Wine-savvy

[storm]

Hello Winos! Iangat from page 2.

 

Inviting you all on monday, Feb 20, 630pm onwards to my sculpture exhibit at Avellana Art Gallery. :cool:

 

There will be cocktails with lots of red and white wines.

[bods1000]

It's been a long time...

How are the winos doing?

Haven't had occasion to go out that much - pareng masi and storm I owe you a lot of vintages for my perpetual no-show on your invites

storm - I might not be there on opening night - baka malasing ako sa wine mo dun and I would fail to appreciate the exhibits. The only things I appreciate when drunk are not works of art

I would be there the next day, pare. Good luck on opening night!

 

Have a great weekend, folks!

[bods1000]

let me greet you all here an advance happy valentine's day (wether you celebrate it or not )

 

2 simple cocktails to enjoy a romantic evening at home with your beloveds ..setting the mood :evil:

 

REMY RED SWEETHEART MARTINI

2 oz Remy Red Strawberry Kiwi

4 oz lemonade in a shaker over ice

Pour ingredients into a chilled martini glass

 

Tequila Rose Cream Liqour

The Pink Russian

1 oz Tequila Rose

¾ oz Polar Ice Vodka

¼ oz Crème de Cacao

1 oz Half and Half cream

Serve in a rocks glass and garnish with a fresh strawberry

have a good one

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

well, did you try doing those cocktails?

And did you have a fiery evening :evil:

 

thanks for visiting the thread again, ms. freakish...

btw, ano yung tapos na sa "member" title mo? :evil:

[storm]

It's been a long time...

How are the winos doing?

Haven't had occasion to go out that much - pareng masi and storm I owe you a lot of vintages for my perpetual no-show on your invites

storm - I might not be there on opening night - baka malasing ako sa wine mo dun and I would fail to appreciate the exhibits. The only things I appreciate when drunk are not works of art

I would be there the next day, pare. Good luck on opening night!

 

Have a great weekend, folks!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Pare tell me what time para makapag-open pa rin ng wine. Ok ba sa rhyme?

[Guest ------(-@]

As a rule I go for this saying: "Beer over whisky, very risky. Whisky over beer, never fear".

 

When you're in a party and expect to have a mix of liqour, go for the lowest form 1st, which is beer. Then go up to wine then rhum then whiskey and finally, single malts, gin and vodka in their pure forms...

 

Any form of spirit mixed with a fruit is a guarantee for a hangover... With wine, it depends on the amount of sulfites in the batch... I've had the generic table wines from the tavernas and osterias in northern Italy with nary a hangover but the California wines give me a migraine like headache...

 

Malbec is a very good grape varietal... Too bad there's not much choices in Manila... I've had the opportunity to go to a wine tasting tour in the Mendoza region of Argentina where Malbec's being grown and they are very good, especially if you pair it with a nice large serving of filet mignon prepared by the gauchos...

 

Willemette Valley Pinot Noir of any brand is very good, especially 2003...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

My dad aptly said it "Whiskey then beer - do not fear, but beer then whisky - ahhh, thats' too risky"

[masi]

I opened a bottle of Tyrrell's Wines Moore's Creek Southeastern Australia Cabernet Sauvignon 2002 last night.

 

Mid purple colors with a nose of dark berries and plums and hints of smoke. Body was moderate and finish was smooth with sublte (almost not there) tannins.

[storm]

See you fellow winos at my opening tomorrow night at 630pm onwards!

 

Rene Barbier Wines will be served! :cool:

 

 

From one of the sites:

 

Rene Barbier Wine was founded by a French winemaker who put up a winery in the Penedes area of Spain. Fusing the strengths and great wine characteristics of both Spanish & French wines, RENE BARBIER WINES exude a complex yet easily appreciated aroma, taste, and experience!

[cakebread]

See you fellow winos at my opening tomorrow night at 630pm onwards!

 

Rene Barbier Wines will be served! :cool:

From one of the sites:

 

Rene Barbier Wine was founded by a French winemaker who put up a winery in the Penedes area of Spain. Fusing the strengths and great wine characteristics of both Spanish & French wines, RENE BARBIER WINES exude a complex yet easily appreciated aroma, taste, and experience!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Best of luck!

[bods1000]

See you fellow winos at my opening tomorrow night at 630pm onwards!

