Wine Connoisseur's?

Bacon said:
Don't forget about: Beaujolais Nouveau just released!

French Wine lovers got their first taste of the much-talked about 2011 harvest on 11/17 as the "Beaujolais Nouveau" hits the bars and shelves of France; its now available world-wide.

As you may know this wine comes out only once a year, and is only made during a 2 week period in France. It really needs to be enjoyed immediately; its not one you put away and save. Its usually less than $10 a bottle.

I tired to insert a picture of the most famous brand, but it came out kind of small. If you have a chance, pick up a few bottles and enjoy them this weekend!
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Well you got me sold, I am going to try to pick some up tomorrow if my local wine shops have it!
 
Tundra_10 said:
Ahh... thank you for the tip! From time to time I had actually been looking for the oldest bottles that were in the affordable range. Here I thought all wine was good aged.
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Nope, it's usually the more expensive bottles that are designed to age $30's+. The lower priced wine at least in the US is all made to drink now because we're too lazy to wait :D.
 
flyinion said:
Nope, it's usually the more expensive bottles that are designed to age $30's+. The lower priced wine at least in the US is all made to drink now because we're too lazy to wait :D.
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That also makes sense about a wine that I generally buy by the case. The brand is Domaine de Pouy... its a variation of a white table wine. I love this stuff over the summer, chilled it is such a refreshing drink on a warm evening. I was a little slack with the last case and it took me a little longer then normal (a few years vs a few months) to finish due to lack of get-togethers, etc. I just opened a bottle a few weeks ago and it tasted nasty and rotten. Here I thought my taste was changing lol, guess it went bad?
 
Tundra_10 said:
That also makes sense about a wine that I generally buy by the case. The brand is Domaine de Pouy... its a variation of a white table wine. I love this stuff over the summer, chilled it is such a refreshing drink on a warm evening. I was a little slack with the last case and it took me a little longer then normal (a few years vs a few months) to finish due to lack of get-togethers, etc. I just opened a bottle a few weeks ago and it tasted nasty and rotten. Here I thought my taste was changing lol, guess it went bad?
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It could have gone bad, or it could have just been a bad bottle from the start (corked etc.). You have to make sure it's stored correctly as well. Keep it in the coolest place you can. If it's in the 100 degree garage over the summer, it's dead. My gf's sister-in-law and her brother who are big into wine and have a pretty good sized collection of 15-30+ dollar bottles are having a big problem with a lot of the older stuff being dead because they don't run the AC very much in the summer because the utility rates in their area are outrageous (my $150 bill would be like 400 there). So it probably hits the 80's in their house a lot and the early to mid-2000's stuff is all being opened to find out it's trashed. I think we've lost count of how many bottles have gone down the sink because of that.
 
I actually had a wine cooler at one point that someone bought me for my birthday. Just recently (within the past 6 months) it took a crap on me and now just produces condensation inside it. I need to throw it away as its still on my kitchen counter, can you tell I am single? lol My fridge has a rack in it that is made for bottles so they can keep the cork saturated, which to me at least with the wine I have been getting recently probably does not matter as a lot of corks I have came across are synthetic or the wine (as I previously just mentioned) just has a twist-off cap.

My friends dad just has a rack and worse yet its right by his window I am sure direct southern-sunlight does not help the situation out (especially with clear bottles). His wine never tastes good, thankfully he does not buy expensive wine either so if its crap or if he kills a bottle its not that big of a deal.

The one thing I will never go big on is an opener. I have a cheap restaurant style opener that I love and will never give away. Someone bought me a houdini for Christmas one year, I am sorry I must either A. be retarded or B. not be doing something correctly because that thing is worthless. It sits in its fancy little box with faux velvet sorta lining thing and collects dust.
 
lol yeah I took a wine class at one of the wine shops I used to buy at. They showed how to use the restaurant style "waiter's corkscrew" and it was so stupidly simple I went and got one. It's the only thing I use now. I spent a little extra for the teflon coated screw (makes it a LOT easier to get in the cork) version but that was it.
 
