Wine-savvy

[Raintribe]

hi!

how do you say "welcome back" in Icelandic, or whatever their language is :flowers:

Kwento naman jan! For starters, sino kasali dun sa Reykjavik Jazz Fest? hehehe

....and nope, we're not the same old people - we're just older :upside:

 

cheers! tell us about Viking wine, if there are any...

 

walang viking wine dito...too expensive pero i have tried my hand at home brewing a couple of wine kits: a slightly sweet berry wine and a shiraz kit from australlia. The shiraz turned out great but the berry wine was only good for spritzers.

 

bods...walang geting old ek ek for wine lovers...everyone matures fine :-)

[agxo3]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi...0,7131957.story

 

Plastic wine bottles??? Nooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!

[masi]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi...0,7131957.story

 

Plastic wine bottles??? Nooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!

 

 

That would be a step backward! With the glass bottle, cork and paper label, the wine industry complies with environmental standards on recyclability of materials. Of course making the bottle and the paper label leaves a carbon footprint. But don't we all?!

 

 

 

Recently opened a 2005 Estancia Cab Sauv Paso Robles. Smooth but lacking depth in its finish.

[agxo3]

I always like reading your reviews, agxo, since I know next to nothing about wines . I hope to be able to meet you when you're in town this year.

 

Making plans........

 

Hey wineaux! Right now plan is to fly out Nov 26 or 27, return Dec 8 or 10.What are you all doing that timeframe? Anyone up for a wine EBE first weekend I'm there??

 

I'll bring my daughter along unless she decides to go to HK for shopping with wifey and in-laws. She's a wineau just like me! But she's also a foodie first class. Sow e need some GOOD food to go with the wine! Suggestions???

 

Bods, Masi - still have the bottle of bubbly from a couple of years back? I'll try to bring something nice (or three!) to share.

[agxo3]

2007 R & B chardonnay - no oak!!! great acidity, green apples, some straw, a bit of citrus. Very light in color (early harvest?), low alcohol (12%). Great summer quaffer. This may even change my mind about CA chardonnays!

 

Also - picked up a bottle of Txacoli at wine.com in Berkeley last Saturday. A Basque wine - never had it before, have to see what the bizz is all about. Txacoli seems to be the hot new import. To quote the guy @ wine.com - "light white, slight effervescence, reminiscent of an albarinho or dry muscat d'asti". Or, perhaps like that elusive Vouvray I've been seeking? We'll see!

[itikbitik]

@agxo3 I assume you're in the bay area based on where you get your wine. There was this Argentine wine that I got from the Ferry Building. It was like 14 dollars per bottle so I didn't care about which estate made it. One of those bring a bottle and join the party kinda thing. The guy in the store even told me I better stock on it. Taste was so complex that I called it a bastard wine. Predominantly, I think it's Pinot Noir because of the cherry raspberry notes but most of those that tasted it say it has a mix of Tempranillo or Malbec. I went back to the store and the same guy told me it was one of those rare time you get a really good one for the price. In other words they were out of it.

 

Love the Ferry Building. You get your wine, then you move to Chris Cosentino's salumeria for cold cuts, then cheese from cowgirl creamery, then bread from acme, then lunch at Taylor's hehehe In that exact order if you enter the building from the right most wing.

 

I usually get stuff off their wine of the month list so I still have 2 bottle of 2007 Casa Marguery Malbec from last month.

[agxo3]

@agxo3 I assume you're in the bay area based on where you get your wine. There was this Argentine wine that I got from the Ferry Building. It was like 14 dollars per bottle so I didn't care about which estate made it. One of those bring a bottle and join the party kinda thing. The guy in the store even told me I better stock on it. Taste was so complex that I called it a bastard wine. Predominantly, I think it's Pinot Noir because of the cherry raspberry notes but most of those that tasted it say it has a mix of Tempranillo or Malbec. I went back to the store and the same guy told me it was one of those rare time you get a really good one for the price. In other words they were out of it.

 

Love the Ferry Building. You get your wine, then you move to Chris Cosentino's salumeria for cold cuts, then cheese from cowgirl creamery, then bread from acme, then lunch at Taylor's hehehe In that exact order if you enter the building from the right most wing.

