Craig Camp

Please no more wine clip stuff. We're trashing straws on this thread.

This is not true! I would much rather drink Turley than Draino. However, if it comes to my own money, I would rather buy the Draino which can be perhaps used on a more regular basis than Turley. ... oh and Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon sparkling wine. Just what the world needed.

I would say it was fair to say the bread in Italy was not great overall, but this is changing and changing fast. There has been an explosion of small bakeries making fresh bread every day except Sunday. No longer do they sell only the traditional regional breads, but bread styles from other Italian regions and many breads in the French style. The small family grocery store is being forced out of business by chain stores and super-sized discount food stores. Those old family stores often only sold the bread made by the family down the street and they sold whatever they made: usually 2 or 3 styles. That was the bread there was and they did not go even to the next village looking for a better supplier. In the chain food stores, with their large central bakeries, it is common to see twenty different styles of bread available. While the growth of food chains has forced those family grocers out of business, there has been the opposite effect on bakeries, which are offering growing and improving selections of bread. In our small village there is a chain food store that offers about a dozen different breads a day. Across the street is a small bakery offering about 15 different styles a day. Although the bakery is clearly superior, many of the breads at the chain stores are excellent also. Yes they still offer the type of bread that goes stale before dinner time and many people buy it as that is what they grew up with, but they offer many other breads that compete with bread anywhere. Every morning I walk up to Non Solo Pane and buy some of the best bread I've had in my life.

I know that when I was underage and wanted to buy alcohol the first thing I thought of was buying expensive wine with my dad's credit card and then waiting a week or so before that bottle of Burgundy showed up so my friends and I could compare tasting notes: but then I was a wild and crazy teenager. Thank God the WSWA is there to protect us.

The fight over direct Internet wine sales, pitting winemakers against deep-pocket liquor distributors, has grown into a high-powered struggle led by well-known pillars of the capital's conservative legal establishment. Eventually, it seems, only a U.S. Supreme Court decision will end the wrangling. For more information: Free the Grapes Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America

(this post merged here to go with the post by bilrus) OK, so it wasn't that difficult to put so many delicious Sauvignon Blancs, Chardonnays, Pinot Noirs, Syrahs and Cabernet Sauvignons into our mouths, swishing, slurping and gargling them to judge the personality and complexity of each wine. We do this every week, with a panel of wine merchants, wine buyers and sommeliers that tastes, evaluates and recommends quality wines -- many of them terrific values -- for the Thursday Wine section.

That was sound BUSINESS principles and sure to MAKE money.

I'll be there at eight. Medium rare. Open them all please.

It's not cool to push German wines. I push them. I have an auslese (Bernkasteler Lay, Dr. Thanisch) on my by the glass list right now. It sells very well. I also use it with the menu degustation. People always comment on the delicious reisling they just drank. I mean for the wine press. There is not enough financial return. Sommeliers have been the best ambassadors for fine German wines for years and they made the USA market for Austrian wines.

Raccolta: a weekly Italian wine harvested by Craig Camp "It was in 1970, just two years after Rosso Piceno Superiore was granted DOC status that Guido and Diana Cocci Grifoni built a state-of-the-art winery and dedicated themselves to making fine wines in the south of Le Marche. Cocci Grifoni is a true family business with Guido as agronomist and daughters Paola, the enologist and Marilena in charge of sales." 2000 Cocci Grifoni, Il Grifone, Rosso Piceno Superiore

Now they can sell mini-wine clips that will slide onto a straw.

albiston, You are certainly right that the Autogrill stores are expensive to Italians, but for traveling Americans and Canadians they seem like a bargain compared to what they pay in stores at home. I don't think the rice was risotto al pilota as it is my understanding that is served as a piatto unico. Perhaps you can help me clear that up. The pasta stuffed with the Zucca were gigantic - 3 filled a plate - and the host called them ravioli, but that could have been for my benefit. I don't dare attempt dialect! However I believe you are correct.

I can't imagine the Colla 96 Barbaresco being ready to drink before its tenth birthday, but I would wait until it is closer to 15. Tino Colla makes wines to last - and then last some more. ...as always assuming good storage conditions.

They are worth a story in themselves!

It's not cool to push German wines.

Here is what I wrote to someone else who asked the same question about orgasms...or I mean truffles: White truffles are like Condrieu (exotic and perfumed) and black truffles are like classic Rioja Gran Reserva (earthy and complex). White truffles are like listening to Mozart and black truffles are like listening to Bach. White truffles are like Renoir and black truffles like Rembrandt.

