Wine-savvy

[masi]

I just had a Vina Cobos 2004 El Felino Malbec. This is an Argentinian wine made by Paul Hobbs. Lots of fruit, less tannins, highly enjoyable! Rated 89 points by Wine Spectator. Available at Premium Wine Exchange for P1,100.

 

I have yet to taste the Catena Zapata Malbec (at the same price) to compare.

 

 

That's quite expensive for a Malbec.

 

Malbec is a great varietal. I would get a bottle anytime I could. You get true value for buck with this varietal. Good flavor, elegance and balance.

 

Served at about 16-degrees all the flavors come out.

[agxo3]

Last login before X'mas.......

 

best of the season to you all! I hope you all have a great Christmas...don't forget the real reason for the holiday, and make sure you raise your glasses (of wine, what else??) in toast to the reason for the celebration.

 

I've been real busy building a mantel for my family room fireplace. Those of you who endured my kitchen saga last year remember that I said I'd re-do the family room as well. So - the the mantel being built (but not yet painted) I am 90% there! But it's put a crimp in my wine consumption - I've been working late into the night to finish the major part of the work (everything but the paint) before Christmas, and alcohol and power tools don't mix! Not if you want to keep all your fingers....so when I finished off the construction last night, I celebrated with a 1997 Retzlaff cab - one bottle out of 366 cases produced. Actually 70% cab, 30% merlot. Smooth (thanks to the merlot), plummy and jammy (thanks to the cab). Loads of dark fruit (plums, blackberried), a bit of raisin (or was that cassis?), oak and cedar, and a touch of licorice. Nice with the steak I treated myself to (home-cooked, of course! seared on high heat 3 minutes on each side then into the over at 375 for 8 minutes to get to a perfect medium-rare. Salt and pepper were the only seasoning and it didn't need any more than that!)

 

And with that - I'm off for the holidays! Merry Christmas and a very wine-y but very safe New Year to you all!

[floppydrive]

oh so sorry to hear that! some of the down side of a good thing, i guess.

i think this would mean that the regulars here would have to drink up your share of the vino.

keep us posted on your condition.

 

I guess there's too much blood on your alcohol system!

 

I hope your condition is a temporary thing so that you can enjoy wine again, pare....

Best wishes!

Thanks for the sympathy, guys. I hope it's just temporary. Will know more next month. I guess I need to "practice" drinking more often. As they say, lack of practice makes you lose the skill. Got to get that kidney exercised more. hehehe

 

 

Last login before X'mas.......

 

best of the season to you all! I hope you all have a great Christmas...don't forget the real reason for the holiday, and make sure you raise your glasses (of wine, what else??) in toast to the reason for the celebration.

 

I've been real busy building a mantel for my family room fireplace. Those of you who endured my kitchen saga last year remember that I said I'd re-do the family room as well. So - the the mantel being built (but not yet painted) I am 90% there! But it's put a crimp in my wine consumption - I've been working late into the night to finish the major part of the work (everything but the paint) before Christmas, and alcohol and power tools don't mix! Not if you want to keep all your fingers....so when I finished off the construction last night, I celebrated with a 1997 Retzlaff cab - one bottle out of 366 cases produced. Actually 70% cab, 30% merlot. Smooth (thanks to the merlot), plummy and jammy (thanks to the cab). Loads of dark fruit (plums, blackberried), a bit of raisin (or was that cassis?), oak and cedar, and a touch of licorice. Nice with the steak I treated myself to (home-cooked, of course! seared on high heat 3 minutes on each side then into the over at 375 for 8 minutes to get to a perfect medium-rare. Salt and pepper were the only seasoning and it didn't need any more than that!)

 

And with that - I'm off for the holidays! Merry Christmas and a very wine-y but very safe New Year to you all!

 

Congratulations on your new project! Hope you have it ready in time for the holidays! I always imagine mantels having christmas decorations on top. Don't forget to post pictures!

 

Merry Christmas to everyone! Cheers!

[masi]

Merry Christmas!!!!

Edited December 25, 2006 by masi

[storm]

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL!!!!

 

You guys introduced me to wines. Hope we can meet up again soon.

 

Many thanks. Cheers!

[drixz]

hi guys this is my first time in this section and i was hoping to get some advice from you guys.

 

i'm planning to cook a little new dinner for my girlfriend. plan to do a simple pasta with marinara sauce( she loves that stuff). i was wondering what wine would best go with it and where can i get one and for how much?

 

appreciate any help that you can give

[Guest cunninglinguist]

wala na siguro kong aabutan sa Sale dito - like last year

That Kaesler should easily be in the P3000 range without the sale......

 

mga pre, where can i locate a wine depot branch that's on sale?

[purtygurl]

There's a great white wine I was able to try recently called Colombelle. If I spelled it wrong, sorry. Not sure even if that's the brand or the type but it was really good. Fruity and went down easy. Lately also, been liking Carmeniere for reds.

 

They say one glass a day should be good. I wonder what they would say about me who has almost a bottle a day!

