Ask the Somm

ResearchGuy

Resident Curmudgeon
Requiescat In Pace
Registered
Joined
Mar 26, 2005
Messages
5,011
Reaction score
697
Location
Sacramento area, CA
Website
www.umbachconsulting.com
Placebo Wine

I tried Fre (brand) dealcoholized wine + grape juice, 2011 "Red Blend."

Awful for wine (no aroma to speak of, nothing interesting on the palate, and nothing by way of finish). Not at all bad as grape juice, though: slightly tart, grapey flavor, lacking the excessive sugar and thickness of Welch's grape juice. Looks pretty much like, say, zinfandel, or any red wine doctored up with Mega Purple.

You could have a little fun with it, since it does look like wine . . . (but don't inflict it on unsuspecting guests). Or if you have to be off of alcohol and need a placebo wine, you could do worse, as long as you know what to expect.

--Ken
 

BardSkye

Barbershoppin' Harmony Whore
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
May 2, 2006
Messages
2,522
Reaction score
1,009
Age
68
Location
Calgary, Canada
For those who like dessert wines, a California winery called Quady makes two very nice muscat wines: Elysium and Essencia.

Also St. Stephen's Tokaj from Hungary is very good.
 

RedRajah

Special Snowflake? No. Hailstone
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 23, 2010
Messages
3,884
Reaction score
2,358
Website
www.fanfiction.net
I'm a huge drinker of Port and here in OH, Breitenbach is producing a tawny Port-style wine that isn't too bad, albeit a touch pricy. And my one quibble is I can smell a sharp tang of alcohol to it.
 

ResearchGuy

Resident Curmudgeon
Requiescat In Pace
Registered
Joined
Mar 26, 2005
Messages
5,011
Reaction score
697
Location
Sacramento area, CA
Website
www.umbachconsulting.com
I'm a huge drinker of Port and here in OH, Breitenbach is producing a tawny Port-style wine that isn't too bad, albeit a touch pricy. And my one quibble is I can smell a sharp tang of alcohol to it.
Not all that pricey for quality Port-style wines I've seen around here (not to mention the genuine article from Portugal, which I'm seeing at up to $110 at my local wine shop). But then, there's this: http://www.bevmo.com/Shop/ProductDe...n-Brothers/Christian-Brothers-Tawny-Port/1936 -- magnum for ten bucks.

BTW, FWIW, from time to time in the past I've bought Fairbanks port (Fairbanks is in the Gallo empire). Bottom shelf stuff, but I found it pleasant enough. Not sure how well it would work for me after a lot of exposure to much better wines.

--Ken
 
Last edited:

RedRajah

Special Snowflake? No. Hailstone
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 23, 2010
Messages
3,884
Reaction score
2,358
Website
www.fanfiction.net
I use Fairbanks to cook with (not meant as an insult -- it works admirably when I need it).
 

RedRajah

Special Snowflake? No. Hailstone
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 23, 2010
Messages
3,884
Reaction score
2,358
Website
www.fanfiction.net
Conte di Bregonzo Amarone Della Valpolicella 2010



Picked a bottle up at Trader Joe's a couple of months ago. I've been curious about Amarones for a while now since in the book version of "Silence of the Lambs" that's Lecter's choice of wine instead of Chianti.


And, I admit, I'm still learning about the science of wine. And how oxidization can affect the taste. I had this wine at room temperature, but I had just opened the bottle and the initial taste was, for lack of a better word, nothing.


One day later, and I could definitely taste an improvement. I need to figure more of this out...
 

RedRajah

Special Snowflake? No. Hailstone
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 23, 2010
Messages
3,884
Reaction score
2,358
Website
www.fanfiction.net
Again, letting wine breathe definitely is a game changer. Had a glass of Chianti at my local wine shop -- but they had to open a new bottle. It was good, but muted in its taste.
 

ResearchGuy

Resident Curmudgeon
Requiescat In Pace
Registered
Joined
Mar 26, 2005
Messages
5,011
Reaction score
697
Location
Sacramento area, CA
Website
www.umbachconsulting.com
Again, letting wine breathe definitely is a game changer. Had a glass of Chianti at my local wine shop -- but they had to open a new bottle. It was good, but muted in its taste.
I've often found wines to be better second or third day after opening, but almost always with air sucked out via a vacuum device.

Winemaker advised my wife and me to decant his Teroldego for eight hours before serving. It is terrific, but requires planning. (Sold out immediately: http://www.montoliva.com/scripts/winepg.cfm/_/13/Teroldego ... We bought our limit of four.)

--Ken
 
Last edited:

RedRajah

Special Snowflake? No. Hailstone
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 23, 2010
Messages
3,884
Reaction score
2,358
Website
www.fanfiction.net
My mother-in-law has requested I snag her some bottles of 19 Crimes, an Australian red, at my friendly local wine shop. I've been curious about it myself, so I'll probably get a bottle for myself to boot.
 

