Wine-savvy

[agxo3]

all i can say is sayang! well, there's always next time. i have seen a lot of small wineries in CA area, making some really good wines, the thing is, logistics, bringing those stuffs here would mean, taking small quanties from every cellar/wineries consolidating-thus making every bottle of it prohibitedly expensive. i know someone who once tried but the net landed cost per bottle in manila, whew- cheapest, US$ 40.

 

I'm not so sure about that.........they'd wholesale the wine just like to anyone else. At least to me they would! I could consolidate it and get it over to you. These are wineries with VERY small production anyway, so small quantities mean a LOT to them! Retzlaff produces 700 or so cases of each of their wines. Noah only does 500 or so of his. With pre-release RETAIL prices at $18/btl, it seems that you should be able to do better than $40 landed! Besides, you're angling for the high end customer, aren't you?

 

Too bad you missed this time out! There's always a next time! And if there are going to be more of us next time, I'll pack a styrofoam 6-pack and check it in......

[agxo3]

Gallo.....so mga Turning Leaf ito. I won't mention Carlo Rossi anymore ooopps hehehe...

 

thanks pare I'll check it out malapit lang ito...

 

agxo - I see you're back now in the States. That was another great time we had with you kaya lang para tayong nagmamadali palagi - or maybe the restaurant hours here are not enough to accomodate the long sessions we have

pare next time, we see each other again. Thanks a lot and regards!

 

spurt is sending me some tickets to this Food Expo this month. They're participants. Thanks pare!

spurt has sent his regrets about not having been there last Sunday. Seems like he was out-of-town again. Sayang. But there's always a next time...

 

We missed a lot with that Toast at Rockwell. Nag-sale pala ng 30% ang wines dun.....

 

You might want to see if they include Gallo Family wines from Sonoma. Much better than the Turning Leaf junk and the other swill they produce.....

 

Actually, I'm only now heading back. I'm at CKS in Taiwan waiting for my plane. I was in China all week, and HK last night. Long trip. I'm tired and cranky!

 

For next time, we need to either start earlier (noon???) or find a place that won't kick us out at midnight! I can think of some places like that but I don't think they're the kinda place that's conducive to a serious discussion about the relative merits of wine.

[agxo3]

Hey - Bods, Storm - you talked about maybe taking advantage of a fare sale to go visit California? Take a look at this!

-------

http://www.evaair.com/html/b2c/English/deals/Asia/case_154

 

-------

Internet promotional fare from Manila to U.S. (LAX,SFO,SEA)

 

 

Eva Airways is offering a special fare for flights departing from Manila to San Francisco, Seattle, Los Angeles. To take advantage of these particular fares, tickets must be purchased on or before Sep. 30, 2006 with qualified condition.

 

 

Destination Fares Class Ticket Issuance Departure Date Validity

 

San Francisco / USD390 Economy 30Sep. '06 Only 6 Months

Los Angeles/ (One Way) Seattle

USD700 01 Sep. '06~

(Round Trip) 31 Oct. '06

 

 

USD490 Evergreen Deluxe 6 Months

(One Way)

 

USD880

(Round Trip)

 

 

Terms and Conditions:

 

Ticketing Period : Immediately till 30Sep. 2006

Traveling Period : 01Sep06-31Oct. 2006

Maximum Stay : 6 months

Class: Evergreen Deluxe class is valid on TPE-USA-TPE flights only

Refund Fee : USD50.00

Infant fare: Not applicable

Child Fare : 75% of Adult Net Fare

Tickets are non-transferable,non-endorsable and non-reroute

Fares are subject to applicable taxes and insurance surcharges

Seats are limited and may not be available on all flights/date

Fares and rules are subject to change without notice

-----------

 

Deluxe class is between economy and business class. Better seats, a bit more room, but same service as economy. I think the food's a bit better too.

Edited September 1, 2006 by agxo3

[storm]

Twas a very hectic week for me and another one coming this week for sure (daming deadline).

 

Many thanks pareng Agxo and pareng Bods. Bitin talaga sa oras. I hope we'll have more time next time.

 

I hope the Masi, floppydrive and spurt can join the next eb.

 

Thanks also for the promo info of eva air. I don't think we can make it this October. My daughter will not have a sem-break and she'll be absent for so many days. Most probable is May, 2007.

 

Today is my sister's birthday and we had a Mark & Spencer French red wine (forgot the brand). Light and easy to drink.

