Wine-savvy

[storm]

Bods!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Check out the last entry on March 26 of this blog-->  http://wysgal.blogspot.com  :thumbsupsmiley:  Great reviews too on the comments section. 

 

Hehe sorry OT pero na excite ako.

 

Ola Winos!  I miss all of you heaps!!!  Was at Cyrano the other night for an office function and we had the 2004 Hardy's CabSav, wasn't all THAT bad when it was allowed to breathe   Either that or I just haven't been drinking lately that's why everything is pwede pasar!

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Hi Ms Lipstick!!! Kailan ulit ang EB?

 

Bods!!!! Na-excite din ako sa nabasa ko!

 

Just came from Baguio. We stayed inside John Hay at a friend's house. Amoy and feels like you're in the US of A. We had a 2002 Merlot last night. Pwede pasar na rin pero hindi nila nagustuhan. We didn't even finished the bottle. Inuwi ko

Edited March 30, 2006 by storm

[floppydrive]

We had a Chianti Classico 2001 Contessa di Radda mid week. Long legs, burgundy color, aroma of berries. Balance flavor that went well with manchego, and Paella negra de mariscos.

 

Really must make time to visit Alabang or Libis!

[joesix2nine]

Can you tell me a good sauvingon cabernet with price between Php 500-600? Will appreciate a review to go with it. Am not a wine expert, can't even remember the good wines I have tasted. I have a small collection of Chilean wines because I got dissappointed with a lot of French wines. Somehow, I have an affection with cabernets. The oaky flavor gives me an old world feeling.

[bods1000]

Bods!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Check out the last entry on March 26 of this blog-->  http://wysgal.blogspot.com  :thumbsupsmiley:  Great reviews too on the comments section. 

 

Hehe sorry OT pero na excite ako.

 

Ola Winos!  I miss all of you heaps!!!  Was at Cyrano the other night for an office function and we had the 2004 Hardy's CabSav, wasn't all THAT bad when it was allowed to breathe   Either that or I just haven't been drinking lately that's why everything is pwede pasar!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

very nice...thanks a lot for sharing!

The lack of coffee hasn't bothered us a bit because like liquor, coffee has a way of slowing down the turnover ratio of guests I've always wondered how the coffeehouses make money - maybe that's why the prices of their coffee concoctions seem out-of-this world for me

 

on a lighter note, it was great to see you pareng masi last night. When shall we split open the Red Belly?

[masi]

very nice...thanks a lot for sharing!

The lack of coffee hasn't bothered us a bit because like liquor, coffee has a way of slowing down the turnover ratio of guests   I've always wondered how the coffeehouses make money - maybe that's why the prices of their coffee concoctions seem out-of-this world for me

 

on a lighter note, it was great to see you pareng masi last night. When shall we split open the Red Belly?

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it was really great for you to make it, inspite of extremely short notice pare!

 

red belly, long rows or a stepping stone.... anytime you're ready, they are!

[bods1000]

it was really great for you to make it, inspite of extremely short notice pare!

 

red belly, long rows or a stepping stone.... anytime you're ready, they are!

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I'm just a call away, pare!

Do you remember how we were looking at the ratings of the wines there? I read something and it is quite thought-provoking. From Northwest Wines by Gregutt and Prather:

 

...Many of the publications using the scale (100-point scale) are reporting the results of tasting panels, not a single individual. If you follow the numerical ratings of a single individual, it is possible, over time, to develop a pretty clear understanding of what that individual likes and dislikes, and how he or she applies those numbers. With a panel, it is much more difficult to know against what standards the numbers have been applied.

 

....The proliferation of ratings has gradually devalued them. If a wine doesn't rate in the 90s, consumers don't want it. Intentionally or not, some publications respond to this by overrating wines as a whole, handing out far more 90-plus scores than any reasonable average would permit. In effect, the 100-point scale has become a 20-point scale, with anything below 80 being consigned to the odds-and-ends bins, and ratings in the 80s suitable only for wines selling for $10 or less.

 

....Those wines that garner a score in the mid-90s or above has almost always going to bear a high price tag. More elegant, food-friendly and affordable wines may be found if you are willing to settle for a lower number.

 

....After all, the best guide to quality will always be your own personal taste.

[storm]

Ako rin, I'm just a call away

 

Nahihilig na rin ako sa wine.

[agxo3]

Wow - no activity since April 3! Where's everybody been? Hope you all had a good Easter......

 

Had Easter dinner at my brother's house. The usual stuff. But I found an unusual wine at the Wine Store at the SF Ferry Building, so I brought it knowing that a couple of folks who'd be there like the slightly sweet stuff.

