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Food Do we have any oenophiles here?

Discussion in 'Tilted Food' started by Borla, Aug 3, 2011.

  1. Borla

    Borla Moderator Staff Member

    Someone else asked me about this info today so I decided to share it with TFP as well if anyone is interested.

    My current stash, plus three recommendations that I've been enjoying a lot lately:

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    • Like Like x 1
  2. DAKA

    DAKA DOING VERY NICELY, THANK YOU

    I'm not a big wine drinker, I'll take sone Souvignon Blanc, and mix it half and half with seltzer from my new SODASTREAM, seltzer maker.
    My wife is the wine drinker, she likes to find $9-$10 reds. The latest is RADIUS MERLOT, which in my limited experience ain't bad.
     
  3. Last Thanksgiving, I didn't know squat about wine and turned to TFP for help in selecting a bottle for the meal. I still don't know squat, but I've grown adventurous and have tried many, many wines since then, including a few recommendations from the fine folks here. I've discovered I actually like whites more than reds (not true at Thanksgiving), but I'm more apt to strongly dislike a white than a red. I've found my palate is more forgiving to the different ingredients in reds and I've never dumped a bottle of red down the drain. If I'm choosing a red, I like Malbecs and Granache, but I also like pinot noirs. I haven't managed to pinpoint a white variety I prefer over others. I pretty much have no actual knowledge of wine other than I'm quite willing to select a bottle and give it a try. I really should do some sort of tracking though, like Borla's example above, just so I know what I've tried and either liked or didn't like.

    For the record, I just like wine. I don't profess to have knowledge of it or the ability to give recommendations...I just like it.
     
  4. snowy

    snowy so kawaii Staff Member

    Only one bottle from Oregon? That should be a CRIME.
     
  5. Borla

    Borla Moderator Staff Member

    I'm working on fixing that. :p

    DO WANT!! I could so do this too. My basement is 9.5' deep and the area under my kitchen is in an unfinished corner of the basement.


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  6. snowy

    snowy so kawaii Staff Member

    Oooh!

    And let me know if I can help you find wines to try. We've done a fair bit of tasting ourselves :)
     
  7. Borla

    Borla Moderator Staff Member

    I came home from my whirlwind stop in Oregon (basically Friday night to Sunday morning) with a bottle of King Estate Pinot Noir and a bottle of Willamette Valley Pinor Noir. Do you approve? :p
     
    • Like Like x 1
  8. snowy

    snowy so kawaii Staff Member

    Not bad :)
     
  9. Borla

    Borla Moderator Staff Member

    Found another wine I'd recommend for anyone who likes a dry red with a full, fruity (not sweet, fruity ;) ) body and a very smooth finish.
    It's not a cheap wine (we paid $36-37), but I think it drinks way higher-end than it is.

    It was recommended to me at my local wine bar (they rock at knowing what regulars like what types of wine and giving solid recommendations to match). We had a bottle and liked it so much that we ordered a case.

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  10. spindles

    spindles Very Tilted

    Location:
    Sydney, Australia
    Even worse - nothing from Oz!!

    My preference is shiraz or Cab Sauvignon if Red or Sauvignon Blanc if white, though I won't limit myself to these. I'm pretty careful with Oz wines to get the right variety from the right wine region. Sauvignon Blanc from Tasmania, lower Western Australia, Orange (New South Wales) or Marlborough (in NZ), Chardonnay from Hunter Valley (New South Wales), most reds from Barossa or Clare valleys (South Australia). Picking the right region for your wine preference is a good start!
     
  11. snowy

    snowy so kawaii Staff Member

    I feel like most wine I see from Australia here is cheap wine. We do get some good sauvignon blanc out of NZ, though. I will have to go trolling my favorite wine shop and see what I find.

    Lately I have been switching off between this Cotes du Rhone that I like and other wines. I picked up a bottle of Spanish tempranillo I am looking forward to.
     
  12. spindles

    spindles Very Tilted

    Location:
    Sydney, Australia
    Cheap wine doesn't necessarily mean bad wine, but I know what you mean. The highest selling exported wine from Oz is Jacobs Creek and it is pretty ordinary really.
     
  13. Speed_Gibson

    Speed_Gibson Hacking the Gibson

    Location:
    Wolf 359
  14. Borla

    Borla Moderator Staff Member

    Just for you I recently picked up a handful of wines from Oz. ;)

    2008 Groom Shiraz Barossa Valley
    2008 Thorn-Clarke Shotfire Shiraz
    2008 Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz

    I'll try to remember to post up when I crack one of them open. :)

    While I think it would be awesome to try some really elite wines, I can't imagine how wealthy I'd have to be before I'd drop thousands of dollars on an experience that would last 20-30 minutes. Especially one you'd flush down the toilet later. :p
     
  15. Speed_Gibson

    Speed_Gibson Hacking the Gibson

    Location:
    Wolf 359
    My first thought on seeing that wine sell for $180,000 per Case was that it would likely taste as "bad" to me as the cheap wine that goes for $4/bottle. I have tried a few wine coolers and the alcohol "tinge/flavour" in them made quite undesirable to me.
     
  16. Borla

    Borla Moderator Staff Member

    I honestly think that a lot of people are not wine fans because of how they were introduced to it. I've had several friends and/or dinner guests who said they didn't like wine, then explained to me why. Maybe it was too dry, too oaky, too sweet, etc. Usually I can take their feedback and find something for them to try that they end up liking more than they thought they would. Part of it is trying quality wines (which doesn't necessarily mean super expensive), part of it is matching up tastes. But obviously they also have to be willing to try things and have an open mind to be successful.
     
  17. Borla

    Borla Moderator Staff Member

    One thing I absolutely hate about wine in restaurants is the 2-3x market price mark-up.

    I go to places with good whiskey lists because I can buy a single shot to taste and see if I really like it. A place with great beer choices is a big hit because you can try one beer and see if you like it.

    But a place with a great wine list? Doubtful that you'll be able to buy the really good wines by the glass. And whatever they cost in the liquor store, expect to pay at least double at the restaurant. Grr.
     
    • Like Like x 2
  18. Borla

    Borla Moderator Staff Member

  19. cynthetiq

    cynthetiq Administrator Staff Member Donor

    Location:
    New York City
    Lately skogafoss has been able to get a sample of the wine before committing to a glass. This has been at some of the better restaurants and better chains like Fleming's.