2000.

Hahaha  . Had a wonderful night with you guys.

 

All in all. Nothing beats Agxo's wine. Hindi makalimutan ng misis ko. :thumbsupsmiley:  :thumbsupsmiley:  :thumbsupsmiley:

 

Happy new Year!!! Cheers.

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Oh thank you Pareng Storm! Can I just tell you that the recipient of the painting was oh so ecstatic. It was a gift of love received with much love as well. He couldn't stop looking at the painting and hung it right away. Enchanted would be quite the right term too. He was amazed when he first saw the painitng and says that it was uncanny how the painting exactly captured what his manoks look like and their fighting stance (err since he met me daw eh laging panalo daw mga stags and cocks nya, like a 90% batting average) so he took the gift as a very good omen. Guess sabungeros are pretty superstitious that way? And he just loved the colors that were used --- very unusual and alive. Naks. All in all I am so happy to give it to a person who will love it as much as I do.

 

Is that the same Hardy's we had in the wine shop? Yung 2004? IT IS SUCH A LEMON! Blechhhhhh

 

Hope you had fun with us that night because I sure had so much fun having my friends from different circles there that night. Hahaha si Francine Prieto lookalike nagmumura pa rin hanggang ngayon

[Lipstick]

Masi! Missed you and your better beautiful half LIBERTY at Cyrano last Friday night! Damn you guys should've been there... it was so much fun! Promise me next time we have one again join kayo hah?

 

Agxo3.... promise yan hah?! So when will you be back in Manila? Ayan Pareng Storm has offered his place to cook those juicy ribs! Game na!!! :thumbsupsmiley:

[Lipstick]

How do you differentiate between a Cab Sauv and a Shiraz?

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I think my fellow winos answered this earlier but just as a rejoinder based on my observation .... while the shiraz and cabsav share some degree of spiciness and oakiness, the cabsav tastes more fruity. Hehe that is according to my amateur palate.

 

Merci beaucoup mademoiselle Lipstick 

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Looking forward to seeing you here and sharing a couple of bottles with you and the whole bunch of winos. It would be nice if all you mainland folks are here at the same time! Wattablast!

 

Tell you what - on my next trip out there, if you'll help me go shopping for the food, I'll do the prime rib and we can have one hell of a eat-fest drink-fest EB!!!

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I will take you up on that offer Mr. Agxo3!! Kaya be prepared! Pareng Storm has offered his kitchen! Hehe I wonder if he has a spacious kitchen counter too.

 

In the last few days, I've been having uneventful wines.  It started with this bottle which Bods, Storm, Liberty and I consumed at Churchils on the penultimate nite before Christmas!  It was supposedly an Australian Shiraz (the label skips me, though!).  That bottle was simply one to forget!!! :grr:  Good thing that Bods, Storm and Liberty were there to make the evening pleasant! :thumbsupsmiley:

 

Fast forward to Christmas dinner at Taal Vista Hotel.  I had a couple of glasses of a supposedly Spanish 2003 Tempranillo!!!    Again, I forgot the label which effectively dictated an uneventful bottle.  :grr:  It had everything that would resemble a "green" merlot and nothing of a tempranillo!

 

I guess, the year wouldn't end without my share of bad wine!!!!

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Masi, I had a very very yucky wine when we were drinking at Cyrano last Friday. We started with a Hardy's Red 2004 --- so forgettable that I can't remember which variety. It was way toooo bagets for drinking no matter what the label said! Total LEMON. Haha I know I posted it earlier but I wanna say it again!

 

All in all that night the other bottles tasted fab given that we started out with a bad bottle. We had a Casillero del Diablo Pinot Noir ... followed by a Something Malbec. That bottle of Malbec was a surprise! Masharappppp! And then we opened PK's yummy Ventisquero Grey 2002 Camenere. Naabutan ni Bods at Storm yang boteng yan. Yummy! Best wine for the night if I dare say so. Then we tried A Casillero del Diablo Camenere --- puede pasar. We really missed you and the pretty Missus. Sayang.

[storm]

Oh thank you Pareng Storm!  Can I just tell you that the recipient of the painting was oh so ecstatic.   It was a gift of love received with much love as well.  He couldn't stop looking at the painting and hung it right away.  Enchanted would be quite the right term too.  He was amazed when he first saw the painitng and says that it was uncanny how the painting exactly captured what his manoks look like and their fighting stance (err since he met me daw eh laging panalo daw mga stags and cocks nya, like a 90% batting average) so he took the gift as a very good omen.  Guess sabungeros are pretty superstitious that way?  And he just loved the colors that were used --- very unusual and alive.  Naks.  All in all I am so happy to give it to a person who will love it as much as I do.