[bods1000]

I'm not so sure about that.........they'd wholesale the wine just like to anyone else. At least to me they would! I could consolidate it and get it over to you. These are wineries with VERY small production anyway, so small quantities mean a LOT to them! Retzlaff produces 700 or so cases of each of their wines. Noah only does 500 or so of his. With pre-release RETAIL prices at $18/btl, it seems that you should be able to do better than $40 landed! Besides, you're angling for the high end customer, aren't you?

 

Too bad you missed this time out! There's always a next time! And if there are going to be more of us next time, I'll pack a styrofoam 6-pack and check it in......

 

 

You might want to see if they include Gallo Family wines from Sonoma. Much better than the Turning Leaf junk and the other swill they produce.....

 

Actually, I'm only now heading back. I'm at CKS in Taiwan waiting for my plane. I was in China all week, and HK last night. Long trip. I'm tired and cranky!

 

For next time, we need to either start earlier (noon???) or find a place that won't kick us out at midnight! I can think of some places like that but I don't think they're the kinda place that's conducive to a serious discussion about the relative merits of wine.

 

 

I have this feeling there would be more of us next time pero no worries about the wine - we can always get stuff here - not that great as the ones you might bring in but good enough to keep us company for say, eight hours or so? Yes I think we should really start early next time - I am mystified about that place you mention - conducive or not, I think we should give it a try next time you are here :evil:

About that Gallo sale at Eastwood - I have completely forgotten about it ngayon lang kasi uli nag-log in. Anyway the actual date was never mentioned, so there....might be nothing much to miss there...

 

spurt, I was there at the Food Expo with the wifey last Thursday although I failed to see you there. More accurately, I couldn't find your booth, or I didn't see you in what I believed was your booth Anyway thanks a lot pare. I was looking more for the wine stuff there pero almost nothing there. My wife though got hold of a prospective salmon supplier. Thanks again!

 

spurt are you still connected with Premiere Wines? I just saw Cape Mentelle here (distributed by Premiere) and I daresay congrats because Cape Mentelle is one of those Aussie wineries spoken of in tones of awe, besides which Margaret River pa siya. Although quite a bit on the pricey side, I have one earmarked for purchase for the special occasions coming hehehe...

[floppydrive]

Hi Guys!

 

The Tivoli of Mandarin is offering wine with matching 7 course dinners once a month! Bottomless wine glasses, according to the author:

 

http://showbizandstyle.inq7.net/lifestyle/...rticle_id=20846

 

I guess for now we can only dream about it with everyone so busy. Cheers!

 

 

 

____________________________

 

 

Nights of fine dining, days of cooking lessons

 

By Michaela Fenix

Inquirer

Last updated 00:27am (Mla time) 09/14/2006

 

Published on Page C2 of the September 14, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

 

VERY quietly, the Mandarin Oriental Manila has been holding a wine dinner every last Friday of the month for four years now. Held at the Tivoli, the hotel’s signature restaurant, “Nights of Wine and Fine Dining” offers a seven-course meal paired with featured wines.

 

The wines, by the way, are unlimited or “bottomless,” in the parlance of the fast-food scene.

 

The latest of this monthly feature was an opportunity, as well, to introduce the new sous chef, Stefan Trepp, who has been here for only a few months. It was also an occasion to introduce one of the wine masters of the Grant Burge Wineries of Australia, among the guests in the recent “Toast 2006,” the annual wine-tasting event of Wine Depot, a wine distributor.

 

Craig Stanborough gave guests that evening an idea of where the Grant Burge Wineries are. Drawing what he hoped looked like Australia, he showed where the Barossa and Eden valleys were in the southern part of the country.

 

Barossa is one of the most favored location for wineries. Stanborough said it was where vegetables were once planted by mostly German immigrants who settled there.

 

Prime location

 

He said, “Thank heavens the grapes won out.” And now those valleys are prime places for growing vines.

 

The Eden Valley Riesling 2006 right away pointed to the German-immigrant history of the place. It was light and perfect for the amuse bouche served.

 

Trepp identified himself right away as a chef to watch out for with the very first course—pan-fried potato terrine, delicate layers of potato with smoked salmon roulade and keta caviar (salmon roe). It came on a teaspoon, beautiful to behold and a winner in both flavor and texture.

 

Another amuse bouche was served, a terrine where the delicate layers consisted of confit of chicken leg and foie gras served with a mango praline and a five-spice smoothie. Read the last word as a foam, the new way to present a sauce, much airier and, some say, much more concentrated in flavor. We were to have another foam later.

 

An Eden Valley and Adelaide Hills Chardonnay 2004 was tasted before the second course was brought in. It had the unmistakable aroma of oak. While some wineries make it a point to say their chardonnay is un-oaked, the Grand Burge has kept the oak. It was served with the lobster crème brûlée, a cool thick soup if you will. Trepp said he would have wanted it to be a bit thinner.

