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The Official Wine Thread!
- Thread starter gbg
- Start date
I think there is a lot of folklore and pride in what they are saying. I have a hard time believing they are leaving money on the table by hoarding their best wine and selling it unbranded for peanuts compared to what it would fetch on the world market, if it was really world class. France exports lots of bottles that are well over $1000+ a piece because of their pedigree, whether or not it’s deserved.
Wine travels just fine, as long as their is decent temperature control. It can handle being jostled around quite a bit compared to beer.
That said, there really is no true objective measure of quality, so it is in the eye of the beholder. You can typically make a judgement based on chemical indicators and the presence of flaws, but in the end it’s subjective. You either like it or you don’t. What I imagine that guy was getting at when he said California wine was “too seasoned” was that they are typically fuller bodied and more textured, while Euro wines are often more acidic and lighter bodied. IMO California wine is pushed too far in that direction, and I prefer something more in the middle of those 2 styles.
Judging from your username you must be an enthusiast, expert or in the business. I really know nothing.
How I would describe the wines I drank while there (I lived, at various times, a total of 8 years in Italy) is- just slightly fizzy (fresco?) and lighter. I would not describe them as acidic. Most Italians drink wine twice a day at meals. Maybe the lighter wines just feel...lighter. They have to go back to work after their main, midday meal, so maybe lighter is better?
I used to work at a furniture factory in Brianza, just south of Como. At lunch a group of us would go to a local trattoria. The waitress there couldn't pronounce my name (Jeff) so called me "California." There were four of us. One guy liked white so he would get his own bottle. Every day, at lunch, finished a bottle. The remaining three of us would get a large bottle of red. I would have one glass. The other two finished off the big bottle (1.5 liters?). They always tried to get me to drink more, but I rode my bike and it was uphill back to the factory. I said every glass makes the hill steeper. They called me a "terrone", a lazy southerner, derogatory in those parts.
They were probably alcoholics, but were very hard working alcoholics.
Bevmo just now. Vinho Verde $7.99. Gruner $9.99. The Spanish garnacha. $14. On 5 cent sale so $7 a bottle. 92 points by wine advocate. $
45 for 5 bottles. Hard to beat.
45 for 5 bottles. Hard to beat.
I'm 2 of the 3, and I can only pretend to be an expert relative to the general public. Your opinion is valid, I just question the story you were told. Like I said, it's all subjective.
The spritzy character is probably from them not allowing secondary fermentation to finish, which leaves some CO2. I like that in white wines. Plus they probably are not oaking their wines as aggressively as California wines.
I'm mostly a beer guy, although I do appreciate good wine on the weekends from time to time. I get horrible hangovers from red wine, so I think I'm histamine sensitive. Plus there are all kinds of additives allowed in wine that do not have to be listed on the label, since wine is not regulated by the FDA. The wines you are describing would probably treat me far better the following day.
I'll be in Italy for 2 weeks in June (Rome, Sardinia, Positano). Stocked!
What don't you like about them? I tried one from CA I didn't like that was more fruity in character, probably from being picked riper., whereas traditionally they're supposed to be crisp and mineral. One of my favs.
I have not had this one but will today. Will report back. Says product of Austria. I have only had one GV from CA and it was by Tatomer and it was really good. It's on tap at Beer +Wine in the Santa Barbara Public Market. At least it was in October. The guy there told me its hard to find and sells out quickly.
Too
Theyre just lackluster... might as well be a california chardonay. I appreciate them but most white wines from california are too much for me
Ok update on the Broadbent Gruner. It's good. Not great.
The Buscador Garnacha at $7 is not bad. Absolutely worth the money. Lighter style wine. Good beginning but light in the finish. BBQ chicken or Salmon wine.
The Buscador Garnacha at $7 is not bad. Absolutely worth the money. Lighter style wine. Good beginning but light in the finish. BBQ chicken or Salmon wine.
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Yep. 4 nights in each place, although Rome is more like 3 nights since we arrive at midnight. Although I am tempted to spread out the time in Sardinia. Seems that it's just starting to get on the radar of mainstream travelers (non-Euro at least), with Outside magazine and a few other publications starting to blow it out. The Amalfi Coast is suffering the same fate as Cinque Terre and is being whored out hard on Instagram, but whatevs, it's popular for a reason. Last night is in Naples.
Either way, stocked!
Wine+Beer has some premium corivan stuff by the glass so you don't have to blow your wad on a bottle which is nice,. But they have zero temp control and super expensive stuff that sits on the shelves forever.
Next time you're in SB stop by Renegade Wines. He's got a loads of GV, German Rieslings etc you mentioned. The left two are from his shop. A nearly 40 y/o riesling and a Nikolaihof GV, both about just under $30. The gruner is aged on its lees and unfiltered. I think it makes it more fruity(?) (you can get a clear 1/2 bottle and then a hazy one towards the end or shake it like an Orangina like it says on the bottle
). Both were great. Got a screaming deal on the syrah from a wine store that went out of business.
I like it when rich people invite me to wine tasting parties. I think I treat it a bit too much like a kegger, like "this is gonna be awesome, let's get wasted!!" Like many others though I can't really tell the difference between 8 dollar and 150 dollar bottles of wine. One wine dude got really mad at me when I described an expensive vintage as "grape-esque."