Polish Wine

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  November 2009

  Ultimat Vodka

  Snoothrank: Starting at $39^.98

  No written review

  Wine review by Seacoast Terroir

  
  
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  November 2009

  Belvedere Vodka

  Snoothrank:

  No written review

  Wine review by Seacoast Terroir

  
  

• October 2009

  Andrzej Lipinski: One of Canada's Pioneering Winemakers One question that ... He was born and raised in Poland. As a young adult, he achieved much success as an auto-parts salesman. In 1989, he decided to emigrate to Canada. Prior to moving, he quit his job in order to learn... Read moreAndrzej Lipinski: One of Canada's Pioneering Winemakers One question that ... He was born and raised in Poland. As a young adult, he achieved much success as an auto-parts salesman. In 1989, he decided to emigrate to Canada. Prior to moving, he quit his job in order to learn construction. Upon his arrival here, he worked odd construction jobs and supplemented his income by picking grapes. Later, he worked doing maintenance for John Howard at his home. In 1992, John Howard bought shares in Vineland Estates. After the carriage house burned down, Andrzej was hired to do renovation work. The winter of 1993 was very cold and there was little construction work available. In order to support his family, he asked John if he could work in the cellar. Over the course of the winter he began cleaning and organizing and was eventually asked to stay. He then began the process of developing his palate as he had never really been a wine drinker. After two years, in 1996, Andrzej became the assistant winemaker. Finally, in 1998, Andrzej was asked to make his own wine. He was permitted to choose any white varietal and had full control over the winemaking process. He chose Chardonnay due to both its popularity and the vinification options he had available to him at the time. Like everything Andrzej does, he gave this project his full attention. Every decision he made had a focus on quality; he chose old vines, watched the vineyard daily, hand picked in bushels, hand sorted and destemmed. He made eight barrels of this wine and when complete, it was chosen to be the reserve Chardonnay for the 1998 vintage. The winery decided to submit his wine to Vinitaly in 1999 and his wine won a gold medal. In 2002, Andrzej left Vineland and has since gone on to win many awards and much acclaim at wineries such as Legends, DeSousa, Fielding, Megalomaniac, Foreign Affair and Organized Crime. He feels it is important to keep moving in order to keep evolving as a winemaker. Andrzej’s need to learn and apply himself can be easily seen in his love of winemaking in poor vintages because of the challenges that they present, and cool climates for their need to adapt to each vintage. His much deserved pride in his work was evident when I asked him what he finds to be the biggest problem facing the Canadian wine industry today, and he replied the lack of a true free market. He feels as though Canadian wine should be treated as a food product as it is elsewhere in the world and that if this were to happen, then Canadian wine would be able to compete with wine from anywhere else in the world. Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber once said, “What I love about wine is the joy of discovery. It’s the fact that wine is so obviously affected by what people do to create it.” I feel that as long as Canadian wine continues to be made by individuals such as Andrzej, he is correct in his assumption that there is the potential for Canadian wine to be among the best in the world, as his wines have clearly already demonstrated.   Naomi Lauri    (hide)

  From the article Canadian Wine People - Andrzej Lipinski

  
  
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  October 2009

  Ultimat Vodka

  Snoothrank:

  No written review

  Wine review by WineDine789

  
  

• October 2009

  mate my sense of humour is a bit better than that ;) probably shouldnt have ... think about wine. apparently poland is exempt from certain EU tax laws for the next few years to help them set up their wine market. however, i dont have a clue about what wines they drink, where they... Read moremate my sense of humour is a bit better than that ;) probably shouldnt have ... think about wine. apparently poland is exempt from certain EU tax laws for the next few years to help them set up their wine market. however, i dont have a clue about what wines they drink, where they drink it, substitutes for wine, and whether polish food compliments wine etc etc didnt know they bought stuff from hungary though. is it just tokaji or do they go for the reds as well    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Polish Wine Drinkers? by purplehaze1988

  
  

• October 2009

  Is this a joke or for real? Has Poland ever been a wine producing country? That's one reason they bought so much from Hungary. As far as imports from South America, I'd love to know which ones are sold there. How did you come up with an assignment like this?

  Forum post in the topic Polish Wine Drinkers? by GregT

  
  

• October 2009

  Hey I was wondering if there were any wine drinkers out there in Poland? I've been given a marketing project to do about the growing wine market there, which I thought sounded fun at first but is turning into a bit of a nightmare given the fact I don't speak Polish! A general... Read moreHey I was wondering if there were any wine drinkers out there in Poland? I've been given a marketing project to do about the growing wine market there, which I thought sounded fun at first but is turning into a bit of a nightmare given the fact I don't speak Polish! A general discussion is fine but I've also got a list of 15 (very) short questions if anyone can be bothered answering them. It really would be a great help. I'll write the questions anyway and then see what happens ;) Cheers 1. How do you buy wine? 2. Where do you drink wine? 3. How often do you drink wine? 4. How do you find out about new wines? 5. When choosing a new wine, what factors do you consider? 6. Do you feel there is a substantial difference in quality between wine and Vodka in the same price range? 8. What kind of reputation do New World wines have compared to other European wines? 9. Do you feel there is a clear distinction in the Polish market between South American wines and New World wines? 10. What about a distinction between Chilean and South American wines? 11. How inclined are you currently to try Polish wines? 12. If new, quality Polish wines were to become available, would you be more inclined to try these than foreign wines? 13. Why? 14. How often do you visit specialist wine stores in Poland? 15. Where are they typically located (cities, towns, villages)? 16. If you were in a restaurant, would you order wine or a different drink with your meal? Again, Thanks    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Polish Wine Drinkers? by purplehaze1988

