Wines

[rose]

For quite a few years I was a city dweller, and lived directly across from a small independent wine shop - well actually it was a locksmith that was directly across, I guess the wine store was more diagonal - but I digress... The owner/manager of the wine shop was really good about steering me to wines with great taste, some little known, some amazingly affordable.

Well, those days are gone, I now live in the burbs, and am just tickled pink if I find a wine I used to be able to get. Wines such as Klinker Brick red Zinfandel, or Castle Rock pinot noir. And, Maryland is weird with their alcohol sales laws. There are a gazillion beer/wine stores, but hardly any liquor shops, ... don't know why that is, but thought I'd share.

So, I guess I could google "wines", but I thought it would be more fun we could share what we've found that we like, and with our reduced standards of living (thank you ALS!) can afford to actually drink rather than admire in the wine rack.

I'll go first 8) We just tried Two Vines Mewrlot-Cabernet 2005 (Columbia-Crest) 1.5 liter was $17, and it is very drinkable IMHO...

[paleshia]

:wink:columbia-crest makes some pretty good wines.....i think i may just go open a bottle of something, a glass of red sounds pretty good tonight:wink:

i will let you know.....

[BarryG]

My wife Beth likes Columbia Crest Riesling, I wish I could too. Maybe I'll steal some for my peg! :smile::smile:

[cukita99]

i used to enjoy a good wine but its hard using a straw.

[kelly]

This thread is right up my alley....love Josh.. or Carr...merlot or cab. They are both napa wines. This is the top end of my budget..16.00 a bottle. I love a pinot noir called HOB Nob..it is about 8.00 a bottle. Concannon is another good cab..reasonalbly priced. I could go on..... My dear neighbor just brought me over a case of yummy wine (for therepeutic reasons only)..I will report as I drink.
Rose..we lived in the Burgh for 7 years....GO STEELERS..have our flag flying as I write.
Have a great night. Darn..you just got me in the mood for a glass of wine!

[rose]

cukita, they told me no straws.... shows how we get different advise.

Barry, yes, I think you should try it, Beth is sure to share. Don told me once I have the PEG I could downgrade to Boone's Farm LOL.

I am trying so hard to gain a couple pounds back before next clinic visit, and wine seems as good a route as any (other than my new love, molten chocolate lava cake)

Jen, yes, I honestly am looking for what to buy :wink:

[Erica]

If you like reds, try Toasted Head cab, it's priced around $12 and tastes great.

[paleshia]

ok, so it took me thirty minutes but after two different types of cork screws, a slip resistant rubber grip thing, and almost asking my 14 yr old for help (hubby is away on business)...i opened a tin roof cellars merlot...yummy with some 2 yr old sharp cheddar and crackers...don't tell anyone i was using the knives again :-P

[joelc]

We used to make our own wine. We did have over 500 bottles. I loved a Merlot and Christine liked a Cabernet.

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[thelma313]

I just tried a red wine that I really loved. It's called "Il Brecciarolo Rosso Piceno Superiore" 2002, Italy. It's a blend of Montepulciano and Sangiovese from Le Marche. I paid $15 for it.

Joel, I am impressd. My dad used to make wine every year. Last year, 2008, was his last batch. I have a bottle of it that I am saving. My dad loved making wine and being a real perfectionist, he was great at it.

[paleshia]

joel, very impressive....

[GlenBrittle]

good lord Joel, look at all of those hangovers ... OMG

[BarryG]

Joel, that is really something but we all know that you are never the one to do things half way. Were these from kits or did you grow the grapes too? :razz::razz:

[kelly]

I like Tin Roof too!

[Zaphoon]

From my recent experience with wino-ism, I can tell you that, imho, Vina Maipo (Chardonnay) Central Valley/2008 will make your taste buds go into full retreat!

I could be mean and suggest to Rose that it is the best, most flavorful and inexpensive bevy (the bottle was given to me unopened - no wonders) to be had! Try it! You'll like it!

I did finish off the 1.5 litre 13% alc by vol bottle of the stuff. All I have to say is, if this is the best Chile has to offer, I'll go with Boone's Farm Strawberry and flash back to 10th grade days. This stuff reminds me of the communion wine we altar boys use to sip, slurp and gurgle while the priest wasn't looking.

