mike volker

P.A.'s becoming famous for all the wrong reasons. From another board: "Fiscally speaking, maybe the feds should take a lesson from Pennsylvania. They could start by outlawing UPS, FedEx, DHL, etc. That would help get the US Postal Service profitable. Then they could put a Hurricane Katrina tax on every parcel to be shipped, maybe 18% of value for starters. Oh, and stamps for email, if we can put a man on the moon, why can't we figure out how to require stamps be purchased for email...." If it wasn't so sad this would be funny. Best, Mike

Anybody see the announcement of the new CEO of the plcb? What a CROCK. Pa politics at work again, couldn't get reelected so gov job at twice the salary. You gotta ask payback for what? Best, Mike

I went to pick up my Lascombes yesterday and I couldn"t believe how many chairman selects there were in the Collegeville store. The manager said the Gloria Ferrier syrah at ten bucks was the best value of the new arrivals. Best, Mike

2001 Esterlina cabernet: very nice wine that probably needs a few more years in the cellar. more Bordeaux like than California. Best, Mike

From one of those other boards: "This evening I was provided this description by an employee of Whitehall Lane: "The Chairman's Cabernet and Merlot were specially blended by and for Chairman Jonathon Newman of Pennsylvania. These 2005 vintage wines are from a separate wine lot and not exactly representative of our branded Whitehall Lane black label wines: Napa Valley Merlot, Napa Valley Cabernet and Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. The Chairman's Merlot and Cabernet are very young 2005 wines. They experienced an abbreviated barrel-aging regime of only about 10 months. This youthful wine is a delightful blend in its own right and stands alone as a wine well made by the cellar team and with the influence of The Chairman." RT" and then this: " Re: Pa Chairman's selections: now with specialty labels! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Quote: Originally Posted by Ted Erfer The Federal Trade Commission has very strict rules on how retailers can advertise "savings." A product must have been sold for a specific price before it can be "reduced" or offered at a "reduced" price. I think the "Chairman" should be required to come up with someone who sold his personally crafted wine for the higher price. I think the state AG might be interested in how PA consuers are being treated here. I went by the store today. Here are posters on how they advertise Chairman's selections. There is little difference in the poster for the WL versus the Burgess (which is not a cuvee Newman). The poster does not indicate that the wine is a cuvee treated differently than normal. The WL says "suggested retail price..." When you use the "quoted at...." language, it implies it is a wine available in some standard fashion that has a market value, which logically can't be the case if it is a cuvee treated differently and specially selected only for Penna. The simple fact than an '05 said to be $45 is on the shelves already from a major winery would indicate that there is likely different treatment in how this wine is raised. I think the language "quoted at..." has this inference--that the wine has a market value established outside of Penna--- naturally. I see little difference in the use of "suggested retail price..." Certainly, without explanation, it looks like a synonym. Especially when followed by the "NOW $...." which implies it once had that $45 price somewhere. On the whole, the advertising for the "cuvee Newman" looks pretty much just like all the other "standard" wines advertised as specials, and it does not make it at all clear what has been done here. It certainly fooled me. In reading the back label--something a lot of people won't do, at least not until after purchase---it does say Newman selected the lots for the wine, but in the context of the ads, this creates ambiguity. It still doesn't make it clear that this is something that this has no other market because of that "suggested retail price ...." language. You know, giving Newman credit, I doubt he intended for this to be deceptive. But I think that it is. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Last edited by Mark Squires : 10-16-2006 at 03:44 PM. " Verrry interesting... Best, Mike

Check out this shop while you're there. They get alot of small producer wine thats very good. Varietals 3045 Rosecrans St. Ste 112 San Diego, CA 92110 Best, Mike

Had a bottle of the '99 St Supery meritage with dinner last night. This was a chairman's selection back in oct of '04. It's amazing how much better this has gotten over the last two years, still alot of structure left in this wine. Plums and dried berries, spice and wood smoke, tannin and nice acidity make this a great example of Napa Valley wine. Best, Mike

