The Wine Thread -- what have you been drinking?

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Ned, in Pennsylvania I could never buy wine at Trader Joe's (let alone Hungarian wine).

― Rockist Scientist (rockistscientist), Thursday, 19 February 2004 03:44 (twenty-two years ago)

I don't know anything about wine, but in the last few years it's more or less the only alcohol I have any interest in drinking. Am I just fulfilling someone's idea of maturity? I don't think so. I am not interested in getting really drunk, because it's unhealthy, but I also don't like the way hard liquor feels in my body, and I don't like the way beer makes me feel so full. But a couple glasses of red wine can give me a nice buzz.

― Rockist Scientist (rockistscientist), Thursday, 19 February 2004 03:46 (twenty-two years ago)

Pennsylvania has laws against that kind of thing?

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 19 February 2004 03:47 (twenty-two years ago)

State-run liquor stores. (You probably have heard this before.) Although I think there are wine shops that are independent of the state. But you can't just go to any old food store and buy wine or any other alcohol (except maybe cooking wine).

― Rockist Scientist (rockistscientist), Thursday, 19 February 2004 03:48 (twenty-two years ago)

Red wine is good for the heart, as well--it's proven by science.

I'm drinking Renwood's sierra series zin from 2001 right now, it's decent but far from my fave. I love Peter Franus's zins, and highly recommend them if you can find them. I'm about to drink a 1997 Rosenthal Malibu Estates cab, and expect it to be fantastic as I had some about a year ago or so and it was getting really good. Had a 1997 Liparita cab from Napa a few days ago, great stuff. I'm running out of good wine though and have been falling back on the cheaper stuff as I am tonight, but cheap wines have been getting better lately.

― webcrack (music=crack), Thursday, 19 February 2004 05:30 (twenty-two years ago)

I like Zin, and I just got to taste a terrific one from Downing Family in Napa (Oakville to be precise) -- very restrained and elegant for a zin, which can be overly jammy and huge for my tastes.

Castle Rock cab is very very good for the money -- they're a Napa producer, but their cab is Washington fruit.

Jim, you sound like you're pretty into the Aussie stuff. I envy you getting to drink that Henschke -- sounds awesome. Have you Yalumba's unoaked chard? Very tasty.

― Clarke B., Thursday, 19 February 2004 05:55 (twenty-two years ago)

"have you *tried*" duh

― Clarke B., Thursday, 19 February 2004 05:56 (twenty-two years ago)

I am lazy and have been consuming a lot of Yalumba and Banrock Station cask chardonnay and semillions. For cask wines they aren't all that bad though (and certainly arent dirt cheap). Have a nice bottle of Yellowglen sparkling in the fridge we're gonna have after work I think, with a nice rare steak and some roast tatoes.

I cant drink reds, I'm allergic :(

― Trayce (trayce), Thursday, 19 February 2004 06:06 (twenty-two years ago)

I pity you Trayce.

― webcrack (music=crack), Thursday, 19 February 2004 06:07 (twenty-two years ago)

Sorry to hear, that Trayce. I've read that sulfite allergy is similar to lactose intolerance in that more people than you might expect suffer negligible to mild symptoms but don't even register the cause. You're definitely not alone; you probably just have a worse case than most people.

― Clarke B., Thursday, 19 February 2004 06:11 (twenty-two years ago)

i haven't had the Yalumba, i'll get some on the weekend!

― the surface noise (electricsound), Thursday, 19 February 2004 06:16 (twenty-two years ago)

The odd thing is I can tolerate whites (though if I have too much, I wake up with a severe sinus headache). But reds, I get a nasty headache and blocked sinuses after a few mouthfuls, I really dunno why. If it was the sulfites, wouldnt white do it too? Maybe its the amines, or... I duno.

― Trayce (trayce), Thursday, 19 February 2004 06:24 (twenty-two years ago)

Jim - the Yalumby 2L casks are often on special and the chardonnay and columbard chard are quite drinkable, in that cheap and cheerful "have 6 glasses" kinda way.

― Trayce (trayce), Thursday, 19 February 2004 06:25 (twenty-two years ago)

Clarke, what wine store do you work in?

