Wine-savvy

[bods1000]

guys, i think we can arrange a painting session for some group of artists, like the saturday group, i tried this once with some friends, pero hindi yung nude painting sessions, some nature subjects, got at least 4 paintings, one is from Abel Lucas. My suggestion, let's find a place or we can ask the artists kung ano trip nila i-paint. Tayo na bahala sa cocktails & food but of course, the wines. Watch & Wine.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

pare can you elaborate on this - mukhang interesting hehehe....how did you go about it before?

[bods1000]

guys, i think we can arrange a painting session for some group of artists, like the saturday group, i tried this once with some friends, pero hindi yung nude painting sessions, some nature subjects, got at least 4 paintings, one is from Abel Lucas. My suggestion, let's find a place or we can ask the artists kung ano trip nila i-paint. Tayo na bahala sa cocktails & food but of course, the wines. Watch & Wine.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

pare can you elaborate on this - mukhang interesting hehehe....how did you go about it before?

pwede na din siguro kahit nude sessiions

[storm]

pare can you elaborate on this - mukhang interesting hehehe....how did you go about it before?

pwede na din siguro kahit nude sessiions

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Meron akong pupuntahang nude session tomorrow sa makati kaya lang walang wine.

 

Pwede tayong mag-arrange ng nude session sa gabi para pwedeng may wine.

[naked_angel]

mastering spanish wine

 

a 4-session course which will guide you into the rich wolrd of spanish wine

 

venue: instituto cervantes

dates: saturdays of august

time: 10am-12nn

price: PhP 1000

 

conducted by sherwin a. lao, a leading wine consultant, this 4-session course will be divided into two parts:

 

the first part will focus on the full comprehension of spanish wine laws, inckuding the regional denomination system (DO- denominacíon de origen), the wine aging law and the grape varietlas. a prime on the wine basics especially on the core differences between the old world and the new world wines, will preced the proper introductions to spanish wines.

 

the second part will be on spanish wine regions. talks will expound on the DO system, as it applies ont he individual key regions. each regions will include a brief history of its DO origin, the varietals' composition, the micro-climates and the signature taste of the wines. each session will include wine tasting of the related DO for further appreciation by the participants.

 

organised by instituto cervantes

 

con la colaboració de:

*ministerio de insudtria, turismo y comercio

*secretariá de estado de turismo y comercio

*cámara oficial española de comercio, industria y navigación en filipinas, inc

*fuego hotels

*casino español de manila

 

for further information, please call 5261482-85

[agxo3]

I had the annual burnt meat extravaganza and bad wine contest last night (It's ALWAYS on the 4th of July!) with 20 or so of my closets wino and photo buddies.

 

Got yet another grill. This makes #4 - a 32-year old Weber that still serves, a brick/flagstone charcoal grill that's part of the landscaping, a gas grill, and now a grill with a side-mounted firebox for smoking. Did two smoked meats yesterday - a pork shoulder and baby back ribs. The shoulder took 8 hours to cook but ended up fork-tender as all good pulled pork BBQs should be. The ribs were juicy, flavorful and spicy! In addition, I had the traditional (at least at MY house) "black meat" which is a beef tri-tip madinated in some secret stuff that turns the meat black. Best tri-tip you ever had......

 

To go with all that meat and accompanying macaroni salad, jalapeno poppers, broccoli (healthy? whatever for?), sauteed mushrooms and various breads, we had - of course! what did you expect? - WINE! Lots of it. The bad wine was, well, bad, and therefrore shall not be named to protect the guilty. The GOOD wine, OTOH, was both great and plentiful.

 

A Fenestra 2002 Mourvedre. Smooth, well integrated tannins. Black cherries and plums. A bit of smoke and leather, some tar. Some spice and a lots of fruit. Smooth, loooooooong legs. Dark plum color. A great accompaniment to the ribs and pulled pork.

 

A 3-liter bottle (yes!!!) 1999 Noah's Los Chamizal zin. It does age differently in the big formats - this one was still very tight when we opened the bottle but after a half-hour, it just blossomed. With the black meat it was just sublime. Nicely rounded tannins to give it body and structure to hold up to the meat. Loads of black plums, raisins and cassis. The characteristic white pepper lurking in the background. Deep, smooth, and oh, so good........

