Brad Ballinger

Tea. If part of the attraction of wine, for you, is the potential for geting as geeky as you want to get, tea offers much of the same. And teas can be paired with food much the same way wine can.

It's from the Entre-Deux-Mers appellation. I've not had it, but I have had other reds from the appellation, and they've been farily decent values for the money in good vintages (although I find the whites from the same appellation more interesting). I'd drink it younger than older.

I'm not sure you'd see the return on investment you'd put forth. Part of my response is serious and part is cynical. 1. For the people who chase ratings and the opinions of others, I don't beleive most try to calibrate their palate to the source of those ratings and opinions at all. I think they just want a wine that a supposedly respected person or publication liked. Your system, if I understand it correctly, would require a consumer to calibrate to (choose) a sub-group. 2. I don't think many people even know their own tastes or preferences that well, let alone the ones of others. Okay, that's real cynical, but I've seen so many people not trust their own palate that there must be some credence to my point somewhere. So when they taste a highly rated wine they don't like, there is much struggle to resolve the dissonance. They won't just let the dissonance be there. But the good news in all of this is that there are always people who wish to be told what to eat, drink, believe, like, etc. So a market probably exists.

Hi Jim, Great discussion fodder. My reply -- Not just no, hell no. I would even go way out there and state that a rating on a 100-point scale is not a quantifier. It's only a quantifier if that same wine gets the same rating time and time again by more than one rater. This is where quantifying comes in -- that there exists some standard upon which we all agree. As much as some people might think it to be so, those are not Arpy's scores. What an irresponsbile statement. And what in the world does he mean "like cuisine, art, or music"? The only quantifies in the latter two are price and sales, which aren't always commensurate with quality. If that were the case Britney Spears is producing some of the highest quality music and Thomas Kinkade is the best artist. Pshaw.

Good riddance... Tasting menus. It was a nice run, but their time has passed. Chipotles and Anchos. Are these the only two smoked peppers in the world? "Would you like some freshly cracked pepper?" You mean the chef didn't properly season the dish? Flavored butters. Odd meat and fruit combinations. The latest violation I experienced was mango slices atop braised short ribs. Breadcrumb-crusted, warmed chevre on salad. Insalata Caprese. Unless you have top notch cheese, basil, and especially tomatoes, don't bother. Tiramisu. So very few of them are made well. Sushi. At least in Minneapolis/St. Paul, they're all the same. Balsamic Vinegar in everything. Food as architecture. I want to eat it, not look at it. Bring back... Orders for two. A la carte. Classic pasta dishes.

Chris, I had the wonderful experience of tasting the 2000 Thierry Allemand Cornas Sans Soufree about a month ago. Following suit, the color was almos black as the night. It was, of course, far too young and seemed almost to have been just drawn from the barrel. It was a mouthful of spicy black fruit enshrouded in mineral. Really a stunning wine.

2001 Piazzo "Mugiot" Barbera d'Alba. This is a single-vineyard Barbera that is aged in barrique less than a year. It's a powerful Barbera that shows a fair amount of complexity. The nose has bright bramble fruit with coffee, tobacco, and spice accents. Upon the first sip, I was introduced to a mouthful of ripe fruit. There was a good deal of acid in the wine, spreading the fruit to all parts of the mouth. The oak lended body, depth, and structure without any offputting vanilla or excessively wooden flavors. The alcohol (14%) was a bit detached and distracting, but I've experienced much worse. This wine was a good, solid, chewy Barbera. And, in this style, I found it much more enjoyable than other producers who try to take it over the top. And is was only $23 on half-price wine night at a Minneapolis neighborhood restaurant.

Well, I wasn't trying to point out an error. I was actually showing confusion at having never heard of a Pinot Noir labeled SLD. There may or may not be one in existence. I just found it odd that such a cab-intensive AVA would also be associated with Pinot Noir to the point of putting SLD on the label.

Stag's Leap Pinot Noir?

Mine as changed in a pattern similar to that of a couple of people who have already responded. I'm much more of a rockhead and acidhead than I used to be. There are still some bottles in the cellar I will look at and ask "What was I thinking?" Although, I'm nowhere near the end ov evolution, there has been a sort of leveling off. The mutations from the past are becoming more and more subtle.

