Wine

[Mike Buckley]

My wife and I started the evening with a Tempranillo with the plan to change to Chianti for the bulgogi dinner. This Tempranillo is so unusually fruity and low in tannins that I decided to try it with the bulgogi. I would switch, if necessary, to the Chianti. No need to switch; the Tempranillo was very enjoyable. Even so, I wouldn't normally recommend a Tempranillo because few are so fruity and so well balanced with acidity, which is why I've been buying a lot of this particular one.

 

[Mike Buckley]

A Tale of Two Wines
My wife came home from work, so to start off her Thanksgiving weekend I opened a bottle of Zin that we had never tried from our wine club. She was in the mood for big and bold and this wine has 14.6% alcohol, so I went for it. However, I warned her that the alcohol quantity might be too much. It was. Add to that that the wine by the club's own description is a bit on the sweet side. My wife likened the wine to cough medicine and I concurred. I'll use it to make lamb stew this weekend. So, I successfully switched to a wonderful red Bordeaux that I knew well and knew that we liked.

My plan for supper also included a wine that is new to us from the same shipment from our wine club. This one is 100% Semillon. I don't like Bordeaux white wine because the Semillon seems to add a bitter taste to the Sauvignon Blanc. Even so, I'm not sure we have ever had a wine made entirely from Semillon and the description of this one, if accurate to our taste, would pair fabulously with our supper. Indeed, it was fabulous! I'm gonna order six more bottles of it now to ensure that I get to it before my wine club runs out of it. If I buy six or more bottles, the price is a steal at $13 each.

 

[Pa]

Add to that that the wine by the club's own description is a bit on the sweet side. My wife likened the wine to cough medicine and I concurred.

I've encountered this more than once with zinfandel labeled "old vine". Now I never buy zinfandel that mentions "old vine" on the label.

 

[Mike Buckley]

Any particularly interesting wines enjoyed at Thanksgiving dinner?

I was thrilled by a 2010 Domaine Louis Latour premier cru red Burgundy. If I hadn't seen the label, I would have thought the wine was from Oregon. An absolutely wonderful wine that wowed both my wife and me.

 

[nuclearjock]

2012 Far Niente chardonnay.

 

[Mike Buckley]

"Nielsen reports a 73% jump in sales [of canned wine] between October 2018 and October 2019, totaling $54 million."

I dunno, but that sounds to me like about $53,999,999.99 too much.

https://www.cnn.com/2019/12/06/business/alcohol-trends-2019-beer-sales/index.html

 

[Palouse]

I wonder how much of that was drunk

 

[bpdougd]

"Nielsen reports a 73% jump in sales [of canned wine] between October 2018 and October 2019, totaling $54 million."

I dunno, but that sounds to me like about $53,999,999.99 too much.

https://www.cnn.com/2019/12/06/business/alcohol-trends-2019-beer-sales/index.html

I wonder how much of that was drunk

It pairs well with fried spam and tater tots.

 

[Growltiger]

There is a whisky collection up for sale, in case anyone here has a taste for it... (can't stand it myself so I won't be buying it):
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-50672313

 

[Mike Buckley]

I enjoyed the most interesting, different wine last night. Never had anything like it. It's like a Pinot Noir on steroids and, prior to enjoying it so much, I would have thought I would never like a wine described as a Pinot Noir on steroids. It was fresh, vibrant, fruity and with lots of layers.

Even more surprising, it has 15% alcohol. I've never liked a wine with so much alcohol that isn't an Australian Shiraz.

Considering its unique taste, it comes as no surprise that its blend of grape species is also novel: 52% Barbera, 39% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 3% Grenache. I don't remember ever having a blended Barbera; only 100% Barbera. Consistent with its uniqueness, the information about all those grapes is prominently displayed on the front label.

The wine paired absolutely perfectly with falling-off-the-bone baby back ribs in a light sauce, Indian style, that allows the flavor of the meat, rather than the sauce, to be the predominant taste. The wine club I bought it from says to pair it with red meat such as lamb, but I would have to try that to believe it.

 

[Pa]

There is a whisky collection up for sale, in case anyone here has a taste for it... (can't stand it myself so I won't be buying it):
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-50672313

3,900 bottles worth nearly 10 million dollars. It's not clear from the article if you have to buy the entire collection or if you can bid on individual bottles, presumably the latter.

These bottles are mostly too rare and valuable to drink. You just put them on the shelf and admire (or photograph) them.

Owner was the former CEO of Pepsi Cola and the grandson of its originator.

 

[Mike Buckley]

Owner was the former CEO of Pepsi Cola and the grandson of its originator.

The Pepsi founder probably wouldn't have known that his product would eventually be sold in cans. Even more doubtful that he would have known that even wine would eventually be sold in cans.

 

[Mike Buckley]

3,900 bottles worth nearly 10 million dollars. It's not clear from the article if you have to buy the entire collection or if you can bid on individual bottles

Even if we can bid on one bottle at a time, the average estimated price is about $2500. I'll pass.

 

[Mike Buckley]

I came upon another new wine grape species for me in the most unusual situation: it is in a red Italian blend by Villa Antinori. The grape species, which I had never even heard of, is Saint Macaire.

 

[Palouse]

Saint Macaire was once common in Bordeaux and in SW France, and was also used in Meritage blends in the US and Australia. But you are right, it is no longer a common variety.

 

[Mike Buckley]

Saint Macaire was once common in Bordeaux

I wonder if that was when Bordeaux wineries made primarily white wine. I remember being so shocked to learn that it was as recent as the 1980s when Bordeaux became primarily a maker of red wine.

 

[Palouse]

I wonder if that was when Bordeaux wineries made primarily white wine. I remember being so shocked to learn that it was as recent as the 1980s when Bordeaux became primarily a maker of red wine.

Good question. Will have to do some digging beyond what my little grey cells remember.

 

[pictureted]

Sorry you folks aren't fans of old vine zins. I've found that the big, jammy zins worked better with foods with strong and varied flavours than other wines. The other variety I've enjoyed with strong foods is a light, fruity Mosel.

I save the pinots for plain beef or chicken. The cabs or meritages for beef or lamb. Chablis for fish.

For almost everything else, it's zin.

 

[Mike Buckley]

Sorry you folks aren't fans of old vine zins. I've found that the big, jammy zins worked better with foods with strong and varied flavours than other wines.

I'm a fan of them. They're also great on their own. Same for old vine Shiraz.

 

[Palouse]

German Riesling are great with strong and spiced foods--2 nights a ago we downed one with some spicy pork tacos.