 

A 1999 Rosenblum syrah - last of the case. Bold, spicy, full, densely packed with all sorts of fruit, tobacco, smoke and leather. A beefy wine if there ever was one - and perfect with the black meat. So dark it was almost black instead of red. So refined it was smooth as silk. So hefty it filled the mouth and would defy you to swallow. All in all, wow! The best of the night.

 

A couple of whites that I didn't even taste. White wine with barbequed meats? Surely you jest!

Edited July 5, 2006 by agxo3

[bods1000]

Meron akong pupuntahang nude session tomorrow sa makati kaya lang walang wine.

 

Pwede tayong mag-arrange ng nude session sa gabi para pwedeng may wine.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

pano ba mechanics nito pare

[bods1000]

A 3-liter bottle (yes!!!) 1999 Noah's Los Chamizal zin. It does age differently in the big formats - this one was still very tight when we opened the bottle but after a half-hour, it just blossomed. With the black meat it was just sublime. Nicely rounded tannins to give it body and structure to hold up to the meat. Loads of black plums, raisins and cassis. The characteristic white pepper lurking in the background. Deep, smooth, and oh, so good........

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

pare I read somewhere that wines in bigger bottles (is a 3-liter bottle called a Jeroboam?) are more flavorful and keep better than a regular 750ml bottle of the same vintage of the same winery. From your post it does seem to be true. What could be the cause of it?

[caladryl]

im not sure maybe something to do with t he bottle?

[bods1000]

im not sure maybe something to do with t he bottle?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

...could be the greater amount of air space in a bigge bottle?

 

to the regulars here, anyone tried drinking the same wine of the same vintage from both a regular bottle and a magnum? Was there any difference?

 

Puro tanong ah!

I think this is how I get after not any sip of wine for the last 4 days due to this darned sore throat

 

Have a good weekend fellows!

[JFC_ANIME]

Duhat Wine *hic*

[agxo3]

pare I read somewhere that wines in bigger bottles (is a 3-liter bottle called a Jeroboam?) are more flavorful and keep better than a regular 750ml bottle of the same vintage of the same winery. From your post it does seem to be true. What could be the cause of it?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Don't really know but I would guess that it's partly because there's (proportionately) more wine vs. less air inthe bottle. And I would guess that the "more wine" part also helps, as it gives the wine more to work with? Surely some out there knows.......all I can tell you is - it does seem to be the case. I certainly hope so - I have a magnum (1.5 liters) of the 1999 Fenestra Estate Syrah just lying in wait for a truly special occasion.

[storm]

pano ba mechanics nito pare

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I'll tell you when we have our next wine tasting eb.

[agxo3]

to the regulars here, anyone tried drinking the same wine of the same vintage from both a regular bottle and a magnum? Was there any difference?

 

Puro tanong ah!

I think this is how I get after not any sip of wine for the last 4 days due to this darned sore throat

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Bods hope your throat's feeling better! Remember, alcohol has medicinal properties.... :cool:

 

I've tasted the same wine (2000 Fenestra Syrah from Lodi) out of both a regualr bottle and a magnum, after two years in the bottle. I can tell you that they age differently. The regular bottle seemed to age faster, and develop in a different way. The magnum developed more complexity and was at least a year behind the regular bottle in aging. So now I have one of each and plan to open both for a tasting some time next year, when they'll have been in the bottle 4 years. We'll see what has happened over those years.

[agxo3]

Had left over prime rib for dinner tonight. Au jus. Creamy horseradish. Not bad!

 

But the star of the dinner was ------ 1996 Niebaum-coppola Edizione Peninno Zinfandel. Estate grown grapes. Wow! After 10 years, this wine is just plain awesome. Classic zin. Big, beffy, peppery. Plums and black berries and cherries. Cassis and a hint of raisin. Soft, muted tannins, but not weak! Alcohol at least 14.5% as the lable states. An hour afgter dinner (half a bottle! I am still feeling the effects of the wine - a not inconsiderable buzz!

 

Stopped by Paso Robles on the way home from LA last Saturday and picked up some wines form Zenaida winery - two roses (one for me, one for my daughter), a zin and a syrah. Went to Opolo and bought two great 2002 pinot noirs. Stopped by Adelaida dn picked up a $50 bottle of their very, very nice 2002 cab and case of their surprisingly good 2002 patio wine (a white blend of chard, viognier and roussane).

 

I will be having another burnt meat experience pretty soon and wil open one of the Zenaida roses. Stay tuned!

