Wine-savvy

[agxo3]

Funny this wine business. It's turned the other way around. Winemakers have turned into celebrities themselves, from being complete unknowns before. Like those super chefs today. Glamorous. But I do think that somehow fame has superseded their talents. Bourdain is a good example. He now looks so smug and bored and world-weary in his travel shows, not that he had much talent to begin with. He was just too media-savvy. Hehe.

 

So now I'm starting to turn back to European wines. Haven't given up on the all the CA wines. Still taking the Rubicon shipments, and Michel-Schlumberger. And Vincent Arroyo. Still waiting for my Retzlaff wines for this year. But I will cut it back next year. Maybe drop Michel-Schlumberger and Retzlaff for a while. All so I can expand my Spanish and Portuguese wine selections. I don't generally do the celebrity winemaker thing except for FFC, and I am happy that with the wines, at least, he's kept the focus on quality. I wish he were';t getting so expensive, though. Don't know how long I can keep it up!

 

I tried to eat healthy last night - just a salad and a croissant - but I popped open a rioja to go with it. Tempranillo-based, so relatively light and fresh. Lots of red fruit (strawberries, mostly), mild tannins, a bit of smoke (where'd THAT come from?). On tap for tonight, French onion soup, maybe bit of a good rustic bread grilled and rubbed with garlic, tomato and some good sharp cheese grated over it, and finish off the rioja. Holidays coming up and with that, the food frenzy, so I need to lighten up a bit in preparation.....the Spanish wines are great for eating light - they don't need the boldness and density of red meats to balance the acids and tannins that the cabs and syrahs bring to the palate.

[bods1000]

So now I'm starting to turn back to European wines. Haven't given up on the all the CA wines. Still taking the Rubicon shipments, and Michel-Schlumberger. And Vincent Arroyo. Still waiting for my Retzlaff wines for this year. But I will cut it back next year. Maybe drop Michel-Schlumberger and Retzlaff for a while. All so I can expand my Spanish and Portuguese wine selections. I don't generally do the celebrity winemaker thing except for FFC, and I am happy that with the wines, at least, he's kept the focus on quality. I wish he were';t getting so expensive, though. Don't know how long I can keep it up!

 

I tried to eat healthy last night - just a salad and a croissant - but I popped open a rioja to go with it. Tempranillo-based, so relatively light and fresh. Lots of red fruit (strawberries, mostly), mild tannins, a bit of smoke (where'd THAT come from?). On tap for tonight, French onion soup, maybe bit of a good rustic bread grilled and rubbed with garlic, tomato and some good sharp cheese grated over it, and finish off the rioja. Holidays coming up and with that, the food frenzy, so I need to lighten up a bit in preparation.....the Spanish wines are great for eating light - they don't need the boldness and density of red meats to balance the acids and tannins that the cabs and syrahs bring to the palate.

 

That's a great thought - Spanish wines for eating light. Really can't afford to eat heavy now, what with that darned cholesterol always creeping up despite all the veggies I eat and scorning red meat. The doctor says it could be the cheese and pasta, but it's not as if I eat those stuff everyday!

Ok maybe I'll visit Barcino's more often now to get those tempranillos. Adieu for now with all those shiraz.

 

Good luck with your diet-prep for the holidays. Will go on another bender next week somewhere in the Middle East. Sure hope I can have some drop of those Israeli wines.

[agxo3]

That's a great thought - Spanish wines for eating light. Really can't afford to eat heavy now, what with that darned cholesterol always creeping up despite all the veggies I eat and scorning red meat. The doctor says it could be the cheese and pasta, but it's not as if I eat those stuff everyday!

Ok maybe I'll visit Barcino's more often now to get those tempranillos. Adieu for now with all those shiraz.

 

Good luck with your diet-prep for the holidays. Will go on another bender next week somewhere in the Middle East. Sure hope I can have some drop of those Israeli wines.

I had some Israeli and some Lebanese wine - thanks, but I'd pass.......

 

Has a Zichichi 2005 zin tonight. Finished off the bottle.