ResearchGuy

Resident Curmudgeon
Requiescat In Pace
Registered
Joined
Mar 26, 2005
Messages
5,011
Reaction score
697
Location
Sacramento area, CA
Website
www.umbachconsulting.com

RedRajah

Special Snowflake? No. Hailstone
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 23, 2010
Messages
3,884
Reaction score
2,358
Website
www.fanfiction.net
Gonna try to convince the hubby if we can make a detour and snag some bottles then when we go to our friend's wedding this Oct.!
 

RedRajah

Special Snowflake? No. Hailstone
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 23, 2010
Messages
3,884
Reaction score
2,358
Website
www.fanfiction.net
Cracked open my bottle of Noval Black Port last night. Had it with some dark chocolate squares (70% cacao) and Kit-Kats. :D
 

RedRajah

Special Snowflake? No. Hailstone
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 23, 2010
Messages
3,884
Reaction score
2,358
Website
www.fanfiction.net
My FLWS had a grab-bag tasting yesterday and I had some interesting options. The one that struck me the most was how peppery the Killer Bee Merlot (from Chile) was. It seemed more vegetably than fruity.
 

quicklime

all out of fucks to give
Banned
Joined
Jul 15, 2010
Messages
8,967
Reaction score
2,074
Location
wisconsin
Conte di Bregonzo Amarone Della Valpolicella 2010



Picked a bottle up at Trader Joe's a couple of months ago. I've been curious about Amarones for a while now since in the book version of "Silence of the Lambs" that's Lecter's choice of wine instead of Chianti.


And, I admit, I'm still learning about the science of wine. And how oxidization can affect the taste. I had this wine at room temperature, but I had just opened the bottle and the initial taste was, for lack of a better word, nothing.


One day later, and I could definitely taste an improvement. I need to figure more of this out...


although i have not tried it, TJ's amarones are ridiculously underpriced.

TJ gets some fantastic deals, I am not discounting this wine at all, but I am also suggesting it isn't impossible this isn't a good representation.

I've heard amarone described as a bit raisiny, much like a dry port (alcohol levels end up similar), and a big red, not sure I've ever heard "flavorless."

I have yet to try one, but they are the darling of a lot of kit winemakers, and I've seen a lot of talk about them, both the kits and comparison bottles they've store-bought to test against....
 

RedRajah

Special Snowflake? No. Hailstone
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 23, 2010
Messages
3,884
Reaction score
2,358
Website
www.fanfiction.net
Sampled a nice little Vinho Verde from Broadbent tonight. Goes very nicely with popcorn and pesto-bacon pizza.
 

MaryMumsy

the original blond bombshell
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 18, 2008
Messages
3,396
Reaction score
829
Location
Scottsdale, Arizona
Does any one have a recommendation for a red to use in making sangria? Preferably less than $15.

If it helps, my usual red right now is Carnivor Cabernet.

MM
 

ResearchGuy

Resident Curmudgeon
Requiescat In Pace
Registered
Joined
Mar 26, 2005
Messages
5,011
Reaction score
697
Location
Sacramento area, CA
Website
www.umbachconsulting.com
Does any one have a recommendation for a red to use in making sangria? Preferably less than $15.

If it helps, my usual red right now is Carnivor Cabernet.

MM

I would not use anything more expensive than Two Buck Chuck or Gallo Hearty Burgundy. But that's me ...

--Ken
 

MaryMumsy

the original blond bombshell
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 18, 2008
Messages
3,396
Reaction score
829
Location
Scottsdale, Arizona
Thanks, RedRajah and ResearchGuy. I'll keep those in mind when I go to the candy store (formally known as Total Wine and More).

MM
 

RedRajah

Special Snowflake? No. Hailstone
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 23, 2010
Messages
3,884
Reaction score
2,358
Website
www.fanfiction.net
Tonight for my birthday, we cracked open a bottle of Black Ridge Pinot Noir (CA). Very nice.
 

RedRajah

Special Snowflake? No. Hailstone
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 23, 2010
Messages
3,884
Reaction score
2,358
Website
www.fanfiction.net
Picked up a few bottles from today's wine tasting that intrigued me: Mayu Pedro Ximenez from Chile, Lucas & Lewellen Rose of Pinot Noir (Santa Barbara, CA) and J. Lohr Valdiguie (Monterey, CA).
 

saelyn

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Sep 9, 2014
Messages
59
Reaction score
9
Website
www.kaitlynsagepatterson.com
I've been heavy into the 2013 Pinot Blancs and Pinot Grises from Oregon recently. I really like the Grochau Cellars Pinot Blanc from that year ($18.99 at my FLWS) and Acrobat's Pinot Gris.

Yum!
 

Myrealana

I aim to misbehave
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Nov 29, 2012
Messages
5,425
Reaction score
1,911
Location
Denver, CO
Website
www.badfoodie.com
My mother instructed me to Moscato a while ago. I've been working my way through brands, and while there are some I prefer over others, there have been none I actively disliked.