  
  
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  October 2009

  Uluvka Vodka

  Snoothrank:

  U’luvka vodka was for a long time something of an enigma here at the Vodka Emporium. Is it just a gimmick, is it of decent quality, does is it give you good value for money? Well we thought it was about time we did some serious investigation into this vodka that has something of a... Read moreU’luvka vodka was for a long time something of an enigma here at the Vodka Emporium. Is it just a gimmick, is it of decent quality, does is it give you good value for money? Well we thought it was about time we did some serious investigation into this vodka that has something of a growing following in the UK. There is no shying away that the majority of people are drawn into the product because of its unique bottle design. The bottle itself was designed by Aloof Design and represents both male and female energies. The U’Luvka logo also has an interesting fact as it is said to be an ancient alchemical glyph containing the symbols for male, female, sun and moon. U’luvka has a great history to it as well, the origins of the drink goes back to the alchemists of the 17th century Polish Royal Court. Once you get over the uniqueness of the products appearance we get to the quality of the vodka itself. Well I have to be honest that I was quite surprised at the high quality, it has a smooth, clean crisp taste which is way better than most triple distilled vodkas. For those of you that like to know a bit more detail on the vodka taste then here we go! Unlike many non flavoured types of vodka, this has a distinct floral aroma and no hint of overpowering fumes that some vodka in this price category has. Before you even pour a glass you are confident that you won’t be disappointed. Once you have your first taste there is an unmistakable hint of chocolate that is followed by a creamy buttery finish. If you savour the drink you will notice that there is an element of spice thrown in as well. All in all you are treated to a variety of flavours across the palate spectrum and none that are to overpowering. I certainly didn’t expect the flavours to be as fresh and long lasting as I found and if someone asked if they should try this instead of the usual Grey Goose or Belvedere Vodka then I would certainly recommend it. This brings me to the price, as I just mentioned I’d certainly favour this over the traditional Grey Goose, Belvedere offerings and with U’luvka only a couple of pounds more expensive is certainly good value. The final verdict from us is that if you want to try something different and don’t want to fork out for a bottle of Ultra Premium vodka then you can’t go wrong with a bottle of U’Luvka. It’s certainly a talking point at a dinner party when you bring the bottle out and your guests will be pleasantly surprised with the vodka itself. If you usually favour the traditional Grey Goose or Belvedere then definitely try a change with U’Luvka. We’ve been convinced at the quality, so much so we’ve added the Magnum to our range and our regulars know we only stock the best quality vodka in magnums.    (hide)

  Wine review by drinkemporium

  
  