[storm]

Had left over prime rib for dinner tonight. Au jus. Creamy horseradish. Not bad!

 

But the star of the dinner was ------ 1996 Niebaum-coppola Edizione Peninno Zinfandel. Estate grown grapes. Wow! After 10 years, this wine is just plain awesome. Classic zin. Big, beffy, peppery. Plums and black berries and cherries. Cassis and a hint of raisin. Soft, muted tannins, but not weak! Alcohol at least 14.5% as the lable states. An hour afgter dinner (half a bottle! I am still feeling the effects of the wine - a not inconsiderable buzz!

 

Stopped by Paso Robles on the way home from LA last Saturday and picked up some wines form Zenaida winery - two roses (one for me, one for my daughter), a zin and a syrah. Went to Opolo and bought two great 2002 pinot noirs. Stopped by Adelaida dn picked up a $50 bottle of their very, very nice 2002 cab and case of their surprisingly good 2002 patio wine (a white blend of chard, viognier and roussane).

 

I will be having another burnt meat experience pretty soon and wil open one of the Zenaida roses. Stay tuned!

 

Wow!

 

While it's summer over there, it's raining cats and dogs in here.

 

The sad part of experiencing the good stuff with you guys is that I became more discriminating with the wines served here.

 

We just came from a major art exhibit opening. The pica-pica served was excellent but the wine was an ordinary red carlo rossi type. Well sayang yung food. I didn't even finish my first glass. Just a sip and that's it. Drank plain water and iced tea instead. They should have combined the food with a good sauvignon blanc instead. If would be best if paired with the champaigne you brought when you came here.

[bods1000]

Don't really know but I would guess that it's partly because there's (proportionately) more wine vs. less air inthe bottle. And I would guess that the "more wine" part also helps, as it gives the wine more to work with? Surely some out there knows.......all I can tell you is - it does seem to be the case. I certainly hope so - I have a magnum (1.5 liters) of the 1999 Fenestra Estate Syrah just lying in wait for a truly special occasion.

 

 

Bods hope your throat's feeling better! Remember, alcohol has medicinal properties.... :cool:

 

I've tasted the same wine (2000 Fenestra Syrah from Lodi) out of both a regualr bottle and a magnum, after two years in the bottle. I can tell you that they age differently. The regular bottle seemed to age faster, and develop in a different way. The magnum developed more complexity and was at least a year behind the regular bottle in aging. So now I have one of each and plan to open both for a tasting some time next year, when they'll have been in the bottle 4 years. We'll see what has happened over those years.

 

thanks pare the throat's so much better after having not smoked for the past 3 days but no sip yet of wine till now...

ok I finally found the lowdown on the biggies that had us stumped for several days. It's from a chapter in McInerney's book called The Big Stuff:

.....the magnum, which at one and a half liters is equivalent to two bottles, is widely regarded as the best size for bottle-aging late-blooming wines like Bordeaux. The thinking here is that wine in larger bottles ages more slowly than in smaller bottles, because aging is a process of oxidation, and the amount of oxygen in the neck of a regular bottle and a magnum is about the same, although the volume of wine in the magnum is twice as great. Theoretically the magnum should age about half as fast as the standard bottle, which is not necessarily good if you are impatiently waiting for your clarets and cabs to overcome their awkward snarly adolescence. But big bottles are great for extending the life of a serious wine and for fostering the nuances than can come only from thirty or forty years of bottle age. A few years ago I tasted the '61 Cheval Blanc in both standard and magnum, and there was no question that the wine from the magnum was livelier and more complex.

 

ok from the same book here is a rundown of bottle sizes and their equivalents:

 

Capacity / Liters / Bordeaux / Champagne/Burgundy

2 bottles / 1.5 / magnum / magnum

3 bottles / 2.25 / Marie-Jeanne / not made

4 bottles / 3 / double magnum / Jeroboam

6 bottles / 4.5 / Jeroboam / Rehoboam

8 bottles / 6 / Imperiale / Methuselah

12 bottles / 9 / not made / Salmanazar

16 bottles / 12 / not made / Balthazar

20 bottles / 15 / not made / Nebuchadnezzar

/

California generally follows the Bordeaux line, except in the three largest formats, although these are rarely produced. The humongous Nebuchadnezzar is seldom encountered. Quite aside from the difficulty of making the bottle, there is the question of how to pour from them also this format would probably be inappropriate for Jewish weddings, named as it is for the Babylonian king who dragged the Israelites back into captivity.