 

The cepe mushroom ravioli was served next with a Cameron Vale Cabernet Sauvignon 2003, a very light red.

 

Palate cleanser was an interesting carrot ginger sorbet. We all looked at each other as we were reminded of salabat.

 

Trepp served a roast venison loin medallion with a foam of creamed parsnips, green pea and sage, every ingredient contributing to the total taste and yet keeping the flavors separate. The wine was The Holy Trinity, Grenache Shiraz Murvedre 2001.

 

Shiraz is so identified with Australia. The trinity bit really refers to the three grape varieties combined to make the wine. How holy depends on the drinker.

 

Into our sixth course of crispy fried goat cheese with a salsa of tomato and basil, my favored red wine was served. It was Filsell Shiraz 2003. I have expensive tastes because this is an expensive shiraz from Grant Burge.

 

A warm chocolate fondant capped the dinner. The fondant was served with a white chocolate ice cream and a powdered chocolate facsimile of the Mandarin Oriental logo. A fitting, filling end until the cooking lessons conducted by Chef Trepp a few days after.

 

Three recipes in two hours

 

The lessons took less than two hours and yet the chef went through three recipes, all with Asian influence. He is Swiss and this is his first job in Asia. He says his knowledge of the spices and way of cooking comes from his chef and other co-workers in his two previous work places, California and the Burj al Arab in Dubai.

 

Like most good chefs, he made the cooking lessons seem easy. The salmon ceviche is his take on the kinilaw, only this time, the fillet is marinated for at least four hours in a coconut milk mix full of flavors from chili, coriander, lemon grass, lime and ginger juice. He served it with a mango salsa.

 

Main course was a confit of duck with a vanilla-thyme risotto. His technique included toasting the duck skin with a blow torch, simmering the duck covered with fat and many herbs and spices. His presentation had the confit on a bed of risotto and served with a ginger-glazed green pechay.

 

Finally, he cooked a jasmine crème brûlée with a lotus paste ice cream. The crème brûlée was cooked on a bain-marie, the way we cook our leche flan.

 

But his best cooking tip was how to tell if the ice cream mixture had the right consistency. He dipped a wooden spoon into the mixture then took it out and blew into it. The he showed us a form shaped like a rose. When that appears then the next step is the ice cream machine.

 

We did get to eat what we prepared that day, complemented by wines that head waitress Gail Gonzales annotated. So, for our ceviche, we had a pinot gris, Spy Valley 2004 from New Zealand. For the confit it was a light Beaujolais Cruise, St. Leger, Burgundy 2001. And our dessert was served with a Riesling, Late Harvest Columbia Crest, USA 1998.

 

Expect cooking classes on Oct. 21 featuring the Tivoli’s bestsellers and on Nov. 18, Christmas dishes. The cooking classes are inclusive of lunch and offered at P1,700+.

[masi]

It was a warm and very humid Saturday when friends dropped by the house for some chit-chat (more like brainstorming!).

 

I opened a bottle of Banrock Station 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon. An uneventful wine. Was quite exhausted that night since, I was helping some foreign national look for office space in Makati.

 

Some much interesting conversation transpired that night.

 

Well I guess a mediocre bottle of wine could be brought up a notch by the company you keep.

 

Have a great week!!!

[agxo3]

Just did some catching up on news - and to my surprise, a typhoon! Wow - didn't even know that was coming!

 

Hope eveyrone is okay, and aside from the inconvenience of losing power, no one was severly affected.

[bods1000]

Just did some catching up on news - and to my surprise, a typhoon! Wow - didn't even know that was coming!

 

Hope eveyrone is okay, and aside from the inconvenience of losing power, no one was severly affected.

 

thanks, pare!

good thing you were not in the middle of one of your Asian swings when the typhoon hit, otherwise.....well, come to think of it - it would not be that bad if you do get stranded here

 

everything is ok here except for some parts that have no electricity yet up till now. I think all the winos have managed to weather the storm, hopefully with some bottle or two.

 

I finally got to try the McGuigan Bin 4000 Cabernet Sauvignon 2004, upon the recommendation of the very solicituous lady manning the Wine Depot store the last time I was there. All I can say is she got her wine smarts all in the right place - the Mcguigan, which I have passed over in all my trips there, was absolutely fantastic (for its price range of about P650). Great mouth feel, no thinness here, exceptional finish, great bouquet, and all the flavors you would expect of a cab frolicking in your mouth

 

have a great week ahead, fellow lovers of the vine hehehe

[bods1000]

Just did some catching up on news - and to my surprise, a typhoon! Wow - didn't even know that was coming!

