Wine-savvy

[marvin_8]

red - merlot

white - asti spumante

[bods1000]

hallo!

em bak!

Last holiday season I got to taste the Grant Burge, the Ravenswood and a Nathanson Creek white zin, but winning by a mile is still that Moss Bros. 2001 Shiraz we had on Christmas Day! And it's not even the best vintage (I'm still undecided on when to open the best - 2000). Ewan ko siguro nasanay na lang panlasa ko sa shiraz but the Grant Burge was a Barossa shiraz and it left me cold and unimpressed. Siguro may kakaiba sa Margaret River shiraz because another great wine I had last year was a Watershed - courtesy of the great Z!..

 

cheers guys!

Here's to more great wine this year

[bods1000]

You guys might wanna drop by my friend's wine bar.

 

CYRANO Wine Selections

Upper Ground Floor

Legaspi Park View Condominium

Carlos Palanca corner Legaspi Street

Legaspi Village, Makati

 

Just look for Alex, Criselda or JP

 

 

and there's a salon right besid it where you can have the most cost efficient hair, nail and massage treatments while having a cup of Illy Cafe Crema or a glass of fine wine from CYRANO. Oh but they won't serve you wine if you're getting a massage.

 

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hey tips like this are priceless!

thanks a lot, eight!

I'll try to find time to go there when I'm in the area...

 

...uhmmm I'll bring my own wine during the massage if they don't serve it

[bods1000]

Finally opened that bottle of Ravenswood Zins Vitners Blend 2000 Christmas eve and what can I say? I am in love!  Wow.  It's fantastic and I love that whole warm glow melting in the mouth sensation it delivers soon as it embraces the palate.  Kinda reminds me of that real nice drop of St. Hugo I had many months ago in Syd.  Thanks for the reco!  I think I'll stop drinking anything else for a bit and stick to this drop for the meantime.

 

agxo3, I haven't tasted limoncito but something similar to that called limoncello was featured as a Vretreria home-made drink in the movie "Under the Tuscan Sun."  What they do (daw since I can't verify just how real this recipe is) is to take the skin off the lemon, put the peeled lemon in a bottle with 3/4 of alcohol and 1/4 sugar.  Afterwhich the skin of the lemon is placed back in the mixture until the drink achieves the right color.  Of course this was all explained as the character Marcello was trying to charm the pants off Frances. It looked quite delectable on screen --- so did Marcello!

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did they have the 2000? I was looking for that but all I saw was the 2001 and 2002....

[TheTruthAboutMan'sLove]

Try DON SIMON

[WayneTruce]

"IT WON'T HUR TO TRY ONE"

[ilaw70]

"IT WON'T HUR TO TRY ONE"

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Hi guys, I was wondering if you are interested in purchasing some french wine, It's a bordeaux superieur 1990 and I have 3000 bottles. I'm selling it for anoy 140 per bots and I can have it delivered to your house. one case is 12 bottles just IM me if interested. this was the last batch that was left last christmas which I sold for 200 each.

[agxo3]

Hi guys, I was wondering if you are interested in purchasing some french wine, It's a bordeaux superieur 1990 and I have 3000 bottles. I'm selling it for anoy 140 per bots and I can have it delivered to your house. one case is 12 bottles just IM me if interested. this was the last batch that was left last christmas which I sold for 200 each.

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Couldn't find anything about this specific wine, but the 1990 vintage is weel-regarded by most bordeaux experts (such ad Robert Prker and James Suckling) as being among the finest of the 90s decade, and among to top 20 of the century. Meaning overall the year produced some pretty damn good wines. So the question is - how well have these wines been stored? 15 years - lots of opportunites for storage to go wrong! If it's not been well stored, it'll be rather unpleasant to drink. If, OTOH, it's been properly cared for, it had a good chance of being a VERY nice wine.

[gorgonite]

excuse my ignorance... want to know more about wines...

What does it mean when you say bordeaux? merlot? cabernet sauvignon? I assumed that when you refer to a certain type of wine, it means that it comes from a specific region/plantation. Then why do I see merlot's and cabernet's from countries other than France?

[agxo3]

excuse my ignorance... want to know more about wines...

What does it mean when you say bordeaux? merlot? cabernet sauvignon? I assumed that when you refer to a certain type of wine, it means that it comes from a specific region/plantation. Then why do I see merlot's and cabernet's from countries other than France?