― webcrack (music=crack), Thursday, 19 February 2004 06:27 (twenty-two years ago)

If it's to be _only_ wine, I'll take zin. So tasty. Plus high alcohol, hurrah. Last year a buddy gave me a bottle of Heywood Estate Chamizal Zinfandel- I just realized that it's 93. I wonder if it has made it this far down the road. I think he got it cellar door, and presumably they'd know exactly how long to cellar it.

― Hunter (Hunter), Thursday, 19 February 2004 06:51 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm all about spanish red's at the moment, big full bodied gutsy reds, very brash, not full bodied in the same way as a good Barbera or Pauillac, but much cheaper. Particular h9t was Torres Tempranillo, 2000 vintage, I know it's a big brand but very good nonetheless.

― Ed (dali), Thursday, 19 February 2004 11:15 (twenty-two years ago)

BULLS BLOOD? Isn't that that terrible stuff that not even Lixi and I (who might I add, are well accustomed to Pollo's ~~keg~~house wine) could stomach? Or is it something with a similiar name?

I wished I had a bottle of wine whilst watching Foopballers Wive$ last night but I did not :(

― Sarah (starry), Thursday, 19 February 2004 11:26 (twenty-two years ago)

My store's called Wine Warehouse. It's not part of a chain or anything, as the name might lead you to believe; the name is actually tongue-in-cheek, as our owner wanted to differentiate the place from boutique-y "bottle shops." We have a lot of smaller producers, and the owner and managers do an amazing job with quality control.

― Clarke B., Thursday, 19 February 2004 12:52 (twenty-two years ago)

Milller High Life - the champagne of beer. I hate wine.

― Chris V (Chris V), Thursday, 19 February 2004 13:21 (twenty-two years ago)

This thread is going to be hellish useful in determining when Matt Coastal is back from his holiday.

― Lynskey (Lynskey), Thursday, 19 February 2004 13:37 (twenty-two years ago)

What did it ever do to you, Chris??

― Clarke B., Thursday, 19 February 2004 18:14 (twenty-two years ago)

i just don't like the taste of it. and the breath it gives you is something else.

― Chris V (Chris V), Thursday, 19 February 2004 18:17 (twenty-two years ago)

A bottle of Portuguese Palmella Garrefeirra awaits. I am very curious.

The label says J P Garrafeira 1995 Palmela. It's got some kind of D.O.C. style registration cert on the back. It's 100% Perequita varietal from Setubal peninsula, and I have no idea in hell what any of that is about, I've never had perequita. It's quite good. I think it's rather like a strong finishing Garnacha. You ever heard of this style Clarke? I got it on sale from a heavily raided case.

― Hunter (Hunter), Friday, 20 February 2004 05:14 (twenty-two years ago)

Too much ok Rioja tonight, which led to me feeling too woozy to stick around and hear DJ Technics from Baltimore spin at my friend's party tonight. I'm now home, bummed and drunk. Gotta get up early for work anyhow.

― Jay Vee (Manon_70), Friday, 20 February 2004 06:50 (twenty-two years ago)

bulls blood = gross. i remember some town in hungary.. eger i think its called. you can go visit the vineyards and if you bring a 2-liter bottle, they'll fill it with wine for like 10 cent.

― phil-two (phil-two), Friday, 20 February 2004 06:53 (twenty-two years ago)

You rang?

― Matt (Matt), Friday, 20 February 2004 16:28 (twenty-two years ago)

And, as currently stands the last wine I consumed was a fiendishly expensive Condrieu last night. Boo-ya.

― Matt (Matt), Friday, 20 February 2004 16:36 (twenty-two years ago)

That strawberry stuff from Bonny Doon is still my wine of choice, but I can never find it here. Lately, if I'm drinking wine, I'm drinking Australian tokay (R.L. Buller & Son) or spumante with juice and tequila. I've been cooking with Cabernet Sauvignon when I use red, instead of the Merlots I'd been using almost exclusively for years, and I haven't yet decided if it's quite as versatile; the Pinot Grigio I use for a cooking white can be used for just about anything, but when I use red, I want it to work just as well with a dessert as it does with a beef stew or tomato sauce, and I'm not sure the Cab's pulling that for me.

