Drinking wine

• November 2009

  Interesting video, thanks for the link. Seems like he does think it's worth the risk, providing you're careful about the provenance. The trick would be to know who was trustworthy, and who wasn't, I guess. And hope that if you buy from a reputable auction house, that they would have... Read moreInteresting video, thanks for the link. Seems like he does think it's worth the risk, providing you're careful about the provenance. The trick would be to know who was trustworthy, and who wasn't, I guess. And hope that if you buy from a reputable auction house, that they would have already rejected any fakes. Maybe. I've noticed some wine regions, such as DOCG wines and those from Duoro, already have a ID code on each wine, I guess in theory some system like this could be used to determine if the wine is real or fake. The other thing to worry about would be how the wine was stored. Even if it was genuine, it would be no good for drinking if it had been 'carefully' cellared next to a heater (I've heard about this happening, sadly). The fine wine market in China is probably going to be were a lot of the problems with fakes are going to really show up, I guess. It looks like there will be a lot of rich business people who are just getting into wine, and want to impress colleagues. I could be wrong, but from what I've read I get the impression that a lot of these business people are still more interested in being seen to be able to afford an expensive wine such as a first growth, than what's actually in the bottle.    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Counterfeit Luxury Wines by penguinoid

  
  

• November 2009

  If there's any vinegar, than you are talking about real damage. Bad storage is the most likely culprit. In that event, the wine never would have been tasting proper, but if you hadn't decanted you would have at least have had a hint of what it might have tasted like if healthy. By... Read moreIf there's any vinegar, than you are talking about real damage. Bad storage is the most likely culprit. In that event, the wine never would have been tasting proper, but if you hadn't decanted you would have at least have had a hint of what it might have tasted like if healthy. By forcibly inducing the bottle shock of decanting on a wine in weak condition, you in effect forced a wine with a heart condition to run a marathon--before ever tasting it. There's a lot of false mystery and bravura about decanting. It's not the option of first, but rather last choice, and only useful under specific circumstances. It has damaged far more wine than it ever helped. After 30 years of wine drinking, I probably only decant 5% of the time I did in my first five years of drinking....    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic 1988 Penfolds Magill Estate... by dmcker

  
  

• November 2009

  Not sure why you'd want to decant something you thought was over the hill, especially for a couple of hours *before* tasting, but definitely open and drink. I don't know that particular wine but think you could start tasting shortly after opening and then stretch the... Read moreNot sure why you'd want to decant something you thought was over the hill, especially for a couple of hours *before* tasting, but definitely open and drink. I don't know that particular wine but think you could start tasting shortly after opening and then stretch the tasting/drinking over the next couple of hours. Let us know how it goes...    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic 1988 Penfolds Magill Estate... by dmcker

  
  

• November 2009

  How's it goin', eh? I'm a wannabe wine snob from Toronto, Ontario. I spend a couple-three months a year climbing walls in Yosemite, California, and try my best to get in some time visiting the wineries in Napa Valley. Last winter, I scored a week of timeshare off of mom [gotta... Read moreHow's it goin', eh? I'm a wannabe wine snob from Toronto, Ontario. I spend a couple-three months a year climbing walls in Yosemite, California, and try my best to get in some time visiting the wineries in Napa Valley. Last winter, I scored a week of timeshare off of mom [gotta love it, eh?] and spent a week in South Lake Tahoe skiing at Heavenly. They had a wine bar at the base of the gondola, so you know I ended up there a few times. When it became evident to the wine steward that I knew my stuff, he suggested I try drinking my wine out of an "Eisch breathable glass". Reidel is, of course, the industry leader in stemware, but Eisch is up there, too. I'm like, "Dude. A glass is a glass. Just pour the wine." And he's like, "Seriously. Try this. I'm going to pour the wine into a regular Reidel on one side, and an Eisch glass on the other. Taste the difference." So, three people from novice to advanced wine tasting, three varietals, nine blind tastings. And get this - nine fer nine, the wine tasted better out of the Eisch glass each and every time! Unbelievable! You can't reject the empirical evidence - the taste was absolutely better from the Eisch glass every time. Without doubt. Amazing. Now being the consummate skeptic, and a graduate chemical engineer, of course I had to ask "how". But the Eisch people have kept their formula a secret. The designers first approached Reidel, who rejected them - bad move. So I went back home and googled this stuff. Found a few entries, the first of which usually began with "what a load of crap," but these entries were inevitably followed by, "no, check it out - the glasses really DO work!" Now my theory, as a chemical engineer, was that there is some sort of catalytic reaction going on with the wine in the Eisch glass. A catalyst is something that affects a chemical reaction, but doesn't take part in it. Think about your platinum catalytic converter in your car - what happens is that the atoms separate and "stick" to the platinum, which enhances the combustion reaction. I wondered if this might be what was going on with the Eisch glasses. So I googled "Eisch" and "catalysis" and got a hit on this chemistry prof from a university in New York State by the name of Eisch. Too funny, eh? So I wrote him, turns out he's second cousins with the Eisch guys in Germany. Basically he told me that they wouldn't tell him how it works, but that he reckoned there was some catalytic reaction going on in the glass, that basically caused two things to happen - firstly, the wine was able to breath more quickly, and secondly, it might enhance the settling of the sediments. I'm not sure WHAT is happening, just that it IS happening. I've since done the comparison of the same wine poured into a regular glass, and an Eisch glass, and served it to friends. It's great fun to see their faces light up. We've found the most pronounced difference is in wines that "need a little help". You don't seem to notice so profound a difference with more expensive wines. I'm a cheapskate. I don't believe you have to spend more than ten bucks to get a great bottle of wine, and occasionally I will even spend 15. The "7 Deadly Zins" I am currently drinking is one such wine, in spite of its "appelation Lodi". [Sheesh, can you believe Lodi produces a great zin?] But I forked out the $30+ bucks for the Eisch glass, because it works. Anyone else tried it? If knott, you really have to give it a go. You will be amazed. Cheers, Pete P.S. Here is your Big Wall Tip of the Day - check out Amador County, California barbera! They have the climate and the soil. I had never even heard of the varietal until I tried it. It's up and coming. Mark my words - in five years, you'll be hearing about this stuff.    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Stemware - Eisch "breathable"... by passthepitonspete