PZ

[joelc]

Joel, that is really something but we all know that you are never the one to do things half way. Were these from kits or did you grow the grapes too? :razz::razz:

BOTH!.....LOL

I also built a climate controlled room to brew it in.

[hopingforcure]

Joel.
You are really a man with so many great qualities and experiences. You never cease to amaze us.. Thanks for being who you are..

[BarryG]

"I also built a climate controlled room to brew it in."

Yowsers! I can't even keep myself climate controlled!

[tajmom]

I'm fond of Gnarly Head, they do a good zinfandel and a cab too. The Francis Ford Coppolla reds (e.g. Rosso) are a good vin ordinaire for a bargain price. Also Big House Red -- good wine with added benefit of having a screw top; useful if like me you can't use a corkscrew anymore.

[rose]

Joel, I'm duly impressed!... Al makes his own wine even yet, at least I think he still does.

So, on a practical side, we've got the beginning of a wine list going:

Carr

Columbia Crest Riesling

Concannon

HOB Nob (pinot)

Josh


Tin Roof

Toasted Head cabernet

... a few more I like:

Sly Dog (love the name too) I think it is a merlot, don't have any at the moment

Rays Station (cab)

Klinker Brick (zin)

Two Vines (merlot-cab)

Rosemont makes some good blends too. I used to serve it on the plane, and its reasonably priced. I think it was this brand which has a Shiraz which is yummy.

and... wine NOT to try - thanks PZ

Vina Maipo (Chardonnay) Central Valley/2008

[rose]

I'm fond of Gnarly Head, they do a good zinfandel and a cab too. The Francis Ford Coppolla reds (e.g. Rosso) are a good vin ordinaire for a bargain price. Also Big House Red -- good wine with added benefit of having a screw top; useful if like me you can't use a corkscrew anymore.

(I think we were posting at the same time) We just bought a bottle of the Coppolla, haven't opened it yet.

[joelc]

I don't have many pictures of our setup or of the wine racks all full of different types of wine. But here are a few pictures of our wine making room.

CLICK to Enlarge

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[hopingforthebest]

Hi all!

Love the wine topic.

Just got a birthday gift and it was yummy! Columbia-Crest Grand Estates Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley 2006.

You all sound wonderful and it warms my heart (and so does the wine!)

Patty :)
(Miss my George everyday!!!)

[BarryG]

Not to hijack this thread but gimme a beer! A Guinness with lots of foam, Big Rock Black Amber Ale (brewed in Calgary, Alberta), or for something a little lighter, a Corona with a slice of Lime. 8)8)

[Zaphoon]

Sam Adams Boston Lager!

Come on! Someone please say they've had a bottle of Boone's Farm Strawberry recently!

[kelly]

Joel..that room is awesome!!! WOuld love to raid your cellar! Wine does not last long enough here to make a collection!

[peter57]

I agree Barry, lets add some more to the thread, (sorry Rose)

I am quiet fond of a Coopers Pale ale, and they also make a mean stout. (might have to get some in the near future)

I dont mind a white wine also, like a Koonara Sauvignon Blanc, or a Peter Lehmann Riesling, but it is hard to beat an ice cold beer or two.


Cheers
Peter

[Zaphoon]

How about some of the worst beer you've ever tasted?

Remember Falstaff?

Schlitz (or was it Shlitz?)

Those 2 were almost as nasty as Boone's Farm Strawberry...

[BarryG]

Ok, let me see, the worst beer I ever tasted was some stuff I brewed in the basement from a kit. It was sooo bad but I had spent a lot of money on the stuff that I needed to make it that I drank it anyway (well, some of it).

[GlenBrittle]

Beer , its not just for breakfast anymore.

Barry, Corona with lime. Its a simple pleasure .

Being Canadian , we have occasionally used beer as a marinade. During my 2 years of employment in the States , I tried to do the beer marinade thing to some steaks with Yankee beer . Oh , putooey , spit , gag , followed by cat hairball sounds. Yankee beer has too much yeast. Goes down like water , but do not cook with it.

Glen

[KeeKer]

Thanks for the info Glen. I love to cook with beer, but can't stand the taste when I drink it. Like red wine but not the dry and pucker your mouth kind. Really LOVE Pina Coladas!

