Wine-savvy

[bods1000]

is that really the name, two-buck chuck? who's the maker? i'm interested coz the gourmet food and wine show i'm going to will feature wines from california region so might as well check that out...hmmnnn interesting name though :cool:

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

hello there!

ok here's the lowdown on Two-Buck Chuck...

 

The formal name of the wine is Charles Shaw wine and it comes in several varietals- shiraz, cabernet sauvignon, merlot, chardonnay and sauvignon blanc. It's called Two-Buck Chuck because it sells for only $1.99 at Trader Joe's stores across the US. Actually the price varies from $1.99 to $3.99, depending on location.

Charles Shaw is an easy-drinking table wine sold exclusively at Trader Joe's stores. For it's humble price, the buzz is that it's quite passable and good...

[Spurt]

Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou 2001

hey, bods... wassup.... we got new wines on the list, is it ok to share, i'm not so sure if anyone is distributing it here na. just got back from hk.

ano? busy busy no? hey, i've read the post above, is it ok to decanter wines?

 

Chateau Lynch Bages 2001

Chateau Pichon Lalande 2001

Reserve de la Comtesse 2001

Chateau Leoville Las Cases 2001

Chateau Cos d’Estournel 2001

Chateau Leoville Barton 2001

Chateau Canon la Gaffeliere 2001

Chateau Monbousquet 2001

Angelique de Monbousquet 2001

Chateau Pontet Canet 2001

Les Hauts de Pontet Canet 2001

Chateau Lagrange 2001

Les Fiefs de Lagrange 2001

Chateau d’Armailhac 2001

Chateau Branaire Ducru 2001

Heritage de Chasse Spleen 2001

Seigneurs d’Aiguilhe 2002

Blason de l’Evangile 2001

Chateau la Gurgue 2001

Clos de Marquis 2001

Chateau La Fleur Morange 2001

[masi]

my take on decanting wines is that its alright when you do not have time to let the wine breathe especially when entertaining guest and you suddenly have to open another bottle.

 

decanting would make the wine anonymous.

 

i think decanting is a personal choice... just like when smoking a cigar, whether to keep the band or remove it.

[Headroom]

Welcome to the thread, pare!

Well I do think that wine cannot be priced here very high - that's in order to capture the market - which here is still predominantly beer and spirits oriented.

I myself cannot sell my wines equal to their retail prices in Oz because I can see that if I will do that I will be pricing my wines beyond the reach of the otherwise clueless winebuyers here. From what country are you, if you don't mind?

 

The tendency to sell cheap here leads to the presence of cheap (in the sense of awful) wines which flood the market. I'm sure if a wine is good, there is a market here for even those expensive wines. My top-of-the-line wine - yun pa ang unang nauubos sa akin because I have a devoted clientele who always awaits every vintage of that wine.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Hi there Mate,

 

I am an Aussie - have been working here for a number of years.

 

Grew up drinking wine as it was on our dinner table almost every night and as I grew up in an Australian town that has the same climate as Manila when my parents built a house they included a large cold room to store their wines in. They are also shareholders in several winerys throughout Australia.

 

Means I always have a number of good wine sessions with my Dad when I go home for holidays.

 

Agree with the fact that you would price yourself out of the local market if you charged Australian retail prices here. What Australian wine are you selling in Manila?

 

Speaking of awful wines I was at a wine and cheese night a couple of weeks ago and tried one from Russia - no good at all.

[Headroom]

The old Two Buck Chuck sounds like what we call goon in Australia.

 

Cheap wines that come in 5 litre casks - good for table wine if you are not right into wine and also good when you are a poor university students as it is a cheap way to get drunk - about the equivalent of Pesos 500.

[limpbwisit]

well, if you are looking for cheap wines, try Carlo Rossi... quite good for its price.

[bods1000]

Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou 2001

hey, bods... wassup.... we got new wines on the list, is it ok to share, i'm not so sure if anyone is distributing it here na. just got back from hk.

ano? busy busy no? hey, i've read the post above, is it ok to decanter wines?