Edited July 13, 2006 by bods1000

[bods1000]

Wow!

 

While it's summer over there, it's raining cats and dogs in here.

 

The sad part of experiencing the good stuff with you guys is that I became more discriminating with the wines served here.

 

We just came from a major art exhibit opening. The pica-pica served was excellent but the wine was an ordinary red carlo rossi type. Well sayang yung food. I didn't even finish my first glass. Just a sip and that's it. Drank plain water and iced tea instead. They should have combined the food with a good sauvignon blanc instead. If would be best if paired with the champaigne you brought when you came here.

 

you did the right thing, pare :cool: It's really no contest between cold water and bad wine...

Be joyful, pare - at least we know something that they don't

[agxo3]

thanks pare the throat's so much better after having not smoked for the past 3 days but no sip yet of wine till now...

ok I finally found the lowdown on the biggies that had us stumped for several days. It's from a chapter in McInerney's book called The Big Stuff:

.....the magnum, which at one and a half liters is equivalent to two bottles, is widely regarded as the best size for bottle-aging late-blooming wines like Bordeaux. The thinking here is that wine in larger bottles ages more slowly than in smaller bottles, because aging is a process of oxidation, and the amount of oxygen in the neck of a regular bottle and a magnum is about the same, although the volume of wine in the magnum is twice as great. Theoretically the magnum should age about half as fast as the standard bottle, which is not necessarily good if you are impatiently waiting for your clarets and cabs to overcome their awkward snarly adolescence. But big bottles are great for extending the life of a serious wine and for fostering the nuances than can come only from thirty or forty years of bottle age. A few years ago I tasted the '61 Cheval Blanc in both standard and magnum, and there was no question that the wine from the magnum was livelier and more complex.

 

ok from the same book here is a rundown of bottle sizes and their equivalents:

 

Capacity / Liters / Bordeaux / Champagne/Burgundy

2 bottles / 1.5 / magnum / magnum

3 bottles / 2.25 / Marie-Jeanne / not made

4 bottles / 3 / double magnum / Jeroboam

6 bottles / 4.5 / Jeroboam / Rehoboam

8 bottles / 6 / Imperiale / Methuselah

12 bottles / 9 / not made / Salmanazar

16 bottles / 12 / not made / Balthazar

20 bottles / 15 / not made / Nebuchadnezzar

/

California generally follows the Bordeaux line, except in the three largest formats, although these are rarely produced. The humongous Nebuchadnezzar is seldom encountered. Quite aside from the difficulty of making the bottle, there is the question of how to pour from them also this format would probably be inappropriate for Jewish weddings, named as it is for the Babylonian king who dragged the Israelites back into captivity.

 

Glad to hear you're doing better. With all the rain you're getting, this is the season for colds and flu, so take extra care!

 

Thanks for the rundown onthe big bottles....very informative, as usual!

 

I've seen a few of the Nebuchadnezzars - and each one was sold with a wine cart to move it around and also to provide a way of tipping it to pour the wine!. In at least one instance, IMHO, the wine cart was worth much more than the wine! But of course, being the diplomat that I am (and under the keen and watchful eye of my much better half) I didn't come right out and say that.

 

Wow!

 

While it's summer over there, it's raining cats and dogs in here.

 

The sad part of experiencing the good stuff with you guys is that I became more discriminating with the wines served here.

 

We just came from a major art exhibit opening. The pica-pica served was excellent but the wine was an ordinary red carlo rossi type. Well sayang yung food. I didn't even finish my first glass. Just a sip and that's it. Drank plain water and iced tea instead. They should have combined the food with a good sauvignon blanc instead. If would be best if paired with the champaigne you brought when you came here.

you did the right thing, pare :cool: It's really no contest between cold water and bad wine...

Be joyful, pare - at least we know something that they don't

 

Yup - while it rains and pours over there, it's sunny and HOT here. Last night's weather report forecast 113 def F for Pheonix today. Lucky me it's only 90 where I live. (For you Celsius guys, that's 45 and 32, respectively!)

 

I'm at the point that if I don't like the wine I don't drink it - no matter where I am - and I'll go for a soft drink or water instead!