I'll play! Last night several people from our wine tasting group got together at La Dolce Vita in Bridgeport for some fine italian food. The osso bucco was to die for. One of the wines I brought was '02 Antica Corte Amarone Della Valpolicella classico Decanted 4 hours before dinner this was the hit of the night. This wine is all about dark fruit without any oakiness and it just got bigger the longer it sat in the glass. Thanks to my Italian wine guru Dave Cuneo at Total Wine for this selection $20 in Del. Best, Mike PS Do I get extra points for the double A?

I saw the article in this mornings paper and I was just about to go look at the site when I saw this thread. WOW! What a site. Great work and thanks. Best, Mike

For those of us who don't speak french--translate? best, Mike

In the days before tasting fees I would purcase a bottle or two or more from the wineries we visited. I no longer feel compelled to do so. Best, Mike

We tried the Torres Gran Coronas Mas La Plana Black Label 1989 last night and I was extremely happy that I only bought one bottle. Maybe its just my palate that's bad, but I find spanish Cabs that I like very rare. I found it thin and on the sour side. YMMV. Best, Mike

I think breathing is almost always preferable to not No. one new years resolution: decant! decant! decant! Best, Mike

They also make a straight syrah or "S" that we bought in the '01 version. A couple years in the cellar improved it alot. Best, Mike

Whats the year on the Gallo? Best, Mike

Evan, When the '01 Oreno was in, I got to the store about 11:30 and tried to order some. Every time we found a store that had inventory we'd call and find out that someone had just bought all they had. Someone was buying all the inventory across the state. Luckily they missed one of the stores in center city, so I managed to get 5 bottles. Don't know how much we're getting this time so I'd track it down quick if you want any. Best, Mike

The kaiken malbec is coming back. just ordered a case from the collegeville store. BTW, the truckers are on strike who supply the stores so everything is delayed. Best, Mike

FWIW I got some of the '01 Oreno when it was in two years ago and you won't be disappointed. Best, Mike

Neil, We had some last year. As I remember it was OK for the $, but it wasn"t anything special. Best, Mike

The Luce also didn't make it to plcb shelves. It was coming in and then it was gone. I wonder who got it all? Best, Mike

TN: Lineage Vineyards Cabernet 2001 I swear this has to be a declassified Freemark Abbey and at $10 bucks its a QPR no brainer. Great cab taste, not overoaked, great weight and mouthfeel. What a deal. Best, Mike

Jeff, It needs a long decant. Much better after half of it sat til the next night. The plcb description says med to full body, but it became very full bodied after an overnight on the kitchen counter. This wine needed food to really show its best. It was great with bread, cheese, olives, and roasted peppers. To bad there's none left. Best, Mike

I'm glad I didn"t give up wine like the rest of you must have for new years. TN: "02 Achaval-Ferrer Quimera Almost an equal split of Malbec, Cab, and Merlot this is all dark fruits with some spice and flowers. Much better the second night as I didn't decant it, and its already throwing some sediment in the glass. For $18 this is a great wine. The bad news is that we didn't get very much. Collegeville got one case and I got the last bottle. So, if you didn't see it, its probably gone. Best, Mike

TN: "00 Coldisole Brunello di Montalcino Nice dark fruit and good acidity. Needs some decanter time to reveal itself. I've had better brunello's, but for $23 its worth buying. Best, Mike

TN: '99 Red Willow Vineyard Penninsula The Pride Blend of Cab, Merlot, and Cab Franc this needs several hours in the decanter before it really starts to show itself. Once it starts to open up it is closer to Bourdeaux than it is to the Napa Valley. My wife likes it alot so you know its got to be pretty good. Belated Happy New Year to all the board. Best, Mike PS: I bought some of the Coldisole Brunello that just came in, I'll post as soon as we try it.