What's in your Cellar? (Wine)

[Bird]

Re: What\'s in your Cellar? (Wine)

Actually, my favorite white wine is a Gewurtzraminer and the best I ever found was from the Stewart Vineyards in Washington, although I've heard since that Dr. Stewart died and the winery shut down. The one from Taylor is just a tiny bit drier, not bad, but not quite as good to my taste as the Washington wines. And the worst wine I ever tasted was Thunderbird; never got around to tasting MD 20-20. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[LMTC]

Re: What\'s in your Cellar? (Wine)

Ooooh, my sons and I LOVE Gewurtzraminer, as well as sweet/semi-sweet Rieslings. Breitenbach, here in Ohio, makes a very decent rendition of each in the $10 range. They also make some of the best true-fruit (not the flavored cra, uh, stuff) wines for the $$ we've ever had. We absolutely love to visit local wineries when we travel and have picked up many a gem that way. Of course, our tastes tend toward the plebeian, but that just means it takes less $$ to make us more happy than for our friends with more refined tastes. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Ok--while I'm amongst the gourmets who venture here, who has a home espresso machine and what do you think of it. In the market, willing to comfortably go to $500, have much more defined tastes in coffee than wine. I buy Kona extra fancy directly from Hawaii, as well as Blue Mountain directly from Kauai....and find it much nicer than the Blue Mountain grown elsewhere. I love espresso and occasionally a good latte, am soon retiring from the day job and intend to treat myself. Thanks for all information.

 

[_RaT_]

Re: What\'s in your Cellar? (Wine)

Robert, your right about the Amador wines. I really enjoy the blends they make using Barbera, Zinfandel and Syrah. The Zinfandel is native to California and grows like a weed. The bonus is that it requires far less maintainence then the fancy grapes. Very little mildew and when blended, makes a superb wine. My high school buddy's mother has a 100 acre vineyard near Mt Aukum in the Shenadoah Valley. Their grapes are used in Wren wines. He also makes as much wine as possible and shares it well. There are so many tiny vineyards here in California that it really makes it fun to be a wine drinker. Our foothill wines including those up here in Placer county compare and price well against those from Australia which produce very similar wines. I have to agree with jeffinsgf, I am a wine drinker, not a wine collector. I used to be a beer drinker and once believed in the attached theory, maybe I still do. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Holzster]

Re: What\'s in your Cellar? (Wine)

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( That room would hold way more than a lifetime supply for me. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif I keep a big jug of Carlo Rossi Burgundy in the refrigerator and frequently have a little glass before dinner. And just once in a great while buy a small bottle of something else, or try something new in a restaurant. )</font>

Bird - is your glass 24 oz? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Bird]

Re: What\'s in your Cellar? (Wine)

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( is your glass 24 oz? )</font>

Nope, only about a third of that . . . but it does occasionally get filled more than once. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif I don't like big glasses because, not being a connoisseur, I want my wine of any kind cold regardless of what the experts say. Big glasses let it get warm before I drink it all.

 

[_RaT_]

Re: What\'s in your Cellar? (Wine)

Therein is a problem Bird. When you drink a wine to cold, especially a white wine like a Chardonay, the taste in my opinion gets downright nasty. You mentioned you liked a wine from up in Washington, when you had it was it served cold?

 

[Bird]

Re: What\'s in your Cellar? (Wine)

Rat, I know the real wine drinkers (like a French friend of ours) don't think it should be cold, but for me, personally, I figure no more than 40 degrees, and preferably even colder, is what I want. So, yes, the Washington wines I liked were best straight out of the refrigerator. I told you I'm no connoisseur; I just know what I like. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[jeffinsgf]

Re: What\'s in your Cellar? (Wine)

A couple of comments.

LMTC: Look at the Krups model that has both an espresso side and a drip side. I have had mine for over 14 years and it works flawlessly on both sides. The steamer doesn't have as much horsepower as you might want, but it gets the job done if you don't try to steam and make espresso at the same time. You can spend a lot more money, but unless you want the built in grinder some new models have, I don't think you could do any better.

Re: serving temp of wines. I have a rant for this subject. I travel for business nearly every weekend, as some of you who have met me at the Woodworking Shows know. My reward to my wife and myself for our arduous schedule is that we do not skimp on dinner or wine. We might hit McDonald's for breakfast and the concession stand for lunch, but at the end of the day, we're looking for good food and a nice bottle of wine. We prefer red. I get steamed when restaurants that should know better store their wines in the KITCHEN. Red wine should be served in the mid to low 50's -- often referred to as "cellar temperature". Some are okay at room temperature. I was served a 40 dollar bottle of wine this weekend that had to be at least 90 degrees. I started to send it back, but then saw that the whole wine rack was in the kitchen. I will not be dining with the Red Rocks Cafe in Charlotte NC again.

We don't drink as much white, but the opposite problem is even more common. As RaT mentioned, the conventional wisdom is that white wine should be served chilled, but not cold. Most is served just slightly above freezing. Bird, if that is the way you like it, you should be just fine in most restaurants around the country. From cellar temp, white wine should be immersed in heavily iced ice water for ten minutes or so before serving. If any of you run a restaurant in your "real world", please take the time to learn how wine should be treated and served. I guarantee that your clientele will reward you with repeat business and your servers with generous tips.

 

[jeffinsgf]

Re: What\'s in your Cellar? (Wine)

Oh, one more thing.

LMTC: Ever tried Jamaican Blue Mountain? I'll try the Kauai version if you'll try the Jamaican. Then we can compare notes. I am a Kona fan, but usually end up with whatever beans Caribou Coffee is featuring when we pass through the Minneapolis airport.

 

[LMTC]

Re: What\'s in your Cellar? (Wine)

I have had the Blue Mountain from Jamaica, which is where it got it's fame. That from Kauai is far more smooth.

Superbeans Their Kona Fancy is the best bang for the buck I have ever had...and I have been drinking various forms of Kona since being introduced to it in 1974. Their other coffees are honest...i.e., well roasted, good quality. Bob Alexander, who does their marketing, knows his stuff.

Kauai Coffee These are the folk with the Blue Mountain. Join their coffee club and for $13.50/month INCLUDING shipping, get a 10oz bag of something each month. Most I have tried is good, but I live on Kona from superbeans, and Blue Mountain, so I just have Kauai send me Blue every month.

Get the good Kona...I prefer light roast, lots of folks prefer the dark. Freeze it when it comes. Grind beans as you make each pot. If you must, grind the whole bag but keep it sealed (think ziplock) and frozen. If you are buying it ground, don't. Buy even a cheap grinder. For aroma and initial taste I have never had anything approach their Kona Fancy. The Blue has so-so aroma, good taste (but not as good as Kona) but the BEST taste in the world as you swallow it. Just an incredible finish.