Brad Ballinger

Nope. As mentioned by others above, I want the balance.

I looked in both the Cooking and Pastry & Baking forums, and couldn't find mention of this topic (at least not with "butter" in the topic title). It seems to me that the sticks of butter I purchase in the store lately have less than 8 tablespoons per stick. I have not actually weighed the "pound" of butter I buy, so I don't have any scientific support for this claim. But, solely using the tablespoon markings on the wrapping as my "measurement standard," It seems I'm getting short-changed. So two questions, I guess. 1) Can I trust the tablespoon markings? 2) Am I indeed getting less that 8 tablespoons per stick? This isn't just smaller portions being packaged (such as ice cream "shrinking" from a half gallon to 1.75 quarts). At least those tell me the portion has shrunk. With butter, it appears to me I'm getting 7.5 tablespoons packaged as 8.

Ahhhh, this clears it up. If that is the case, no ignorance at all.

If this was a strictly German tasting, then the audience member who asked this question demonstrated an incredibly large amount of ignorance. Almost all pradikat wines (kabinett, spatlese, auslese, etc.) are labeled with the name of both the village and the vineyard. How much more emphasis on terroir can you get? In Alsace, on the other hand, not all wines are labeled with the name of the vineyard. And there, the trend is more away from single-varietal wines and toward vineyard wines where the wine is made from more than one variety of grape grown in the vineyard.

Your dinner may have already taken place. If not, maybe the following will help. If so, maybe it will help for next time. It is very generous of the restaurant to allow you to bring your own wine and to waive corkage. I would guess it is primarily because of your husband's participation in the wine course and whatever relationship he may have developed with the sommelier instructor. Cotes-du-Rhone wines are not usually good BYO candidates. The main reason is that they are not that expensive and bringing them could be seen as being cheap and avoiding the wines on the list. Please know that I'm not knocking the wines or accusing you of being cheap. I love Cotes-du-Rhone wines, and they are a great value. I'm just letting you know how it is sometimes seen. Therefore, the sommelier is being very nice to you and your husband. He no doubt realizes the importance of making sure you have a good experience and wanting you as repeat customers who will eventually purchase wines from the restaurant's list. Cotes-du-Rhone wines, particularly reds, are very food friendly and food versatile. The sommelier should be able to easily recommend pairings without tasting the wines, but it is still good practice to offer a taste. Remember, however, that a sip is not a tip. DutchMuse tips 25%. I typically tip 33% if allowed to bring my own and have corkage waived. It is also generally good form to order something from the restaurant's list as well -- even if it's just a glass. Again, it helps deflect the impression that you're bringing your own wine to be cheap. You will find more in the following thread: Wine 101: BYO and Corkage.

I have mixed feelings about this. On one hand, I think that Riesling is woefuly underappreciated, particularly those from Germany. The acidity level is right where I like it, they age surprisingly well, and the grape probably exhibits terroir more than any other grape. There are also excellent Reisling wines from Alsace, Austria, and Australia. I'm not a fan of most U.S. bottles with the except of Smith Madrone. One reason the wines are underappreciated in the United States is because most average consumers still think of them a sweet wines that you'd open for Grandma at Easter. For a long time, importers and exporters fueled this mindset by leaving the trocken wines in Germany. Fortunately, we are starting to see more of them. On the other hand, the prices for these wines have remained relatively low. Sure, the prices for some producers (Donnhoff, J.J. Prum, and Muller-Catoir, for example) have increased at a faster rate than others, but there is still plenty of value out there. So, for that reason, I can be okay with Riesling (and German Riesling) flying below the radar.

Doc, You are right that 1960 is a tough year. Dave's recommendation of a Coheita is the best one. The easiest for you to find will be from Krohn, and if Premier Cru has it for $90, that's a steal. Or you can roll the dice with a Vega Sicilia Unico.

Moderator Note: Below, I've pasted some text of an article that appeared in the Chicago Tribune on May 12. For some reason, the article is not archived on the Tribune's web site. The following is from the text of the article that Chicago Tribune reporter, Bill Daley, e-mailed to me upon my request.

Without price as a constraint... Laurent-Perrier Billecart-Salmon Jacquesson Gosset Montaudon Nicolas Feuillatte - not a major producer (negociant), but an easy-to-find co-op produced wine

Falanghina! Taburno, Cantine Farro, Mastroberardino all make a good one.

Without knowing what wines or what region's wines, it's hard to make a blind recommendation. But, in general, you won't go wrong with something featuring mushrooms.

Mary, I'm not sure how many of my friends chase or know the scores. Fewer than there used to be, for sure. But I'd like to take this in a different direction based on a word in the title of the thread -- collectibles. There are two main reasons for collecting wine: 1) to drink on your own years later, or 2) to sell it (hopefully at a profit). I don't see scores playng much of a role in the first reason unless you've been able to calibrate your palate to the palate of whoever is doing the schoring, and you're in pretty tight alignment. Scores play a much larger role in the second reason because potential buyers will likely be using them to help them decide whether or not to buy the wine and at what price. If I was collecting to resell, I'd have to consider scores -- a lot. But I'm only collecting today for my own consumption, and I have no idea what score 95% of the wines in my cellar received.

Charles, I know it's after the weekend, and I only saw this now. Rose Champagne next time!

Alright, I'll jump on the Dense-O-Meter! Does "blue" mean blueberries? Blue plums? Aronia? ← I have no idea what aronia is. But, yes, blue fruit means (primarily) what you suggested. Some would add purple fruit (blackberries, marionberries) to that category because they are more "blue" than raspberries, for example.