― Tep (ktepi), Friday, 20 February 2004 16:41 (twenty-two years ago)

I have almost finished the unwisely-purchased box of tedious red I had originally intended to use for mulling. It was cheap in Sainsburys.

― Markelby (Mark C), Friday, 20 February 2004 16:44 (twenty-two years ago)

Bully Hill. I cannot believe that I found the mother load in Vermont, brought some back, and now I've only got one bottle left. Wahhh!!! Love My Goat, baby.

― The River Kate (kate), Friday, 20 February 2004 18:16 (twenty-two years ago)

Tonight I have a Buzet, never heard of the region but it in the upper reaches of the Garonne, near Agen.

― Ed (dali), Friday, 20 February 2004 18:26 (twenty-two years ago)

This evening I shall be imbibing a bottle of Faustino VII rioja from 2000, which cost me £6 from Threshers.

― Sick Nouthall (Nick Southall), Friday, 20 February 2004 18:30 (twenty-two years ago)

The Buzet was very enjoyable, not heavy with a pleasantly acidic flavour rounded off with a rich woody fruity taste. One to remember I think.

― Ed (dali), Saturday, 21 February 2004 13:24 (twenty-two years ago)

Chris V. wrote: Milller High Life - the champagne of beer. I hate wine.

The question now is, what is the Miller High Life of champagne?

Orbit wrote: The best under $20 Champagne/Sparking Wine is Domaine Ste. Michelle Extra dry

Yes!! Yes!! It's never let me down. I can't think of anything even close (quality-wise) for that price. (Suggestions?)

Hunter wrote: At $11 Duck Pond Willamette Pinot Noir is a pretty decent, and obv. way cheap for PN.

Seconded! I was surprised...good stuff.

― Ernest P. (ernestp), Saturday, 21 February 2004 20:41 (twenty-two years ago)

Breton 1999 Lorinon Crianza Tinto's great; currently only $12 at wine.com

Also, there's a $5 Amontillado Sherry at Trader Joe's that's pretty decent for the price. That is, if we're counting fortified stuffs.

― The Second Drummer Drowned (Atila the Honeybun), Saturday, 21 February 2004 20:48 (twenty-two years ago)

I downed a not insignificant portion of a bottle of Chateau Mouquet last night. The only problem was that I couldn't remember if it cost $4.99 or $12.99 at Trader Joes!

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Saturday, 21 February 2004 20:56 (twenty-two years ago)

Some very dodgy spanich creme sherry that I got from oddbins for a fiver. I wanted harveys bristol cream, but they didn't have none. Boo hiss etc. It doesn't taste quite as paint thinnery as sherry sometimes can, but still quite odd. Nice picture on the bottle, though, of a lovely spanish missus. Ha-hem.

― The River Kate (kate), Saturday, 21 February 2004 21:06 (twenty-two years ago)

Nipper To Thread!

(Me? Good South African white. Gosh, that's a strange form of words.)

― the winefox, Saturday, 21 February 2004 21:37 (twenty-two years ago)

Trader Joe alert= sale + consistency (I hate getting a good bottle and then one that tastes like vinegar and socks)

Columbia Crest Merlot/Cabernet $3.99 Woo-hoo!!!!! has withstood the multiple bottle test! A nice tobacco-y but smooth wine, it has pretty good body and mild tannins, great able wine! I am doing the wine dance now. *hop* *hop*

― Orbit (Orbit), Saturday, 21 February 2004 23:09 (twenty-two years ago)

This evening a chilean viognier. Following on from the condrieu I think I'm noticing a new trend...must drink red soon...

Orbit, inconsistency in most wine goes with the turf. I think I actually get more corked stuff than not. Go for screwcaps if you want consistency. Sadly, until the trade adopts them as an industry standard then you'll have to take your chances with most wines.

― Matt (Matt), Sunday, 22 February 2004 00:37 (twenty-two years ago)

You've probably got overheated/badly stored wine; corked bottles happen, but heat damage happens a lot more.

