Best wine

• November 2009

  I have wondered this for a while now. When pairing wine with food (this is probably more true at restaurants as your ability to alter dishes is minimized compared to home cooking), do you normally choose the wine to enhance the food, or choose a wine that will BE enhanced by your... Read moreI have wondered this for a while now. When pairing wine with food (this is probably more true at restaurants as your ability to alter dishes is minimized compared to home cooking), do you normally choose the wine to enhance the food, or choose a wine that will BE enhanced by your meal? I understand optimally, both should occur, but I just wanted to hear everyone's habits. So on average, do you lean toward purchasing a bottle of wine that will make your food taste better? OR Do you purchase a bottle that will taste better when had with your meal? Also, as a side question, I am going to be opening a 1994 Gran Reserva Rioja (tempranillo), here in the next 2 weeks, what would everyone consider the best "finger food" and/or cheese pairings?    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic pairing, wine with food or... by kylewolf

  
  

• November 2009

  Just pinged a friend in BC in the wine industry ... here is her quote, "they canned it under pressure-archaic at best-someone came to some sense. Kitchens still have to offer full menu all hrs tho"

  Forum post in the topic Vancouver thinks wine... by HondaJohn

  
  

• November 2009

  Any more info from the label? Who is the producer/negociant/bottler? Considering the age of the wine, you wouldn't want to decant if avoidable. The only reason to do so what be huge amounts of sediment, and then be as gentle and tender as possible. Pommard is generally the largest... Read moreAny more info from the label? Who is the producer/negociant/bottler? Considering the age of the wine, you wouldn't want to decant if avoidable. The only reason to do so what be huge amounts of sediment, and then be as gentle and tender as possible. Pommard is generally the largest and sturdiest of the Cote de Beaune reds. 1976 was a good vintage, the best between 1969 and 1978, which were great vintages. Many of the wines from that year are likely on the downslope, but a select few will be drinking deliciously. So two questions are, how were the bottles stored, and (again) who made the wine?    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Pommard- Clos de la Platiere... by dmcker

  
  

• November 2009

  Depends on what you mean by 'long life'. That's a term I personally use for ... do know if you look for the best wines from the type and region and periods I've mentioned, and know they've been stored well, you'll be very pleasantly surprised by what a mature wine can be. GregT,... Read moreDepends on what you mean by 'long life'. That's a term I personally use for ... do know if you look for the best wines from the type and region and periods I've mentioned, and know they've been stored well, you'll be very pleasantly surprised by what a mature wine can be. GregT, I'm going to part ways with you on your comments about fortified wines. Yes, you are absolutely spot-on about the relative value of ports these days, and even if there seem to be a lot of ports out there from the '70s and earlier, the fact is there actually isn't the selection you might want. Kinda like hunting for California reds from the early '90s in the marketplace now in terms of range of choice. So I say that if you're interested you should explore a range of ports now, learn what you like, and lay down what you can (and nothing wrong with also laying down those from the '70s and '80s you can buy now, because they'll continue to improve with age). 20 or more years from now you'll be happy that you did. Especially so for Madeiras since the selection for them is seemingly more limited to start with, and certain collectors have been talking the market up considerably over the past few years. I haven't hunted enough for aged sweet sherries, but the fact that you almost never see them in the marketplace means that you should buy new releases you know you like if you want to drink them in the future. I can't talk intelligently about Marsalas, Vin Santos, Banyuls, etc., because of lack of sufficient personal knowledge, but that's something I plan to remedy in the future. Though not fortified, late-harvest German and Alsatian and Austrian wines are just plain cheaper now than they will be in the future, so go for them now. Ditto Sauternes, if you like them. You'd know more about Tokaji, Greg, so I'll leave that analysis up to you.    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Long cellar life wines. by dmcker

  
  