 

Is that the same Hardy's we had in the wine shop?  Yung 2004?  IT IS SUCH A LEMON!  Blechhhhhh 

 

Hope you had fun with us that night because I sure had so much fun having my friends from different circles there that night. Hahaha si Francine Prieto lookalike nagmumura pa rin hanggang ngayon

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I'll relate it to my dad! I'm sure he'll love to hear that.

 

Nope. It's a Hardys Nottage Hill Shiraz 2003. Avoid na lang this brand :thumbsdownsmiley:

 

Hahahaha rin. I'm bursting with laughter while reading your post. Huwag na kamo siyang magmura. The resemblance is only skin deep. She has a lot more character and depth naman.

[Lipstick]

I'll relate it to my dad! I'm sure he'll love to hear that.

 

Nope. It's a Hardys Nottage Hill Shiraz 2003. Avoid na lang this brand  :thumbsdownsmiley:

 

Hahahaha rin. I'm bursting with laughter while reading your post. Huwag na kamo siyang magmura. The resemblance is only skin deep. She has a lot more character and depth naman. 

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Tell your dad that it was such a beautiful gift to give and receive. I think that's how art should touch you.

 

Leche yang Hardy's na yan! Kaya pala they are selling it by the box! Badd baddd badddddd wine.

 

Hahaha can you imagine FancinePrieto lookalike's face habang nagmumura? Hahahahahaha. They are out tonight nga making yaya to drink at Alabang, but I'm home sick so eto nagkakalat ako sa board.

[agxo3]

Masi!  Missed you and your better beautiful half LIBERTY at Cyrano last Friday night!  Damn you guys should've been there...  it was so much fun!  Promise me next time we have one again join kayo hah? 

 

Agxo3.... promise yan hah?! So when will you be back in Manila?  Ayan Pareng Storm has offered his place to cook those juicy ribs!  Game na!!! :thumbsupsmiley:

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I miss so much by not being there!!

 

Oh, well, such is life.....

 

But yes! Next time I'm out there, it will be one great evening of food and drink! Get that kitchen ready, Masi! I will be in Taiwan again the week of Jan. 8, but won't make it over to Manila. Not enough time between trips - next one is scheduled for early February. I think we (me and my lovely bride) will be in the Phjilippines mid-February, but I don't know how much time we will spend in Manila, if any at all. We're going to Baguio for a class reunion (my HS class - it's been 40 years!!!) then on to either Cebu or Bangkok, depending on what my friend sets up for us. A day in Manila at most, I think. However, there's always March, when my NEXT rip is planned for! Might as well take an apartment in Taipei!

 

So - went to SF with another couple yesterday/lat night. Visited the SF Museum of Modern Art, then on to a very interesting wine bar. Set up for tastings, this place is. They have a number of automated stations which dispense 1 oz. pours. You buy a smart card with whatever $$ amount you decide. You insert the card into the slot, hold your glass under the appropriate spount and push the button. Voila! A 1 oz. pour! And your card gets the amount deducted automatically. Sounds like a business opportunity to me! Can you see a place like that being set up somewhere there?

 

Anyway - tasted 4 wines:

 

Prinz Reisling Kabinett 2004 - pineapple and melon, tangerine and grapefruit. Mildly sweeti-ish but great acidity to back it up. Lovely wine. Would go well with scallops in a lemon-butter sauce.

 

Peter Schandl Furmint 2004 - a Hungarian grape used in the production of Tokaji. In this instance, a truly dry wine. Pineapple on the nose, slate and calamansi on the palate. Nice acidity, not sweet at all. Screams inihaw pork chops to me!!

 

4 Vines "The Heretic" Paso Robles Petit Syrah - Red meat! Blackberries with a hint of red peppers (not red bell peppers, but the savory spicy kind). Full and lush, a steak wine if there ever was one!

 

The 4th was eminently forgettable and will not be mentioned in civilized company again!

 

 

Talked about New Years Eve - we have a couple coming over for dinner before we all go to my bro's place for the midnight festivities. We're planning to do seared scallops. Sauce still TBD. Fresh baguettes, and perhaps steamed asparagus. That rules out any red, but there are some really nice whites in my wine cabinet that need to be drunk soon.

 

For NYE - food still TBD but we're bringing some prosecco for a bubbly (and a petillant Vouvray if I can find one). Have a very festive and happy NYE (but remember to keep it safe! Watch those fingers with the triangulos, and have that designated driver ready!)