 

Hope eveyrone is okay, and aside from the inconvenience of losing power, no one was severly affected.

 

thanks, pare!

good thing you were not in the middle of one of your Asian swings when the typhoon hit, otherwise.....well, come to think of it - it would not be that bad if you do get stranded here

 

everything is ok here except for some parts that have no electricity yet up till now. I think all the winos have managed to weather the storm, hopefully with some bottle or two.

 

I finally got to try the McGuigan Bin 4000 Cabernet Sauvignon 2004, upon the recommendation of the very solicituous lady manning the Wine Depot store the last time I was there. All I can say is she got her wine smarts all in the right place - the Mcguigan, which I have passed over in all my trips there, was absolutely fantastic (for its price range of about P650). Great mouth feel, no thinness here, exceptional finish, great bouquet, and all the flavors you would expect of a cab frolicking in your mouth

 

have a great week ahead, fellow lovers of the vine hehehe

[agxo3]

thanks, pare!

good thing you were not in the middle of one of your Asian swings when the typhoon hit, otherwise.....well, come to think of it - it would not be that bad if you do get stranded here

 

everything is ok here except for some parts that have no electricity yet up till now. I think all the winos have managed to weather the storm, hopefully with some bottle or two.

 

I finally got to try the McGuigan Bin 4000 Cabernet Sauvignon 2004, upon the recommendation of the very solicituous lady manning the Wine Depot store the last time I was there. All I can say is she got her wine smarts all in the right place - the Mcguigan, which I have passed over in all my trips there, was absolutely fantastic (for its price range of about P650). Great mouth feel, no thinness here, exceptional finish, great bouquet, and all the flavors you would expect of a cab frolicking in your mouth

 

have a great week ahead, fellow lovers of the vine hehehe

 

I was lucky enough to miss traveling in September but I will be in China the last week of October! With luck, there won't be a typhoon!

 

Good to see you're okay, though and hope everyone else is, too!

 

Opened a Fenestra 2002 Pinot Noir last sunday and finished it off last night. Sunday, it started out a bit herbaceous - not "green" but a noticable taste of some herb that I struggle to identify. Fresh rosemay, perhaps? But last night not a hint of that! Smooth, almost sweet in its mild tannins and really forward fruit. Red berries and cherries exploding on the palate. Some plum hiding in the back. Overall, a bit one-dimensional but not too bad and pa pretty wine to go with my salami and cheese dinner.

[bods1000]

I was lucky enough to miss traveling in September but I will be in China the last week of October! With luck, there won't be a typhoon!

 

Good to see you're okay, though and hope everyone else is, too!

 

Opened a Fenestra 2002 Pinot Noir last sunday and finished it off last night. Sunday, it started out a bit herbaceous - not "green" but a noticable taste of some herb that I struggle to identify. Fresh rosemay, perhaps? But last night not a hint of that! Smooth, almost sweet in its mild tannins and really forward fruit. Red berries and cherries exploding on the palate. Some plum hiding in the back. Overall, a bit one-dimensional but not too bad and pa pretty wine to go with my salami and cheese dinner.

 

we'll keep our fingers crossed, pare as we know you'll be traveling with your family that time...

 

that Fenestra description of yours makes me want to check out a Pinot Noir on my next visit to the wine store

I'm back again to my usual Angove's......

[agxo3]

we'll keep our fingers crossed, pare as we know you'll be traveling with your family that time...

 

that Fenestra description of yours makes me want to check out a Pinot Noir on my next visit to the wine store

I'm back again to my usual Angove's......

 

I'm finding more and more good pinots from the Russian River Valley in Sonoma and also from the Santa Lucia Highlands area bordering the Paso Robles area. J (Nicole's Vineyard is especially nice), Davis Bynum, Armida, Pisotti, to name a few.....

 

Picked up a Laughing Magpie from Australia this last weekend. anyone know anything about it? A blend of syrah and viognier. Strange kid of blend - a red and a white! The resulting wine is red, I guess, at least that's what it looks like through the bottle. I'm expecting it to be a light red, bordering on a rose, but we'll see.

 

I plan to smoke some meat this weekend and it may be a perfect time to open the wine. Smoking will take anywhere from 8 to 10 hours - I'm doing a beef brisket. I need something to quaff while I tend the smoker and watch my football games so this just might be it. And for dinner with the brisket - something nice from Coppola, I think. A '96 or '97 Cask Cabernet, perhaps? Or maybe the Wood Family 2002 Syrah.......