• November 2009

  Ghost - the best bet is to look at wines that already have a track record. I've got some Craggy Range myself, but I'm not absolutely certain that it will improve. I'm hoping, but don't know the wine well enough. The point of aging a wine is to improve it remember, not to keep it... Read moreGhost - the best bet is to look at wines that already have a track record. I've got some Craggy Range myself, but I'm not absolutely certain that it will improve. I'm hoping, but don't know the wine well enough. The point of aging a wine is to improve it remember, not to keep it as it was the day you bought it. So Kyle has it exactly rigtht, the wines that have the longest track record for aging, and that IMHO actually age best, are some of the Rioja wines. Find a good vintage like 2004 or 2005 or even 2007 when they come out, and you may be able to keep some of them for many years. It's harder to know which ones these days, but post your thoughts and we'll help you figure it out. Australia is hit or miss, but the Penfolds 389 is a great suggestion that I would have forgotten about. Also their St. Henri is a winner that ages wonderfully. As far as "noble" grapes holding on, that's a bit trickier. Some zinfandels for example, age really well. Then again. some don't age more than three years and you're POd that you hadn't finished them sooner. But a lot of it has to do with the winemaking and with the grapes the winemaker got from his vineyard or vineyards. For example, I've had some cheap cabs that I wouldn't bet on for six months, much less a number of years. However, as pointed out, some of them can age for decades. Some of that may have to do with the barrel or tank aging that they receive before bottling, but that's an entirely different thread issue. Amarone is another one you could look at, although they tend to become pricey really fast. Incidentally, they're not made from Valpolicella, which is a region. The grapes are corvina, rondella, molinara. The 2004 Brunello is supposed to be everyone's favorite vintage, but personally I'd wait for the 2006s to come out. Oddly enough, the wine I would not recommend stashing away would be fortified wines, especially Port. It's not that they won't age. Quite the opposite. But their pricing is really screwy. You can pick up aged Ports for around the same price you pay for a young one. They are some of the best deals out there. So if you can do that, why tie up your capital? Buy things that are harder to find. People don't really drink a lot of Port these days, so it's a buyers market to a large extent.    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Long cellar life wines. by GregT

  
  

• November 2009

  What about English sparkling wines?! Almost academic as i doubt any are available in the US, as most producers there are tiny in comparison to fizz factories elsewhere in the world. But certain wineries and wines represent by far the best bottles being made in England at the moment,... Read moreWhat about English sparkling wines?! Almost academic as i doubt any are available in the US, as most producers there are tiny in comparison to fizz factories elsewhere in the world. But certain wineries and wines represent by far the best bottles being made in England at the moment, and I think it's the future for top English wines. Hence why upmarket supermarket chain Waitrose has planted Chardy and Pinots on farmland they own in the south (called Leckford), on well-exposed slopes, with the intention of only making traditional (bottle-fermented) method wines. Looking forward to trying the first ones when they surface in a few years time. Best fizz producers include Ridgeview (East Sussex) and Camel Valley (Cornwall) among others. Review of a Ridgeview wine on my website here: http://www.winewriting.com/wines%20of%20the%20moment.htm. The http://www.english-wine.com website has a bit of history on traditional method sparkling wine production, as it's been claimed an Englishman did it first, and apparently true that Merret invented the first bottle suitable for second fermentation, although I could be mixing up fact and fiction...    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Good sparkling wines not from... by Richard M James

  
  

• November 2009

  The Vignalta is a lovely wine. I've bought it many times for friends and family and it is always a success. The region is particularly well adapted to fully ripening the Bordeaux varieties and I find that the Merlot and Cabernet Franc rival some of the best in Italy. I will see if I... Read moreThe Vignalta is a lovely wine. I've bought it many times for friends and family and it is always a success. The region is particularly well adapted to fully ripening the Bordeaux varieties and I find that the Merlot and Cabernet Franc rival some of the best in Italy. I will see if I get a chance to try wines from La Mincana.    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Veneto Colli Euganei Rosso... by Gregory Dal Piaz

  
  