 

Speaking of which - I went to a restaurant opening last Sunday. A place called Uncle Yu's at the Vineyard, in Livermore. chinese restaurant, but with an extensive wine list. (here's my chance to experiment with Chinese food paired with wines! Any excuse to eat and drink, eh?)

 

The house wines were just average, but they had a really, really nice California bubbly from Schramsberg that was just plain outstanding. Soft creamy, deceptively fruity, although it was dry as a bone. Lively and vavacious. Excellent paired with the fried wontons and the walnut prawns.

 

John Christofer (winery with a tasting room next door to Unka Yu) briught over some of their syrah and syrah blends. Big, ripe, fruity. Cassis and berries. Strawberries and plums on the finish. Went great with the barbeque pork and the kung pao chicken. A cab or two (had those just by themseves - haven't yet found a Chinese dish that really pairs well with a cab....but now I have a place I can go for research.). Made for a great evening. No dinner after, of course, I was just way too stuffed. And my non-drinking watchdog (aka wifey) and savior drove home.

 

So drink up! Wine is both medicinal and warming for those cool nights and the ubiquitous cold anf flu viri (or is it viruses?).

[boibastos]

Has anyone had a Rene barbier mediterranean red catalunya? My first glass was of it was terrible. Should I pour the rest down the drain?

[bods1000]

Glad to hear you're doing better. With all the rain you're getting, this is the season for colds and flu, so take extra care!

 

Thanks for the rundown onthe big bottles....very informative, as usual!

 

I've seen a few of the Nebuchadnezzars - and each one was sold with a wine cart to move it around and also to provide a way of tipping it to pour the wine!. In at least one instance, IMHO, the wine cart was worth much more than the wine! But of course, being the diplomat that I am (and under the keen and watchful eye of my much better half) I didn't come right out and say that.

Yup - while it rains and pours over there, it's sunny and HOT here. Last night's weather report forecast 113 def F for Pheonix today. Lucky me it's only 90 where I live. (For you Celsius guys, that's 45 and 32, respectively!)

 

I'm at the point that if I don't like the wine I don't drink it - no matter where I am - and I'll go for a soft drink or water instead!

 

Speaking of which - I went to a restaurant opening last Sunday. A place called Uncle Yu's at the Vineyard, in Livermore. chinese restaurant, but with an extensive wine list. (here's my chance to experiment with Chinese food paired with wines! Any excuse to eat and drink, eh?)

 

The house wines were just average, but they had a really, really nice California bubbly from Schramsberg that was just plain outstanding. Soft creamy, deceptively fruity, although it was dry as a bone. Lively and vavacious. Excellent paired with the fried wontons and the walnut prawns.

 

John Christofer (winery with a tasting room next door to Unka Yu) briught over some of their syrah and syrah blends. Big, ripe, fruity. Cassis and berries. Strawberries and plums on the finish. Went great with the barbeque pork and the kung pao chicken. A cab or two (had those just by themseves - haven't yet found a Chinese dish that really pairs well with a cab....but now I have a place I can go for research.). Made for a great evening. No dinner after, of course, I was just way too stuffed. And my non-drinking watchdog (aka wifey) and savior drove home.

 

So drink up! Wine is both medicinal and warming for those cool nights and the ubiquitous cold anf flu viri (or is it viruses?).

 

I don't believe we've had 45 degrees here with the humidity here, that should absolutely qualify as sub-Saharan...

I believe you're right about that Nebuchadnezzar - no right-thinking winery would ever bottle their good stuff in that monster Now that image of a wine being dragged around in a wine cart should made my head spin - parang pasyente being dragged around in a wheelchair I wonder what if somebody hauled a Nebuchadnezzar to one of our wine EB's?

 

and also speaking of which, is there a Chinese resto here that sports a decent wine list, and I don't mean Chinese wine?

[masi]

I don't believe we've had 45 degrees here with the humidity here, that should absolutely qualify as sub-Saharan...

I believe you're right about that Nebuchadnezzar - no right-thinking winery would ever bottle their good stuff in that monster Now that image of a wine being dragged around in a wine cart should made my head spin - parang pasyente being dragged around in a wheelchair I wonder what if somebody hauled a Nebuchadnezzar to one of our wine EB's?

 

and also speaking of which, is there a Chinese resto here that sports a decent wine list, and I don't mean Chinese wine?

