DMF "official" Wine thread

[Dirty Duc]

There's a whole thread of beer (which I also like), but no wine. (not really snobbish wine talk, drink what you like.  I like reds over whites, and you can keep the sparkly unless it's in a mimosa.)

Internationally:

South American reds (Malbec especially) are usually fantastic, especially for the price.

North Island New Zealand reds... if you can get them in the states, specifically from Gimbletts Gravels area... phenomenal! Note that these wines are not for someone on looking for a "drinkable" price (except for Oyster Bay).

Reds from Australia are variable, but you can usually find drinkable ones at a drinkable price...

CONUS:

CA wines must not come from "Napa valley."  Paso Robles and a few other locations, but generally speaking I avoid the CA wines.

Small vineyards are best, especially from an unexpected area.  Maison La Belle Vie out of Palisade, CO has fantastic wines.  and if you are in the area, you might like to tour the several wineries in the Grand Junction vicinity.

I also approve of the "craft" wineries in AZ.  Not all of them are to my tastes, but enough are that I can spend the money to buy local.

More to follow.

[flare_late]

North Island New Zealand reds... if you can get them in the states, specifically from Gimbletts Gravels area... phenomenal!

I'm also a fan of NZ wines.  They're much better than that Jacob's Ladder piss.  Another good, and not much thought of, region for wines is Georgia (as in former USSR).  Georgia is where wine was invented making it the oldest wine producing region in the world.  And they've been drunk ever since.  I occasionally have a few bottles shipped over cause it's hard to come by in the states.  Not that I can really notice the difference, but wines from the Kakheti and Ajara regions are my favorites.

[pitbull]

I'm definitely a fan of New Zealand wines, and while I generally prefer reds to white, NZ style sauvignon blanc holds a special place in my heart.  I recently killed a few bottles of Kim Crawfor SB, which I will be drinking again soon.

As for Napa Valley wines.......yes..... certainly overexposed and many overrated, but still way too many good ones to avoid them altogether.

The Niagara region of Canada is known as the top producer of ice wine in the world, but they also produce some fantastic whites and reds. Mission Valley, out in BC produces some great wines as well.

I still also love old world french wines, depite the pretentiousness and often unjustifiable prices.

[cokey]

Little penguin,  australian cabernel sauvignon. Wine cust just gave me as a tip..  any good?  He said it was...

[zooom]

a customer of mine gave me a bottle of Rene Barbier Mediterranean Red Catalunya....

[triangleforge]

I also approve of the "craft" wineries in AZ.  Not all of them are to my tastes, but enough are that I can spend the money to buy local.

Where you at? Probably the stupidest item in our quite tight household budget is a quarterly "subscription" at Page Springs Cellars in Cornville, AZ whose Rhone-style wines we enjoy quite a bit. http://www.pagespringscellars.com/ I also enjoy some of the wines just down the hill from us (I'm in Prescott) in Skull Valley at the Juniper Well Ranch, and I just met a fellow who's going to be partnering with them to sell local mead - I tasted some of his work, and it's quite good. I also have been impressed by the couple of bottles of Callaghan Vineyards (down in the Sonoita region) I've tried, and sure wish I could afford to have Caduceus grace the table more often - and I'm not even a real fan of TOOL.

As you note, Arizona wine is a very, very mixed bag; probably my favorite not-very-good wines are from ReUnion Camp & Juniperwood Ranch up near Ashfork; they don't do any grape-based wines, but instead do fruit wines and odd Arizona varietals like prickly pear & juniper berry wines. They're quite drinkable, and worth the price of admission just to see people's faces when you haul out a bottle.

[Dirty Duc]

It's a passably drinkable wine.  Given: We drink the "big bordeaux reds" and like not so much the sweet at all.  Spicy, flavorful wines that say things on the label like black cherry, tobacco, and tannins; recommended for accompanying BBQ, red meat, and pasta.

