What Wine Are You Drinking Today?

[Smithy]

4 hours ago, gulfporter said:

A Mexican Zinfandel from Baja, Valle de Guadalupe.   Good strong wine.  

 

 

 

 

 

I do love Zinfandel. I'll have to keep an eye out for L.A. Cetto and, for that matter, Valle de Guadalupe, but I seriously doubt I'll see them where I shop. It isn't just that it's north of the border; it's also that many wines seem to have small distribution areas. Please keep us posted, though! We can be inspired and tempted! And some of us can cross southward and shop there! (I wonder if this would be available in Algodones, Baja California, for example. Any idea about that?)

[weinoo]

Two nights ago:

 

 

This was a 2012, generally a little older than one likes with a Rosso di Montalcino (which are released for drinking after a year), but stored properly and still quite good if not as fruit forward, with the meatballs in meat ragu. 

 

Last night:

 

 

Probably our favorite California winery (they've been growing organically for years), this is their lower end (weeknight ?) Pinot. Juicy but not jammy, delicious with roast chicken.

 

 

If you're ever up in Healdsburg, it's a short drive out of town on Westside Road.  If it's off-season, you'll be the only ones there.

 

[Smithy]

Porter Creek was one of our favorite wineries also, when we used to go touring and tasting there. I think it was the Porter Creek fellow running the tasting room who quipped, when we commented that we hated to waste wine by using the spit bucket, "No problems. We send it to the next valley and they sell it as Napa Cuvee!"

[Smithy]

My San Diego friends introduced me to this; it was $9/bottle at Trader Joe's and I came home with half a case. As I understand the Marlborough-style wines from New Zealand, they usually have a more pronounced mineral flavor than this one does, but it's very nice. Crisp, slight minerality, flavor notes leaning more toward the citrus than the floral or tropical fruit end.

 

 

I'll try not to drink it all at once. It's lovely stuff, and I don't know if I'll ever be able to get more.

[TdeV]

@weinoo and @Smithy

Have you ever had Porter Creek's "Old Vine" Zinfandel? What did you think of it?

I normally drink 100% Zinfandel from some select California wineries. (I see that Porter Creek has 5% Carignane)

 

 

Edited Wednesday at 07:59 PM by TdeV
Spelling! (log)

[Alex]

16 hours ago, Smithy said:

My San Diego friends introduced me to this; it was $9/bottle at Trader Joe's and I came home with half a case. As I understand the Marlborough-style wines from New Zealand, they usually have a more pronounced mineral flavor than this one does, but it's very nice. Crisp, slight minerality, flavor notes leaning more toward the citrus than the floral or tropical fruit end.

 

 

I'll try not to drink it all at once. It's lovely stuff, and I don't know if I'll ever be able to get more.

 

It's available here in Grand Rapids at Total Wine. I don't know if our TJ carries it. Have you checked by you?

[Smithy]

1 minute ago, Alex said:

 

It's available here in Grand Rapids at Total Wine. I don't know if our TJ carries it. Have you checked by you?

 

There's no Trader Joe's near where I live usually, or where I am now. It's strange, because both Duluth and Yuma seem big enough to support one, but TJ's hasn't seen fit to come.

 

As for other wine stores nearby: I'll check as I have time. The grocery stores here can sell wine, so I may even find it when I go shopping later today.

[weinoo]

4 hours ago, TdeV said:

@weinoo and @Smithy

Have you ever had Porter Creek's "Old Vine" Zinfandel? What did you think of it?

I normally drink 100% Zinfandel from some select California wineries. (I see that Porter Creek has 5% Carignane)

 

 

It's fine, though I don't drink a ton of Zin.  I really like the Porter Creek roses, which usually are in pretty limited quantities.  Great summery wines.

 

I belong to Porter Creek's wine club (or whatever it's called these days), and only ask for Pinot Noir's in my shipments.

 

[TdeV]

Aah, @weinoo, then probably not my kinda Zin, alas.

 

Have you ever been to Scherrer Winery in Sebastopol? I have a funny story about their Vin Gris (rosé). Fred Scherrer is a funny duck and doesn't go along with most of the festivals in Sonoma, so he has his own open houses (April, August and mid-November) -- and a great chef.