 

Last night was duck confit, French onion soup and the zin. Tonight was Spanish chorizo, onion and chanterelle mushroom saute, salad and the zin. With a brioche from the Berkeley cheese board.

 

And what's for dinner tomorrow? I don't know yet but I have a Spanish garnacha lined up....and I have another duck leg confit that I still need to roast.

[bods1000]

I had some Israeli and some Lebanese wine - thanks, but I'd pass.......

 

Has a Zichichi 2005 zin tonight. Finished off the bottle.

 

Last night was duck confit, French onion soup and the zin. Tonight was Spanish chorizo, onion and chanterelle mushroom saute, salad and the zin. With a brioche from the Berkeley cheese board.

 

And what's for dinner tomorrow? I don't know yet but I have a Spanish garnacha lined up....and I have another duck leg confit that I still need to roast.

 

 

I was at a college buddies reunion two nights ago and there was this wine which we failed to uncork because they stored it in a cooler, plus the wine opener was inadequate. Good thing. When I looked at the label it was an Israeli wine 2004 vintage at that. No varietal. Just a plain red. Spared us some puckering faces hehe.

 

Your mention of a granacha steers my memory to a lovable Aussie grenache which I used to import when I was still in the wine business. Such a good-valued great light wine. Too bad there's no grenache here anymore.

[agxo3]

I was at a college buddies reunion two nights ago and there was this wine which we failed to uncork because they stored it in a cooler, plus the wine opener was inadequate. Good thing. When I looked at the label it was an Israeli wine 2004 vintage at that. No varietal. Just a plain red. Spared us some puckering faces hehe.

 

Your mention of a granacha steers my memory to a lovable Aussie grenache which I used to import when I was still in the wine business. Such a good-valued great light wine. Too bad there's no grenache here anymore.

 

No garnacha tonight! We had salmon and artichokes, so the garnacha would not have been a good match. I popped open a vinho verde from Portugal instead. Nice, clean, citrus notes and a hint of green apple in the back. A light fizz just to keep everything lively. Went great with the fish and artichokes.

 

So what do I have tomorrow to go with the rest of the vinho verde?? Maybe some potato puffs left over from Saturday's lunch at Gregoire in the Gourmet Gulch in Berkeley. A bun and some cheese from the Cheese Board......that will make a nice light dinner after a VERY long day. I have to get up at 430 am and drive to Folsom for a meeting, getting back here at around 9 pm at which point I get on the phone for a2 hour call to India. Ugh.

Edited November 15, 2011 by agxo3

[agxo3]

Would like to report the existence of a white merlot from New Kent vinyards of Virginia.

 

If it's a typically sickly-sweet white made from red grapes, I'll pass. But if it's a true white (or light rose, dry and with a hint of the red flavors - some bright red berries, for example), then I'd give it a try.

 

Sutter Creek and Beringer white zins and white merlots have given whites/light roses made from red grapes a really bad reputation - and for those wines, deservedly so!

[RED2018]

thanks for the info guys, I'll be lurkin around this thread coz I'm sure to learn more from the connoisseurs

 

+ 1 Here....expressly this season of merrymaking/thanksgiving

 

thanks for the info guys, I'll be lurkin around this thread coz I'm sure to learn more from the connoisseurs

 

+ 1 Here....expressly this season of merrymaking/thanksgiving

[agxo3]

Opened at 2008 Wood Family Zinfandel tonight for dinner.

 

One word - OMG!!

 

Loads of ripe red fruit - succulent cherries, bright raspberries, juicy strawberries. A hint of smoke. At touch of white pepper. And a finish that lasted for minutes. Smooth tannins for great structure.

 

I KNEW there was a reason I picked up a half case.........

[agxo3]

My last chance to post before Christmas - daughter arrives this afternoon from LA. Wife on holiday until the New Year. Xmas in a few days, wife's bday right behind that, then it's the New Year! Haven't done any shopping yet. House is still a mess, and work is (as usual) in turmoil. But, what the heck, I woke up this morning so it's a good day, eh?

