djsexyb

i have a few... i hate it when i read raving reviews about wines from such and such, from wherever, only to find that i can't locate the wine anywhere, save for hoping onto a plane and visiting the vineyard myself. why do a review for a major mag if little to no one who reads it will be able to drink it... i hate people who bash screwcaps and other alternative closures like glass "corks." they are truely the wave of the future. in now way do i want to play russina roulette with an expensive bottle of wine simply for the "romance" of it. sorry the only romance in my nights with wine are between my wife and i, and thats just fine with me. true screwcaps do not allow secondary flavors to develope over long periods of storage, but if i want oxidzed wine, ill buy some sherry. ok, that was a nice release.... lol

hey guys, i wanted to give egullet members a chance to purchase this lot b4 it goes on ebay...i know the vice president and he hooks me up with their corporate overstock each year...tons of spices literally. thousands worth of goods. ive distributed all that i can and have some left over...for sale. $65.00 check it out here... lot includes: 1.1oz Oregano 1.5oz Ground Coriander 2.0oz Cumin Seed 0.1oz Bay Leaves 2.4oz Tumeric 2.2oz Cinnamon Sticks 4.6oz Ground Cinnamon 10oz Ground Cumin 4.0oz Cayenne Pepper 2.4oz Ground Cloves 0.8oz Dried Basil 3.0oz Dried Thyme 4.1oz Whole Black Peppercorns 32.5oz Ground Ginger 4.8oz White Seasame Seeds 2.0oz Paprika 0.15oz Dried Chives 1.3oz Rubbed Sage 29.9oz Curry Powder 24oz Cumin Seed 2.1oz Herbs De Provance 22.8oz Celery Seed 4.5oz Italian Seasoning

hey guys....party went great. everyone really loved the food and wine. (if you havent seen this post before, you can scroll up for the menu.) i thought the pairings were very nice. the tuna with roederer was sublime, the albarino worked very nicely with the ceviche. the pork with chard was nice if you like alot of richness, have to do some more kitchen tests with rieslings to find the sublime pairing(s). the mondavi by itself was terrific, i love this wine and would drink it everyday. i t worked well for the guests that my client had, because they are not super wine savoy, but do know enough so that they could enjoy this wine with the beef. this is another dish we'll need to test with more wines to find the best pairing. but the wine by itself was terrific. i know some of you do not like framboise, i do, and the pairing was very sublime. pictures of some dishes are linked below, we missed a few dishes as it got busy during the middle courses and we didnt have time.... tuna.. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/djsexyb/P4210008.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/djsexyb/P4210007.jpg Shrimp duo http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/djsexyb/P4210010.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/djsexyb/P4210009.jpg Cake http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/djsexyb/P4210012.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/djsexyb/P4210011.jpg FEEDBACK IS APPRECIATED!!! as a side note im choosing not to do WTNs for these wines, many of you are far more knowledgeable than i. to be honest, its been a mission of mine to make wine distinctly non-intimidating for myself and for my clients, though when i post here im still quite intimidated by many. it doesnt faze me, but i just thought id throw that in.....again, feedback is appreciated!

dinner party is tonight...expect pictures and WTNs early next week... MIke

mike i believe the year on the gallo was a 2002, perhaprs 2003, whichever year was the first year that they used the new Gallo Family Vineyards label. (ps..there's also an article about these wines in the Wine Magazine's Quarterly Reviewof Wines) brad not sure, i may have been, i wish i coould find that article, but cant. the only other details i remeber is that the two reviewers were a african women with really short hair and an mid 50s looking white guy with glasses... cathyrn Coppola is currently in the process of replanting and acquiring more landholdings (old inglenook holdings) so, in my opinion, their focus has been a little lacking in the actual wine making department. however, in the future the wines are going to get exponentially better (not like they're anything to scoff at now, though). i havent had alot of exposure to the diamond series but as for their pricier wines--reds, the rubicon is excellent as well as the cask cabernet, and estate-bottled cab franc is quite nice. and as for whites the blancaneaux blend i have never tried, but i hear it just ho-hum...

just made my reservation for may 19th!!! god, i can't! it's my girlfriends and i two year anniversary. i cant wait!!

my girlfriend cut me a article out of her neighborhood paper the other day because she knows im a wine freak, from the northwest news herald in schaumburg i think... it was a blind tasting the authors did for merlots under $20. they said that they usuually tell their readers to completely ignore the category and jump for the pricier merlots becausr they lack any distinction, but they were going to try again. to make a long story short, here were the three stand outs (out of fifty!) one was expected, two were quite surprising... Francis Coppola Merlot...they siad it was easily the best with a distinction of place, etc ,etc (i have to add that there is 8% syrah blended in). Hogue Genesis Columbia Valley Merlot...also very nice, distinction of place, etc, etc (surprisingly 12% Lemberger is blended in) and the one that blew my mind.... Gallo Family Vineyards Sononma Reserve Merlot...they said that after they were done with the blind tasting (and before they took all the bags off the see what wines were what) they went back to this wine time and agian untill the two of them finished the bottle it was so good with "brioche tones in the aroma, ripe pie crust, fresh berry taste, good concertration, little oak and nice, gentle tannins...we couldnt get enough of this!" wow, for $15 im going to have to run to binny;s asap.....

yeah it really does help having two within driving distance of my house. they do have a rather large and quality selection, though certianly not everything you would like. for example, for this dinner party i had to get the roederer and ste michelle chard from wine.com. they did have eroica and will be picking that up soon. their vintage selection isnt half bad either, (good vintages from burgundy and bordeaux, as well as major us brands 9ive been eyeing that 1995 Ridge MOntebello for a few weeks, might be time to pick that up)

yeah, i havent had many albarinos so my knowlegde is pretty limited on those wines, but i knew that they'd accompany the ceviche nicely. i was really relagated to whatever i could find at binny's beverage depot and out of the ones they had, this was certainly the best. anyway, all wines have already been purchased, so ive made my bed, about to lay in it. the party's on the 21st. ill post up pics of the finished dishes before service and also WTNs when i can. thanks for all the help guys.

thank you for your imput. yes my "audience" is quite simplistic and only lsightly wine savy. so, frankly throwing in a nice, simple mondavi, as well as the roederer will keep their attention, because they know the names. bonny doon is a personal fav, but like you said people either love or hate randal graham. the riesling suggestion perked my interest, i thought there might not be enough body to handle the pork and white bean ragout, though the acidity might make up for it. i love eroica qand reisling in general, ill deffinately try the Smith Madrone.

36 views and nothing? is there anything i can do better? what would any of oyu pair with these courses?

hey eveyone, as you may or not know, i have recently opened a private dinnig/personal chef company. we provided a three star meal entertaining all levels of food, wine, service, etc. in short we bring fine dining to your own home. anyway this isnt about my company,... i am doing a diner party in a few days and have the menu done, and would like some coments anout the food and wine pairing, the wines, anything that may be of value. i will later be postin WTNs after the party on all these wines and their respective parings. i realize that they are straight forward wines, but this is what the customer has requested. ANYB] comments are GREATLY APPRECIATED as the compnay is in its infancy.....heres a pic of the menu, as well as the menu items if you cant read see the pic... http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/djsexyb/P4100004.jpg o Roederer Estate Brut Rosé NV Sesame and Roasted Red Pepper Crusted Ahi Tuna, Seared Rare, Soba Noodles, Oriental Vinaigrette o 2004 Burgans Albarino Shrimp Duo: Rock Shrimp Ceviché, Fire Roasted Red Onion, Cucumber, Chile, Tortilla and Poached Shrimp Demi-Salat, Tropical Fruits, Dehydrated Pineapple o 2004 Chateau Ste. Michelle Cold Creek Vineyard Chardonnay Apple and Cranberry Stuffed Pork Rib Chops, White Bean, Walnut, and Caramelized Onion Ragout o 2003 Robert Mondavi Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Coffee Crusted Beef Tenderloin Filet, Roasted Fingerling Potato Gratin, Truffled Shitake Mushrooms, Ancient Hawaiian Sea Salt, Zesty Onions o Melon and Champagne Palate Cleanser o Bonny Doon Framboise NV Flourless Chocolate Espresso Cake, Vanilla Tuiles, Raspberry Coulis, Cabernet Reduction.

wow, i thought i would get at least one person that may have tried wine(s) from michigan. well, i was digging around a friend's cellar and he had a bottle of 2002 Karma Vista Coloma Sol, which is a 80% Chardonnay 20% Vydal Blanc blend. unoaked, unfiltered and unfined. very nice varietal flavor with hints of grapefruit, and other citrus. good mouth feel, possibly i little thin mid-palate but a nice smooth, fairly long finish. drink now. still looking for cab franc examples though....

i am an avid lover of cab franc and have been hearing raving reviews that michigan, especially the Lake Michigan Shores AVA is supposed to produce fabulous wine from these grapes. has anyone tried such produces as tabor hill, st. julien, karma vista, circle farm etc? here is the michigan wine trail link if you guys would like to check it out... http://miwinetrail.com/ mike

The 1997 Thirty Bench Reserve Blend sounds quite nice, id love to get a hold of some....to the internet i go.....

i think they're trying to hit a younger, possibly more "hip" or "trendy" crowd. there is deffinantly a market for those types of wine. (ie easy drinking, intense fruit flavor, with, yes, sometimes interesting names). take the "3 blind moose" brand, as well as "monkey bay" or even yellow tail and alice white. i preferably like the catagory, eespecially if the wines offer good value for what they are. the way i look at it is if im going to the wine shop, im going to pick up something to put in the cellar untill prime age, and i pick up a bottle that can be drunk right away. it keeps me from "wandering" into my cellar and not getting the full benefits of not fully aginf my wine. woow, ive come waaay off the topic...anyway....lol

well, you have a few options. "The Wine Bible" has a wealth of information on French wine imparticularly, though it does include alot of other information on alot of other wine making countries. or i would search out books from particular regions of france, for burgundy i would go with "Côte D'Or: A Celebration of the Great Wines of Burgundy" and for bordeaux id go with "Bordeaux : A Consumer's Guide to the World's Finest Wines" they're in my library.

ah, i understand, thanks for the comparing to Beaulieu Vinaeyards. i really made the connection with that one.

ooops, but in wrong title... Mondavi Private SELECTION i was wondering if some fellow members could lend their opinions/knowledge, not only on tasting notes of these wines, but also on their philosphy (ie, why is their price point so low, comparitively to what they are supplying) i have been looking fo ras much info as i can on these wines for a customer of mine and am frankly coming up a little short handed, aside for the info provided on the mondavi website. thanks in advance.