Wine-savvy

[masi]

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

 

a good cigar goes will with it, i heard.

 

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smoking cigars (at any time of day), that i truly enjoy... with a glass of wine, rum, mojito, vodka, tequila, espresso, cognac, brandy, whiskey and heck even with coke or a glass of water. but havent tried it with port...

 

... i think i should....

[masi]

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:

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uh oh!!! these comments are pretty controversial.. am sure you'll get more than a handfull of opinions stating to the contrary....

 

the wine you drink is a personal choice... not dictated by what appears in the pages of high society magazines....

[bods1000]

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.

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errr I don't have any clue on how to pin things hehehe....

[bods1000]

smoking cigars (at any time of day), that i truly enjoy... with a glass of wine, rum, mojito, vodka, tequila, espresso, cognac, brandy, whiskey and heck even with coke or a glass of water.  but havent tried it with port...

 

... i think i should....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

pare i finally got to taste some cigars - Montecristos they were - from some new-found Cypriot friends, of all people

they were nice, I should say (the cigars, I mean). But why is it I have to keep lighting it up - the ember keeps on dying out

 

Port is fortified wine - originally from Portugal (correct me if I'm wrong).

[bods1000]

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:

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

A lot of conventions now have been turned on its head. Suffice it to say that old rules sometimes don't apply anymore. The safest bet is to match the wine with the sauce that the dish is cooked in. (On second thought, I don't know how that would be practicable )

House wines here are usually chosen from the distributor who gives out the best price and best perks if chosen, not on the quality. Passable, yes, but not a good introduction to the world of wine. I mean, Gato Negro, for godsake...

you are very correct in saying not to fall in line with the conventions of winedrinking....I mean, don't smell the cork

 

miss manners, we are happy to have you here in the Thread

Edited January 14, 2005 by bods1000

[agxo3]

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.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Thanks, Masi.

 

Okay - roses. Roses are perhaps the most misunderstood wines of all. The American abomination called "white zinfandel" is NOT a true rose. It's a semi-sweet. low alcohol, mass-produced concoction made from zinfandel juice and is more like grape juice with a tiny amount of alcohol added to it. The old guys here will understand when I say Boone's Farm.

 

Roses, sometimes called blush wines, are wines made from a red grape, but that have had the grapeskins removed from the juice part of the way through fermentation. Note that grape juice is generally white or very light in color, and that red wines get their color from the grape skins. Reds are fermented with the skins, whites have the skins removed. Roses are part of the way in between. They tend to have the same light, refreshing characteristics of whites with a bit of a tannic bite and a lot of the cherry/berry flavors normally associated with reds. True roses are generally dry albeit fruity Some examples would be the Bandols wines from the southern Rhone Valley.

 

Roses are best served slightly chilled and are a "summer" wine. Enjoyable with a light picnic lunch or dinner. I tend to think of wines in a food context, and what comes to mind with a good rose is a picnic with ham, a good potato or macaroni salad, and a good fresh baguette. A good rose is a SERIOUS food wine and is a much better accompaniment to red meats than many of the more robust, "big" red wines.

[agxo3]

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

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Ports are generally considered wines, although they're not made solely through fermentation of the grape juice. They are what's called fortified wines. That is, at some point before fermentation is ocmplete, brandy is added (this is the "fortified" part). The addition of brandy stops the fermentation process completely, leaving some ( alot!) of sugars in the wine. Hence, the sweetness.

 

Ports are typically enjoyed as an after-dinner drink, it being fairly heavy. That makes is less suitable as an aperitif (it would tend to fill you up instead!). Typically enjoyed with a strong, sharp cheese - English stilton for example. I usually enjoy it after dinner (the local port-style wines are pretty good!) with a cigar. Or, sometimes on a cool afternoon/evening if dinner will be late, with some cheese and some fruit.

 

Aperitifs are generally taken before dinner - as an appetizer, and aperitif, if you will. After dinner drinks are typically dessert wines - sauternes, ports, ice wines, or digestifs (or something to help you digest your food), such as the limoncito we talked about on this group just before the New Year.