 

XMas dinner will center around my usual prime rib but we'll be doing the Spanish theme this year. Tapas to start, maybe some gazpacho shots, a bit of jamon iberico (a TINY bit! At $160/lb a little bit better go a LONG way!), pan e tomate, dates stuffed with almonds and wrapped in bacon....

 

And to start, maybe a bubbly of some sort, then a 1997 Rubicon (second best of the decade - I still think the '95 was the best). I'll follow with either a 2004 Pennino zin (also from Rubicon - now Inglenook) or maybe the '98 Fenestra syrah I've been saving. It'll be downhill from there. For New Years? Who knows??? I'll decide when I get there.

 

In the mean time, Merry Christmas to all! I hope you all have a good 2012. Maybe I will get to visit next year AFTER my product ships in April!

 

Bods, Masi, Storm, the missing Miss Lips, I will be thinking of you all when I sip that Rubicon!

[bods1000]

My last chance to post before Christmas - daughter arrives this afternoon from LA. Wife on holiday until the New Year. Xmas in a few days, wife's bday right behind that, then it's the New Year! Haven't done any shopping yet. House is still a mess, and work is (as usual) in turmoil. But, what the heck, I woke up this morning so it's a good day, eh?

 

XMas dinner will center around my usual prime rib but we'll be doing the Spanish theme this year. Tapas to start, maybe some gazpacho shots, a bit of jamon iberico (a TINY bit! At $160/lb a little bit better go a LONG way!), pan e tomate, dates stuffed with almonds and wrapped in bacon....

 

And to start, maybe a bubbly of some sort, then a 1997 Rubicon (second best of the decade - I still think the '95 was the best). I'll follow with either a 2004 Pennino zin (also from Rubicon - now Inglenook) or maybe the '98 Fenestra syrah I've been saving. It'll be downhill from there. For New Years? Who knows??? I'll decide when I get there.

 

In the mean time, Merry Christmas to all! I hope you all have a good 2012. Maybe I will get to visit next year AFTER my product ships in April!

 

Bods, Masi, Storm, the missing Miss Lips, I will be thinking of you all when I sip that Rubicon!

 

In behalf of all the winos here, missing or not, we also greet you a Happy Christmas and a meaningful and more God-blessed New Year.

 

Cheers!

[masi]

Kendall Jackson Vintner's Reserve 2008 Cab Sauv.

 

I don't drink as much as I used to.

 

Happy New Year!

[agxo3]

In behalf of all the winos here, missing or not, we also greet you a Happy Christmas and a meaningful and more God-blessed New Year.

 

Cheers!

The Rubicon was great! I found a rally nice vinho verde to go with the tapas. My daughter found an Italian bubbly - creamy, smooth, a hint of yeast, some brioche and a bit of nuttiness. We closed out with a 2000 Rubicon Cask cab. Great smooth tannins, and fruit coming forward for great balance.

 

Lots of leftovers. Just finished off the jamon iberico with some olives, then a small slice of pannetone. For dinner, the ribs from the prime rib, deep fried to a crisp. Kinda like tadyang but with the seasoning from my sea salt, fresh horseradish, rosemary and thyme crust. Mmmmm - can't wait. I'll open some kind of red with it - maybe a syrah? That should stand up to the flavors and the tannins should cut right through the fatty beef.

 

I hope you all had a great Christmas. And all the best for the coning year! And may all your wine be yummy!

 

Hopefully I will get to visit Manila some time in the year - my high school buddies have been talking about an end of year trip so maybe that will be it!

[storm]

Happy new year. Panay facebook na lang kasi.

[agxo3]

TC made beef adobo with gata for dinner the other night. The question - what to drink with dinner?

 

Then I remembered a Vouvray I picked up a few months ago. Vouvray is made with chenin blanc grapes, and tends towards the softer style, with good acidity for a backbone and great fruit up front. Not sweet at all, but very light and refreshing. Aciditiy to stand up to the vinegar in the adobo and cut through the fatty gata and beef fat.

 

Et viola! Magic!

 

Now THAT was a flash of serendipity.....

[DROYALE]

not that familiar with the wine varieties,

however I do drink one glass of California Red several minutes before going to bed.

helps me relax and avoid high blood