 

Rene Barbier Wines will be served! :cool:

From one of the sites:

 

Rene Barbier Wine was founded by a French winemaker who put up a winery in the Penedes area of Spain. Fusing the strengths and great wine characteristics of both Spanish & French wines, RENE BARBIER WINES exude a complex yet easily appreciated aroma, taste, and experience!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

pare inabot daw kayo ng 3 am ah - the wines must have overflowed all the way to Roxas Blvd.

Congratulations pare - when I viewed the sculpted pieces it transported me to a new high - wala pang spirits un ah Really exquisite pieces you have there, pare. You have elevated your art to a new level.

 

Keep up the good work!

[freakish]

well, did you try doing those cocktails?

And did you have a fiery evening :evil:

 

thanks for visiting the thread again, ms. freakish...

btw, ano yung tapos na sa "member" title mo? :evil:

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

unfortunately, no ...

but we had a good dinner

 

 

oh that...

kasi I tried using my own pic for my avatar for at least 2 days,

but i felt uncomfy, heheheh (obvious bang may tinataguan??)

so pinalitan ko, kaya tapos na...nonsense really:P

 

 

Anyway, I had a taste of white zinfandel the other day, pinkish color, fresh and fruity, it was cooled before served and matched perfectly with the pork bbq my brother-in-law cooked.

Edited February 21, 2006 by freakish

[igol ays]

newsletter from my favorite outlet:

 

2002 SCHOOL HOUSE, MESCOLANZA $36

This field-blend of Carignane, Zinfandel and Petite Sirah is made by one of the gurus of winemaking in California, Bob Foley and his assistant Romel Rivera. Some people aren’t aware that he is involved in making a Pinot Noir or a blend like Mescolanza, and that is why we are here. John Gantner and Nancy Walker, owners of the School House property, keep alive a very common vineyard practice technique from the late 1800’s called a mixed black field blend, or simply, field blend. Several different grape varieties are planted in the same area with the result being a wine made from the sum of the blend. This blend is spicy in aroma, vibrant in its mouthful of berries and cherries and offers its drinkers something new and refreshing from the everyday flavors we are accustomed to. Only 5 barrels produced. Get some—you won’t be sorry. (The School House Pinot Noir is selling quickly. If you want a few bottles, please contact us soon. The price is $80/btl.)

 

2002 LADERA, LONE CANYON VINEYARD, CABERNET SAUVIGNON $65

Are you looking for a cabernet that speaks to you? Pick a language. Karen Culler (winemaker for Wolf Family, Casaeda and Culler) beautifully crafts the Ladera wines for Anne and Pat Stotesbery. The Lone Canyon Vineyard, in the south-western portion of the Napa Valley near Mt. Veeder, is located on steep, steep terrain. The soils are perfect for growing top quality fruit. The 98% Cabernet, 2% Petite Verdot blend tempts the olfactory senses with truffles and dark fruits and closes the deal with extraction and velvety tannins on the palate. Just released.

 

2003 LADERA, CABERNET SAUVIGNON, NAPAVALLEY $37

If $65 is more than you typically like to spend on a great cabernet then worry no more. You can still get the pleasure of drinking a well-crafted wine in more of a blended fashion with this 86% Cabernet, 4% Merlot, 4% Malbec, and 6% Petite Verdot from the Lone Canyon Vineyard and the Howell Mountain property-half and half. Something for everyone—that’s what we like to see!

 

2004 SLAUGHTERHOUSE, SYRAH, DRY CREEK VALLEY $29

Yum, yum and more deliciousness. If you like rich, creamy mouthfeel, massive purple hues, licorice, bacon fat, and blackberries as descriptors of a syrah that you are about to drink, then wrap your lips around this wine by Duchamp. Only 450 cases produced.

 

2003 CARTER, BECKSTOFFER - TO KALON VINEYARD, CABERNET $95

Nils Venge makes this wine. It is bold, beautiful, timeless, fearless, and extraordinary. Open a bottle, close your eyes, and bask in the undeniable aromas. This is a wine that should make you happy that you have the gift of smell. If it weren’t for our noses we wouldn’t be able to enjoy the nuances that wines bring us. Terroir, for instance, is something we can smell. The Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard is present in the glass when poured from this bottle. It has been producing quality fruit for decades and has earned a rep*tation based on that quality. And Nils Venge continues to prove himself as a winemaker not just with his Saddleback wines, but with all of his projects. We recommend buying some of this wine for drinking now and saving the rest for cellaring. This wine should age superbly.

