Any wine enthusiasts out there?

madmax

Lately, I don't know why other than a friend brought it up, I have been trying different wines. Wow, there are a few that taste like what I used to consider wine to taste like but many others are really awesome. Pinot Noir is my favorite at the moment but I just had some 'Traminer which was awesome with spicy mexican fahitas. I've tried a few others I can't spell but man, wine is a lot different than I remember. I feel like I lost out on 20 years of pleasure here. I wonder which wine would go best with tubes? EL-34's to be exact. I'm sure there is a favorite out there. I'm not snobby or anything (just ask anyone) but after trying some of these wines I'm wondering how I ever downed some of my beer favorites. Btw, I hear a drink a night helps the heart. I wonder if a bottle a night makes you live forever? Any other connesuers out there?
madmax

phuz

I've been getting into wine for the last year or so. Mostly reds.

It's true, one drink (any alchohol, not just wine) a day is really good for you. Anything beyond that I think is just getting smashed and probably bad for the liver!

Try a Penfold's 86 Grange with those tubes.

LiquidSound

Our Dog Blue is the best wine I've ever had. Period. It's a white wine vinted in Virginia and comes in a gorgeous blue bottle. It sports a taste like no other. I'd describe it as tangy for lack of a better word, but it's by no means harsh or bright..heh. Quite smooth actually. All this talk makes me want to see if I can hunt one down here in NC.

LiquidSound

And yes..a bottle a night will not only render you immortal..it will also make you flammable.

madmax

The first two I tried were Merlot and Chianti. I almost gave up because the Merlot tasted just like I thought wine tasted and the the Chianti gave me a bad headache after only 1/2 glass. I'll try those mentioned if you guys are serious. I don't drink much but I think what I drink in the future will be wines. I've always enjoyed a good Stout or malt beer but I'm really impressed now.
madmax

Tour2ma

I'll be with you tomorrow...

Another fav topic of mine... see bio...

phuz

If you find Penfold's 86 or 88 grange and actually buy it then please let me know. It usually runs about $500 a bottle.

I like penfolds, coppola, kendall-jackson, b-v, etc. Most stuff from the napa valley from the 90's. 19997 and 1999 napa reds. mmmm. Concha y Torro - good chilean wine.

Cabernet Suvignon, Merlot, and shiraz are some of my favs. I'm still new to it all though so I'd like to hear more suggestions.

madmax

Originally posted by phuz
If you find Penfold's 86 or 88 grange and actually buy it then please let me know. It usually runs about $500 a bottle.

Sorry but I'm an $8 a bottle drinker. Anything with a pricetag of $500 or more better have the LSi Polk logo on it or it won't come into my humble abode.

not that mad... max

Jstas

Sorry man, I have tastes that are too expensive. Like 21 year old scotch.

If not that, a shot and a beer will do me just fine too!

jeff biggs

Justin Winery's 97 Cab goes great with Dave Matthews on My LS-50's
I'm a Wine buyer for a major western states drug chain. I am very fortunate to have access to a wide variety of wines from all over the world.
My tastes run all over the place but I have a special place in my heart for well developed, full bodied, earthy, unfiltered Cabernet Sauvignon. My 2¢ on the Penfolds, way overrated. I have a lot of experience with Aussie wines and they have never impressed Me, although, Rosemount Estate 98 Cab is steal at $12.

dthomps

Too bad my dad doesn't post here, not only is he an original "Polkster" (Monitor 10's in High School for him, I think) but he has an incredible collection of wine. We actually have a small cellar setup here at our house, I am sure he would enjoy a good chat as this is one of his favorite subjects. It is much easier for us to find wine more rare in other parts of the US, as we live about 10 minutes away from some of the largest wineries, like Clos Du Bois, Kundi (I am good friends with their son), Kendall Jackson, etc, etc, you name it. If anyone is ever thinking of taking a tour of the wine country here in Northern California I would be happy to tag along and show you around. Take it easy. Mike

flason

Have you ever tried to make your own wine. I'm not talkin' sterno here. There is a place close by that has all the equipment needed to make your own wine. If you have never tried it, you would be surprised. Good this is there are no preservative in it so if you may have consumed a bottle one night, no headache. The champagne is the same way.

faster100

Well i have dabled with the idea of making beer at home, i had a setup for making soda and got discouraged and sold it, i had the co/2 tank, the taps, lines, the soda kegs and mixing supplies and i just lost interest when the root beer tasted like crap and wouldn't get fizzy. The idea of cooking and fermenting beer has me very interested though, I have a 1965 pink GE fridge as our extra fridge and it would look good with a set of taps on the top shelf with a half keg sitting in the bottom, all porcelin and metal inside with the coils inside top the firdge.. Nice, Far as making wine, it takes alot of practice to make "Good" wine.. sure you can make drinkable wine but real good is a art i think... Myself

HBombToo

I drink my wifes wine/rum when I'm out of Beer.

