So, a vote of non-confidence and an election, I finished my book and I could ignore the wine blog no more. Why the procrastination? Well, I recycled a bottle before I wrote the vintage in my notebook (marked below), and there is no way I was driving across town to the store I bought it in to look at a label, and I am too lazy to pick up the phone. I am going to guesstimate on the vintage, if anyone has had the wine recently please confirm.
When the snow flies all that white sends me back to the fridge, back to white wine. We stay home (cocoon) a bit more, we entertain a bit more, we cook a bit more. I have always found white wine & food a bit more of a challenge, and I like a challenge.
The following white wines are all posted in the 'so to sun it up' format:
J.Lohr's Riverstone Chardonnay
Grape(s): Chardonnay
Vintage: 2003
Appellation: Monterey, California
Closure: Trad. Cork
Format: Standard, 750ml
Price: $22
Had With: Peter Mansbridge, okay he wasn't actually here but he was on TV. We had a veggie pasta that didn't do the wine justice. Golden colour, creamy texture, hints of pear.
Recommend: Buy. Why? Every once in a while I get a hankering for a Chard so oaky I can pull splinters from my gums; this is that wine, vintage after vintage after vintage.
Pascual Toso
Grape(s): Sauvignon Blanc
Vintage: 2003, recycled
Appellation: Mendoza, Argentina
Closure: Cork, neoprene
Format: standard
Price: $12
Had With: Take away veggie pizza with feta cheese, watched Grosse Point Blank.
Recommend: Maybe, good Wednesday wine?
Thornbury Estate
Grape(s): Sauvignon Blanc
Vintage: 2003
Appellation: Marlborough, New Zealand
Closure: Stelvin
Format: standard
Price: $20
Had with: conversation; 3 people while preparing dinner, we meant for it to last through dinner but, well this wine went down smooth. Great acidity, wowing citrus, hint of kiwi and passionfruit. Very yummy.
Recommend: Yes, do not pass go, just take your $20 and go directly to wine store.
Lingenfelder's Fish Label
Grape(s): Riesling
Vintage: 2003
Apellation: Mosel, Germany
Closure: Stelvin
Format: standard
Had With: Tilapia & spinach salad. A very enjoyable wine. Great ripeness, hints of gala apple and pear nectar, sploosh of honey.
Recommend: Yes, this is a great example of what a good Riesling can be. Don't be afraid of Riesling, it is magical when it is spot on.
28 November, 2005
17 November, 2005
...so are the days of our lives
Have you ever bought mediocre wine? No, really think about it -
has every wine you have bought been great or did the atmosphere make the wine great? Case in point - bought a cheap & chipper Orvieto from a large, well-known Italian producer, bought an already roasted chicken from the pre-cooked meals section of the local super market and made some pasta-feta salad to go with, sat down and ate dinner and watched a news program. The food was comfy, the news was the shits (well GS was worth watching) and the wine was okay. And by okay, it was just okay.
This made me think about how experience changes wines. Take Matues Rose ('70's bottle floating upside down...) I never would have bought this and looked forward to the experience - went to the lake this summer & a friend brought it. It was humid-hot & getting close to dinner, we decided to open it as our appetizer wine. We were all laughing eating munchies and the wine tasted great. And by great, we bought a bottle when we got home. The second bottle was good but not great. The laughing and camaraderie really made the wine. Will I buy it again? Yes, every time I taste it I remember the lake. Sometimes you need that memory when you see your car covered in snow and the pile of ice 20cm high the plow has left for you to navigate over, after you've uncovered your car...
So was the Antinori Orvieto really just okay? Probably, but I'm going to try it again. I had a crap day at work, was grumpy, the news was the news and I didn't pair the best food with it; it deserves a second chance. I know from experience that all of these factors added to my wine tasting reaction.
I'm not going to 'Sum it up' as I usually do - I am going to try the wine again. Fair is fair, and if it's okay I'll blog it as okay, but on its own terms.
...I mentioned to Wine in the Peg we are going to try (again) the Thornbury Sauvignon Blanc in the next few days. My next post will probably be a series of different wines (mostly white) that we have tried over the last week or two.
has every wine you have bought been great or did the atmosphere make the wine great? Case in point - bought a cheap & chipper Orvieto from a large, well-known Italian producer, bought an already roasted chicken from the pre-cooked meals section of the local super market and made some pasta-feta salad to go with, sat down and ate dinner and watched a news program. The food was comfy, the news was the shits (well GS was worth watching) and the wine was okay. And by okay, it was just okay.