 

2004 Moscato d'Asti. A frizzante, meaning it was slightly bubbly, but not truly effervescent. Kinda like a sparkling wine hanf an hour after it's been poured.+ Sweeter than I liked, but it seemed to be well received by the target audience. Nice lemony acitidity to it, though, and that kept the sweetness from being cloying. Very floral - honeysuckly andlavender on the nose. Golden yellow in color. Low in alcohol (10%). So - so far, so good, right? Nothing unusual about it, right? Well, it was a Moscato from Galilee. Galilee as in Israel. For Easter, I thought it was appropriate. :cool:

[masi]

HAPPY EASTER!!!!

 

To celebrate Easter, my family and I had a Chinese food at a Cantonese restaurant near our place. We had assorted cold cut platter with suckling pig, scallops on corn soup, grouper done 2 ways (hotpot and poached), fried crabs, beef tenderloin in plum sauce, prawns and assorted meat noodles. All these washed down with a BALBI Malbec 2002 (Argentina). Medium carmine tones, with a vibrant fruity nose. Lots of red fruits. Body was medium and "just right". Hardly any tannins or you may call it "integrated". Finish was medium with a right amount of white pepper spice.

 

I was pretty apprehensive about the wine but it was the lightest I had in the stash except for a Tempranillo. I was thinking that a Sauv Blanc may be abit too light.

[floppydrive]

HAPPY EASTER!!!!

 

To celebrate Easter, my family and I had a Chinese food at a Cantonese restaurant near our place.  We had assorted cold cut platter with suckling pig, scallops on corn soup, grouper done 2 ways (hotpot and poached), fried crabs, beef tenderloin in plum sauce, prawns and assorted meat noodles.  All these washed down with a BALBI Malbec 2002 (Argentina).  Medium carmine tones, with a vibrant fruity nose.  Lots of red fruits.  Body was medium and "just right".  Hardly any tannins or you may call it "integrated". Finish was medium with a right amount of white pepper spice.

 

I was pretty apprehensive about the wine but it was the lightest I had in the stash except for a Tempranillo.  I was thinking that a Sauv Blanc may be abit too light.

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Happy Easter!

 

So how did the Balbi Malbec go with the fish, crabs, and prawns? I'm sure it went well with the suckling pig.

[bods1000]

whoa!

I lost my way - ngayon ko lang uli nakita ang thread

I thought it was gone...what with all these reformat...

 

anyway, hadn't much occasion to drink wine lately. The Bridgewater Mill shiraz I had has been open for about 2 weeks already! Can't seem to finish it as I seem to be out of the house always.

Anyway belated Easter greetings to all the regulars here. Agxo, masi, storm, floppy d - thanks for keeping the thread alive.

 

cheers!

[storm]

EB ulit tayo!

 

Pwede sa house namin.

[masi]

Happy Easter!

 

So how did the Balbi Malbec go with the fish, crabs, and prawns?  I'm sure it went well with the suckling pig.

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Honestly, the Malbec went well with practically almost everything except for the 2nd way of the grouper, which was poached and the crystal prawns which were done quick stir fry. However the fish was served in a platter of "maling" style pork. I didnt try the pork though. Ther crabs were fried in salt and pepper and I think were done in their own fat (aligue).

 

Malbec was "fruity" and light compared to the more complex merlot, cab sauv and shiraz.

[masi]

whoa!

I lost my way - ngayon ko lang uli nakita ang thread

I thought it was gone...what with all these reformat...

 

anyway, hadn't much occasion to drink wine lately. The Bridgewater Mill shiraz I had has been open for about 2 weeks already! Can't seem to finish it as I seem to be out of the house always.

Anyway belated Easter greetings to all the regulars here. Agxo, masi, storm, floppy d - thanks for keeping the thread alive.

 

cheers!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

pareng bods, i hope everything is well! don't worry about the bridgewater mill, there's more of that! hang in there pare! when you have the time, let me know, i have more than a bottle of shiraz waiting for you.

 

 

EB ulit tayo!

 

Pwede sa house namin.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

pareng storm, let's get together when pareng bods could join us.

[gr82d8]

Sorry for my ignorance but what does it mean when one says decanted it before drinking? The definition I'm getting doesn't sound right... "The act of pouring off a clear liquor gently from its lees or sediment, or from one vessel into another." Pouring the wine from one glass to another?

[agxo3]

Sorry for my ignorance but what does it mean when one says decanted it before drinking? The definition I'm getting doesn't sound right...   "The act of pouring off a clear liquor gently from its lees or sediment, or from one vessel into another." Pouring the wine from one glass to another?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

You decant wine for one of three reasons:

1) over time, the wine has developed some sediment and you want to separate the wine from the sediment

2) some wines benefit from exposure to air before drinking. An example would be a really young wine that has a "green" character to it, or overly aggressive tannins. Exposure to air for anywhere from 10 minutes to 4 hours can tame those charactersitics, resulting in a very pleasant wine.