Merlot for any dinner with me is my Favorite.... Meat, Fish and Chicken is all the same as long as I have some Pasta I'm cool.

The Merlot just grabs ya by the behind and lets you know you are drinking something. Brand names less than 15 bucks a bottle is fine for me. I'm not that picky.

HBomb

hotwheelman

Those soda machines are a pain to get dailed in sometimes.

Jstas

I've been thinking about getting into beer making too. I want to see if I can pull it off. I have to get some equipment though and like always, I'm tight on cash. I did find a brewer's supply store nearby though so that is a bonus! I can ask all kinds of fun questions!

Ron-P

I used to drink wine when I worked for Trader Joe's. We had 20 bottle's + tasting's every week. Had some great ones along with some nasty ones. Several years ago I turned to beer, got burned out on wine. I will drink the heavy red's, Zin's, Merlots and Cabs, that's about it.


Peace Out~:D

scottvamp

These freaking people are creating my empire. For the most part actually own the name - best energy drink and wine IMHO
VAMPIRE WINE

Jstas

Originally posted by ATCVenom
Ah, the time is approaching to where it can be purchased legally..

Only issue at the moment is working on my tolerance for cheap alchohal. I despise it.

Don't drink cheap alcohol then! I have successfully banished the term "Light Beer" from all of my friend's vocabularies. Now, only the womens folk drink that swine pee. I am slowly getting them swayed to better beers too! You can find quality booze at any local place and usually on sale. I've grabbed a case of Guiness draft cans for about 20 dollars on sale. Not bad considering they usually go for twice that. Local breweries and distillers will usually have higher quality levels than a macrobrewery or major distiller in both taste and refinement but they can be cheaper because there are distribution costs and many small, independant places sell directly to the liqour store and operate as thier own distributors. That saves costs and time so stuff isn't sitting aorund in a warehouse for days, weeks or even months at a time. It's going right from the brewer/distiller to you.

I am kind of spolied though. Living here in NJ on the east coast, we have so many microbreweries around, I couldn't ever try to name them all. They are all mostly German and Dutch breweries and a couple of English styles too. All brew in the old styles with modern equipment in most of them. However, the sampling is overly abundant and a trip to the Liqour Store to "try something new" can cause headaches without even sipping an ounce of alcohol.

Seriously though. Expensive booze may be more costly but you will get wasted alot quicker off of a quality drink than you will off of gallons of the cheap stuff. If that is your goal. Sometimes though, the cheap stuff is good stuff. Very rarely though.

Systems

Night Train used to really do the trick. MD 20/20 had a certain cachet, but when you put aside the image, NT was far better. Wouldn't have gotten caught dead w/TBird. Of course, when I could afford it, anything in a big glass jug with a metal cap was the way to go, altho the Burgundies were always a bit harsh, best watered with a little seltzer or 7up. I'm glad those days are behind me.:p

HBombToo

Originally posted by ATCVenom
If I would like to seduce my mind, I will do it via: "hemp".

Different strokes for different folks -

I'd be on that wagon but going to jail or peeing in a cup is a stark reality for me and care not to partake.

I'll sick with the booze.

HBomb

Jstas

Nobody ever said you have to get drunk.

I've drank enough to be intoxicated but my family has Polish and other slavic heritage so it's in my genes to have a naturally high tolerance to booze! (I know, it's not determined by genetics) Still though, I've drank people under the table. At 5 foot 7 and 160 pounds, that's saying something.

Still, I don't drink to get drunk. I drink to enjoy the drink.

No drugs though. My job, like HbombToo, does have random drug tests. Considering the nature of my employment (which I'm not at liberty to discuss), drugs and other illegal substances would jeopardize my entire job, living and basically way of life. **** up on that level does not justify the high I might get from getting high.

PETERNG

try Louis the 13, about $125 a shot...smell great all the way....