 

Chateau Lynch Bages 2001 

Chateau Pichon Lalande 2001         

Reserve de la Comtesse 2001   

Chateau Leoville Las Cases 2001

Chateau Cos d’Estournel 2001

Chateau Leoville Barton 2001

Chateau Canon la Gaffeliere 2001

Chateau Monbousquet 2001

Angelique de Monbousquet 2001

Chateau Pontet Canet 2001

Les Hauts de Pontet Canet 2001

Chateau Lagrange 2001

Les Fiefs de Lagrange 2001

Chateau d’Armailhac 2001

Chateau Branaire Ducru 2001

Heritage de Chasse Spleen 2001

Seigneurs d’Aiguilhe 2002

Blason de l’Evangile 2001

Chateau la Gurgue 2001

Clos de Marquis 2001

Chateau La Fleur Morange 2001

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

pare kaya pala all silent dyan - wala ka na naman dito hehehe...

Can we make it next week, pare - hindi na natuloy-tuloy

Let's have a taste of the wines you listed.....

[bods1000]

my take on decanting wines is that its alright when you do not have time to let the wine breathe especially when entertaining guest and you suddenly have to open another bottle.

 

decanting would make the wine anonymous.

 

i think decanting is a personal choice... just like when smoking a cigar, whether to keep the band or remove it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

pare can you give us a more detailed description of decanting...I myself don't do it

[bods1000]

Hi there Mate,

 

I am an Aussie - have been working here for a number of years.

 

Grew up drinking wine as it was on our dinner table almost every night and as I grew up in an Australian town that has the same climate as Manila when my parents built a house they included a large cold room to store their wines in. They are also shareholders in several winerys throughout Australia.

 

Means I always have a number of good wine sessions with my Dad when I go home for holidays.

 

Agree with the fact that you would price yourself out of the local market if you charged Australian retail prices here. What Australian wine are you selling in Manila?

 

Speaking of awful wines I was at a wine and cheese night a couple of weeks ago and tried one from Russia - no good at all.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

we are honored to have you here, matey - and I'm quite excited your family is a stakeholder in some wineries...

 

My wine comes from a small - you can consider it a boutique - winery, in Western Australia. Margaret River, to be exact. PM you the details.

Didn't know Russians made wine

 

I bought a Bulgarian wine a week ago and it also tasted awful....maybe they should stick to making vodka.....

[bods1000]

The old Two Buck Chuck sounds like what we call goon in Australia.

 

Cheap wines that come in 5 litre casks - good for table wine if you are not right into wine and also good when you are a poor university students as it is a cheap way to get drunk - about the equivalent of Pesos 500.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

this is the first time I heard about a goon - but that's pretty cheap - considering it's 5 liters. But it's still cheap wines for me now when I like to get drunk

The Two-Buck Chuck is quite new in States - and it's creating quite a buzz....

Sayang it's not available here.....

[freakish]

i am trying to read more about wines and i came across this article on my ISP's website...just want to share:

 

WINE 101

5 tips for serving it right

By Liza Finlay

First published in Chatelaine.com's September 2002 issue.

© Rogers Publishing Ltd.

 

1.Perhaps the most misleading area in wine world is that you must serve white wine with poultry and seafood, and red with meat and game. A better rule of thumb is to match the wine to the sauce in the dish being served. A chicken dressed with a heavy Merlot sauce or a sea bass coated with chestnut might be better accompanied by a red. Similarly, veal served with a light citrus sauce would be delicious with a crisp white or red. Still confused? If the sauce or dressing is robust, go with a red. If it's more delicate, try a white.

 

 

2.The multitudinous varietals of wines can instill panic in neophytes. Roughly, reds can be divided into three broad categories: light-bodied, medium-bodied and full-bodied. Gamay is often made into a light red, Pinot Noirs are a good example of a medium red, while Shiraz wines are favourite full-bodied reds. It's a good idea to serve the lighter wines at the start of a meal, saving the more voluptuous reds for the end, as their effect on the palette can be powerful.

 

 

3.So what about the Baby Duck? Well, that's probably not the best choice, but "off-dries" do have a place in the most discerning wine cellars. Off-dries, which have a sugar content of 0 to 2, are wonderful served with Indian, Asian and spicy foods. Many of the best Rieslings, for example, are wonderful companions to cheese, shrimp, oysters or other hors d'oeuvres.

 

 

4.There are a number of New World wines, made in emerging wine regions, which represent great taste at great value. Australia, New Zealand, Chile and South Africa have produced exemplary wines in the last half-decade. Australia is noted for its Shiraz wines, which are full-bodied. New Zealand has garnered a rep*tation for beautiful Sauvignon Blancs, a typical passion fruit or grassy, white wine.

