Wine?

[MikeLastort2]

Goes with food. Anyone want to talk about it?

[WarrenWallace]

I am a real novice with the wine. Have a couple of glasses every weekend though.

[Chicago1871]

2nd semester senior in college right now; last night was our 2nd of three wine tastings for my 'Wines of the World' class. Some good bottles, some not to my liking. I find it amazing what this professor has managed to teach us with just one meeting a week since the 2nd week of Jan. Idenfication of grapes, sometimes if we're really good, even countries. Basis of all this new knowledge has come from 'Wine for Dummies;' for those of you who aren't oenophiles yet, but would like to begin your education, this is a great book to start with.

[MikeLastort2]

Originally posted by CityIceMan
I am a real novice with the wine. Have a couple of glasses every weekend though.

That's the best way to learn. Drink it, figure out what you like, and start exploring.

I love wine. My wife and I usually drink a bottle every night with dinner

[fidlerre]

sweet, i was going to 'bump' the wine thread that was in FFA but then, what should appear but an OT 'food' forum...

i enjoy wine, took a semester long class in college regarding wine, it was a great class and i learned a great deal about all the facets of wine; how, where, taste...i look forward to visiting often for suggestions on some good, rather inexpensive wines!

[Chicago1871]

Originally posted by fidlerre
suggestions on some good, rather inexpensive wines!
If I can ever find the innitiave I will go through the wine lists from my class and put em up for everyone, along with my personal comments (which should only be used to judge how I like my wine, you should always make your own decisions and form your own opinions on wine).

[Sardinia]

http://www.wineshop.it/eng/homepage.asp

http://www.wineshop.it/eng/reg/sardegna.asp

http://www.babbonyc.com/winepicks-sardinia.html

Sommelier's picks
by David Lynch, Beverage Director

THIS MONTH SARDINIA

Still somewhat unsung among Italy's huge crop of wines are those of Sardinia, which, whether white or red, capture the island's wild, untamed surroundings in a bottle. Drawing from a palette of grapes of mostly Spanish origin (the island was controlled by Spain's Aragon Dynasty from the 14th through the 18th centuries), Sardinia's winemakers are turning out an ever-improving and appealingly diverse selection of bottlings.

On the white side, Sardinia's native vermentino (also found on the Tuscan and Ligurian coasts) is one of Italy's most distinctive indigenous varieties. Able to withstand the intense heat and light of the island, vermentino struggles to put down roots in famously rocky soils, and the resultant wines are marked by a pronounced herbal character. In fact, the wines seem to pick up flavor from all of the wild Mediterranean scrub that grows alongside it: wild sage, mint, fennel, myrtle, and the countless other plants that somehow turn green and fragrant in the dusty, rocky earth.

Sardinia's principal red grapes are cannonau (the local name for grenache, or garnacha) and carignano (carignane). Both of these varieties have found greater fame in Spain (Rioja) and southwest France (Languedoc, among others), but Sardinia is not to be overlooked. Cannonau di Sardegna, made all over the island, combines the earthly complexity of a good Rioja with the plushness of a California pinot noir. Carignano, a specialty of the southwestern region of Sulcis, is a black and deeply fruity wine built to take on the likes of Aussie shiraz. At the moment, the Sulcis winery called Santadi is Sardinia's principal carignano specialist, and if you can get your hands on the potent "Terre Brune" Carignano del Sulcis you will not be disappointed; it is one of Italy'™s great reds, just without the eye-popping price tag. Here are two other Sardinian greats to go along with it:

(...)

http://www.alistore.com/acatalog/terrebrune.JPG ;)

[MikeLastort2]

Currently drinking this French Rhône


Domaine Mas Du Boquet
Vacqueyras
2001 vintage

The price is about $11.00/bottle

Bought it at Circle Liqours in Washington DC, but found this on the web

http://www.klwines.com/product.asp?sku=1001879

Wine Spectator gives it 88 out of 100 points

http://www.winespectator.com/Wine/Wine_Ratings/Search_Results?wine_id=119943&search_by=exact&rowbegin=1&rowincrement=50

[WHOLMAN2]

Originally posted by MikeLastort2
That's the best way to learn. Drink it, figure out what you like, and start exploring.

I love wine. My wife and I usually drink a bottle every night with dinner

OK, educate me Mike. I didn't grow up with parents who consumed wine as a beverage, so I don't know much about it, other than what I drink at Passover. It seems a little bitter (not sour) and the taste tends to stick around for a while.

Some say that wine complements food. In what way exactly? Others have said that wine prepares your palate for food, and vice versa. Is this bunk or is there any truth to this at all?

What type (red, white, etc.) goes with poultry?
With red meat?
Fish/seafood?
Vegeterian?

And can't the winemakers reduce the alcohol content somewhat?

