Wine-savvy

[itikbitik]

Masi try Bol's Genever. My boss introduced me to it when we were in Amsterdam and ever since I make sure I have a couple of bottles in my pantry. There is a local store close to my place that somehow carries it everytime I visit them.

 

If you're in to botanicals Venus Gin Blend No. 2 and st george botanivore gin as well as st george terroir gin. All best on the rocks or just neat.

[masi]

Masi try Bol's Genever. My boss introduced me to it when we were in Amsterdam and ever since I make sure I have a couple of bottles in my pantry. There is a local store close to my place that somehow carries it everytime I visit them.

 

If you're in to botanicals Venus Gin Blend No. 2 and st george botanivore gin as well as st george terroir gin. All best on the rocks or just neat.

 

Fantastic! This thread is not only for wine enthusiasts but gin lovers too!

 

I like Tanqueray with martinis.

Gentlemen:

 

Much as we love our Gins, let's give courtesy to the room owner. It's a wine lovers thread.

[itikbitik]

Anyway, was in Los Gatos this Saturday and I picked up 5 bottles of 2014 La Encantada Vineyard Pinot Noir from Testarossa Winery. Opened one just this evening and I was getting a lot of pomegranate, cranberry, and vanilla notes. I think it is all over the place and rather sweet though. Another year or two would mellow it.

[bods1000]

 

 

 

Gentlemen:

 

Much as we love our Gins, let's give courtesy to the room owner. It's a wine lovers thread.

 

No worries! It's no-holds barred when it comes to drinks. lol! I remember talking about rum here, and vodka too.

[masi]

No worries! It's no-holds barred when it comes to drinks. lol! I remember talking about rum here, and vodka too.

 

Welcome back or are you still discovering new territories

[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!