WINE - Red, White, or Other - Discussed Here!

Started by SonicMan46, April 07, 2007, 06:14:18 PM

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SonicMan46

Quote from: Peregrine on April 04, 2010, 11:41:06 AM
I can honestly say that the day all wine is sealed by stelvin type closures, then I will be a happy man...

Agree!  Alternates to the standard cork enclosure are being proven the better option in preventing premature aging of the wine, oxidation, and 'corking' - in the May 31 2010 issue of the Wine Spectator (pg. 14), a brief summary from a 10 yr study by the Australian Wine Research Institute showed that wines kept in a 'screw top' vs. other numerous alternates best preserved the flavors of the wine and even the aging potential!

Now I've been pulling plenty of corks for decades but 'screw tops' are fine w/ me! And now at my age, I'll no longer be aging wines, such as vintage ports, for15-20 yrs -  ;) ;D

SonicMan46

North Carolina Wine!

Susan & I just returned from a 2-day overnight tour of the Yadkin River Valley AVA (American Viticultural Area), which was the first in the state to be named; there are now two others, Swan Creek & Haw River Valley.  In  addition the number of wineries now in the state is approaching 100!  This is still a 'trial & error' industry here w/ all sorts of grapes being used to make a WIDE variety of wines - the wines are improving and more seem to be winning state and regional medals.

Our little tour covered only 120 miles in 2 days (indicating the closeness of the AVA to our home in Winston-Salem); we stopped at a couple of previously visited wineries (list below - all have websites, if interested) and four newer ones (both NEW & new to us!).  Our overnight stay was at an inexpensive hotel chain close to the Shelton winery - we had dinner at their restaurant, the Harvest Grill - I had a wonderfully juicy sauteed local trout and Susan had duck breast w/ pad thai noodles.

Our last stop (almost home) was at an East Bend winery Divine Llama (just opened their tasting room a year ago); started by two Winston-Salem architects who have known each other since 1975 during their schooling at Virginia Tech.  They are not only making wines from some interesting grape hybrids, but also raising llamas & miniature horses; another couple offers llama treks, i.e. a little hiking w/ the llamas including a luncheon w/ wine - couple of pics below from their website; we might give that trek a try soon - just a 30 min drive from our house!

Wineries visited:  Stony Knoll Vineyards, Hutton Vineyards, Shelton Vineyards, Sanders Ridge Winery, RagApple Lassie Vineyards, and Divine Llama Vineyards - google for more details, if planning a visit; had dinner at Shelton and lunch the next day at Sanders Ridge.

 


Bogey

Really cool, Dave.  Just went to a little wine tasting down at the local shop in Old Arvada that I like to frequent.  They opened four Spanish wines and I walked out with two of them:

The first:



Fruity up front and a bit of pineapple taste to finish it off.  Smooth.  The Mrs. also enjoyed this one, so probably should have gotten two or three bottles.

The next sold out while I was there:


2009

This one did not bite and had a wonderful dryness to it at the finish. 

I believe my total tab was $26 for the two. 

There will never be another era like the Golden Age of Hollywood.  We didn't know how to blow up buildings then so we had no choice but to tell great stories with great characters.-Ben Mankiewicz

SonicMan46

Quote from: Bogey on May 01, 2010, 05:30:16 PM
Really cool, Dave.  Just went to a little wine tasting down at the local shop in Old Arvada that I like to frequent.  They opened four Spanish wines and I walked out with two of them: ................

Bill - I use to have a nice little Spanish collection in my cellar (Riojas & Ribera del Dueros), but have really cut back on my collection & more 'widespread' purchases - the European wines are obviously numerous, many just outstanding, and some at great bargains, but not always easy to find in my locale, probably an issue w/ others; for those living in a LARGE city w/ numerous widespread wine imports and local tastings, then a much easier choice - just not so where I live (and I'm still in a fairly large cosmopolitan area!).

But if one is to explore Spain for wines then the two areas mentioned above are obvious choices, esp. for reds worthy of aging; also check along the Spanish coast near Barcelona and south - look for values!  :D

SonicMan46

Pertinent to my recent post on visiting some local NC wineries - tonight sampling the Chardonel grape offering by the Divine Llama Vyds just 30 mins from my house - this is a hybrid grape, a cross between Chardonnay & Seyval, the latter a more hearty grape against the colder spring temperatures of the Eastern USA climate; information HERE, if interested!  :)

The wine industry in North Carolina is in a state of development and flux, i.e. adaptation of the specific grape varietals (whether European, hybrids - such as Chardonel, or even American - latter yuk for me) will take a number of years for each vineyard area and wineries to resolve - just amazing that such progress has been made here in such a short time!