Jstas

ATCVenom

You don't have to have a hangover. While preservatives can play a part in headaches, those headaches from preservatives are caused by allergic reations that not everyone has.

However, alcohol displaces water in your system, which is why you always have to pee like a racehorse when you are "feelin' good". Anyway, when the alcohol displaces the water in your system, you be come dehydrated which magnifies teh effects of alcohol and deprives your brain of oxygen and water. That is where your headache comes from and why you feel dizzy in the morning. It takes a while to rehydrate too so it lasts all day and you are miserable.

So, if you plan on getting piss-drunk, do it smartly. Every 3rd drink is an 8-12 ounce glass of water. That way, you don't dehydrate and you can actually drink more. However, it does not lessen the effects of anebriation so do not think that it is cure-all like some people think OJ will help you pass a breathalyzer.

I have personally ingested 2 beers, 3 doubles of scotch, on the rocks and an entire bottle of rum in "rum and cokes" and felt no ill effects towards hangovers the next day because I made sure that the bartender would put a glass of water up every 3rd drink. Everyone else who was out with me the night before arrived late to work and were complaining of aches and pains in all sorts of places. All were very angry at me and blamed it on youth.

I did have a hangover once. I found out why and swore that never again would it happen to me.



Oh yeah, and you canget wicked headaches from tokin' on doobies.

Also, I don't understand how can't justify spending money on something you will consume by ingesting it but you can justify spending money on something you will consume by burning off 75% of it and only inhaling 25% of what you paid for. You economies of scale are a little off there especially considering that you can get fall down drunk for about 10 bucks and decent hash will run you 10-20 dollars more than that.

Tour2ma

Wines:

Been into wine for ~15 years now. I am no expert, but I’ve had some good experiences. I took notes on all the above and am eager to try your recommendations. I especially love “discovering” a good value, i.e., really drinkable wine for </= $10 a bottle.
Here are some of my fav’s for your consideration. Needless to say all you read below is IMHO:
Reds
Cab’s
Best I’ve had at any price is ’91 Stag’s Leap - bought a case several years ago at Sam’s Club (really) at ~ $20 per and enjoyed it for 3 years… it got better and better until the last bottle that was hurt during a summer A/C breakdown… Had their ’96 – not quite as good, but still very good. I have not tried more recent vintages, but plan to.
Another great, but pricey Cab is Grgich
Expensive and good, but overrated – Jordan
For value try: Domestic - Becker Reserve (TX – yes, Texas) – the ’98 is supposed to be great, but it’s hard to find. The 2000 I have is very good; and Columbia Crest – any year – they’re pretty consistent - decent, but doesn’t finish what it starts.
Chilean Note: with wines from Chile be prepared for more tannins, just the way they like their wines “down there”. Someone mentioned Concha y Toro above, I agree… also try San Philleppe Edwards - the vineyard that saved Rothschild of France.
Merlot
In general I’m not crazy about them, too “wimpy” for my taste, but they have their place. But I just found a BIG Merlot I am in love with --- Becker Vineyards (that TX vintner again) – their ’99 is amazing, ’00 damn good and ’01 very nice… bought a bunch of ’00 to lay up in hopes they’ll grow up to be like their older brothers…
Chianti
An under appreciated wine – for an intro to how great this wine can be run to get Italy’s Ruffino Riserva Ducale (Gold)… I hit upon the ’88 at Sam’s and Wow. I’ve had the ’95, too, just as great. Expect to pay ~$30 a bottle for the more recent golds. Ruffino rates their output annually and only about 1 in 4 vintages are given their gold label… their “lesser” Riserva’s are still very good at about half the price.
For value try these Italians: Brolio and Banfi, both are pretty darn good.
>>>>> If anyone knows of a good, domestic Chianti producer, please let me know.<<<<<
Meritage
This is a cab/merlot blend, sometimes with a third grape thrown in as well. Not a wealth of experience here, but my favorite so far is Cain Cuvee’, very nice for ~$20 per. I toured Becker Vineyards over Thanksgiving, NE of San Antonio and west of Austin, and at their Cask Master’s suggestion I blended their 2001 Cab and 2001 Merlot 50:50, excellent “instant meritage”. And this taught me a valuable lesson, “don’t be afraid to play with your wines”.
For value: Llano (pronounced “Yano”), another TX vintner NW of Austin, bottles a “Signature Meritage” that is very, very drinkable at ~$8 a bottle….
I am still researching Pinot Noir’s and Zinfandel’s… I’ve had good ones in restaurants, but only one comes (partially) to mind… Sin Zin…again any suggestions here will be appreciated.
Port
Again, just getting into this “desert” wine. Have had at a couple different ones at restaurants. Only one I have ever bought for home is, again, Becker Vineyards… very nice and very reasonable.
Misc.
My daughter bought me a six-month Wine.com ( http://www.wine.com/ ) “wine of the month club” package for my birthday. I recommend the package, even as a gift to yourself, for its fun value, but their selection and prices on individual bottles aren’t that great. Normally you get a red and a white a month. Each month’s wines represent the efforts of a different part of the world. Each shipment includes a page on each of the wines in that shipment discussing the history of the Winery, the vintage in the shipment, etc.
So far some pretty good stuff. The best to date was in a shipment that included two Spanish Rioja’s. First Spanish I’ve ever had. Tried the “lesser” of the two, per the literature, Neonato by Marques de Murrieta 2000 with a pizza (what a waste). Man, if that was the lesser of the two, I can’t wait to try the other.