 

I usually get stuff off their wine of the month list so I still have 2 bottle of 2007 Casa Marguery Malbec from last month.

 

Bay Area is right. You're familiar with the Ferry Bldg, so you're from SF? I go to the Ferry Bldg every now and then, but it's a bit of a trek for me, so I don't do it that often. I try to go for the Farmers Market - I haven't seen Sooyoung Scanlan the cheese maker there lately and I'm wondering if she still goes there?

 

I usually reverse the order, skipping Taylor's. Buy cheese @ Cowgirl and bread @ Acme, then on to the wine shop for a bottle and a snack. Or I go to the caviar place if I'm celebrating something. The head up to downtown SF window shopping and just plain walking around. Back to the Ferry Bldg for a merienda at the Slanted Door takeout place or oysters @ Hog Island befoe reclaiming my car and heading off to Town Hall, Chez Papa or someplace like that for dinner. Fleur de Lys is next on the list! Bar Jules after that.

 

At all of them, wine is always a consideration - that's why I pick the places I eat at - good wine lists!

[itikbitik]

San Jose. But most of the time work would require me to head up to the city in Embarcadero area. Well if wine is always a consideration for you Buchon in Yountville and Manresa in Los Gatos then. hehehe French Laundry would just be too expensive. Well unless maybe on a very special occasion. Hubert Keller rocks though.

 

I'm not familiar with the cheese maker in the farmer's market. I usually would go there for the heirloom tomatoes and artisan olive oils.

 

A friend just gave me two bottles of 2007 Malbec from Dona Paula Estate (Argentina). Short rib time. One bottle for cooking the other to pair. hehehe

[agxo3]

San Jose. But most of the time work would require me to head up to the city in Embarcadero area. Well if wine is always a consideration for you Buchon in Yountville and Manresa in Los Gatos then. hehehe French Laundry would just be too expensive. Well unless maybe on a very special occasion. Hubert Keller rocks though.

 

I'm not familiar with the cheese maker in the farmer's market. I usually would go there for the heirloom tomatoes and artisan olive oils.

 

A friend just gave me two bottles of 2007 Malbec from Dona Paula Estate (Argentina). Short rib time. One bottle for cooking the other to pair. hehehe

 

Bouchon's good, but I prefer Ad Hoc. And Redd is really good, too! French Laundry - haven't been in a couple of years since it's so hard to make reservations these days. Have you tried Cyrus in Healdsburg yet? I haven't had the opportunity yet. Maybe around the holidays.

 

Manresa is a personal fave for special family dinners.

 

Haven't been to Fleur de Lys yet - I know, it's a big personal failing that I intend to correct some time soon. However, I did have a chance to try Bottega in Yountville soon after it opened. Not bad! Good wine list.

[itikbitik]

Cyrus will be next on the list Haven't been there yet also. Last time I was in French Laundry was mid-last year. My brother from the east came to visit and he really wanted to go. Good thing he gave me 3 months head start. Reservation is really difficult but like last year I got lucky someone canceled last minute. Funny is last minute for them is a couple of weeks in advance. I was practically calling them every so and so just to verify if somebody canceled. They do food really well and the pairing is on the spot.

 

Been to Fleur de Lys twice only but friends who I went with who go there often say they are consistent. Consistently good.

 

I was going through Redd's wine list online and I saw some Riesling and Malbec that I want to try.

 

Manresa is also a favorite for family dinners especially when my folks in the east come to visit.

 

Incanto in Church and Duncan though is my staple. I'm there at least once every two weeks. Since they often serve offal cuts, Barolo for me is the logical choice to pair. My rule in there is if it has something to do with pork I'll get it. hehehe Cosentino and pork is a really great match. hahaha

[agxo3]

Cyrus will be next on the list Haven't been there yet also. Last time I was in French Laundry was mid-last year. My brother from the east came to visit and he really wanted to go. Good thing he gave me 3 months head start. Reservation is really difficult but like last year I got lucky someone canceled last minute. Funny is last minute for them is a couple of weeks in advance. I was practically calling them every so and so just to verify if somebody canceled. They do food really well and the pairing is on the spot.

 

Been to Fleur de Lys twice only but friends who I went with who go there often say they are consistent. Consistently good.

