Shotfire

"Hi chrism76:

My wine journey has been a little different from most people's. I was working in Europe and was more or less forced into drinking wine (business meetings, local culture). I started out drinking Central European whites and did not like them all that much (Riesling OK). Then moved on to Bordeaux and other French/old world reds. Liked these much better than white wines, but I noticed a distinct mineral taste in virtually all of them, like you could taste the very dirt the vines grow in.

Then I moved back to the US and started drinking West Coast reds--cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir, zinfandel, etc. I liked the US cabs better than the French wines, overall. More pronounced flavor and fruit, less mineral taste.

Then I started drinking inexpensive shiraz from Australia. Wow. And I was not the only one. The Aussie shirazes are still great deals, but not nearly as cheap as they once were. Incredibly bright flavors/aromas, tons of fruit, and a little more alcohol content.

So I have gone in "reverse order" in finding the right wine for me. Many people will tell you that Australian shiraz is for the unsophisticated palate or that it is just decent cheap wine. For my own taste, I would disagree. If you want something good with a steak, for example, it is hard to beat a good shiraz.

I would give a bottle a try. You will probably like it or hate it. And unlike many French wines, I have found that a good $20 shiraz is not incredibly different from a $100+ bottle (Penfolds Grange somewhat overrated in my humble opinion).

Try a bottle of Marquis Philips 2006--which you should be able to get most anywhere for $15 - $17.

If you like that, you might try Shotfire Shiraz for around $20, or Boarding Pass for around $20. I have never had a bad vintage of Shotfire, although the 2005 was exceptional. You will likely find the 2006 and 2007s, but they are quite good. Boarding Pass 2006 is good. Another one that I quite like is Tintara 2005--possibly still available in your area for $20 or so. Wolf Blass is decent for $10 or less. Yellow Tail is easy to drink and cheap, but not nearly as complex or interesting as these others.

I would DECANT any of these for at least 2 hours before drinking them--maybe more. Pour them into a pitcher or any vessel that will allow them to get some air.

If shiraz turns out to be not your cup of tea, you might try some of the value priced but high quality South American wines. Argentinian malbec is a great value.

Hope this helps."
reply

"Hi chrism76:

My wine journey has been a little different from most people's. I was working in Europe and was more or less forced into drinking wine (business meetings, local culture). I started out drinking Central European whites and did not like them all that much (Riesling OK). Then moved on to Bordeaux and other French/old world reds. Liked these much better than white wines, but I noticed a distinct mineral taste in virtually all of them, like you could taste the very dirt the vines grow in.

Then I moved back to the US and started drinking West Coast reds--cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir, zinfandel, etc. I liked the US cabs better than the French wines, overall. More pronounced flavor and fruit, less mineral taste.

Then I started drinking inexpensive shiraz from Australia. Wow. And I was not the only one. The Aussie shirazes are still great deals, but not nearly as cheap as they once were. Incredibly bright flavors/aromas, tons of fruit, and a little more alcohol content.

So I have gone in "reverse order" in finding the right wine for me. Many people will tell you that Australian shiraz is for the unsophisticated palate or that it is just decent cheap wine. For my own taste, I would disagree. If you want something good with a steak, for example, it is hard to beat a good shiraz.

I would give a bottle a try. You will probably like it or hate it. And unlike many French wines, I have found that a good $20 shiraz is not incredibly different from a $100+ bottle (Penfolds Grange somewhat overrated in my humble opinion).

Try a bottle of Marquis Philips 2006--which you should be able to get most anywhere for $15 - $17.

If you like that, you might try Shotfire Shiraz for around $20, or Boarding Pass for around $20. I have never had a bad vintage of Shotfire, although the 2005 was exceptional. You will likely find the 2006 and 2007s, but they are quite good. Boarding Pass 2006 is good. Another one that I quite like is Tintara 2005--possibly still available in your area for $20 or so. Wolf Blass is decent for $10 or less. Yellow Tail is easy to drink and cheap, but not nearly as complex or interesting as these others.

I would DECANT any of these for at least 2 hours before drinking them--maybe more. Pour them into a pitcher or any vessel that will allow them to get some air.

If shiraz turns out to be not your cup of tea, you might try some of the value priced but high quality South American wines. Argentinian malbec is a great value.

Hope this helps."
reply