― Orbit (Orbit), Sunday, 22 February 2004 01:18 (twenty-two years ago)

Chilean viognier -- interesting! What was the Condrieu you had, Matt? I recently had a great Cote-du-Rhone white from Caillou that was half viognier, half grenache blanc. The grenache blanc pulled down some of the raging floral qualities that I like so much in viognier, but that made the wine more balanced and food-friendly, so I can't much complain.

Next up to try is a bottle of '98 Tablas Creek Rouge -- Paso Robles Rhone-styled blend of mourvedre, grenache, syrah, and counoise. I've heard nothing but good things about Tablas Creek stuff, so I'm anxious to try this. Those southern Rhone varietals rock me.

― Clarke B., Sunday, 22 February 2004 01:40 (twenty-two years ago)

Montecillo Crianza, cheap from Trader Joe's.

― JuliaA (j_bdules), Sunday, 22 February 2004 05:39 (twenty-two years ago)

one month passes...

Time for a revival on this one; the Tablas Creek I mentioned in my last post ended up corked, which I think put me off of this thread by association.

Stolenbus and I are finishing up a bottle of 1999 Chateau Gueyrosse (St-Emilion Grand Cru) ($20 or so retail, but this bottle was a free sample -- thank you, job!), which has been extremely tasty. It's so nice to have a restrained, elegant wine once in a while. Everyone goes on and on about how BIG so-and-so California cabernet or Aussie shiraz is, and yeah it's fun to have a compeltely teeth-staining fruit bomb every once in a while, but come on. This wine has a soul, a personality -- it's there for you to talk to, to wonder about, not just to fuck.

― Clarke B. (Clarke B.), Monday, 29 March 2004 00:12 (twenty-two years ago)

You make me jealous, sir.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 29 March 2004 00:32 (twenty-two years ago)

...says Ned, a day-trip away from the best wine-growing regions on the continent. ;-)

― Clarke B. (Clarke B.), Monday, 29 March 2004 04:56 (twenty-two years ago)

Ah maaan! Cheap WHITE! Duex boteilles! One bottle was mercilessly "half-inched" for the nightbus journey home but we couldn't bear to drink it. I tried to dispose of it in the bins before we got back into the flat, but my copain wouldn't let me!

When we woke up, I saw the bottle of wine. And instead of crying out loud in horror... I put it in the fridge, and we drank it that evening. Further proof that anything is nice just if it's VERY COLD.

― Sarah (starry), Monday, 29 March 2004 07:29 (twenty-two years ago)

...says Ned, a day-trip away from the best wine-growing regions on the continent. ;-)

I know what I'm doing. ;-)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 29 March 2004 07:47 (twenty-two years ago)

I have no doubt that you do, Ned!

I'm interested in the Trader Joe's phenomenon -- they seem to be extremely effective tastemakers. How many of you will buy something based solely on a Trader Joe's recommendation? How reliable do you find them in terms of finding good values?

Beer is more my everyday beverage; I tend to spend a little more on wines and drink them less frequently. I'd rather have an $18-$20 wine once a week than a $9-$10 wine twice a week. That's not to discount good value wines under $10 -- I definitely have my share of them, too -- but I think I've finally gotten my palate to the point where that extra bit of quality and complexity can make a real difference in my enjoyment of a bottle.

― Clarke B. (Clarke B.), Monday, 29 March 2004 21:43 (twenty-two years ago)

They usually come up with a good enough blend of 'hey, it's cheap to try' and 'come on, the description's just useful enough, isn't it?'

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 29 March 2004 21:46 (twenty-two years ago)

Skipping 552 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

which I mean, it kind of is, but I don't really need that

― μpright mammal (mh), Tuesday, 26 April 2016 16:42 (ten years ago)

yeah way too sweet for me

― JWoww Gilberto (man alive), Tuesday, 26 April 2016 16:43 (ten years ago)

Charles Smith (better than Charles Shaw) makes Kung Fu Riesling and lots of other good wines. Also can appear high as a kite in person.

― ... (Eazy), Tuesday, 26 April 2016 16:54 (ten years ago)

German riesling (Mosel) and riesling from the 70s and 80s is what you are associating with off dry riesling (typically Mosel). A good rule of thumb is if it's less than 12% alcohol it will be off dry.