 

2003 CARTER, COLISEUM BLOCK, CABERNET SAUVIGNON $115

Another excellent cabernet by Nils Venge. The Coliseum Block of Hossfeld Vineyard is quickly gaining a solid rep*tation for exceptional fruit quality. Perched high above the Napa Valley in Soda Canyon (eastern hills) lays this steeply-terraced swath of land rich in well-drained soils and goodness. Mountain fruit always offers something different than valley floor fruit. We can expect to find intensity of fruit here with mineral components evident in the glass. Bring with you an appetite for greatness when drinking this wine.

 

2003 KEEVER VINEYARDS, CABERNET SAUVIGNON, YOUNTVILLE $60

100% Cabernet Sauvignon made by Celia Masyczek (Husic, D.R. Stephens, Scarecrow…) and farmed by Barbour Vineyard Management. 200 cases were produced. This is an elegant wine that we take great pleasure in recommending because it constitutes the epitome of what makes ACME- Acme. With many small production wines being made right here in our Napa Valley we get to find them before most people. We strive to find the great wines before they are discovered by the national press making them impossible to find without paying above release prices on the grey market. With Keever, we recommend enjoying this cabernet with a thoughtfully prepared meal—the wine deserves it.

 

ATTENTION:

2002 SONADOR, CABERNET SAUVIGNON, NAPAVALLEY $56

We spoke about this wine in the last email offering. Since then we discovered that it was ranked #1 by several professional tasters in a St. Helena blind tasting of similar cabernets. Why does this matter? Because the other wines have been ranked highly in other tastings and when you put 1 and 1 together you get 2. This blend of cabernet with a little malbec, franc and merlot comes primarily from the Lewelling Vineyard in St. Helena. Only 100 cases were produced and this is the first release ever. The name translates to "the dreamer" because that is what owning the winery has become to the partners of this project-a dream come true. As many of you may already know, the Lewelling Vineyard produces high quality fruit that, when available for purchase, is highly sought after by local wineries who know a good grape when they taste it.

[Headroom]

Anyway, I had a taste of white zinfandel the other day, pinkish color, fresh and fruity, it was cooled before served and matched perfectly with the pork bbq my brother-in-law cooked.

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Hi there - do you mind telling me where the zinfandel was from?

 

I tried one recently and found it too sweet.

[storm]

pare inabot daw kayo ng 3 am ah - the wines must have overflowed all the way to Roxas Blvd.

Congratulations pare - when I viewed the sculpted pieces it transported me to a new high - wala pang spirits un ah   Really exquisite pieces you have there, pare. You have elevated your art to a new level.

 

Keep up the good work!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

3AM? Talaga? :boo:

 

We left at 12 midnight. Pagod na ko at medyo high spirits na rin. I brought home a bottle of the white. Citrussy siya! :goatee:

 

Thanks for dropping by the show.

 

Mga winos, let's have an EB at the gallery on Friday. Although I might drop by tomorrow around 6pm.

Edited February 22, 2006 by storm

[freakish]

Hi there - do you mind telling me where the zinfandel was from?

 

I tried one recently and found it too sweet.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

it's from the Sutter Home Winery...my brother-in-law bought it from our local lcbo store. it's a good appetizer. I tried the 2003.

Edited February 22, 2006 by freakish

[agxo3]

So I'm back from my whirlwind 2 week trip, and very tired! We went to Manila, Baguio, back to Manila, Cebu, back to Manila, Hongkong, and finally back to SFO, all within those two weeks. Never again!!! Way too many stops and not enough time anywhere!!!

 

Apologies to all - I had intended to call Storm and set up a last-minute dinner the Monday I arrived, but, alas, it was not to be. I do intend to get out that way again sometime in the next couple of months. Not in March - I only have a short weekend, not the 4-day weekend I had hoped for. May, maybe???

 

And, no good wine on the trip at all! Some middle-of-the-road Aussie cab/shiraz in Baguio courtesy of the guys who came in from Oz, a very forgettable NZ sauv blanc one group dinner in Manila, and nothing at all in Hongkong.

 

But, as soon as I made it back, I popped open a 2000 Retzlaff New Vines cab and mellowed out. Just as I remembered, pretty light and easy drinking, much more pinot-like than cab in its lightness and freshness. Strawberries on the nose and palate, a medium finish with notes of stone fruit (plum?? prune??) and a bit of anise popping in. That was new - I don't remember that from last time......... But in all, a good wine to relax with. The bad news is, this wine is no longer made. The vines are now more mature and are producing grapes that go into the regular estate cab (of which I have the latest incarnation courtesy of my yearly futures purchase! :cool: ).