Thanks :)

[Sardinia]

red meat = red wine or black
fish = white wine

Take a look at this web site they deliver worldwide sardinian food and wine.

http://www.alistore.ws/home.html (eng)

If you come in Italy you may consider visiting Sardinia.
That could be why...
http://www.emmeti.it/Welcome/Sardegna/Costasmeralda/img/foto.jpg

[MikeLastort2]

Originally posted by WHOLMAN2
OK, educate me Mike. I didn't grow up with parents who consumed wine as a beverage, so I don't know much about it, other than what I drink at Passover. It seems a little bitter (not sour) and the taste tends to stick around for a while.

Some say that wine complements food. In what way exactly? Others have said that wine prepares your palate for food, and vice versa. Is this bunk or is there any truth to this at all?

What type (red, white, etc.) goes with poultry?
With red meat?
Fish/seafood?
Vegeterian?

And can't the winemakers reduce the alcohol content somewhat?

Thanks :)

Wow, where to start.

Let me write something up and I'll get back to you.

[sebakoole]

Originally posted by fidlerre
i look forward to visiting often for suggestions on some good, rather inexpensive wines!
One of my favorites is the Los Vascos Cabernet. You can get the reserve for under $20. Los Vascos is a Chilean winery that was started with Bordeaux root-stock by one of the Rothschilds, IIRC. People say it's like having a good Bordeaux, but for half the price!

[MikeLastort2]

Originally posted by sebakoole
One of my favorites is the Los Vascos Cabernet. You can get the reserve for under $20. Los Vascos is a Chilean winery that was started with Bordeaux root-stock by one of the Rothschilds, IIRC. People say it's like having a good Bordeaux, but for half the price!
100% in agreement. Los Vascos is a fabulous vineyard, and their cabs are really really good.

[sebakoole]

Originally posted by MikeLastort2
100% in agreement. Los Vascos is a fabulous vineyard, and their cabs are really really good.
Hey Mike, you live in Takoma Park. Where do you shop for Wine? I go to Morris Miller on Georgia Avenue sometimes (just inside the DC line). Know of any other good spots?

[Chicago1871]

Originally posted by WHOLMAN2
OK, educate me Mike. I didn't grow up with parents who consumed wine as a beverage, so I don't know much about it, other than what I drink at Passover. It seems a little bitter (not sour) and the taste tends to stick around for a while.

Some say that wine complements food. In what way exactly? Others have said that wine prepares your palate for food, and vice versa. Is this bunk or is there any truth to this at all?

What type (red, white, etc.) goes with poultry?
With red meat?
Fish/seafood?
Vegeterian?

And can't the winemakers reduce the alcohol content somewhat?

Thanks :)
Mike will most likely respond to this in much more detail, but let me give a quick shot at this:
Some wines might be considered "sour" by novices, but that is usually the dryness of the wine because of a lack of sugars in the wine. As for the aftertaste, wines vary greatly. Some have long aftertastes, some short, some strong, some weak...some a combination of the aforementioned.

Wine complementing food is tough to explain, at least for me (who is relatively new to oenephilia), but a good red with beef (especially steak) is amazing. As for the clensing of the palate, that is along the same lines as complemtation, which Mike may get into in his answer.

The older rule of matching wine with food is white with poultry and seafood, and red with beef (pork was kinda up for grabs). This has fallen a bit by the wayside, because wine is different for everyone, and therefore some might like certain wines with certain foods. If you want to really delve deep, there are grapes within "colors" that go even more specific as to what "professionals" feel goes best with certain aspects of a meal. The best way to learn what goes best is to try different combinations. And despite the frowning on it by many, roses can be quite good (although not one of my more preffered).

They can reduce the alchol content a bit, but a certain level of alcohol is needed for fermentation ( for a true wine, because I believe there are non-alcoholic wines out there. How they make them, I do not know) and most European wines are strictly monitored and a wine below a certain % is no longer accepted by certain standards. Most wines I believe (I might have these numbers wrong) are between 11-13% alcohol. The alcohol, among a long list of other things help give the wine its distinguishing characteristics and make the wine what it is.

Quick synopsis, hopefully I helped out a bit.

[MikeLastort2]

Originally posted by sebakoole
Hey Mike, you live in Takoma Park. Where do you shop for Wine? I go to Morris Miller on Georgia Avenue sometimes (just inside the DC line). Know of any other good spots?

Circle Liquors. Best liquor store in the area. It's on Connecticut Ave, just south of Chevy Chase Circle (hence the name). I go down Piney Branch to 13th Street, turn right on Military Road, then turn right on Conn. It's two blocks north of Military on the right-hand side. If you go, ask for Kumar and tell him I sent you. He REALLY knows his wines. He recommended the French Rhône I mentioned earlier in this thread.

When I'm down on Capitol Hill, I go to Snyders. Also a great selection, but since they don't know me there I don't get the same kind of discount I get at Circle Liquor.

[MikeLastort2]

Originally posted by Chicago1871
Mike will most likely respond to this in much more detail, but let me give a quick shot at this:
Some wines might be considered "sour" by novices, but that is usually the dryness of the wine because of a lack of sugars in the wine. As for the aftertaste, wines vary greatly. Some have long aftertastes, some short, some strong, some weak...some a combination of the aforementioned.