― Yerac, Tuesday, 26 April 2016 16:56 (ten years ago)

Oh Charles Smith is the 2 Buck Chuck brand?

― Yerac, Tuesday, 26 April 2016 16:57 (ten years ago)

If you enjoy spicy food or asian takeout, riesling is a win. Or Champagne, Cava.

― Yerac, Tuesday, 26 April 2016 16:59 (ten years ago)

Ugh, Charles Shaw I mean for $2 Chuck. Charles Smith has those graphic wine labels.

― Yerac, Tuesday, 26 April 2016 17:00 (ten years ago)

spicy food or asian takeout cannot be eaten with my Dad around without a reminder from him that it's good with Gewurtz/Riesling

― + +, Tuesday, 26 April 2016 17:21 (ten years ago)

it simply cannot be

― + +, Tuesday, 26 April 2016 17:21 (ten years ago)

Ha. Riesling is like somm gatorade. Basically for anything spicy salty you need either residual sugar or a high level of acid to cut through the salt/spice. Although I do know people who love to drink tannic, robust wines with spicy food because they like the bitter burn.

― Yerac, Tuesday, 26 April 2016 17:25 (ten years ago)

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ChBoQcNWkAA5Y9K.jpg

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ChDJ5GmWwAEu85H.jpg:large

https://twitter.com/FredericBillet1/status/725301524210024448

― сверх (nakhchivan), Friday, 29 April 2016 14:24 (ten years ago)

If Terrence Malick was a winemaker...

― calzino, Friday, 29 April 2016 14:37 (ten years ago)

wow

― japanese mage (LocalGarda), Friday, 29 April 2016 14:38 (ten years ago)

two months pass...

We found this Argentinian Malbec for $11 called Las Piedras. Damn good, think it will become a go-to.

― socka flocka-jones (man alive), Wednesday, 13 July 2016 01:57 (nine years ago)

gobelsburger cistercian rose has quickly become my favorite rose

― call all destroyer, Wednesday, 13 July 2016 02:00 (nine years ago)

Malbec is definitely one of my go-to reds. Spanish tempranillos and garnachas are also good value.

― o. nate, Wednesday, 13 July 2016 02:00 (nine years ago)

I feel like Malbec's flavor profile is sort of in the same general range as Cabernet but usually cheaper for similar quality, and that's usually the kind of flavor profile I like most in reds.

― socka flocka-jones (man alive), Wednesday, 13 July 2016 02:03 (nine years ago)

five years pass...

I've discovered that there is actually a type of french wine I don't like - Fer Servadou. Just a weird profile all around, started out a little bit manichevitzy and ended very astringent.

― longtime caller, first time listener (man alive), Sunday, 22 August 2021 03:59 (four years ago)

OTOH have been loving Italian reds. Barbera D'Alba *chef's kiss*

― longtime caller, first time listener (man alive), Sunday, 22 August 2021 03:59 (four years ago)

Just drinking the usual red plonk. Nothing special.

― it is to laugh, like so, ha! (Aimless), Sunday, 22 August 2021 04:02 (four years ago)

We have a wine bar we occasionally go to now because it's literally five minutes drive from our house, the owner is a local, and he has very good taste. I have a tendency to want to try whatever I don't know, which is how I wound up with Fer Servadou last time, but I guess that one was a bust. Other times it's served me really well. He has a few Georgian "orange wines" and I'm thinking I might try one next time.

― longtime caller, first time listener (man alive), Sunday, 22 August 2021 04:14 (four years ago)

I brought a bottle of Spanish orange wine back from Spain many years ago. Seemed like a good idea at the time, but really not good wine.

― nickn, Sunday, 22 August 2021 07:17 (four years ago)

Since January I've been getting into wine by drinking a bottle of something new every week. I'd always been a beer guy, then got into cocktails, then sherry but for some reason wine had never been my thing. It's fun - turns out there are lots of kinds of wine.

Anyway, for UK folks I highly recommend https://www.vincognito.co.uk - it's amazingly well-curated and I kind of want to try everything they have in stock.

― in a bar, under the (seandalai), Sunday, 22 August 2021 16:38 (four years ago)

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