[storm]

hi guys this is my first time in this section and i was hoping to get some advice from you guys.

 

i'm planning to cook a little new dinner for my girlfriend. plan to do a simple pasta with marinara sauce( she loves that stuff). i was wondering what wine would best go with it and where can i get one and for how much?

 

appreciate any help that you can give

 

 

IMO, a good sauvignon blanc will do. It depends on your budget. Try Wine Depot or Shopwise.

[masi]

mga pre, where can i locate a wine depot branch that's on sale?

 

 

all wine depot branches are on sale. you can find one in ortigas home depot or along yakal in makati before pasong tamo.

[masi]

hi guys this is my first time in this section and i was hoping to get some advice from you guys.

 

i'm planning to cook a little new dinner for my girlfriend. plan to do a simple pasta with marinara sauce( she loves that stuff). i was wondering what wine would best go with it and where can i get one and for how much?

 

appreciate any help that you can give

 

if you are traditional with your wine where whites go with seafood and reds go anything that has legs, then a good chardonnay may do the trick to wash down the olive oil or tomato sauce in your marinara (you didn't specify if your marinara came straight up with olive oil or with tomato sauce). but if you are non-conformist a light fruit red like a malbec or tempranillo will do wonders for the heavy oils in your sauce.

 

There's a great white wine I was able to try recently called Colombelle. If I spelled it wrong, sorry. Not sure even if that's the brand or the type but it was really good. Fruity and went down easy. Lately also, been liking Carmeniere for reds.

 

They say one glass a day should be good. I wonder what they would say about me who has almost a bottle a day!

 

if that's the case you should join our occasion "WEB" (wine ebs). hope to meet you soon.

[bods1000]

There's a great white wine I was able to try recently called Colombelle. If I spelled it wrong, sorry. Not sure even if that's the brand or the type but it was really good. Fruity and went down easy. Lately also, been liking Carmeniere for reds.

 

They say one glass a day should be good. I wonder what they would say about me who has almost a bottle a day!

 

A kindred spirit is what I would say about you....as masi, who has also been known to be merciless to a bottle of wine in one sitting, we welcome you to join us in future wino events

 

That could be a Colombard you had, which is, as you discovered, a fruity and interesting grape variety.

Carmenere is originally from the Medoc region of France but has since gained fame as a great Chilean grape once it was exported to that country. Sometimes blended with merlot giving the resultant wine a rich and superior quality.

 

Bringing home a Wolf Blass Yellow Label Shiraz for the New Year's eve. Turned chicken and decided to buy this instead of the more expensive Green Point Victoria Shiraz hehehehe

 

Happy New Year to all!!!

[masi]

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

[idunno]

Happy New Year guys! What did you have to celebrate the holidays with?

[agxo3]

Happy New Year to all! And may the New Year bring you many new adventures with wine......

 

For Christmas dinner, aside from the family, we had my daughters boyfriend, some friends, my brother and his family and my sister-in-law and her son come over and join us.

 

Cheese, locally-made salami and bresaola for appetizers along with cheese (aged edam, parmigiano reggiano, a truffled brie and a triple cream brie) and olives. Naturally, there was wine to wash it all down with. Lambrusco (an Italian RED sparkler, just off-dry), a California sparkler (J Brut 2003) and later, a Paso Robles white from Adelaide Cellars (a Rhone-style blend).

 

I roasted a 17-pound prime rib (bone-in, of course!) crusted with freshly grated horseradish, salt, fresh-cracked black pepper, olive oil, rosemary and thyme as the main course. Ham, salad, veggies, and other assorted tidbits to go with it. Dinner started off with a 1993 Chateau de Latour (nice!!!!) followed by a 1997 Retzlaff cab and finished off with a nice Conn Creek Bordeaux-style blend.

 

Dessert was sans rival, leche flan, cannoli (courtesy of my brother's wife - she's Italian/Polish), nuts and more cheese. A home-made port-style wine donated by my brother (made by a friend of his) capped it off.

 

Of course, everyone humg around just having a good time until the wee hours, so we popped open a few more bottles from my archives - another Retzlaff cab (99?? Hope it wasn't my '90!!), a Niebaum-Coppola cab franc (2002), and a Rombauer chardonnay (2001). Castanas, more cheese, more nuts, Christmas cookies, and more......

 

New Year's Eve was quiet - just me and my wife (we were both feeling a bit under the weather and didn't want to spread the germs around). But I opened (and had all to myself) a Cameron Hughes sparkling wine. For those who don't know - Cameron Hughes wines are sold only through Costco. Cameron hughes does not amke his own wine but buys (or contracts teh production of) wine from various local and European wineries. They are rated well (obviously not at the top, but solid middle-grade rankings) and offer a great value for the price. This sparkler was peachy and toasty with a slight nutty finish. Green apples on the nose (and a bit on the palate) hinting that the wine was made from chardonnay grapes. As is typical of the California style it was not as dry as the label would suggest, but it was definietly not sweet either. Creamy texture, nice small bubbles. Not bad, and a good way to ring in the New Year.