[John1]

... My dad used to make wine every year. Last year, 2008, was his last batch. I have a bottle of it that I am saving. My dad loved making wine and being a real perfectionist, he was great at it.
Rosella, did your dad use kits (like I do) or did he make them from scratch? For some reason an image of you as a 14 year old, barefoot tomboy with pigtails and rolled-up jeans stomping out a vat of grapes under the Tuscan sun popped into my mind.

[thelma313]

John, you just made me laugh. I never stomped on any grapes in Tuscany but I definitely wore pigtails or "ponytails" as I liked to call them.

My dad made his wine in the cellar at my grandparents' house which is where he learned to make it with his dad. I don't think any kits were involved and the set-up was not as neat and modern looking as Joel's. It was quite rustic actually. My dad purchased many crates of grapes, both the for red and white wine. There was also a very large "tub" of sorts that had wooden slats all around the periphery and it had a heavy metal grinder in it that my dad would have to operate manually so a lot of elbow grease was involved.

Then there were other pieces of equipment used. There was one machine that separated the juice from the stems and pits and I believe the grapes would ferment in large wooden barrels. My favourite part of the whole process was the smell of all the fresh grapes when they first arrived in the crates. Then during the fermentation phase, they didn't smell as nice. I also loved how my dad always whistled while he worked. He is a true perfectionist and his wine was always delicious. My sister and I designed a label for him and he got a real kick out of that. The label read "Vino di Angelo"

Ah, so many memories!

[rose]

I've been hijacked! I knew it was inevitable though. (and even educational) You guys keep me smiling, that's for sure. Every so often I'll try to update the wines/beer list.

Patty, it was good to see you post. (hugs)

[John1]

Rosella, that sounds like the real deal. Years ago I worked as a geologist in southern Yugoslavia. Most of my neighbours had small vineyards and made their own wine. I loved the whole messy, earthy, organic process of it. Nothing neat and tidy about it but the wine was certainly good. My sterile little wine kit process is pathetic in comparison. In my bucketlist of unrealistic aspirations, I always imagined myself someday having a small vineyard and making my own wine. Obviously not in Newfoundland despite the name Vinland. I now have to content myself with growing tomatoes, squash, peas, potatoes and such. What a great treasury of memories you must have of your dad.

Apologies to Rose. Think of it not as highjacking but expanding on a great theme.

[thelma313]

Rose, I am sorry your thread got hijacked. To set it back on track. Here is another red wine that I really enjoy. It's called Corvo and it's from Sicily. It's made from the Nero D'Avola grape and is very good. I copied and pasted the tasting notes from a web site.

Tasting notes:
Colour - lively ruby-red with garnet red highlights.
Aroma - intense, complex, fruity, with a scent of morello cherry, airy and pleasant.
Flavour - dry, full, pleasantly winy, balanced, full-bodied and persistent.

I hope you enjoy it!

John, I really hope you get to fulfill your dream of making wine the old fashioned way one day! That is so cool that you worked as a geologist in Yugoslavia! I find that fascinating.

[rose]

John, no apologies needed. I too would like to try my hand at wine making some day... I didn't know you were a geologist! What was it like living in Yugoslavia?

... and to the beer guys... I'm learning to like it, as "everyone" here keeps telling me its good for me, due to my being able to swallow carbonation with more ease than other beverages. I'm finding I generally like beer best if its pale and cold.

[thelma313]

I'm with you, Rose. I am not a beer drinker by any means but if I had to choose it would be Corona with lime for me. Also, "Blanche de Chambly" is pretty awesome. It's from a microbrewery here in Quebec and it is really light and bubbly almost champagne-ish but very smooth. I saw it at the Whole Foods in NYC. Maybe you have it in Maryland too?

[mare]

HIJACK!-

I'm having visions of an old "I Love Lucy" episode where Lucy is wearing an ethnic costume & standing in a large half-barrel (?) stomping grapes to make wine!
Showing my age here! LOL

Back to beer- not my drink of choice either, but did enjoy a Sam Adams on tap; in Rhode Island, doing the "mansion tour"; got caught in the rain, ran back to hotel- dripping wet- went into the bar (3:30-4pm). Had one beer- liked it had another. Went straight to my head; skipped dinner & went straight to bed by 6pm. What can i say, I'm a cheap date!