[storm]

Hello there my friends.

 

We survived the wrath of Milenyo. We were caught on the site where I'm installing my large scale sculpture. I never thought Milenyo was that strong. I wanted to see how my sculpture would behave in such strong winds. To my surprise, it's like we're caught in the middle of a live TWISTER movie. My car was heavily damaged so I decided to leave the place amids flying GI sheets and plywoods. Luckily for us because those who stayed suffered a lot more. The sculpture survived with very minor damage. Thank God.

 

Anyway, we had a street party in our village and opened some Latin American wines like Astica (Argentina) and MontGras (Chile) Cab Sauv. I am no expert but I found them good for my taste that I'll buy some bottles when I go to the wine store. :thumbsupsmiley:

 

I bought the Astica in Shopwise. I don't know where to buy the MontGras.

[floppydrive]

Hi Guys!

 

Milenyo (can't say the "Storm", hehehe) literally blew off our factory roof just as it was coming in Thursday morning. We spent Friday, Sat & Sunday fixing.

 

Electricity only came back last Tuesday night. So Thursday to Tuesday, we were finishing up whatever stocks we had in the ref & freezer. I spent the weekend cooking! Finally got to make osso bucco using a Hardy's Merlot 2004 (yan, di na OT). It was decent enough, but now I know what to do to make it better next time. Now my LDL level is way above normal! hehehe

 

Hope you guys are ok! Cheers!

 

Storm,

So sorry about your car. It's good that you're ok. BTW, where's your sculpture located? Can we see it?

Edited October 5, 2006 by floppydrive

[bods1000]

Hello there my friends.

 

We survived the wrath of Milenyo. We were caught on the site where I'm installing my large scale sculpture. I never thought Milenyo was that strong. I wanted to see how my sculpture would behave in such strong winds. To my surprise, it's like we're caught in the middle of a live TWISTER movie. My car was heavily damaged so I decided to leave the place amids flying GI sheets and plywoods. Luckily for us because those who stayed suffered a lot more. The sculpture survived with very minor damage. Thank God.

 

Anyway, we had a street party in our village and opened some Latin American wines like Astica (Argentina) and MontGras (Chile) Cab Sauv. I am no expert but I found them good for my taste that I'll buy some bottles when I go to the wine store. :thumbsupsmiley:

 

I bought the Astica in Shopwise. I don't know where to buy the MontGras.

 

I think there's Montgras too at Shopwise. Otherwise, there might be some at Unimart or Makati Supermart.

Sorry to hear about your car - I hope that was not the SUV ha. Anyway I also read that the area there - Market Market in particular - was nightmarish during Milenyo. Ceiling tiles daw were falling off at the height of the storm..

Do I hear the unveiling on Oct. 10?

[bods1000]

Hi Guys!

 

Milenyo (can't say the "Storm", hehehe) literally blew off our factory roof just as it was coming in Thursday morning. We spent Friday, Sat & Sunday fixing.

 

Electricity only came back last Tuesday night. So Thursday to Tuesday, we were finishing up whatever stocks we had in the ref & freezer. I spent the weekend cooking! Finally got to make osso bucco using a Hardy's Merlot 2004 (yan, di na OT). It was decent enough, but now I know what to do to make it better next time. Now my LDL level is way above normal! hehehe

 

Hope you guys are ok! Cheers!

 

Storm,

So sorry about your car. It's good that you're ok. BTW, where's your sculpture located? Can we see it?

 

nice to hear you're ok, pare. I hope the roof is fixed now - though malaking gastos nga yan....

We were lucky in our area as we had power at just the day after - Friday 5pm. Sa Alabang nga, kahapon lang nagkaroon so the resto was closed for almost a week

pare try to consume whatever is left of that Hardy's to lower your LDL levels

[bods1000]

I'm finding more and more good pinots from the Russian River Valley in Sonoma and also from the Santa Lucia Highlands area bordering the Paso Robles area. J (Nicole's Vineyard is especially nice), Davis Bynum, Armida, Pisotti, to name a few.....

 

Picked up a Laughing Magpie from Australia this last weekend. anyone know anything about it? A blend of syrah and viognier. Strange kid of blend - a red and a white! The resulting wine is red, I guess, at least that's what it looks like through the bottle. I'm expecting it to be a light red, bordering on a rose, but we'll see.

 

I plan to smoke some meat this weekend and it may be a perfect time to open the wine. Smoking will take anywhere from 8 to 10 hours - I'm doing a beef brisket. I need something to quaff while I tend the smoker and watch my football games so this just might be it. And for dinner with the brisket - something nice from Coppola, I think. A '96 or '97 Cask Cabernet, perhaps? Or maybe the Wood Family 2002 Syrah.......

