mike volker

http://www.wineenthusiast.com/ Best, Mike

'01 Simi chard '00 Cline Big Break zin '00 Te Awa Farm Boundry '01 Landmark Grand Detour pn (drinking really well right now) Best, Mike

I'll happily second Evan's thanks to all of you at PLCB. Just get Collegeville a bigger quota. PLEASE!!!!! Best, Mike

Collegeville got some reinforcements since my last post: the Rizzi barbaresco and the Newton merlots. Stopped by today at 3pm to buy some more of the Rizzi and they were out..........of almost everything in the chairman's selections. Only a couple of cases of the St Jean CC was left. Time for the Chairman to go to work again!!! Best, Mike

With Italian seasoned meatloaf and green beans done with bacon, onion, garlic, and tomato sauce '00 Rizzi Barbaresco: tart cherry, road tar, spices, and not overwhelming acidity. tannins are mostly resolved. This is a great food wine at $15 chairman's selection. Best, Mike

The Chairman needs to get busy. Both the Collegeville and Swede Square stores were basically depleted yesterday. Holidays are coming soon!!!! Best, Mike

Talk to the boys at the Sonoma Wine Shop. sonomawineshop.com I've gotten some really nice limited production petite sirahs and petit verdots from them. Best, Mike

Yes best, Mike

All of the wineries and clubs that ship to me only ship after september and before june. So far no damage. Best, Mike

Has anyone read the Squires board? There's a thread on it that really denigrates all of the chairman's selection wines. What snobs!!! Best, Mike

TN: IL COLOMBAIO DE CENCIO,IL FUTURO 00 I couldn't wait, so we opened one last night. Decanted 4 hours. This wine is all plums and spice with alot of oak. This is more oak than I like so the other eleven bottles are going in the cellar in hopes that the oak integrates with a few more years. Best, Mike

IL COLOMBAIO DE CENCIO,IL FUTURO 00 Collegeville got 18 bottles today, I got 12. I'll post a note as soon as I open one. Best, Mike

Thanks to Katie and Dee for a great evening at RX. The food was great, the wines were good, and who'd a thunk the Aussies could make a moscato that nice. But the best part was all the great people who participated--thanks to all. Best, Mike

Who is shorty? Best, Mike

I've got a process for changing lead into gold if anyone's interested in investing!!! Best, Mike

Mary, This is hardly a west coast phenomenon, although I think you have it better than we do(at least you make wine thats drinkable). The high end establishments have extensive wine lists that you have to mortgage your oldest child to afford. That segment that you're asking about is usually pretty abismal. Often one rep is willing to print their wine list for them in exchange for monopolizing the list, and I can't tell you how many times I've offered suggestions that are ignored. The last few years we try to go to BYOB's. Best, Mike

For the 4th of July I did a huge bowl of fresh berry fruits; blueberry, strawberry, raspberry, and those huge pacific blackberries. Then I served Cline's late harvest mourvdre with it and everyone was stunned at how good it was. Best, Mike

We recently opened a bottle of '00 Chateau Margene (Paso Robles) that thrilled me more than any cab or blend that I've had recently. I'm not very good with the descriptors, but this had a real zip to it that you just don't get with most cabs. Best, Mike

Hi all, The second chairman's selection tasting was held fri night at jeffL's house. Not all of the wines were chairman's selections, but they were all from Pa. state stores. Attendence was a little slimmer than the first time and there were a few new faces. As always, the food was excellant and the company even better. Thanks to JeffL for hosting and I hope to see you at the next one. Best, Mike

Me too! Best, Mike

Also thanks to Evan for hosting. We had a great time and looking forward to the next one. Best, Mike

Jeff, We try to do a long weekend every year in the wine country. Our first year out we discovered sonomawineshop.com right on the square in Sonoma. We were out in may and I had them ship this home with some other things of course. If you liked the Madrigal PS I got some Jacob Franklin Chavez/Leeds vineyard Napa Valley PS thats even better. Call or email and they'll ship to you in New York. Best, Mike

'03 Georges Duboeuf Julienas Prestige I didn't think I'd ever post on a Duboeuf wine, but my favorite wine geek in Delaware said you've got to try this. Its got all the berry fruits, a hint of spice, and maybe a little bit of smoke. Its dry up front and at the finish. Just a wonderful wine for $14.50 in Del. Best, Mike

'97 Madrigal Napa Valley Petite Sirah This is all about black fruit thats in your face as soon as you open the bottle. In the mouth the fruit hits you again and again, changing from a hint of sweetness up front to a drying finish. Tannins are gentle at this point and you can smell the smoke in the distance. Wonderful with fillet on the grill and tomato salad. $45 Best, Mike

sonomawineshop.com They have great wines for the $$$. Best, Mike