As far as wine- I never met one I didn't like!!! However, Kim, your's does sound nasty!!!

[peter57]

Hi Rose,
If you like pale beers and cold then you would love the Aussie beer i have mentioned before the Coopers Pale Ale. Not only is it nice and refreshing but as it is brewed in the bottle there is the sediment from the process left in.
2 ways to handle it.

Tip the bottle up and down a few times to mix it in or
be carefull with it and it remains in the bottom.
(i do the first)

People here refer to it as the meal in a bottle so those short of calories in a day this is an option. :grin:

In my younger days i sometimes had 7 course meals (6 pack of coopers and a meat pie) at the footy:grin:

cheers
Peter

[John1]

Err Rose, I'm not sure how to answer your question without hijacking your thread again. I went to Crna Gora or Montenegro in the southern part of the former Yugoslavia tight against the Albanian border in 1976 fresh out of grad school. I was dumped into a culture where no English was spoken but was provided with a translator. Actually, Serbo-Croat was quite easy to learn; very phonetic and follows the rules for spelling and grammar unlike English or French. I spent some of the best six months of my life there. The people were over-the-top friendly, especially when you had learned the rudiments of their language. At the time, Tito was in power and was loved by the people and was a very smart leader. He recognized the real danger to the republic was from the ethnic divisions within, not from without. So he removed all signs from state boundaries and played up the Soviet Union as a greater threat than they were to solidify the country. While he lived his strategy worked well but it couldn't hold when lesser leaders succeeded him.

Living there was to live in a peasant society, at least in the rural mountain areas where I did my field work. The country was beautifully pastoral. I generally started my day in forests of huge beech trees and rushing streams, climbed to the alps up on snow clad mountains and often lunched with shepherds who summered there tending their flocks of sheep before I returned to the valley in the evening. The people were very poor but very content. They lived much like Canadians would have in the mid 1800's. Spun their own wool, made their own clothes and soap. Used candles and lamps for light, lived by the sun and were self sufficient for most of their needs. They lived in villages or scattered settlements with only footpaths for access. They would take us into their houses and offer whatever food they were eating that day. We hired locals as field crew and of course they knew everyone and liked to show off their exotic friends.

Under communism, private land holding was limited to 5 acres. As a result virtually all farming was done by hand or with donkeys. I helped hay for a few days with the family of one of the translators. The hay was cut by scythe and raked by hand, turned by hand and stooked by hand. Men and women all shared in the labor. To give a nod to your original thread, stills are sold in the stores so, in addition to wine, most people made slivovica or plum brandy and rakia a fruit liquor which run about 60-70% alcohol. Ripped your head off but it was always offered and it would be the height of rudeness to refuse.

Weekends I returned to the city which was quite a contrast. Lots of cheap Yugos, Ladas and East German Trabants provided transportation. Ugly concrete communist style apartment buildings provided much of the housing. Other people built their own houses. They pretended they didn't have winter so "winters" were pretty cold with no central heating although I arrived in April and mostly only heard stories of it.

Medical treatment was pretty much survival of the fittest. Appointments were non-existent. You went to a crowded clinic and waited until the doctor's door opened for the next patient. Generally the fittest and strongest would muscle their way through leaving the weak and elderly behind. Not a good place to have ALS. My wife was pregnant with our first at the time. Fortunately the father of a woman who worked at the Geological Survey where I was employed was chief surgeon at the hospital. The woman befriended us and would attend my wife on her visits and managed to get her in in fairly quick time. Hardly fair to the others of course.

Thanks for asking Rose. Nice to relive some memories there.

John

[rose]

John, that was a great read! Really interesting. You can hijack my threads anytime.

[Zaphoon]

Mare,

I found your comment about being a cheap date very funny!

Zaphoon

[joelc]

I am sitting here enjoying a draft beer, so much for the Merlot - I was really thirsty.
Wine does not do it when you have a thirst on! LOL

[mare]

Zaphoon-

Are you laughing with me OR at me????? hmmmm

[BarryG]

Mare, I have some good Canadian (ie REAL) beer for you. Maybe you'll only need one! :p:p

[Zaphoon]

Mare, I find your honesty about it all very refreshing. I'm laughing with you but I have to admit, this is something I would like to witness with you, first hand.