  
  

• November 2009

  If it is anything like the Vignalta Gemolla, then it is an excellent wine. I have been drinking their 2003 Colli Euganie Rosso and find it very good.

  Forum post in the topic Veneto Colli Euganei Rosso... by Wayno

  
  

• November 2009

  @Kylewolf: You have to keep in mind that the term "room temperature" was created in times when rooms were not heated. Ideal drinking temperature for a red wine with body like Cabernet is about 18 Celsius (about 64 F). Most of us have their living rooms at a higher temperature (well,... Read more@Kylewolf: You have to keep in mind that the term "room temperature" was created in times when rooms were not heated. Ideal drinking temperature for a red wine with body like Cabernet is about 18 Celsius (about 64 F). Most of us have their living rooms at a higher temperature (well, at least down here in Mexico). So "room temperature" does not necesarely equal ideal drinking temperature and problem usually is not to warm the bottle, but to prevent it from getting too warm.    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Wine storage / preservation by Degrandcru

  
  

• November 2009

  I am curious why nobody has mentioned the proverbial home of Cabernet Franc (a.k.a. Bouchet) in (a) the Bordeaux - where it makes up as much as half of total plantings and (b) Val de Loire west of Paris where it is the quintessential red. There are many examples of Cabernet Franc... Read moreI am curious why nobody has mentioned the proverbial home of Cabernet Franc (a.k.a. Bouchet) in (a) the Bordeaux - where it makes up as much as half of total plantings and (b) Val de Loire west of Paris where it is the quintessential red. There are many examples of Cabernet Franc dominated reds from these regions - including the famous Chateau Cheval Blanc in St-Emilion. Look around for some examples where Cabernet Franc predominates in the blend or look for pure varietal examples from the Loire such as Bourgueil, Chinon and other Touraine reds. A word of warning though: in poorer vintages, these wines can be a bit acidic, unbalanced and weedy - a shock to your palate if you are expecting the heavy extraction, viscosity and strength of California examples. Ask your wine merchant about the better vintages and producers (Yannick Amirault comes to mind). Despite the numerous wines of high quality and value from this variety, I generally find all but the best just a bit disappointing. The wine is usually a bit hollow mid-palate for my taste - unless heavily extracted in warmer, New World regions such as Napa or Sonoma. As an early ripening variety, many growers in the somewhat cooler climates of Washington State, British Columbia, Ontario and (as was mentioned) New York have considered the grape something of an insurance policy. Generally, these wines are easy drinking and quite pleasant but carry over too many herbaceous and weedy notes that compare unfavorably (in my opinion) with wines made from the related Cabernet Sauvignon and hailing from warmer climates and/or vintages. Be very selective. Less susceptible to these caveats is California where Cabernet Franc wines are being redefined as dense and interesting yet early maturing - a possible advantage for those who don't like to wait. There some impressive examples from Northern California, but expect to shell out considerable lucre for your indulgence if you seek the best quality.    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Cabernet Franc by zufrieden

  
  

• November 2009

  dmcker, I've read great things about the Oregon sparkling wines. Considering the great Pinot Noirs they produce, I would think a good sparkling Pinot Noir acheivable. Thanks for the nod on Soter. As to the mystery of the disappearing Champagne... my standard response for years, at... Read moredmcker, I've read great things about the Oregon sparkling wines. Considering the great Pinot Noirs they produce, I would think a good sparkling Pinot Noir acheivable. Thanks for the nod on Soter. As to the mystery of the disappearing Champagne... my standard response for years, at least to my lady friends, has been that the bottles are only half full after all. The other half being occupied by tiny bubbles, so we're really only drinking half as much as we would if it were still wine. I don't think they really believe this, but they find it a reasonable enough excuse to open a second bottle.    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Good sparkling wines not from... by D9sus4

  
  

• November 2009

  in this line of thought, I have a question as well. How long do you normally let a bottle of red reach room temp before drinking? I am actually right now letting a bottle warm and have a glass of it in my hands attempting to quicken the process.

  Forum post in the topic Wine storage / preservation by kylewolf

  
  

• November 2009

  One at most, and if you're lucky. After that it's a crash dive downhill, except in the rarest of cases. You should definitely buy a vacuuvin. Not that expensive, and the only recurring costs are if you decide to buy more stoppers. Alternatively you can try GregDP's and others'... Read moreOne at most, and if you're lucky. After that it's a crash dive downhill, except in the rarest of cases. You should definitely buy a vacuuvin. Not that expensive, and the only recurring costs are if you decide to buy more stoppers. Alternatively you can try GregDP's and others' technique of having a spare, clean half-bottle handy, pour half of the 750ml bottle into it right away, stopper and fridge it. Then drink the remaining half of the original bottle. You won't have to worry about the saved half bottle for a few days, though I wouldn't go as long as a week before drinking it.    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Wine storage / preservation by dmcker

  
  

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