Wine-savvy

[bods1000]

Welcome back or are you still discovering new territories

 

New territories in alcohol?

 

Very much in the hunt. In rhum, i haven't tasted anything better than that Diplomatico. In vodka, nothing still compares to Tito's Handmade Vodka, straight from Austin, Texas! I'd like to get my dry throat on that gin of yours. I can't find it anywhere here. In wines, been leaning towards malbecs and carmeneres these past few weeks, but nothing really special. Just those everyday-drinking Los Cardos. I find that South Americans are quite limited here. Same old brands I see.

 

So there. And yes, I'm taking quite a liking to this Bacardi Black. So pedestrian, but hey, the smell alone makes me fondly remember my dear grandpa, who never went to bed without some late night alcohol in his bloodstream. And he lived to a ripe old age of 84. Not bad. lol!

 

Cheers everyone! Share share!

[masi]

New territories in alcohol?

 

Very much in the hunt. In rhum, i haven't tasted anything better than that Diplomatico. In vodka, nothing still compares to Tito's Handmade Vodka, straight from Austin, Texas! I'd like to get my dry throat on that gin of yours. I can't find it anywhere here. In wines, been leaning towards malbecs and carmeneres these past few weeks, but nothing really special. Just those everyday-drinking Los Cardos. I find that South Americans are quite limited here. Same old brands I see.

 

So there. And yes, I'm taking quite a liking to this Bacardi Black. So pedestrian, but hey, the smell alone makes me fondly remember my dear grandpa, who never went to bed without some late night alcohol in his bloodstream. And he lived to a ripe old age of 84. Not bad. lol!

 

Cheers everyone! Share share!

When you get back, I'll have you taste the gin with some orange juice. You can bring your "pirate" friend too.

 

Safe travels, my friend!

Edited August 13, 2016 by masi

[lowrider]

Any good bang-for-the-buck ones we have locally that you like to recommend?

 

My go-to now is the spanish rioja PROXIMO, i source mine from S&R , nothing too bold and is easliy liked by most friends

[ilukaok]

been drinking pinot grigio lately.....

[masi]

Silver Buckle 2014 Central Coast, Red Blend -- spiciness was outstanding. Didn't realize it until I read the winemaker's notes.

[tonytony098]

Yellow tail

[agxo3]

Cabs go well with a mild blue cheese. Or. A good (real French) Brie or a Crottin de chavignol. Or maybe even an aged Gouda.

 

Don't know much about Aussie wines. With all the local wines here no reason to go far afield excep for some premium Old World wines.[/quote

 

 

Funny...you think you know cheese Google it Gouda cheese are like cheedar cheese di yan pang wine look up Swiss gruyere..World known.. matches with white wine..I live in Zurich.. Try Spanish/Argentinien wine has body...Google it for your proper knowledge

 

Google isn't the end all and be all of information.

 

It's all about taste. If it works for you, good, if not, no one is forcing you. Yes, gouda is much like cheddar. But not all cheddars, and not all goudas are created equal. An aged gouda can be quite nutty while remaining sharp, so it CAN go with a bold red.

 

There's only one rule, if you like it, go for it. If not, don't. Who says red wines don't go with fish? Or whites not with red meats? A dogmatic approach to anything food will limit your enjoyment. Proper knowledge? Only for those with no imagination.

 

On another note -

 

I went exploring a week or so ago in an area i haven't visited in almost 15 years. Paso Robles. It has changed! Where there were 30-40 wineries, now there are over a hundred.

 

Visited only a few in search of a good Paso Robles pinot.

 

Tobin James - good (not great) wine at a very affordable price point. Bang for the buck.

 

Hug - very limited wine selection (and production). For me that's a good thing. It means they concentrate on doing what they do well. Wonderful pinots - soft tannins, dried red cherries, cedar, and just a hint of muchsrooms. No barnyard but very clearly a pinot,with all,the complexity and character you'd expect. More Burgundian in style than Californian.

 

Windward - all they do is pinots. Nothing else. Same comment as at Hug - they do one thing and do it well. Mid-range price point and well worth the money.

 

Re-find - not a winery, a distillery. They take the second run grape juice, the.must, and even the seeds and stems, press one more time, then ferment and distill. They make what they call a vodka and a gin. The vodka is much like a grappa in character, but more neutral. The gin is redolent of,juniper berries and local herbs. Then there's the aged vodka. In a blind tasting you might even be tempted to call it a whiskey. You get the wood - mostly oak - and toast notes. There's a hint of sweetness (I think because it's grape-baed).

 

Come Christmas, i will be tasting the aged vodka against the Cuban rums I brought home, both neat and in what I've started calling a Rumhattan - a Manhattan made with dark rum, and a Cubanito - think Bloody Mary but think rum.