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France and Italy (to a great degree, but not 100%) label their wines by region (sometimes referred to as appellation) - hence, burgundy wines are from the Burgundy region whihc includes Romanee-Conti south to around Beaune and the Cote de Beaune. Bordeaux are from the bordelais region around ST. Emilion, Medoc, etc. Chiantis are from the chianti region in Tuscany (which is a part of Italy). Spain and Protugal generally follow a similar practice. Ports, for example are from Portugal. Champages are from the Champagne region of France - Reims, Epernay, Champillon, etc.

 

Cabernet sauvignon, merlot, chardonnay, suavignon blanc, etc., are the names of the grape varieties that are used to make the wines. The wines are made from the grapes exclusively (or at least a certain percentage - here in CA it's over 75%, I think). Some are blends, so you'll see a "bordeaux blend", sometimes called a red meritage that is generally cabernet sauvignon and merlot blended together, so called because bordeaux are generally with merlot, cab, or a blend of the two with some cabernet franc sometimes blended in for other characteristics. This is common practice in California (and the US as a whole), Australia, Chile, Argentina and the New World. IOW - not Europe.

 

General rules of thumb - bordeaux are merlot or cab or blends of the two. Burgundy is pinot noir (red) or chardonnay (white). Chablis is also chardonnay but from another part of France. Cote du Rhone is generally Grenache or syrah or a blend. Riojas (Spain) are usually tempranillo. Primitovo in Italy is zinfandel (or close enough to it! Both originated in Croatia). Chiantis are usually sangiovese. Champagnes are usually made with petit verdot (a red!!! grape), or if made with a white grape, it's usually chardonnay.

 

Hope this helps.

[gorgonite]

Hope this helps.

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Sure does. Thanks!

[masi]

France and Italy (to a great degree, but not 100%) label their wines by region (sometimes referred to as appellation) - hence, burgundy wines are from the Burgundy region whihc includes Romanee-Conti south to around Beaune and the Cote de Beaune. Bordeaux are from the bordelais region around ST. Emilion, Medoc, etc. Chiantis are from the chianti region in Tuscany (which is a part of Italy). Spain and Protugal generally follow a similar practice. Ports, for example are from Portugal. Champages are from the Champagne region of France - Reims, Epernay, Champillon, etc.

 

Cabernet sauvignon, merlot, chardonnay, suavignon blanc, etc., are the names of the grape varieties that are used to make the wines. The wines are made from the grapes exclusively (or at least a certain percentage - here in CA it's over 75%, I think). Some are blends, so you'll see a "bordeaux blend", sometimes called a red meritage that is generally cabernet sauvignon and merlot blended together, so called because bordeaux are generally with merlot, cab, or a blend of the two with some cabernet franc sometimes blended in for other characteristics. This is common practice in California (and the US as a whole), Australia, Chile, Argentina and the New World. IOW - not Europe.

 

General rules of thumb - bordeaux are merlot or cab or blends of the two. Burgundy is pinot noir (red) or chardonnay (white). Chablis is also chardonnay but from another part of France. Cote du Rhone is generally Grenache or syrah or a blend. Riojas (Spain) are usually tempranillo. Primitovo in Italy is zinfandel (or close enough to it! Both originated in Croatia). Chiantis are usually sangiovese. Champagnes are usually made with petit verdot (a red!!! grape), or if made with a white grape, it's usually chardonnay.

 

Hope this helps.

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this couldnt have been said any better!!!

 

agxo, you may want to add what are rose wines and such terminologies as vin de pays; vin de tableu; appellation controlle.

 

bods, i suggest we pin this comment so we can refer to those member who would want to be oriented to wines rather than asking them to read back, which could be quite cumbersome.

[masi]

are ports considered as wine? how is it best taken and appreciated ... as a before- , with or after- dinner aperitif?

[missmanners]

port is usually enjoyed after dinner. but there really is no ruling against having it with dinner.

 

a good cigar goes well with it, i heard.

 

Edited January 14, 2005 by missmanners

[missmanners]

for those who are still feeling their way into wine drinking, most good restaurants have very good house wines.

 

the house selections are safe choices--taste-wise and cost-wise.

 

just remember the old rule: red for dark meat, white for white meat.

 

and no need to hold the glass only by the stem if it's a warm wine. the stem-holding only applies when the wine is chilled, as in the case of most whites.

 

and also, don't try to swirl the wine if you don't have the hand movements down pat. it might just swirl out of the glass and into your good outfit. ach.

 

happy drinking!

 

:flowers: