doviakw

I have been away from the PLCB Web site for awhile. I visited today and was unable to find anywhere to search for items or to identify what stores might have an item in stock. Both the Chairman's Selections and the Product Search are no longer there. I also tried the "FineWineAndGoodSpirits.com" site and was able to find the Chairman's Selections list but no link to the stores' inventories. The ability to find out what store had what product in stock was one of the better features of the site. It is a MAJOR inconvenience to do a "search" by phone! Am I missing something?

Do you have any opinion on the 2007? That is currently on sale here in Pennsylvania for $10.00.

Four of us also went last night. Every table was full at 7:00 PM so we waited for 15 minutes or so. Everything was solidly done and plentiful. We will also go back.

Teresa's Next Door is a good suggestion although conversation can be a challenge on weekends ... high noise level!

We and a couple of friends dined at The Inn at St. Peters on Kentucky Derby day. The dinner was exceptional and the wine list surprisingly affordable with some good selections. I don't recall the details but we opined at the time that the meal was comparable to The Birchrunville Cafe. We read later that Francis Trzeciak had become executive chef but I don't recall whether that was the case at the time we were there. In any event, The Inn at St. Peters is worth a visit. The food was great and the prices, while not cheap, were less than we expected.

My excitement level rose when I saw the Campillo Rioja Reserva 1996 listed! Darn shame that it doesn't actually exists anywhere.

Went during the week awhile ago and had a very pleasant, "snacky" type dinner. Mussels: Good, Fries: Excellent, Beer: Excellent. I don't remember the rest. Went with friends on a Friday evening ... If it's very crowded (the usual on weekends), don't expect to carry on a polite conversation: Yelling is in order!

If the "Priorat" in question was the Torres Emblema, I wouldn't necessarily use it as a benchmark for other Priorat wines. I had one bottle: Fruity, almost sweet, easy drinking and simple. There was a whimsical reference to it in a previous post.

Found Chateau Meyney 2000 (first label, not the Prieur de Meyney) on closeout for about $28.50. Meyney has always served me pretty well as a solid producer over the years and I look forward to the 2000s. There are still some scattered about the state but not many.

Georges Duboeuf 2006 Morgon Jean Descombes 2005 Ripe strawberries and cherries without being "fruity". A solid match for a variety of dishes that we've had over the last few months. Refreshing even without food. I like it best with some chill. Pretty good value at about $12 (on sale) here in PA. Is that "M" enough?

The GEORGES DUBOEUF MORGON JEAN DESCOMBES is pretty good stuff and quite reasonably priced ($13.99 here in PA). [Edited to add price]

We had this wine over the weekend with grilled ribeyes. As described above, it's all about fruit with decent acid to balance the fruit. Tannins took a backseat making the Torres Emblema very much a drink-now wine. Had some again the next day with pot roast where it was also used as part of the braising liquid. It did pick up some complexity showing more earthiness than the first day so maybe some short-term cellar time would be useful. I've never had a true Priorat wine so I have no basis for comparison. Does anyone have a suggestion for something available at the PLCB that will provide a Priorat experience for a reasonable price? So many wines; so little time (and money)!

Re: 2002 Chaddsford Chambourcin Seven Valleys Vineyard I live in southeastern PA and all of the wines, both red and white, from area wineries seem to have a characteristic minerality about them. So much so that I can usually pick a Southeast PA wine out of a group and I can't do that (identify regional characteristics) with many other wines. I haven't had the Chaddsford Chambourcin. Did you notice anything distinctive about it other than a lack of typicity? [Edited for clarity][Further edited to spell "clarity" correctly!]

A thumbs-up for two decent values ... Omaka Springs Sauvingnon Blanc 2006 ($9.99): Somewhat richer than the 2005 version but the clean grapefruit tang keeps it fresh. A nice sipper on a hot day! Dom. Faiveley Bourgogne Blanc 2003 ($9.99): The 2003 heat may be making this atypical but, compared with the Toasted Head currently on the Chairman's list, it's positively lean. Tastes of tropical fruit (not banana) with maybe some green apple and not much oak or alcohol. Again, nothing complex (a little barnyard funk as it warmed) but a good, non-intrusive summer salad accompanyment.

I will be picking up some of these. They seem to be scattered about various stores (Swedesford Rd, Devon, W. Chester, Gulph Rd). Here is a thread that I started in the Wine forum.

A select few Edmunds St. John wines have become available in Pennsylvania at selected PLCB Specialty Shops. The ESJ website is interesting and I know that some here have experience with these (Florida Jim?). Might I impose and solicit some opinions? Here's what is available: * BASSETTI VINEYARD SYRAH 2003 ($33.49) * ROUSSANNE TABLAS CREEK VINEYARD 2004 ($25.49) * SHELL & BONE RED BLEND 2003 ($14.99) * WILIE-FENAUGHTY SYRAH 2003 ($14.99) It looks like the ESJ wines in general are done using traditional vinification techniques in an "Old-World" style. Are any of these worth a go?

I came across an article in Science News about the spread of an Asian ladybug that is causing foul tastes in wines from grapes in infested vineyards. Apparently, chemical manufactured by the ladybugs cause aromas and tastes of peanuts, bell pepper and asparagus. The article at Science News Online is from the May 5, 2007, Vol 171 edition of the magazine. I have often wondered about excessive "bug loads" causing off flavors in wine. Does anyone know how much of a problem this really is?

Shouldn't we be saying something about the wines rather than just listing things? I thought that this thread was to share our wine experiences in an alphabetically sequential fashion. Of course, I haven't contributed yet! I'll have to look under "L" in the cellar.

Do you really think that relish would help?

Fresh sumac berries have a sticky, acidic exudate that is soluble in water. This part is what give sumac "lemonade" its citrusy flavor. Don't pick the berries from trees that grow by roadsides because the sticky stuff picks up road grime and exhaust particles. I've never seen fresh sumac berry clusters for sale anywhere so you will probably need to find yourself a tree. Make SURE that it is sumac with RED berry clusters that you pick. Other sumac varieties are poisonous. [Edited to add this link for further reference.]

I tried the Segura Viudas Xarello Creu de Lavit 2005 ($9.99) last night at a restaurant (Henry's Cafe in Pottstown, BYOB). Now here is something different! A rich, floral white with a slightly bitter finish that worked on its own before dinner and matched nicely with a rich fish course (Blue-Nose Bass). Being at a restaurant, I didn't take any notes so I'll have to get more (sigh) and taste it again. This could be a nice addition to the summer repertoire.

FWIW, the sort/filter mechanism is now working nicely.

It appears that the Chairman's Selection Web page has a new look, new (limited) search capability and some new stuff.

Alright, I'll jump on the Dense-O-Meter! Does "blue" mean blueberries? Blue plums? Aronia?

In addition to the "habit-forming" aspect, a Tawny Port is generally forgiving if you choose not to finish the whole bottle at once.