3) it looks cool and impresses your date :cool:

 

So - to decant wine, you need another container to hold the bottle's worth of wine. You can go fancy and buy a decenter (here in the US I've seen them as low as $15 and as high as $150, depending on quality, design, type of crystal and brand - Reidels are as low as $30 and as high as $150), or you can use any available jar that's large enough. The poor man's decanter is a Mason jar - the type home cooks use for home-made jams or pickles.

 

If you are decanting to improve the character of the wine, dump it all in and swirl it around. A lot. Don't be afraid of "bruising" the wine or anything exotic like that. Give it a good swirl every so often, and taste the wine. You should see some improvement, and when it meets your taste standards, pour yourself a glass and enjoy! Everyone should try this with their favorite wine, just to see how the wine changes with time and exposure to air. The results may surprise you!

 

If you are decanting to separate sediment from wine, then you have to do it much more gently. Let the bottle rest upright for at least a half hour, more if possible. I give it at least two hours when I can. Open the bottle, being careful to not shake it too much - that would stir up the sediment all over again! Put a light source (the fancy restaurants will light a small candle) under the neck of the wine as you pour - VERY SLOWLY and GENTLY!!! - the wine from the bottle into the decanter. As soon as you see some sediment in the flow of the wine, STOP! If you do it right, you should end up with not much more than a small swallow of wine left in the bottle.

 

If you want to impress your date, combine the two. Do #2 first, then do #1, giving the wine a swirl, taste and say "It needs a bit of air. Let's wait a few minutes, shall we?". Wait (all the while making your moves), swirl, taste and only THEN say "NOW it's ready to drink!"

Edited April 20, 2006 by agxo3

[agxo3]

This week's wine - a 1995 Neibaum-Coppola Estate Reserve Merlot. All grapes grown on the winery grounds, most from the vineyard just out front. I'm not a big fan of merlots just because I've had way too many mediocre merlots that should have been relegated to the blending barrels to round out the cabs. This one, however, is different! Very "Bordeaux" in character. Firm but well-restrained tannins. Explosive fruit - blackberries! Some smoke and leather. Smooth and filling, great mouthfeel. A hint of white pepper (!) on the long, long finish. Would go well with anything from a nice lean steak to a good roast leg of lamb to a hearty beef stew, even to a good pork chop with onions and wild mushrooms braised in red wine. I even had it with a roast breast of chicken with broccoli stuffing and a bit of Worcestershire and it was great! Some left over for dessert, which was a nice piece of dark chocolate. Mmmmmm!

[gr82d8]

You decant wine for one of three reasons:

1) over time, the wine has developed some sediment and you want to separate the wine from the sediment

2) some wines benefit from exposure to air before drinking. An example would be a really young wine that has a "green" character to it, or overly aggressive tannins. Exposure to air for anywhere from 10 minutes to 4 hours can tame those charactersitics, resulting in a very pleasant wine.

3) it looks cool and impresses your date  :cool: 

 

If you want to impress your date, combine the two. Do #2 first, then do #1, giving the wine a swirl, taste and say "It needs a bit of air. Let's wait a few minutes, shall we?". Wait (all the while making your moves), swirl, taste and only THEN say "NOW it's ready to drink!" 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Haha thanks! :thumbsupsmiley:

[masi]

You decant wine for one of three reasons:

1) over time, the wine has developed some sediment and you want to separate the wine from the sediment

2) some wines benefit from exposure to air before drinking. An example would be a really young wine that has a "green" character to it, or overly aggressive tannins. Exposure to air for anywhere from 10 minutes to 4 hours can tame those charactersitics, resulting in a very pleasant wine.

3) it looks cool and impresses your date  :cool: 

 

So - to decant wine, you need another container to hold the bottle's worth of wine. You can go fancy and buy a decenter (here in the US I've seen them as low as $15 and as high as $150, depending on quality, design, type of crystal and brand - Reidels are as low as $30 and as high as $150), or you can use any available jar that's large enough. The poor man's decanter is a Mason jar - the type home cooks use for home-made jams or pickles.

 

If you are decanting to improve the character of the wine, dump it all in and swirl it around. A lot. Don't be afraid of "bruising" the wine or anything exotic like that. Give it a good swirl every so often, and taste the wine. You should see some improvement, and when it meets your taste standards, pour yourself a glass and enjoy! Everyone should try this with their favorite wine, just to see how the wine changes with time and exposure to air. The results may surprise you!

 

If you are decanting to separate sediment from wine, then you have to do it much more gently. Let the bottle rest upright for at least a half hour, more if possible. I give it at least two hours when I can. Open the bottle, being careful to not shake it too much - that would stir up the sediment all over again! Put a light source (the fancy restaurants will light a small candle) under the neck of the wine as you pour - VERY SLOWLY and GENTLY!!! - the wine from the bottle into the decanter. As soon as you see some sediment in the flow of the wine, STOP! If you do it right, you should end up with not much more than a small swallow of wine left in the bottle.