 

 

I was just about to say Xiao Xing (Chinese rice wine).

 

If you want a good Chinese restaurant which has a good wine list, you have to limit yourself with restaurants in hotels like Shang Palace at Shang Makati, LiLi at Hyatt Manila, Tin Hau at the Mandarin. The LiLi is quite impressive as the Hyatt Hotel seems like a big wine cellar. F&B outlets in this hotel have huge wine cellars as decor themes and dividers. The selection, too, is a very extensive. Mandarin's Tin Hau has the entire spectrum from mid-grade supermarket wines to to the top end vintage. Haven't been to the Shang lately but since Bacchus is their offical wine supplier, I am sure they could serve you top end.

 

I was at Gloriamaris Greenhils some months ago and looked at their selection. It's NOT impressive, although you have your congac and whiskeys. You may want to go to Unimart and buy a Penfolds, Wente or Wolf Blass before you go to the restaurant. Corkage is free.

 

The table beside ours was a Chinese family celebrating a birthday. Everyone wore red. They had a couple of bottles of Novellino. I can't seem to figure it out considering that they had discriminate palates to know good food yet they settle for "el cheapo" wines.

[masi]

Has anyone had a Rene barbier mediterranean red catalunya? My first glass was of it was terrible. Should I pour the rest down the drain?

 

 

I've had a fee Rene Barbier and they were drinkable. From the way you described the label, it seems you're drinker a red table wine. Nothing much to expect from red table wine except that "it's nice to have one when you feel like drinking but not the expensive stuff day".

 

Try leaving it in the ref for a day or two with the cork on. Somehow it smooths out. I really don't know if this is natural or psychological. After knowing its a bad wine the second time you drink it, you might say it's not that bad after all.

Edited July 17, 2006 by masi

[bods1000]

I was just about to say Xiao Xing (Chinese rice wine).

 

If you want a good Chinese restaurant which has a good wine list, you have to limit yourself with restaurants in hotels like Shang Palace at Shang Makati, LiLi at Hyatt Manila, Tin Hau at the Mandarin. The LiLi is quite impressive as the Hyatt Hotel seems like a big wine cellar. F&B outlets in this hotel have huge wine cellars as decor themes and dividers. The selection, too, is a very extensive. Mandarin's Tin Hau has the entire spectrum from mid-grade supermarket wines to to the top end vintage. Haven't been to the Shang lately but since Bacchus is their offical wine supplier, I am sure they could serve you top end.

 

I was at Gloriamaris Greenhils some months ago and looked at their selection. It's NOT impressive, although you have your congac and whiskeys. You may want to go to Unimart and buy a Penfolds, Wente or Wolf Blass before you go to the restaurant. Corkage is free.

 

The table beside ours was a Chinese family celebrating a birthday. Everyone wore red. They had a couple of bottles of Novellino. I can't seem to figure it out considering that they had discriminate palates to know good food yet they settle for "el cheapo" wines.

 

you are alive, pare!

I hope everything is on the upswing, finally....

thanks for the tips - the Hyatt looks very promising indeed. Pare how about the budget stuff? I assume it would be more expensive eating out at the Shang or the Mandarin....

yeah that's funny...not only has that family have discrimnating palate, but I presume they also have indiscriminate and bottomless pockets, so why did they settle on that, well, I hate to call it wine Kung nagtitipid lang naman sila, meron naman dyang Angove's ah, or Gran Tierra, or that good-value wine from Anthony's....

 

speaking of budgets, in my never-ending quest to scrimp on wine money, I finally did go to the Future Trade office along E. Rodriguez near Tiendesitas. For a long time I've been seeing their billboard which proudly announces 50% DISCOUNT ON WINES!. Very promising indeed as FTI is the distributor here of Lindeman's, Two Oceans, Vendange, Talus, and some Bordeaux too. Imagine my surprise when I saw the prices of the wines which were similar to those in the groceries. I told the receptionist that according to their billboard displayed prominently outside, they have a 50% sale. She timidly told me that that promo was last September pa :grr: :grr: :grr: And to think of the difficult time I had looking for a parking space in their vicinity. I ended up not buying anything out of pique :grr: I'm just hoping na ako lang ang nadenggoy ng billboard na yun

[floppydrive]

you are alive, pare!