 

enjoy that weekend, pare. For us here we're just hoping the next typhoons don't come just yet. You know, may pangalan na nga yung mga kasunod eh. The next typhoon according to PAGASA is Ompong, while there are others named as Sibasib, Rapido, etc. Not very encouraging names, I should say

 

Speaking of funny names, that's a downright funny name for the Aussie wine you got. I just hope the Laughing Magpie don't taste funny hehehe.

There are lots of unusual, weird, funny names for wines from all over the world. Some of these are (I'm not making this up, mga pare hehehe):

 

Cleavage Creek - I think drinking this wine may make you focus on a lot of .......he he creeks Not recommended to drink in a bar with many female patrons around

 

Fat Bastard - hmmmm we may sometimes be bastards, but I hope we don't get fat by drinking lots of wines

 

Frogs' Piss - luckily this is a wine, not some beer hehehe...

 

Goats Do Roam - great sense of humor, these guys have - a hilarious intro to French wines?

 

Cardinal Zin - pareng agxo, I think this is an American wine...might give Mompo some stiff competition

 

Cat's Leap - hahahahaha! I think this is for those who can't afford that Stag's Leap - aba mahusay din yatang tumalon ang mga pusa....

 

Unpronounceable Grape - now this is really socking them up to the French

 

.........marami pa eh. maybe I'll list them down next time hehehe

 

have a great day all you winos out there!

[floppydrive]

I think there's Montgras too at Shopwise. Otherwise, there might be some at Unimart or Makati Supermart.

Sorry to hear about your car - I hope that was not the SUV ha. Anyway I also read that the area there - Market Market in particular - was nightmarish during Milenyo. Ceiling tiles daw were falling off at the height of the storm..

Do I hear the unveiling on Oct. 10?

Does this mean the sculpture is in Serendra?

 

Re Hardy's - since there was no electricity, it was a warm bottle. :thumbsdownsmiley: Used all of it in cooking. :thumbsupsmiley: :cool:

 

The Goats Do Roam got me laughing! Reminds me of an Irish beer bottle we got in Athena - Holy GrALE. For Monty Pithon Fans daw.

[storm]

Hi Guys!

 

Milenyo (can't say the "Storm", hehehe) literally blew off our factory roof just as it was coming in Thursday morning. We spent Friday, Sat & Sunday fixing.

 

Electricity only came back last Tuesday night. So Thursday to Tuesday, we were finishing up whatever stocks we had in the ref & freezer. I spent the weekend cooking! Finally got to make osso bucco using a Hardy's Merlot 2004 (yan, di na OT). It was decent enough, but now I know what to do to make it better next time. Now my LDL level is way above normal! hehehe

 

Hope you guys are ok! Cheers!

 

Storm,

So sorry about your car. It's good that you're ok. BTW, where's your sculpture located? Can we see it?

 

Our home is lucky coz electricity came back about 6pm the same day. Minimal damage in our village.

 

The sculpture is opposite Net One, McDonald's and One McKinley. The unveiling is scheduled on Tuesday, Oct. 10 at 9 am sharp.

 

I think there's Montgras too at Shopwise. Otherwise, there might be some at Unimart or Makati Supermart.

Sorry to hear about your car - I hope that was not the SUV ha. Anyway I also read that the area there - Market Market in particular - was nightmarish during Milenyo. Ceiling tiles daw were falling off at the height of the storm..

Do I hear the unveiling on Oct. 10?

 

It's the Astra Wagon.

 

The unveiling is scheduled on Tuesday, Oct. 10 at 9 am sharp.

 

 

 

All of you fellow winos are invited.

[agxo3]

enjoy that weekend, pare. For us here we're just hoping the next typhoons don't come just yet. You know, may pangalan na nga yung mga kasunod eh. The next typhoon according to PAGASA is Ompong, while there are others named as Sibasib, Rapido, etc. Not very encouraging names, I should say

 

Speaking of funny names, that's a downright funny name for the Aussie wine you got. I just hope the Laughing Magpie don't taste funny hehehe.

There are lots of unusual, weird, funny names for wines from all over the world. Some of these are (I'm not making this up, mga pare hehehe):

 

Cleavage Creek - I think drinking this wine may make you focus on a lot of .......he he creeks Not recommended to drink in a bar with many female patrons around

 

Fat Bastard - hmmmm we may sometimes be bastards, but I hope we don't get fat by drinking lots of wines

 

Frogs' Piss - luckily this is a wine, not some beer hehehe...