I don't get print guides either. Never have. And now, with sites like this and other wine discussion boards (not counting eBob), I personally don't have a need for them. I've been lucky to drink wine with a great number of people who have similar palates and preferences to mine, and I'm able to connect with them online.

In light of the Wine Geography thread link, this almost beomces a big "so what?"

Good article from Jancis. I've always liked her writing. I don't see this "absence of sub-appellation" labeling in other California growing areas as much as I do in Napa. Sonoma and the Central Coast typically carry more sub-appellations and vineyards designations. But there isn't as much comparatively in Napa. It would be interesting to see some consumer research on this -- do consumers view Napa Valley with almost brand-like awe?

I hope you're right. Of course, Notaio will try to capitalize on the hype and price La Firma above $50 (perhaps quite a bit above). But there are plenty of other producers to choose from.

I agree with Jimbo on his take that $40-$60 is a high admission for Brunello experimentation. And one is better off sticking with a reliable wine if one can find that early. And unless you have money to burn, the riservas seem to be priced for people above my station. But to your Lisini question. Throw the WS rating out the window. The 97 Lisini is a good wine period. And 31 euro is about as low as you will see it. This wine was offered on a pre-arrival in the U.S. for around $40. By contrast to Craig's list, let me share with you some sale prices in my market... 98 Lisini, $59 98 Canalicchio di Sopra, $68 98 Argiano, $60 97 Campogiovanni Riserva Quercioone, $128 97 Casanove di Neri Cerretalto, $112 97 Validicava Riserva, $125 I'd like to revisit Jim's endorsement of Rosso di Montalcino for well-made wines that drink nicely upon release. The 99s from Valdicava, Nardi, and Agostina Pieri are stunning wines in the $25 range.

As on the money as Jim's tasting notes. The only Brunelli I've purchased from the 95 or 97 vintages have been at attractive discounts, any I've usually tasted the wine or have had wines from the producer in previous vintages. But the riservas are out of reach for me. With STs, the price range varies more greatly, and I'm able to find many in a price range on par with similar quality wines from other growing regions. As with most anything else in wine, tasting for yourself is the best way to answer the question.

I'm glad to see the acclaim for this vodka. It is produced in rural Minnesota, of all places. Last year, the plant/distillery had some sort of damage (maybe a fire, I can't recall exactly), and things looked dicey for a while. Having had only the regular vodka, I can attest that it is good stuff.

Of course, it depends on the establishment and their priority on customer service. Personally, I don't see a problem with it. I've ordered the wine pariing with tasting dinners before, and have been successful in asking for "half-pours" because I don't want to be juiced by the end of dinner. Before asking for halves or splits, though, you may want to first ask how many ounces in a pour.

I can see your point, and it's great that the experimentation is getting you to think more about balance (and perhaps other tasting elements), so the practice can't be discounted entirely. But I do think your education will reach a plateau (regardless of price point or wine quality going into the experiment), and that you'll learn more from tasting wines that are better produced next to ones that aren't more than you will doing the homemade cuvee thing. As an aside, however, Kendall-Jackson used to have a blending event that they took to the public at-large through their distributors. The education session would consist of about 5 different out of barrel or tank chardonnay wines, and give the participant the opportunity to make his or her own blend using some or all five of the wines. Participants were given mini-graduated cylinder-like things to get more precise measurements in creating their various blends. It was a way for people to learn about tasting elements and their preferences. Blending exercises are valuable to create many comparisons. In Champagne, there are master blenders responsible from producing a house cuvee that is consistent from year to year using base wines from multiple vintages and vineyards. In this particular case they are looking for a whole that is greater than the sum of the parts. I didn't mean to poo-poo your experimentation since there is something to be learned from it. But I do think there is a ceiling to the return on investment.

There's a saying -- two wrongs don't make a right. Instead of two 750ml bottles of plonk, the best you can hope for is a 1.5L volume of almost plonk. But, as you wrote, it's a fun thing to do. Once.