 

Tonight is the weekly photo/wine convention, and I'm bringing a 2001 Noah's zin and a 1999 Diamond Grove cab (this is one of my $20/case wines - cheap but servicable. A good third bottle.)

[bods1000]

unfortunately, no ...

but we had a good dinner

oh that...

kasi I tried using my own pic for my avatar for at least 2 days,

but i felt uncomfy, heheheh (obvious bang may tinataguan??)

so pinalitan ko, kaya tapos na...nonsense really:P

Anyway, I had a taste of white zinfandel the other day, pinkish color, fresh and fruity, it was cooled before served and matched perfectly with the pork bbq my brother-in-law cooked.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

parang I did not see that pic-avatar, but anyway I've seen your pictures already and you have nothing to be uncomfy about......

 

yup headroom is right - better identify that white zin you had because your description of pinkish color, fresh and fruity brought some other images to my mind :evil:

[bods1000]

3AM? Talaga? :boo:

 

We left at 12 midnight. Pagod na ko at medyo high spirits na rin. I brought home a bottle of the white. Citrussy siya! :goatee:

 

Thanks for dropping by the show.

 

Mga winos, let's have an EB at the gallery on Friday. Although I might drop by tomorrow around 6pm.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

darn this coup! sayang di natuloy yung EB

so you left your own party pala but that's what the fellow there told me....anyway, I guess your show was a rousing success...

[storm]

darn this coup! sayang di natuloy yung EB

so you left your own party pala   but that's what the fellow there told me....anyway, I guess your show was a rousing success...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Let's hope this bruhaha won't spoil the show :goatee:

 

Kailan kayo free next week? I'll bring the Blue Nun Cab Sauv 2003 and I think the gallery has Rene Babier Blanc 2004.

Edited February 24, 2006 by storm

[rogerrazor]

Good Cheap Chilean red wine Gato Negro Cabernet but have not been able to find it lately. Does any one know where to buy it?

[masi]

Good Cheap Chilean red wine Gato Negro Cabernet but have not been able to find it lately. Does any one know where to buy it?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

it's a regular supermarket wine so most supermarkets would have it -- rustan's, shopwise, unimart, robinson's, landmark.

 

while you're at it, you might consider other labels like Spanish Gate or Gran Trillo. These labels have been tried by regular posters in this thread and they could pass for everyday drinking.

[agxo3]

Okay - so I figured, at my advanced age, it would be a good idea to start drinking up those great wines I've been collecting and saving for a "special occasion". Well, for me now, that special occasion is every day I wake up!!!

 

So tonight, we had good NY strip steaks for dinner. 4 minutes on each side in a REALLY hot pan, then 4 minutes in the oven at 375 deg F to finish it off. Perfectly medium-medium-rare, just the way I like it - just this side of pink, not red but still very, very juicy. Simple seasoning, just salt and pepper. Some sliced garlic in the meat juices while the meat rested, followed by a bit of red wine to deglaze the pan and make a light au jus.

 

The wine, of course, was the REAL reason for the meal - a 1995 Calon-Segur Ste. Estephe Grand Cru. Wow - at 11 years, still a boatload of tannin! This could have gone an easy 15 years, maybe even 20 without losing that edge. Berries, violets, a bit perfumey (some rosebuds on the nose? That's different! Never noted that before!) Some cocoa, a hint of smoky-ness, full and ripe. Smooth, a hint of pruney-ness or raisin (cassis???) from what must have been some pretty high sugars when this was harvested. Dense, great color (a wonderful plum red - not a hint of brick or brown in it!)

 

I'm polishing off the last of the bottle as I type this. Unusual for me - I typically drink a half-bottle, then finish off the rest of the bottle the next night. Not this one!!! Way too good to leave to the vicissitudes of refrigeration. No, sir! This one goes down tonight!!!

 

What's next! Well, tomorrow night is diner at my brother's place celebrating his kid's 18th b-day. They're having Chinese.... what red wine goes with chinese, he asks? None that I know of, I reply. Go buy some riesling or some sauv blanc. No, not the good stuff, just some fresh, young, fruity but dry stuff from BevMo or Trader Joe's. No Dr. Loosen for Chinese, unless it's really good Chinese.......

 

I think I might bring a nice CA port-style wine for dessert - maybe a Retzlaff zin "port"? Nah - one of the late harvest chardonnays or viogniers, I think.