You being from CA that would be a cool to go on one of those tours through NAPA valley.
 
Tundra_10 said:
You being from CA that would be a cool to go on one of those tours through NAPA valley.
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Went through Napa once for the first time back in August. Umm, have to say I wasn't actually all that impressed. Sure the wine is great, but everywhere is crowded and all the wineries seem to charge 5, 10, 15 bucks for their tastings. I'm quite happy to go to the Lodi area where some of the bigger names do charge but it's never more than $5 and it's hardly ever packed with people.

p.s. in case you didn't know, Lodi is a big Zin growing region and if it doesn't specifically have a Napa/Sonoma region on the bottle.........a lot of those big name Napa & Sonoma wineries are getting some/all of the juice that went in it from Lodi!!
 
^^ thats cool to hear. I would love to make it out to CA one day, if I do a wine tour is definitely on the list. I will keep a mental note of that as I really do not like touristy places (which I realize Napa would be, but if I can defer from that and go somewhere better I am game).
 
This subject is probably even bigger than which wax is better. Maybe not on here, but, internationally it is widely opined.

Big wine fan. Primarily big reds. Cabs, Zins, Syrah/Shiraz and big blends.

Malbecs are great for their price point. Unfortunately, the world is figuring that out and the prices are rising.

I like to look for bargains. Expensive wines that are getting old and low stock. I bought 6 2005 Ladera Howell Mountain cabs today for 1/2 price. They retail about $74.
 
I have never had Malbec... is that a sweeter or drier wine? Color? What is a good brand that I could buy that I could put down the drain if I do not like?
 
If you are looking for a under 20.00 bottle that will impress try BV from Cali, I never had anything that I didnt like from them, then again I like most wine as Im not very picky and will try anything once. I mainly buy California wine, some Washington. Recently started buying Chile, Root is pretty good.

I try to keep it around 20-30.00 bottles and spring for a few higher priced Cabs every now and again.
 
I really do not have a preference over wine. I could not tell you a Australian from Italian to California or from NC. I can kind of tell the different types of wine (just because of their characteristics (dry, sweet, etc). So I will continue to buy wines that taste good to me, however I always love trying something new because you never know until you try something else, plus its fun trying new stuff.
 
If you are into cheaper stuff, Crane Lake, I think its like a 5.00 bottle and is seriously good! I dont normally buy cheaper stuff as I find I dont like them but the guy at the store told me to try it and that it was pretty good. Ive head their Malbec and Pinot noir and both werent bad for a 5.00 wine. If you had it next to a 30.00 bottle you probably couldnt tell it was bottom shelf.
 
I have had pinot noir. There is a French brand that I will totally butcher. its clou de bois? or something like that? Their pino is awesome.

My wine selections do not always have to be a lot cheaper but I think they are more fun because again I am not too hard up about drinking it if I do not like it but it affords me more variety.

I will look into that crane lake stuff though. I have not had any wine in a while (I wonder if thats what caused me to start this thread haha) So I will head to the wine place after I leave the gym tomorrow. Who needs a protein shake after the gym!?!
 
Tundra_10 said:
I have never had Malbec... is that a sweeter or drier wine? Color? What is a good brand that I could buy that I could put down the drain if I do not like?
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Malbec is one of my favorites. It used to be used as a blending wine in the US apparently but has caught on as coming out as just itself in the bottle now. I really like the South American stuff. Basically Malbec is to Argentina what Cabernet Sauvignon is to Napa. It's like their "signature varietal".
 
I love me some painfully dry vermouth....with a load of gin. Just a few drops of the old vermouth in with a few ounces of gin, and I'm set for the night!
 
Wine and aging... Most domestic white wines are not meant to age. You can keep them for a couple years if properly stored but they seem to be in decline after a year or two. Desert wines are an exception.

Most domestic reds can age a bit but in general they are much fruitier and well balanced when younger. Not many winemakers are striving for ageworthyness as in the past. US buyers just are not putting wine down for a decade these days. If they plan a big dinner for Saturday night they buy the food and wine on Friday, LOL. That said, Cabs and Pinot Noir are the most likely to age well. Of course, proper storage is required.