 

 

5.Canada is renowned for its ice wines, so called because they are picked when the grape is frozen on the vine and the water within the grape has crystallized. Always a very sweet wine, ice wines are wonderful on their own or with dessert.

 

 

 

speaking of Ice wine...heard from a sommelier that in the Niagara region there is a waitlist on volunteers for picking frozen grapes. seems people can't pass up the chance to have that experience (whew, negative temperature, i must be crazy to work outside, at night and for free!!) :cool:

[bods1000]

i am trying to read more about wines and i came across this article on my ISP's website...just want to share:

 

WINE 101

5 tips for serving it right

By Liza Finlay

First published in Chatelaine.com's September 2002 issue.

© Rogers Publishing Ltd.

 

1.Perhaps the most misleading area in wine world is that you must serve white wine with poultry and seafood, and red with meat and game. A better rule of thumb is to match the wine to the sauce in the dish being served. A chicken dressed with a heavy Merlot sauce or a sea bass coated with chestnut might be better accompanied by a red. Similarly, veal served with a light citrus sauce would be delicious with a crisp white or red. Still confused? If the sauce or dressing is robust, go with a red. If it's more delicate, try a white.

 

 

2.The multitudinous varietals of wines can instill panic in neophytes. Roughly, reds can be divided into three broad categories: light-bodied, medium-bodied and full-bodied. Gamay is often made into a light red, Pinot Noirs are a good example of a medium red, while Shiraz wines are favourite full-bodied reds. It's a good idea to serve the lighter wines at the start of a meal, saving the more voluptuous reds for the end, as their effect on the palette can be powerful.

 

 

3.So what about the Baby Duck? Well, that's probably not the best choice, but "off-dries" do have a place in the most discerning wine cellars. Off-dries, which have a sugar content of 0 to 2, are wonderful served with Indian, Asian and spicy foods. Many of the best Rieslings, for example, are wonderful companions to cheese, shrimp, oysters or other hors d'oeuvres.

 

 

4.There are a number of New World wines, made in emerging wine regions, which represent great taste at great value. Australia, New Zealand, Chile and South Africa have produced exemplary wines in the last half-decade. Australia is noted for its Shiraz wines, which are full-bodied. New Zealand has garnered a rep*tation for beautiful Sauvignon Blancs, a typical passion fruit or grassy, white wine.

 

 

5.Canada is renowned for its ice wines, so called because they are picked when the grape is frozen on the vine and the water within the grape has crystallized. Always a very sweet wine, ice wines are wonderful on their own or with dessert.

speaking of Ice wine...heard from a sommelier that in the Niagara region there is a waitlist on volunteers for picking frozen grapes. seems people can't pass up the chance to have that experience (whew, negative temperature, i must be crazy to work outside, at night and for free!!) :cool: 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

well I'd gladly pick grapes for free - freezing weather or not

Ever since being into wine, I've always had that dream of working in a vineyard, or studying viticulture, of being an apprentice in the cellar hehehe. i've always dreamed of my principal sponsoring an Aussie trip for me, oh well....

That's a nice contribution, ms. freakish...It seems we can never run out of things to know about the wine world - everyday it seems there's something new to discover.

I've also come across that info about the sauce being a primary factor in pairing food with a certain wine and I think it's high time we disabuse ourselves with this red meat/red wine white meat/white wine thing. But what the heck - whatever suits our fancy pwede na siguro. As i said at the start if you want to put ice on your wine go ahead - as long as you get to drink wine. Later on, the palate will begin to discriminate naman eh...

 

I like that term - voluptuous reds hehehe...

 

Cheers! A nice day to you.....

[sally bogna mathay]

a bit off topic, but part of the good life ???

 

in the days of the caliphs in the middle east, the hookah was used for smoking hash...it's like your waterpipe, but more ornately designed and sometimes made of silver...picture it like a tall teapot..there is a hose or a straw connected to it where one inhales the smoke through the mouth...during the time of the romans, it is said that the warriors smoked so much dope to make them fiercer as they prepared for the next battle...

 

the qat is a leaf from a plant also called as such...yes, the practice of chewing qat is prevalent among the tribes in yemen...it is usually done after meals, before tea or during celebrations (weddings, feasts)...men gather in a circle and take out their small cloth or leather pouches, select the choice leaves and start chewing...to slake the resulting thirst, the host serves small cups of sweet mint tea...depending on one's metabolism, the effect is said to range from mildly hallucinogenic to downright dope-like!...

