So that bottle went beyond secondary fermentation in the bottle!
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mostly wine stuff
- Thread starter Tony S
- Start date
Makes me think that "dry white wine" on the back label might have been a lie. And not the "white" part -- it was nearly clear.
My wife, who is a great cook, really outdid herself last weekend making lamb skewers with red onions and three colors of bell peppers marinated with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, herbs and spices. So I had to find some good wines from deep under our stairs to go with it. The first night we had the Navarro, her grandmother's maiden name, and a long-time producer of great Pinots and dry and late harvest Gewurztraminers and Rieslings. We had enough for a second dinner that we had with the Convergence, a winery that is not too far out of the way from my house to Kirkwood, and on my shortest route (in miles) to So. Tahoe. The back of the bottle says "Warning!!! This is a monster wine, big and powerfu, so dark in color we lovingly call it SPF 5000. Danger!!! You may fall in love with this wine..". Even though way different in body, style and taste, both were excellent.
We are going to be in California next week, visiting our son in Berkeley and doing a couple days in San Francisco and a few up in wine country. Among other things, we are going to Landmark just because I was so impressed with the Chardonnay I mentioned a few pages ago. And coming from a big, over the top red guy like me, that is high praise. (@Tony S exaggerates, but he knows me well.)
So to the point of this post.... we were planning to go back to Lodi on Sunday, but noting the weather forecast (over 100 degrees) and taking a critical look at drive times, that seems like a stupid thing to do. So I think we are going to stay closer to Berkeley instead. The last time we tried to explore the urban wine scene in Oakland was the wrong day of the week and very few were open for visits. Google finds at least a half dozen open on Sunday. @Mendieta , do I remember correctly that you live in that part of the bay area? Any particular favorites?
So to the point of this post.... we were planning to go back to Lodi on Sunday, but noting the weather forecast (over 100 degrees) and taking a critical look at drive times, that seems like a stupid thing to do. So I think we are going to stay closer to Berkeley instead. The last time we tried to explore the urban wine scene in Oakland was the wrong day of the week and very few were open for visits. Google finds at least a half dozen open on Sunday. @Mendieta , do I remember correctly that you live in that part of the bay area? Any particular favorites?
Luckily, you had them in the right orderI love Petite Sirah!
Petit Sirah is a favorite of mine.
So, you mean you are coming this long weekend, right?
I really really like Dashe, though their prices tend to be on the high end for an urban producer
http://www.dashecellars.com/
Less expensive, but wines with character and a lot of value last time I was there (3 years ago?)
http://www.ulcellars.com/
Finally, Rockwall in Alameda can have some interesting wines. They are a larger producer, and they have a large portfolio. The tasting room is very large and originaly, but not touristsy, if that makes any sense.
http://www.rockwallwines.com/
JC Cellars was an amazing producer, but I think John Cohn moved to Sonoma a few years back.
The Dashe couple, boy. Their French touch really shows in their wines
http://www.dashecellars.com/team
Anyways, this may be the wine speaking, but I think I should be drinking some wine
That'a girl!
Yes, it has everything you need in a blend, in just one grape. Intense tannins, deep fruit flavors ... done well it's a thing of beauty!
Arriving Labor day weekend, day after tomorrow, staying all week.
@luliski - My son is a beer geek and lives in Berkeley, so I'm sure he has the beer figured out. I'm sure we will hit a few of his favorites. Thanks for the recommendation, though. I seem to remember he likes Fieldwork. (Fortunately my brother-in-law, who is accompanying us, is not much of a drinker. He can drive.)
@Mendieta - thanks for the recommendations. I saw Dasche and UL online, thought they sounded interesting. Missed the others, though.
@luliski - My son is a beer geek and lives in Berkeley, so I'm sure he has the beer figured out. I'm sure we will hit a few of his favorites. Thanks for the recommendation, though. I seem to remember he likes Fieldwork. (Fortunately my brother-in-law, who is accompanying us, is not much of a drinker. He can drive.)
@Mendieta - thanks for the recommendations. I saw Dasche and UL online, thought they sounded interesting. Missed the others, though.
Honestly although I do like a malbec if I were to drink 1 red. It would be a petit sirah
Honestly although I do like a malbec if I were to drink 1 red. It would be a petit sirah
Interestingly, IMHO, Malbec is also a very complex grape with a lot of the flavor profiles, in this case perhaps found in a Bordeaux blend. Argentinean Malbec of course became very famous (almost at cliche levels). But also Cahors in France. It seems like Bordeaux's Malbec would not ripen to the point of being a nice monovarietal. Our resident winemaker, @skibob would know.
I am a big fan of blends, though. I'm not sure why you wouldn't blend, if you have several grapes at disposal, and as a consumer, I tend to prefer blends. But hey, what do I know. I'm just a wino
The problem with blends is the market segment, not intrinsic. After all, classic Bordeaux are blends. But all too many recent blends are sweet and insipid. My rule of thumb is blends with a prominent winery identification are ok, otherwise stay away.
First winery visit, Rockwall in Alameda. A very cool place, old hangers at the naval air station repurposed. A couple "meh" wines, but a good zin and a good cab.
Well, actually the full rule is "or a specific Vinincultural region"