I hope everything is on the upswing, finally....

thanks for the tips - the Hyatt looks very promising indeed. Pare how about the budget stuff? I assume it would be more expensive eating out at the Shang or the Mandarin....

yeah that's funny...not only has that family have discrimnating palate, but I presume they also have indiscriminate and bottomless pockets, so why did they settle on that, well, I hate to call it wine Kung nagtitipid lang naman sila, meron naman dyang Angove's ah, or Gran Tierra, or that good-value wine from Anthony's....

 

speaking of budgets, in my never-ending quest to scrimp on wine money, I finally did go to the Future Trade office along E. Rodriguez near Tiendesitas. For a long time I've been seeing their billboard which proudly announces 50% DISCOUNT ON WINES!. Very promising indeed as FTI is the distributor here of Lindeman's, Two Oceans, Vendange, Talus, and some Bordeaux too. Imagine my surprise when I saw the prices of the wines which were similar to those in the groceries. I told the receptionist that according to their billboard displayed prominently outside, they have a 50% sale. She timidly told me that that promo was last September pa :grr: :grr: :grr: And to think of the difficult time I had looking for a parking space in their vicinity. I ended up not buying anything out of pique :grr: I'm just hoping na ako lang ang nadenggoy ng billboard na yun

Maybe they're drinking Novellino because .... they own the company making it?

 

Hats off to you guys for keping this thread lively! Been sober and dry for a while already.

[agxo3]

I don't believe we've had 45 degrees here with the humidity here, that should absolutely qualify as sub-Saharan...

I believe you're right about that Nebuchadnezzar - no right-thinking winery would ever bottle their good stuff in that monster Now that image of a wine being dragged around in a wine cart should made my head spin - parang pasyente being dragged around in a wheelchair I wonder what if somebody hauled a Nebuchadnezzar to one of our wine EB's?

 

and also speaking of which, is there a Chinese resto here that sports a decent wine list, and I don't mean Chinese wine?

 

It was 101 F this weekend in Fremont (38 C) and I chose this weekend to do some repair work around the house! Replaced some trim around the patio slider and the side garage door. Both of which involved some heavy lifting and moving stuff around. Not to mention all that hammering and drilling and.......no wine for ME this weekend! It was beer all the way ending with a nice, tall, frosty 22 oz. mug of Foster's last night. Aaaahhhhhhh..........now I'm sore all over and need some wine tonight to loosen up those tired muscles! :cool:

 

I think it would be an interesting challenge to had a giant bolle like a Nebuchadnezzar at a wine EB. How many winos do you think it would take to polish off one of those monsters?

 

I was just about to say Xiao Xing (Chinese rice wine).

 

If you want a good Chinese restaurant which has a good wine list, you have to limit yourself with restaurants in hotels like Shang Palace at Shang Makati, LiLi at Hyatt Manila, Tin Hau at the Mandarin. The LiLi is quite impressive as the Hyatt Hotel seems like a big wine cellar. F&B outlets in this hotel have huge wine cellars as decor themes and dividers. The selection, too, is a very extensive. Mandarin's Tin Hau has the entire spectrum from mid-grade supermarket wines to to the top end vintage. Haven't been to the Shang lately but since Bacchus is their offical wine supplier, I am sure they could serve you top end.

 

I was at Gloriamaris Greenhils some months ago and looked at their selection. It's NOT impressive, although you have your congac and whiskeys. You may want to go to Unimart and buy a Penfolds, Wente or Wolf Blass before you go to the restaurant. Corkage is free.

 

The table beside ours was a Chinese family celebrating a birthday. Everyone wore red. They had a couple of bottles of Novellino. I can't seem to figure it out considering that they had discriminate palates to know good food yet they settle for "el cheapo" wines.

 

I find that a lot of people who enjoy good food have no appreciation of wine and its role in a good dinner. So they buy what they know (or what someone with an unknown palette has recommended) and try to drink that with dinner. After all, it's the new thing, right? Wine and dinner! But then they complain that they can't see the mystery behind wine since they ddn't really enjoy it - they just pretended so it looks like they know what they're doing.

 

And for many, it's all about the alcohol, not about the taste. I have a good friend who has a pretty extensive cellar - about 40 cases at this point, who keeps trying to tell me that this latest $2 bottle he found is "good considering the price"! I retort that the wine is either good or it's not - even if it's free if it's bad it's bad.

 

I doubt that they "made the wine" - if they were indeed wine makers they'd know good wine from bad.