 

DH and I walked up to a barrel in the barn when a friend of the winery was pouring Vin Gris. We exclaimed about how great it tasted. The guy pointed across the room. "Go get coupla those oiled black olives." So we did and came back and had some with Vin Gris.

 

What a revelation! Do go, if you can.

[weinoo]

28 minutes ago, TdeV said:

Aah, @weinoo, then probably not my kinda Zin, alas.

 

You're probably more a fan of Ridge, I'm guessing.  Great stuff, and definitely have a few bottles here in the apartment.

 

Olives and wine - who' a thunk it? (Oh yeah. the Spanish).

Edited Wednesday at 10:04 PM by weinoo (log)

[TdeV]

Yes, a fan of Ridge, @weinoo. Though my most faves are probably Joseph Swan, David Coffaro and Peterson (all Sonoma).

[weinoo]

4 minutes ago, TdeV said:

Yes, a fan of Ridge, @weinoo. Though my most faves are probably Joseph Swan, David Coffaro and Peterson (all Sonoma).

 

Really one of the most beautiful places in this country.

[weinoo]

 

 

A beautiful, dry Chenin Blanc.  Went really nicely with sushi.

[Smithy]

Thanks for the reminder about chenin blanc, @weinoo. I tend to forget about it because so often it isn't dry, it isn't crisp, and it's downright disappointing. Did you get that bottle in The States, or bring it back from your most recent trip?

[weinoo]

5 hours ago, Smithy said:

Thanks for the reminder about chenin blanc, @weinoo. I tend to forget about it because so often it isn't dry, it isn't crisp, and it's downright disappointing. Did you get that bottle in The States, or bring it back from your most recent trip?

 

Chenin is one of our favorites.

 

I don't generally bring wine back from trips abroad, though I do generally buy 2 bottles of something (Campari, other spirits) in the duty free before boarding. I get most of the French wines we drink (Austrian, Spanish, German, Portuguese and Italian as well) from Chambers Street.  10% discount on all bottles when a case or more is ordered, and they deliver to my apartment for free.

 

Crush, Parcelles, Astor and a few other shops handle all I could possibly want, when and if needed.

[Margaret Pilgrim]

Admission:  The winemaker is a personal friend, but his products are superb.    A chenin blanc example.

My cellar "go to" whenever I have a difficult dinner party course is Sandlands Chenin Blanc.    It is the perfect host, welcoming artichokes and asparagus as smoothly as chicken pot pie and grilled prawns.   Several of our dinner guests are "winos" who drink only better French/German wines, and I've received nothing but good reception for Sandlands wines.

Edited Friday at 02:24 AM by Margaret Pilgrim (log)

[weinoo]

 

 

This is my comfort zone, as it's a bottle I can get for under $20...actually,  $17. (Probably worth twice that).

Here's what Chambers has to say:

 

Quote

The "Guillaume de Rouville" from La Florane is made with Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Roussanne, Clairette and Bourboulenc grown in Biodynamic farming in the village of Saint-Maurie at 1200 ft in altitude. This is a Rhone white of great elegance that really impressed at our recent tasting with subtle herbal and white fruit aromas and a silky subtle palate with fabulous balance and length - this will pair beautifully with a full-flavored fish preparation, white meats as well. "a good ensemble of stylish gras and fresh length, very accomplished, a wine for a bonne table" says drinkrhone - well worth trying!

 

Wine was a good match for what I made for dinner.

[Margaret Pilgrim]

Rhone whites are under understood and appreciated.

[weinoo]

Another $17 bottle...drank it with the chirashi, and it sorta worked quite well.

 

 

 

Chambers Street:

 

 

Quote

The Jasci Trebbiano is a fine example of what a conscientious producer can do with Trebbiano d'Abruzzo. In some ways this is an old fashioned white - there is no reliance on skin contact to cover up, or artificial aromas and flavors from selected yeast. Instead this is refreshing and bright, with ripe pear and hay and stony ground bringing complexity. An easy food match, and a very nice wine. -Jamie Wolff