You can also butterfly a beef or pork tenderloin, and spread brown mustard and fresh sage leaves over the center, tie it up, and roast it.

I've seen and heard it applied to wines served with dessert regardless of origin. Regarding the passito you had, I'd be curious to know more about it. I'm finding many moscato passito wines of late that are positively lovely, but I'm sure there are many that aren't.

Thanks for the note on the Pian della Vigne. I bought only one of these upon release, and have been wondering if I should pull the cork soon. I'll still let it sleep, I guess.

There is some merit to the argument and practice of enjoying zinfandel in its youth -- particularly some of the amped up alcohol ones, whose brightness fades even after only 3-5 years in the bottle. But there are some producers who can amke zinfandel that benefits from age. A couple weeks ago I tasted three 1992 zinfandel wines from Ridge. The Lytton Springs seemed to be just started its downslide; the Geyserville was drinking beautifully, and the Lytton Estate ATP was still on the way up. Regarding your Vigil. That's an odd wine. Vigil is an organic producer, and that wine upon release was almost too herbal to be drinkable for a number of people who tried it at a tasting. But maybe it's settled down.

Some friends of ours recently had their kitchen remodeled. This wasn't a planned remodel. They were out of there house for five months due to burst pipes that damaged the kitchen and some other parts of the house. Since we had them over here a few times during their exile, they chose to return the favor. But they did ask me to bring some venison. When we arrived, there was a bottle of 2002 Duc de Tarente Sancerre already opened. With the 2002 price of Vacheron increased $10 over the previous vintage ($14 up to $24), many are finding a need to find a new reliable Sancerre in the mid-teens. This one may be a candidate. It doesn't quite carry the minerality of the Vacheron, but it does provide an explosion of grapefruit and lemons in the mouth with a small amount of herbaciousness. Bright acidity. A zesty wine that's no pushover. For the salads we opened a 2001 Inama Soave Classico Superiore that I brought. It was initially too cold to reveal much of anything but some mineral and wax. Warming up, however, it showed a delicate lemon oil and melon character. It didn't have the ebullient acidity of the Sancerre, but the mineral components lended a tight backbone from a structure standpoint. There a many layers to this wine, all of them subtle. For the main course, our host has a bottle of 1982 Ducru Beaucaillou out, and asked if I thought that would go with the venison. "Dan," I replied with a sullen voice, "as much as I really want to drink that wine, this is not the food to have with it. The meat and sauce will overshadow the nuances of a mature Bordeaux." And then I couldn't believe myself asking, "What do you have for Shiraz?" knowing that he didn't have any California Syrah or even much in the way of sryah-based Rhones. 1998 Greenock Creek "Apricot Block" Shiraz, Barossa. Maybe it was the power of suggestion. Maybe it was the ultra-ripe fruit, but there were yellow stone fruit aromas wafting up from the glass. I've detected that in zinfandel from time to time, but this was the first time in a shiraz. This was a wine all about fruit, fruit, and more fruit that is ripe ripe ripe. It was a juicy, somewhat sweet wine that was low in acid with silky tannins. The alcohol level is only 13.3%, and I began to understand why some producers make wines with higher levels. A bit more alcohol would've given the wine a boost in terms of structure. But maybe it would've made it too hot (which I would've really hated). Which brings me to the 1998 Fox Creek Reserve Shiraz, McLaren Vale. My host was enamored with Parker's 98-point rating of this wine. On the nose, the alcohol (only 14.5%) was almost too large a distraction to get past, but there was enough oak given it some competition (catch the wry humor). There was more palpable acidity and firmer tannins to make this a structurally superior wine to the Greenock Creek, but the alcohol and oak got in the way of the black raspberry and blueberry fruit. The last pour I had was about 3.5 hours after it was decanted, and the oak was stronger if anything. After the same amount of time, the Greenock Creek was starting to fade, so I gave our host the advice that the rest of his Greenock Creek wine probably don't need decanting. Our host opened a tawny port for euchre afterwards, but I said that the Greenock Creek wine would be syrupy enough and took a pass.