• September 2009

  Well it is done. Snooth’s Blind Tasting Challenge has come and gone. I just wanted to thank everyone who came and participated. I thought it was great fun with some clunkers, some good wines, and a few excellent wines.... Read moreWell it is done. Snooth’s Blind Tasting Challenge has come and gone. I just wanted to thank everyone who came and participated. I thought it was great fun with some clunkers, some good wines, and a few excellent wines. !http://designshop.snooth.com/merchandising/images/DSCN1625.jpg! There really was a bit of a break between the wines I had planned and what we ended up opening. The RSVP system for the event was a bit, shall we say, underutilized so I was not sure how many people were to join us. Rather than open a tone of wine and watch it go to waste I opted to pull and prepare 6 bottles and then fill in as necessary. With a full crowd of 16 people including myself, and some 3 hours to fill we ended up opening a complete second round of wines. Some brief impressions with a few guesses follows. Thanks to everyone for joining in and making this a great way to spend a cool and wet Sunday afternoon! !http://designshop.snooth.com/merchandising/images/DSCN1613.jpg! The Lineup 2006 Erste & Neue Barleit Moscato Giallo - We started off with this floral, citrussy wine and guesses were all over the place, though some close comments included an Italian white from Friuli, a Kerner, and a Gewurtz-chardonnay blend. http://www.snooth.com/wine/erste-and-neue-barleit-moscato-giallo-2006/ 2007 Nobos Monterey Chardonnay - This was obviously Chardonnay and all were in agreement though guesses about origins ranged from Oregon, to Long Island and the South of France. No one thought this rather lean Chardonnay was from California though it was firmly New World in style http://www.snooth.com/wine/nobos-chardonnay-2007/ 1975 Bodegas Riojanas Monte Real Gran Riserva - With it’s pale, amber toned color and classic aged aromatics of tobacco, autumnal leaves, and light red fruits most folks had this pegged as something old from either Burgundy or Rioja. http://www.snooth.com/wine/bodegas-riojanas-rioja-monte-real-gran-reserva-1975/ 2006 Goldeneye Pinot Noir Anderson Valley - This was rather acidic for Pinot Noir with soft tannins and fairly gentle fruit so guesses ranged around to New World Grenache, Oregon Pinot Noir, and even cheap Spanish wine. http://www.snooth.com/wine/goldeneye-anderson-valley-pinot-noir-2006-4/ 2000 Pavillon Rouge du Chateau Margaux - This fairly screamed out Bordeaux with its green bell pepper and oak influenced notes. An unusually soft bottle that threw folks for a loop as almost everyone thought this was a cheap example from a middling vintage, 2004 or 2007! http://www.snooth.com/wine/pavillon-rouge-du-chateau-margaux-margaux-2000/ 2006 Holdredge Alexander Valley Zinfandel - Half the room had this pegged as Zinfandel pretty quickly, the other half was unsure due to the light touch Holdredge has. Some Spanish varietals were bandied about and a guess or two placed this in Australia. http://www.snooth.com/wine/holdredge-zinfandel-alexander-valley-2006/ !http://designshop.snooth.com/merchandising/images/DSCN1615.jpg! 2008 Gascon Malbec Mendoza Argentina, - This was a very popular wine with virtually everyone enjoying it’s rich, polished character. Some folks considered Malbec but the overwhelming Sentiment was that this was Shiraz, very likely from Australia. http://www.snooth.com/wine/gascon-malbec-2008/ 2006 Berryessa Gap Yolo County Tempranillo - This was a bit dirty and a bit soft with somewhat indistinct character and no one was particular confident in any guess that was made for this. Certainly no one guessed Tempranillo from California! http://www.snooth.com/wine/berryessa-gap-yolo-county-tempranillo-2006/ 2007 Broc Cellars Vine Starr Red - This was another really big, rich wine and had many people thinking Syrah, which is partially correct since Syrah forms part of this blend but no one singled out the Zinfandel that makes up most of this. A few guesses did consider a Grenache based blend. http://www.snooth.com/wine/broc-cellars-vine-starr-red-blend-california-2007-1/ 2007 Robert Mondavi Special Selection Syrah - With its lean texture and very elevated acidity some guessed that this might have been Sangiovese, which is a pretty good guess. Not a distinctive wine, it’s another one that really was unguessable though someone suggested it’s a bit like a California Pinot enhanced with Syrah, which I thought, was an excellent guess. http://www.snooth.com/wine/robert-mondavi-winery-syrah-private-selection-2007/ 1985 Barale Rabaja Riserva Barbaresco - This was a striking contrast to the wines that came before with it’s dark, bricky color, tarry and licorice scented nose and still somewhat gritty tannins. Many guesses were floating around in Italy with one guess that it was an aged Barbaresco! http://www.snooth.com/wine/barale-f-lli-barbaresco-rabaja-riserva-1985/ 2008 Domaine des Caves du Prieuré Sancerre - To conclude, and as a palate freshener, we had this lovely bottle of Sancerre. With electric acidity it did indeed refresh the palate but while a few pegged this as Sauvignon Blanc, many were all over the map, perhaps due to palate fatigue! http://www.snooth.com/wine/sancerre-domaine-des-caves-du-prieure-2008/ !http://designshop.snooth.com/merchandising/images/DSCN1616.jpg! And that was it. An interesting line-up with some surprises. Certainly the Goldeneye and Pavillon Rouge underperformed while the Gascon Malbec and Holdredge Zinfandel were delicious and among the less expensive of the tasting. I hope everyone had as much fun as I did and I look forward to doing this again! !http://designshop.snooth.com/merchandising/images/DSCN1596.jpg!    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Snooth's Blind tasting... by Gregory Dal Piaz

  
  

• September 2009

  There are numerous options up and down California. Napa and Sonoma, of course, but Mendocino/Lake County a little bit to the north, Amador a ways to the east, Santa Cruz Mountains and Monterey a little bit south, Paso Robles further south, Santa Maria/Santa Ynez/Santa Barbara/Ojai... Read moreThere are numerous options up and down California. Napa and Sonoma, of course, but Mendocino/Lake County a little bit to the north, Amador a ways to the east, Santa Cruz Mountains and Monterey a little bit south, Paso Robles further south, Santa Maria/Santa Ynez/Santa Barbara/Ojai yet further south and Temecula, etc. much further south near San Diego. A huge area to cover, and even one of them such as Napa or Sonoma has much more than you can digest in one or two trips. So the first choice is which area you want to focus on. First time out, Napa or Sonoma seems like a logical starting point. Napa a little more polished and upscale, Sonoma a little more laid back and granola-y, though these are large generalizations and each winery is a little different. LOTS of great wine in both areas. If you want an intimate tasting, Swanson in Napa is one option. You might also look through two older threads on the Snooth Forum, one called 'Going to Napa' and the other 'Going to Sonoma'.    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Looking for Intimate Wine... by dmcker

  
  

• Apr 28

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