Edited November 28, 2016 by agxo3

[bods1000]

ame="sprensenbuhl" post="10515905" timestamp="1466444112"]

 

Google isn't the end all and be all of information.

 

It's all about taste. If it works for you, good, if not, no one is forcing you. Yes, gouda is much like cheddar. But not all cheddars, and not all goudas are created equal. An aged gouda can be quite nutty while remaining sharp, so it CAN go with a bold red.

 

There's only one rule, if you like it, go for it. If not, don't. Who says red wines don't go with fish? Or whites not with red meats? A dogmatic approach to anything food will limit your enjoyment. Proper knowledge? Only for those with no imagination.

 

On another note -

 

I went exploring a week or so ago in an area i haven't visited in almost 15 years. Paso Robles. It has changed! Where there were 30-40 wineries, now there are over a hundred.

 

Visited only a few in search of a good Paso Robles pinot.

 

Tobin James - good (not great) wine at a very affordable price point. Bang for the buck.

 

Hug - very limited wine selection (and production). For me that's a good thing. It means they concentrate on doing what they do well. Wonderful pinots - soft tannins, dried red cherries, cedar, and just a hint of muchsrooms. No barnyard but very clearly a pinot,with all,the complexity and character you'd expect. More Burgundian in style than Californian.

 

Windward - all they do is pinots. Nothing else. Same comment as at Hug - they do one thing and do it well. Mid-range price point and well worth the money.

 

Re-find - not a winery, a distillery. They take the second run grape juice, the.must, and even the seeds and stems, press one more time, then ferment and distill. They make what they call a vodka and a gin. The vodka is much like a grappa in character, but more neutral. The gin is redolent of,juniper berries and local herbs. Then there's the aged vodka. In a blind tasting you might even be tempted to call it a whiskey. You get the wood - mostly oak - and toast notes. There's a hint of sweetness (I think because it's grape-baed).

 

Come Christmas, i will be tasting the aged vodka against the Cuban rums I brought home, both neat and in what I've started calling a Rumhattan - a Manhattan made with dark rum, and a Cubanito - think Bloody Mary but think rum.

 

Good to see you back! and yes, there are a lot of trolls here. all they do is make provocative statements. as if he knows you that well to go head-to-head in a cheese challenge.

 

I'm curious about those Cuban rums you brought back. And hey, was that the trip you were talking about? Good for you and your pals. Fidel is dead but I don't know if it's for good or bad, for our rums and cigars, that is. hehe.

 

Regarding that Re-find gin that is redolent of juniper berries, i'm also now in the habit of taking a sip every now and then of our local Ginebra Premium Gin lol! It says it has juniper berries. I can't vouch for the veracity of that claim, but it's a good and aromatic drinking. Light on the palate and buzzes you good, as buzzes go.

 

In wines now I now find myself going lately for the South Americans - Chilean carmeneres and Argentine malbecs. I just find them more agreeable and pleasant now than all those Aussies I had before. But that's just a personal whim. Baka mag-react na naman mga trolls dito.

 

cheers! and on an end-note, I saw this old James Thurber cartoon in the New Yorker with this caption:

 

"It's a naive domestic Burgundy without any breeding, but I think you'll be amused by its presumption."

[itikbitik]

I will have red with cioppino(fish). And I will have a red with a smoked gouda and cheddar for that matter. Who says there has to be rules.

 

@boods1000

 

My dad just came back from the Philippines and brought me Don Papa rum from Bacolod. I swear it will give Diplomatico and the really good Cuban rums a run for their money. The flavors are not entirely complex but very smooth and pleasant. Very strong vanilla and caramel notes with for me a coffee berry after taste. It would be sacrilege to have this with a mixer other than just ice. At most I will add a splash of ginger ale.

[bods1000]

I will have red with cioppino(fish). And I will have a red with a smoked gouda and cheddar for that matter. Who says there has to be rules.

 

@boods1000

 

My dad just came back from the Philippines and brought me Don Papa rum from Bacolod. I swear it will give Diplomatico and the really good Cuban rums a run for their money. The flavors are not entirely complex but very smooth and pleasant. Very strong vanilla and caramel notes with for me a coffee berry after taste. It would be sacrilege to have this with a mixer other than just ice. At most I will add a splash of ginger ale.

 

I haven't actually tasted Don Papa. Thanks for the tip!

 

Maybe I will take home another Diplomatico on my next trip.

 

Have to get reacquainted with it, for research purposes, to see how it squares up with Ddon Papa.

 

Actually, in rums, I have been getting my rocks off on just Bacardi Black. I love its nose - a real alcoholicky scent, which sends me to days gone past and how my grandfather's drinks smell like. lol!

 

Now I believe that the best drink is the drink that brings up faint memories of pleasant days gone by.

 

Cheers!

 

Merry Christmas, everyone!