 

If you want to impress your date, combine the two. Do #2 first, then do #1, giving the wine a swirl, taste and say "It needs a bit of air. Let's wait a few minutes, shall we?". Wait (all the while making your moves), swirl, taste and only THEN say "NOW it's ready to drink!" 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

I learned something new here!!!!! Especially this one "It needs a bit of air. Let's wait a few minutes, shall we?". Wait (all the while making your moves), swirl, taste and only THEN say "NOW it's ready to drink!" :thumbsupsmiley:

[bods1000]

pareng bods,  i hope everything is well!  don't worry about the bridgewater mill, there's more of that!  hang in there pare!  when you have the time, let me know, i have more than a bottle of shiraz waiting for you.

pareng storm, let's get together when pareng bods could join us.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

thanks pare!

things are still a little bit dicey....will keep you posted, and yes, naubos ko din yung Bridgewater

Not much character left, I should say...

[bods1000]

I learned something new here!!!!! Especially this one "It needs a bit of air. Let's wait a few minutes, shall we?". Wait (all the while making your moves), swirl, taste and only THEN say "NOW it's ready to drink!"      :thumbsupsmiley:

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pare a word of caution. Don't get too aggressive, or else it will be your date that will need a bit of air :evil:

 

cheers!

[gr82d8]

Sir bods, wala po ba kayong wine drinking courses fr beginners? haha Tried out a bottle of shiraz 2004 gawa sa aus. forgot the brand tried swirling it in the glass, smelled it alcohol lang naiimagine ko. Chewed it, gulped it down, noticed that the tate stayed for a while but hindi ko madetermine kung ano yung taste. Na frustrate ako, opened a bottle of asti na champagne, naubos ko yung bottle and got a very light buzz. Trying to shift from beer to wine, gusto ko na lumiit yung tiyan ko.

[masi]

Sir bods, wala po ba kayong wine drinking courses fr beginners? haha Tried out a bottle of shiraz 2004 gawa sa aus. forgot the brand tried swirling it in the glass, smelled it alcohol lang naiimagine ko. Chewed it, gulped it down, noticed that the tate stayed for a while but hindi ko madetermine kung ano yung taste. Na frustrate ako, opened a bottle of asti na champagne, naubos ko yung bottle and got a very light buzz.    Trying to shift from beer to wine, gusto ko na lumiit yung tiyan ko.

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we learn from experience and sharing. what you did was the right step. now you have to buy another bottle, say a cabernet sauvignon from chile don't buy gato negro and try to differentiate the smell and the taste.

 

experience is the best teacher. wine is a personal choice just like making love.... there is no other way except your way... good luck.

[agxo3]

Sir bods, wala po ba kayong wine drinking courses fr beginners? haha Tried out a bottle of shiraz 2004 gawa sa aus. forgot the brand tried swirling it in the glass, smelled it alcohol lang naiimagine ko. Chewed it, gulped it down, noticed that the tate stayed for a while but hindi ko madetermine kung ano yung taste. Na frustrate ako, opened a bottle of asti na champagne, naubos ko yung bottle and got a very light buzz.    Trying to shift from beer to wine, gusto ko na lumiit yung tiyan ko.

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Practrice, practice, practice! :boo:

 

But a word of advice - don't practice on bad wines because that will just convince you to go back to beer. You need to sharpen your taste buds on good wine so you learn what's good, learn what you like based on the real flavors of the wine, and develop your own list of favorites. Then, when you taste an unfamiliar wine, or even a new bottle of an old favorite, you will have a reference to go by and you'll know if it's bad, good or indifferent.

 

Another thing you can do is buy the Wine Spectator wine education kit and start with that so you learn to differentiate betweent he various flavors that come out in wine.

 

Bods, Masi and Storm, among others on the group, are a great resource for what's available locally that is good rather than unpalatable. As they will tell you, some of us are in different time zone with a different variety of wines available for our scrutiny and (hopefully!) enjoyment.

[agxo3]

pareng bods,  i hope everything is well!  don't worry about the bridgewater mill, there's more of that!  hang in there pare!  when you have the time, let me know, i have more than a bottle of shiraz waiting for you.

pareng storm, let's get together when pareng bods could join us.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

thanks pare!

things are still a little bit dicey....will keep you posted, and yes, naubos ko din yung Bridgewater

Not much character left, I should say...

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Hey guys! Hope all is well with you, Bods! Have not seen Ms. Lips on the board for a while. Everything okay with her? Hope so......

 

Looks like I get a free wkend in Asia next month, and I plan to spend it in Manila!!

 

Can we plan a small EB to sample the bottle or two I plan to bring?

 

I'll have more details next week as I firm up my travel plans.