[chocolateandport]

CAB SAUV & Shiraz are two different grape variety, Cab sauv is a premier red wine grape, this is a small thick skinned variety, descended from cabernet franc & sauvignon blanc. Shiraz (Australia) or Syrah (France) is also a red wine grape variety which accordingly originated from Shiraz-Iran.

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Just a little additional information regarding the difference between Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon:

 

Both wines are full-flavored, structured, and generally oak-aged. Flavor-wise, a Shiraz from Australia is typically expressive of darker fruit flavors (plums, prunes, blue and blackberries) with a a distinct black pepper spiciness. Grown in the Northern Rhone Valley of France, it has the added flavor profile reminiscent of leather and earth. Plus, the wine tends to be sutler in its fruit expression, higher in acidity, and tannic structure. All other Syrah/Shiraz variations owing to the different areas where the grape is grown will fall in between these two general flavor profiles.

 

Cabernet Sauvignon is typically identified by its tell-tale aromas and flavors of blackcurrant and/or cassis. The spiciness- more licorice and cedar than black pepper- is not an innate character, rather it is imparted by the oak aging.

[masi]

Masi!  Missed you and your better beautiful half LIBERTY at Cyrano last Friday night!  Damn you guys should've been there...  it was so much fun!  Promise me next time we have one again join kayo hah? 

 

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I think my fellow winos answered this earlier but just as a rejoinder based on my observation .... while the shiraz and cabsav share some degree of spiciness and oakiness, the cabsav tastes more fruity.  Hehe that is according to my amateur palate.

Looking forward to seeing you here and sharing a couple of bottles with you and the whole bunch of winos.  It would be nice if all you mainland folks are here at the same time!  Wattablast!

I will take you up on that offer Mr. Agxo3!!  Kaya be prepared!   Pareng Storm has offered his kitchen! Hehe I wonder if he has a spacious kitchen counter too.

Masi, I had a very very yucky wine when we were drinking at Cyrano last Friday.  We started with a Hardy's Red 2004 --- so forgettable that I can't remember which variety.  It was way toooo bagets for drinking no matter what the label said!  Total LEMON.  Haha I know I posted it earlier but I wanna say it again!

 

All in all that night the other bottles tasted fab given that we started out with a bad bottle.   We had a Casillero del Diablo Pinot Noir ... followed by a Something Malbec.  That bottle of Malbec was a surprise!  Masharappppp!  And then we opened PK's yummy Ventisquero Grey 2002 Camenere.  Naabutan ni Bods at Storm yang boteng yan.  Yummy!  Best wine for the night if I dare say so.  Then we tried A Casillero del Diablo Camenere --- puede pasar.    We really missed you and the pretty Missus.  Sayang.

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Hi Lipstick!!! Yeah, we really missed that night! We had a family dinner as my brother and his spouse got in from NYC. But to save the evening, we met Bods and Storm at midnight. Surely, I would love to try Cyrano's. I've been planning that for ages but end up falling short!

 

Well, fast forward, New Year's Eve was ushered in with a Riddoch 2002 Shiraz Coonawara, nothing of the bubbly as I was still resting a BOLD hangover over Johhny Black which was with me til noon of the 31st!!!! :boo:

 

Truly deep red, near black color, nose was bold, cocoa, some dark berries, and a peppery oak which was pretty dominant but not overpowering. Body was mid to heavy with a rich heavy follow thru of peppery spice. Went well with some steaks I pan-grilled and used the same bottle of shiraz to "de-glaze" the pan for the steaksauce! The shiraz also went well with the spiciness of the Amatricianna sauce I prepared for a pasta dish!

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR! Here's to another year of good wines and great people!

Edited January 2, 2006 by masi

[floppydrive]

FD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Hahahahahaha Happiest of Holidays to you my fellow vino fan. 

 

Hmmmm are you sure you liked the Spanish Gate?  Eh bakit kalahati eh ginawa mong vinegar sa spaghetti mo?

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Hehehe. I'm only good for two glasses - after that, I can't tell red from white! hehehe. Sayang naman kung maging suka lang sa ref - pangpasarap na lang ng spaghetti!

 

Christmas and New Year were so so in terms of wine, but had fun experimenting with food.

 

Speaking of Hardy's, we also had a Hardy's Nottage Hill Shiraz - it was peppery. Just can't get the hang of drinking Shiraz. We followed it with a Wyndham Estate Bin 444 Cab Sauv 2002 - way better than the Hardy's, but seem young.

 

Just discovered that the humble leche flan tastes fantastic with a little cointreau drizzled on top prior to serving! Try it next time.

 

 

Masi, could you elaborate further on deglazing the pan with wine? Been wanting to learn how to make an 'au jus' and a wine sauce, but can't find any decent recipes.