[bods1000]

Thanks, Masi.

 

Okay - roses. Roses are perhaps the most misunderstood wines of all. The American abomination called "white zinfandel" is NOT a true rose. It's a semi-sweet. low alcohol, mass-produced concoction made from zinfandel juice and is more like grape juice with a tiny amount of alcohol added to it. The old guys here will understand when I say Boone's Farm.

 

Roses, sometimes called blush wines, are wines made from a red grape, but that have had the grapeskins removed from the juice part of the way through fermentation. Note that grape juice is generally white or very light in color, and that red wines get their color from the grape skins. Reds are fermented with the skins, whites have the skins removed. Roses  are part of the way in between. They tend to have the same light, refreshing characteristics of whites with a bit of a tannic bite and a lot of the cherry/berry flavors normally associated with reds. True roses are generally dry albeit fruity Some examples would be the Bandols wines from the southern Rhone Valley.

 

Roses are best served slightly chilled and are a "summer" wine. Enjoyable with a light picnic lunch or dinner. I tend to think of wines in a food context, and what comes to mind with a good rose is a picnic with ham, a good potato or macaroni salad, and a good fresh baguette. A good rose is a SERIOUS food wine and is a much better accompaniment to red meats than many of the more robust, "big" red wines.

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very nice, pareng agxo...

so that's why when I drank the Nathanson Creek White Zinfandel last holidays, I sensed there was something not right

[agxo3]

uh oh!!!  these comments are pretty controversial.. am sure you'll get more than a handfull of opinions stating to the contrary....

 

the wine you drink is a personal choice... not dictated by what appears in the pages of high society magazines....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Not all are controversial -

 

I drink what tastes best with the food. I have had a good pinot noir with salmon and a good suavignon blanc with veal. I've had a hearty pinot grigio with a steak and a zinfandel with crab and shrimp cioppino. Pinot noir with turkey or roast chicken, and viognier with lamb. Reds for dark meats and whites for fish or white meats may still a good starting point but don't let them be a hard annd fast rule. What you're really looking for is body and flavor to stand up to or match with the food. NO wine goes well with a vinegar-based salad dressing, for example. The vinegar just kills the wine. Strong cheese don't go well with strong reds - they flavors will clash and you'll end up with a metallic tase in your mouth. OTOH, if you LIKE the taste of aluminum you may like that combination!

 

Reds wines tend to be served too warm, and whites too cold. "Room temperature" in most places in France tend to be a bit (a lot!!!) cooler than in Manila. I found reds to do best (for me - taste is subjective) at about 65 deg F, whites at 55 deg F. So I keep my reds in a wine fridge at 55 deg F and take them out to warm up for a half hour before dinner. Unless it's the winter like now then I take them out a day before! Hahahahaha! Like wise I keep my whites inthe fridge at 42 deg F until an hour before dinner then let them warm up a bit.

 

Swirling is an art - ba careful! If you're not used to it don't swirl your glass when someone wearing white is around you!

 

Lastly, "house wines". Just speaking for the SF Bay Area, and as a generalization (there are exceptions!!). "House" wines are cheap (they buy in bulk) tokens for the budget diner who doesn't demand good wine. It's not bad, but will rarely truly live up to the food (unless we're talking cheap food here as well!). A few local restaurants have really good house wines, but those are few and far between. Lark Creek Cafe, for example, has really good wines on its "house" list, as does Prima inWlanut Creek. Tomatina's house wine, OTOH, is truly atrocious. Best to ask what the house wine is, and let that be your guide.

[lord_gate]

hey guys:

 

has anyone of you tasted our very own MANGO WINE....

 

Mango Wine of the philippines has enjoyed rapid expansion to meet the growing demand from locals and

 

overseas visitors alike. maNY hotel's amd resort's now a days in the visaya's offers this kind of alternative.

 

try it... you'lll surely like it...