Willy Street Co-Op is what I think you are looking for, but doesn't have the SE Asian focus. Park Street has a couple of good Asian grocery stores -- one is Midway Foods (don't know if that's the IGA or not). Regent Street has an Italian deli named Fraboni's. Booze -- I really like Star Liquor for a small shop with a good selection. Steve's is bigger and has more locations. Kelly Gilboy (if she still runs it) has made The Wine Boutique a great place worth the short drive to Middleton (years ago it used to be on Monroe, but she needed more space).

I will have to offer a disclaimer that I haven't sipped much Zinfandel over the past 2-3 years. I used to drink a lot -- and I mean a lot -- of it. What stopped me from purchasing Zinfandel was a combination of quickly-increasing prices (which have experienced a "correction" in the market lately) and over-the-top extraction and alcohol. Whether or not I actually thought of the fruit profile as "blue" didn't factor into it. I'll have to think about it next time I try a Zin from a recent vintage (the only ones in my cellar now are from 1995 or earlier and come from a winery in Cupertino). I usually associate "blue fruit" with Syrah wines, particular New World Syrah/Shiraz. The Zins that turned me off were almost more port-like than New World Syrah-like. Like Mary, I like the spicy, peppery, briary, bramble berry style. I don't see Nalle in my market anymore. Too bad. I've never seen Scherrer in my market, and don't get to places where I can buy it as much as I used to. And Peterson has strangley gone into hiding. Those producers (Doug Nalle, Fred Scherrer, and Fred Peterson) make the style of zinfandel I generally like -- where I can pick up a bottle and open it that day while grilling something in the back yard.

Opinions vary, but if stored somewhere cellar-like, about a month. Some will say as much as three months, but I think you'll detect a change in it by that time.

There are a number of issues at play here, the relationship between which, while existing, may not be 100% in sync. You can run a top class production operation and put out wine that people don't like. You can also (per ISO standards) run a poor opertation and make wine that people love. I've neer been to Castello Banfi, but I have no reason to doubt th quality of their operation per the regulating agencies. And I also have no doubt about their role in the community -- although I'm not convenced that Banfi alone can claim responsibility for renewed interest in Montalcino wines. Nor am I convinced that Montalcino wines ever flew low enough below the radar that interest in them had to be "renewed." I'm not a fan of their wines. But I'm just one person, and there are plenty of others who sing the praises of the wines. With the exception of their Brunello di Montalcino, to my taste, many of their wines are international in style. Indeed, they make wines from non-native grapes as well as native ones. I remember reading one comment on another wine forum web site where the poster wrote "I wasn't aware Banfi exported their wines into Italy." And this person was not referring to Stonehaven.

Get a 20-year Tawny Port. Many consider that the best age for tawny port. And many are very good (and habit-forming). In your price range, consider Taylor Fladgate's 20-year Tawny.

Emphasis mine. Jim, I'm wondering if Christoffel (and perhaps other producers) produced kabinetten that were really declassified spatlesen or auslesen. The 9% alcohol may be a clue. It wouldn't be the first time.

I'd say what Linda should do depends on how much wine she buys or plans to buy at Costco. If she plans to continue, then she should notify someone higher in the food chain. I'd first start, though, with another run at the manager she dealt with. Give him correct information about corked wines, that sort of thing. Ask him to do his own research if he doesn't believe her. Then, if he still chooses to be pompous and ignorant, she can take it to someone else.

Not mentioned yet... Fred Scherrer Andrew Schweiger Mat Garretson Carole Meredith

And how were they?

Wait a minute. How did K-J get equal billing with the others? Well, but the simple fact that it fits the theme and I decided to list three producers in the topic subtitle. I suppose I could've considered Kenwood, Kunde, Kent Rasmussen, and Keenan as well. If you'd like to consider other producers who don't begin their first or last name with K, perhaps you will travel to Germany, walk into your keller and select a kabinett from the Kupfergrube vineyard, or a kerner from the village of Kallstadt. Or, you may travel further east to Austria to have a kremstal or kamptal region. If France is more your speed a Bordeaux from Chateau Kirwan perhaps. If Italy (Sardinia), maybe Antillio Contini's "Karmis." And, as long as you don't debase Krug in this manner, any bubbly with creme di cassis for a kir royale will do just fine. 2003 Marc Kreydenweiss "Perrieres," Costieres de Nimes. 60% carignan, 20% syrah, 20% grenache. Kreydenweiss is probably more known as an Alsatian producer. In 1999, Kreydenweiss purchased Domaine de Perrieres, and bottles a Costieres de Nimes wine keeping the vineyard name as the primary name on the label. Biodynamic. Although 2003 was a hot year, this wine is nicely balanced (and is only 12.8% alcohol). Juicy plum and boysenberry flavors mixed with a mineral spine and fine tannins. Not much complexity to the wine, it's fairly straightforward. But it hits on the small amount of cylinders its chosen to showcase. Easily worth the $12.

I envy your trip. the only producers I've visited in Ital have been in Campania. They were worthwhile visits, but your visit seemed like it was very good. Regarding what I've quoted from your post above, I believe Loazzolo DOC wines are 100% moscato passito by law. But perhaps I'm mistaken. The other wines produced by Forteto della Luja may carry a different designation. For example thier brachetto passito "Pian de Sogni" is a Piemonte IGT wine. BTW, I've had that wine, and it is also very good. They also make a Moscato d'Asti, which is their sparkling wine, and a separate DOCG altogether. I've not had the pleasure of tasting that wine, though.