 

I was going through Redd's wine list online and I saw some Riesling and Malbec that I want to try.

 

Manresa is also a favorite for family dinners especially when my folks in the east come to visit.

 

Incanto in Church and Duncan though is my staple. I'm there at least once every two weeks. Since they often serve offal cuts, Barolo for me is the logical choice to pair. My rule in there is if it has something to do with pork I'll get it. hehehe Cosentino and pork is a really great match. hahaha

 

Incanto, eh? Gotta try that! Not a fan of offal, but Cosentino's pork seems to be highly regarded.

 

Finding really good, consistent places in the south bay is hard. Manresa is an exception! Parcel 104 is inconsistent; Emile's is not what it used to be. 71 St. Peter is trying hard but it just can't get to the next level. Arcadia is not the same since Michael Mina left. Only thing that's semi-exciting in Palo Alto these days is Shokolaat, but the knock on them is small portions for a high price (and it's not too far from the truth, although I'm not one for large portions anyway.....). I miss L'Amie Donia! THAT was a great place!

 

For good bistro food, though, try Bistro Vida in Menlo Park. Ali (Moroccan, I think??? but trained in France) runs the place. Cassoulet is very good; steak frites, other French bistro fare in a cozy, lively atmosphere. Used to be a hangout for the VC types in the valley but I don't see many of them these days. I like it MUCH better than Left Bank just a couple of doors down on the corner.

 

As with all restaurants, they hall have decent to very good wine lists!

[Guest fhoryou]

Are there any Sommelier in the Philippines?

[itikbitik]

Incanto, eh? Gotta try that! Not a fan of offal, but Cosentino's pork seems to be highly regarded.

 

Finding really good, consistent places in the south bay is hard. Manresa is an exception! Parcel 104 is inconsistent; Emile's is not what it used to be. 71 St. Peter is trying hard but it just can't get to the next level. Arcadia is not the same since Michael Mina left. Only thing that's semi-exciting in Palo Alto these days is Shokolaat, but the knock on them is small portions for a high price (and it's not too far from the truth, although I'm not one for large portions anyway.....). I miss L'Amie Donia! THAT was a great place!

 

For good bistro food, though, try Bistro Vida in Menlo Park. Ali (Moroccan, I think??? but trained in France) runs the place. Cassoulet is very good; steak frites, other French bistro fare in a cozy, lively atmosphere. Used to be a hangout for the VC types in the valley but I don't see many of them these days. I like it MUCH better than Left Bank just a couple of doors down on the corner.

 

As with all restaurants, they hall have decent to very good wine lists!

 

I'll try Bistro Vida. I'm sure most of the VCs are in Redwood Shores, Palo Alto, or Mountain View already.

[agxo3]

I'll try Bistro Vida. I'm sure most of the VCs are in Redwood Shores, Palo Alto, or Mountain View already.

VCs seem to congregate more @ Alice's on Skyline or Buck's in Woodside these days. Closer to home, I guess.

 

To follow up on PA - had lunch @ Joya on University on the weekend. Decent tapas but larger portions that I would have expected from a true tapas place (and prices to match!) but a nice wine list but could be heavier on the Spanish wines. White and red sangria. I tried their white sangria and it was pretty nice. Next time I'll try the red.

 

Had a bottle of Txacoli last week - Basque wine. Very light and bright, just bordering on effervescent. Great for a hot day. Not much of a white fan myself but I must remember this wine as it seems like the perfect wine for a picnic or BBQ with burgers or dogs. For steaks or anything smoked I'd still go with a syrah, though.

 

If you haven't been yet, head out to wine.com on 4th St. in Berkeley. Every now and then they have warehouse sales to clean out the place and there are some really good bargains on very nice wine. And always a clearance rack that's worth a look. Vik's chaat house and Indian grocery is right around the corner - great Indian snacks. Makes for a nice Saturday.

[agxo3]

For those of you in the San Francisco Bay Area - this coming weekend (Labor Day weekend!!!) is the Livermore Harvest Festival. Lots of wineries participating. And even those that are not will have their tasting rooms open!

 

I will be pouring @ Retzlaff Sunday morning from 11 am - at least 2 pm. There will be at least 26 wineries with tents at Robertson park if you prefer one-stop drinking.