Let's change the title of this thread. Soon everyone on the internet will be here.

Welcome Rifle 13 and thanks for joining in. Sorry the registration was so slow, but we just went through a major upgrade and are still working out the last bugs. Thanks for your patience.

Well it would appear that thousands of people agree with me about Calera and buy and collect Josh's pinot noir wines every year. It also is quite apparent that thousands of people agree with you and don't buy Calera pinot noir. I have been tasting the wines of Calera for over twenty years and (contrary to you) respectfully disagree with your opinion, which you are so sure is the only right opinion and you are right - for you anyway. In this case we are both right, but our tastes diverge.

That's called hitting the nail on the head.

...that wine should interest everybody. as should this one - perhaps even more: H. Dönnhoff Riesling Spätlese Nahe Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle 2001 The thing is everyone will beat themselves up to get that stupid merlot and ignore the Germans. Good thing - keeps the pricing down. *note: Yes, I know the Paloma people are very nice.

I have absolutely no doubt that Trio will come through for you on this wine situation. Don't worry. Please report back on the results! (and auguri by the way!!)

Now that the list is officially released: 1 Paloma Merlot Spring Mountain District 2001 95 2 Château Cos-d’Estournel St.-Estèphe 2000 96 3 Casa Lapostolle Clos Apalta Rapel Valley 2000 94 4 Clos Mogador Priorat 2001 95 5 Château Léoville Las Cases St.-Julien 2000 100 6 Penfolds Shiraz Barossa Valley RWT 2000 95 7 Paul Coulon & Fils Châteauneuf-du-Pape Domaine de Beaurenard 2001 94 8 Joh. Jos. Prüm Riesling Spätlese Mosel-Saar-Ruwer Wehlener Sonnenuhr 2001 96 9 Graham Vintage Port 2000 98 10 Sette Ponti Toscana Oreno 2001 95 11 Two Hands Shiraz Barossa Valley Bella’s Garden 2002 96 12 Aubert Chardonnay Sonoma Coast Ritchie Vineyard 2001 95 13 Spring Valley Uriah Walla Walla Valley 2001 94 14 Clos du Marquis St.-Julien 2000 94 15 Château La Roque Coteaux du Languedoc Pic St.-Loup 93 16 Smith Woodhouse Vintage Port 2000 95 17 H. Dönnhoff Riesling Spätlese Nahe Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle 2001 97 18 Alban Syrah Edna Valley Reva 2000 94 19 Prats & Symington Douro Chryseia 2001 94 20 Chateau Souverain Chardonnay Russian River Valley Winemaker’s Reserve 2001 21 Château de Flaugergues Coteaux du Languedoc La Méjanelle Cuvée Sommelière 2000 92 22 Kumeu River Chardonnay Kumeu 2002 92 23 Moccagatta Barbaresco Basarin 2000 96 24 Château Langoa Barton St.-Julien 2000 94 25 Château Lagrange St.-Julien 2000 93 26 Mount Eden Chardonnay Edna Valley West Slope Edna Ranch 2001 91 27 Casanuova delle Cerbaie Brunello di Montalcino 1998 94 28 Mulderbosch Sauvignon Blanc Stellenbosch 2003 92 29 Château Bouscassé Madiran Vieilles Vignes 2000 93 30 E. Guigal Hermitage 2000 97 31 Château Latour Martillac Pessac-Léognan 2000 92 32 Albino Rocca Barbaresco Vigneto Brich Ronchi 2000 95 33 Lançon Père & Fils Châteauneuf-du-Pape Domaine de la Solitude 2001 93 34 Domenico Clerico Barolo Pajana 1999 95 35 Rosenblum Zinfandel San Francisco Bay Carla’s Vineyards 2001 92 36 Yangarra Park Shiraz McLaren Vale Appellation Series 2001 91 37 Dr. Loosen Riesling Kabinett Mosel-Saar-Ruwer Wehlener Sonnenuhr 2001 92 38 Numanthia-Termes Toro Termes 1999 92 39 Chéreau-Carré Muscadet de Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie Château de Chasseloir 2002 90 40 Patz & Hall Chardonnay Russian River Valley Dutton Ranch 2001 93 41 E. Guigal Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2001 93 42 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne 2000 95 43 Château La Nerthe Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2001 93 44 Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough Icon Series 2002 91 45 Marchesi de’ Frescobaldi Chianti Rufina Montesodi 2001 93 46 St.