This made me think about how experience changes wines. Take Matues Rose ('70's bottle floating upside down...) I never would have bought this and looked forward to the experience - went to the lake this summer & a friend brought it. It was humid-hot & getting close to dinner, we decided to open it as our appetizer wine. We were all laughing eating munchies and the wine tasted great. And by great, we bought a bottle when we got home. The second bottle was good but not great. The laughing and camaraderie really made the wine. Will I buy it again? Yes, every time I taste it I remember the lake. Sometimes you need that memory when you see your car covered in snow and the pile of ice 20cm high the plow has left for you to navigate over, after you've uncovered your car...
So was the Antinori Orvieto really just okay? Probably, but I'm going to try it again. I had a crap day at work, was grumpy, the news was the news and I didn't pair the best food with it; it deserves a second chance. I know from experience that all of these factors added to my wine tasting reaction.
I'm not going to 'Sum it up' as I usually do - I am going to try the wine again. Fair is fair, and if it's okay I'll blog it as okay, but on its own terms.
...I mentioned to Wine in the Peg we are going to try (again) the Thornbury Sauvignon Blanc in the next few days. My next post will probably be a series of different wines (mostly white) that we have tried over the last week or two.
10 November, 2005
reading in the wine world - the 3rd 'R'
When first getting into wine I improved my awareness of one passion by indulging in another- Reading. As I continue to learn about wine I have used the following method.
1 - Purchase 5 good reference books.
The books I list are suggestions for my reading style, you should select books that suit your needs. I have found these were great books to start with:
1xregion (worldwide)'World Atlas of Wine' (H.Johnson & J. Robinson); another great way to get a quick bite of this info is in the annual H. Johnson 'Pocket Wine Book'
1xgrape 'Guide to Wine Grapes' (J. Robinson)
1xhistory 'Vintage: The Story of Wine' (H. Johnson)
1xfood & wine 'Wine with Food' (J. Simon)
1xvintage 'Wine Vintages' (M. Broadbent)
As you can see I have a preference for a couple of authors - remember to find the ones that you like. I like authors that provide reliable information and get to the point. Nothing is worse than bad information or over information to confuse any student. The 'Peg has some great bookstores and a pretty good library system, there is lots of information available, however I don't feel it is necessary to buy every book that hits the market. How many Atlas do you need? How many books on the Wines of Canada? Buy what you need when you need it and always keep your bookshelf moderately up-to-date.
2 - Once you know a bit find books that help you explore more.
This is where you can focus on region, grape, food & wine combos, histories, bios, trends, the list goes on & on & on & on & on...
I like the Mitchell Beazley guides for quick regional focus. Solid information, various authors and inexpensive. For food pairing Andrea Immer Robinson is excellent. Histories, bios and trends I have purchased when a whim takes me in the book store. You can read about wine everyday to stay on top in tasting notes and vintage updates, regional law changes, etc, etc, etc without touching the last 3. I recently indulged my historical curiosity in a used book shop and purchased 'Wine & War' (D.&P. Kladstrup) - a very interesting perspective of French wine during WWII. There are many other books I enjoy in this genre but you should find yours.
3 - The 'zines.
Periodicals a.k.a. magazines - whether they have advertisements or not are usually attached to critics and ratings. I always read these while holding a grain of salt in one hand and counting the advertisements with the other. Usually the information provided is up to date and accurate, harvest reports, focus on regions, grapes, wineries, winemakers, winelists. I am careful about the ratings - you may not taste the same as the person or panel who rated the wine. I have enjoyed many wine that have scored lower than 90 points and not enjoyed wines that have scored close to 100. Newspapers can often be a good source for wines that are available in your market, ours changed yesterday, looks to be interesting. Remember whether the author is local, national or international personal preference, experience and environment play a key role - more on this when I write about the first 'R' - drinking.
4 - Hang Ten
Surf the web. Winery websites are good sources of information that a winery wants you to have. Just remember they normally never tell you that their wine is bad. Magazines and authors also have good websites with good information. I use the web almost every day when it comes to wine, I have made good and bad purchases based on the information that I have come across. I obviously enjoy the blogs & am always looking for more Wpg. bloggers - if you know of any send them this way.
5 - Other Media.