BTW - the label on the Divine Llama bottlings is beautiful - just wonder if anyone who has visited (or lived) in North Carolina can offer a guess?   ;) ;D

 

Sergeant Rock

#525
Quote from: SonicMan on May 02, 2010, 03:57:20 PM
BTW - the label on the Divine Llama bottlings is beautiful - just wonder if anyone who has visited (or lived) in North Carolina can offer a guess?   ;) ;D



Do you mean, Dave, what does the label depict? Chimney Rock?

Sarge
the phone rings and somebody says,
"hey, they made a movie about
Mahler, you ought to go see it.
he was as f*cked-up as you are."
                               --Charles Bukowski, "Mahler"

SonicMan46

Quote from: Sergeant Rock on May 03, 2010, 03:28:29 AM
Do you mean, Dave, what does the label depict? Chimney Rock?


Hi Sarge - good choice, but Chimney Rock is more in the western part of the state, near Lake Lure -  :)

The view in the background is Pilot Mountain (pic below) which is just off HW 52, north of Winston-Salem and south of Mt. Airy (birthplace of Andy Griffith) - thought the label was clever w/ the llama in the foreground and a local landmark instead of the Andes Mtns - Dave  :D


Sergeant Rock

Quote from: SonicMan on May 03, 2010, 05:52:29 AM
...thought the label was clever w/ the llama in the foreground and a local landmark instead of the Andes Mtns - Dave  :D

It is a great label. You didn't give the wine a review. How did find it? I've had a couple of bottles from the Biltmore Estate (early-00 vintages)...wasn't impressed. Reminded me of certain Ohio wines that even this Ohio boy can't summon much enthusiasm for.

Sarge
the phone rings and somebody says,
"hey, they made a movie about
Mahler, you ought to go see it.
he was as f*cked-up as you are."
                               --Charles Bukowski, "Mahler"

SonicMan46

Quote from: Sergeant Rock on May 03, 2010, 06:58:51 AM
It is a great label. You didn't give the wine a review. How did find it? I've had a couple of bottles from the Biltmore Estate (early-00 vintages)...wasn't impressed. Reminded me of certain Ohio wines that even this Ohio boy can't summon much enthusiasm for.

Sarge

The wine was dry and rather austere with little nose - a pleasant drink but one that I'd probably rate in the low 80s if a reviewer for the Wine Spectator.  I did buy a half case of their wines (I usually buy at least a couple of bottles on these visits just to support the industry in the state) - a couple of reds, Cabernet Franc & Merlot, these will probably end up w/ low 80s ratings when tried at home (always seem to taste better at the wineries, esp. when talking to the wine maker!).

Also picked up a Chardonnay (non-oaked) - should have some more flavor than the Chardonel but will still be austere; in addition a couple of different wines made from a new hybrid called Traminette, a cross between a Seyve varietal & Gewurtztraminer - more info HERE - one was dry & the other had a little sugar (2%) - definitely had a Gewurtz nose! 

The North Carolina wine industry has a ways to go - the wines are improving all of the time and I've had some over the years that I would rate in the high 80s but not a common event for me!   Dave  :D

Sergeant Rock

Quote from: SonicMan on May 03, 2010, 10:12:55 AM
The wine was dry and rather austere with little nose - a pleasant drink but one that I'd probably rate in the low 80s if a reviewer for the Wine Spectator.  I did buy a half case of their wines (I usually buy at least a couple of bottles on these visits just to support the industry in the state) - a couple of reds, Cabernet Franc & Merlot, these will probably end up w/ low 80s ratings when tried at home (always seem to taste better at the wineries, esp. when talking to the wine maker!).

Also picked up a Chardonnay (non-oaked) - should have some more flavor than the Chardonel but will still be austere; in addition a couple of different wines made from a new hybrid called Traminette, a cross between a Seyve varietal & Gewurtztraminer - more info HERE - one was dry & the other had a little sugar (2%) - definitely had a Gewurtz nose! 

The North Carolina wine industry has a ways to go - the wines are improving all of the time and I've had some over the years that I would rate in the high 80s but not a common event for me!   Dave  :D

The wines sound drinkable anyway, and wouldn't offend with a meal. The Ohio and Biltmore wines I was thinking of were like semi-sweet Kool-Aid: bland and generic, with no varietal character.