 

boww :mtc: :cool:

[masi]

pare i finally got to taste some cigars - Montecristos they were - from some new-found Cypriot friends, of all people

they were nice, I should say (the cigars, I mean). But why is it I have to keep lighting it up - the ember keeps on dying out

 

Port is fortified wine - originally from Portugal (correct me if I'm wrong).

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

bods, you have fine and expensive tastes.. Montecristos happen to be my favorite cuban.. had 1 at havana bar just befoe christmas (was abit in a spending mode then)... pacing is very important in cigar smoking... cubans can be rolled quite tight compared to a dominican or local. it is best to take short puffs every to 10 to 15 seconds...

 

tradition dictates that there is nothing wrong in lighting up your cigar every now and then... what is important is you enjoy your time with it....

 

to me, the world stops when i'm smoking.

[masi]

hey guys:

 

has anyone  of you tasted our very own MANGO WINE....

 

Mango Wine of the philippines  has enjoyed rapid expansion to meet the growing demand from locals and

 

overseas visitors alike. maNY hotel's amd resort's now a days in the visaya's offers this kind of alternative.

 

try it... you'lll surely like it...

 

boww :mtc:  :cool:

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

is it available in metro manila? if so, where? been trying to get it but i dont know where to buy.

[bods1000]

bods, you have fine and expensive tastes.. Montecristos happen to be my favorite cuban.. had 1 at havana bar just befoe christmas (was abit in a spending mode then)... pacing is very important in cigar smoking... cubans can be rolled quite tight compared to a dominican or local.  it is best to take short puffs every to 10 to 15 seconds...

 

tradition dictates that there is nothing wrong in lighting up your cigar every now and then... what is important is you enjoy your time with it....

 

to me, the world stops when i'm smoking.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

well my friend graciously offered the Montecristos. It was expensive indeed - he said he bought it at around a thousand pesos. Montecristos is what I'd be having if I do have that extra dough.

Ok lang pala to light up every now and then...patingin-tingin pa ako sa paligid pag namatay yung cigar at sisindihan ko uli But it was very nice indeed! Where can I get decent Montecristos here, masi?

And do they come in the same size? What we had were thin ones about the length of an ordinary cigarette.

[masi]

well my friend graciously offered the Montecristos. It was expensive indeed - he said he bought it at around a thousand pesos. Montecristos is what I'd be having if I do have that extra dough.

Ok lang pala to light up every now and then...patingin-tingin pa ako sa paligid pag namatay yung cigar at sisindihan ko uli But it was very nice indeed! Where can I get decent Montecristos here, masi?

And do they come in the same size? What we had were thin ones about the length of an ordinary cigarette.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

i get mine at cafe havana at greenbelt. the no.3 (which is a personal favorite) sell at P690. they have no. 1 to 5. they have several brands from cohiba, partagas, R&J, etc. I havent been to Tabac (Peninsula) or Churchills (Shang Edsa) for years now. Kiplings (Mandarin) sell it more expensive.

 

It pretty annoying too if dies out on you, I too get a bit pissed. but like i've said, it's the pleasure of smoking that really matters.

 

you smoked the cigarillos, bitin yan!!! better try the corona.. fuller flavor and aroma, all the spice and pleasure.. you wont regret it.

[bods1000]

i get mine at cafe havana at greenbelt.  the no.3 (which is a personal favorite) sell at P690.  they have no. 1 to 5.  they have several brands from cohiba, partagas, R&J, etc.  I havent been to Tabac (Peninsula) or Churchills (Shang Edsa) for years now. Kiplings (Mandarin) sell it more expensive.

 

It pretty annoying too if dies out on you,  I too get a bit pissed.  but like i've said, it's the pleasure of smoking that really matters.

 

you smoked the cigarillos, bitin yan!!! better try the corona.. fuller flavor and aroma,  all the spice and pleasure.. you wont regret it.

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parang bitin nga eh!

I'll try your recommendation. Madami palang brands - I failed to note what brand I smoked that night.