[shadowx]

hi! may i ask if anyone has an idea if barefoot wines are available in metro manila? or any brand suggestions that is close to its taste? i was able to taste their riesling during a xmas party and it's very refreshing. sadly my friend told me that they bought it from the u.s.

[mister DS]

White wine o red wine?

 

red wine for me

[bods1000]

I'm a sucker for news on health sites.

 

Well yes, tannins in red wine protect against heart disease because it contains procyanidins, whatever they are.

 

And accordingly, wines from southwest France has abundant procyanidins.

 

So back to Google Maps and Fodor France Guidebook. What is southwest France?

 

There it is - the Bordeaux. Should have guessed it right away. The Languedoc region. (I am pretty mystified by the Languedoc as it figures prominently in Holy Blood, Holy Grail, whose original thesis was shamelessly filched by this someone named Dan Brown. I hope he drowns in must).Some other places there.

 

Medoc. Pauillac. Graves. Sauternes. Bergerac. Cahors. St. Emilion. Pomerol. These are the names.

 

Been into French lately. What I do know is that I have noticed that Australian wines have been giving me some bad buzz lately. What is it in those Aussies? Too much sulphites? The particular vintage of late? Bad grapes? HopingOverly technical, therefore bad processing? I don't know.

 

What I also know lately is that the French have been quite forgiving. Not cloying. Sometimes too tannic. (Must be the voluminous procyanidins or whatever they're called?).

 

I am trying to free up some moolah to go upscale with these French wines because those in the lower rungs are an evil puckerish lot.

 

Hoping to taste good in time.

 

Cheers!

Edited March 27, 2017 by bods1000

[Miss'ing]

cabarnet sauvignon And lambrusco

[Orgasm Donor]

Chateau Armallac

[giggle_jiggle]

best for me:

Cabernet Sauvignon

Merlot

Shiraz

from either of these three Argentina, Chile, Australia

[bods1000]

best for me:

Cabernet Sauvignon

Merlot

Shiraz

from either of these three Argentina, Chile, Australia

 

great choices!

 

but whenever I drink a product from any specific country, I make it a point to have the wine grape native to them. So therefore"

 

Argentina - malbecs

 

Chile - carmeneres

 

Australia - shiraz

 

California - zinfandel or cabernet sauvignon

 

South Africa - pinotage

 

Spain - tempranillo

 

New Zealand - not really native to them, but the Kiwis make good pinot noirs. The other great region for pinot noirs is Oregon, in the US.

 

France - the Bordeaux wines

 

Germany/Austria - the rieslings and the gewurtztraminers

 

Anything I missed out?

 

But these are not hard-and-fast rules.

 

Go drink whatever you like best - that is the rule!

 

cheers!

[bods1000]

Chateau Armallac

 

Is that available here, and for how much?

 

I'm still a miser with wines.

 

For the past few weeks, I've been having this Bordeaux called Chateau Bouteilley - reasonably priced and the 14% alcohol being a big factor in buying and drinking it. lol!

 

Just being new with French wines. Any recommendations? Not too expensive, ok? thanks in advance.

[GenaKi]

I have a question: My friend said that you should always remove the wine bag from the box and use it like a bota bag. Ive always been of the firm belief that they built the box the way they did because they want you to keep the bag in the box and use it like a coffee dispenser. Whos right?

[Kevin Kwan]

Anything I missed out?

 

But these are not hard-and-fast rules.

 

Go drink whatever you like best - that is the rule!

 

cheers!

 

 

 

Italy : Montepulciano

Lambrusco

Sangiovese

Edited April 18, 2017 by Kevin Kwan

[Hari ng Spakol]

Robert Giraud wines

 

http://f1.wine-searcher.net/images/labels/30/34/robert-giraud-chateau-timberlay-bordeaux-superieur-france-10483034.jpg

[itikbitik]

Latest haul. Had a few guests over and we head up to Napa and visit some wineries.

 

From Chateau Montelena

 

1 2011 Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

2 2013 Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

2 2014 Napa Valley Chardonnay

 

From Rutherford Hill

 

1 2002 Merlot Reserve

 

From Grgich Estate

 

2 2014 Miljenko's Selection Chardonnay

 

From Elizabeth Spencer Winery

 

2 2016 Pinot Blanc

[Jon_Stargaryen]

Big fan of red. Cabernet Sauvignon forever. Best with old cheese, red meat, or pasta.

For other blends, Offley Tawny Porto from Portugal is really, really good. As well as Chocolate Block from South Africa. Some of the best wines I've had.

[agxo3]

Storm dpent a vouple of days with us. Went to the Napa Valley yesterday and took him and another couple to Inglenook for tasting. We got lucky - great host who took us on a tour og the vineyards and through the caves. Bods, Masi - you really need to come and visit!

[itikbitik]

Speaking of Inglenook. I got 2006 and 2007 Rubicons late last year. Was going to have it for Christmas but my brother brought a couple of 2009 opus ones.