Sarge
the phone rings and somebody says,
"hey, they made a movie about
Mahler, you ought to go see it.
he was as f*cked-up as you are."
                               --Charles Bukowski, "Mahler"

SonicMan46

Quote from: Sergeant Rock on May 04, 2010, 04:17:52 AM
The wines sound drinkable anyway, and wouldn't offend with a meal. The Ohio and Biltmore wines I was thinking of were like semi-sweet Kool-Aid: bland and generic, with no varietal character.

Sarge

Yep, each of these wineries makes a range from dry to sickening sweet, the latter even more unpleasant to me if made from native grapes - although Susan seems to like a lot of these styles - so, guess the reason each is made -  :D

The Biltmore Winery is kind of atypical for the state - out in the western mountains near Asheville - it has long existed and is the MOST visited winery in the USA; we just returned from a trip on the Biltmore property - stayed at their lovely inn w/ a view of the winery.  The production is massive and unique to the state's wineries in that Biltmore 'sources in' many of their grapes from outside, including Oregon and California; also, wines are made elsewhere (either by others, such as in California, or by a Biltmore-owned winery, and then their label is attached).

On my last visit (a few months ago), I brought home a case of Biltmore wines - had a couple of bottles of Pinot Noir made in the Russian River Vly of California - actually quite good; also, a couple of Chardonnays, one made from Sonoma grapes and the other from grapes grown on the Biltmore NC grounds (and the later an oaked reserve) - liked the Biltmore Chard the best.  So Biltmore does offer some decent wines, but they often are not from NC grapes - label usually makes that pretty clear, but I'm not sure that many of the visitors understand the differences?  Dave  :)

Sergeant Rock

Although I've been to Asheville several times...even spent six days there once...I've never been to the Biltmore Estate or winery (I'm a really lousy tourist  ;D ) The Biltmore bottles I drank came from a supermarket and I'm pretty sure they were homegrown grapes, not imports. That they buy grapes from Cali is interesting. I'll keep that in mind when next I vist NC.

Sarge
the phone rings and somebody says,
"hey, they made a movie about
Mahler, you ought to go see it.
he was as f*cked-up as you are."
                               --Charles Bukowski, "Mahler"

SonicMan46

Well, I was NOT planning to bring up the North Carolina wines since most are not available outside of the state, but I did bring home about 18 bottles or so on my recent local trip to 6 wineries (purchased at 5) - but, the last couple of nights, I've been enjoying two Chardonnays, 2008 vintage, from Shelton Vineyards in Dobson (stayed at their hotel, a franchise chain; and ate a wonderful meal at their restaurant - previously described) -  :)

One is labeled Bin 17 (below left) - no oak or malo fermentation - so, an acidic fruity drink - quite pleasant - w/ warming more toward room temperature, I'd probably rate this wine in the mid-80s based on the Wine Spectator scale - believe that '08 was felt to be a good year for the white grapes!

The other is their Estate bottling - don't have a pic - a little more expensive (i.e. $12 vs. $16) - full description HERE; more Burgundian in concept, i.e. fermented 'sur lies' and aged in various oak containers - actually liked this one best, and could consider a larger purchase; rating mid to high 80s - not BAD at all for a regional Yadkin River appellation - becoming more impressed w/ these wines!  :)

Now I know that these are not going to be available in most of your areas and furthermore that the pricing just does not match the often excellent values from say South America or Australia, BUT if you plan to visit North Carolina for whatever reason, and have some 'extra time' to spend, then a visit to the local wineries is a GREAT option -  :D  Dave

 

Bogey



Took your advice Dave and went back and bought two more bottles of this, that is, if you really enjoy a wine, get multiple bottles.  They sold out last week during the tasting, but the owner was there and had an extra case put aside, so.... ;D
There will never be another era like the Golden Age of Hollywood.  We didn't know how to blow up buildings then so we had no choice but to tell great stories with great characters.-Ben Mankiewicz

Sergeant Rock

There's an interesting article on Burgundy and Thomas Jefferson in the NYTimes

http://travel.nytimes.com/2010/06/13/travel/13footsteps.html


Sarge
the phone rings and somebody says,
"hey, they made a movie about
Mahler, you ought to go see it.
he was as f*cked-up as you are."
                               --Charles Bukowski, "Mahler"

Bogey

There will never be another era like the Golden Age of Hollywood.  We didn't know how to blow up buildings then so we had no choice but to tell great stories with great characters.-Ben Mankiewicz

SonicMan46

Quote from: Sergeant Rock on June 12, 2010, 04:01:04 AM
There's an interesting article on Burgundy and Thomas Jefferson in the NYTimes

http://travel.nytimes.com/2010/06/13/travel/13footsteps.html

Sarge - thanks for the link; a lot of recent discussion of Tom J. and wine - need to check my wine book collection since several have been written in recent years - Dave  :D

Tonight, I decided to decant a bottle (last one) of a Noval LBV Port (LBV = Late Bottled Vintage) from 1997; bought in 2004, so has been laying in my basement cellar for 6 yrs+ (notice the dust on the bottle!). 