[bods1000]

a bit off topic, but part of the good life ???

 

in the days of the caliphs in the middle east, the hookah was used for smoking hash...it's like your waterpipe, but more ornately designed and sometimes made of silver...picture it like a tall teapot..there is a hose or a straw connected to it where one inhales the smoke through the mouth...during the time of the romans, it is said that the warriors smoked so much dope to make them fiercer as they prepared for the next battle...

 

the qat is a leaf from a plant also called as such...yes, the practice of chewing qat is prevalent among the tribes in yemen...it is usually done after meals, before tea or during celebrations (weddings, feasts)...men gather in a circle and take out their small cloth or leather pouches, select the choice leaves and start chewing...to slake the resulting thirst, the host serves small cups of sweet mint tea...depending on one's metabolism, the effect is said to range from mildly hallucinogenic to downright dope-like!...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

pareng sally, nice to see you here, and what a contribution!

I guess that's why Baghdad fell from its lofty perch - maybe the caliphs were smoking too much hookah

I first heard of qat from a travel book by a fellow who wandered up and down Yemen and Ethiopia - surely not the first places that come to mind when you think of travelling....

 

Ok can anybody here give some tidbits about ...........opium hehehe nasa mga exotic naman tayo eh...

Has anybody heard about that fantastic drink enjoyed in some South Pacific isles -kava?

[masi]

pare can you give us a more detailed description of decanting...I myself don't do it

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

the process of decanting is merely transferring the contents of a newly opened bottle of red wine (just for red) to a crystal decanter, which usually has a wide bottom.

 

decanting aids in the "breathing" of the wine.

 

again, decanting is a personal choice. i sometimes decant my wines but more often i just pour it from the bottle.

 

this is "my" process for decanting. making sure that the decanter is clean and dry i leave it in the same place with the wine i'm going to open. this ensures that the environment (temperature, humidity, etc.) is the same. after opening the bottle and going through the testing routine, i then pour as small amount of wine in the decanter.

 

i "stir" the wine making sure that all the areas of the decanter are touched by the wine. this way the inside of the decanter adopts to the flavor of the wine.

 

having done that, i now pour the contents of the bottle to the decanter, slowly.

 

then you can start enjoying the wine without having to wait for the breathing time.

 

other reasons for decanting... is that you want the wine you serve to guests to remain anonymous since your guest wont see the label.

 

enjoy and have a good weekend.

[caloy76]

i had just a fill of champagne yesterday..its really good with strawberries pala.

[masi]

i had just a fill of champagne yesterday..its really good with strawberries pala.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

 

were you with a date? this is a very sexy drink.... it's either you were seducing your date or your date was seducing you....

 

have a nice day..

[sally bogna mathay]

i had just a fill of champagne yesterday..its really good with strawberries pala.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

pare, it is even better with peaches...use a brandy snifter and fill it about half with your favorite champagne and drop a peach halve...

[sally bogna mathay]

more notes on the good life (opium/cocaine)

 

they say the best opium is grown in the golden triangle (the area were the borders of thailand, laos and myanmar meet) and the golden crescent (the area where the borders of afghanistan, iran and pakistan converge)...the plant is known as the poppy...the sticky resin is the pure opium which is them processed by the addition of several chemicals and further refined into what we know as heroin

 

in every country where there is a large chinese population, there will always be an opium den...remember the father of maria clara who drowned his sorrows by smoking opium after finding out that padre damaso was the one who sired her?

 

today, antique opium pipes are much sought after by collectors willing to pay any price...the most valued ones are those made of ivory...here in bkk, there is one bar on sukhumvit soi 33 where the owner has his collection (about 30) displayed on a wall...

 

cocaine comes from the coca plant that grows aboundantly in the andes...its history dates back to the time of the incas in south america, particularly peru...it was the job of the foot soldiers to buy fish from the lowlands and deliver it to their chiefs who lived high up in the mountains (machhu pichhu was one settlement)...the travel by foot was laborious, since the trails were narrow and rocky...to alleviate the drudgery, boredom and hunger, these low-ranking individuals sometimes rested and chewed the coca leaf...after a while they found renewed energy to continue climbing...