• November 2009

  There some great suggestions over on this thread... http://www.snooth.com/talk/topic/wine-and-sushi/ You seem to be on the right track with your list so far. Just depends on what kind of sushi really as to what would work best. Read moreThere some great suggestions over on this thread... http://www.snooth.com/talk/topic/wine-and-sushi/ You seem to be on the right track with your list so far. Just depends on what kind of sushi really as to what would work best.    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic What wines work well with sushi? by GhostLemur

  
  

• November 2009

  I lack the space to store wine long term at the moment, but here's a two suggestions I'd certainly think about: Loire valley white wines can certainly be worth cellaring. These are still generally quite reasonably priced, though can be hard to get hold of depending on where you... Read moreI lack the space to store wine long term at the moment, but here's a two suggestions I'd certainly think about: Loire valley white wines can certainly be worth cellaring. These are still generally quite reasonably priced, though can be hard to get hold of depending on where you live. A good, old-fashioned Savennières (sweet or dry) is at its prime after about 15 years of bottle aging, and can be really beautiful. Nicolas Joly's Coulée de Serrant seems to be regarded as one of the best, but sadly I've not had a chance to try it yet. http://www.snooth.com/wine/nicolas-joly-savennierescoulee-de-serrant-clos-de-la-coulee-de-serrant-2003/ The 1995 Domaine aux Moines Savennière-Roche-aux-Moines was one of the most interesting wines I've tried, and was enough to get me to buy another two bottles. http://www.snooth.com/wine/domaine-aux-moines-savennieres-roche-aux-moines-1995/ Even within more expensive wine regions such as Bordeaux, there are still some undervalued subregions and producers that are worth a look. http://www.snooth.com/articles/wine-regions/a-journey-through-bordeauxs-value-regions/ and http://www.snooth.com/articles/wine-varieties/good-news-at-last-for-bordeaux-lovers-on-a-budget/ are probably worth a look, though how well available these will be outside of Europe is another question. Moving away from France, I've heard Australian Hunter Valley Sémillon can age nicely, and is at its best with about ten years of bottle age. Tyrell's Vat 1 Sémillon is probably worth a look http://www.snooth.com/wine/tyrrells-wines-vat-1-hunter-semillon-1997/    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Long cellar life wines. by penguinoid

  
  

• November 2009

  It's hard to know what you guys have available in USA, but I suspect if you look around, someone must be distributing The Seppelt Original Sparkling Shiraz. Current release here in Sydney is 2005. It's a cellar stalwart for the style, and in most cellars here. There are a number of... Read moreIt's hard to know what you guys have available in USA, but I suspect if you look around, someone must be distributing The Seppelt Original Sparkling Shiraz. Current release here in Sydney is 2005. It's a cellar stalwart for the style, and in most cellars here. There are a number of other popular producers of this wine style; some more expensive. In the main, it's a lesser known and appreciated wine style outside of wine appreciators, but at it's best, is a really lovely drink (served cold). Other well known Aussie producers are: Rumball (Sparkling Shiraz, and Sparkling Merlot) Leasingham Rockford (Black Shiraz) Lindemans Coates Banrock Station D'Arenberg (Peppermint Paddock) Majella Seppelt Silverband Seppelt Show Reserve Morris (sparkling durif) Anderson Barossa Valley Estate E & E Balnaves Fox Creek Vixen Peter Lehmann Black Queen Primo Estate Joseph There are a number of others producing sparkling red wines, but a smaller number who do it with the intent of making a great, tasty, ageworthy wine. In some instances, it's been accused of being made just to use up excess or sub-standard fruit, or just for the hell of having one at cellar door... I think most of the producers I have listed above are making it for the right reasons. The more premium ones listed above are the Rockford Black, the Seppelt Show Reserve, E & E, Black Queen, Primo Estate's Joseph, and the Leasingham Classic. The Seppelt Silverband, Anderson, and Majella would fill out the middle ground, and most of the others, I'd regard as more affordable, but not necessarily lesser quality.    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Oz Sparkling Shiraz (and... by Cuttlefish

  
  

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