Not sure that there are authentic 'port fans' here, but a fortified red (and sweet) wine from Portugal - 20% alcohol content - check the Wiki Article HERE for definitions of the various types; if you like 'vintage port' but cannot afford the price or willing to wait for years if not a decade or more, then the LBVs might be your best option?

LBVs come from a single year and are aged somewhat longer before bottling (i.e. compared to the 'true' vintage ports); many are 'filtered' then bottled and ready for drinking; however, there is quite a variation in the quality and the taste of the LBVs; e.g. if the wine comes from a good year & the right vineyards, is aged to the minimal requirement, and then bottled unfiltered (as in the port that I decanted tonight), the result might just be an inexpensive port w/ a vintage taste!

Well, this is what happened tonight!  I decanted the Noval LBV 97 Port using my usual stainless steel funnel w/ a mesh filter - process went fine; a tremendous amount of sediment was left in the bottle - now for the taste, as good as a number of much more expensive (and longer aged) vintage ports - BOTTOM LINE is that there is an overlap between these two port styles; read the labels carefully & check the reviews - you are likely to find a LBV port w/ many of the qualities of an aged vintage option at a much reduced price!   :)

Saul

This past weekend, I purchased three bottles of wine. All three were Georgian, one of them was my favorite, Kindzmarauli, and two new ones that I never tasted before, they are Akhasheni and Pirosmani.

All three are Semi Sweet Red wines, ranging from 12 to 13 % alcohol. Amazingly rich and delicious, each wine had its own unique and different character, taste, and flavor. I enjoyed all three very much and I highly recommend them to any wine lover out there.

Akhasgeni


Pirosmani


Kindzmarauli

SonicMan46

Off on a quick 'overnight' trip to visit some North Carolina wineries in the middle of the Yadkin River Vly & Swan Creek AVAs (American Viticultural Areas), 2 of the 3 now in this state which has reach about 100 wineries total!

Staying at a nice 'inexpensive' Fairfield Inn & Suites in Elkin and about to have dinner at Twenty One & Main Restaurant in the historic downtown area - our first experience but the menu looks good and the owners are originally from Charleston, SC!

Visited 3 wineries today and will do 3 more tomorrow and then head back to Winston-Salem - will have been gone just over 24 hrs - wines still need improvement!  But we tasted some pretty good ones today -  :D



SonicMan46

Just a follow-up of the second day of our stay in the Yadkin Vly wine region of North Carolina - just did 2 wineries on the second day - the one that fascinated me the most was Raffaldini Vyds; picture below shows the tasting building w/ adjacent vineyards & beautiful landscaping; also not as well shown are the Blue Ridge Mtns in the background; indeed a gorgeous location for the tasting!

The other interesting aspect of this property is the emphasis on Italian & Mediterrean grapes, some grown only here along the entire east coast USA; I bought a half case of their wines, each different:

Pinot Grigio, 2008 - a grape that does well in North Carolina; this one an excellent example.
Vermentino, 2009 - white varietal from Sardinia; new to me - will try tonight w/ Susan's calamari dish!
Bella Misto, 2008 - typical Bordeaux blend w/ mainly Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot - just released & tannic.
Sangiovese Riserva, 2008 - classic Chianti grape; extended oak aging.
Oenotria, 2008 - Malbec/Tannat blend; latter prominently used in Uruguay; so a South American style!
Montepulciano, 2008 - prominent Italian grape from Abruzzo; quite dark & intense.

These reds are quite young and likely would improve w/ a number of months or a year of aging - at 1 bottle each, may not last long in my house -  ;D  I've been reluctant to buy a 'small' red sampling of NC wines to age but this winery may change my mind.

For those who may be visiting the Carolinas and want to see some wineries, just leave a post here - I can certainly recommend a variety of locations and styles - the wines here are definitely getting better!  :)