[bods1000]

the process of decanting is merely transferring the contents of a newly opened bottle of red wine (just for red) to a crystal decanter, which usually has a wide bottom.

 

decanting aids in the "breathing" of the wine.

 

again, decanting is a personal choice.  i sometimes decant my wines but more often i just pour it from the bottle.

 

this is "my" process for decanting.  making sure that the decanter is clean and dry i leave it in the same place with the wine i'm going to open. this ensures that the environment (temperature, humidity, etc.) is the same.  after opening the bottle and going through the testing routine, i then pour as small amount of wine in the decanter.

 

i "stir" the wine making sure that all the areas of the decanter are touched by the wine.  this way the inside of the decanter adopts to the flavor of the wine.

 

having done that, i now pour the contents of the bottle to the decanter, slowly.

 

then you can start enjoying the wine without having to wait for the breathing time.

 

other reasons for decanting... is that you want the wine you serve to guests to remain anonymous since your guest wont see the label.

 

enjoy and have a good weekend.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

thanks a lot - I thought decanting was to get rid of any sediment in the wine.

Also that's a nice tip - to keep the wine anonymous to finicky guests hehehe

[bods1000]

more notes on the good life (opium/cocaine)

 

they say the best opium is grown in the golden triangle (the area were the borders of thailand, laos and myanmar meet) and the golden crescent (the area where the borders of afghanistan, iran and pakistan converge)...the plant is known as the poppy...the sticky resin is the pure opium which is them processed by the addition of several chemicals and further refined into what we know as heroin

 

in every country where there is a large chinese population, there will always be an opium den...remember the father of maria clara who drowned his sorrows by smoking opium after finding out that padre damaso was the one who sired her?

 

today, antique opium pipes are much sought after by collectors willing to pay any price...the most valued ones are those made of ivory...here in bkk, there is one bar on sukhumvit soi 33 where the owner has his collection (about 30) displayed on a wall...

 

cocaine comes from the coca plant that grows aboundantly in the andes...its history dates back to the time of the incas in south america, particularly peru...it was the job of the foot soldiers to buy fish from the lowlands and deliver it to their chiefs who lived high up in the mountains (machhu pichhu was one settlement)...the travel by foot was laborious, since the trails were narrow and rocky...to alleviate the drudgery, boredom and hunger, these low-ranking individuals sometimes rested and chewed the coca leaf...after a while they found renewed energy to continue climbing...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Up to the early years of the 20th century, were opium dens legal? And are there still some today?

So that's where heroin comes from - thanks a lot, pare!

Is it true that Coca-Cola has a little bit of coca in it Parang I read something to that effect....

Anybody here know anything about kava?

[cebucitylocal]

Kava-A mildly narcotic drink that relaxes you.Popular in Fiji

[bods1000]

Kava-A mildly narcotic drink that relaxes you.Popular in Fiji

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

ay pare tama ka dyan hehehe....looks like you're staying away from those Chinese wines now Kava is popular in some South Pacific isles - and not only does it relax you - it also has a severe hallucinogenic effect....

[caloy76]

pare, it is even better with peaches...use a brandy snifter and fill it about half with your favorite champagne and drop a peach halve...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

mmmm.... I will definitely try it next time. Thanks!

[bods1000]

Some notes on kava:

 

It comes from the roots of the kava plant found in Fiji, Vanuatu and Tonga. The roots are broken off and then stewed to make a brew. The best comes from

Tannu island in Vanuatu - the roots, instead of being stewed, are CHEWED by professional kava chewers. The resulting blob - complete with saliva, masticated roots and what-have-you - are then spat on banana leaves and slurped directly from there!

 

Kava is drank ceremonially. Men sit cross-legged around a huge kava pot and the liquid is ladled from a coconut shell and drank directly from the shell. YOU CANNOT DRINK KAVA STANDING OR SITTING DOWN. The liquid is the color of dishwater and they say the taste is revolting - nothing alcoholic to it. Think of drinking mouthwash with some mud added to it. There's a mild afterburn and the feeling is that of taking Novocaine.

 

With the first shell of kava, the lips go numb and the tongue gets furry. The second deadens the tongue and kills the facial nerves. Successive shells paralyze the legs, starting with the toes then goes up to the shanks.

 

Kava is a good, safe drink. It saps your energy and makes you sleepy and tired. You go first through a giggly stage, then a staggering stage, then complete paralysis.