 

Goats Do Roam - great sense of humor, these guys have - a hilarious intro to French wines?

 

Cardinal Zin - pareng agxo, I think this is an American wine...might give Mompo some stiff competition

 

Cat's Leap - hahahahaha! I think this is for those who can't afford that Stag's Leap - aba mahusay din yatang tumalon ang mga pusa....

 

Unpronounceable Grape - now this is really socking them up to the French

 

.........marami pa eh. maybe I'll list them down next time hehehe

 

have a great day all you winos out there!

 

I've had a couple of those wines!

 

I have a Cleavage Creek in my wine fridge, courtesy of my brother who brought it over the the last July 4th bad wine contest, but we never got aroudn to the contest! We were having too much fun with the good stuff!

 

I've had a couple of the Fat Bastard wines - I like their syrah the best.

 

Cardinal Zin is from Bonny Doon in the Santa Cruz mountains that separate the south Bay (San jose, Los Gatos, etc) from Santa Cruz and the coastline. They hav some really weird names for wines - for example:

Domaine des Blagueurs Syrah-Sirrah, 2004

Il Circo Moscato D'Asti "Il Giocolere", 2005

Il Circo: Erbaluce di Caluso "La Funambola", 2004

Il Circo: Ruche "La Donna Cannone", 2003

Il Circo: Uva di Troia "La Violetta", 2002

Madiran Heart of Darkness, 2003

Critique of Pure Riesling, 2004

Heart has its Rieslings, 2005

 

A Lodi winery also has the 7 Deadly Zins.

 

I've also had a Toad Hollow, and a Red Truck. they do get creative with those wine labels!

 

This weekend didn't go as I planned, so no brisket today. that also means no Laughing Magpie either! But we had sea scallops (large ones as opposed to bay scallops which are pretty small). Seared ina really hot pan. Deglazed the pan with a goooood white wine (Coppola's 2004 Chardonnay Dijon Clone) with some butter to finish off the sauce. Mmmmmmm......But next week is brisket week! I hope.....

 

Hey Storm! Sorry to hear about your car! Insurance??? And congrats on your scuplture. too bad I won't get to be at the unveiling but I promise to go see it when we're there in November!

[bods1000]

Our home is lucky coz electricity came back about 6pm the same day. Minimal damage in our village.

 

The sculpture is opposite Net One, McDonald's and One McKinley. The unveiling is scheduled on Tuesday, Oct. 10 at 9 am sharp.

It's the Astra Wagon.

 

The unveiling is scheduled on Tuesday, Oct. 10 at 9 am sharp.

All of you fellow winos are invited.

 

pare I hope the unveiling was a big success - can't wait to see it

Hats off to you, pare - you're now big-league :thumbsupsmiley:

[bods1000]

I've had a couple of those wines!

 

I have a Cleavage Creek in my wine fridge, courtesy of my brother who brought it over the the last July 4th bad wine contest, but we never got aroudn to the contest! We were having too much fun with the good stuff!

 

I've had a couple of the Fat Bastard wines - I like their syrah the best.

 

Cardinal Zin is from Bonny Doon in the Santa Cruz mountains that separate the south Bay (San jose, Los Gatos, etc) from Santa Cruz and the coastline. They hav some really weird names for wines - for example:

Domaine des Blagueurs Syrah-Sirrah, 2004

Il Circo Moscato D'Asti "Il Giocolere", 2005

Il Circo: Erbaluce di Caluso "La Funambola", 2004

Il Circo: Ruche "La Donna Cannone", 2003

Il Circo: Uva di Troia "La Violetta", 2002

Madiran Heart of Darkness, 2003

Critique of Pure Riesling, 2004

Heart has its Rieslings, 2005

 

A Lodi winery also has the 7 Deadly Zins.

 

I've also had a Toad Hollow, and a Red Truck. they do get creative with those wine labels!

 

This weekend didn't go as I planned, so no brisket today. that also means no Laughing Magpie either! But we had sea scallops (large ones as opposed to bay scallops which are pretty small). Seared ina really hot pan. Deglazed the pan with a goooood white wine (Coppola's 2004 Chardonnay Dijon Clone) with some butter to finish off the sauce. Mmmmmmm......But next week is brisket week! I hope.....

 

Hey Storm! Sorry to hear about your car! Insurance??? And congrats on your scuplture. too bad I won't get to be at the unveiling but I promise to go see it when we're there in November!