Hope this is useful to some of y’all. I’ll have to do the whites another time. Right have to get ready to go back to San Antonio. A GREAT restaurant there, The Gray Moss Inn (http://www.grey-moss-inn.com/ ), is holding a Zin tasting tomorrow night. May even have another red or two to report.

Also, I just got a wine kit for Christmas, my first. I doubt they’ll be much to report on there….

Before I go, whether you are into, or want to get into wine, do yourself a favor and buy a VacuVin Wine Saver. I just got one over Christmas. There’s nothing in the world of wine worse than drinking half a bottle of a very nice wine and then going back to it a week later and tasting vinegar. The air that’s trapped in a re-corked bottle oxidizes the wine. The Wine Saver is a pair of rubber stoppers and a small, hand vacuum pump. Together they pull and keep out enough of the air to prevent oxidation, even if you store the bottle at room temperature. They are available at Bed, Bath and Beyond and other places. And may even have an audio application somewhere…

Would love to contribute to the beer thoughts… ahhhh Shiner Bach and the Irish stout Beamish… but this is a wine thread and I don’t want to encourage the beer lovers… Another thread, another time…

And while I was off typing this in Word (select all… control c…. control v), how the hell did we get into a dope discussion?

On the other hand Jstas’ water advice is a great addition. Let me add that Red’s often contain sulfites at levels some people just can’t tolerate them, thus the headache before ½ a glass syndrome. Budweiser does me the same way….

“If anyone is ever thinking of taking a tour of the wine country here in Northern California I would be happy to tag along and show you around. Take it easy.” Mike

Mike, Did a mini-tour about 4 years ago (Sterling, Opus and Mondavi), when I go back I’ll take you up your offer. As payment for your guidance I’ll buy dinner at the CIA… loved that place… Meanwhile, mail me a six-pack of Anchor Steam???

dthomps

Any time bro, Ill be waiting just say the word. I have always wanted to take a full tour anyhow, i have done several mini tours myself, and have always enjoyed them. If your serious about the Anchor Steam, drop me a line. Seriously! Mike
surfbum72@worldnet.att.net

dthomps

Tour2ma
I didnt catch that part about the CIA-
The Greystone Cellars? Man, that place is awesome. Its beautiful, and they have wonderful food. I have taken the little lady there several times, and it sure leaves a lasting impression on her. Thanks for the offer. Enjoy your weekend everyone. Mike

Tour2ma

CIA = Culinary Institute of America .... same as the Greystone?

Frank Z

Whine Enthusiats? Here? Of course there are, more than a few I might add! They wine about this, they whine about that, they whine about stuff they know nothing about.....

Oh, you mean Wine, the stuff from grapes, not whine like...

nevermind.

Actually I've been trying to find a bottle of King's State Pinot Noir locally, but have not had much luck.

goingganzo

i am not a wine but i love my tequla i have some varitiee of it and like it alot. try some 1921 tequla

dthomps

Originally posted by Tour2ma
CIA = Culinary Institute of America .... same as the Greystone?

Yep, its the Culinary Institute of America at the Greystone Cellars. Wonderful place. Mike
<a href="http://www.ciachef.edu/greystone/">Greystone Cellars</a></link>