-Urbans-Hof Riesling QbA Mosel-Saar-Ruwer 2001 90 47 Concha y Toro Merlot Peumo Marqués de Casa Concha 2001 90 48 Château Malescasse Haut-Médoc 2000 90 49 Seghesio Zinfandel Sonoma County Old Vine 2001 92 50 Didier Dagueneau Pouilly-Fumé Pur Sang 2001 93 51 Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 2003 90 52 Lisini Brunello di Montalcino Ugolaia 1997 97 53 Domaine Tempier Bandol 2000 92 54 Neil Ellis Sauvignon Blanc Groenekloof 2002 90 55 Château d’Agassac Haut-Médoc 2000 90 56 Lingenfelder Riesling QbA Pfalz Bird Label 2001 90 57 Rosemount Shiraz Mudgee Hill of Gold 2001 90 58 Allegrini Veronese Palazzo della Torre 1999 90 59 Château Gruaud-Larose St.-Julien 2000 95 60 Columbia Crest Syrah Columbia Valley Reserve 2001 92 61 Gini Soave Classico Superiore 2001 90 62 Peter Lehmann Clancy’s Barossa 2001 91 63 Argyle Pinot Noir Willamette Valley 2001 90 64 Chateau Ste. Michelle-Dr. Loosen Riesling Columbia Valley Eroica 2002 91 65 Pascal Jolivet Sancerre 2002 90 66 d’Arenberg Shiraz McLaren Vale The Footbolt Old Vine 2001 90 67 Dominio de Tares Mencía Bierzo 2001 90 68 Capezzana Carmignano Conte Contini Bonacossi 2000 91 69 Bollinger Brut Champagne Special Cuvée NV 93 70 Château Beau-Site St.-Estèphe 2000 90 71 Viña Montes Cabernet Sauvignon Santa Cruz Alpha Apalta Vineyard 2001 90 72 Franciscan Oakville Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2000 90 73 Finca Allende Rioja 1999 90 74 Bergström Pinot Noir Willamette Valley 2001 91 75 Castello di Querceto Chianti Classico Riserva 1999 90 76 Altos de Medrano Malbec Mendoza Viña Hormigas Reserva 2001 91 77 Byron Pinot Noir Santa Maria Valley 2001 90 78 Talley Chardonnay Arroyo Grande Valley 2001 90 79 Landmark Chardonnay Sonoma – Monterey Counties Overlook 2001 90 80 Sea Smoke Pinot Noir Santa Rita Hills Botella 2001 91 81 Rust en Vrede Stellenbosch 2000 92 82 Penfolds Cabernet-Shiraz South Australia Bin 389 2000 90 83 Cims de Porrera Priorat Solanes 2001 90 84 Beringer Alluvium Red Knights Valley 1999 90 85 J. & F. Lurton Toro El Albar Excelencia 1999 91 86 Nigl Grüner Veltliner Qualitätswein Trocken Kremstal Kremser Freiheit 2002 90 87 L’Ecole No. 41 Syrah Walla Walla Valley Seven Hills Vineyard 2001 92 88 HdV Chardonnay Carneros 2000 93 89 Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District 1999 92 90 Castello di Volpaia Chianti Classico Riserva 2000 91 91 Bodegas Emilio Moro Ribera del Duero 2000 91 92 Pride Merlot Napa–Sonoma Counties 2001 93 93 Zind-Humbrecht Gewürztraminer Alsace Turckheim Herrenweg 2001 91 94 Beni di Batasiolo Barbaresco 2000 90 95 Josmeyer Riesling Alsace Les Pierrets 2001 93 96 Ojai Syrah California Roll Ranch Vineyard 2000 93 97 Cantina Vignaioli Barbaresco Vigneto Marcarini 2000 93 98 Ciacci Piccolomini d’Aragona Brunello di Montalcino Vigna di Pianrosso 1998 93 points 99 Lagier Meredith Syrah Mount Veeder 2001 93 points 100 Vincent Girardin Chassagne-Montrachet Morgeot Vieilles Vignes 2001 91

I hate to be obvious, but I would take a nice bottle of Champagne.

Speaking of which, I find that I like caffè Americano better than American-style drip coffee. Anyone else share this impression? I confess I have never tasted one. Should I give it a try Sam?