 

I love that Critique and that Heart

As for me I've only had Bear Crossing, Madfish, Yellowtail....yung Red Belly nandun pa kay pareng masi

[agxo3]

I love that Critique and that Heart

As for me I've only had Bear Crossing, Madfish, Yellowtail....yung Red Belly nandun pa kay pareng masi

Heart of Darkness is now on sale for $60 a case!!!! What a deal!!! Thinking of splitting a case with a freidn at work - he's off checkng it out this weekend.

 

I just had a friend an his wife and daughter over for dinner. We had 2 and half bottle for dinner - just me, Dan and Erica (his daugher). A '97 Retzlaff merlot (nice! blackberries and a bit of smoke. Restrained tannins and a lot of fruit.). A 2000 Fenestra Petite Sirah. wow!!! Should have held it another year!! And a 2004 Laughing Magpie - shiraz/viognier blend. Weird wine. Viognier on the nose, shiraz/syrah on the palate. A bit schizoid but as it was our third bottle it was enjoyable nonetheless!

 

I had all that with a nice beef brisket that spent 8 hours on my smoker. Wow! Tender, flavorful, something that even a Texan would enjoy!!! Marinated ovenight with a dry rub of paprika, cayenne and dried chili peppers, some garlic powder, some sea salt and some fresh ground black pepper; then smoked at 200 deg F (100 deg C) for 8 hours, hitting it every hour with a "mop" of beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne pepper powder, fresh ground pepper, olive oil. Finished off with a sauce of tomoto puree, pineapple juice, brown sugar, cayenne pepper powder, garlic and onion powder, minced garlic, and "liquid smoke". Didn't need the liquid smoke - I smoked the meat with cherry and pecan woods.

 

Served with macaroni and cheese made with sharp cheddar and mild fontina cheese and finished off with a white truffle olive oil. Wow......Plum tomatoes with basil and fresh mozzarella cheese drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar for the appetizer. Some corn bread for those who wanted another carb. Apple and pumpkin pie for dessert......A nice dinner, and a good time was had by all.......

 

Too bad the Raiders lost, the 49ers lost and the A's went down in flames.... and the Sharks lost, too!!! A bad weekend for Bay Area sports but a great night for this household's dinner!!!!

Edited October 16, 2006 by agxo3

[bods1000]

Heart of Darkness is now on sale for $60 a case!!!! What a deal!!! Thinking of splitting a case with a freidn at work - he's off checkng it out this weekend.

 

I just had a friend an his wife and daughter over for dinner. We had 2 and half bottle for dinner - just me, Dan and Erica (his daugher). A '97 Retzlaff merlot (nice! blackberries and a bit of smoke. Restrained tannins and a lot of fruit.). A 2000 Fenestra Petite Sirah. wow!!! Should have held it another year!! And a 2004 Laughing Magpie - shiraz/viognier blend. Weird wine. Viognier on the nose, shiraz/syrah on the palate. A bit schizoid but as it was our third bottle it was enjoyable nonetheless!

 

I had all that with a nice beef brisket that spent 8 hours on my smoker. Wow! Tender, flavorful, something that even a Texan would enjoy!!! Marinated ovenight with a dry rub of paprika, cayenne and dried chili peppers, some garlic powder, some sea salt and some fresh ground black pepper; then smoked at 200 deg F (100 deg C) for 8 hours, hitting it every hour with a "mop" of beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne pepper powder, fresh ground pepper, olive oil. Finished off with a sauce of tomoto puree, pineapple juice, brown sugar, cayenne pepper powder, garlic and onion powder, minced garlic, and "liquid smoke". Didn't need the liquid smoke - I smoked the meat with cherry and pecan woods.

 

Served with macaroni and cheese made with sharp cheddar and mild fontina cheese and finished off with a white truffle olive oil. Wow......Plum tomatoes with basil and fresh mozzarella cheese drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar for the appetizer. Some corn bread for those who wanted another carb. Apple and pumpkin pie for dessert......A nice dinner, and a good time was had by all.......

 

Too bad the Raiders lost, the 49ers lost and the A's went down in flames.... and the Sharks lost, too!!! A bad weekend for Bay Area sports but a great night for this household's dinner!!!!

 

I think that's the reverse of "when it rains, it pours" Never was aware that those other Bay Area teams lost games on the weekend. Was just following the Major Leagues here and I think it was sweet justice for the A's, having swept the Minnesota Twins earlier - a team I love since the 70's And not only the Bay Area, pare, but all the California baseball teams have been swept out of the playoffs - the LA Dodgers who were beaten by ST' Louis (?), and the San Diego Padres who were ousted by the New York Mets wow when it rains it pours. Good thing California wines still haven't gone the way of those Major League teams, judging by the way you again describe that Retzlaff - yummy!