I haven't had it in a while, but I did just pick up a bottle of the LP Shiraz.  The LP stuff isn't fantastic (because you have to spend more for fantastic), but is solidly in our taste range.

For a while the way to come out ahead at the wine store was to go for an Australian Shiraz.  Then everyone else caught on and the prices went up.  They seem to have come back down again to where we can afford to buy the Aussie stuff again.  

Little penguin,  australian cabernel sauvignon. Wine cust just gave me as a tip..  any good?  He said it was...

[Dirty Duc]

Mmmm... Page Springs... Merkin Vineyards...

I'm about 20 miles east of the Sonoita vineyards 

Where you at? Probably the stupidest item in our quite tight household budget is a quarterly "subscription" at Page Springs Cellars in Cornville, AZ whose Rhone-style wines we enjoy quite a bit. http://www.pagespringscellars.com/ I also enjoy some of the wines just down the hill from us (I'm in Prescott) in Skull Valley at the Juniper Well Ranch, and I just met a fellow who's going to be partnering with them to sell local mead - I tasted some of his work, and it's quite good. I also have been impressed by the couple of bottles of Callaghan Vineyards (down in the Sonoita region) I've tried, and sure wish I could afford to have Caduceus grace the table more often - and I'm not even a real fan of TOOL.

As you note, Arizona wine is a very, very mixed bag; probably my favorite not-very-good wines are from ReUnion Camp & Juniperwood Ranch up near Ashfork; they don't do any grape-based wines, but instead do fruit wines and odd Arizona varietals like prickly pear & juniper berry wines. They're quite drinkable, and worth the price of admission just to see people's faces when you haul out a bottle.

[fastwin]

I'm a cheap wine drinker. Don't do the wine snob thing... my brother in law is the expert at that. I do like the inexpensive Southeastern Aussie wines like Jacob's Creek. It's inexpensive and yes it has a screw on cap now but they used to have corks! I like Chardonnays, Cabernet Sauvignons and the occasional Shiraz. Luckily Jacob's Creek makes them all. Win-win!

The brother in law is a complete wine nerd. Acts like he's going to barf if he even sees you drink a white wine of any kind. Then he goes into his bullshit wine PhD soapbox lecture trying to make you feel like a mouth breathing, cave dwelling, troglodyte for drinking "the wrong wine". Ugh. Makes me want to whack him with one of his groovy, double throw down, exclusive bottles of Chilean red wine.

OK, thanks for letting me vent. I'm finished. Spending Thanksgiving with the same brother in law is way too fresh in my mind and we have to see him again tonight for a family birthday. Hmmmm, where did I leave that bottle of cheap wine?

[Dirty Duc]

You can always bring in some cheap Chilean wine.  They always have sales in the stores here, and you can get a decent Malbec for $5-$10.

[fastwin]

The yahoo brother in law has actually poured me some really good Chilean wine. Don't know what it was but it was a good pick. Just get tired of his BS... pour the wine and shut the make the beast with two backs up!

I'll keep an eye on this thread. I could use some good wine tips and pointers. I can get that from y'all without the BS.

[zooom]

my neighbor is a huge wine guy and has his own budget wines column...

http://www.examiner.com/budget-wine-in-washington-dc/rob-garretson

though the pricing and availability he examines is usually in the DC area, the wines are often times distributed to a much larger area scale...

[fastwin]

Bump for wine ideas. Might have to get the brother in law a couple of bottles of wine for Xmas. Again, he's a red only drinker and does lean to the wines of Chile. Thoughts?

[the_Journeyman]

I'm enjoying a 2008 Syrah.  It is from Kendall-Jackson and is excellent.

Crisp but slightly fruity nose, spicy & lightly fruity body and a slightly tart finish.  Very good.  Would go well with sharp or extra sharp Cheddar, beef with a peppery/strong herb rub or marinade, and strongly marinated pork.

JM

JM

[mitt]

It is rare to find a wine I don't like 


mitt