I did a 10 year vertical tasting of Modavi Reserve Cabs a while back and honestly, to my palate, the younger wines were much better than the older wines. I generally prefer wines young when they are like big fruit bombs.

More important than the age of the bottle is the vintage. Grapes have good growing conditions some years and not so in others. As it turns out, the poorer the growing condition, the more intense the flavor of the grape becomes, but the weather on and around the harvest is also critical. You can get the Wine Spectator Vintage Chart (free) for your iPhone here: App Shopper: VintageChart+ By Wine Spectator (Lifestyle)
And one for your computer from Robert Parker here: Vintage Search

One of the most consistently decent low cost wines you will find comes from Columbia Crest winery from Washington. Don't overlook their Two Vines series. They almost always are wining medals and "Best Buy" ratings from the wine pundits. These are usually selling in the under $7 range making them an easy quaff.
 
jfelbab, so I am going to sound kind of stupid when I ask this question as it might be slightly rhetorical based on your comment but I want to ensure my understanding of this.

I never realized why there was a good vintage and why people were always concerned about the year. This relates to the growing season of the grapes and how well the crop did? Such as if there was a drought and they did not grow well or ripen properly?

What dictates the wine aging well? I thought wine was literally just some smashed up grapes that are left to rot? I figure there is some sort of acid of some sort for preservative properties, is that what allows the wine to age?
 
Tundra_10 said:
jfelbab, so I am going to sound kind of stupid when I ask this question as it might be slightly rhetorical based on your comment but I want to ensure my understanding of this.

I never realized why there was a good vintage and why people were always concerned about the year. This relates to the growing season of the grapes and how well the crop did? Such as if there was a drought and they did not grow well or ripen properly?

What dictates the wine aging well? I thought wine was literally just some smashed up grapes that are left to rot? I figure there is some sort of acid of some sort for preservative properties, is that what allows the wine to age?
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Several factors determine a wines ageworthyness. It's about the correct balance of fruit, tannin and acid. The vintner must blend so as to achieve this age worthy ability. The trend for most inexpensive red wine today is to make them immediately approachable.

Wines that make you gums itch have a lot of tannin and usually will age well. Tannin comes from the grape seeds and stems. When the grapes are mashed and left to ferment, the tannin is absorbed into the juice and if the fruit and acid levels are maintained the wine will be good for several years if kept properly. Again, I'd point out that there are literally hundreds of wineries after the consumer and they recognize the majority of wine buyers want to drink it sooner rather than later. Hence, you get a lot of ready to drink wine on the shelves because thats what sells. Usually only expensive wines will age gracefully and actually may improve over time.

I'd suggest before you start putting down wine for the decade, you might want to taste a few aged wines. You might find that it is not something you particularly like. Join a wine club or visit a winery and ask if you can taste some of their library wines. They will usually offer this for a fee.

Another thought, If you going to be in California, Oregon or Washington, contact a few of the wineries and arrange for a private tasting ahead of time.

In CA, I can suggest my favorite wineries to visit.

•Chalone, Chalone Vineyards located near Monterey/Soledad. They have dynamited caves under the Gavilan mountain range where they age their wine in oak barrels. The aroma of ripening Pinot Noir in those caves is something you will never forget. They may offer barrel tasting if you make pre-arrangements for a visit. You can also buy their stock and as a shareholder receive extra access to the winery.

•Chateau St. Jean, Chateau St Jean - Home located in Sonoma. This is a gorgeous property as are their wines. My favorite Sonoma winery.

•Domaine Chandon, Domaine Chandon Wine - Sparkling, Still Red & White Wines is one of Napa's most beautiful estates. They are renowned for bubbly.

•Stags Leap, Stag's Leap Wine Cellars | A Napa Valley first-growth. Estate-grown Cabernet Sauvignons. is another must see in Napa. They make some serous ageworthy reds.

As of 2010, there are 3,364 wineries in California, growing at around 200 a year, so if you start now, and visited 10 a day, you could maybe visit them all in about a year.
 
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