 

Next week, the 1985 Chateau Lynch-Bages!

Edited February 25, 2006 by agxo3

[agxo3]

Who was it that said. "Life is too short to drink bad wines"????

 

Well, he was right!!!! I'll drink fewer wines, but better wines. Quality over quantity every time. I've had way too many un-memorable, or downright distasteful, wines, and not enough wines that said to me - "Now THAT's what good wine is all about!"

 

So what's on my "to drink" list??? My 1992-1996 Opus One wines. My 1995-2001 Rubicons. My 1985 Bella Vista, and 1997 Chimney Rock. My 1990 and 1992 Retzlaff and 1975 and 1985 Lynch-Bages. 1997 Cos d'Estournel. Those 1997 S.

Anderson cabs that are so smooth and velvety. And the 1998 charbonos from 20 of the last 80 acres of those vines in existence.

 

No more 2-buck-Chuck or el-cheapo "It ain't bad for the price" wines for me!!!

 

2002 Rubicon wine release party is on March 5 - and I will miss it!!!! First one I'll miss in 6 years, but I'll be in Taiwan on business. Damn. But I will still buy a few bottles of the wine ($75/btl after my discount, but what the heck! You only live once!), just because it's one of the few really, really, really, really great wines coming out of Napa Valley these days.

Edited February 25, 2006 by agxo3

[rogerrazor]

Ok thanks

[Lipstick]

Ola Winos! It has been yonkers!!!!!! Been busy with loads of work and the last drop of wine I had was with Masi, Storm and Mrs. Stom a few weeks back. By the way, that nice drop we had Masi was an Argentinian wine (I thought it was Chilean) called Trivento Reserve Malbec, (can't remember the vintage). It was quite a good drop wasn't it? My first Malbec ever! :thumbsupsmiley: And as far as I can remember it was quite a dark wine -- kinda inky (or was that just the light in Cyrano? ) in color and quite intense in the mouth conjuring up flavors of dark fruit like ripe cherry, plum and even blackcurrant. I may have my tasting notes mixed up tho because I had 3 different reds that night. Hehe.

 

Anyway I hope you all have been well. I still have that nice Ventisquero Grey Camenere saved up but just remembered I may not have stored it properly (oh no!) so we gotta drink that drop soon! Oh by the way here's a movie I am dying to get a copy of:

 

MONDOVINO

"The ultimate film about wine and wine culture, Mondovino offers an unprecedented look into the conflicts, conspiracies and alliances of the wine trade. Filmed by award-winning director Jonathan Nossiter, Mondovino has sparked controversy in its theatrical run among wine producers, distributors and consumers as it shed light on the esoteric world of wine. Hailed as "Fahrenheit 9/11 for the grape" by MSNBC.

 

An epic exploration into the modern world of wine, Mondovino was filmed across three continents, in five languages, over a three-year period. With an insider's access and an artist's eye, Nossiter weaves together multiple family and multi-generational sagas, all stemming from the production, distribution and consumption of one of the oldest, most respected and still-affordable luxuries. Juxtaposing artesian wine growers with multi-national conglomerates, and peasants with billionaires, the film gives voice to those who create, critique and are involved in the commerce of wine, offering up a surprisingly prismatic, varied and sometimes controversial glimpse into something everyone enjoys but few people know much about."

 

Sounds intense doesn't it? Do let me know if you guys have seen it or have got a copy I can borrow. Or better yet maybe we can all watch it together at the Masi or Storm Hilton! :thumbsupsmiley:

 

p.s. Pareng Storm, sorry I couldn't make it to your opening as I had just arrived from a business trip. Hope I get the chance to catch your exhibit at the Avellana Art Galley.

Edited February 25, 2006 by Lipstick

[beluga]

...

 

What's next! Well, tomorrow night is diner at my brother's place celebrating his kid's 18th b-day. They're having Chinese....    what red wine goes with chinese, he asks? None that I know of, I reply. Go buy some riesling or some sauv blanc. No, not the good stuff, just some fresh, young, fruity but dry stuff from BevMo or Trader Joe's. No Dr. Loosen for Chinese, unless it's really good Chinese.......

 

...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I recall having a very good chinese meal with a white sparkling from Australia when I was in Sydney. It was unusual combo but it was very very good with dimsum and soy based dishes. The name of the wine I cannot recall as it was in a meeting in our business partners house - who is obviusly of chinese descent.