Spank me now! I'm shameful!

Kim

[mare]

Barry & Kim-

If I didn't know better, I'd think you two were trying to get me drunk! lol

[Zaphoon]

I plead the 5th!

[BarryG]

I can't speak for Kim but as for me all I can say is "Who, me? I'm the guy with garlic in my smoothie!

[rose]

We were given a bottle of 2007 Ass Kisser Shiraz [South Australian]. They gave it to us for the label, has a cute mule on it, (Glen, you would like it, although you're a smart ass rather than a kisser from what I can tell )

It has a screw cap, and it is good! Not great, its not tell everyone you know good (although I did just put this on the internet LOL) but very drinkable, don't think its expensive at all, Under 12$

[Erica]

I'm going to look for it just for the label!!!!

[KeeKer]

Me too ! Sounds like a great present for hubby.
Rose can you give me red wines that aren't dry? I really don't like the mouth feel of those. Do love fruity ones though!
Barry, Ray had a guy from Chicago working with him last week. Got him drunk on Canadian.Then they fed him poutine! He was looking for biscuits and gravy poor man! Hope they got him hooked!

[BarryG]

"We were given a bottle of 2007 Ass Kisser Shiraz [South Australian]."

Rose, that reminds me of a beer that I had when we visited Utah last year. It was called "Polygamy Beer" and on the label it also said "Bet you can't have just one!" and "Take some home to your wives!". I wish I had brought an empty back with me.

[peter57]

Hi Rose, and others.
We in South Australia and i guess Australia are in a bit of a wine glut at the moment and you can pick up quiet good wines for not much.

I dont know what ones are good, especially in the red range as i am not a great red drinker. (pitty as i live app 50km from one of the premier red wine regions)

I will do some digging though and try and come up with some that might be available over there.

cheers
Peter

[thelma313]

Colleen, try the Corvo red wine from Sicily. It is a bright red wine and quite juicy, not too dry and delicious. I love it! It's under $15 and easy to find.

[KeeKer]

Thanks Rosella, I'll see if they have it in my liquor store in my little city.

[Zaphoon]

In this weekend's forum follies, I mentioned a wine called, "Menage a Troit" bottled by Folie A'Deux winery, St. Helena, Napa County, California. It is delicious and not dry!

Zaphoon

[Zaphoon]

I found another tasty wine! This one is Santa Ema Estate Bottled Cabernet Sauvignon Maipo Valley 2008 - product of Chile.

While shopping, I found some stuff in gallon glass jugs for the same price as that of a bottle for far less (750ml). Maybe I should buy the gallon jug stuff!

The benefit I get is that it a glass or two really takes the edge off of the leg cramps. The doc has discouraged me from prescription drugs due to side effects but my fear is that this wine bibbing stuff is going to turn me into an alchoholic.

PZ

[Zaphoon]

This one is for Peter. I found an Australian brand of wine called "Yellow Tail". Their Cabernet Sauvignon is very tastey! Have you tried this one Peter?

(Rose, nice thread!)

[peter57]

No Kim i havent yet.
Sounds nice ( i think they have a label with a Kangaroo on them)?

I havent decided if i am going to tackle the local wines first ( i live app 50 km from Coonawarra region, lots of wines and some more wineries within 100km) or
start at brands starting at A ie Ashton Hills and working down to Z, ie Zeema estate.

Either way i need to be around for a long time (i intend to) { soft burp};-):D

[Zaphoon]

Yep! The bottle's got a roo on her! I paid less than $7 for the bottle. It has one of those corks made from some kind of man-made material and for Rose, the bottom of the bottle is indented.

[Zaphoon]

A few weeks ago, I was perusing the wine section of a local grocer and came across this gallon size looking, glass jug of wine for about $12. I'm no professor of economics but when you compare that to a bottle for the same price that is only 750ml, well, the gallon seems the better buy.

Ha! Went to the grocery store across the street from the one mentioned above and found the same make of wine for $9 and some change. My wine closet is now good-to-go for the next few weeks. I think it's a burgundy.

Twist off cap, too!

Anyway, it numbs the cramps and I really can't comment on the taste or aroma except to say, for $9, I can't complain!

PZ