A lot of fictional novels, TV Dramas/Sitcoms & Movies reference wine. Remember this info may not be completely accurate - the author may not be a wine geek. Have some fun with these and research the validity yourself - you never know what you might find.
Thus ends my opinion on reading about Wine. Sorry, now wine review today - commitments beckon.
1 - Purchase 5 good reference books.
The books I list are suggestions for my reading style, you should select books that suit your needs. I have found these were great books to start with:
1xregion (worldwide)'World Atlas of Wine' (H.Johnson & J. Robinson); another great way to get a quick bite of this info is in the annual H. Johnson 'Pocket Wine Book'
1xgrape 'Guide to Wine Grapes' (J. Robinson)
1xhistory 'Vintage: The Story of Wine' (H. Johnson)
1xfood & wine 'Wine with Food' (J. Simon)
1xvintage 'Wine Vintages' (M. Broadbent)
As you can see I have a preference for a couple of authors - remember to find the ones that you like. I like authors that provide reliable information and get to the point. Nothing is worse than bad information or over information to confuse any student. The 'Peg has some great bookstores and a pretty good library system, there is lots of information available, however I don't feel it is necessary to buy every book that hits the market. How many Atlas do you need? How many books on the Wines of Canada? Buy what you need when you need it and always keep your bookshelf moderately up-to-date.
2 - Once you know a bit find books that help you explore more.
This is where you can focus on region, grape, food & wine combos, histories, bios, trends, the list goes on & on & on & on & on...
I like the Mitchell Beazley guides for quick regional focus. Solid information, various authors and inexpensive. For food pairing Andrea Immer Robinson is excellent. Histories, bios and trends I have purchased when a whim takes me in the book store. You can read about wine everyday to stay on top in tasting notes and vintage updates, regional law changes, etc, etc, etc without touching the last 3. I recently indulged my historical curiosity in a used book shop and purchased 'Wine & War' (D.&P. Kladstrup) - a very interesting perspective of French wine during WWII. There are many other books I enjoy in this genre but you should find yours.
3 - The 'zines.
Periodicals a.k.a. magazines - whether they have advertisements or not are usually attached to critics and ratings. I always read these while holding a grain of salt in one hand and counting the advertisements with the other. Usually the information provided is up to date and accurate, harvest reports, focus on regions, grapes, wineries, winemakers, winelists. I am careful about the ratings - you may not taste the same as the person or panel who rated the wine. I have enjoyed many wine that have scored lower than 90 points and not enjoyed wines that have scored close to 100. Newspapers can often be a good source for wines that are available in your market, ours changed yesterday, looks to be interesting. Remember whether the author is local, national or international personal preference, experience and environment play a key role - more on this when I write about the first 'R' - drinking.
4 - Hang Ten
Surf the web. Winery websites are good sources of information that a winery wants you to have. Just remember they normally never tell you that their wine is bad. Magazines and authors also have good websites with good information. I use the web almost every day when it comes to wine, I have made good and bad purchases based on the information that I have come across. I obviously enjoy the blogs & am always looking for more Wpg. bloggers - if you know of any send them this way.
5 - Other Media.
A lot of fictional novels, TV Dramas/Sitcoms & Movies reference wine. Remember this info may not be completely accurate - the author may not be a wine geek. Have some fun with these and research the validity yourself - you never know what you might find.
Thus ends my opinion on reading about Wine. Sorry, now wine review today - commitments beckon.
04 November, 2005
cold in winnipeg?
I woke up this morning to the radio announcer discussing snow, and I thought to myself why is it going to get colder just as I am getting over a cold? Yes folks for the last 2 weeks I have suffered through the autumn cold. Other than upping my personal consumption of president's choice tissue it downed my consumption of wine, leaving me little to wine blog about. It did leave me time to appreciate cough syrups, sweet elixirs of relief. Left the swirl, sniff, swallow routine behind for speed gulping off a teaspoon over the bathroom sink(Vancouver 2010 featured event?).
I also did some wine shopping and picked up what will hopefully be some great wines to ease back with. A Mosel Riesling, a Shiraz-Grenache, a Pinot Gris and an Italian Red or 2.
I also did some book shopping. You'll see a post on the 3rd R of wine first.
I also did some wine shopping and picked up what will hopefully be some great wines to ease back with. A Mosel Riesling, a Shiraz-Grenache, a Pinot Gris and an Italian Red or 2.
I also did some book shopping. You'll see a post on the 3rd R of wine first.
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