Wine complementing food is tough to explain, at least for me (who is relatively new to oenephilia), but a good red with beef (especially steak) is amazing. As for the clensing of the palate, that is along the same lines as complemtation, which Mike may get into in his answer.

The older rule of matching wine with food is white with poultry and seafood, and red with beef (pork was kinda up for grabs). This has fallen a bit by the wayside, because wine is different for everyone, and therefore some might like certain wines with certain foods. If you want to really delve deep, there are grapes within "colors" that go even more specific as to what "professionals" feel goes best with certain aspects of a meal. The best way to learn what goes best is to try different combinations. And despite the frowning on it by many, roses can be quite good (although not one of my more preffered).

They can reduce the alchol content a bit, but a certain level of alcohol is needed for fermentation ( for a true wine, because I believe there are non-alcoholic wines out there. How they make them, I do not know) and most European wines are strictly monitored and a wine below a certain % is no longer accepted by certain standards. Most wines I believe (I might have these numbers wrong) are between 11-13% alcohol. The alcohol, among a long list of other things help give the wine its distinguishing characteristics and make the wine what it is.

Quick synopsis, hopefully I helped out a bit.

Good synopsis.

That aftertaste is often referred to as "the finish." You'll hear wine snobs say things like "it's a little light on the palette, but it has a very nice finish."

For food matching, it really does vary. It used to be you never drank anything but a big full-bodied red with beef, and nothing but a light white with fish. Poultry was for heavier whites and maybe light reds, but that's all gone out the window.

However, one thing is true. A meal with lots of flavor will overpower the taste of lighter wines. For instance, lamb vindaloo would make the flavor of a nice Vernaccia (an Italian white) almost unnoticable.

I'd classify wines sort of like this.

Light whites - like Portugese Vinho Verde, Savignon Blancs (from New Zealand, usually), Vernaccia, Chablis, etc.

Heavier whites - California chardonnay (which I really don't like that much - too much oak and vanilla), French chardonnay (almost always white burgundies), Gewurtztraminer, Pinot Gris (and the Italian equivalent, Pinot Grigio)

Sweet whites - German reislings

Light reds - Beaujolais Nouveaux and Beaujolais Village, French Pinot Noir

Heavier reds - Valpolocellas, some Burgundies (usually non-premier cru), Barbera D'Asti and Barbera D'Alba, some American Pinot Noirs (especially those from Oregon), California Zinfandels, Chianti, red table wines from France, Italy, Spain, Spanish Riojas, a few others

Big reds - Cabernet Sauvignon, Bordeaux, aged California Zins, Amorone, Barbaresco, Chianti Classico (different from Chianti above), Barolo

After dinner reds - port, sherry, etc

Desert wines - sweet whites which are different from the German reislings, like Muscat (France)/Moscato (Italy), etc

It's really hard to say what goes best with which food, but for the most part, drink the "big reds" with flavorful things like beef with a heavy sauce, and drink the lighter whites with really light-tasting white fish like cod.

Your tastebuds are the ultimate indicator of what is good though. If you don't like big reds, don't drink them. If you want to have pepper steak with Savignon Blanc, knock yourself out!

:)

And the alcohol content is correct. It's almost impossible to make wine taste good at less than 10% content.

Finally, most places have wine tasting classes. Look in your local newspaper for classes to learn about wine. They're usually cheap, and they're always fun. People who like wine are typically fun to hang around. Except, of course, for the snobs who are trying to impress people.

[fidlerre]

mike, are you a fan of syrah/shiraz's?

i dont have any great wine stores here in columbus with people i know working the place, i used to have one in cincinnati when i was in school down there, but not here and i am looking for some good buys.

if you are ever in the mood, can ya help a brotha' out?

<nice ali g. avator by the way!>

[MikeLastort2]

Originally posted by fidlerre
mike, are you a fan of syrah/shiraz's?

Doh. I forgot to put them on my "big red" list. Shiraz and syrah are, I think, the same grape, or closely related enough to taste about the same.

Penfolds from Australia is really nice, particularly their Bin 128 (100% shiraz) and Bin 289 (a shiraz/cabernet savignon blend).

i dont have any great wine stores here in columbus with people i know working the place, i used to have one in cincinnati when i was in school down there, but not here and i am looking for some good buys.

if you are ever in the mood, can ya help a brotha' out?

http://www.jlohr.com/Brands/Estates/EstCab00.html

http://www.fourvines.com

http://www.jordanwinery.com/wines/ (the 1999 cab)

There are only a few of the good wines I tasted last week at the DC wine festival.

<nice ali g. avator by the way!>

Thanks. That show is REALLY funny.

[fidlerre]

Originally posted by MikeLastort2


Thanks. That show is REALLY funny.

i saw him interviewed on the today show by katie couric i believe it was last friday, i dont think she knew what to make of him...

i actually picked up a bottle of penfolds shiraz this evening when i was shopping for groceries, i'll have to give a review later.